Inspiration

The battle for third-party consoles has come to an end. Sega has secured a lineup of third-party players that is not much worse than Nintendo's. Coupled with the performance advantage of the console, the Sega Mega Drive is in a very favorable position.

Then the remaining competition comes down to the game lineup, and the most important part of the game lineup is naturally the first-party exclusive games.

Nakayama Takuya's return to game development was not as easy as everyone imagined.

He leaned back in his chair, his fingers unconsciously twirling a pen, his gaze fixed on the Totoro poster in the corner of the office.

On the table lay several thin pages of notes.

"Farm management and heartwarming daily experiences."

He mentally replayed the promise he had made to Hayao Miyazaki Hayao, the promise he had made in the Ghibli meeting room, the one that had pierced Miyazaki Hayao's last line of defense, the one that shone with the brilliance of a genius idea.

The boasts they make sound wonderful and romantic.

However, transforming this concept into a truly engaging and immersive game that is completely free of any utilitarian motives is far more challenging than defeating any commercial competitor.

How can these heartwarming little stories be seamlessly integrated into the game environment?

It needs to be therapeutic enough, but it also needs to avoid becoming a tedious and repetitive "task".

Most importantly, one must be able to see through Miyazaki Hayao's penetrating, almost demanding eyes that see into the soul.

This competition isn't about capital or functionality, but about understanding art and the human heart.

It is a purer and more rigorous test.

For the first time, he felt that his "undefeated" reputation was facing a completely different challenge.

With a heart full of worries, Nakayama Takuya returned to the Nakayama family.

The atmosphere at dinner was relaxed and pleasant.

The father, Nakayama Atsuo, was clearly in a great mood, and even broke his usual routine by having a small glass of sake while chatting casually with the mother, Nakayama Miyuki.

Only Nakayama Takuya seemed somewhat distracted.

"Takuya, is the food not to your liking?"

The mother, Nakayama Miyuki, spoke gently, with a hint of barely perceptible worry.

Nakayama Atsuo's gaze also shifted from his wine glass to his youngest son.

His insightful eyes instantly saw through the weariness on his son's face, which was not physical but mental.

"Hasn't the matter with the third party already been settled?"

The father's voice was as steady as ever.

Takuya put down his chopsticks and forced a smile.

"It's not a matter for a third party."

Knowing he couldn't hide it from his father, he confessed, "I'm worried about the adaptation of ' My Totoro ' into a game."

"I promised Director Miyazaki a game without combat, full of warmth. But turning that 'feeling' into actual gameplay was much harder than I imagined."

Looking at her son's furrowed brows, Nakayama Miyuki's eyes were filled with heartache.

"Then don't push yourself so hard. You've already done enough."

After listening, Nakayama Atsuo did not immediately express his opinion, but pondered for a moment.

He picked up his glass, took a sip, and then, in an unquestionable tone, gave an unexpected suggestion.

"In that case, why don't you take a vacation?"

Takuya was taken aback for a moment.

"The third-party campaign has come to an end; you don't need to personally handle the follow-up work."

Nakayama Hayao's voice carries a decisiveness unique to those in positions of authority.

"The game review process will be temporarily handled by Yu Suzuki. Contacting third-party developers will be handled by Director Yoshikawa."

"Go and stay at our old family home in the countryside Ibaraki for a few days."

"Take a good rest. Consider it a vacation from me, the club president, to give you, our meritorious employee."

These words represent both a father's deepest concern for his son and a company president's most genuine consideration for his subordinates.

Takuya a warmth in his heart and accepted his father's suggestion.

The next day, after a brief handover of his work, he drove away from Tokyo alone.

The scenery outside the car window was like a movie playing in fast-forward.

Cold, hard skyscrapers and glass curtain walls are gradually being replaced by soft green fields and rustic Japanese houses.

The heavy feeling weighing on my heart was gradually left behind as the wheels turned.

When the car stopped in front of the old house in Ibaraki Township, he was greeted by his grandmother, whose hair was gray and whose face was full of kindness when she smiled.

He took off the sharp suit that represented "Sega executive" and changed into loose and comfortable casual clothes.

In that instant, it was as if a tremendous burden had been lifted from his shoulders, transforming him from a shrewd and calculating business elite back into the innocent and playful "Takuya" who could be affectionate and daydream.

This is the real-life version of the game world he once described to Miyazaki Hayao.

evening.

A cool breeze swept away the sweltering heat of the past hundred days.

Takuya sat under the wooden eaves of the old house, munching on a cold asparagus salad made by his grandmother, and chatting with her about everyday things.

The asparagus had a fresh, clean scent, just like the ones he had picked from the field—a taste from his childhood.

In the quiet summer night, the distant rice paddies were filled with the croaking of frogs, while a soft rustling sound suddenly came from the nearby grass.

Takuya glanced over instinctively.

Grandma just smiled and waved her hand.

"Don't be afraid, it's probably just a fox that came down from the mountains looking for food."

As if recalling something interesting, she naturally began to talk about local legends about foxes.

"In the hearts of us farmers, the fox is a messenger of the Inari, a treasure."

"In the past, people would place a piece of fried tofu under the Ksitigarbha Kshitigarbha Bodhisattva by the edge of the field."

"I don't ask for anything, it's just a token of my appreciation. Perhaps the fox spirit will be pleased to see it, and it will bring a better harvest next year."

"In that old shrine at the village entrance, aren't there several stone fox statues? Those were built little by little by everyone, hoping for a bountiful harvest."

Hearing words like "fox," "messenger," "fried tofu," and "a selfless heart" makes me feel...

A faint flash of lightning seemed to pass through Nakayama Takuya's mind.

He recalled the countless small, benevolent interactions with nature and all things in the animations and comics he had seen in his previous life.

If he can't remember the games from his past life, he can look for them in anime and comics!

The frustration and anxiety that had been building up for weeks vanished in that moment. In its place came a surge of creative desire.

He could even imagine the look of surprise on Miyazaki Hayao's face when he saw the proposal.

"What's wrong, Takuya? Why are you so startled?" Grandma was a little confused by his suddenly bright eyes and the smile he couldn't help but wear. Nakayama Takuya came back to his senses, looked at his grandma's concerned face, and felt a warm current almost overflowing in his heart.

He put down the asparagus and grinned, revealing a wide, untroubled smile.

"It's nothing, Grandma."

He picked up a tomato that his grandmother had just washed, took a big bite, and the sweet and sour juice burst in his mouth—it felt incredibly real.

"I just suddenly realized that the fox spirit you described is just so adorable."