It was past 11:40 PM at the IG Office Building.
Kazuchika Kise was packing up his things, ready to head home.
They were currently working on a theatrical film called BLOOD: The Last Vampire. With the release date less than a month away and Kise being the sole animation supervisor, he'd been swamped with work, which was why he was only just leaving at this late hour.
As he was about to leave, he ran into Akimoto To, who had recently been promoted from Production Assistant to Production Manager.
"Oh, Mr. Kise is heading home already?" Akimoto To asked with a peculiar expression.
"Yeah," Kise nodded. "It's almost midnight. Should I just stay at the office overnight?"
Akimoto To looked slightly taken aback. "I thought you were staying late to watch Mr. Hayashi's anime with everyone before leaving."
"No way!" Kise denied vehemently.
Then he quickly realized his mistake. "Mr. Hayashi? Which one? Lin Zhiyan? Is his anime airing tonight?"
"Mr. Kise, didn't you know? It's airing tonight at midnight!" Akimoto To said, sounding surprised.
"Uh... I've been so swamped lately, I must have lost track of time. I thought it was tomorrow night."
Kazuchika Kise explained, then placed his bag back on his desk. "Since it's airing so soon, there's no time to go home and watch it. I'll stay here and watch it with everyone."
The company had a TV, but it was usually off.
This time was different. After all, it was Lin Zhiyan's animation, and many of his former colleagues from IG had been involved. Although the two companies weren't formally affiliated, many at IG felt the animation was as good as something their own colleagues had made.
Of course, this was also because Lin Zhiyan had been so popular at IG. Other animators who had left IG wouldn't have garnered nearly as much attention.
When they arrived at the small screening room, the TV was already on, and three people were waiting.
Upon seeing Kazuchika Kise, the three stood up to greet him and offered him the front row seats.
Kise didn't stand on ceremony and sat down in the front row.
11:58 PM. With just two minutes left until the animation's premiere, Akimoto To arrived.
He sat down beside Kazuchika Kise, glanced at his watch, and said, "It's almost time."
He quickly remembered something else. "Oh, this is hilarious! Mr. Kise, did you know Mr. Hayashi apparently sang both the opening and ending themes for this animation?"
"Can he even sing?" Kazuchika Kise asked Akimoto To.
"Who knows? I've never heard him sing before," Akimoto To replied with a laugh. "But it's a real money-saver. He's handling everything himself: planning, producing, supervising, scripting, character design, chief animation direction, music, and even writing and performing the opening and ending themes. That should save him millions of yen on production costs."
"Maybe he's running low on funds," Kazuchika Kise speculated. "Starting a company takes a lot of money. I heard he treats his employees very well. Plus, he's funding the animation himself. It's not entirely unreasonable for him to resort to this if he's short on cash. But it does make me wonder about the quality of the animation."
In reality, anyone who had even glanced at the advance chapters of the Death Note manga would have had far more confidence in the animation's quality.
Manga and animation belong to fundamentally different realms, even when discussed together. Death Note had been serialized in a third-rate magazine like Monthly Shōnen Ace, and only two chapters had been released. Given its limited reach, it was no surprise that not only Kazuchika Kise but also everyone else present had never read it—or even heard of it.
Many had seen the animation's PV, which had left a positive impression. But a good PV didn't guarantee a good main feature; PV fraud was a real possibility.
As they talked, the clock struck midnight.
"Oh, it's starting," Akimoto To said, sitting up straight and focusing on the screen.
Kazuchika Kise and the others also turned their attention to the television.
The screen first displayed an opening sequence.
"In the boundless darkness,
we swear a revolutionary oath,
allowing no one to interfere.
The fruit declares an unknown future,
dreams transform into ideals..."
"Everyone longs for an ending..."
Before the television, Kazuchika Kise and the others wore expressions of utter confusion.
It's really Lin Zhiyan's voice!
And not only can he sing, he's actually quite good at it!
The lyrics and melody weren't particularly outstanding, but they at least fit the title of the Death Note animation.
So, that guy Lin Zhiyan was serious. He genuinely wrote and performed the Death Note opening theme, and he did it well.
After the minute-and-a-half opening sequence ended and the GG Time began, Kazuchika Kise slapped his thigh. "This guy's got it all! Lyrics, composition, and performance—and he never showed any of this when we were at IG. He was hiding it pretty well."
Akimoto To couldn't help but agree. "Honestly, I'm shocked too."
It wasn't that they had low expectations for Lin Zhiyan's attempt at writing, composing, and performing the opening theme. They simply assumed that since he wasn't a professional, the song would likely be amateurish. Yet this opening had a professional quality, its quality far exceeding their expectations.
This was a bit absurd.
But their surprises had only just begun.
After the GG ended on the television, the main program began.
"Hey, Ryuk, come play with us too. Join us for a change."
"No, I'm not playing."
"Suto, should I kill him? No, it's better to avoid involving those around him. Actually, why should I even care about that? Who would miss one or two of those guys?"
"I've already obtained what I desire."
"And soon, I will become the god of this new world!"
The bizarre premise, the anti-hero protagonist, the fluid animation—the entire episode was of unexpectedly high quality, leaving the five people in front of the TV too engrossed to speak.
The flashback sequence inserted near the end of the first episode, showing the protagonist's memories, was particularly hair-raising:
After confirming that the Death Note could truly kill, the protagonist initially felt flustered, questioning his right to judge others. But he quickly adjusted his mindset, resolving to eliminate the world's unwanted population.
He quickly scribbled name after name of criminals in the Death Note.
Meanwhile, scenes of the criminals dying in various ways were interspersed: collapsing with a pained "Ugh" in their prison cells, falling without warning on the street, collapsing in dark alleys...
Whether it was the shots of the male protagonist or the criminals falling, every cut was incredibly stylish, perfectly complemented by the driving, catchy "Huh huh ha ha" background music—an absolute masterpiece.
When the first episode of the animation ended and GG Time began again, Kazuchika Kise couldn't help but take a deep breath. "Lin's new animation... it's extraordinary."
Hearing this, the others present nodded in agreement.
So powerful.
The quality is off the charts.
It completely exceeded their expectations in every way.
Simply divine!
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