Chapter 57

“…The Empire wants an extension of ‘Book of Life and Death’s broadcast?”

When I first heard the news from Karlreya, all I could feel was sheer absurdity.

No, that makes sense, I guess.

Even though this fantasy world is a class-based society governed by a dirty caste system, now they’re meddling with whether or not anime should be broadcasted?

Ugh, it’s disgusting.

But only for a moment.

After hearing from Karlreya about what went down in that day’s meeting, I realized the Empire wasn’t just throwing a random tantrum.

“So… you’re saying the crime rate in the Empire has dramatically decreased because of ‘Book of Life and Death’s broadcast?”

“Yes. Honestly, I find it hard to believe myself, but according to the Chief of Security, that’s the case. He has no reason to lie to me, so it’s most likely true.”

“…”

Honestly, it felt bizarre at first.

But when I thought about it calmly, it wasn’t entirely implausible.

Because hadn’t numerous animations on Earth already proven it multiple times?

Once an animation surpasses mere quality and reaches the level of being called a ‘masterpiece,’

it transcends its status as simple entertainment and can wield massive influence over society.

The work that inspired ‘Knight Shin Chronicle’ did it, and so did the one that inspired ‘Book of Life and Death.’

Both took different directions, but they both left indelible marks in history—so much so that even people uninterested in anime knew their names.

Of course, I’m not claiming the works I’ve created in this world are on the same level as those masterpieces.

“If the director was being pressured into something ridiculous like last time with ‘Knight Shin Chronicle,’ I would have stopped it. But this seems like a legitimate issue, so I’ve decided to leave it up to the director’s judgment.”

Saying that, Karlreya gave me the look that she’d leave the decision to me.

‘Wait, what am I supposed to do about it?’

As far as I’m concerned, there’s no clever solution here.

To be honest, I wanted to extend the broadcast of ‘Book of Life and Death’ after hearing Karlreya say all that.

But the reality is, forcing an extension would only lower the quality of the work.

I wanted ‘Book of Life and Death’ to end cleanly, with a proper beginning, middle, and end.

‘Damn, if this were Earth, we could just expand into other media mix formats and call it a day.’

On Earth, once a piece becomes a hit, spin-offs and side stories keep popping up endlessly, maintaining the IP’s popularity.

But in this uncivilized fantasy world, aside from the anime I’ve made, there’s no decent subculture around, making that impossible—

‘Hold on.’

Expand into other media mixes?

Hmm…

That might actually be possible.

****

Since the advent of ‘anime’ in the Empire, people have become completely absorbed, obsessing solely over it.

Conversely, other forms of culture have been utterly neglected.

Theater, opera, musicals—all these various cultural pillars that once dominated the Empire—are now largely abandoned, becoming cold leftovers.

Of course, the arrival of anime didn’t mean theater or musicals had completely collapsed.

Just like on Earth where anime and movies dominate but people still go to theaters or musicals,

there were still many in the Empire who enjoyed theater and musicals, ensuring their survival.

However, the sudden appearance of anime drastically reduced the number of people attending theater or musicals, a fact that couldn’t be denied.

“Guh…! If only that Ragnar guy didn’t exist…!”

“Why does heaven give us theater, opera, and musicals, only to then create anime?”

Naturally, those working in theater or musicals couldn’t harbor good feelings towards Ragnar.

What made it worse was how entertaining his anime was.

From “The Mysterious Disappearance of Eli and Hammel” to “Knight Shin Chronicle,” and then “Book of Life and Death,”

the groundbreaking stories and settings Ragnar introduced were unparalleled compared to traditional theater or opera.

Ultimately, they came to realize:

In terms of pure entertainment value and accessibility, they couldn’t compete with anime. Theater or musicals wouldn’t surpass anime anytime soon.

Therefore, those creating theater or musicals made every effort to contact Ragnar.

They believed that someone who could effortlessly create such fresh stories and brilliant settings could also write scripts that would reignite enthusiasm for theater or musicals.

But despite countless attempts, Ragnar never responded to their proposals.

Months passed, and just as they’d given up all hope—

“Hello. I am Ragnar Terison, director and producer of ‘Knight Shin Chronicle’ and ‘Book of Life and Death.’”

For some unknown reason, Ragnar suddenly summoned them and made a proposal.

“To cut straight to the point, lately, my anime has affected the success of theater, opera, and musicals, hasn’t it?”

“…Ahem.”

“Um, well…”

Instantly, industry professionals wore uncomfortable expressions upon hearing Ragnar’s words.

True as it may have been, it wasn’t something they wanted to hear from the very person responsible for the downturn.

But then,

“That said, I have a proposition for you all. Would any of you be interested in adapting ‘Book of Life and Death’ into a theater play or musical?”

“Huh?”

“What did you just say?”

The words out of Ragnar’s mouth were beyond their wildest imaginations.

“Let me put it bluntly. I assume there isn’t anyone here unfamiliar with ‘Book of Life and Death,’ which is currently airing on television.”

Of course, how could anyone involved in the cultural sector not know ‘Book of Life and Death’?

Though they might not outwardly admit it due to pride, everyone present had binge-watched ‘Book of Life and Death’ up to the latest episode.

“And I intend to conclude this series soon. For the sake of its completeness, I believe finishing it here is the right choice.”

“…What a surprise.”

“The conclusion of ‘Book of Life and Death.’ Though it’s somewhat disappointing, it’s unavoidable.”

Ragnar’s unexpected announcement shocked the attendees,

but unlike the nobles at the recent State Council meeting, they didn’t react too strongly.

Because they were creators first and foremost, and understood Ragnar’s desire to prioritize the work’s quality over its continuation.

“I’ve spent a lot of time pondering how to properly conclude ‘Book of Life and Death’ and finally decided on an ending. However, during my deliberations, I came up with several alternate endings that I think would be a shame to discard.”

Of course, Ragnar, being someone who creates anime using Pakuri, hadn’t experienced the agony of creation at all.

But unaware of this fact, the attendees couldn’t help but empathize with Ragnar.

“So, I have a proposal for you. What if we adapt ‘Book of Life and Death’ into a theater play or musical, with an ending slightly different from the anime version? I believe many people would show interest in a theatrical or musical adaptation of ‘Book of Life and Death.'”

That was it.

This was Ragnar’s solution after hearing Karlreya’s suggestion.

The work that inspired ‘Book of Life and Death’ had been adapted into various media mixes—movies, dramas, theater plays, musicals, and more.

So, Ragnar judged that adapting ‘Book of Life and Death’ into theater or musical form in this world wasn’t impossible.

“Hmm…”

“Similar story progression to the original, but with a twisted ending…”

“Not a bad idea. Even viewers who’ve seen the anime through to the end would likely be intrigued.”

The attendees also reacted positively to Ragnar’s proposal.

Given that ‘Book of Life and Death’ had already achieved massive success across the Empire,

the news of its adaptation into theater or musical would undoubtedly attract significant attention from viewers familiar with the original.

But…

“We will naturally accept Ragnar-sama’s offer. There’s no reason to refuse. However… Will this really generate profit?”

“…Huh?”

“Though embarrassing to admit, attendance for theater or musicals has almost dried up. Even with fans of the original ‘Book of Life and Death,’ it’ll be tough to draw audiences.”

Someone hesitantly voiced their concerns, but Ragnar had already prepared a solution for this problem.

It was none other than…

“Plans are underway to release official merchandise for ‘Book of Life and Death.’ Are you aware of this?”

“Merchandise for ‘Book of Life and Death,’ like character figurines and related products?”

“Yes. Unlike with ‘Knight Shin Chronicle,’ we won’t produce excessive amounts of merchandise this time. Therefore, I plan to change the sales method slightly.”

Change the sales method?

How?

“I intend to distribute lottery tickets, allowing people to enter a raffle for the merchandise. Naturally, holding multiple tickets means multiple entries.”

Needless to say, these lottery tickets weren’t free giveaways.

“And I plan to give one lottery ticket to each person who attends the theater or musical adaptation of ‘Book of Life and Death.'”

“One lottery ticket per attendee?”

“How diabolical!”

The attendees stared wide-eyed at Ragnar’s words.

But honestly, Ragnar didn’t understand their reaction.

Such marketing tactics were merely child’s play in Korea.

Thus, Ragnar decided to share a little more of the proud K-gaming industry’s expertise with them.

“I also plan to allow the exchange of 10 regular lottery tickets for a ‘Super Lottery Ticket.’ A ticket with much higher priority than the standard ones.”

“Super Lottery Ticket?”

“Honestly, that might be a bit…”

“But without a cap on this kind of gacha system, people might complain about it being a scammy game. So, if someone collects 10 Super Lottery Tickets, I plan to guarantee them merchandise. How does that sound? With this, people will surely flock to see the theater or musical adaptations, right?”

“…”

“…”

For some reason, no one responded to Ragnar’s question.

And thus…

Fantasy world’s dog meat… no, K-paywall model.

Opening preparations underway soon.