Oshi no Ko (2023) s02e03 Episode Script

1
Look!
We were featured in Playboy!
And we've been appearing on
U Station's idol show from time to time.
I finally feel like I fit into this class.
I can call myself
a full-fledged entertainer, right?
You were still worried about that?
Of course I was.
I felt alienated and left out
every time you guys talked about work.
I actually feel more awkward
talking to people in the same industry.
Oh, I get what you mean.
Really?
Even when I'm just whining about my work,
other models think that I'm bragging.
I want to casually tell someone
that the actor, Douyama, DM'd me yesterday
to ask me out for dinner.
That is bragging.
Busted.
Frill, your story is on a different level.
So, are you going?
I'm not sure.
I hear that he's a player.
Oh, yeah.
NANAMI, who was in that morning drama,
also said she got a DM from Douyama.
So, the rumors are true.
Miyaemon! Give me more work!
I want to work so much
that I can complain about work too.
I don't know what you're talking about.
Do you want to ask Pieyon
to collaborate with us?
That's fine too,
but I want to do another concert!
We can't do concerts
until Arima's stage play is over.
It seems like it'll be quite a while.
What?
Oh.
Your rehearsal's over already?
They've been postponed, to be precise.
The original author
and the staff are arguing.
We could be on break for weeks.
For real?
Oh, where's Aqua?
That guy is
There are so many people.
I'm glad they still had tickets.
This is a pretty popular stage play.
This is
Wait and see.
Huh? What is this? Wind?
Is this 4DX? No, it's not.
Is this for real?
COLLABORATION DRINK
What did you think?
Well, to be honest,
it was 50 times better than
what I expected.
Right?!
First of all, their curtains were screens.
That way,
they can use plenty of video production.
What surprised me the most
was that the seats rotated 360 degrees.
With this, they can prepare
several stage sets beforehand
and change the scenes
swiftly and seamlessly.
That's right.
They're physically solving
the structural restraints of the theater.
Not just the facilities,
but the stage play was really good too.
The staging was filled with ideas that
people in film couldn't come up with.
That fascinated me, so I was able to
enjoy the actors' performance as well.
The story was pretty good too.
To be honest, it was great.
It was awesome.
I understand why
you called it experience-based content.
You can't experience this
by watching a movie.
That's a huge smile. Why are you so happy?
Because I was worried that
you might not enjoy theater.
But I knew
you'd appreciate the quality of it.
Of course, this is one of
the most luxurious theaters in Japan.
So, like you said, there are still
a lot of traditional theaters.
But I also find their use of originality
and creativity to solve issues appealing.
I'd be happy
if this helped you to enjoy theater more.
Well, I've become
a little more interested.
That's good enough.
You're a movie guy to begin with.
Hi there, love birds.
-Mr. Raida.
-Why are you here?
Why? Because I'm in charge of this play.
When I'm depressed, I come to see
the audience's faces as they leave.
Their expressions are honest.
They smile if they enjoyed it.
If not, they'll have a straight face.
Watching them motivates me.
Your face was priceless, Aqua.
You made this old man very happy.
Oh, I wish I'd seen that.
What kind of face was it?
-Do it again.
-No.
I came after you to say hi
because I saw you two,
but did I disturb you?
No, you didn't.
Mr. Raida, how's the script going?
I went to convince
the publisher side again today,
but the original author
seems to be very determined.
She wants GOA off this project
and wants to rewrite the script herself.
But she can't.
I can tell after watching today's play.
Tokyo Blade's script was
filled with ideas to make full use of
this stage's strengths.
Even cheesy long lines
would've looked great here.
The original author probably knows
nothing about theater or this stage.
She'll write a script assuming
it'll be performed in a high-school gym.
This play was a work of a pro,
where the script and equipment
came together beautifully.
She may be a popular manga artist,
but I doubt she could
come up with a script of that level.
Well, we'll help her out in that area.
Did you notice?
GOA wrote the script for today's play too.
He really is good at his job.
He loves theater deeply and is studious.
He's also patient
with the rewriting process.
When he writes a script for a play,
the audience always leaves the venue
with a smile.
I really didn't want him off the project.
Can't you do something about it?
That'll be difficult.
We're not strong enough to go against
a major publishing company.
But,
you're the only one who can do something.
That is true, but
I wonder if Mr. GOA is going to be
removed from the team.
From the original manga's perspective,
I'd be lying if I said
I was happy with his script.
But overall, it was a good script.
That's why I went along with it.
Yeah.
I guess they both have their opinions.
The problem is
the existing miscommunication.
If we can solve that, this might become
an even better stage play.
Well, you did bring me
to a great show today.
As a thank you,
I guess I could give them a nudge.
Thank you for having us!
Oh, welcome everyone!
I'm sorry. I have nothing to do with
Sweet Today, and still
It's absolutely fine. I'm happy you came.
It's my first time
coming to a manga artist's house.
This is my first time too
I've been to one several times
when we were shooting a movie.
Yeah? Good for you.
How do you draw?
This is called an LCD tablet.
It lets me draw directly on the screen.
So it's all digital.
That's the standard nowadays.
I-I think manga artists are amazing.
Doing both illustrations
and coming up with the story.
Yeah. I guess.
She's giving me the cold shoulder,
isn't she?
Well, you do have
quite the nerve coming here.
I'd like to say, "Let's drink,"
but how old are you guys?
I'm 16.
I'm 17.
So young. Makes me want to die a little.
Sorry. Then I'll go ahead and drink.
I bet she's a heavy drinker.
There's a bar that serves great sake.
Their fish dishes are great too.
I love fish!
Hey, I thought we were going to help
Mr. GOA out.
What does visiting her
have to do with that?
Someone who took care of me once said
Not just manga artists,
but any creator who became successful once
thinks they are the best at what they do.
They'll stop listening to their editors.
They're surrounded by suck-ups,
so they'll ignore any advice.
They'll only listen to people
in the same profession.
Even better
if that's their seniors or mentors.
"If you want to kill the General,
aim for his horse."
She's the only one
who can convince Abiko Samejima.
I see.
Sensei, thank you for having us
when you're so busy.
I do monthly serialization,
so I'm free when my work is done.
I'm guessing
Ms. Abiko can't make it after all?
Well, yeah.
She's doing weekly serialization.
Even for that rehearsal visit,
she had to adjust her schedule
and make time for it.
Basically, weekly serialization
is not a job for human beings.
It's a job for soldiers, whose brains
are tuned up specifically for that job.
That's scary.
Only those who'd think about storyboards
while on a date
are fit for the job.
No way.
Ms. Abiko must be
especially busy right now.
With the anime adaptation and everything,
she has color illustration work,
merchandise to supervise,
and tons of other things to do.
Have you been friends with Ms. Abiko
for a long time?
Well
She was my assistant for Sweet Today.
She's always been eccentric.
Socializing isn't her strong suit.
She didn't even speak much
to other assistants.
But her manga speaks for her.
Manga artists can tell
what kind of person another author is
by reading their manga.
How can you tell?
Mostly by their art.
Like, which parts they're fixated on
and where they cut corners.
After reading Ms. Abiko's manga,
I knew instantly.
She wants to be friends with others.
But she's suffering because she can't.
So, I started bugging her a little
and she warmed up to me.
She's a sweet girl.
Well, she got serialized in
Weekly Jump soon after that
and became popular without a hitch.
She surpassed me in a flash.
She became popular without any setbacks,
so you can tell that
she thinks her opinion is absolute.
Doesn't her editor say anything?
Editors have two jobs.
Take a guess.
To make sure their manga sells.
Correct. That's one.
I wonder what the second one is.
Suggesting dialogue?
Advertising?
The answer is
to make sure
that popular manga doesn't end.
That's scary!
Letting a cash cow manga end
will affect their evaluation.
Especially, if it's a media adaptation
series, they'll never let you end it.
So, taking care of an author's mental
health is also a part of their job.
And editors end up becoming
babysitters for the selfish author.
As a result
I'm busy! I'm not doing that!
The popular manga artist
becomes conceited.
They'll use their busy schedule
as an excuse for their arrogant behavior.
What's wrong, Arima?
That sounds very familiar
and now I feel like dying.
Being surrounded by yes-men is really bad.
Once you're popular, you can't help but
become confident and conceited.
The playwright
is on the verge of getting fired.
Sensei, do you think
you could talk to Ms. Abiko for us?
There are a lot of things
I want to say to Ms. Abiko too.
You caused trouble
for the production side.
Maybe you could consider
their situation a little more.
I think you're being too considerate.
What?
You trusted and relied on them.
Isn't that why
Sweet Today turned out the way it did?
I think that 90 percent of
the world's creative work is garbage.
Meaning, 90 percent of
the world's creators are third-class.
The only thing I can trust
is my own talent.
Sensei, you put too much faith in others.
I think you should be
more assertive next time.
Maybe.
You can say that
because you're a genius.
Sensei, they're doing
an anime adaptation of my manga!
That was fast. Congratulations.
My manga has sold over 10 million copies
and they told me
I'm getting some fancy award too!
As someone in the same profession,
it's not like I felt nothing
about her instant popularity.
But
You'll always be my mentor, Sensei.
I have to be on her side.
I'm sorry.
I completely understand
Ms. Abiko's frustration
about someone messing with your work.
I'm not good at
meddling with other people's jobs.
So I tend to leave media adaptations
to the production staff.
But deep down,
I feel the same way she does.
If possible, I want my characters
to be treated with love.
After all, they're like my own children.
I'm really sorry.
I know the schedule has been
pushed back because of it.
But I don't think
I can help you with this.
Oh, I'm sorry too.
For asking such a selfish favor.
We understand.
But, just one favor.
Could you
give this to Ms. Abiko?
ABIKO SAMEJIMA
THANK YOU FOR TODAY
I NEED TO GIVE YOU SOMETHING.
CAN I COME OVER?
THE DOOR'S UNLOCKED, SO JUST COME IN.
Ms. Abiko? I'm coming in.
I'm working on my draft,
so please excuse me.
Huh? Wasn't that deadline yesterday?
-Did you miss it?
-Yes.
Sorry about the messy room.
This is beyond messy.
How can you call your assistant here?
I don't have one right now.
What?
No matter how many times I tell them,
they won't match my designs.
And their background drawings
have no emotion.
It's faster if I draw it myself
than to keep fixing it, so I fired them.
When?
Last month
No, ever since chapter 163,
so it's been two months.
Are you sleeping?
I sleep at least two hours every day.
So, yeah.
But today's my deadline,
so I haven't slept.
That will kill you.
More like, you'll get depression
and retire.
You won't be able to draw
at this pace again.
Well, I want to die already.
I have a color page next week
and they need new drawings for my manga.
What about the script?
Oh yeah, that too.
I'll do it when I finish this.
I'll help.
I'll fill in some backgrounds, okay?
You don't have to.
Just take a seat and relax.
You have no time to argue, do you?
Geez, just how much do you draw
in each panel?
It's too much for weekly
or for one person to do.
Seriously, get an assistant.
I've been asking the editor for one,
but he hasn't sent anyone capable.
I bet he's sending
all the good ones to the big names.
He's so useless.
Maybe you're just being too picky.
You're supposed to train your assistants.
I don't have time for that.
Even when I try to train
the more capable ones,
they quit if I'm a bit harsh.
I doubt you're only "a bit" harsh.
I know you're particular about your work,
but you can't live like this.
Live more like a human being,
even if you have to compromise.
My work will be over if I compromise.
My readers will abandon me in no time.
That's not true.
You're just doing things poorly.
What do you know?
I, at least, know that this is wrong.
Aren't you just using
the quality of your work
as an excuse to avoid
proper communication?
You look like you're blaming others
for your incapability.
You'll eventually end up
digging your own grave.
Could you say that
after selling 50 million copies?
That's the level I'm competing at!
I push myself to live up to
their high expectations every week!
I don't want to hear that from someone
who's only doing monthly!
You talk big now, huh?
Most manga artists today
can't say anything back to that.
That really is a perfect argument.
Sure, my manga doesn't sell as much.
But I'm sorry!
My manga is more interesting than yours!
Your manga that you draw
solely by relying on your talent
may seem original
and fresh to the readers!
But that's all!
It's essentially not entertainment!
What?!
There! A self-proclaimed professional,
who confuses
a plot twist to satisfy readers
with entertainment!
An outdated belief that
the cliché plot twist is the best way!
That's how Tokyo Blade has been recently!
It hasn't been great since volume 12,
where you started sucking up to readers!
What's with Touki and Tsurugi's pairing?
You half-heartedly made that happen
for readers, didn't you?
Stop drawing half-assed manga!
That's so mean.
I was only trying to live up to
my reader's expectati
So, I'm right, huh?!
Did the hotshot author get swayed
by readers' opinions?
Have you forgotten
who taught you entertainment?
I can see right through you!
You too, Sensei.
Aren't you the one who's lost your drive?
I watched the drama adaptation of
Sweet Today.
It was terrible!
How can you let that happen?
Have you no pride?
Hearing that from an outsider
ticks me off the most.
Everyone is doing the best they can.
Of course, it's ideal
if everything goes well.
You may have forgotten since everyone's
flattered you as a genius or prodigy,
but two out of three manga we produce
end up being rejected!
You only succeed 30 percent of the time.
Yet you expect other people's work
to always be a masterpiece? How selfish!
But you were too hands-off
with your drama!
Well, yeah! That's true!
There are a lot of things
I can't do well too.
Deep down, I'm an introvert.
If you're an introvert, what am I?
If it weren't for manga,
I'm just a social misfit shut-in!
I heard you invited the cast
to a dinner party at your house!
Not fair! You extrovert!
You can do that much too!
There's no way I can!
I can't get along with others like you do.
But I wish I could also
Geez! Stop crying!
Just hush and keep inking!
When was the last time
you drew backgrounds?
If the perspective is off, I'll reject it!
Got it?
Don't underestimate me! How long
do you think I've been doing this?!
MOTORBIKE MESSENGER
I wonder every time.
I always think I won't make it this week.
But why do we always
manage to get it done on time?
Probably because we're
professional manga artists after all.
We have our pride.
Your place was pretty bad
before deadlines too.
We often worked from nine in the morning
to four at night.
I'm sorry about what it was like during
Sweet Today.
We have better working hours now.
I'm sorry too.
I hadn't slept and I've been multi-tasking
and I wasn't thinking straight.
I said a lot of horrible things.
It's fine. I said a lot of things too.
But if you say that stuff elsewhere,
they'll cut ties with you on the spot.
So, be careful.
How can I get along better with people?
Learn to compromise.
You must work with others
for media adaptation.
It's a collection of things
you can't do alone.
Whatever the outcome was,
it's not like it made my manga boring.
Just think that you're lucky
if it turns out great.
Still, I'm upset about
the Sweet Today TV drama.
Your work
is way better than that.
I'LL GO WITH SWEET TODAY
I'll be working here starting today.
I'm not great at drawing backgrounds,
but I'll do my best.
I'm a huge fan of yours.
And it's my dream to become
a manga artist like you.
Sweet Today is the best manga
in the world!
I hate it
when my favorite manga gets ruined.
I understand that the most.
Geez.
You shouldn't say
what's on your mind without thinking.
Such an awkward girl.
WHO WILL SAVE THE LONELY GIRL?
You know what?
I'm glad I did that TV drama.
This is for you.
From Aqua, who's playing Touki.
It might be a good reference
for writing that script.
Subtitle translation by: Aya Kudo