She appears to be an ordinary girl.
But in reality, she turns out to be a goddess
who has come to rescue the main character from hikikomorism.
Period.
Ridiculous...
Yamazaki...
You gotta respect those guys who make gal games.
It's amazing how they can come up with so many different cute female characters.
But I'm clueless when it comes to what girls are like in real life.
So, when asked to make some characters, I naturally have my limitations.
Sato, I think you have misguided ideas at the fundamental level.
Huh?
What do you think the gal game users are looking for in the game?
To escape reality!
To escape reality?
Wanna know why? Because real life is filled with pain!
Girls who make fun of us men!
Girls who look down on us men!
That fuckin' bitch who was cheating on me with that convenience store manager!
That junior-college student who toyed with my innocent youth!
Girls in real life are simply no good!
That's precisely why it's essential that girls in gal games
are made to suit our every whim and fancy!
They fall in love with the main character for no reason.
They approach the main character innocently.
They have no ulterior motives and never betray the main character!
We creators are obligated to create characters that could not possibly exist in the real world!
I see!
I've got it, Yamazaki!
I have a vision of the kind of characters I must create!
This is it!
They fall in love with the main character for no reason.
They approach the main character innocently.
They have no ulterior motives and never betray the main character!
Characters that could not possibly exist in the real world!
This is exactly what I just said!
Actually, popular characters in gal games tend to follow certain patterns.
Oh, what are those patterns?
Pattern One!
She's your childhood friend!
Childhood friend...
The fact that you've been good friends since childhood
helps develop a strong bond between the two of you.
You know we used to go see the cherry blossoms together a lot.
Do you remember that?
Let your imagination do the work,
and you can create heroines who are perfect for you in every way!
I've always wanted things to be like this with you, Tatchan.
Oh, I see...
Pattern Two!
She's a maid!
Maid!
Aren't maids kind of...
Wrong!
Maids in the gal games are like this!
A special aspect of the maids' occupation
is that it entails a master-servant relationship between the main character and them!
Welcome home!
If there's anything you need, please do not hesitate to ask, Master!
With that fantasy in mind,
you should be able to create ideal heroines who are perfect for you in every way!
If that's what you want, Master...
I see, that's how it works, eh?
Memo, memo...
And, Pattern Three!
Robot!
I thought we were going to make a gal game.
I'm talking about a humanoid robot like this!
She looks and functions just like a real human.
However, she's a robot, so she won't disobey humans!
Understood, sir.
I will execute your command.
With that fantasy in mind,
you should be able to create ideal heroines who are perfect for you in every way!
I cannot be a human,
but I would like to be with you forever.
I see, that's how it works, eh?
Yup, that's how it works.
Memo, memo...
She falls in love with the main character for no reason.
She approaches the main character innocently.
I have come to rescue you.
She has no ulterior motives and never betrays the main character.
Yeah, in fact it's perfect for my project if you're that way.
It can't be...
Ten more days till our meeting.
It's coming up soon, Sato.
RINGO
You need to listen to your senior and do as you're told!
The ideal heroine,
perfect for you in every way, huh?
She sat down on the bed and now she's staring at me.
RINGO
...Believe it or not I'm shy too...
She said it so quietly that I almost couldn't hear her...
I want you to take my clothes off.
Ouch!
Do it slower!
Be more gentle...
Do something instead of just sitting there and staring at me!
Y-You can try to... k-kiss me...
Huh? Did you just say something, Senpai?
Are you sure you're okay with this?
What's up? You're the one who said, "Let's play cards!"
I'm not talking about playing cards.
I'm talking about people beyond the sea
or the atomic element that blocks light
or the fungus component contained in our food
or the viridian that has disappeared from the map...
That story again?! Give me a break!
And most importantly, us.
Hey, you know something, Sato?
There are conspiracies that we can do nothing about in this world.
If this was a game, I could do it as many times as I want.
It's been two days!
But you tell me you haven't come up with anything?!
I'm sorry.
I gave you hints, didn't I?!
It should be easy if you just follow those patterns!
I know, but the thing is,
I don't have a beautiful childhood friend.
And it's not like I can afford a maid.
Obviously, a robot is out of question.
Are you still hung up on reality?!
I've already told you that you can't use girls from the real world as references, haven't I?!
But it'd still be easier for me to write the script if there were models and stuff.
Models?
So you can write if there are models, right?
Y-Yeah...
Stop it! I said stop it!
You can write if there are models, right?
I think I know where to go for that. Let's go check it out!
I'm a hikikomori, remember?
I've been doing this for three years! I'm a hard-core hikikomori!
What makes you think that I'd go outside in broad daylight?
But you went outside with no problem the other day! And you dragged me with you too!
I didn't know what I was doing then!
I'll be with you the whole time!
Impossible!
Then should I call the police?
Huh?
I've noticed that a lot of food's gone missing from my apartment lately.
Including stuff like the instant ramen that I got from my friend, stuff that's available only in Okinawa.
You know, that's an item hikikomoris would never be able to get their hands on.
Either you go with the police or go with me.
One of the two.
Impossible... Impossible...
If you'd use some reason, all your impossibilities would go out the window!
Where are we going?
To the Holy Land of the gal game players!
Holy Land?
This is indeed the Holy Land...
This way, Sato.
A coffee shop?
Welcome home, Master!
There are maids?!
If there is anything you need,
please don't hesitate to let me know, Master.
Excuse me.
This is a sub-culture that Japan prides itself on!
They're called Maid Café's!
Maid Café?
It costs you a lot of money to hire a real maid at home.
Unless you're filthy rich, it's impossible.
But this place lets you enjoy being a "master" at a reasonable price!
Maid Café's are a realization of the gal game players' dreams!
Have a good day!
Since we're already here, why don't we do some research on the market's trends and measures?
Huh?
This doujinshi shop has the widest selection in Japan!
Uh huh...
I think I've seen this on TV.
What do you think?
The characters that you're familiar with from TV, doing stuff like this and that!
Is it really okay to sell stuff like this?
Whoa! This is Pururin illustrated by the artist Ooiwa!
Hey, this book is the limited edition that's only available at the event!
I'm so lucky! I'm so gonna buy this right now!
Sweet! The Pururin body pillow is finally on sale!
Whoa, I haven't seen this for a long time...
I didn't know this figurine still existed.
Maybe it's just me, but it sure looks a lot nicer than before.
Yeah, it is impressive, but it's still...
Excuse me! Are you all right?
Huh?
Real-size figure?
250,000 yen?!
Jeez...
Misao...
White...
What do you think?
It's very detailed, isn't it?
Wh-What are you talking about? I was just...
This particular series is put together very precisely, you know.
It's got a really good reputation among the die-hard fans too!
I was just fixing my shoe lace and...
Not only that, the skirt comes off!
What?!
That's cool, I guess. But it's not like I'm gonna buy it, so...
Sato...
The most important thing for us creators is to understand the users' feelings.
In order to do that, it's necessary to behave as they do.
But that's...
Misao is crying.
What?
Thank you!
Did you hear what they said, Yamazaki? This Misao was the last one in stock.
I feel really lucky now.
Get it the moment you see it!
That is the Golden Rule when you make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land!
I see, the Golden Rule, huh?
I'm sure you were destined to find that figurine today.
You're right.
Hey, this is...
That's a game character's "fan disc."
It contains desktop accessories and mini-games.
Mini-games, huh?
It's hard to decide...
Sato, remember the Golden Rule when you make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land?
"Get it..."
"...the moment you see it!"
I had no idea a world like this even existed.
Viva otaku culture!
Nothing can beat "moe"!
Take a look at this figurine!
Whoa, that's awesome!
That's part of the DVD's special bonus, right?
Buying all five volumes together?!
Will you be able to survive the rest of this month?
What are you talking about?
For Pururin, I wouldn't mind dying from hunger!
Look at you! You sure bought a lot of stuff yourself!
Well, Misao was calling me, you know.
Is that everything you've ordered?
Please enjoy.
Anyway, let's get to the subject.
"What would you need to make a gal game?"
To put it simply, it is "passion"!
No masterpiece is ever created without passion.
Right...
However, things have gotten caught up in trends,
and game content has become overly-uniform of late.
Honestly, I can't stand watching it!
You must absolutely respect the users' needs!
Doing what everybody else is doing will never take you to the top.
Therefore!
We must create something that appeals to the masses,
but at the same time something that would completely turn their world upside down!
In other words, we must continue to utilize the familiar patterns,
but at the same time redefine them in a major way!
Exactly!
Seeing you recognize that makes having taken you to the Holy Land worthwhile.
What's the matter, Sato?
The pilgrimage to the Holy Land has violently energized my brain!
Something... Something new is about to be born within me!
Whoa...
Here it comes!
I got an idea for the heroine of our game!
Are you serious?!
She's your childhood friend / classmate / next door neighbor!
But the thing is, she's a robot, and not only that, she's also a maid!
Sato...
You are...
Huh?
That's great! That's super moe!
I can feel my creative energy flowing through my body!
I'm gonna draw it up really quick!
Wait, I wasn't done yet.
What's more, she was the main character's girlfriend in his previous life!
That's excellent! It's super moe!
On top of that, she's very sickly and the main character is the only person she can rely on!
This is incredible! It's so nice!
Then she sacrifices herself in order to save him in a car accident,
and suffers injuries that require a whole year to fully recover from!
Excellent!
But the truth is that she's a ghost!
It's great!
Not only that, she's an alien!
But her real identity turns out to be the reincarnation of a fox from space!
It's perfect.
What the hell is this?
She's the heroine of our game!
She's your childhood friend, a maid robot, sickly, a ghost, an alien and an incarnation of a fox!
Now, Sato, start writing the scenario using this character!
Like hell I will!
I drew it just like you said...
If you think about it from a normal standpoint, it's weird, don't you think?
Dude, you're supposed to stop me and ask questions.
We got kicked out of the café because you started going crazy all of a sudden.
Damn, I forgot something in the store we were at earlier!
I'll go get it!
Later...
Here...
This is the contract.
You wanna know how to escape being a hikikomori, don't you?
I'll tell you how once you sign the contract!
Are you sure you're okay with this?
Sato?
I knew it was you!
Long time, no see.
Episode 04
Welcome to the New World!
Senpai?
Hey, Sato, can I see you again?
Huh?
Now, I'd like to begin the lecture on how to escape being a hikikomori!
Next Episode
Welcome to Counseling!
Next episode, "Welcome to Counseling!"