manynovel Page 127
Page 127
From that day on, Sato no longer viewed accents as an enemy; his training methods changed, and so did his mindset.
His progress began to accelerate rapidly.
With Qi Hai's investment, the studio gradually got on track.
Besides Sato Kaito, the other students she kept also showed amazing growth under this unique teaching model.
They are no longer simply machines of imitation, but have begun to shape sounds with their own thoughts and feelings.
The reputation of "Voice of a Star" has gradually evolved from "Aoyama Nanami's hobby" to having some different voices within the industry.
Some producers began to take notice of this unconventional studio.
Just then, a minor conflict unexpectedly broke out.
Suzuki, a girl with a great voice and outstanding appearance, was spotted by a large entertainment company after a chance audition.
The offer was very tempting: sign a contract immediately, join an idol voice actress group that was about to debut, and the company would invest a lot of resources in packaging and promotion, guaranteeing her to become a sensation within a year.
This is a golden opportunity for any newcomer to achieve instant success.
Suzuki was tempted. She took the contract to Nanami, her eyes filled with longing and a hint of guilt.
"Teacher, I..."
Nanami didn't look at the glamorous contract, but calmly asked her, "Do you want to become an idol or a voice actress?"
"Is there... a difference?" Suzuki (II) asked, somewhat confused. "Many of my seniors nowadays develop in both areas."
“There is a difference.” Nanami stood up and poured her a cup of tea.
"Idols are commodities that sell dreams and personas; they need to maintain perfection at all times and cater to the expectations of their fans."
“Voice actors are the soul givers hidden behind the characters. They need to break down themselves to experience the imperfections of the characters and understand the complexity of human nature.”
"The former's path gets narrower and narrower, while the latter's path gets wider and wider."
“Teacher, I just… I don’t want to live a hard life anymore.” Suzuki’s voice lowered. “The conditions in my hometown are not good, this opportunity…”
Nanami remained silent for a moment.
She recalled the days when she could only eat bread crusts at the end of the month in order to save money.
She completely understood Suzuki's situation.
“I once faced the same choice as you.” Nanami slowly began, recounting how she rejected the company’s idolization plan back then.
"It was a shortcut that seemed to be paved with flowers, a path that would bring instant fame and fortune. I hesitated and felt lost."
"Then why did you ultimately refuse?"
"Because someone told me that a voice has a soul. If you let your voice become tainted with too many impurities for the sake of fame and fortune, one day you will not be able to hear the inner voice of the character, nor will you be able to hear your own original voice."
Nanami's gaze seemed to pierce through time and space, seeing the boy lying on the hospital bed who was still guiding her.
“Suzuki, I won’t make the decision for you. The path is yours to take. I just want you to think about one thing: ten years from now, twenty years from now, when people mention you, do you want them to say, ‘Ah, that once very popular idol,’ or ‘She was a really good actress’?”
After saying that, Nanami stopped talking and left the choice entirely to Suzuki.
That night, Suzuki sat in the studio's rest area for a long time.
The next day, she rejected the entertainment company's contract. She found Nanami and bowed deeply: "Teacher, I've figured it out. I want to become an actress who can move people with her voice."
Nanami looked into her clear eyes and smiled with relief.
This incident also gave other trainees a deeper understanding of the "Voice of the Stars" philosophy.
The cohesion within the studio is stronger than ever before.
The real rewards will come soon.
SKI, the game company that created Echoes of Oracle, is preparing a new open-world masterpiece.
Producer Mr. Yamamoto (who shares the same surname as Nanami's manager) heard about the rumors of "Voices of a Star" at an industry gathering. With a skeptical attitude, he personally visited the studio.
Without prior notice, he listened to a class in the lecture hall like an ordinary visitor.
During that lesson, Nanami was instructing Sato Kaito on how to pair a weathered old boatman.
Sato has mastered standard Mandarin very well, but he still can't find that sense of vicissitude that comes from weathering many storms.
Nanami told him to close his eyes and instead of having him think of lines, he described a storm to him using his voice.
How the waves crashed against the deck, how the mast groaned, how the cries of his companions were swallowed by the wind.
When Nanami finished describing it, Sato spoke again, his voice carrying the saltiness of the sea and the weight of time.
SKI's producer, Yamamoto, was stunned as he listened from outside the door.
He immediately decided to hand over the voice acting work for the "Port Boatmen's Group," consisting of more than a dozen NPCs in the game, to the "Voice of the Stars" studio.
Although it's not a major role, it's an enormous contract for a group of newcomers who haven't officially debuted yet.
The news sent the entire studio into a frenzy.
The students surrounded Nanami, cheering.
Looking at the young faces filled with joy and gratitude, Nanami suddenly felt an unprecedented sense of satisfaction.
This feeling was completely different from when she received the Best Actress in a Leading Role award.
It's the joy of watching the seeds you've sown finally sprout and reach for the sunlight.
She thought that this was probably the feeling Yuto-kun had when he watched her grow up step by step back then.
Giving brings more happiness than receiving.
……
The annual Voice Actor Awards have once again opened at the National New Theatre.
Unlike previous years, this year Aoyama Nanami was not a popular award winner under the spotlight, but rather a special guest who presented the Lifetime Achievement Award to this year's recipient – the esteemed Mr. Nakata.
In the backstage dressing room, Ms. Yamamoto was adjusting the hem of her dress while chattering away.
"The dress is a Chanel haute couture piece, and the jewelry is sponsored by Tiffany. Remember to linger on the red carpet for an extra ten seconds later; the photographers will be snapping pictures."
"Also, have you memorized your speech? Don't improvise like last time, the PR team has heart problems."
"Understood." Nanami gave herself a flawless smile in the mirror.
The woman in the mirror is composed and elegant, exuding the aura of a top star.
But only she knew that beneath her calm exterior, a small storm was brewing inside her.
She had indeed memorized the speech prepared by the PR team; it was a perfectly prepared and flawless address.
But she doesn't intend to read it aloud.
Tonight, she wants to say something of her own.
It was her turn to go on stage.
Amid thunderous applause, Nanami lifted her skirt and gracefully walked onto the stage.
The dazzling lights shone on her, while below the stage were countless flashing cameras and faces, some familiar and some unfamiliar.
She walked onto the stage, first acknowledging the audience and Mr. Nakata, but then she did not immediately open her cue card.
"Before paying tribute to Mr. Nakata, this industry icon, please allow me a little time to share a story of my own." Her voice, transmitted clearly through the microphone, resonated throughout the entire venue.
Ms. Yamamoto, sitting in the audience, gasped, her palms instantly becoming sweaty.
"Many people know that my career started with an almost impossible role."
"At that time, I was just an unknown newcomer. Everyone thought I had a limited range of roles and could only play one type of character."
The audience fell silent, listening with curiosity.
"When I was most confused and doubted myself, there was someone who gave me the most crucial guidance in an anonymous way."
"I don't know who he is, I don't know his name, I don't know what he looks like. All I know is that his code name is 'X'."
The moment the name "Mr. X" was uttered, a small commotion immediately arose from the audience.
With the success of Aoyama Nanami, this name has long become a legendary mystery in the industry.
“What he taught me was not some quick-fix technique, but some of the most fundamental things. He told me that the voice has a soul, and the actor’s job is to understand and present that soul, not to imitate an empty shell.”
"He told me that true strength is not about never failing, but about having the courage to get up after each fall, dust yourself off, and keep moving forward."
Nanami's gaze swept across the audience, where the young, aspiring voice actors gleamed with a sense of shared understanding.
“Today, I stand here not as an award recipient, but as a successor. I founded the ‘Voice of the Stars’ studio to pass on the kindness and guidance I received from ‘Mr. X’.”
"I hope that in the future, more young people will not have to bury their talents and dreams because of a lack of resources and opportunities."
Her voice trembled slightly, but was unusually firm.
“'Mr. X,' I know you may be watching from somewhere. You have never appeared in the spotlight, but the starlight you lit has illuminated the night sky for countless people.”
"This honor also belongs to unsung heroes like you who work silently behind the scenes to help others succeed. Thank you."
As she spoke, the face of that sickly boy uncontrollably surfaced in her mind.
Those eyes that always carried a slight smile, that sun-drenched hospital room, that last email that read, "May you always pursue what you love."
What the public saw was a top voice actor's heartfelt tribute to his mysterious mentor.
Nanami's inner monologue is something only she can hear.
—Yuto-kun, I hope you can see that I haven't let you down.
She took a deep breath, suppressed the lump in her throat, picked up the trophy, turned and walked towards Mr. Nakata to complete the award ceremony.
The audience erupted in prolonged applause.
This applause is not only for the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award, but also for Aoyama Nanami's sincerity and selflessness.
After the awards ceremony, Nanami declined all invitations to a celebratory banquet and interviews.
Although Ms. Yamamoto was helpless, she understood and shielded her from all the media.
The van didn't head towards Nanami's apartment, but instead headed towards the suburbs.
As night fell, Nanami changed out of her elaborate attire and into simple, elegant clothes, walking alone into the familiar cemetery.
She brought a string of lilies.
She arrived at Itsuka Yuto's grave. The moonlight was like water, making the name on the tombstone clearly visible.
She gently placed the bouquet next to the tombstone, then sat down on the ground, leaning against the tombstone.
"Yuto-kun, I'm here again. Did you watch the awards ceremony tonight? I said a lot of things, and Ms. Yamamoto is probably furious."
She chuckled softly, her voice exceptionally clear in the quiet night.
“Mr. Nakata is remarkable. He has been dubbing for fifty years. He said that what he is most proud of in his life is that his voice lives on in the memories of countless people.”
"I think you are too."
"Your voice, though I've only heard it a few times in the video of my high school graduation yearbook, has always lived in my heart."
“What you said has become mine, and now I am teaching it to my students.”
"That Sato kid is very talented. Like you, he's a quiet but kind-hearted idiot."
"He's auditioning for the lead role in an animated film next month, and I think he's a great candidate."
The wind blew, and the leaves rustled, as if someone was softly responding.
Jiu Ling Qi (8) Qi Hai raised his head and looked at the bright moon in the night sky.
Five years ago, she broke down and cried here, overwhelmed by irreparable regret and sorrow, feeling that her world was forever missing a piece.
Five years have passed, and the regret remains, but it is no longer a heart-wrenching wound; instead, it has settled into a gentle yet powerful force.
She finally understood that what Yuto left her was not a heavy burden to carry for a lifetime, but a gift that allowed her to fly higher and farther.
She no longer regrets being so late with her "thank you."
Because she knew that the best way to express gratitude is not through words, but through actions.
It is to pass on his light and illuminate more people.
She reached out and gently stroked the four characters "Wuhe Youdou" on the tombstone.
"Yuto, look, I did it."