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"Why are the first 12 episodes airing all at once? "
"Well, it's a bit of a complicated situation, but let's just say this series is a bit special."
"The early episodes might seem slow and boring at first."
"Yeah, I get it – even I, as the scriptwriter, found the early parts pretty dry."
"But trust me, if you can stick it out until episode 12, you'll see what makes this series truly amazing! I guarantee it!!"
"It's probably because of my suggestion that they decided on this extreme approach."
"While the first episodes might drag a bit, I'm confident the story picks up later."
"If you've got some free time during the holidays, I'd recommend giving it a watch."
"The two directors have done an excellent job with every little detail of this series, and I think you'll appreciate it!"
"Overall, I'm sure this series won't disappoint you."
"That's all the latest info I have for you today—hope you're satisfied!"
"And as always, thanks so much for your support!!"
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The post went live, and fans immediately received the update. Soon, the comments section was flooded with reactions.
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"Good news: sensei has responded! Bad news: there's not much info about Your Lie In April."
"I know waiting is part of the fun, but waiting for the knife to drop? Who's excited for that? Damn!!"
"Hey, sensei didn't say for sure there will be a 'knife' ending, did they?"
"Are there still people who seriously think Your Lie In April will be a healing story?"
"Either way, the next volume is coming out in 46 days, so we'll know everything then!"
"True, but I'm not sure I can handle what's coming next!"
"I'm waiting for the big names to comment before deciding whether to continue with the series."
"So, does that mean I won't have trouble getting the new volume?"
"You all wait. I'm definitely getting it first! Whether it's healing or heart-wrenching, I'm in!"
"I'm really curious how sensei will wrap up Your Lie In April."
"Even if I'm not reading it, I'll still grab it first thing!"
"Ugh, how can people buy it knowing the 'knife' is coming!?"
"I hope I don't miss out on buying it this time!"
"Wait, are we all focused on Your Lie In April? Didn't sensei also mention an anime script?"
"Yeah, we saw that. I guess light novels and manga aren't enough for sensei anymore."
"Seriously, how does sensei have time for all this with so many projects? It's crazy!"
"Is writing scripts the focus? The crossover is wild! Sensei's involved in almost every ACG field except games."
"Maybe this is what genius looks like?"
"I'm not sure anyone can do this much, though. Sensei is just beyond wild!"
"If sensei had told me they were going to write scripts before WorldEnd Trilogy came out, I would've probably said, 'What does a comic artist know about writing scripts?'"
"And now?"
"Now I'm just kind of numb to it. At this point, if sensei said they were going to make a game, I wouldn't be that surprised."
"Could you at least be surprised a little?!"
"By the way, sensei's explanation about Your Lie In April feels a bit forced. Didn't they just release two volumes in March? What does that have to do with writing anime scripts?"
"Simple: the next volume will definitely have a lot of knives, so they just released two this month."
"Is it fake news?"
"Until the ending of Your Lie In April is out, everything's just speculation."
"By the way, Steins;Gate—that title feels a bit weird, doesn't it?"
"Now that you mention it, yeah, it has this odd, vague feel to it."
"Didn't sensei say it's just a case of their 'chuunibyou' flaring up?"
"Is anyone even watching this anime?"
"Why wouldn't they? They're airing a whole season all at once. I'm curious what makes this series stand out."
"But didn't sensei say the first 12 episodes would be boring?"
"Could it be that sensei just has too high expectations?"
"Looking at all sensei's previous works, they've been amazing, so I believe Steins;Gate will also be great!"
"Wouldn't this kind of show fit better with the new spring anime lineup?"
"Honestly, no TV station can air an entire season all at once, except for streaming platforms."
"Either way, it's only a few days left, so I'll be looking forward to it!"
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Though some fans were a bit disappointed, most were still waiting eagerly for the release of Your Lie In April.
They wanted a good ending because they loved the story.
Would they stop watching?
They were just venting for now. When the release date came, everyone would rush to get their hands on it.
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As for the anime that Akifumi Mugiho mentioned, fans were understandably excited. After all, Warrior of Love and Hope had already become a big-name franchise!
Before any potential flop, anything associated with that name would attract significant anticipation.
With that anticipation building, March 16 arrived as scheduled.
"Hey, Tanaka, we're here!"
"Got the snacks ready?"
Tadakuni and Tabata walked in together. Tanaka opened the door, glaring at them with an angry look.
"You two idiots! Didn't I say I'd provide the space, and you were supposed to bring snacks and drinks?"
Tadakuni scratched his head, looking confused. "Did you say that? Tabata, did you hear that?"
Tabata also looked lost. "I don't think so?"
"Didn't I say that?" Tanaka began questioning his own life choices.
"Do we still have food at home?"
"If not, we can go buy some."
Tanaka glanced at the time and sighed. "Forget it, it's almost time, there's a little left in the house."
"Come on in!"
He turned and walked inside, and Tadakuni and Tabata exchanged a knowing look, giving each other a thumbs-up and smiling, feeling like they had accomplished their plan.
"Sorry for the interruption!" they said, entering.
They sat down on the tatami mat. It was already mid-March, and the weather had started warming up.
The kotatsu seemed unnecessary now.
Tanaka went to grab some soda and snacks to serve his friends.
Meanwhile, Tadakuni and Tabata casually chatted.
"By the way, there's not much time left in the holidays. How's your homework coming along?"
"Homework? Of course, I haven't started yet!"
"Same here! I've been too busy playing all holiday!"
"I've got the snacks and soda," Tanaka said, walking in from the other room.
The two of them immediately turned their gaze to Tanaka.
"What are you two doing?" Tanaka asked, face full of disdain as the two of them, without any shame, knelt down and hugged his legs.
"Save us! Great Father!!" they begged in unison.
Tanaka was momentarily stunned before breaking into a mischievous grin.
"Well, since you called me 'Father,' tell me, what is it you want?"
"Have you done the spring break homework?" Seeing the hopeful expressions on their faces, Tanaka slowly placed the snacks and drinks on the table, scratching his head.
"Of course, I have!"
"Ohhh!!" They cheered loudly.
"But of course, I didn't actually do it," Tanaka added with a smirk.
Tadakuni and Tabata were frozen.
Tanaka continued, muttering to himself, "Actually, I was thinking of borrowing it from you guys..."
"Since you're giving me snacks, could you lend me a copy of your work—wait, wait! What are you two doing!?"
Both of them grabbed Tanaka's collar, their faces contorted with fury.
"You jerk, give that 'Father' title back to us!!"
"We had such high expectations for you, how could you disappoint us like this?!"
Realizing what was happening, Tanaka snapped, "Damn it! These snacks could make even a dog wag its tail, what good are they to you two?!"
The three of them rolled around on the floor in a chaotic mess.
A few moments later, they all sat up, panting heavily, glaring at each other.
"By the way, isn't it already midnight?"
"Doesn't that mean Steins;Gate is already starting?"
"Quick, quick!"
The three of them jumped to their feet, putting on cheerful smiles.
Tanaka quickly turned on the TV, set it up, and within moments, they found Steins;Gate.
"Wow, technology has really come a long way!"
"Back in the day, we'd have to watch it on a computer, right?"
"Yeah, but only Tanaka's house has this kind of setup!" Tanaka smirked, basking in his friend's praise.
The page loaded quickly, and the option to watch episodes 1-12 flashed brightly on the screen.
"Ohhh! So it's releasing all 12 episodes at once!!"
"This is amazing!"
"I've never heard of something like this before, it's awesome!"
The three of them marveled, and Tanaka didn't hesitate to start the first episode.
As the episode began to load, Tanaka casually passed out soda to the others.
"Thanks." The screen displayed the opening scenes.
A flickering black-and-white screen appeared, lines stretching and expanding across the frame.
The world has a beginning but no end—Infinite.
Planets have a beginning but will inevitably reach their demise—Finite.
It's said that the wisest among us are often the most foolish.
This could be the last ultimatum given by God to those who resist.
Simple words, but they captivated the imaginations of the boys.
"Hey, this opening seems kinda interesting?"
"Of course, it's Sensei's work, isn't it supposed to be interesting?"
"Stop messing around, pay attention!"
Just a few seconds later...
"What's 'elpsycongroo'?"
"And what's this 'organization'—is it some kind of secret group?"
The boys were intrigued but confused by the mysterious words, feeling a mix of awe and embarrassment.
As the story unfolded, they suddenly realized something.
"Wait... is the main character... a bit of a chunibyo?"
"Probably..."
His real name is Okabe Rintaro, but he insists on calling himself Hououin Kyouma.
While it sounds cool, it just makes the people watching cringe!
And the bizarre endings, the imaginary organizations... everything about it made them want to roll on the floor in embarrassment.
"Ah, I get it now! No wonder Sensei said this was his 'chunibyo soul' acting up!"
Because the main character's behavior was extremely chunibyo!
"So, is this the Steins;Gate choice? Is this where the title comes from?"
"Wait, did Sensei really name it like that? It feels a bit rushed..."
"But the opening was really weird. One second someone's getting killed, and then the next moment, the scene jumps to something completely different!"
"I don't really get it."
"Well, let's keep watching, Sensei did say the anime doesn't really start until episode 12, right?"
"True."
At first, they could reassure each other and keep pushing through the boring parts. But as the plot went on, they started to get more and more disinterested.
Sure, there were some interesting bits, but nothing that really made them want to keep watching.
"I don't know... is this getting kind of boring?" Tabata said after watching six episodes.
Tadakuni nodded. "Yeah, it's kinda boring. Honestly, I think I'd rather be doing homework."
"No, no, let's not do homework," Tabata quickly rejected, standing up. "So, how about we go do something fun?"
Without hesitation, Tanaka refused, "No way!"
"Wait, are you seriously planning to finish the rest of the episodes?"
"Well, we've watched six episodes already. Might as well finish what we started!" Tanaka said confidently.
"Sensei said it'd all make sense by episode 12, I trust him!"
Hearing this, Tabata and Tadakuni exchanged glances before reluctantly sitting back down.
"Wait, you're not giving up? We're the ones who're giving up now?"
"I wanna see what happens after episode 12, what could be so surprising to make Sensei so confident?"
The three of them continued watching with renewed determination.
Though they really wanted to skip ahead to the final episode, they felt that would be disrespecting the work itself.
And so they endured, finally reaching the relaxing moment of the twelfth and final episode!
"Finally!!" The three of them felt both relieved and excited, almost as if they were about to face a final boss in a game.
The earlier episodes were predictably dull, until...
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"Huh, Mayushii's pocket watch stopped working?.."
"That's strange, I just wound it up earlier..."
———————————————————————
In the next few seconds, they were hit with a chilling moment.
A terrifying figure, wearing a white mask and holding a gun, broke into the room.
With a gunshot, Mayuri collapsed in a pool of blood.
———————————————————————
At that moment, the three of them felt a chill run down their spines.
Their minds were full of questions, with no answers in sight.
And the ending sequence played, showing Okabe Rintaro's desperate shout.
They had been so happy watching the ending before, but now they felt none of that joy.
"Why!! Why does it have to end here!?"
"Dammit, who are these people? Why did they kill Mayuri?!"
"As expected, when it's Sensei's work, no character is safe from the knife!!"
The sudden and shocking turn of events left them desperate to understand what had happened.
But the episode ended, and the screen seemed to mock them.
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"Want to know what happens next? Tune in next time!"
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Tanaka rolled his eyes, "Of course there's a setup! Didn't you get it? It's a time machine! If anyone knew they had this technology, what would they think?"
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