Gedo Senki (Tales from Earthsea)

This is a supplementary entry while the director is busy.

15th June 2006

Number 102 - Pinch-hitter Nayo Again

Long time no see. It's Nayo here.

Director Goro has spent several days in a row at the Tokyo Television Centre busy with the job of adding the soundtrack. As a result he has fallen behind in this blog.

So, once again I have stepped into the breach. Although over at the TV Centre, the sound staff's hell is still continuing, here at this studio it is quiet, and nothing is happening that could remotely be called special. However, the advertising work that I am concerned with is still going on, and whenever I see the smiling faces of the staff returning from their production leave, I feel as if I have been left behind.

The other day, the Japan - Australia game was on[1], but I had to put that aside and do work. I joined everybody watching it in the meeting room part-way through the second half. Sitting next to me was Takamatsu from the Art Division. He was another one, who had just finished a week long vacation in Yakushima[2] and was now cheerfully and innocently watching soccer.

"Takamatsu, you know Japan, right, we always lose it in the last ten minutes, don't we? I wouldn't get your hopes up."
"What are you talking about. Don't say that stuff, you'll put the curse on us". At this time his eyes were still smiling.

"This beanpole Kennedy[3] is pretty strong isn't he?" I kept on dousing his enthusiasm after that.

Then, came the 39th minute of the second half. In the instant Japan was equalized against, when I grinned slyly and looked at Takamatsu, his eyes were no longer smiling.
Quite the opposite, he was getting angry. If I write what I said and did after that, the whole of Japan will be turned against me, so I'll stop here.

That night, looking at Takamatsu's despair, I realised that finishing work or not finishing work had nothing to do with the amount of people's happiness.

Translator's Notes

[1]: World Cup Soccer (football). Australia won 3-1.

[2]: This island south of Kyushu contains stands of virgin forest and some massive cryptomeria trees. Parts of the island are world heritage listed and have been acknowledged by Hayao Miyazaki as a Ghibli inspiration.

[3]: Socceroo player Josh Kennedy who is 194 cm tall.