The chill of April had passed, and with May came warmer days. Some people were already switching to short sleeves.
While discussions about Steins;Gate and Hikaru no Go were still going strong, another show was making waves with its promotion.
This new show was none other than Tom and Jerry, the one that Ren had previously instructed the animation team to begin working on.
Back in the original world, producing an episode of Tom and Jerry took quite a long time due to the old technology and the creative process involved in crafting the plots. But now? Technology had advanced leaps and bounds, and Ren already had all the funny scenarios outlined.
With the advancements in animation techniques, Tom and Jerry was much easier to produce. Each episode was only a few minutes long, which was simpler to handle compared to full 20-minute anime episodes.
So, at this point, the show had already been fully produced, and with Ren's reputation for delivering high-quality work, it didn't take long for a TV network to pick up the first season.
At the same time, many people online were buzzing about the announcement from Picca Comics.
"Tom and Jerry? Is this some kind of anthropomorphic animal show? Is Picca targeting the kids' market now?"
"Yeah, I don't think this is for me."
"Are you kidding me? Have you even seen That Year, That Bunny, Those Things? And now you're saying this is for kids? Every time Ren makes something, it turns out to be amazing!"
"Holy cow, I didn't realize That Bunny was made by Ren! No wonder it was so good!"
Online discussions were quickly heating up as readers reacted to the sight of the blue cat and the mouse on the promotional poster. Some people weren't too interested in the idea of an anthropomorphic animal show, but those who remembered That Bunny were getting excited.
However, some fans couldn't help but feel a bit apprehensive.
"Still… I'm not so sure about a comedy show. I don't know why, but I've got a bad feeling about this."
"You should be confident! Don't just have a feeling—know something's going to go wrong! Haven't you learned from Steins;Gate? Ren clearly has a track record of turning things on their head!"
While fans were definitely excited about Ren's upcoming Tom and Jerry, they couldn't help but think back to some of his past works, where things didn't always stay lighthearted. Given his history, many were wary that this "comedy" might take a dark turn.
As for what kind of tragedy might occur? Well, just look at the title: Tom and Jerry. Maybe the cat finally eats the mouse at the end?
...
Outside, the rain was coming down in sheets.
Raindrops splattered against the window, trickling down the glass to form a watery curtain.
"Yeah, barbecuing at home was definitely not a good idea," Felix muttered as he walked over to the window, cracking it open. The breeze carried the smell of rain into the room, replacing the heavy aroma of grilled meat.
At that moment, Felix and his girlfriend, Li Xue, were enjoying a barbecue together. Originally, they had planned to eat out, but May's unpredictable weather had other plans. They were halfway through grilling when the sky opened up and started pouring rain.
Since they had already prepped everything and some of the food was half-cooked, they decided to bring it inside. But, unsurprisingly, grilling indoors came with its own set of challenges. The smell had filled the entire apartment.
"Here, try this one!" Li Xue smiled as she held up a freshly grilled skewer to Felix's mouth.
Felix gladly took a bite. Things had been going well between them. As it turned out, the pregnancy scare Li Xue had mentioned was just hypothetical—she hadn't actually been pregnant. Her monthly cycle had eventually come around, much to Felix's relief.
He couldn't help but marvel at the quirky nature of women. They always seemed to ask the most random questions, like "Who would you save if your mom and I both fell into a lake?" or "What would you do if I was pregnant?"
"So, how's it taste?" Li Xue asked, her eyes twinkling.
"Delicious, of course! Especially since you made it," Felix replied with a grin. Then, acting casual, he asked, "By the way, Li Xue, what do you think about our families meeting this year?"
They had each met the other's parents before, but their two families had yet to meet each other. Felix thought that, given where they were in their relationship, it might be a good time to arrange that.
Li Xue blushed slightly, seeming to catch on to what Felix was hinting at. She shyly nodded her head in agreement.
"Oh, right!" Felix suddenly remembered something. He dashed over to the TV, turning it on and switching the channel to Happy Sky TV. Ads were playing, but Felix didn't change the station.
Li Xue sat down beside him with her skewer, munching as she asked, "Is this one of your company's shows again?"
"Of course! It's premiering today! I've seen a bit of it, and I can promise you—it's super fun, and super funny!" Felix said, nudging her playfully.
"Funny, huh?" Li Xue thought back to the last time Felix had promised a "funny" show.
The hero had died in Cautious Hero, Mitsuba had died in Gintama, and in KonoSuba, the protagonist hadn't died yet, but based on Felix's other favorite shows, it wouldn't have been a surprise if that happened too.
Not to mention, Yuli in Steins;Gate had died countless times...
"Every time you say something's funny, it ends up depressing," Li Xue muttered, shaking her head.
"Not this time!" Felix insisted.
"...Yeah, right. I don't trust you at all," Li Xue teased. But despite her skepticism, her curiosity was piqued. What kind of story could have Felix so excited?
Soon, a cute little girl in a lion costume appeared on screen, her tiny head poking out as she gave a playful "rawr" into the camera.
Next, a mischievous cat and a clever mouse took the stage.
Ren had faithfully recreated the iconic opening of Tom and Jerry. In the original, Tom's name appeared inside the "O" of "TOM," while Jerry's name was placed over the "Y" in "JERRY." Since this was now a Chinese production, Ren had modified the visuals slightly, but kept the same playful spirit.
Tom's name now appeared in the middle of the Chinese character for "cat," while Jerry's name was nestled inside the character for "rat."
"What a cute opening!" Li Xue giggled. The sight of the little girl in the lion costume and the playful introduction had caught her attention immediately.
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