Ron sat in his office, exhausted.
As a senior acquisitions officer for Tenflix, one of the biggest OTT platforms in the Nebeska Galaxy, his job was to hunt for movies that could turn a profit. The Nebeska Film Fest was the perfect place to find fresh talent—independent studios, unknown directors, hidden gems that could be acquired cheaply and turned into streaming hits.
But after hours of screening movies, his mind felt like mush.
The same tropes. The same plots. The same generic space adventures.
Nothing stood out. Nothing felt new.
With a deep sigh, he leaned back in his chair. "Enough work for now," he muttered, pulling up his social media feed.
Scrolling aimlessly, he smirked as he stumbled upon a joke.
"Why did the Starfleet officer bring a ladder to the bridge?
Because they heard the ship was going to 'ascend' to warp speed!"
For some reason, that hit him just right. He burst into genuine laughter, slapping his knee.
"Hah! People these days are too funny," he chuckled. "I don't know how people in the past lived without such top-tier humor. Must have been tough for them."
Still grinning, he kept scrolling—until something caught his eye.
A notification had popped up.
[New Review from Anon – Nebeska's Top Film Critic]
Ron perked up.
Anon was a big deal. His reviews could make or break a film's reputation. He wasn't just a critic—he was a tastemaker. Studios watched his reviews closely, and Ron had used his recommendations before to secure major film acquisitions.
One of those deals had even earned him a hefty bonus.
Thinking of another potential bonus, he clicked on the video.
Anon appeared on the screen, sitting in his usual high-tech review setup, surrounded by floating screens.
"Hey guys, welcome back to another review," he began in his usual calm, confident tone. "But today's video is a bit… different."
Ron leaned forward slightly. Different?
"Now, you might be wondering why," Anon continued. "Well, because I came across a movie in the Nebeska Film Fest that was totally unique from anything else this year."
Ron felt a flicker of interest.
"And if I have to be honest," Anon said, "this is one of the best movies I have ever seen."
Ron paused the video.
That… was not normal.
Anon was known for being critical. He rarely praised anything outright. Even films that got his seal of approval usually came with long-winded critiques.
Curious, Ron hit play again.
"Some of you might be skeptical," Anon admitted. "I get it. This isn't some high-budget space opera. It's not about intergalactic conquest or first-contact scenarios. It's a fictional story set in the past—over a million years ago."
Ron's eyebrows rose slightly. A past-based movie? That's rare.
"At first, I thought it would be boring," Anon continued. "No fights, no high-tech battles, just… relationships and emotions. But let me tell you—this movie proved that you don't need action to make a masterpiece."
Ron was fully engaged now.
"The characters are vibrant and full of life. The story is fun, emotional, and heartwarming. And after watching it once… I ended up watching it twice in the same night."
Ron narrowed his eyes. That was very unlike Anon.
"I won't spoil anything," the reviewer continued, "but I highly recommend you watch this movie. Trust me, it's worth it."
Then, the movie title flashed on the screen.
Doraemon: Stand by Me
Ron sat still for a moment, staring at the screen.
A first-time studio? A 2D animation movie?
It shouldn't have worked.
And yet, if Anon was this passionate about it, then it had to be special.
Without hesitation, he searched for the movie on the Nebeska Film Fest site.
A single result popped up.
The cover art was different from anything else—a young boy in a yellow shirt standing beside a round blue creature, set against a vast green field.
No spaceships. No war-torn planets. No cyber-enhanced soldiers.
Just… two characters standing in nature.
Ron stared at it for a moment before clicking play.
As the Vault Studios logo appeared, Ron took a sip of his coffee, expecting to analyze the movie for work.
But within minutes, he forgot all about work.
Nobita's chaotic morning routine had him chuckling.
Doraemon's introduction had him genuinely smiling.
The friendship, the struggles, the humor—it was all so different from the emotionless, conquest-driven films he was used to.
And then, the final scene came.
When Doraemon left for the future, Ron felt a deep sadness.
And when he came back, he felt an overwhelming sense of relief.
As the credits rolled, Ron blinked.
He reached up and touched his cheek.
…Tears?
For a moment, he just sat there, staring at the screen.
He had watched thousands of movies. He had never cried at one before.
And yet, here he was.
Ron quickly grabbed his phone and dialed his boss.
After two rings, a deep voice answered.
"Ron?" came the voice of Director Miles, his superior at Tenflix.
Ron opened his mouth, but paused.
Something sounded… off.
"Sir?" he asked. "Are you… okay?"
There was a brief silence. Then, Miles cleared his throat.
"Huh? Oh… yeah, I'm fine. Just… watching a movie."
Ron's eyes widened.
"Sir," he said slowly, "were you watching… Doraemon: Stand by Me by any chance?"
Another pause.
Then, Miles let out a surprised chuckle. "You know about it?"
"That's exactly why I called!" Ron said quickly. "Sir, we need to buy this movie. The studio is new, and this has so much potential. If we acquire it now—"
"I was thinking the same thing," Miles interrupted. His tone was serious now.
Ron grinned. They were on the same page.
"Sir, if we pull this off, we're definitely getting a bonus."
Miles let out a short laugh. "Let's not waste time then. Contact the studio. Make an offer. We need this film on Tenflix."
As Ron and Miles moved to secure a deal, similar conversations began happening all across the Nebeska Galaxy.
Executives, critics, and audiences alike were finally taking notice.
And all the while…
Arwin, completely unaware of all this, continued working on his new project, unaware that he had already changed entertainment history forever.