My 2D anime story

"This industry doesn't need dreams. No matter what ideals you had when you entered, in my studio, you follow my rules."

"I've said it before—every drawing must be done according to my specifications. Don't add your own ideas."

"An immature animator like you should just quit this industry!"

Miyazumi Poem clenched her small fists. Even now, the harsh words from two years ago were burned into her memory.

At that time, she had worked under one of the industry's top directors, while she was just an animator.

That director had crushed her naive dreams in the cruelest way possible.

If not for the fact that the company needed the Third Studio, she might have already resigned and left.

And now, Su Yu's words sounded just like her own back then—just as childish as the new recruits she had stopped caring about.

That was why she had essentially abandoned managing the Third Studio.

Whenever work came in, she simply followed instructions and executed everything with the highest level of artistry.

But she had stopped believing in personal creativity.

"Did you know? Shining Animation Studio just received a new anime project—an original anime with a 200-million-yen investment." Su Yu suddenly said.

Poem froze for a moment before looking at him.

"I wrote the script for it. I also invested 100 million yen. I have the right to select the director—and I can assign the Third Studio to the project." Su Yu said calmly.

"You… you're serious?" Poem's eyes gleamed with anticipation.

"If you only care about money, then you're not qualified to participate in this project." Su Yu looked at her.

"I…" Poem opened her mouth, conflicted.

"I don't know what you've been through," Su Yu continued, "but my love for anime drives me to create the kind of anime I want to see. That's why I'm here—to learn drawing from scratch and build something from the ground up."

"I… I'll teach you to draw. As for the rest… let me think about it." Poem's gaze wavered as she slowly sat down.

Su Yu could tell that her heart had been shaken.

Blondes are always tsunderes, after all.

Miyazumi Poem wasn't lying when she said she was the best artist in the Third Studio.

Even though she was currently the team leader, every anime she had worked on was produced by the First or Second Studios—Shining Animation's top-tier projects.

Meanwhile, the Third Studio mostly handled game animations and advertisements, meaning she rarely had to do much.

The fact that she had her own office was proof of her skill.

Of course, experience played a part as well.

Shining Animation Studio had once been home to many top-tier directors and animators, but many had left over time. The few remaining directors were now considered industry veterans, and they held the highest rank.

Below them were elite animators in the First and Second Studios—people who saw Shining Animation Studio as their home.

Then came people like Poem—graduates of Shining Animation Academy, trained in-house.

At the very bottom were the general employees, many of whom were just fresh graduates with far less prestige than Poem.

As Poem explained all this, Su Yu was quietly studying her.

And sketching her.

That was Poem's first test for him.

It didn't take long for Su Yu to finish.

Poem took the sketch and frowned.

"This is beginner-level at best. Worse than most animation graduates. It's basically just a kid's doodle. Sure, with this skill, you might find some work as a low-level illustrator. But manga? You should give up."

"Just tell me the flaws—I don't care about the evaluation. I'll prove to you what effort looks like." Su Yu looked at her calmly.

"Fine. The facial expressions are stiff. The joints are off. The fabric texture needs work. Leg contours are inaccurate. The body proportions…"

As she spoke, she began correcting the drawing.

A few minutes later, Su Yu looked at her revised version.

He had to admit—Poem was incredibly skilled. Her tweaks were subtle but effective, improving nearly every detail.

"Understand?" Poem asked.

"Mostly. Thanks for the pointers. I want to try again." Su Yu said seriously.

"Go ahead. But if there's no improvement, then you lack the talent, and I won't waste my time teaching you." Poem crossed her legs and leaned back.

Su Yu said nothing.

He studied her carefully, then began sketching again.

This time, he was completely focused.

His eyes occasionally flicked between his sketch and the corrected version.

Poem, seeing his serious attitude, quietly watched.

She didn't rush him.

She didn't even move.

For a while, the office fell silent.

About half an hour later—

Su Yu finished his second drawing and handed it to Poem.

She took one look and was shocked.

The improvement was insane.

If his first drawing was amateurish, then this one was competent.

Poem studied it for several minutes before finally looking up.

"Your attention to detail has improved, but you still have room for growth. Now, let's test your creativity. Draw five versions of me in different outfits—whatever you want. Classic anime costumes like sailor uniforms and maid outfits—you need to be able to draw them."

"Can I use references?" Su Yu took out his phone.

"Do whatever you want. I'm going to get some coffee. Take your time."

Poem said this and left the office.

Su Yu glanced at the closed door and began looking up outfit references.

This kind of creative test wasn't a problem for him.

The real challenge was mastering the finer details.

After selecting the reference images, he took another look at his previous sketches—then started drawing again.

Facial expressions. Poses. Fabric texture. Leg contours…

Su Yu sketched slowly, completely immersed.

At this moment, he realized—

He was actually enjoying drawing.

A phrase surfaced in his mind:

"Interest is the best teacher."

If you weren't interested in something, doing it would feel tedious.

Just like when he had loved writing fanfiction—he had written tons of it purely because he enjoyed it.

Without that interest, he wouldn't have had the motivation.

…Of course, making money was important too.

After an unknown amount of time—

The door opened.

Su Yu looked up to see Poem entering with a tray of food.

"Are you done?" She glanced at him.

"Just about." Su Yu replied.

"Here's your lunch." Poem placed a plate of food in front of him.

"Thanks." Su Yu handed her his finished drawings.

Poem took them and examined them closely.

Meanwhile, Su Yu checked the time and finally started eating.

It was already noon.