• Report version 0.0 by Hitoshi Doi, 1994.10.30
• Report version 1.0 by Hitoshi Doi, 1995.02.11

The commemoration event for the Startling Odyssey game was held on October 22 and 23, at the Laox event hall in Akihabara. There were 4 sessions each day, with each session being around 45 minutes. Inoue Kikuko was a guest for all 8 sessions, Mitsuishi Kotono was a guest for the 4 sessions on October 22, and Inoue Kazuhiko was a guest for the 4 sessions on October 23. To get into this event one had to buy the Startling Odyssey game at Laox, which went on sale October 21, where the price was 7400 yen. There were around 100 or so people allowed for each session.

I went to the 4th session on October 22 (with 13 other people from the Inoue Kikuko and Mitsuishi Kotono mailing lists.. ^_^;). I hear there were tickets left over for some of the October 23 sessions. Now that I think about it, I should have gone..

For the 4th session, I was number 16, so I got to sit in the third row.

No pictures or recording allowed.. (;_;)

The event flowed as follows.

• talk by guests
• song by Inoue Kikuko
• presents
• final message

talk by guests

Inoue Kikuko had cut her hair! It was just about shoulder length. She had red stone earrings. Kikuko was wearing.. [I can't remember.. ;_;]

Mitsuishi Kotono was wearing a burgundy colored, long, one piece dress.

Some small group did a "Kotono-san!" call, and then we did a "Kikko-san!" call. (^_^)

Kikuko said, "You're all up for this. Thank you very much."
Kotono said, "Hello."

The emcee did a simple introduction of Kikuko and Kotono.

Inoue Kikuko: Belldandy (Aa Megami-sama anime), Aria (Star Breaker game), Julia (Startling Odyssey II game)
Mitsuishi Kotono: Tsukino Usagi (the very popular Sailor Moon anime), Vivian (Startling Odyssey II game)

There was a small stage with two seats, and Kikuko and Kotono sat down for the talk show.

Q: How was the recording for this?
Kikuko: It was fun.
Kotono: It was fun.

Q: Impressions of the characters in Startling Odyssey?
Kikuko: I'm doing a girl Julia who is a female doctor in a small village. Then she meets Robin, and goes on the adventure with him.
Kotono: Vivian is a tomboy, who goes with Robin and Julia. Sometimes she tries to get Robin and Julia together.

Q: The graphics is very good in this game.
Kikuko: When we do the voices, we just look at the storyboards, and try to get a feel for the characters that way. Recently I saw the pictures and was very moved because it was so beautiful. The SD versions are so cute. The details are so nice. I like it when Julia becomes small and moves around.
Kotono: Vivian has a distinctive hair style. That is her hair.
Kikuko: It's not a tail.
Kotono: I hope nobody makes a mistake. Also there is a lot of service with the nice body .
emcee: Yes, Julia is large , and she fights a lot..
Kotono: It should move when she fights.
Kikuko: That's her technique.
Kotono, emcee: Technique?
Kikuko: When the opponent is going, "Wow!" Julia hits the opponent. It doesn't show up on the screen, but I think that's happening in the background.
Kotono: Julia has a complex about her large breasts. In the game, Vivian asks Julia about it, and Kikko-san adlibs and answers. It's a very surprising, Kikko-san- like answer.
Kikuko: I wonder if you can rewind the game, when you think that's the part with the dialogue.
emcee: You can't rewind games.
Kikuko: We are talking in the background, so you might not catch it. If you couldn't hear it, you'll have to start all over.
Kotono: You have to save it very often.
Kikuko: Oh, you can save it?
emcee: Yes.
Kikuko: Oh, then it's just like the 365 Step March (some song?). Move 3 steps forward and move 2 steps backwards.
emcee: Then it will take 10 years to finish the game.
Kikuko: Then you can enjoy it for 10 years. What a great game!
Kotono: You really think it's great, don't you?
emcee: But I think Inoue-san's brain is greater.
Kikuko: Did I say something strange?
emcee, Kotono: No.

Q: Any NG?
Kikuko, Kotono: There weren't any.
emcee: Of course with seiyuu of this caliber, there won't be any mistakes. Really?
Kotono: We just forgot. We did the after recording about a year ago.. It's best to forget bad things.

Q: Any thoughts on the characters before and after recording?
Kikuko: When I do a new job, I'm always nervous and full of uncertainty. But this time the studio was very fun. There were many friends, like Amano Yuri, Touma Yumi. There are some times when the studio is very serious, but this time it wasn't.
Kotono: There were lots of fun people, like Inoue Kazuhiko, so it was fun. Robin is a pure boy, but when Julia confessed to her, he pretended to be an ecchi old man. Of course this was during the test.

questions from the crowd

song by Inoue Kikuko

Then Kikuko sang the Startling Odyssey II theme song, Mirai Kara no Kaze .

presents

emcee: I saw them signing them this morning. It's very fresh. They signed them with all their might, even while sweating.
Kotono: I'm sorry.
Kikuko: Why was she sweating?
Kotono: I woke up 10 minutes before I was supposed to meet my manager.
Kikuko: Kotono-chan looked like she just woke up. But she's so cute. It's so nice that she's so cute without any make up.
Kotono: Thank you. I was sweating, and signing, and apologizing this morning. That's the kind of signature this is.

Just as Kikuko put her hand in the box, she screamed out. Someone had put something other than the numbers in the box. Kotono put her hand in the box and pulled out a little stuffed animal. (Just a little bit, and then she put it back right away.)

Kotono: These are objects that we carry around.
Kikuko: Mine is a friend.
emcee: You keep your friend in a box!?
Kikuko: Just a while ago, he was on the table in the waiting room. But now he's here.
Kotono: When he was listening to the song, he jumped into the box. It's the famous Wendenyan.
Kikuko: I wrote a song called Wendenyan no Uta . The line, "She said, ''Wow, so cute!'' But then she played around with his face." was modeled after Kotono-chan.
Kotono: I found out about it the other day.
Kikuko: I just turned Kotono-chan's actions into lyrics. I was going to tell her, but I did the recording and finished the song.
Kotono: I found out by another route.
Kikuko: Kotono-chan puts cute things into her mouth. She says, "かわいいかわいい、パクッ." (Cute, cute, bite)

Then they went to pull out numbers again. But Kotono pulled out another little stuffed animal. This time it was her own.

Kotono: Kikko-san named it Wendapon.

Then they really started pulling numbers out of the box. Among the mailing list members, one person got a post card, one person got a promotion video, and one person got a signature board. I didn't get anything. (;_;)

Just before the number for the very last present, Inoue Kikuko pulled Wendenyan out of the box.

Kotono: His first public appearance!
Kikuko: He's not used the public.. He's shy.

final message

Kotono: I will be releasing a CD single Dareyori Kagayaite on November 25. It will also have a very funny picture of me in a sailor suit and pony tails. Please look at it and laugh. Also there will be an essay collection coming out next year.

おまけ