After completing the first draft of the outline, Shinji began revising the character settings in his script and reorganizing the plot for Fate/Apocrypha (FA).
At the same time, Shinji instructed his secretary to start sending audition invitations to various actors under the banner of Type-Moon.
That said, there actually weren't many important roles that required auditions. The key roles could be filled directly by summoning Heroic Spirits as long as their relics were secured.
The only actor requiring confirmation was Kairi Shishigou. Shinji initially planned to request his image rights. If Shishigou refused, Shinji would simply create an original character with a similar role.
Unexpectedly, Shishigou himself expressed interest, asking if he could personally play the role.
"Why would he want to play himself?"
Shinji was curious and asked his secretary, Ophelia, for an explanation.
"He said he's grown tired of the bounty hunter lifestyle and wants to find a more stable job," Ophelia replied.
Shinji frowned slightly. Based on the rumors he'd heard about Shishigou and his personal impression of the quirky man, this didn't seem like something he'd say.
"Boss, should we turn him down?" Ophelia asked, noticing Shinji's frown.
"Forget it. Let him try attending an acting workshop first. If it doesn't work out, we'll replace him."
After all, several main members of the FA cast needed to attend training anyway. Shishigou would just be another addition.
If Shishigou truly wanted to pursue an acting career, Shinji wouldn't stand in his way.
As long as the basic acting skills were there, the rest came down to the chemistry between the actor and the character.
Compared to Shinji's painstakingly revised and perpetually unfinished script, the casting process was going surprisingly smoothly—smooth enough to make Arturia a bit jealous.
"Wow, Master, you're working on such a big project, and I don't even have a role in it," Arturia pouted. "You're always saying I'm the most important among all Heroic Spirits, but when it comes to big projects, you leave me out."
"Haha..."
Shinji chuckled awkwardly, genuinely feeling a bit guilty.
"We haven't finalized the Heroic Spirit roster yet, so you still have a chance, don't you?"
Arturia retorted coldly, "Even if I do show up, it'll probably be as a flat-chested French peasant girl or with a ponytail pretending to be my unfilial son, right?"
You've been spending too much time with Sakura; even your snark is getting sharper.
Shinji shook his head helplessly but soon came up with an idea.
"Actually, there is a scene in the movie where I need you to make an appearance."
"Which one?"
"The one where you and Mordred stab each other to express goodwill."
Arturia's face darkened. "Master, I think you misunderstand the meaning of 'goodwill.'"
"As long as you know which scene I'm referring to, that's fine."
"That's not the point, is it?" Arturia's mouth twitched. "I'm surprised you're not reusing old footage this time. You've exceeded my expectations."
Shinji smirked. "Because I came up with something interesting."
"Every time you say 'interesting,' we Servants never find it fun," Arturia quipped.
Ignoring her complaint, Shinji continued, "FSN was filmed from your perspective. This time, I'm planning to shoot FA from Mordy's perspective."
Because he was speaking quickly, Shinji casually referred to Mordred by a nickname.
Arturia didn't mind Shinji's choice of address for her child; she was more concerned with his concept.
"What do you mean by Mordred's perspective?"
"It's about how she perceives your attitude toward her and how she interprets the meaning of that war."
Shinji planned to revisit the 1.6 arc in FGO later and shoot the same battle from Bedivere's perspective.
Essentially, a Rashomon-style narrative that lets fans see the Battle of Camlann from the viewpoints of King Arthur, Mordred, and the Knights of the Round Table, each with their own stance.
Shinji believed this would be fascinating. Since everyone had their own biases, each perspective on the Battle of Camlann would carry strong subjectivity.
By telling the story from multiple perspectives, each influenced by their respective biases, the narrative would appear increasingly complex. Yet understanding the characters' motives would ultimately provide a more comprehensive view of the war.
As for who was right or wrong, that would be left for the audience to decide.
"So it's about examining the issue from multiple angles?" Arturia mused and nodded. "Not bad. Let's do it."
"So you're agreeing to it?"
Arturia answered firmly, "I've always wanted to know exactly where I went wrong. This might be a chance. Many minds are better than just mine."
"You should say 'three heads are better than one,'" Shinji quipped with a shrug.
"Speaking of acting, Master, you're actually perfect for the male lead in this project. Why don't you play that Amakusa guy yourself?"
Probably Annoyed by Shinji's Constant Teasing, Arturia Struck Back
"My demeanor is completely different from that priest, okay? If anything, wouldn't Shirou be a better fit?"
Shinji protested helplessly, "I'm not even religious, for crying out loud."
"But Master, you often deceive people and command a bunch of Heroic Spirits, don't you?"
"..."
Shinji had no rebuttal for that.
<+>
Regardless of Arturia's insistence that Shinji was perfect to play Kirei Shirou, he had no intention of acting in the film.
For one, Shinji's own acting skills weren't even on par with Amakusa Shirou's stand-in. Occasionally taking a minor role like Matou Shinji was fine, but starring in an entire movie? That was way out of his league.
Considering the history of film, most movies where directors also acted in major roles tended to flop. For his first attempt at telling his own story—especially a major commercial production—Shinji felt it was better to err on the side of caution.
While the Fate/Apocrypha (FA) production schedule allowed ample time for the actors to develop their skills, things were different for Magical Girl Illya. Due to the TV station's strict airing schedule, there was no time for gradual skill-building.
This presented a challenge: how to improve the cast's acting skills quickly?
It wasn't just Luvia, a complete newcomer, who needed help. Even "veterans" like Illya and Rin faced challenges in matching the level of performance required.
Unlike the serious tone of Fate/stay night, Prisma Illya was a tokusatsu (special effects) series—specifically, a magical girl tokusatsu.
Sure, every boy dreams of being a tokusatsu hero, and every girl has fantasized about being a magical girl. But dreaming and imagining are one thing—actually standing in front of a camera, wearing a magical girl outfit, and striking ridiculously over-the-top poses? That's an entirely different beast.
After much deliberation, Shinji decided to hire two on-set advisors from Tsuburaya Productions, experts in tokusatsu filming, to guide the Prisma Illya cast.
His goal? To ensure the magical girls (and the magical aunties) could deliver authentic magical girl performances while maintaining their charm and visual appeal.
<+>
While Shinji fretted over the production, Illya remained blissfully unconcerned.
The little girl had no idea that the entire Prisma Illya team doubted her ability to play a convincing magical girl.
Back during the FSN movie shoot, Shinji had praised Illya's acting skills (mostly to boost her confidence). Ever since then, Illya had believed herself to be a talented actress.
Having starred in Shinji's subsequent projects—Fate/Zero (FZ), Unlimited Blade Works (UBW), and Heaven's Feel (HF)—Illya had developed the misconception that she was an exceptional actress.
"Why else would Shinji-nii keep casting me in his projects?" she reasoned.
In her mind, Shinji's decision to make her the lead in Prisma Illya was a clear sign of her recent progress as an actress.
Illya was brimming with confidence.
Of course, this confidence wasn't entirely misplaced. By the standards of Fuyuki's local acting scene, Illya's skills were solid—above average for a child star.
Her only regret? To date, she had only ever played herself—Illya. No matter how well she performed, audiences could only associate her with that one role.
"What's the point of being an actress if people can only say, 'Illya's best role is Illya?'"
Determined to break out of this typecasting, Illya hoped her performance in Prisma Illya would catch the attention of other directors and help her expand beyond the Fuyuki bubble.
<+>
With her usual optimism, Illya cheerfully arrived on the Prisma Illya set, confident that everything would go smoothly under Shinji's guidance.
Then she saw it.
"Magical Ruby!"
"Class Card Activation: Limited Deployment!"
"Passion like fire, friendship like wind, love like mountains, and family like forests!"
"Magical Girl—Kaleido Ruby! Make your entrance! (☆ω☆)"
BOOM!
The moment Rin struck her final pose, a cloud of thick, colorful smoke erupted behind her.
Illya, having witnessed the entire sequence, stood there in stunned silence.
What was that strange red staff Rin was holding?
What were those bizarre, inexplicable gestures she had been making?
And why did everything explode after she finished her pose?!
"It seems Rin-onee-san's sanity has completely lost the fight against Luvia-onee-san," Illya concluded, dumbfounded.
<+>
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