Community > Community works

The Portal of Zeta: iDOLM@STER Neo Vision

<< < (47/76) > >>

ZetaFlare:
Ten down! I have decided to do Nozomi next as I've pretty much got her story completely mapped out.

Uemura Nozomi’s Route

Kenji first meets Nozomi honing her singing voice in one of the practice rooms. He can tell right away she possesses extraordinary talent. However, she suddenly stops, claiming a couple of her notes came out slightly flat. She feels a bit disappointed as this is normally not a difficult part of the song for her, so she decides to go back and sing the part over and over again until it is perfect. Kenji is surprised. He though Nozomi sounded perfect at that part. It seems as though he has a tough task ahead of him. Knowing this girl has such incredible singing skill and the ability to point out even the slightest mistakes, he can tell her standards will be set very high, even for her producer. Kenji knocks on the door to get Nozomi’s attention. Wishing to use her time to practice rather than chat, Nozomi is about to ask Kenji to leave until he informs her about her upcoming debut. Nozomi is happy to hear the news. At long last, she will soon prove her skills to the nation and make her dreams come true.

As soon as Nozomi receives the news that she will be the leader of an idol trio, she does not seem to mind at all. However, depending on who her partners are, she may have her doubts. Nozomi is very serious about her work and has a no-nonsense attitude. Because she has no time for fooling around, she believes some of the more upbeat girls (especially Emi) will be a nuisance and will only hinder her progress. Nozomi expects her partners to stay focused at all times and give their all in their performances. She expects the same from Kenji too. If he is going to be the one in charge of her career, he has to take responsibility. Kenji promises he will do everything in his power to help Nozomi and the others succeed, but is worried she may be setting the bar too high for the others…

(to be continued)

liza94:
My first impression is that Nozomi is like a mix of Chihaya and Ritsuko.

Amazing_Grace:
Finally got around to reading all these.

I had forgotten how much I loved your characters. Yoshino is so unique! It's not every day you see an upbeat meganekko. I really love her. She's becoming a fast favorite of mine. :3

ZetaFlare:
Uemura Nozomi's Route, cont.

After Nozomi makes her national debut and begins her activities as a full-fledged idol, she is surprised to discover there is more to being an idol than meets the eye. It’s more than just singing and dancing on stage—idols are heavily diverse in the entertainment industry. Nozomi has to get used to doing photoshoots (particularly in a swimsuit), advertising for commercials, hosting or participating in variety shows, meeting and greeting fans and signing autographs after concerts, etc. Plus, her knowledge in pop music is very limited as she has spent most of her studies in classical and choral music. However, she is a very fast learner and manages to really get the job done. Once her unit reaches Rank E and defeats 876Pro in their first festival, Kenji is really impressed by not only her vocal talents, but her leadership skills. It’s almost like she’s a natural for this sort of thing. Nozomi is not too surprised, though. Over the years, several of her peers have claimed she was born to be a leader. She was appointed the student president of her choir clubs during her junior high (second and third years) and high school (second half of her first year and all of her second year) years. Outside choir, her classmates tend to turn to her for assistance and support, often putting her in charge of class assignments. However, she often declines offers to be a study buddy, preferring to study under her own standards, whether it be music or academics. Last year, she was even given an offer to run for student council president of her high school, but decided to turn it down in favor of her music studies. Even after she passed her audition with ZetaPro on her first try, she was often put in charge of teaching the other idol candidates during lessons. Many of her peers and even adults have profited from Nozomi’s guidance. Nozomi promises to be just as reliable leading her idol unit. Kenji is really proud of her for all she has to offer to the unit, but still reminds her that he is in charge of her career. Nozomi understands, but she asks Kenji to make sure she makes absolutely no mistakes and he pulls as much weight as she does, if not even more. Kenji makes a promise to Nozomi to live up to her expectations. It will be a tall order, but Kenji knows he must do it for her sake.

On the day of the Sunny Beach Festival, Nozomi feels confident she and her unit have the skills to defeat 765Pro. Even with a sudden change in opponents (who turns out to be Kagura), Nozomi is not shaken in the slightest. Despite putting her all into the performance, Kagura completely mops the floor with ZetaPro. She cannot help but laugh at the weakness of Nozomi’s unit. She did not even have to put in any effort to walk away with an easy victory. Kagura then leaves, telling Nozomi that while she may be skilled in her own right, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. Nozomi is so frustrated she is not even willing to utter a word to anyone else. As ZetaPro drives back to the office, Kenji grows more and more worried about her.

Back at the office, Nozomi releases her pent-up frustration, blaming her loss on the incompetence of her partners as well as Kenji. It does not even matter to her that her opponent was a nationally-acclaimed diva from a trio of juggernaut idols sweeping the nation. To Nozomi, her partners lack discipline. They have been lax in their practicing (as in they have not been training as diligently as Nozomi). They do not know the importance of their jobs. They seem to stray away from her advice. This is why the unit as a whole is still unable to perform at a professional level. Kenji tries to calm Nozomi down, claiming she should not let one mere loss get in her way, but Nozomi quickly silences him. To her, Kenji is hopelessly flawed as a leader. If he truly is a leader of her standards, the unit would be able to perform flawlessly, manage their time more efficiently, be much more successful in general, and would not have lost to Kagura. If he cannot live up to her expectations, she will no longer acknowledge him as her producer. To make sure something like this does not happen again, Nozomi declares that she will take charge of the unit. Lessons will be more frequent and more diligent to make sure each and every performance is flawless. She also greatly requires 60-minute practicing every non-work day from the other two idols so that their technique will never get sloppy. As idols, they should be performers, even when off stage or work. The other two idols, no matter who they might be, are a little distraught to have such rough sanctions placed upon them. Kenji tries to interrupt, but to no avail. It appears as though nothing he says will make Nozomi reconsider. Kenji and the President start to worry about Nozomi, believing she may be taking things too far and is not considering the feelings of her partners.

As Kagura tells Yamato the news about her most recent victory, she can pretty much tell from her hidden frustration that Nozomi is about to snap. With this news, Yamato feels pretty much assured that ZetaPro is no longer a threat and victory is all but in the bag.

Over the next few weeks, despite the unit getting their groove back after a couple of successful outings, Nozomi continues to work her unit to the bone to make sure they continue to put on perfect performances. The President has to remind Nozomi that Kenji is still the one in charge of managing their work, but she often keeps the other two around after being dismissed for the evening to put in some extra practice time, much to her partners’ dismay. One day, Kenji arrives early. He really wants to know what is troubling Nozomi, so he asks the President to set aside some conversation time for the two of them. Later that evening, Nozomi tries to set aside some extra practice time for her partners, but the President calls it off, letting them go home for the evening. Nozomi tries to object, but the President insists, claiming Kenji is getting worried about her and really wants to have a chat with her. Nozomi complies and notices Kenji sitting on a bench just outside the main entrance. Kenji has been very concerned with how Nozomi is trying to run the unit. Her partners are clearly starting to show signs of fatigue from all that extra practice. Kenji fears if this keeps up, things will eventually begin to worsen rather than get better. He knows Nozomi has good intentions, but he wonders what she is really thinking. What does she really plan to get out of all this? Nozomi decides to tell the truth behind her reasons. All her life has been devoted to music. Nozomi has established herself as a singing prodigy ever since she was a child. She was a standout student in her elementary school music classes. Her voice was much more refined than other kids her age. She was invited to the school choir at the age of 8, becoming one of its youngest members. She was involved in all her schools’ choir clubs since then to continue to hone her abilities. Over the years, she has landed several solo parts in group songs and even solo performances. She has also aided other choir members with her uncanny ability to spot even the slightest flaw in a performance, even in her own. All of Nozomi’s choir teachers and private instructors have praised her for her incredible skill. When she’s not studying for classes, practicing her performance repertoire, or honing her voice, she reads books on classical music and composers, hoping to attain more knowledge of the great names, songs, and music styles of the past. Because of all the praise Nozomi received as a singer and a leader, she keeps setting her own standards higher and higher. She knows she is great, but wants to become even better. She felt as though she had to be absolutely perfect in order to consider her performances successful. Going into her final year of high school, her ultimate goal is to be able to study in an esteemed music conservatory after she graduates. Her first choice is Juilliard School in New York City. She heard about it from a pamphlet given to her by her high school’s choir director who believed a place like that would be perfect for someone of her level. However, she is well aware of any conservatory’s low acceptance rate (Juilliard’s is 7.2%). This is why Nozomi decided to become an idol. She wanted to prove to the nation (as well as the conservatories) that she has what it takes to be accepted into a conservatory and really take her musical career to the next level. Kenji is really proud that Nozomi cares deeply about her talents and wants to use them to the fullest. However, he believes perfection should not be everything. Her intolerance for mistakes has made her partners push harder than they should. The other two idols do not need to practice as much as she does in order to be able to perform at her level. Being a musician himself, Kenji knows from experience that no performance is perfect. The real trick is to be able to recover gracefully and keep pressing on. The only way the audience will be able to tell if a mistake was made is if it really sticks out. In other words, Nozomi should not make a big deal about it. It usually comes down to the satisfaction of the audience. If they are happy, the performer is happy. Nozomi later apologizes to Kenji for snapping at him and trying to be a control freak. Ever since she lost to Kagura, Nozomi felt as though she had to take over so that the unit will perform to her standards and be able to defeat her in their next encounter. Kenji thinks it would be best for Nozomi to cancel the extra practice time after work and on off-work days unless it is absolutely necessary. Not everyone needs to practice every day in order to maintain their skills. Plus, she should not feel like she has to run the whole show. It will put too much pressure on everyone, especially herself. Finally, like he said before, perfection is not everything. Nozomi thanks Kenji for an insightful chat and promises she will be a better leader from now on. Once again, she is willing to work with Kenji in charge as her producer. With that, the two of them part for the evening.

(to be continued)


--- Quote from: liza94 on August 10, 2014, 11:42:50 pm ---My first impression is that Nozomi is like a mix of Chihaya and Ritsuko.

--- End quote ---

Yeah, I compared her personality exactly the same way (especially if you look back on the character description on the first page). But she does have her reasons, considering her past success and future goals.


--- Quote from: Amazing_Grace on August 11, 2014, 12:21:53 am ---Finally got around to reading all these.

I had forgotten how much I loved your characters. Yoshino is so unique! It's not every day you see an upbeat meganekko. I really love her. She's becoming a fast favorite of mine. :3

--- End quote ---

I'm glad you like Yoshino. I really wanted to make her unique among meganekko girls while adding some more common meganekko elements (i.e. her bursts of happiness leading to clumsy moments). Something tells me she might become the most popular of my loli trio.

ZetaFlare:
Uemura Nozomi's route, cont.

When the President suggests entering the upcoming IU preliminaries, Nozomi immediately jumps on the opportunity, thinking it would be an excellent way to display the unit’s true capabilities to the nation. As the weeks go by, while Nozomi has not set up extra practice late after work, she still works her unit hard so they will be prepared for the IU and their next encounter with Kagura. However, the more progress she makes, the further the talent gap between her and her partners widens. Nozomi gets more and more stressed as the preliminary auditions inch closer and closer, fearing the other two idols lack focus and cannot seem to keep up. Reminding them what Kagura told them about how a chain is only as strong as its weakest link, Nozomi pushes her partners to work harder. A deeply worried Kenji can almost feel as though Nozomi seems desperate to catch up to NAZO.

The day of the IU preliminaries arrives. Nozomi has been training and rehearsing her tail off all week to prepare for this day. She knows a lot of highly skilled big-name idols and units like NAZO will be participating in a tournament this big. She keeps urging herself to put on a flawless performance in order to display her true skills to the judges. All of a sudden, her greatest anticipation has been answered… ZetaPro has been placed in the same block as NAZO. Kagura appears before Nozomi with the other two members of NAZO. Kagura is surprised Nozomi was able to maintain her unit’s success up to this point. Now she wants to prove the difference in their strength once and for all. Nozomi urges her partners to step up their game and not make even the slightest mistake. She is also counting on Kenji to make sure to time their appeals perfectly in order to show up NAZO’s. Kenji claims he will try his hardest, but is a little concerned Nozomi will push herself and the others too hard just for the sake of defeating Kagura. Much to Kagura’s surprise, ZetaPro is able to pass by landing second place. However, much to Nozomi’s chagrin, NAZO tops her unit’s score by a huge margin. Even though Nozomi passed the audition and will move on to the next leg of the IU, she still feels as though she failed. According to her, the reason why they still cannot perform at NAZO’s level is because her partners still lack professionalism. She feels as though she has to drag the others by their feet as she progresses. In short, they are the weak links in the chain. Kagura cannot help but laugh at Nozomi’s beliefs. To her, it really was pure luck that led to ZetaPro’s recent success. In reality, the chain’s weakest link is not her partners nor is it her producer…it is Nozomi herself. She thinks she knows everything. She feels like she is the show. She believes her musical skill and experience alone are enough to give her unit strength. When she leads, everything has to be her way in order to succeed. She expects and pushes her partners to perform at her level, disregarding the immense gap in their abilities. This is why Nozomi truly is a terrible leader who only serves to hold the unit back. If she keeps leading her unit this way, their success will eventually come crashing down hard. Kagura finds it surprising her partners haven’t considered quitting after the harsh treatment she has given them. As she leaves, she tells Nozomi she will never lose to someone like. Nozomi is devastated. She thought there was no way she could have been the weak link to the unit, but then starts to believe what Kagura told her was in fact true. Kenji tries to help, but Nozomi is anything but in the mood to talk. On the drive back, Nozomi tries her best to hold back her crying, but her tears become very apparent.

Back at the office, Nozomi apologizes profusely to everyone for letting them down. She could not believe she was acting so selfish. She thought what she was doing was contributing to the well-being of the group, but in reality she didn’t seem to care about anyone’s thoughts and feelings but her own. All this time Nozomi felt as though she had to live up to her past success as a singer and a leader. She felt like she had to perform flawlessly during each recording and concert in order to prove herself worthy to be enrolled in a conservatory. Then she completely forgot about Kenji’s advice even after their little private chat. Nozomi feels doubtful her partners, Kenji, and the President can forgive her after what she has done. Kenji and the others do forgive her. They know she was trying her very best and had no bad intentions whatsoever. Kenji believes the real problem was not that she set the bar too high for him and the other idols, but that she set her own bar too high. The talent gap between Nozomi and her partners is immense. The way Nozomi practices, if the other two take one step forward, Nozomi takes three. Kenji suggests maybe she should adjust to her partners’ levels rather than ask them to adjust to her level. This way she will not put so much of a burden on herself. If all three of them perform on the same scale, they will flow together perfectly and become that much better. She could consider Nozomi’s idol trio similar to her choir and class assignment groups. All groups function strongly when they work together as one. Her partners still view her as a fantastic leader despite the mistakes she has made. As for those conservatories, Nozomi should not worry about performing a song to the point. People like them usually don’t care about perfection. What they do look for is dedication. Show that you have been practicing hard and that you care about the song and the message it conveys. If you show passion in your work, your audience will feel that same passion. Kenji then adds one more suggestion. Being an idol may be Nozomi’s job, but it should be fun for her. Since she has dedicated nearly her entire life to music, why not get some enjoyment out of what she loves? Besides, that could help take a big load off her shoulders. Nozomi promises to try her best to make the necessary adjustments to make her and her unit that much better.

Nozomi decides to spend some time with her partners in order to study and adapt to their lifestyles as well as their practicing methods. This allows her to bond with her new friends and feel much more relaxed. While she still practices on her own as diligently as before, she is much calmer and more focused on getting the job done rather than stressing herself out with fixing every little detail. She still seems to find even the slightest flaw, but does not seem to worry about it unless the mistake is constant or critical.

On the day ZetaPro receives a writ of challenge from NAZO to face off at the Harvest Moon Festival, Nozomi feels ready to take them on this time around. She can already feel the improvement she has made since the IU prelims. At the festival, Kenji notices that Nozomi seems to be performing at a level on par with Kagura. Unfortunately, their performances are cut short due to a pyrotechnic malfunction. As Yamato appears to pick up NAZO, he passes by ZetaPro and proceeds to mock them. To Yamato, the only way a singer of Nozomi’s caliber could have joined up with a run-down company run by the lower class was that she was too soft and sympathetic. It’s pretty clear that ZetaPro is using her incredible talents and gullibility to their advantage, thinking they can pay her as little as possible while fattening their own wallets under her success. That’s how common-class companies function (in Yamato’s eyes). If she really wants to be strong enough to be accepted into Juilliard, she should have contributed her talents to the upper class—the big-money names in the entertainment industry like RyuuseiPro. She could be making a lot more money and a much bigger name for herself. But, no…she had to be a weakling backed by silly dreams and try hopelessly to promote herself under the name of a smaller company where nobody will recognize her. If she keeps this up, she will never have what it takes to be accepted into a conservatory. Nozomi stands up to him, claiming he is only telling lies. She can tell everyone at ZetaPro really does care about her, especially Kenji, who helped her see the importance of using her talents to bring joy to her fans as well as herself. Even if she does not wind up studying in a conservatory for her efforts, all of the memories of her idol career are just too precious for her to let go. Yamato laughs at Nozomi’s logic, claiming she really is way too soft for her own good and hoping she enjoys her fifteen minutes of fame. He laughs as he heads back to his limo with the rest of NAZO.

(to be continued)

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page

[*] Previous page