List of New Game! episodes
New Game! is an anime television series based on the manga series created by Shōtarō Tokunō and published in Houbunsha's Manga Time Kirara Carat magazine. The series follows Aoba Suzukaze, a high school graduate who begins working at the Eagle Jump video game company as a character designer. The anime is produced by Doga Kobo, with Yoshiyuki Fujiwara as the director and Fumihiko Shimo as the series' script supervisor, featuring character designs by Ai Kikuchi.[1] The first season aired in Japan between July 4 and September 19, 2016 and was simulcast by Crunchyroll.[2][3] An original video animation (OVA) episode was available for those who purchased all six Blu-Ray/DVD volumes of the series, released between September 28, 2016 and February 24, 2017.[4] The opening and ending themes respectively are "Sakura Skip" (SAKURAスキップ, Sakura Sukippu) and "Now Loading!!!", both performed by Fourfolium (Yūki Takada, Megumi Yamaguchi, Ayumi Takeo, and Megumi Toda). A second season titled New Game!! aired between July 11 and September 26, 2017.[5] The second season's opening theme is "Step by Step Up ↑↑↑↑" while the ending themes are "Jumpin' Jump Up!!!!" for the first six episodes and "Yumeiro Compass" (ユメイロコンパス, Dream-colored Compass) for episode seven onwards, all performed by Fourfolium.[6] The series is licensed in North America by Funimation, who are releasing English dubs of both seasons.[7]
Episode list
New Game! (2016)
No. | Title[8][a] | Original air date | |
---|---|---|---|
1 | "It Actually Feels Like I Started My Job" Transliteration: "Nandaka Honto ni Nyūshashita Kibun desu!" (Japanese: なんだかホントに入社した気分です!) | July 4, 2016 | |
Aoba Suzukaze, a high school graduate, begins her new job at the Eagle Jump video game company, where she is introduced to art director Rin Tōyama, lead character designer Ko Yagami, and game director Shizuku Hazuki. As Aoba learns how to make 3D models, she receives help from fellow character designer, Hifumi Takimoto, who is shy talking in person but is quite casual talking online. Later, Aoba is invited out to lunch by monster designer Yun Iijima and animator Hajime Shinoda while Ko prepares her ID card. After work, Aoba learns that the game she'll be working on is a sequel to Fairies Story, the game that inspired her to become a character designer. | |||
2 | "So This is an Adult Drinking Party..." Transliteration: "Kore ga Otona no Nomikai..." (Japanese: これが大人の飲み会......) | July 11, 2016 | |
After seeing pictures of Hifumi with her pet hedgehog Sōjirō, Aoba tries to help her smile more naturally. Shortly after Aoba begins her first job, creating NPC villager models for the game, the others take her out to a drinking party to celebrate her joining the team. As Aoba tries to deal with her co-workers being drunk, Hifumi has her order some alcohol, almost letting her drink some herself. | |||
3 | "What Happens If I'm Late to Work?" Transliteration: "Chikoku Shitara Dō Narun Darō" (Japanese: 遅刻したらどうなるんだろう) | July 18, 2016 | |
Aoba oversleeps and ends up running late to work alongside Yun. The two attempt to run from the train, but Aoba ends up falling on her face, prompting Ko to scold Aoba until she hears the full story. Afterwards, Aoba struggles with getting her villager model approved by Ko, having to retake it several times. As Aoba works late nights to try and get it up to standard, Rin tells her that her original attempt was technically good enough, theorising that Ko didn't want her to be satisfied with "just okay". After speaking with her friend from high school, Nene Sakura, Aoba realises the importance of making NPCs feel alive and manages to get her villager finally approved, only to learn that she'll have to make more villagers within shorter timespans. | |||
4 | "The First... Paycheck..." Transliteration: "Hajimete no... Okyūryō..." (Japanese: 初めての...お給料...) | July 25, 2016 | |
After missing the last train, Rin ends up spending the night at the office with Ko, discussing whether their game will succeed and trying out her unique style of sleeping. Later, Aoba receives her first paycheck, wondering what she should buy with it. After hearing what everyone else bought with their first paychecks, Aoba decides to buy a cake to share with her family as thanks for buying her suit. | |||
5 | "That's How Many Nights We Have to Stay Over?" Transliteration: "Sonna ni Tomarikomun desu ka?" (Japanese: そんなに泊まり込むんですか?) | August 1, 2016 | |
Aoba and Hajime are sent on an errand to buy a replacement tablet pen, only for both parties to end up forgetting their wallets. The next day, Hajime and Ko end up having a secret war over the thermostat, with Yun also getting herself involved in the hopes of losing weight. Later, Aoba hears from Hifumi and Rin about what Ko used to be like. | |||
6 | "Like... The Release is Canceled?" Transliteration: "Hatsubai...Chūshi to ka?" (Japanese: 発売...中止とか?) | August 8, 2016 | |
After completing her quota of villager models, Aoba is given the task of designing an important NPC from scratch, unaware until the end that the character is based on herself. The next day, as everyone enjoys their weekend off, Aoba goes with Nene to watch a movie. Following a meeting, the team discover they are running behind schedule and will have to work overtime, with Aoba deciding to stay overnight with Ko to work on her model. | |||
7 | "Please Train the New Hires Properly" Transliteration: "Shinjin no Kyōiku wa Shikkarishite Kudasai" (Japanese: 新人の教育はしっかりしてください) | August 15, 2016 | |
Aoba gets complaints from programmer Umiko Ahagon about errors springing up from her NPC models. Feeling she was being too harsh, Umiko gives Aoba an empty shotgun shell and invites her and Ko to an airsoft shooting range. Later, the girls go to the hospital for a company checkup, where they are checked by a very nervous nurse. | |||
8 | "It's Summer Break!!" Transliteration: "Natsuyasumi daaa!!" (Japanese: 夏休みだああ!!) | August 22, 2016 | |
With her college on summer break, Nene takes up a part-time job at Eagle Jump as a debugger in Umiko's department. On her first day on the job, Nene tries to surprise Aoba only to get scolded by Umiko. Later, Nene becomes anxious when she inadvertently eats Ko's pudding, becoming more nervous when Rin sends a company e-mail about the theft. The next day, Nene anonymously buys a replacement pudding while Rin, sensing Nene was responsible, resolves the situation without ratting her out. After work, Nene receives praise from Umiko for her debugging work. | |||
9 | "Do We Have To Come Into Work?" Transliteration: "Shukkinshicha Ikenain desu ka?" (Japanese: 出勤しちゃいけないんですか?) | August 29, 2016 | |
Rin comes down with a cold, so Ko decides to take her home and look after her. Meanwhile, Umiko hears from Nene and Aoba about how they are often worried about each other. Later, the character team decides to have a sleepover to get some extra work done, paying a visit to a public bathhouse in the middle of the night. | |||
10 | "Full-time Employment is a Loophole in the Law to Make Wages Lower..." Transliteration: "Seishain tte Okyūryō o Yasukusuru Tame no Hō no Nukeana..." (Japanese: 正社員ってお給料を安くするための法の抜け穴...) | September 5, 2016 | |
After they both end up bringing boxes of donuts to work, Aoba and Hifumi bring some over to Umiko's department, where they hear about Nene's accomplishments. Later, Nene's concerns about Aoba's health leads to the two arguing with each other. While trying to find a way to apologise, Nene sees all the hard work Aoba has been putting into her characters, after which the two manage to make up with each other. | |||
11 | "There Were Leaked Pictures of the Game on the Internet Yesterday!" Transliteration: "Rīku Gazō ga Kinō, Netto ni Detemashita yo!" (Japanese: リーク画像が昨日, ネットに出てましたよ!) | September 12, 2016 | |
Ko sends Aoba, Hajime, and Yun to a games exhibition where Fairies Story 3 is being announced to the public. Upon seeing their work being praised by the attendees, the girls become more determined than ever to do their best at work. Later, Aoba's art gets chosen to be printed in a magazine while Ko reluctantly gets dressed up in cute clothes for an interview. After Nene finds a game-breaking bug close to the deadline, Umiko sends her and Aoba to buy some energy drinks. With the game more or less complete, Nene has a tearful farewell with everyone as her part-time job comes to an end. | |||
12 | "One of My Dreams Came True!" Transliteration: "Hitotsu Yume ga Kanaimashita!" (Japanese: 一つ夢が叶いました!) | September 19, 2016 | |
The girls get together to buy their own special edition copies of Fairies Story 3 as it goes on sale. They soon panic when word of the plot spreads on the internet after Hajime and Nene inadvertently discuss some spoilers out loud, though they soon discover it had actually come from players who had gotten advance copies. Later, at a wrap party held for everyone who worked on the game, Ko becomes anxious when Hazuki approaches her about being the art director for the next project. Hazuki explains to Aoba that when Ko was the art director for Fairies Story 2, her strict demeanor led to a new hire quitting, which hit her pretty hard. Aoba then asks Ko to sign her game, expressing her gratitude for everything she's done for her and assuring her that she'll make a great art director. | |||
OVA | "My First Time on a Company Vacation..." Transliteration: "Watashi, Shain Ryokō tte Hajimete nanode…" (Japanese: 私、社員旅行って初めてなので…) | March 31, 2017[4] | |
The girls go on a company vacation to a ski resort, where Aoba is worried about her inability to ski. On the first day, Rin looks after Ko after she comes down with a fever, while Aoba goes skiing with the others, managing to overcome her fear. The next day, after Ko recovers, Aoba and Hifumi spend some time together in the hot springs while Ko has a drinking contest with Umiko. |
New Game!! (2017)
No. | Title[8][a] | Original air date | |
---|---|---|---|
1 | "Of All The Embarrassing Things To Be Caught Doing..." Transliteration: "Hazukashī Tokoro o Mirarete Shimaimashita..." (Japanese: 恥ずかしいところを見られてしまいました……) | June 29, 2017 July 11, 2017 | (pre-air)|
With one year passed since Aoba began working at Eagle Jump, Aoba and the others are disappointed that there are no new hires. Meanwhile, Nene asks Umiko for advice on programming her own video game, which she asks to keep a secret from Aoba. The next day, Rin and Shizuku hold interviews with each of the employees about how they felt about the past year, during which Hifumi is offered the role of character leader for the next project while Hajime tries pitching her own game idea. Afterwards, the team holds a flower viewing party, during which Shizuku announces there will be a character design contest for the studio's next game; the same contest that landed Ko her role as character designer in the first Fairies Story game. | |||
2 | "This Is Just Turning Into Cos-purr-lay!" Transliteration: "Kore Jā Tada no Kosupure da Nyā!" (Japanese: これじゃあただのコスプレだにゃー!) | July 18, 2017 | |
The contest gets underway, with participants tasked with designing a character who can absorb enemy abilities. While eager to participate, Aoba feels somewhat uneasy comparing herself to Ko, who Yun believes is destined to win. Meanwhile, everyone assumes Hajime is tired from working on her own design when she had really just been binge watching anime all night. To everyone's surprise, Shizuku rejects Ko's designs, feeling they are too similar to Fairies Story, and instead approves a design Aoba drew up based on her bear sleeping bag, asking her to build upon it for the next contest. Frustrated by her loss, Ko lashes out at Aoba when she comes to her for advice, leaving them both filled with remorse. Reflecting on her own experiences of her seniors being harsh towards her out of jealousy, Ko helps Aoba to refine her designs in time for the next contest, which leads Shizuku to appoint both of them as the main character designers for their next game prototype. | |||
3 | "Ooh, I'm So Embarrassed!" Transliteration: "...Ū, Hazukashī!" (Japanese: ……うー、恥ずかしい!) | July 25, 2017 | |
As work begins on the new game, Peco, Aoba feels downhearted that she is unable to provide much useful input concerning the modelling of her character design. Noticing Aoba's funk, Hifumi invites her to lunch in order to cheer her up. Meanwhile, Nene continues to work hard on her own Nene Quest game, which she once again shows to Umiko for her feedback. | |||
4 | "How Dense... Can You Be?" Transliteration: "Kono... Nibuchin-me!" (Japanese: この…にぶちんめ!) | August 1, 2017 | |
Hajime misses out on snagging tickets for a Moon Ranger concert, so Yun invites her to join her and her siblings for an afternoon show, while Aoba and Nene come across Hifumi at an evening show. Later, Hifumi becomes anxious over Ko being completely dense when it comes to how jealous Rin gets over her. Afterwards, Hifumi is once again approached about taking over Ko's role as character team leader, which she accepts, while the game's prototype is approved by the publisher. | |||
5 | "Hey! Don't Touch Me There!" Transliteration: "Ya, Hen na Toko Sawaranai de yo!" (Japanese: や、変なとこ触らないでよ!) | August 8, 2017 | |
As Hifumi begins her duties as character team leader, Yun ends up lying about being able to make her deadline. Unable to find the time to catch up due to family obligations, Yun comes clean and gets help from Hifumi on how to improve her workflow. Meanwhile, Hajime tries to come up with an idea for an underwater gameplay mechanic for Peco, asking for Aoba and Yun's help. Later, as Aoba struggles to come up with a design for the game's antagonist, she comes to Shizuku to figure out the character's backstory. Afterwards, Aoba and Nene go to a hot spring inn with their high school friend Hotaru Hoshikawa, reflecting on old times and future goals. | |||
6 | "Wow... It's So Amazing..." Transliteration: "Aa... Sugoi naa..." (Japanese: あぁ……すごいなあ……) | August 15, 2017 | |
Upon finally completing her Nene Quest game, Nene has Aoba and Hotaru play the finished result together, becoming delighted at how much they are enjoying it. Later, however, Aoba and Ko are shocked when Wako Christina Yamato, a producer from the game's publisher, informs them that the publisher wants Ko to draw the key visuals for Peco instead of Aoba in order to promote the game as a Fairies Story follow-up title. As Ko's complaints end up falling on deaf ears, Aoba requests a chance to once again compete against Ko for the key visuals. Spending the next week giving her all on her illustration for the competition, Aoba is ultimately met with an overwhelming sense of defeat when she sees Ko's finished piece, but sees her own piece to completion regardless. As Ko's visual is chosen, Aoba accepts the result and looks forward to the next opportunity she gets. | |||
7 | "I'm Sensing a Very Intense Gaze" Transliteration: "Sugoku Atsui Shisen o Kanjiru" (Japanese: 凄く熱い視線を感じる) | August 22, 2017 | |
Umiko brings in Aoba to interview a new applicant who, to Aoba's surprise, turns out to be Nene. Impressed by her ability to remain serious while in front of Aoba, Umiko hires Nene as a part-time programmer. Meanwhile, as Wako worries that the character team hates her following the key visual incident, Shizuku gives her a charm containing catnip that causes the office cat Mozuku to latch onto her, helping her to break the ice with the others. Later, Eagle Jump gets two new interns; a graphic artist named Momiji Mochizuki and a programmer named Tsubame Narumi. Being a fan of Ko's work herself, Momiji is surprised to find that Aoba is the main character designer for Peco and starts seeing her as a rival. | |||
8 | "I'm Telling You, I Want a Maid Café" Transliteration: "Meido Kissa ga Ii to Ittanda yo" (Japanese: メイド喫茶がいいと言ったんだよ) | August 29, 2017 | |
As Aoba, Hajime, and Yun struggle with picking out a restaurant for the new hires' welcoming party, Shizuku has them practise being maids in a maid café for no real purpose. Once a restaurant is eventually picked and the party gets underway, Nene and Tsubame get to know each other while the character team try to get Momiji to loosen up around them. Later, Hifumi tries to help Momiji, who has been eating lunch by herself, open up more, encouraging her to spend more time with the rest of the team. | |||
9 | "At Least Put a Shirt On!" Transliteration: "Shatsu Kurai Ki na yo!" (Japanese: シャツくらい着なよ!) | September 5, 2017 | |
While accompanying Yun and her siblings to a hero show, Hajime comes across one of her high school friends, Akki, but is too ashamed to tell her that she works in video games. Hearing that Hajime always hid her otaku hobbies from her friends, Yun shows her that she used to be a geek herself during school, changing her image once she came to Tokyo. As Nene and Tsubame are tasked with programming some mini-games, Tsubame explains how she got into programming out of wanting to make a game together with Momiji. Upon hearing that Nene just took up programming on a whim, however, Tsubame suddenly looks down on her, claiming that she only got into the company because of her connections with Umiko. Taking this criticism to heart, Nene becomes determined to study programming seriously. Later, Momiji and Tsubame find themselves in trouble when a cockroach shows up in their apartment. | |||
10 | "It's Gonna Really Break the Immersion" Transliteration: "Dondon Riariti ga Usuku Natte Ikunda yo" (Japanese: どんどんリアリティが薄くなっていくんだよ) | September 12, 2017 | |
Tsubame is tasked with programming a red light green light style mini-game designed to Hajime's specifications. However, every time Tsubame thinks her job is done, other staff members bring up issues with the mini-game, leading Hajime to make further changes to the design document. These delays lead Hajime to feel guilty after Tsubame voices her concerns over how it might affect her evaluation. After hearing from Umiko about how the situation is tough on Hajime as well, Tsubame finally manages to complete a satisfactory revision of the mini-game, only to be told to expand upon it by Shizuku. Meanwhile, Nene roughly finishes a ball maze mini-game Umiko asked her to do, but is met with criticism from Tsubame about its glitchy state. Taking her words seriously, Nene attempts to add a flashier "hard mode" to her mini-game but fails to get it working properly by her deadline. Despite this, Umiko commends Nene for completing her given task, encouraging her to refine her mini-game in her spare time before having her do more debugging work for the remainder of her contract. Later, Ko and Rin spend the evening talking about the changes they've been through, during which Ko gives Rin a present as a thanks for everything she has done for her. | |||
11 | "I Shudder to Imagine What's Hidden in Your Heart" Transliteration: "Kokoro ni Nani ka Kakaeteru no Ka" (Japanese: 心になにか抱えてるのか) | September 19, 2017 | |
Running into Ko and Momiji at the cafeteria, Nene learns from Momiji that Tsubame is going against her parents' wishes and will have to take over her family's inn if she fails to get into Eagle Jump. Nene then explains how Hotaru helped give Aoba the motivation to apply for her job. Just then, the programming team discovers that Tsubame's code is full of bugs, as she prioritised speed over checking it thoroughly. Just as Tsubame fears that she has ruined her chances with the company, Nene decides to help her with debugging all the errors, making up with her in the process. With all the bugs successfully removed before the deadline, Umiko decides to officially hire Tsubame and renew Nene's contract. Meanwhile, Rin overhears Ko speaking with Wako, becoming shocked to learn that she is planning to leave Eagle Jump. Later, Ko encourages Aoba and Momiji to take part in a gameplay demonstration of the near-finished game, giving them a chance to see the results of all their hard work. | |||
12 | "Make Sure You Buy It!" Transliteration: "Zehi Katte Kudasai ne!" (Japanese: ぜひ買ってくださいね!) | September 26, 2017 | |
At a promotional event for Peco, Ko tells Rin that she is going to France for a few years to develop a game at another company and build upon her experience, while Momiji hears from Hifumi about how Ko was picked over Aoba for the key visuals. While giving an interview on her work on the game, Ko brings Aoba up on stage to properly acknowledge her for her character designs. Afterwards, Ko informs the others about her plans, coming as a particular shock to Aoba. On the day of Ko's flight, Momiji encourages Aoba to see Ko off at the airport. As Aoba's vents her frustrations, Ko reveals that she came to her decision after seeing Aoba work so hard on the key visual contest, inspiring her to improve on herself. After the rest of the team come to see her off, Ko sets off for France while neglecting to inform Momiji that she had also passed her internship. A week later, Peco goes on sale to great reception, motivating Aoba to work hard on her next game. |
Notes
References
- ^ "'Engaged to the Unidentified' Team Animates 'New Game' Show at Doga Kobo". Anime News Network. January 23, 2016. Retrieved January 23, 2016.
- ^ "Crunchyroll Adds B-Project, New Game!, Bananya, Hitori no Shita the outcast". Anime News Network. July 1, 2016. Retrieved July 10, 2016.
- ^ "Product|TVアニメ『New Game!』オフィシャルサイト" (in Japanese). Doga Kobo. Retrieved July 10, 2016.
- ^ a b "New Game! TV Anime's Blu-rays/DVDs to Offer Public Bath OVA". Anime News Network. September 14, 2016. Retrieved September 14, 2016.
- ^ "New Game!! Anime Premieres on July 11". Anime News Network. June 2, 2017. Retrieved June 2, 2017.
- ^ "New Game! Anime Season 2 Reveals Anime's Theme Song Artist". Anime News Network. May 10, 2017. Retrieved June 2, 2017.
- ^ "Summer 2017 Simuldubs". Funimation. Retrieved July 12, 2017.
- ^ a b "Story|TVアニメ『New Game!』オフィシャルサイト" (in Japanese). Doga Kobo. Retrieved July 11, 2016.