ARM Backup/Ar Portal translation/Telemo Plaza/Issue 14

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こんにちは、土屋です。
いよいよアルトネリコ・ファンブック（仮）トウコウ受付締切まで1週間を切り ました。トウコウ総数は何と1000通近くとなり、スタッフもみんなファンの皆さ んの関心の高さにビックリしています。頑張って選考し、最高に面白い本を作り ますので、楽しみにしていて下さいね！
さて、本題に入る前に１つ。先日「リバーダンス」というグループの来日公演を 見てきました。リバーダンスは、音楽と物語とダンスが１つになった作品で、民 族音楽調（アイリッシュ、ケルト）の曲に合わせて沢山の人達が物語に沿って踊 るモノです。実はこのリバーダンスは、土屋のヴィオラート（アトリエシリーズ ５作目）以降の音楽に多大な影響を与え続けている作品です。中でもアルトネリ コ１はその影響が大きく、塔の各場所（ほたる横丁や滞空岸壁、たかのつめあと、 などなど）の世界観設定に、 このグループのアルバムの１枚が大きく影響してい ます。そんな昔から大好きなグループだったのですが、コンサートを見たの は今 回が初めて。そして私は不覚にも、始まってすぐにいきなりボロボロと泣いてし まいました。。コンサートを見ながら、この作品が私の創作に与えた影響の大き さに自分でもビックリしたほどでした。そういった長年の思い入れも大きいです が、それでなくても、音楽と踊りと物語の融合がとても素敵なコンサートです。 まだ６月まで東京で公演を続けていますので、アルトネリコを形成した祖の１つ とも言えるリバーダンス、少し高めですが、興味有れば見てみてください。アル トネに大きな影響を与えた曲は全部、このコンサートで公演されています（「リ バーダンス」で検索するとコンサート情報がヒットします）。ＣＤもありますが、 やはり生はひと味違います！あまりに興奮してしまったので、ちょっと紹介して みました。
そして本題です。今回から、１月頃に書いていた「アルトネ２事始め」に頂いた 皆さんの御意見ご感想に対し、改めて気づいたこと、学んだことなどを書き綴っ ていきたいと思います。まず始めに、沢山の御意見ご感想ありがとうございまし た！中にはとても熱心に、色んな事を語ってくれた方もいらっしゃいまして、改 めてアルトネリコを大切に思ってくださっている方が沢山いることを実感させて いただいた次第です。本当にありがとうございます！
今回は第２回目!　「２の世界観のおいたち」についてのレスポンスです。 この回では、アルトネリコ２制作にあたりヒロイン同士の関係をとても重要視し ている事を描いている回ですが、皆さんの反響が一番大きかった回でもあります。 その内容は、「ヒロインの掘り下げが深くて良かった」という意見から「やりす ぎではないか」という意見まで様々でした。特にインフェルスフィアでのヒロイ ン間のやりとりに関しては反響が大きく、沢山の方から御意見を頂きました。そ の中には好評の方もいらっしゃいましたが、多かったのが「表現がやりすぎでは？」 との御意見でした。
その中でも特に、色々と考えるきっかけとなった御意見がありました。それは、 「シナリオで制作者の意図を押しつけすぎではないか」というものでした。 人や事象には様々な考えがあり、その状況に応じて何が「良」や「善」なのか、 なにが「悪」なのかは変わってきます。アルトネリコ２ではそれを「こういった 場合はこれが絶対に善なんだ」と押しつけている事がある、という事です。
改めて第三者的にシナリオを見返してみまして、なるほど、と思った部分があり ました。例えば「絆を深めるにはお互いを伝え合うべきだ」「全部を言うことで相手と良好 な関係を築ける」という事をアルトネ２では伝えています。それも１つの手段か もしれない、でも、アルトネ２では「そうする事がイイコトだ」と断言している ように感じ取ることが出来ました。確かにそうなってくれば、それに共感出来な い人はその考え方を無理矢理押しつけられる形でシナリオが進行する事になりま す。結果的に共感できないヒロイン、共感できない主人公を創り出してしまうこ とになるわけです。もちろんそういったシナリオを目的として書いているのなら いいのですが、アルトネリコのコンセプトはそうではありませんでした。あくま で主人公としての行動、言動から純粋に何かを感じ取って欲しい、くみ取って欲 しい、そしてそれはプレイする人によって違っているのは当然と考えています。 だからこそ、今回のこの御意見は大変貴重な御意見でした。自分の主観では分か らなかった視点からの意見であったこともあり、とても冷静に物語を分析するこ とが出来ました。貴重な御意見、この場を借りて感謝いたします。この事を次の 創作にいい形で活かしていくことが出来れば、と考えております。
次回は戦闘システムについてのレスポンスをします。
それでは、また！	
Hello, everybody. It's Tsuchiya.
We're finally getting close to the deadline for the submissions reception for the Ar tonelico Fanbook (temporary name): it's next week! The total number of submissions we've gotten so far is close to 1000 now, and it was a real shock seeing so much interest for it both from the staff and all our fans! We're doing our best at selecting these submissions and making use of them to make the most fun book we can, so please look forward to it.
Okay then, before jumping into this issue's topic, there's something I want to say. The other day, I went to watch a performance of [Riverdance] after they came to Japan. Riverdance has made itself famous for combining music, stories and dance, making it into a group in which several people dance following a story that's combined with ethnic-styled music (which is Irish and Celtic in style). And in fact, Riverdance has had a large influence on the music I've composed from Tsuchiya's Viorate (fifth game in the Atelier series) on. That influence was particularly large in Ar tonelico 1, as the world setting for every single place in the Tower (from Firefly Alley to the Floating Wharf, the Falcon's Claw and such) was greatly inspired by one of this group's albums. While they are a group I've liked from a long time ago, that was the first time I had ever gone to one of their concerts. And I've got to admit I was unprepared, as I started crying my eyes out right after they started... It's still pretty shocking to see how large an influence they have been for my creations. While I've had a strong emotional attachment to them for several years now, that had nothing to do with the extremely wonderful concert they did by combining their music, dances and stories. They'll keep performing in Tokyo until June, so while it might be a bit on the expensive side, if you have any interest in the Riverdance that we could say served as part of what led me to give Ar tonelico shape, please make sure to check them out. All of the songs that served as large influences to Ar tonelico will be performed in these concerts (and you're sure to get hits on information about the concert if you search for [Riverdance]). Of course they have released CDs too, but listening to these songs live feels really different! I got really excited about it, so I thought I should tell you all about it.
Okay then, let's get into the topic. Starting this issue, I want to write a bit about the things I have realized and learned from the opinions and feelings you all sent me about the [AT2's Beginnings] write-ups I've been doing these past months. First of all, thank you very much for your feelings and opinions! There some among them that were really passionate and talked about a variety of topics, which made really feel once again how many of you truly treasure Ar tonelico! Really, thank you very much!
Okay then, this issue is for responding to the second issue of this column: [Expansion of the World! That was the issue in which I explained how during Ar tonelico 2's creation, we decided to focus upon the relationship between the heroines, and it was the issue that got the greatest number of responses from you all. The responses were quite varied, ranging from [It's great you delved so deep into the heroines] to [Didn't you go too far with that?]. The part that got the greatest number of responses were the interactions the heroines had in the Infelsphere, so we also got the opinions from many people for it. While many responses were quite favorable, there were several others that were more like [You went too far with that presentation].
And among them, there was one opinion that got me thinking about several things. That opinion stated the following: [Didn't you push too much of your intentions into the scenario?] We have all sorts of thoughts for people and events, and depending on the situation, we might consider them [good] or [great], or that might change to us considering them as [bad]. And what that opinion is saying is that I pushed [for this kind of situation to be absolutely good] in Ar tonelico 2.
I looked back at the script once again from the viewpoint of a third party, and noticed that yes, there are some parts that could get some people to think like that. For example, in Ar tonelico 2 I'm trying to convey that [Both parts of a relationship must talk to each other to deepen their bonds] and that [By saying everything, you will construct a good relationship with your partner]. There might be one more stage to it, but we made it so in AT2, you could feel in a way that would get you to assert that [if we could do that, it'd be great]. It's true that by doing it like this, we might have made some people who couldn't sympathize with the ideas feel like they were being pushed onto them as they advanced through the story. Ultimately that would mean we made heroines and a main character that can't be sympathized with. Of course, it'd be good if we made the scenario with such a goal in mind, but that isn't the concept I have for Ar tonelico. In the end, I want you to truly feel something from the actions carried out and the words said by the protagonist, and I think that the emotions that you will receive wil be different from a person to another. That is precisely why the opinions you all sent me were so valuable. There were several opinions from viewpoints unknown to my own subjectivity, and that allowed me to analyze the story in a more composed manner. Therefore, I wish to borrow this corner to thank you all for sending your opinions. I'll try to make the best use of them so my next creation turns out even better.
Okay then, next issue we will talk about the responses to the battle system.
See you next time!