NEW GAME! (2016) — Character Map & Story Timeline

AI Narrative Summary

A two-season arc tracking professional growth, team dynamics, and creative development at Eagle Jump.

Character Network — 10 Characters

• Aoba Suzukaze (Yuuki Takada) — protagonist
• Kou Yagami (Yoko Hikasa) — protagonist
• Rin Tooyama (Ai Kayano)
• Hifumi Takimoto (Megumi Yamaguchi)
• Hajime Shinoda (Megumi Toda)
• Yun Iijima (Ayumi Takeo)
• Nene Sakura (Madoka Asahina)
• Umiko Ahagon (Chitose Morinaga)
• Shizuku Hazuki (Eri Kitamura)
• Hotaru Hoshikawa (Manaka Iwami)

Key Relationships

• Aoba Suzukaze → Kou Yagami (Mentor) — Kou guides Aoba's design workflow and pace, while Aoba takes initiative in communicating technical details to the 3D team.

  "Aoba sees that her designs that won at the character design competition had already been made into 3D by Hifumi, and she tells Hifumi to ask her if s...

• Yun Iijima → Hajime Shinoda (Sibling-Like Friends) — Close friends who share personal histories and support each other through fandom and workplace challenges.

  "They attend a hero show together in S2E9, and Yun reveals her past geek identity to Hajime."

• Hajime Shinoda → Yun Iijima (Fellow Otaku Colleagues) — Close friends and coworkers who share fandom interests and support each other through workplace stress.

  "They navigate office life together in S1E10-E11, and collaborate on ticket hunting and hero show attendance in S2E4-E5."

• Aoba Suzukaze → Umiko Ahagon (Senior-Junior Colleagues) — A professional dynamic marked by initial friction over technical errors, evolving into mutual respect and collaborative mentorship.

  "Umiko expresses frustration toward Aoba regarding model errors in S1E7, and later asks Aoba to observe a programmer interview in S2E7."

• Kou Yagami → Rin Tooyama (Colleague) — Kou and Rin communicate directly about career moves and company events, indicating a peer-level professional relationship.

  "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 exp...

• Hifumi Takimoto → Aoba Suzukaze (Team Leader-Designer) — A working relationship where Hifumi translates Aoba's concepts into 3D assets, occasionally facing pressure over production timelines.

  "Hifumi creates 3D models from Aoba's designs in S2E2-E3, and later struggles with deadline management in S2E5."

• Aoba Suzukaze → Nene Sakura (Office Friends) — Colleagues who gradually become close friends, bonding over shared workplace experiences and personal backgrounds.

  "Nene assists with debugging in S1E8, and later shares personal motivation stories about Hotaru in S2E11."

• Umiko Ahagon → Kou Yagami (Colleague) — They interact during company events and hiring processes, maintaining a peer-level professional relationship.

  "Umiko tells Aoba that the skills of the programmer had already been acknowledged. At a promotional event, Ko tells Rin she is going to France."

Story Structure — 5 Plot Phases

Season 1: Onboarding & Crunch

Aoba navigates her first year at Eagle Jump, facing technical challenges, overtime, and team dynamics while preparing for the Fairies Story 3 release.

Season 1: Release & Celebration

The team pushes through final debugging and spec changes, culminating in the successful launch of Fairies Story 3 and a company-wide celebration.

Season 2: Growth & Competition

Aoba transitions into a designer role, competes in internal design challenges, and adapts to new leadership dynamics while managing increased responsibilities.

Season 2: Team Integration & Stress

New hires bond over programming tasks, leadership trials cause deadline friction, and personal backgrounds are revealed through shared workplace experiences.

Season 2: Transition & Recognition

Code bugs and design delays test team resilience, Ko announces her departure, and Aoba receives public acknowledgment for her design contributions.