Well, shall we start by talking about the previous game? Rhythm Tengoku was released in the summer of 2006 for the Game Boy Advance (in Japan). To tell you the truth, even though it didn’t attract much attention before its release, it was well-received by many people. Osawa-san, as this series’ chief mastermind, what did you think at the time of release?

I wondered if everyone would enjoy it. I was extremely unsure about it. Since nothing like a music score appears on the screen, it was a new type of rhythm game, and I thought only certain people would be able to get it. Of course, we did everything we could while making the game to prevent that from happening, but I knew I wouldn’t know until release... I was incredibly nervous...

How did you feel when you saw the response?

I could sense that Rhythm Tengoku had finally taken shape—and not a moment too soon—after a long searching process.

Yes. I think it embodies a variety of feelings and emotions for us. In a good way.

I seem to remember that everyone on the development staff took dance lessons in order to obtain a shared awareness of rhythm.

That’s right. While we were consulting with Tsunku-san, who supervised the game, about rhythm, he said the fastest way he could make us understand was to have us try dancing, so we all went to Tokyo.

I doubt you thought you’d have to take dance lessons working for Nintendo! Osawa-san, how did the lessons go?

Uh...they were fun.

(laughs)

He looked like he was really enjoying himself. He was extremely busy at the time, and not in the best condition, but his face really lit up!

He was even drinking energy drinks before the lessons! I was impressed. I thought, “Now that’s true determination!”

It was...fun.

Ha ha ha ha! But it wasn’t easy, was it?

No.

You’re not exactly the athletic type.

It goes with the job.

It goes with the job, huh? (laughs)

After a while we began to get the hang of it.

Tsunku-san had an easy way of teaching us.

He had a strong desire to improve Japanese people’s sense of rhythm through the game. Which reminds me, we use the word “groove-sense” to describe what’s fun about this game. Osawa-san, did you come up with that word?

...(thinking)... I’m not sure.

Oh. (laughs)

That period is...a little fuzzy.

Hmm. Fuzzy.

I’m trying to think who it was...

I guess it doesn’t really matter. I just think it’s good that we have such a clear word to describe the game.

Who...was it...?

Really, it doesn’t matter.

Maybe it was Tsunku-san.

Oh, Tsunku-san?

Or maybe we were all just talking and... No, it’s all too fuzzy.

Uh, I can see that. Let’s just set the whole topic aside.

(laughs)

Before we talk about Rhythm Paradise, I’d like to reminisce about one other game. After Rhythm Tengoku became a hit, Sega approached us with a surprise offer, and an arcade version was released. Osawa-san, what did you think when the idea first came up?

...I thought it must be a joke.

(laughs)

But when I met with Sega and talked to them, they appeared to really like the game.

Apparently it was popular among their development staff.

Yes. I was happy that they liked it so much, but…an arcade game? It wasn’t something I could make the call on.

That’s not so! (laughs)

I said, “Thank you very much,”...and the meeting ended there.

Just like that?! (laughs)

(laughs wryly)

(laughs wryly)

Well, first I thought I should check with Iwata-san and others.

And when we heard about it, we immediately gave the go-ahead, saying, “Why not give it a shot?” When you heard that decision, what did you think? Weren’t you like, “Really?! I can do it?!”

I…don’t clearly remember.

(laughs wryly)

(laughs wryly)

But…I was happy about it.

I was able to tell that you were practically ecstatic as you talked to Sega. Probably because the staff at Sega had picked up on what you thought was important about Rhythm Tengoku. I think your intense passion for the game passed wordlessly into the product and was conveyed to our customers, of course, but also to development staff at other companies.

...

I think so, too. People within Nintendo who were dealing with Sega were that way, and while we, too, were talking with them, we started getting energetic about it. I even drew up some illustrations for them. It was that kind of atmosphere.

And that work could pay off when it came time for the next game in the series.

Yes, I had thought of that.

So, when the arcade version of Rhythm Tengoku came out, what did you think? Were you impressed when you saw the housing?

I thought, “Wow!”

I see. How about you, Takeuchi-san?

When it was first released, I was so happy that I went to a video arcade to see it. I was surprised, or rather happy, to see couples and girls playing it.

Makers of household game systems don’t usually get to see people actually playing their games.

That’s right. Of course, I know girls play our video games, but to actually see them so excitedly playing was a nice surprise.

I see.

Then, during the location tests, I was taking some pictures to document the occasion. The arcade staff got suspicious because they didn’t know who I was and pulled me into their office.

Just what were you doing?! (laughs)

When I explained, they understood.

And later you made character merchandise.

Oh, that’s right. I was grateful for that opportunity. They were mostly onions, though.

Yeah. Lots of onions.

Nothing but onions. I thought, “Couldn’t they have come up with something cuter?” Oh well, I was the one who drew them.

The onions plucking the moustache in rhythm makes quite an impression.

At first it wasn’t an onion, but a person’s face. We were using a real photo of someone’s face, but it was a little too gross.

Setting aside the onion topic…Yone-san, did you work on the arcade game?

Yes. The sound data was to be the same, but since the mechanics of arcade games are different, I had to make some adjustments in order to recreate the same sounds. Also, the arcade game had some modes that didn’t exist in the Game Boy Advance version, so I supervised the sound for those as well.

Then, as development of the arcade game progressed, the challenge of figuring out what the next game in the series would be like began. And it wasn’t easy. Right, Osawa-san?

...that’s right.

As I watched you work on the WarioWare series and Rhythm Tengoku, it appeared to me that your work style is to experiment as you grope around for a clear conception of the game. You create a temporary working model, and, as others use it, they get an idea of what it’s supposed to be like, and then go along with you. However, this time you had to start with basic research by studying the Nintendo DS.

Yes, that’s right. I studied the hardware, as well as a new programming language and format. Meanwhile, I pondered over how the stylus could be used for gameplay.

I suppose that wasn’t easy to figure out. An important element, the essence, of Rhythm Tengoku for the Game Boy Advance was the feeling of pressing buttons to exact timing. I’ve heard that a lot of thought was put into elements such as sound and programming in order to achieve that feeling. Were you in charge of that, Yone-san?

Yes. Every game is the same in that when you press a button, it has to respond. For the Game Boy Advance version of Rhythm Tengoku though, we really put a lot of effort into a means of clearly expressing to players an immediate response so they would think, “I just pressed a button!” Specifically, we paid attention to making sure the sounds for each sound effect would stand out sharply and clearly.

If input precision is important, buttons might be more suitable than a stylus.

That’s right.

But if you’re going to come out with Rhythm Tengoku for the DS, you want to use the stylus. So how do you give players that precise feeling of keeping the rhythm with a stylus? I imagine you must have wrestled with that.

...Yes. That more than anything. To be honest, at the beginning, I thought if it didn’t work out, I would have to think about returning to button input. But at the same time, since the hardware had evolved, I didn’t like the idea of players having to do the same old thing.

It’s a difficult area. It seemed to me that it was taking a long time, that preparatory research was dragging on.

For example, at first we considered an input method where you would touch the edge of the Touch Screen with the stylus and it would make a tapping sound. But…that seemed a little too difficult.

You wanted something that would feel satisfying.

Yes. Then we decided to try out a flicking action with the stylus, which became the source for the flick movement we eventually adopted. But the points where you have to use some strength and flicking the stylus took a little getting used to. So we carried on a lengthy process of trial and error to make it feel right to the player, all the while considering whether we should return to button input. In the end, we realised that if we combined sound with the flicking action, you could get a good sense of the timing, and decided on using the stylus...

How long did that process take?

Let’s see… About two to three months for background research, and after that… More than six months, I’d say.

Yes, I’d say you were struggling with it for about six months.

I agonized over it forever.

Yeah, he was in gruelling agony for quite some time.

Osawa the Seeker was in the throes of agony. Takeuchi-san, how did you try to come to his aid?

I couldn’t do anything.

(laughs)

For the time being all I could do was try out what he’d come up with and say, “Hmm, I don’t really get it but…it’s fun!” or “C’mon! You can do it!” (laughs)

But when you praised him without really understanding, I bet he wasn’t pleased at all.

You guessed it! He wouldn’t buy it at all!

(laughs)

...

He’s a perfectionist. When he isn’t pleased himself, it doesn’t matter what others say.

That’s right. Exactly right. We’ve known each other for a long time, but that’s one area where we still don’t understand each other.

(laughs)

...

But every time Osawa-san comes up with something, it’s always something you’ve never seen before. That’s where the appeal lies. There’s nothing to do but go along with him.

That’s true. When you play the final version of Rhythm Paradise, despite the relatively few controls, you’re surprised by the wide variety of effects and the abundance of ideas it presents.

Yes, that’s right.

...

Osawa-san was the central mastermind, with Takeuchi-san and Yone-san following along, in charge of graphics and sound, respectively. That’s the same pattern as with the previous game, but Yone-san, you weren’t on the team during the time Osawa-san was agonizing over it, were you?

No, I hadn’t joined yet. I was making the Wii Channels at that time.

Oh, that’s when you were working on the features of the Wii console.

Yes, but I could tell Osawa-san was in pure agony, so I wanted to go to his side as soon as possible.

What a nice team! (laughs) You wanted to help him out as quickly as you could.

...

Then, when I had some time, I whipped together a sound sample and showed it to him, but he was like, “Hmmmmmmm...” (laughs) So I said I’d try again and come back later.

That you’d be back.

Right. It’s not the kind of thing you can throw together in your free time.

That’s right. When it comes to Osawa-san, you’ve got to give it your body and soul.

That’s because he himself gives it his body and soul.

...

He absolutely does.

When I watch Osawa-san making games, I get a sense of the mystery, the depth, the brilliance of making video games. Most people who play video games probably do not know about how video games are made, but putting together one single game is a lengthy process of trial and error integrating game operation and the structure of gameplay with a theme, a single concept, running through it all. How should I put it? In order to create one thing, you explore its potential, and tie it all together into one bundle. Not very many things are made that way.

Osawa-san, what helped you out of your agony over how to make Rhythm Paradise fun on the DS?

Umm...

Was it completing the Flicking control?

Well... we hadn’t actually “completed” it.

Oh, that’s right. (laughs) So, uh...not “completed” but...

I still don’t think we’ve completed it.

Hey, that’s enough of that! (laughs)

...It’s just, rather than ever complete something, …you improve it, little by little, on and on.

Oh, I can understand that.

We’d been going along like that, and reached a certain point, when we had Tsunku-san look at it. We couldn’t meet him face-to-face, so I sent a sample. And he really...

Uh-huh, uh-huh...

...really tore it apart.

Uh-oh.

(laughs wryly)

(laughs wryly)

That day...all day long...I was fed up.

Your agony doubled!

Yeah, he was in twice the agony.

While I was agonizing, it seems that for some reason…others noticed my state.

Of course we noticed!

How could we not?!

So they suggested I talk to Tsunku-san. I sent him an e-mail, went to Tokyo, and asked him what was wrong with the sample.

Oh! You went right up to him! And?

And everything he said was…exactly right.

(laughs)

I could tell he really understood what we were trying for. But that didn’t mean we could easily reflect his comments in the game.

Yes, I suppose so. I started as a programmer too, so I really understand.

But he gave me a big hint as to what should be done. The concept behind what eventually became the frog game came from Tsunku-san

The one with the frogs shaking their hips?

Yes.

On my way to work this morning I was playing that the whole time.

It isn’t an easy game, but once you get it…it’s a blast.

Yes, it sure is.

When we finished that, it felt just right. I thought, “Oh, this is what Tsunku-san was talking about.” I started to think…it just might work.

Good for you.

Very good for you.

At times like that, once you get a good lead, it has a good effect on other areas as well. Once you get one axis in place, you can polish off other areas with renewed vigour.

That’s exactly what it was like. I got the strength to continue in that direction.

Yes, I know what you mean. How did it appear to you, Takeuchi-san, when you saw Osawa-san break free of his agony?

Well, Tsunku-san makes quite an impression. When development had fallen into a rut and everyone was pretty gloomy, we went to Tokyo to talk with Tsunku-san and came back – all of us, not just Osawa-san—reinvigorated.

Oh...really? Tsunku-san is like the sun!

His involvement was considerable.

Even though there are people who know that it isn’t the case, a certain number of people suspect that when someone of a celebrity stature supervises a project, they don’t really have much to do with it. They simply attach their name.

Yes, that’s right.

But for this game Tsunku-san went far beyond mere supervision. He was deeply involved. He didn’t just participate in planning and then provide some songs. He did a lot, from seeing us through dilemmas such as the one we just talked about to suggesting new roads we could take with the project.

That’s right. But you can’t understand what he means through e-mail. Just reading the e-mails, you wonder why he’s saying what he is.

But if you meet him, you understand?

Yes. He sings and actually gets into the rhythm and says, “Here! Here! Here!” so we can easily understand. He doesn’t say a lot, but goes point by point until you suddenly understand.

You get all kinds of hints just by meeting face-to-face.

That’s right.

So Osawa-san latched onto some new ideas, Takeuchi-san did the art, and Yone-san, the music. Rhythm Paradise’s degree of completion had jumped up. Then, after this prolonged struggle, two new members joined the team.

Thank you for waiting, Masaoka-san and Seki-san. What did each of you work on?

I was mostly in charge of programming. I worked on several of the main minigames and additional frills. I also wrote some programs related to the menu.

I was in charge of graphics. I worked on characters and 2-D and 3-D art. I also created some visuals for the menu.

When did you join the team?

About one year ago.

What was your impression of the project at that time?

Well, I had always been a big fan of Rhythm Tengoku. The day it was released, I bought it and got stuck right in. I was overjoyed to join the team. Before that, I had been working alone on the test model for another project, but working alone isn’t very satisfying. Then I joined this team, and my enthusiasm level suddenly shot up. I loved the way everyone was going full steam ahead and were completely absorbed in what they were doing.

Everyone was moving forward with their eyes fixed firmly on Osawa-san.

Yes. It was like Osawa-san was a pillar around which their feverish activity was centred. I’m not sure how to best put it. My spirits were constantly on high.

Without any confusion?

That’s right. When I joined the team, Osawa-san had already laid down the main components, so with that as a basis, I could turn out whatever came to mind. I was blessed with a good development environment.

You’re not so bad at laying down such a foundation yourself.

Yeah. I love making a game’s underlying framework. (laughs)

But at that time, the more you did, the more it took shape. That must have been exhilarating.

Yes. Both activities are fun, but at that time I wanted to prioritise giving one thing after the next definite form, so I enjoyed it.

How about you, Seki-san?

When I joined the team, someone who knew about the development of the Game Boy Advance version said something about how if only a couple of the minigames I made got used, I should consider myself lucky.

Ahh, I see. When we made Rhythm Tengoku for the Game Boy Advance, a large number of the individual rhythm games got rejected. Even if one was well-made, the theme was rhythm, so if it didn’t feel right, the whole thing had to go. So what that person said was true in that sense.

Yeah. But at first I was worried.

About whether your rhythm games would be used.

Yes. (laughs) Then when I joined the team and started working with everyone, I began to worry about it less and less. It was more fun enjoying the game with everyone. I became more and more absorbed in it.

I see. It’s interesting that you have both said you were “absorbed” in it. I don’t hear that too much from other development teams. I wonder why that is.

I think it’s because we had so much fun making it. This game is really simple, so as we were making it, there was hardly any aspect that wasn’t directly connected to what’s fun about the game. As I was working on it, I would arrive at parts that made me think, “Oh, this is fun!” very quickly.

Ahh, I see, I see. There weren’t any times when you had to tell yourself to just bear with it because you’d eventually get to the fun part.

Yes, exactly. I would write the program, then turn around and start playing it, so there was an immediate reward. Of course, not everything turned out perfect. Some parts turned out awful.

In any case, that immediate reward worked in the game’s favour. Was there anything that you liked but Osawa-san said was no good?

Well, he didn’t exactly say it wasn’t any good, but...

He doesn’t say it, but you can tell he’s thinking it?

When he thinks something is fun, he says so, so you know. When he likes it, his reaction is clear and simple.

But when there’s no reaction?

Then there’s not much of a response.

(laughs)

When he does show a reaction, he’ll turn away and say, “Oh, this is fun,” sort of under his breath right before he walks away. When you hear that, you know you’ve done well. You rejoice after he’s left. When he drops a few words like that, they’re laden with meaning and give you confidence.

Yes, that’s right. (laughs)

Really, you guys are a splendid team! (laughs)

...

(laughs)

(laughs)

How did it appear to you, Takeuchi-san? Did the two new guys easily adapt to the team?

Yes. It was almost like there were no boundaries between us.

Hmm, why do you think that was?

They’re both valuable in their own right, but a big underlying factor was that Osawa-san explained everything to them thoroughly. When the five of us gathered for our first meeting, Osawa-san set forth how we were going to make the game. That sure made me happy!

(laughs)

...

I thought, “Wow, he’s turning into a true director. He’s grown up!” (laughs)

I see. (laughs)

Part of their value lies in that they listened quietly to his advice and endeavoured to soak up how we felt about the project, without any ifs, ands or buts. That’s why this team got along so well. (laughs)

How nice. How did it seem to you, Yone-san?

I have to agree that they blended right in without any fuss. Well, at first, when Masaoka-kun showed something he’d made to Osawa-san, he got the usual, “Hmm...” response, and you could see the perplexity on his face (laughs), but they’re both good at realising what’s required of them, so it wasn’t long before their ideas integrated. That’s why I was so impressed when, after a little time had passed, they started making something with the unique atmosphere of the original Rhythm Tengoku.

Oh, is that so? That must have been the result of them having loved the first one and played it so much.

I do think that’s a big part of it. I played that thing to death! (laughs)

As I listen to you talk, I simply think what a great team this is! (laughs) But, given the current state of game-making, it isn’t easy to make a game on this scale—I mean with only five core members—so the existence of this team itself is extremely unusual and very interesting to me.

I knew it! We’re unusual!

It’s true! I mean, for everyone to follow behind and try to grasp the vision of a central personality as he tries to perfect something is a kind of group mechanics that would never function for a team of 50 people.

(laughs)

I, too, thought it was unconventional and asked Iwata-san several times whether it was alright to continue on with the group as it was, but you said it was okay, so we continued without any changes.

I thought that this particular team chemistry would generate the greatest efficiency, and, more than anything, make the most of Osawa-san’s personality. And, um, how should I put this? I thought it was best not to change anything because I could really sense that this team was enamoured of what only Osawa-san could accomplish and wanted to back him up.

...

Osawa-san is very sincere when it comes to making something. He doesn’t say much, but he puts a lot into even the smallest effect in a game, into consideration for the players, so that when you play the game, you think, “Wow! He’s amazing!”

Yes, when you’re playing the game, those elements tend to pop out at you.

That’s right. They’re subtle but considerate. You can feel the playful spirit behind them.

And sometimes he does things others will never notice. Takeuchi-san, can you think of an example that isn’t very well-known?

Well, let’s see. One thing that isn’t very well-known—or rather, there’s no way consumers could know about it because it isn’t actually in the game—is that he puts in a single picture just for the people who check the pre-release software.

Oh, really...

Only the people who perform the check can see it. He makes that sort of considerate gesture on his own without saying anything to anyone.

...

Are there any other episodes we can relate that illustrate Osawa-san’s distinct personality?

There are tons! For example, when we were making WarioWare, Inc., the two of us made a demo. I drew the characters and overall storyboards and gave them to him, but then he did something completely different. But his version was more fun! (laughs) His game was so bright and bouncy, I was bowled over.

You weren’t irritated that he changed your storyboards?

No, not at all. If I were the type to think that, I don’t think we could work as a team. (laughs)

I see. (laughs)

That happened with the sound once, too. Osawa-san asked me to make the voices for the characters and the sound effects, and I made several extras that hadn’t been requested. As I was working, I would imagine places where I thought coughing sounds would go, but when I saw the finished version, they were in places I could never have expected, but he had used them in such a way as to maximize their effect. I was shocked. I was like “Oh, they go here?!”

...

Masaoka-san, how have you experienced Osawa-san’s unique personality?

First of all, as a fellow programmer, I’m surprised by how fast he is. If I tell him about a particular function I want, it will be done in a flash. And he’s very polite. There’s a practice stage in every single game, and every one of them is so carefully thought out and considerate.

Ahh, I’ve often noticed that.

I think it’s his thoughtfulness toward users that shows his personality.

I think so, too. I feel like he broods as hard as he can over where some players might have trouble, even though he himself might be able to breeze right though such places when he plays them. Seki-san, what do you think?

Well, he’s very good at animation. I make animation, too. I tend to place emphasis on smoothness of movement and realism, but Osawa-san will say, “Do it like this,” and show me what he’s drawn, and the illustration, the animation itself, will be pleasing to watch. Of course, his programming and ideas are great, but what I think is really incredible is how he pays so much attention to making something enjoyable.

Ah, I see. Osawa-san, do you do the actual pixel art?

Uh... a little. Even if I do, most of the time Takeuchi-san and Seki-san redo it.

But you create the original.

Sometimes.

And you write all the text, is that right?

Yes...most of it, anyway.

He can do anything! (laughs)

He’s multi-talented.

He does anything but express what he wants in words. (laughs)

(laughs)

Okay, everyone, tell me what it is you like most about Rhythm Paradise. Let’s start with you, Seki-san.

What I like best? Hmm, it’s got to be the flicking motion. It’s a control involved in the whole game, but I like the unique feeling of holding it down as you flick and then the feeling of release when you let up. And I like the way you can use the flick action to do so many things.

I like the game’s simple parts. I don’t have any particular background in music, so as I made the game, rather than try anything fancy, I paid attention to simple elements like simply banging or sliding over and over again.

But even if the structure is simple, it’s a satisfying game because of Tsunku-san’s music and Osawa-san’s arrangements. Because of their construction and placement, the simple aspects of the game are fun. I recommend everyone to check those parts out.

Yone-san?

Okay. As Masaoka-kun mentioned, the rules are simple and requires very little preparation from the players, so anyone can jump right in and start playing. And no matter who you are, a sense of rhythm is necessary in life. For example, a housewife can chop her vegetables better in time with a beat! (laughs) I think you can implement the rhythm skills gained from the game in such situations, so I want people to enjoy that. It’s the kind of game that a wide variety of people can enjoy, so I hope even people who don’t play video games on a daily basis will play it.

Takeuchi-san?

Well, there are a lot of aspects to the game that can’t be understood until you actually play it, so first I want everyone to try playing it. Even now, there are things that catch me by surprise. As I’m playing, there are all kinds of little discoveries and surprises. The game is packed full of such small pleasures, so I hope everyone will give it a shot. And, uh... that’s it!

Before I ask Osawa-san, I’d like to mention what I like about the game. One thing I like about this game, one of its basic points, is that by sticking to your own rhythm, you would expect to clear the games easily. However, the game has a variety of obstacles designed to throw your rhythm off, such as obstructing your line of sight or suddenly changing the camera angle. I get amused at how easily I get hung up and my rhythm falls apart. (laughs) In other words, I fall into all the traps laid by the developers, which is fun.

I also like how the sounds stay with me for a while. After I play, for a while I’ll be humming the music or hearing the tak tak sounds of a ping-pong volley in my head. (laughs) Or in my head I’ll be eating a manju in time to the game’s rhythm! (laughs) Um...if those sounds persist in my head while I’m carrying out my duties as president, it might be a problem.

(laughs)

That’s what I like about the game. When I play the game, I naturally start smiling. (laughs) That’s another very attractive aspect of this game. Sorry for rambling on. Osawa-san, bring this together for me, would you?

What I like about Rhythm Paradise.

Yes, please.

...I’ve always liked music. Especially the rhythms. And...I like video games. I think Rhythm Paradise is fun, but what I like more than anything else...what I think was fun...is that everyone worked in tune with me while making it. That’s what I like.

Hmm, I see. (laughs)

It isn’t really a message for players. It’s more of a...personal comment.

But I know what you mean. If it hadn’t been for you, we would never have made this game. If we hadn’t met Tsunku-san, the game would have never come out, and if this team had never been assembled, it would never have been completed. Going even further, if the company hadn’t given the green light for this unique team to proceed with development, we would have never got this far. So I think this game has been born of a series of extraordinary meetings.

That’s right. The chance occurrences piled up. They really did.

It would be great if the product of those occurrences finds its way into the hands of many people. I hope its music starts playing in the heads of millions of people and never stops!

(laughs)

Well, I think that’s about it. Uh, has anyone forgotten to... Oh, that’s right. I’ve got a question for Osawa-san. What do you think of Takeuchi-san?

Hm?

Uh-oh... (laughs)

Uh-oh... (laughs)

Umm...

I’m s-scared to hear. (laughs)

What kind of person is he?

I’d be...lost without him.

(laughs uproariously)

Spiritually...professionally...I’d be...lost. (laughs)

I truly understand. (laughs)

Is that answer...all right? (laughs)

It’s fine. What about Yone-san?

He’s very...kind. He knows how to read me...and cheers me up. When I’m feeling down, he emails me pictures of kittens.

(roaring laughter)

And th-that cheers you up. (laughs)

Photos of cute kittens are a big help. (laughs)

In the morning, when he looks down in the dumps, I send him pictures of kittens to help him relax.

You do?! (laughs)

Sometimes.

Sometimes.

You shouldn’t use company email for that! (laughs)

Really...only occasionally.

All right, thanks, everyone.

Thank you!