Chapter Text
I've never really wanted to be in the public eye. I'd worked behind the scenes for my cousin's shows before, and I liked it that way. No matter how much he told me I've got the charisma for TV, I've never taken him up on the offer to work on-screen with him; well, that is, until Total Drama Island.
It started with my university classes. I would do my homework on set, and my cousin would come over to read over my stuff every once in a while. Then, the guy saw my draft for a short story about a fake, and entirely too dangerous, reality show. Frankly, it was all downhill from there. I got roped into helping him torture a bunch of young adults as he made my story draft a reality.
Honestly, it was enough that I was the "creative genius" and co-host of the show. I was hoping that was it; then Sierra and her fan club got together and wrote me a letter begging me for any inside information I could give. The vultures… Of course, I say that affectionately, seeing as I still sort of keep in touch with her and the rest of the cast from the first three seasons.
Anyway, my people-pleasing ass just couldn't say no. I kept a journal for the entire time I worked on Total Drama Island, Total Drama Action, and Total Drama World Tour with Chris. I read through it, editing it to sound more like storytelling than the word-vomit I originally wrote, and I added any missing events that I still remembered. Then, keeping my promise, I published it. I mean, obviously; you're reading the thing right now.
So, before I actually get on with the journal part of this book, I felt like a little background information would do you guys some good:
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My name is Kimiko Ishikawa. People generally call me Kim, and close family and friends tend to call me Kimi.
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I immigrated to Canada from Japan when I was around five (5) years old. My mother still lives in Japan, and we are not on good terms. When I immigrated, my father had already immigrated as well (having moved to Canada just after the divorce) and had become a Canadian citizen. My stepmother came into the picture when I was about nine (9), and it had been around fourteen (14) years after that when Total Drama Island started.
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At the time this was written, I was voluntarily mute for personal reasons. I only spoke to people I was really close with, and even that was rare. At the beginning of Total Drama Island, the list of safe people only included my father, my step-mother, Chris (my step-mother's nephew), Chef Hatchet (Chris's closest friend), and Jude (one of my closest friends from back home). From here on out, to make reading this easier, anything that was said through Sign Language or written notes will be in BOLD TEXT.
Anyway, long story short, this is a personal account of my time working on Total Drama Island.