N-M Chapter 264 Profits, New Strategy
Chapter 264 Profits, New Strategy
Chapter 264 Profits, New Strategy (13/71)
In early spring of 1996, Tokyo still had a slight chill in the air.
In the top-floor office of the Kitahara office, Kitahara Shin stood before the huge floor-to-ceiling window, overlooking the bustling city below. Managing Director Ota had just delivered the company's year-end financial statement for the previous year.
Looking at the dazzling array of figures on the report, even someone like Kitahara Shin, who was used to capital operations, couldn't help but secretly marvel.
With the phenomenal success of shows like "Love Letter," the second season of "Bayside Shakedown," "Long Vacation," and "Ultraman Tiga," Kitahara Office's annual revenue has already surpassed the 100 billion yen mark.
This business empire worth hundreds of billions was not built solely on actors' meager salaries.
Its core pillar is, first and foremost, a massive physical merchandise industry chain. The sales of Ultraman Tiga-derived Sparkler toys, GUTS uniforms, and various monster soft vinyl models alone have reached an astronomical figure across Asia.
This portion of the profits accounts for almost one-third of the company's total revenue.
Secondly, there is the continuous monetization of film and television copyrights. As Kitahara Shin's influence overseas skyrocketed, the overseas broadcasting rights of dramas he starred in, such as "Tokyo Love Story" and "Under One Roof," were repeatedly purchased by television stations in various Asian countries.
Furthermore, there's the matrix-style management of the company's artists. Thanks to the success of "Love Letter" at international film festivals, Miho Nakayama's commercial endorsement fees multiplied several times over; the strong rise of newcomers Takako Matsu and Ryoko Hirosue also brought the company a steady stream of revenue from film and television production.
With the help of Kitahara Shin's precise avoidance of various business pitfalls using the [Enterprise-level Sand Table], and the acquisition of several prime plots of land through land swaps in the Kansai disaster reconstruction project, Kitahara Office has now completely transformed from a simple artist management company into a massive capital behemoth spanning film and television production, merchandise manufacturing, and real estate investment.
However, in this seemingly flawless multi-billion dollar empire, Kitahara Shin still keenly sensed a slight deficiency.
He turned around, walked to the large solid wood desk, and casually picked up an entertainment weekly magazine from the table. The cover of the magazine prominently featured a picture of Takuya Kimura and the other members of SMAP performing at the Tokyo Dome.
Although Takuya Kimura's viewership ratings in the film and television industry have consistently been suppressed by Shin Kitahara, it is undeniable that Johnny & Associates still holds absolute dominance in the "idol boy group" arena. Kimura's boy group is currently defying the trend and showing signs of becoming Asia's top boy group.
Kitahara Shin was well aware that Japan's entertainment market had a very unique ecosystem of nurturing culture.
Compared to established actors who debut flawlessly and are seen as superior, Japanese fans (especially female fans) are more willing to pay for the sense of nurturing that comes from "watching them grow up" and "accompanying them from awkwardness to maturity." Even if these young idols have mediocre singing skills, immature acting skills, or aren't exactly handsome, as long as they can provide long-lasting companionship and emotional value to their fans, they can unleash terrifying commercial potential.
Johnny & Associates used this exploitative talent development model to firmly control half of the Japanese male star scene for decades to come. A few years later, they might even launch the super boy band that dominated the Japanese music scene for a generation—"Arashi".
Kitahara Shin leaned back in his leather chair, his fingers tapping lightly on the table.
Since he wanted to build a comprehensive entertainment empire, how could he just stand by and watch Johnny's monopolize the huge piece of meat that is idol boy groups?
He plans to completely overturn the traditional closed training camp model and directly create a large-scale "amateur talent development live show". From the company's newly recruited trainees, he will select a group of amateur boys with no camera experience and even some clumsiness, and present their vocal training, dance practice and even the friction and growth in daily life to the public in the form of a reality show.
Only the most authentic awkwardness and naivety of ordinary people can maximize the fans' desire to protect and nurture them.
Kitahara Shin opened a drawer, took out a stack of files of newly recruited trainees, and began to look through them one by one.
These files mostly belonged to young people around eighteen or nineteen years old, some with delicate features, others with a rebellious air about them. When he turned to one of the files, his fingers, which were turning the page, suddenly paused.
The photo in the file shows a young man with short, neat hair, deep-set features, and a sharp look in his eyes.
The name field clearly reads: Takeru Satoh.
Upon seeing the name, a flicker of surprise crossed Kitahara Shin's eyes, followed by an involuntary laugh. This future top male star, who would become a household name thanks to "Rurouni Kenshin," was, in this timeline, a rookie trainee at his own agency who had just passed his audition.
Moreover, judging from the resume in the file, this kid had been practicing kendo at his family's kendo dojo, and the two of them had even met once before.
Kitahara Shin stroked his chin, and without hesitation, pressed the intercom on the table: "Ota, come up here. While you're at it, notify the trainee department downstairs to bring the newly recruited amateur boys, especially the one named Sato Takeru, to my office."
Meanwhile, in the newcomer lounge on the first floor of the firm.
Takeru Satoh, dressed in a faded tracksuit, sat somewhat awkwardly on the sofa.
Ever since he saw Kitahara's office building on the streets of Shibuya that day, he went home and confessed to his parents his dream of becoming an actor. Unexpectedly, his parents, who were die-hard fans of Kitahara Shin, wholeheartedly supported him and even bought him a slightly more presentable outfit for his audition.
Thanks to the spirit and energy he had cultivated through years of kendo practice and his truly outstanding face, Takeru Satoh's interview went surprisingly smoothly. He didn't encounter any of the legendary difficulties and was directly recruited into the trainee department.
He came to the company today just to familiarize himself with the environment and see if he could ask a senior colleague for advice on his future career path. He would be willing to do odd jobs or play minor roles on the set first.
Just as he was lost in thought, the door to the lounge was pushed open.
A female department manager in a business suit walked in, glanced at the newly recruited boys, and then clapped her hands: "Cheer up! Straighten your clothes and come with me to the top floor. The president wants to see you in person."
Upon hearing this, the entire lounge became so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.
Sato Takeru's brain went blank for a second. His eyes widened, and he instinctively repeated, "President...President? Are we going to see President Kitahara?"
Seeing his dazed expression, the female manager couldn't help but laugh and tease, "Of course! Do you think our company has another president? Hurry up, don't keep the president waiting!"
Takeru Satoh swallowed hard, feeling his heart pounding wildly in his chest and blood rushing to his head.
He wasn't unfamiliar with Kitahara Shin. Several years ago, at the kendo dojo, he had witnessed the man's heroic swordsmanship from afar. But in the past two years, with Kitahara Shin's status in the entertainment industry reaching legendary heights, he hadn't appeared at the kendo dojo for a long time.
And now, he is actually going to meet that legendary superstar who dominated an entire era, the idol he has admired since childhood, as a company employee!
This sudden change in identity and the immense surprise left Takeru Satoh feeling stiff and numb. He mechanically followed the female manager into the elevator, watching the floor numbers slowly climb, his palms sweating with nervous tension.
He glanced at the other boys who had come upstairs with him and saw that they also looked extremely nervous, their faces pale and barely daring to breathe. Seeing that his companions were even more tense than he was, Sato Takeru took a deep breath, and his previously flustered heart miraculously calmed down a bit.
The elevator stopped at the top floor.
Secretary Aida was already waiting at the elevator entrance. She walked gracefully in her high heels and led the boys to the heavy solid wood door, then gently knocked.
"Come in." A steady and powerful voice came from inside the door.
The door was pushed open.
Several young trainees filed in. When they saw Kitahara Shin sitting behind a large desk, exuding an aura of authority and superstar power, almost everyone instinctively held their breath, their eyes filled with awe and tension.
Only Takeru Satoh, standing at the back, stood ramrod straight, but when he looked at Shin Kitahara, his eyes held not only nervousness but also an undisguised excitement and heartfelt longing.
Kitahara Shin put down the documents in his hand and calmly swept his gaze over the few young faces.
"I've called you all here today because there's something important I need to ask you." Kitahara Shin's voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable weight. "Before the company assigns you specific training paths, I need to understand your individual aspirations. What are your ultimate goals for entering the entertainment industry? Do you want to become idols who rely on their looks, stars who sing on stage, or true actors?"
He paused, his gaze sharpening: "The road ahead is long and arduous. Only by establishing a clear goal can the company provide targeted training for you. Now, tell me your thoughts."
The boys looked at each other, then stammered out their dreams. Some wanted to be idols in the public eye, others wanted to release records and become singers—the list was endless.
When it was Sato Takeru's turn, he took a deep breath, met Kitahara Shin's gaze without flinching, and said in a clear and firm voice, "President Kitahara, I want to become an actor! To become a top actor like you, someone who can move everyone with their work!"
Actually, he kept the second half of his sentence to himself and didn't dare to say it out loud—he not only wanted to become a top actor, but also wanted to one day be qualified to stand on the same screen and act alongside the man in front of him.
Kitahara Shin listened to his answer, looked at his unwavering gaze, and nodded with a smile.
"Very good. You all have your own ideas." Kitahara Shin leaned back in his chair, then changed the subject, "But now, the company has launched a brand new S-class project. This is a large-scale reality show aimed at cultivating an amateur idol boy group. It's a path full of unknowns, one that requires you to expose all your flaws in front of the camera."
Kitahara Shin's gaze swept over the crowd, his tone turning serious: "If any of you are determined to be pure actors, not wanting to be labeled as idols, and not wanting to be judged by audiences in reality shows, you can turn around and walk out this door now. The company will arrange regular acting training classes for you. But I can tell you clearly that giving up this project means you will lose the company's largest resource allocation for the next two years."
These words immediately plunged the office into a deathly silence.
The young men stood frozen in place, their minds racing. They never imagined that, having just joined the company, they would face such a pivotal choice, a true turning point in their lives.
On one side lies the long and uncertain road of being an extra, and on the other side is the company's S-level idol-making project, which involves pouring resources into it.
Three full minutes passed, and still not a single person moved. In this world of fame and fortune, no fool would refuse the core resources of a media company worth hundreds of billions. Even Takeru Satoh, who had just vowed to be a pure actor, stood rooted to the spot like a log, completely motionless.
Kitahara Shin watched their reactions, a satisfied smile playing on his lips. In this industry, survival always comes before dreams.
"Since none of you are leaving, then prepare for hellish training. Vice President Ota will coordinate the details with you later. Now, leave." Kitahara Shin waved his hand, signaling them to depart.
The boys, feeling as if they had been granted a pardon, bowed and left.
After everyone else had left, Takeru Satoh remained standing there. He hesitated for a moment, then looked at Shin Kitahara, who was about to look down at his documents, and mustered his courage to say loudly, "Mr. Kitahara! You—you remember me?"
Kitahara Shin stopped what he was doing, looked up, and asked the boy who had suddenly spoken, somewhat surprised, "Is there something you need?"
Sato Takeru clenched his fists tightly, a fire burning in his clear eyes: "I used to train at your kendo dojo! Although I've chosen this shortcut to becoming an idol, and although I know I have no right to say such things now—"
But one day in the future, I will definitely become an actor qualified to act alongside you, based on my own abilities! Please—please wait for me!
This reckless and impulsive declaration echoed through the empty office.
Kitahara Shin looked at the fearless young man before him, a complex emotion flashing in his deep eyes.
On Takeru Satoh's taut face, he seemed to see a reflection of his past life—a past self who, penniless yet desperately struggling in the mire of Hengdian with sheer courage. That purest yearning for acting, and that fearless, ignorant charging spirit, are extremely rare and precious in this world of fame and fortune.
Kitahara Shin was silent for two seconds, then a gentle and encouraging smile spread across his lips. He didn't mock the boy's overestimation of his abilities, but nodded very solemnly.
"Okay." Kitahara Shin's voice was steady and strong. "I'll wait for you."
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