Flying over the bubble era

Chapters 1573 and 1574. The Time Has Arrived
When launching a new talent, market research should be conducted beforehand to determine the target audience.

For this generation, the desire is more about finding refuge in a private space, a safe haven, than "driving around listening to CDs." Therefore, in this era, pleasing the audience is the art of enhancing their sense of well-being in their private spaces.

Ayumi Hamasaki's debut was based on this assumption.

Let her presence become an indispensable part of the audience's safe haven. In this way, from the moment she debuts, she naturally establishes a bond with the audience. From then on, no matter how brightly she shines, she will always be with the audience.

The success of this sales plan lies in the dramatic changes of the times, with the public's emotions shifting from extroverted to introverted.

However, shifting from extroversion to introversion is essentially a loss of power.

Major earthquakes, subway sarin attacks, economic crises, and social unrest. The public passively accepts everything amidst natural disasters, man-made calamities, and the vortex of the times. In such times, on the one hand, they need a safe haven for their spirits, and on the other hand, they need a suitable outlet to vent their feelings of powerlessness.

When people lose power in a social sense, they will inevitably try to compensate for it in some other way. It's human nature.

Tetsuya Komuro seemed quite interested in Shinichi Iwahashi's words.

"Amuro and Ayu are two artificially created choices. In fact, the duel between these two is an outlet for venting. As long as the audience chooses a side, they gain the opportunity to openly confront another group. Most importantly, it is a safe way; no one will actually get hurt."

At this point, Shinichi Iwahashi changed the subject, "But that's still not enough. Amuro and Ayu, the brilliance of these two girls is too strong. They are superheroes who appeared out of nowhere to be followed by the audience, and their existence is beyond question. But they were not chosen by the audience."

"Does Iwahashi-kun mean to find a Cinderella?"

"No, it's about letting the audience choose a Cinderella."

Tetsuya Komuro smiled innocently, "In this day and age, should we still be making talent shows?"

"Such an era? Komuro-san, this is a new era." Shinichi Iwahashi said earnestly, "With the arrival of every new era, the public longs to cast their vote."

To create a talent show that garners widespread attention from the very beginning, a show that allows viewers to deeply participate from the outset. To let viewers vote, one vote after another, to select a star.

That would be the pinnacle of this Cinderella's life. A single ticket can determine the fate of more than one Cinderella. The life paths of all the Cinderellas who participate in this ball will be written by the audience's votes.

Tetsuya Komuro smiled knowingly. "How cruel."

He sized up Shinichi Iwahashi, constantly reminded at unexpected moments that this man possessed a calm to the point of being ruthless. And yet, he chose to cooperate with such a person, only to turn and leave.

In terms of danger, how could Suo Ikuo compare to Iwahashi Shinichi?

Tetsuya Komuro asked, "What's your reason for telling me all this, Iwahashi-kun?"

Shinichi Iwahashi replied, "The prince is the one who makes the final decision at the ball where Cinderella appears. Without him, there would be no Cinderella. Komuro-san is the most suitable person for this role."

"Ayu has just debuted, and the showdown with Amuro has only just begun."

“I was just thinking about a project. It takes time for a project to go from being conceived to being put into action,” Shinichi Iwahashi said. “And I have no intention of getting involved in commercial production.”

Tetsuya Komuro found it amusing. "Iwahashi-kun, are you just going to hand over a potential star like that?" Shinichi Iwahashi countered, "Does Komuro-san think this is a project that can produce stars?"

Tetsuya Komuro did not respond.

He didn't mind, saying, "The market needs all kinds of stars. The more exciting it is, the more prosperous it becomes, and the more it highlights the uniqueness of true superstars."

The constant emergence of new celebrities can distract audiences. However, this also serves to prevent audience fatigue. Giving viewers time to catch their breath before continuing the competition ensures sustained excitement.

If that's the case, this project is actually part of the showdown between Namie Amuro and Ayumi Hamasaki.

Tetsuya Komuro said, "It's well known that Iwahashi likes Ayu. But I didn't expect you to have such a high opinion of Amuro."

"If Amuro weren't a superstar, Komuro-san wouldn't be her producer."

Shinichi Iwahashi's words might have been sarcastic, but Tetsuya Komuro didn't seem to care. "That's precisely why Amuro and Ayu have a perfectly legitimate reason to be enemies today... Iwahashi-kun is actually happy to see this happen, isn't he?"

This time, Tetsuya Komuro asked a question that Shinichi Iwahashi couldn't answer. He steered the conversation back to the main point: "Let's talk about this project, Iwahashi-kun." A sly glint flashed in Tetsuya Komuro's eyes. "What are you planning to do?"

Initially, Tetsuya Komuro's move to BURNING was a natural step away from his exclusive collaboration with GENZO. However, since he couldn't be exclusive to GENZO, he certainly wouldn't be exclusive to BURNING either.

Shinichi Iwahashi was merely imitating Ikuo Suo, throwing out a "go with the flow" bait for Tetsuya Komuro.

Once Tetsuya Komuro understands this, he will never reject the project.

Shinichi Iwahashi said, "This time we're making a special program, which requires extremely strong mobilization and coordination capabilities, as well as sufficient publicity. In any case, we must first obtain the support of Dentsu."

Faced with Dentsu, which held the lifeline of the television industry, Ikuo Suo couldn't hold his head high.

With the support of Dentsu, collaborations with television stations, and invitations from powerful record labels, Suo Ikuo, since he believed in the fundamental rules of violence, was placed in a position where he had to bow his head, and everyone had to see him bow his head.

Suo Ikuo obtained Komuro Tetsuya by disrupting Komuro's exclusive collaboration with GENZO. It's fine if Iwahashi Shinichi doesn't pursue the matter, but if he persists, he has the right to question BURNING.

Shinichi Iwahashi was simply asking Ikuo Suo to answer the industry's questions through his actions:
Did BURNING poach Tetsuya Komuro by breaking his exclusive contract with GENZO? Is Tetsuya Komuro's career so easily monopolized by any single entity? Is BURNING truly a cancer in the industry?
The industry has limited resources, and the more powerful entities there are, the more cramped the environment becomes.

GENZO is at its peak, and Shinichi Iwahashi consistently advocates for win-win cooperation through ethical means. In contrast, Ikuo Suo's actions have consistently squeezed the survival space of other firms. In today's increasingly resource-constrained environment, Ikuo Suo is naturally at a disadvantage.

This puts Suo Ikuo in a dangerous situation, but at the same time, it also helps to resolve the potential crisis that GENZO might face due to its growing popularity.

The moment Suo Ikuo reached out to Komuro Tetsuya, Iwahashi Shinichi knew that the opportunity to dismantle BURNING had finally arrived.

Now, this collaboration that Tetsuya Komuro would never refuse is the first step.

(End of this chapter)