Unboxing, Director!

Chapter 127 Neon Fans: The best giegie in the world!

As early as when the trip to Japan was confirmed, Warner and the Japanese organizers intentionally began to organize fan communities for F4 and Lu Jiang.

Although the popularity of this type of community is good, it is not exaggerated.

But who made Lu Jiang injured in June?

The Japanese partners immediately proposed a solution: abuse the fans.

I want to use this opportunity to deal the most damage to my trip to Japan.

Warner's Zhou Jianhui certainly disagrees with this.

After all, this is too "against the harmony of nature".

But when Lu Jiang found out, he agreed immediately.

The reason is simple, it's about making money, which is not bad, especially since it's the money of Japanese fans.

In his previous life, Lu Jiang knew about these things because of the influence of his ex-girlfriend who was a die-hard fan of Korean Wave.

Regarding fan abuse, I have also heard of many cases, such as when the idol is sick, oppressed, or suffers injustice, etc., and then the fans "help" and initiate various jaw-dropping actions on their own.

Japan was the first country in Asia to start fan marketing.

As early as the 80s, Japan's idol industry, such as Johnny & Associates, began to emphasize the "hard-working personality" of idols, showing the hardships of idol training through documentaries and variety shows, and cultivating fans' empathy and loyalty.

In the 90s, girl groups such as Morning Musume created competitive pressure through the "selection and elimination system", and fans were forced to support idols' "survival" through consumption, forming an early "fan abuse" model.

It is now 01, and "fan abuse" has already formed an industrial chain. Then in 2005, AKB48 was established, and "fan abuse" was further systematized in Japan.

This is different from the later models of China and South Korea.

The "fan abuse" in China and South Korea often arises spontaneously from fan clubs.

That is, the fans themselves feel that their idols have suffered injustice, and this injustice can be anything.

So the fans think that their idols need help, then they feel sad and moved by themselves, and then start to "help" and show it on the hot searches and other platforms.

In Japan, the firms are the main players.

Actively "getting involved" and marketing idols are abused due to the influence of company rules. If they want to avoid being abused, they have to do things they don't want to do.

In general, its essence is that the company actively transforms fans' emotions into consumption behaviors by creating the "vulnerability" and "uncertainty" of idols, but overall it is still more like a fan and will not really "get involved", but emphasizes "institutionality".

It just so happens that Japanese fans are most susceptible to the idea of ​​"institutional oppression".

For this reason, this type of behavior can easily lead to extreme behavior, such as 48 series fans spending all their money to vote in the "general election."

Some Johnny's fans join gangs to see their idols, such as the arrest of Yamaguchi-gumi members in 2016.

The Japanese industry later even began to restrict excessive fan abuse and let Johnny's reform itself, but the "shared suffering" culture is still deeply rooted in the idol industry's genes.
Therefore, Zhou Jianhui’s worries about “harming the harmony of nature”, hurting fans’ feelings, being accused of making money, etc., are nothing to worry about. Instead, he has to worry about whether it will trigger fans to act excessively.

However, Zhou Jianhui naturally didn't know what happened later. He still felt that this was too against the harmony of nature.

Fortunately, Lu Jiang was finally persuaded.

Zhou Jianhui agreed only after he promised to do so only in Japan and proceed normally in other places.

But even if they agreed, they still only accepted some of the suggestions from the Japanese partners and tried it on a small scale first.

This time, the results far exceeded expectations.

Over the past month, in the eyes of Japanese fans, the incident that Lu Jiang encountered has become a completely different story:
Lu Jiang was seriously injured in June. His trip to Japan this year may be cancelled, which is a minor matter. Because the injury is very serious, Lu Jiang's acting career is very likely to end here.

But Warner and the Japanese agency wanted Lu Jiang to proceed as planned, otherwise they would lose money, even if the attendance was low.

During this period, the Japanese partner released pictures, texts and videos to broadcast Lu Jiang's recent situation every few days, which truly showed the "hard work behind the scenes."

Let all Japanese fans see how serious Lu Jiang’s injury is and how hard he has worked for his trip to Japan.

In fact, there is no word of "being threatened" throughout the whole process, it just shows Lu Jiang's current situation.

But this is easier for fans to empathize with than playing the victim.

So after one month, the number of fans in the Japanese fan club increased several times!
This was followed by a steady increase in ticket sales for fan meetings and concerts.

At this point, "torturing fans" is half successful.

The remaining half will have to be "performed" by F4.

Tokyo Narita Airport international arrivals area.

This afternoon, the place was crowded with people.

At a glance, girls account for at least 8%.

The closer it got to 12 o'clock, the more people came. The girls held up cheering signs and stretched their necks, waiting anxiously.

Everyone's destination is roughly the same.

That is to welcome the arrival of F4.

"It's almost time, are you still coming out?"

"It should be soon. The plane isn't delayed."

"Could it be that Lu-chan is going slower because he's in a wheelchair?"

"It's possible."

"Lu-chan is so badly injured but still forced to perform. He's so pitiful."

"This also shows that Lu-chan loves us."

"Yes, so we have to accompany him through the trough!"

"That's right."

A group of girls were holding Lu Jiang's support materials and discussing.

If people who know a little Japanese heard how they addressed Lu Jiang, they would probably spit out blood.

They actually called Lu Jiang "Lu Jiang"!
"Jiang" is usually used for women!

But only the Japanese fan club knows.

At the beginning, it was normal for everyone to call Lu Jiang, using the conventional Mr. So-and-so, Mr. So-and-so, and some even used Prince So-and-so.

But because of the Chinese pronunciation of "Jiang", it finally became "Lu Jiang".

After this name came out, everyone actually liked it very much.

Because this is very close to the Japanese Onii-chan.

Onii-chan translates to "brother", which makes the context more coquettish and intimate.

Combined with the character bonus of "Meteor Garden", Lu Jiang's own talent, appearance and the marketing bonus in Japan during this period.

Everyone agreed that there was no more appropriate and intimate name than Lu Jiang.

The fans are just waiting like this.

Then the fans in the front row seemed to see what they wanted to see, and soon screams were heard, and then the airport welcoming team of thousands of people began to become agitated.

Soon after, the fans saw three handsome men in fashionable clothes pushing a handsome man in a wheelchair, who slowly appeared in their field of vision like a fashion show.

The screams got louder.

At the same time, the flash started to click.

But when F4 came to a distance of about ten meters from the fans, they stopped.

Then Lu Jiang, who was in the wheelchair, stood up with the help of F3 and walked towards the fans with some difficulty.

"Hello everyone (Japanese)."

The four of them waved and greeted each other.

This time, the screams were about to break through the sky.

In the eyes of fans, seeing F4 is a source of excitement.

Seeing Lu Jiang with his right hand in a plaster cast and sitting in a wheelchair, his eyes were filled with heartache.

But even someone like Lu Jiang, despite being ill, stood up for us and showed the highest respect to the fans.

Just tell me if you are touched!

"Lu-chan~"

"I love you!"

"Lu-chan, sit down quickly, your health is important!"

"Onii-chan!!!"

"."

All kinds of screams pierced the sky, and all kinds of cheering signs rolled around like a strong wind blowing through the trees.

Some female fans were already in tears, crying out caring words like "take care of yourself".

That scene made the other Japanese passengers on the same flight a little confused.

Isn't it just standing up and saying hello? Why are you all so moved?

Isn't this a bit exaggerated?

As for the Chinese passengers, their faces were filled with pride at this moment.

How could Lu Jiang be so popular in Japan?

Must share with friends in China.
After getting into the airport pickup car surrounded by fans, F4 first went to the hotel and then held a fan meeting at pm.

The scale of the meeting was much larger than the airport pick-up.

It is said that there are more than 7,000 people.

These are only those who have entered the inner area. There are many more waiting outside, and the total number is estimated to be more than 10,000.

Before the meeting started, a documentary was played at the venue.

Half of it is footage of Lu Jiang's plight over the past month and the efforts behind it, while the rest is "unreleased" footage—something with added plot points, such as hearing Warner Bros. say, "It's recommended that the Japan trip not be canceled" while he's in the hospital.

Lu Jiang didn't answer, but the close-up locked onto his eyes, with the subtitle "Lu Jiang's Iron Will".

The camera turned and showed Lu Jiang sitting in a wheelchair, singing hard in the recording studio. After singing for a while, he had to take a breath.

Then someone's voice came from the background: "Let's take a break?"

Lu Jiang shook his head: "Maybe this is my last time on stage, I can't give up."

Then the "plot" continues.

The subtitles show July 7th, which was a few days before coming to Japan.

Lu Jiang can finally stand up!

Very happy and excited.

But soon he fell again.

The expression was very painful.

Lu Jianglian said, "It's okay, it's okay."

The subtitles read: "This fall has delayed the recovery of the disease for at least a week."

The whole clip has a sense of fragmentation, which in the Japanese context is the tragic aesthetic of "short-lived bloom".

Accompanied by Japanese subtitles, the fans at the scene were once again moved to tears.

After the documentary was over, Lu Jiang and F3 also made their appearance.

Lu Jiang is still wearing a plaster cast and sitting in a wheelchair.

But when he arrived at the scene, he stood up again with difficulty.

The fans at the scene were almost crying.

But Lu Jiang wasn't done yet.

After the meeting started, Lu Jiang's behavior was almost the same as that of a normal person except that his left hand was in a cast.

He is also very good at singing.

It was as if Lu Jiang had never been hurt.

But the fans watched it with tears in their eyes.

Everyone knows that it is Lu Jiang's will and professionalism that are supporting him now. In fact, he may fall at any time.
This is in line with Japan's "mono no aware" culture.

What this resulted in was extremely high sales after the fan meeting.

F4's albums, Lu Jiang's old albums, posters, photos and other materials were sold out.

The fans spent a lot of money and were very happy.

I hope the bot laners and a few other giegies won't be punished by the company.
After the fan meeting that day, when I returned to the hotel at night it was like a war. I was surrounded by a bunch of crazy female fans and almost got molested.

Even after entering the hotel, someone came to the floor where I was staying to harass me.

It is enough to show that this wave of "fan abuse" has achieved great results.

Fortunately, Lu Jiang and F3's popularity in Japan is still in its infancy, so it will not lead to even more crazy consequences.

After returning to the hotel, F3 strictly followed Lu Jiang's instructions, not going out for a stroll or opening the door casually, just in case.

Everyone is still clear-headed.

No matter how crazy the fans here are or how much revenue there is, it is still Japan.

If you are not careful, you may fall into a trap at any time.

Just like this documentary.

The Japanese partner mentioned that they wanted Lu Jiang to show his "hard work in learning Japanese" in the film, or to express his respect for Japanese fans.

But Lu Jiang refused.

This documentary will definitely be leaked in the future. What will mainland netizens think of him then?

So making money is one thing, but you can’t flatter Japan.

Even if it is a little ambiguous, it is not acceptable.

That is why subtitles are used throughout the documentary to guide the audience.

But as long as the effect is good, that's fine.

F3 stayed in the room obediently, while Lu Jiang continued to talk about things.

This time, in addition to reaping the popularity of "Meteor Garden", the purpose of coming to Japan is also to discuss the introduction of "Full House" in Japan.

Previously, the issue was still stuck on price.

Japan is particularly cautious about this.

It took several months to confirm that "Meteor Garden" was adapted from a Japanese anime.

This time it is a Korean animation, and it is a new work by Lu Jiang, so it was originally expected that the introduction cycle would be similar to that of "Meteor Garden", which would be considered good.

However, now that Lu Jiang has actually come to Japan and demonstrated such high popularity, the other party quickly relented.

The two sides also discussed in depth the copyright cooperation related to "Full House".

Since it is about opening up distribution channels, Lu Jiang certainly won't hide it.

If the cooperation is good, we can make more money in the future.

So it was basically finalized that night. "Full House" was introduced at a base price of US$3 per episode, while "Meteor Garden" at the time was only US$8000 per episode, which was almost free.

Fortunately, “giving it away for free” is also useful, and the market is now open.

The specific broadcast time will probably be at the end of August because translation and dubbing are required.

At the same time, the audiovisual copyright and peripheral product copyright of "Full House" in Japan were also sold at a reserve price of US$80.

This is just the base price, because it involves a betting agreement. The higher the ratings, the more money Lu Jiang makes.

After the matter of "Full House" was finalized, Lu Jiang was only concerned with the music industry in Japan.

That is the release of the new album "Our Song" in Japan.

Like in mainland China, it will be released in mid-August. The regular version is equivalent to RMB 8 per copy, but a "fan-exclusive version" will be sold in advance during the signing event tomorrow. The price is also RMB 150 per copy and it comes with a poster, which can be regarded as a fan benefit.

This is the first time that Lu Jiang has released his first album simultaneously in Japan.

Warner was relatively lenient with the album's performance.

Because it is a Chinese song and has not been Japaneseized, it is expected that only enthusiastic fans will buy it.

So there are no requirements for sales volume or anything like that. The most important thing is to be able to achieve from 0 to 1 in Japan.

If you really want to boost sales or get on the Japanese Oricon chart, you can focus on your next album.

However, Lu Jiang felt that this time he might be able to achieve unexpected results.

After all, he knows too well the spending power of fanatical fans!

After everything was settled, Lu Jiang went to sleep soundly.

The next day, Lu Jiang started a book signing event.

There were over 5000 people at the scene.

This is not the limit of Lujiang, but the limit of the venue. The local government has strict control and there is nothing we can do about it.

Before the show started, Lu Jiang expressed his deep love to his fans: "Receiving your letters has given me confidence and is my motivation to keep going. I love you!"

Just a few simple words and the fans in the audience screamed.

Lu Jiang continued: "The next song is the title song of my new album, and it was written especially for you!"

The fans in the audience continued to scream.

Then "Our Song" was sung.

At this point it doesn't matter whether the song is good or not.

What’s important is “bond”!
Isn’t this how all the popular singers in later generations do it?

What’s more, the quality of “Our Song” is really high!

The lyrics are so heartwarming even after translation.

Moving!

As a result, the purchasing desire of the fans at the scene increased again.

But it's not over yet.

Lu Jiang then ignored everyone's objections and signed all the albums personally, regardless of whether they were from F4 or Lu Jiang's old albums, and insisted on signing until the end of the signing session.

Countless fans at the scene were moved to tears again, and they all called Lu-chan the best Giegie in the world!

Of course, if you can buy ten new albums at once, Lu Jiang can also hug you and take a photo with you.

If you buy 4 tickets at a time, in addition to hugging and taking photos, F can also sign their autographs on your clothes.

Buy 1,000 tickets at once, and you can go backstage to tonight’s concert and shoot a vlog together!

Ten thousand?

Next time, I'll have dinner with you next time.

Any more won’t do.

I'm here to make money, not to sell!

So on that day, more than 20 people got the benefit of a backstage tour.
(End of this chapter)