My daily life with the original diva

From August of last year to the end of April this year, almost eight months have passed, and Hiroshi Kimura is finally going to release a new single. Fans and enthusiasts are paying close attention, and it's not just fans and enthusiasts who are paying attention, but also the media, various agencies, and record companies.

The reasons for the attention given to Hiro Kimura vary. The media is paying attention because this single is the first single released after Kimura's relationship with Akina Nakamori was exposed. Although "My Sassy Girl" was a huge hit, it seems that Kimura's popularity has not been affected by his relationship with a top female singer.

However, whether it has been affected or not is uncertain. Everything depends on the record sales. If Kimura Hiroshi's new single doesn't sell well, then their opportunity will come. Many media outlets that have a bad relationship with Kimura Hiroshi are waiting for the opportunity to smear him. They won't let go of this great opportunity.

The reason why various agencies are paying attention to Hiroshi Kimura is because his contract with Ken-On will expire in June. Everyone is waiting for the contract to expire to see if they should make a move to sign him. However, no agency is sure how much they will have to pay to sign him. It all depends on the sales of his first album this year.

If Hiroshi Kimura can maintain the dominance he had in the record market a few years ago, then they will offer sufficient terms to sign him and transfer him from Ken-On. If not, then the terms cannot be so generous. The capital market looks at short-term returns, and if the returns are not good enough, they are unwilling to invest heavily.

Record companies are paying attention to Hiroshi Kimura because starting in April, record sales officially entered the model of releasing records on vinyl and CD simultaneously. Many agencies and singers do not want to be guinea pigs and still choose to release records on vinyl with more records than CDs. Hiroshi Kimura is the first popular singer to choose to release records on CD with fewer records on vinyl.

All the record companies are watching closely to see how well Hiroshi Kimura, the first to try this new approach, fares. If his CD sales are good, then they will be prepared to ask their own artists to release more CDs instead of wasting so much investment on vinyl records.

With all eyes on him, Hiroshi Kimura began promoting his long-awaited rock single, and unusually, he appeared on several television programs over several days.

"The Hottest Summer in the World" is a very dynamic rock single, and Hiroshi Kimura's performance was also perfect. In fact, he even had sweat on his head during several performances. His hard work reminded many fans of how he sang "The Most Important Thing" when he debuted.

Fans and music lovers were very excited, while ordinary audiences felt that Hiroshi Kimura truly lived up to his reputation as a rock star who debuted with a rock single. The song "The Hottest Summer in the World" was excellent in both melody and lyrics, with a very dynamic rhythm. Kimura's performance also made them feel the approaching hot summer.

The record officially went on sale on May 3rd, and its sales were the focus of everyone's attention, so people were keeping track of how many copies were sold each day.

The sales figures for "The Hottest Summer in the World" astonished everyone. On the first day of sales, record stores reported more than 42,000 copies sold. The second day, sales reached 34,000 copies, the third day 23,000 copies, the fourth day it broke through 40,000 copies again, the fifth day still had 35,000 copies, the sixth day 27,000 copies, and the seventh day 31,000 copies.

In just one week, seven days, "The Hottest Summer in the World" achieved a staggering 232,000 words in its first week. To put that in perspective, last year, this first-week sales would have placed it within the top 20 of the year's record sales charts. In other words, Hiroshi Kimura accomplished in just one week the annual sales of many of last year's top-selling records.

Although the record market seems to be recovering this year, with sales of popular singers showing signs of rebounding, Kimura Hiroshi's rapid and dramatic recovery is truly unique, leaving everyone who has been following him stunned.

Many people thought that the exposure of Hiroshi Kimura and Akina Nakamori's relationship would have some impact on Hiroshi Kimura's popularity, but the result was that his popularity was not affected at all. In fact, as the record market began to recover, his recovery was the most intense and fastest. This made many people feel that it was hard to accept and they all wanted to ask, why?

"With first-week sales exceeding 200,000 copies, Hiroshi Kimura releases his first rock single in eight months, igniting this summer!"

"The return of a top star, sales exceeded 200,000 copies in the first week of the hottest summer in the world!"

No matter how many people were unhappy with it, the record sales were real and there was no sign of fraud. Media outlets with good relations with Kimura Hiroshi naturally praised it highly, showering it with compliments. Even Kimura Hiroshi himself felt a little embarrassed when he saw it.

Conversely, other media outlets remained completely silent about such a major event. They couldn't very well praise Hiroshi Kimura, could they? If they did, they'd probably have trouble sleeping.

Regardless of the media's reaction, all parties saw what they wanted to see. All the major agencies saw Kimura Hiroshi's unparalleled popularity. In their view, Kimura Hiroshi's popularity was quite strange. Logically speaking, male singers who debut as idol singers have a shorter popularity cycle than female idol singers, maybe only two or three years, or three or four years for the most outstanding ones.

Kimura Hiroshi has been in the industry for five years, and so many things have happened in between, especially his relationship with top female singer Nakamori Akina. By all accounts, his popularity should have been greatly affected. But now his popularity has not been affected at all and remains strong. Whether it's his movies or singles, everyone is happy to buy them. This is really strange.

Each agency is analyzing the reasons. Although no definitive reason has been found yet, one thing is clear to everyone: Hiroshi Kimura is still a money-printing machine in the entertainment industry, and his contract is about to expire. Everyone is starting to make moves to bring him under their wing and make money for themselves.

As for record companies, they saw that the market had a very high acceptance of CDs. The CD sales of records released by Hiroshi Kimura were much better than those on vinyl. With Pathfinder, they made up their minds to start focusing on the production and sales of CDs.

Hiroshi Kimura, at the center of all this storm, seemed quite content. Yukio Tomioka would report the daily sales figures for his new single to him, and Kimura himself was quite satisfied with these figures. The 230,000 copies sold in the first week were a long time ago in his memory, and he had no reason to be dissatisfied with achieving those sales figures again.

Even with such good sales, Hiroshi Kimura continued to work methodically, handling the final production of "The Longest Nite". The film is almost finished and there will be no problem with its release during the students' summer vacation in August.

Aside from the movie, he also helped arrange the music for Akina Nakamori's new single. This went very smoothly, and the arrangement was completed very quickly. This was mainly because he had been working with the Warner Music arrangement staff for a long time, and they were very familiar with each other, so the collaboration was easy and seamless.

Of course, not everything went smoothly. The recording of "Non-stop Flow" was put on hold because Hibari Misora's health deteriorated again, and she had to be hospitalized for several days. She was unable to complete the recording work in the studio, so the recording of this single had to be postponed.

"Hibari-san is sick? I'll go see her then." Upon hearing that Hibari Misora ​​was sick, Hiroshi Kimura immediately called Kobe Entertainment to inquire about the hospital where Hibari Misora ​​was hospitalized, and then went to visit her.

Hibari Misora ​​was quite happy about Hiroki Kimura's arrival. She didn't have many friends among the young people, and Hiroki Kimura was one of them. The two chatted for quite a while. If the nurse hadn't thought that they were talking for too long and disturbing Hibari Misora's rest, they probably would have talked even longer.

The patient's health was of utmost importance, so Hiroshi Kimura had to leave the hospital. But as soon as he got into his car, Yukio Tomioka said to him, "Kimura-san, the president wants you to go back and discuss the contract renewal."

Chapter 469 Contract Renewal Successful

Renewing the contract was an extremely important matter for Hiroshi Kimura, whose contract was about to expire. So, after confirming that Ken-On wanted to discuss the renewal, Hiroshi Kimura immediately asked Ms. Michiko to drive back to Ken-On. He was also very curious about what kind of terms Ken-On would offer.

In order not to delay Kimura Hiroshi's business, his assistant, Ms. Michiko, drove very fast, and they soon returned to the office. They went upstairs to the conference room, where President Hanami Kaku and Nozaki Toshio, the spokesperson for the Sasakawa Foundation, were also present. The two seemed to be talking about something, but they immediately stopped talking when they saw Kimura Hiroshi enter.

"Hiroshi Kimura, you're here! Long time no see." Toshio Nozaki greeted Hiroshi Kimura with a professional smile.

"Yes, it's been a long time, Mr. Nozaki. I didn't expect you to have time to discuss my contract renewal. I'm truly honored." Kimura Hiroshi didn't seem surprised to see Nozaki Toshio.

Given his current status and position, if Ken-On wants to renew his contract and retain his artist status, they must offer extremely generous terms to entice him. Many of these terms are not within Hanami Kagami's control, since he is merely a professional manager brought in by Nozaki Toshio to manage Ken-On; the real power lies in the hands of people like Nozaki Toshio.

If nothing unexpected happens, after Hanami Kagami retires, Nozaki Toshio will personally take over Ken-On, and then his son will continue to manage Ken-On after him. In other words, Ken-On is actually managed by the Nozaki family.

"You're getting better and better at talking, Kimura-san. Alright, sit down quickly. Let's discuss the contract renewal. If we don't talk about it soon, you might be snatched up by another agency." Nozaki Toshio seemed pleased and gestured for Kimura Hiroshi to sit down.

Hanami Kaku, who was sitting next to him, also said, "Yes, Kimura-san, sit down and let's talk. This time, the terms we're offering for the contract renewal are quite generous, and I believe you'll be satisfied."

Nodding, Hiroshi Kimura found a chair and sat down, then asked Yukio Tomioka to sit down as well. Although he was nominally a member of Ken-On, he was actually the representative of Warner Music. Whether or not his contract could be renewed today would have a significant impact on Warner. If it could be renewed, they would continue to cooperate on the original basis; if not, then he would have to go to another agency with Hiroshi Kimura.

After everyone sat down, staff brought drinks, and the discussion officially began. Hanami Kaku spoke first, saying, "Kimura-san, you came to Ken-On five years ago. At that time, Ken-On was just an insignificant agency. It was thanks to your and Akina-san's efforts that Ken-On has grown into what it is today. Five years of pleasant cooperation have benefited both of us greatly, so Ken-On plans to renew your contract with Kimura-san and hopes that we can continue to cooperate."

The opening was the familiar networking segment, which Kimura Hiro listened to, but it also revealed a lot of information. Ken-On is now considered a large agency, of course, this largeness is based on the fact that it has two top singers, Kimura Hiro and Nakamori Akina.

There's no way around it. With those two around, Ken-On is top-tier in terms of both fame and record sales. But if they were to lose them, Ken-On would regress to a mid-sized agency. Currently, Ken-On manages many first- and second-tier idols, such as Noriko Sakai and Noriko Matsumoto, and has also signed many film and television actors. Its foundation is slowly becoming richer.

This was all thanks to Ken-On's excellent eye for talent, which brought Hiroshi Kimura and Akina Nakamori under their wing. Of course, it would be a lie to say that they had a pleasant working relationship, as neither Hiroshi Kimura nor Akina Nakamori were easy people to get along with in their careers.

Hiroshi Kimura always followed his own plans and didn't listen to his agency at all. Akina Nakamori, on the other hand, had her own ideas and sometimes didn't listen to the agency's arrangements when it came to song selection. In addition, her extremely serious attitude towards work offended many Ken-On staff.

The reason why Ken-On acted as if nothing had happened was entirely because the benefits brought by Hiroshi Kimura and Akina Nakamori were simply too great. Therefore, these things were completely within the tolerance range. If they could not bring huge benefits, the two of them would probably have been kicked out long ago. That's how straightforward the capital market is.

“I also want to continue our collaboration. After all, I’ve been at Ken-On for quite a while now and I feel very comfortable here. So, could you allow me to propose some conditions? If the agency agrees, I’m willing to renew my contract.” Kimura Hiroshi chose to take the initiative; he didn’t want to wait for the agency to offer any terms.

Nozaki Toshio and Hanami Kagami, who were sitting opposite each other, exchanged glances. Hanami Kagami immediately nodded in agreement and said, "Okay, then Kimura-san, please state your conditions. We will discuss them one by one. I believe that with our many years of cooperation, we can discuss any conditions."

Kimura Hiroshi didn't take such words seriously. He took a sip of black tea and then said, "Alright, I'll start now. First, I will still decide the release time and tracks for singles, but I can guarantee that I will release two singles every year and at least one album every two years. The copyright of the songs must also be registered under the name of Wit Studio."

Releasing three singles a year would be too busy, almost one per quarter. With time spent on promotions, recording, and arrangement, he would be constantly busy. Kimura Hiroshi doesn't want to be this busy in the future. Two singles a year would be a bit busy, but not too busy, which is just right.

Hanami Kaku didn't hesitate at all when faced with this condition, and immediately said, "That's no problem. As long as Kimura-san keeps releasing songs, even one a year is not a problem. As for the copyright, it was originally Kimura-san's creation, so it's not a problem to put it on the copyright of Hegemony.

This wasn't a difficult condition to accept, so Hanami Kagami agreed immediately. Even if he disagreed, there was really nothing they could do if Kimura Hiroshi refused to pay.

Hiroshi Kimura had guessed that the other party would easily agree to this condition, so he wasn't surprised. In negotiations, it's always the easy part first, and the difficult part later. So he continued, "I'm very grateful that the president agreed to my condition. My second condition is that I want to establish an independent studio. Of course, the management will still be handled by Ken-On, but I want to be independent in name and in legal terms."

The reason for doing this is actually quite simple: once he is legally confirmed to be independent, he can leave Yanyin at any time if he feels something is wrong, thus avoiding paying high artist breach of contract fees and being blacklisted for breach of contract. In that case, he only needs to pay the breach of contract fees for the cooperation between the two parties, which will be much lower in cost.

This condition was rather harsh, which put Hanami Kagami and Nozaki Shuno in a difficult position. Originally, they thought that Kimura Hiroshi would be independent in name only, but he was actually independent in fact, with the management power in Ken-On's hands. In this way, if Kimura Hiroshi really wanted to break away from Ken-On, they would take back the management power and also free up the staff around Kimura Hiroshi.

For artists, the staff around them are extremely important. Without them, many things simply cannot be done. This can be considered a handle that Kimura Hiro gave Ken-on. However, such a handle is not enough to control Kimura Hiro. Both Nozaki Shuno and Hanami Kagami understand this.

"Kimura-san, can the independence clause in the law be removed? Ken-On can set up a separate studio for you, but the ownership must belong to Ken-On. Is that okay?" Nozaki Toshio asked.

After a moment's thought, Kimura Hiroshi said, "I can agree to this condition, but in that case, the contract terms will remain the same, and the contract will be renewed annually."

In short, all of this is to help him get rid of Yanyin as quickly as possible. If he is not given the opportunity to be independent, then the contract period should be shortened as much as possible. In this way, even if there is any conflict between the two parties, he will have to leave Yanyin and the loss will be minimal. Now that he has made some concessions, it is Yanyin's turn to make concessions as well.

The two were surprised that Kimura Hiroshi made such a request again, which made them realize how difficult he was to deal with. This young man was really not like a young man. He was very meticulous in his thinking and had many ideas, which made it difficult for them to cope.

The two, sitting very close together, discussed quietly for a while before seemingly reaching a consensus. Hanami Kagami spoke up, saying, "We understand Kimura-san's concerns. In that case, let's sign the contract for one year at a time."

Agreeing to this condition would completely eliminate the possibility of Kimura Hiroshi leaving Ken-On at any time. With a one-year contract, Kimura Hiroshi would not choose to leave Ken-On considering the potential losses during this year. It has to be said that this is a more favorable condition for Ken-On.

As for not agreeing to either of the two conditions, it's probably something that neither Nozaki Shuno nor Hanami Hena would dare to consider, because Kimura Hiroshi's proposal of these two conditions clearly shows that he is determined to have more independence. If neither is agreed to, it is very likely that the negotiations will fail. In that case, the only option is to choose the more favorable condition.

Since they agreed to a one-year contract, Kimura Hiroshi didn't make any further demands. A one-year contract wasn't a big problem for him. He said, "Then I'm very grateful to Mr. Nozaki and the president."

"It's nothing, but since Kimura-san has made his request, let's also tell Kimura-san what our conditions are for him. Kimura-san, please listen to them, how about it?" Seeing that Kimura Hiroshi's demands were increasingly beyond their expectations, Nozaki Toshio felt that the initiative could not remain in Kimura Hiroshi's hands forever; he had to take it back.

Actually, there were a few more requests that hadn't been made, but Kimura Hiroshi wasn't in a hurry. He was more interested in hearing what kind of conditions Nozaki Shuno could offer him and whether he valued him enough. So he nodded, indicating that he was willing to listen to what Nozaki Shuno had to say.

Seeing Kimura Hiroshi nod, Nozaki Toshio breathed a sigh of relief, regained his smile, and said very formally, "Okay, then I'll get to it. First of all, regarding Kimura-san's record revenue sharing, after discussions with Warner, we've decided that Kimura-san will receive eight percent of the record revenue sharing, which is an unprecedented percentage in the market."

“Yes, Warner made significant concessions,” Yukio Tomioka said at this moment. This was a good opportunity for their record company to improve their image, so there was no reason for him not to speak up.

Eight percent—this was indeed an unprecedented percentage in the market. Kimura Hiroshi hadn't expected to receive so much. He had originally thought six percent would be enough, but now he had gained two percent. In the upcoming record boom of the 1990s, two percent was a huge fortune. Kimura Hiroshi had no reason to be dissatisfied. At the same time, he also saw how much Nozaki Shuno valued him. There was no way around it; giving money was the greatest sign of respect.

As a very pragmatic person, Hiroshi Kimura doesn't believe in empty promises from bosses; he only believes in money. Since the agency is willing to spend so much money, it means they value him.

"Thank you so much, Mr. Nozaki and the president. This is really good news for me." Kimura Hiroshi said sincerely this time.

"It's nothing. We've also prepared more publicity funds for Kimura-san and are going to equip you with a larger work team. In short, we'll make Kimura-san's work smoother and his workload lighter." Seeing that Kimura Hiroshi was moved by the money, Nozaki Toshio quickly mentioned several other generous conditions to further make Kimura Hiroshi feel valued.

"Thank you, thank you very much. I have seen the efforts the agency has made. Now, I will raise one last condition, just the final condition." Independence and interests have been largely agreed upon, and Kimura Hiroshi's desired renewal conditions are basically complete, so he did not raise any more difficult additional conditions. However, there is one thing he has to say.

With the contract renewal imminent, Nozaki Toshio and Hanami Kagami were in high spirits. As for the last condition, they weren't too worried. Hanami Kagami said, "Kimura-san, please tell us. As long as it's not too unreasonable, we can agree to it."

"Yes, as long as it's not too outrageous, President Hanami and I will agree," Nozaki Toshio added.

Having said all that, Kimura Hiroshi straightened his posture and said, "Then I'll say it. My last condition is that if Akina-san and I get married in the future, the agency cannot stop us for any reason. Of course, if we want to get married, we will notify the agency in advance so that they can make preparations."

Everyone present was stunned when Kimura Hiroshi made such a condition. Although Kimura Hiroshi and Nakamori Akina seemed to have a good relationship now, there are many celebrities in the entertainment industry with good relationships, but many of them end up breaking up. Although they knew that Kimura Hiroshi was very serious about this relationship and that they might get married, no one present expected him to make this a condition.

"Um, does Kimura-san have any plans to marry Akina-san?" Hanami asked somewhat nervously. He was a little afraid that Kimura Hiroshi would marry Nakamori Akina now. He knew that Nakamori Akina might retire because the feedback he received from Nakamori Akina's staff was that she was planning to retire after getting married.

Shaking his head, Hiroshi Kimura said, "Not for now, but there might be some later. If I decide, I will notify the agency in advance."

"Phew, that's good. In that case, we can agree." Hanami Kagami agreed immediately because he couldn't refuse. He couldn't interfere with the marriage, and if the other party really wanted to get married, he couldn't stop them. He could only agree, at least Kimura Hiroshi could stay, which was a very good situation for Ken-on.

The reason Kimura Hiroshi made this request was because he didn't know when he would marry Nakamori Akina. His family kept urging him to get married, and he knew that Nakamori Akina had the same idea. He was worried that he might not be able to withstand the pressure from both sides and agree to the marriage. If the agency objected, who knew what kind of trouble it would cause? So he thought it was better to bring up this condition when renewing his contract.

Chapter 470 Continue to Make Big Money

The fact that both parties reached a renewal agreement so quickly is very beneficial to both sides. Countless artists have fallen out with their agencies over contract renewals, resulting in a bitter breakup and huge losses for both sides. Kimura Hiroshi's case, where a contract renewal was achieved through a simple negotiation, means that neither party lost anything and both felt they received the benefits they deserved. It can be described as wonderful, and even the slightly fragile relationship was protected.

Of course, the main reason why such a contract could be signed is because Hiroshi Kimura's ability and earning power are strong enough. Otherwise, no agency would be able to accept a contract that allows artists so much freedom.

The verbal negotiations have been completed, but the renewal and signing of the contract will take a few more days. This is because both parties' requirements need to be presented and reviewed by their lawyers to ensure there are no issues before a contract is signed.

Hiroshi Kimura is no longer the greenhorn who just entered the entertainment industry. He now has a very strong support system. These contracts will be thoroughly reviewed by the law firm that collaborates with Baquan Company, and will only be signed after confirming that there are no problems.

However, Hiroshi Kimura also knew that Kenon would not tamper with the contract. If they did, and it was discovered, it would only cause Kenon a lot of trouble.

The contract renewal agreement has been reached, but the matter is not over yet, because only a few senior executives at Ken-On know that he agreed to the renewal. Other Ken-On employees are not very clear about it, let alone outsiders.

Given Kimura Hiroshi's popularity, coupled with the huge success of his new album and the popularity of "My Sassy Girl," numerous agencies are eyeing him as a top-tier artist. Countless agencies have sent faxes inviting him to join them. Not only that, but some have even obtained his private phone number from who-knows-where and frequently call him at night to inquire about his whereabouts.

It was one thing for some large firms to ask him to consider transferring, but many small firms that seemed to appear out of nowhere also inquired about his intention to do so. They were even willing to offer him 70% or 80% of the firm's shares, which annoyed Kimura Hiroshi to no end. He had no choice but to refuse them all and make it clear that he had no intention of transferring.

That's not all. Some staff members from other agencies even went to talk to him personally while he was on a TV show, but Kimura Hiroshi refused them outright.

Even so, Kimura Hiroshi was harassed for a full week. The harassment only stopped when Ken-On officially announced that they had reached a contract renewal agreement with Kimura Hiroshi, which allowed Kimura Hiroshi to breathe a sigh of relief.

However, there has been some good news these days. First, "My Sassy Girl," which had been in theaters for four months, was officially taken off the screens. After more than four months in theaters, "My Sassy Girl" achieved a super box office of over 6 billion yen, reaching 6.34 billion yen, becoming the second highest-grossing film starring Hiroshi Kimura and Akina Nakamori after "Léon: The Professional."

There are many reasons for its success. First, the film's subject matter is novel enough, introducing the concept of a "savage girlfriend" that has never been seen in the Japanese market before. This alone is enough to attract a large number of young people to the cinema.

In addition, because in this bubble era, Japan looked incredibly good, giving young women more job opportunities and making them more independent and innovative, this movie catered to their preferences.

Furthermore, under the bubble economy, young Japanese men had more free time and money. Men of this era, with money and leisure, either went on adventures or chased girls, which made them accept all kinds of women. Seeing the Sassy Girlfriend felt novel, and they accompanied the girls they wanted to see, contributing a lot to the box office.

These factors combined led to the box office exceeding 6 billion yen. It won't be easy to achieve such box office success by making romance films in the future. Kimura Hiroshi had anticipated this, and he has already focused his attention on his new film, "Rapid Chase".

Of course, the release of "My Sassy Girl" did not end there. The film has been announced to be imported by many Asian countries and will be released in their countries one after another. In other words, the film will still bring some revenue to Wit Studio, although it may not be much.