My daily life with the original diva

Then Kimura Hiroshi took out a second piece of sheet music and said, "This piece, 'Uchiage Hanabi,' is about confessing your love. It's about confessing your love under a sky full of fireworks. I think Mr. Tomioka knows what I mean."

"Uchiage Hanabi" is a pop song composed and performed by Kenshi Yonezu for an anime film, and it is known as a healing anthem.

"I know, I know. Kimura-san must have spent a lot of money on the fireworks festival at Senso-ji Temple that day, right?" Goodness, he wrote his confession into a song. Having talent really does allow you to do whatever you want. Tomioka Yukio recalled the scene of his first confession. Although he had been working in music for so many years, it was really difficult for him to write it into a song.

Then came the third song, "Illusory Wind," which Kimura Hiroshi sang for Nakamori Akina yesterday. Kimura Hiroshi explained its meaning, which is a blessing, hoping that his loved one can be like a spring breeze, with a heart that is always warm and gentle.

The fourth song is an English song, a classic from 89. It's a single written by Smith, the lead singer of the British band The Cure, for his wife whom he's been with since he was 15. It's called "Love Song." The reason for choosing this song, besides showing off his English skills, is because of the love it expresses and the beautiful lyrics, which can be summed up in one sentence: "I will always love you." It represents love.

For his last song, he chose "Say Yes," written by Chage & Aska. He had previously written a song with the same title for Momoko Kikuchi, but the two songs were completely different in style. This was a profound love song.

Chage & Aska's "Say Yes" is also a classic song of the century. As the theme song for the hit Japanese drama "101st Proposal," it sold an astonishing 2.8 million copies, ranking sixth in the history of Japanese record sales. This song is more difficult to sing than Ken Hirai's "Gaining Through Losing," and it is a great challenge to the singer's vocal level.

However, the mood of this song is even more beautiful than that of the fourth song, Love Song. Its lyrics depict the little joys and little frictions that can occur in love. But no matter what, the two people who love each other must stay together forever. This is the future that Kimura Hiroshi ultimately wanted to express: even if the future is difficult, they must stay together forever.

After listening to Hiroshi Kimura's introduction, Yukio Tomioka was also amazed by the talent and effort that Hiroshi Kimura had poured into this album. This album will probably become a classic in the future as his relationship with Akina Nakamori is exposed. And since such a classic album was created by his manager, he will leave his mark in music history and bring huge profits to Warner Music.

“That’s wonderful, Kimura-san, that’s an absolutely brilliant idea. It’s decided that when we’re promoting this album, we’ll put what you just said in the newspapers and magazines. I think a lot of people will be moved and buy it. It’ll definitely be a huge hit,” Yukio Tomioka said happily.

But at this moment, Hiroshi Kimura felt very uncomfortable. Good heavens, this money-grubber had finally managed to be artistic for once, but Yukio Tomioka, his manager who used to pursue artistic excellence, was talking to him about money. Had he really been corrupted by him?

With the album's release date settled, Yukio Tomioka then asked, "Has Kimura-san thought of a new single yet?"

"Oh, all my energy is focused on the album. As for singles, I'll just pick one high-quality song to release," Kimura Hiroshi said nonchalantly.

Now it's Yukio Tomioka's turn to feel bad. Good grief, the commemorative album has so many great songs, but the singles are just released casually, right? What about the honor of five consecutive singles breaking one million copies?

"Kimura-san, shouldn't we be a little more careful? This is your last single of the year, a single that will tie the record. Be careful, be careful," Yukio Tomioka said seriously.

Touching his chin, Hiroshi Kimura originally wanted to try out Akina Nakamori's theory to see if it was correct, but after hearing what Yukio Tomioka said, he realized that he should be more cautious. So, he decided to postpone the experiment until next year, since the record market would shrink significantly next year. So he said, "Alright, give me two more days to think about it. Let's get the album sheet music arranged first."

Yukio Tomioka finally breathed a sigh of relief and said, "That's perfect. I'll immediately instruct them to arrange the album songs. By the way, didn't Kimura-san want to discuss the concert broadcasting rights with the TV station? Someone has already contacted the agency. Two days later, an executive from the Japanese TV station's film department will invite us over to discuss it."

Upon hearing this news, Kimura Hiroshi's eyes lit up. It seemed that he was starting to find a way to get the TV station to air his shows. This was truly good news. He had so many classic TV dramas in his mind, and it would be such a pity if he couldn't find a way to get them aired. It would be a shame if he couldn't earn the money from them.

Chapter 201 The Arrogant Television Station

It's not easy to arrange five famous pieces so that they sound exactly like the originals. Hiroshi Kimura had to keep a close eye on them at all times, making sure the rhythm and instruments were exactly the same as he remembered them. This was no easy task, because different people can give a piece a different feel when arranging it.

While arranging the music, Hiroya Kimura also selected his next single, which might be the last single he seriously released. Kimura decided to choose the super-large-scale Ichihaku work, "Love Will Conquer Everything" released by singer Kan in 1990.

This is a pop song full of inspiration and youthful spirit. Its melody is simple yet catchy. After listening to it a few times, you can sing along. It achieved sales of more than two million copies in 1990, when the bubble economy was at its peak, which can be described as a miracle.

It's worth noting that during that period, several albums were released that sold over two million copies, but many of them were theme songs for popular shows or TV dramas. This song, however, was not one of them. It just appeared out of nowhere and became a huge hit. But after singing this song, the singer Kan never had another hit song and quickly faded into obscurity.

With an album to release and a new single to release, Hiroshi Kimura is in a super busy state. But even with such a busy schedule, he still makes time to go to the TV station at the time he has arranged with the executives of the Japanese TV station.

In order to build a relationship, Kimura Hiroshi took his visit to the TV station very seriously. Despite the sweltering heat, he wore a neat suit and even planned in advance how to get closer to the other party.

They arrived at the TV station right on time, explained their purpose, and the staff led them to a conference room, served them coffee, and then asked them to wait a moment.

Before they even met, Kimura Hiroshi was quite satisfied with the courtesies shown. However, the appointed time for their meeting arrived quickly, but the person never showed up. Kimura Hiroshi didn't think much of it, assuming the other person was just busy. After waiting for another half hour, and still no one appearing, Kimura Hiroshi became a little impatient.

"Kimura-san, wait a moment, I'll go ask." Seeing that the time was so much overdue, Tomioka Yukio couldn't sit still any longer and got up to go out and ask someone.

He returned quickly, looking displeased. He sat down next to Kimura Hiroshi and whispered, "Kimura-san, the TV station staff said Mr. Yamaguchi is still busy and asked us to wait a little longer."

At this point, Kimura Hiroshi's expression also darkened. They had already been waiting for almost half an hour, and now they had to wait even longer? Although he was there to build connections, he couldn't be too subservient.

"Let's not waste time, Mr. Tomioka." Kimura Hiroshi stood up and was about to leave.

But at this moment, Yukio Tomioka stopped him and advised, "Wait a little longer, Kimura-san. This is a connection that the president went to great lengths to find for you. Besides, you know how arrogant the TV station is. Sometimes you have to be patient if you want to get things done."

Kimura Hiroshi was somewhat surprised that Hanami Kagami had found him this connection. He knew that he and Hanami Kagami had clashed several times at the agency, and he was surprised that Hanami Kagami was willing to help him. It seemed that he would have to be gentler with him in the future, at least when it came to competing for benefits, he would not speak so sharply. As for benefits, he definitely could not give them up, because talking about feelings would cost money.

However, it's clear that Hanami Kaku is a case of "out of sight, out of mind." As a former executive of a Japanese television station, although he had connections, they didn't value him much, which is why they were left waiting here.

However, it wouldn't be good to just leave now, as that would be letting down Hanami He's good intentions.

Kimura Hiroshi sat down again and began to ponder. It seemed that his relationship with the Japanese television station was not good. At this time, the television station could be described as extremely arrogant.

Since the late 1970s, with the development of Japan's economy, color televisions have become increasingly popular, and people's love for television programs has increased rapidly, after all, it is an inexpensive form of entertainment that can be enjoyed at home.

This resulted in very good ratings for all TV stations, even Japan's TV station, which ranked in the middle of the five major private TV stations. They had money, programs, and people. It would be strange if they valued or respected an artist who almost relied on TV programs for survival.

After waiting for a while, the conference room door finally opened, and someone came in. It was an obese middle-aged man with a typical Japanese appearance. He squinted at the people in the conference room, and two staff members followed behind him.

"This is Mr. Yamaguchi, Yamaguchi Junyuki," Tomioka Yukio whispered in Kimura Hiroshi's ear.

Although he was annoyed that this guy was so late, since he was already there, he might as well chat with him. He stood up and prepared to say hello.

To their surprise, Yamaguchi Junji didn't come over to shake hands and get acquainted with them. Instead, he found a chair not far from them, sat down, and said, "Speak, what do you want to see me about? Do I really need to negotiate the broadcasting rights for some idol singer's concert? Honestly, I don't know what that Hanami Kagami guy is trying to do. Isn't he just wasting my time?"

Kimura Hiroshi, who had originally intended to greet them with a smile, instantly turned pale. He clearly sensed that Yamaguchi Junji had no intention of talking to them and was only meeting them because of Hanami Kagami. In that case, there was no need to talk.

Even so, since it was related to Hanami Hetsu, Kimura Hiroshi still tried to speak in a calm tone, "I'm really sorry, Mr. Yamaguchi. We just discovered that there seems to be a problem with the concert videotape we brought. To avoid unnecessary trouble, let's talk again after we get the new videotape."

Hearing this, Yamaguchi Yoshiyuki became even more displeased. He stood up, making a clattering noise with his chair, and said, "This is such a waste of time. Alright, if you want to talk, talk to your subordinates next time. I have other things to do, so I'm leaving now."

After saying that, he turned around and left the conference room. Kimura Hiroshi didn't stay long either. After seeing him leave, he got up and left the TV station with Tomioka Yukio.

On the way back, Yukio Tomioka couldn't help but ask, "Kimura-san, didn't we agree to go and build connections with the TV station? Why did you leave so easily?"

With a long sigh, Kimura Hiroshi said, "We're going to try and build connections, but that Yamaguchi Yoshiyuki clearly looks down on us. There's no need to be so humble and say anything to him."

Tomioka Yukio didn't quite understand what he meant. He said, "Isn't that how you build relationships? Kimura-san, when we need something from someone, we naturally have to be humble. Not to mention, he's a high-ranking executive in the TV station's sales department. We should get to know him first, see what his preferences are, then give him some gifts, and be humble. That way, we'll establish a relationship."

This is clearly a common way for Japanese people to build relationships, especially when the other person is of a higher status than them. The humility is off the charts. However, Hiroshi Kimura doesn't like this feeling. He just wants to build relationships, have a good chat, exchange some gifts, and then it's mutually beneficial, just like his relationship with Yuya Fukada.

Asking him to humble himself, essentially asking him to find a sugar daddy to pull strings, is something he simply cannot do.

However, today's visit wasn't without its gains. We met a TV station with decent ratings, but it's hard to build a relationship with them. In that case, we need to keep looking down to them so they won't be too arrogant.

"Mr. Tomioka, could you please help me contact TV Tokyo and TV Asahi? If possible, I'd like to speak with their film department executives," Kimura Hiroshi said.

Tomioka Yukio was a little confused by this, and he said, "Kimura-san, what about the ratings for these two TV stations..."

"Don't worry about the ratings. As long as it's a national TV station, it's fine. Besides, the ratings between them aren't that different," Kimura Hiroshi said. He knew that the ratings of these TV stations weren't static. He might be able to help these TV stations, provided that they were willing to share the benefits of this change with him.

Chapter 202 The film's box office surpasses 4 billion yen

In the following days, apart from arranging music, Kimura Hiroshi focused his main energy on trying to get to know the TV station executives. However, he clearly underestimated the arrogance of TV stations in this era and overestimated his own status. Although he was the most popular male idol singer, no TV station executive wanted to get to know him, not even TV Asahi and TV Tokyo, which had the lowest ratings.

At first, Hiroshi Kimura was a little annoyed, but when he saw the collaboration applications he had casually dismissed from some small agencies that day, he suddenly felt relieved. In fact, from the perspective of the TV station, he was probably just an artist from these small agencies, and they wouldn't bother to pay attention to him, let alone meet to discuss collaborations.

Ultimately, his status wasn't high enough. As an artist, he was looked down upon by the TV station. He wasn't qualified to share in the station's profits. Since that was the case, he wouldn't hesitate to go all out. Sooner or later, he would make these TV stations come to him.

He told Yukio Tomioka to stop contacting the television station. Since it was all in vain, there was no need to do it. He focused all his energy on the production of singles and albums, since this might be the last time he seriously made singles and albums in the Showa era.

However, there has been some good news during this period. Léon: The Professional has successfully surpassed 4 billion yen at the box office after one month of release. This means that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, Kimura Hiroshi's first film, which he invested in, wrote, and starred in, will become the box office champion of the year.

Although it was expected, it still caused a huge stir when it came to fruition, especially in the film industry. Many professional film magazines and newspapers were analyzing why an independently produced film imported by Toho could achieve such great success.

After analyzing it thoroughly, it boils down to three points: firstly, the actors are top idols with built-in fan bases and decent acting skills; secondly, the script is excellent, a very good story that includes gunfights, action, romance, and character development, all handled very well, making it engaging and touching; and finally, it contains certain hints, such as the romance between an older man and a young girl.

Regardless, Toho and Yuya Fukada both succeeded in their gamble this time, making the other film companies, who were originally prepared to see Toho and Yuya Fukada make fools of themselves, the laughingstocks themselves.

With a box office of 4 billion yen in one month, it is estimated that the final box office may exceed 5 billion yen, making it the highest-grossing domestic film in recent years. This is not a joke, but a matter of profit. After all, Toho can be said to have made a fortune from this film, and no one is not envious.

Soon, Kimura Hiroshi received invitations from the remaining four film companies. Some wanted him to make movies, while others wanted him to compose theme songs for their films.

Hiroshi Kimura was naturally happy to see these collaborations happen. If you want to make it in the entertainment industry, the more connections you have, the better. However, he needed to focus on producing albums and singles right now, so he planned to meet with these film companies again in a few days.

However, before he could expand his network, seemingly sensing that his partner might be poached, Fukada Isamu came knocking on his door. This vice president of Toho's film department personally called Ken-On and invited him to dinner.

Since he had personally called, Kimura Hiroshi naturally couldn't refuse. That evening, in a private room at the same upscale restaurant where they had dined before, the two met for the first time since the movie's release.

Compared to his previous emotionally charged meeting, Fukada Yuya appeared relaxed and composed this time. He raised his glass with a broad smile and said, "Kimura-san deserves much credit for the great success of this adventure. I'd like to toast you."

Kimura Hiroshi, who had been repeatedly rebuffed by the bigwigs at the TV station, suddenly found the guy quite endearing when he saw that this bigwig from Toho was being so kind and friendly to him.

He had previously mocked this guy for still having that old-fashioned aristocratic complex, but now it seems that it was precisely because Fukada Isamu also had this kind of thinking that he was able to connect with Toho. In this light, some seemingly outdated and immature ideas are not necessarily a bad thing.

After emptying his drink, Kimura Hiroya poured himself a glass of wine, raised it, and said, "This victory is also brought about by Fukada-san's extraordinary courage. I'd like to toast you too."

Seeing Kimura Hiroshi drinking in front of him, Fukada Yuya was even happier. Before, this kid was wary of him and wouldn't drink in front of him, but now that they had finally let their guard down, he also drank it all in one gulp.

"Kimura-san, this movie's box office is so high that even our president praised you. I told him that once the movie is off the screens, we'll settle your share as soon as possible. If the final box office exceeds 5 billion yen, then Kimura Hiroshi will receive 1.3 billion yen, and Kimura-san will become a millionaire overnight." Fukada Yuya said, a hint of envy in his voice.

After all, the money is real. As a high-ranking executive at Toho, he was the one who brought this movie to the market, but the reward he would ultimately receive would not exceed 20 million yen.

"I have to thank Fukada-san for this. I wonder when the money will arrive?" Thirteen billion yen! I never thought making movies could be so profitable. Kimura Hiroshi was very happy. However, he would feel at ease if the money arrived in his account as soon as possible.

"At the earliest, it might have to be the end of the year. After all, you know, other theater chains can't recoup their money that quickly," Yuya Fukada said after a moment's thought.

Kimura Hiroshi was instantly unhappy that it would take so long. The money was right there, but he still had to wait for several months. You can imagine how he felt.

Seeing the change in Kimura Hiroshi's expression, Fukada Yuya laughed, "Haha, Kimura-san, the movie should be finished showing in October. We'll get the money in two months, which is already very fast. If it were someone else, they might not get the money for half a year."

"Well, that's all we can do then," Kimura Hiroshi said, still looking sullen after eating a piece of sushi.

"Since this news doesn't make Kimura-san happy, then I'll say one more thing: this movie will be released in Hong Kong and Southeast Asia next week."

"I've also contacted theaters in Europe and America, and it will be released in mid-September. Kimura-san, how well the movie does at the box office will depend on its appeal. I've done my best," Fukada Yu said earnestly.

This was truly fantastic news, and Kimura Hiroshi's face immediately lit up with a smile. If the movie really became a hit overseas, he would be the first person from Japan in the last decade or so to become famous worldwide through a movie, which would bring about a huge change in his status and position.

He poured himself a glass and said sincerely, "Thank you so much, Fukada-san. I'd like to toast you."

Without being polite, Fukada Isamu naturally accepted the thanks, after all, he had really put his heart and soul into this matter and put in a lot of effort, so he could accept this gratitude.

The two then discussed the overseas release of the film, such as box office revenue sharing. Kimura Hiroshi wouldn't receive much from overseas releases because overseas distributors and theaters would take the majority of the box office revenue, and he would have to share the rest with Toho, so his earnings would naturally be very limited.

However, Hiroshi Kimura didn't care much about that. He cared more about the fame that the movie would bring after it became a hit overseas, and he needed that to pave the way for his success.

"Is Kimura-san making a second film?" Having tasted success with his first film, Fukada Yuya is already eagerly anticipating his next movie.

Shaking his head, Hiroshi Kimura said, "I'm not ready yet. I'm very busy with the upcoming release of a new single and album."

"Ah, is that so? That's a real shame. If you ask me, what's so great about being an idol singer like Kimura-san? He should dedicate himself to movies. Maybe Kimura-san could become the next Akira Kurosawa," Yuya Fukada said enticingly.

"You really dare to dream," Kimura Hiroyuki wanted to retort. "What kind of status and position does Akira Kurosawa have? Even Toho has to worship him. For him to become Akira Kurosawa is just too much to ask."

However, while this statement cannot be taken at face value, it is still worth considering. After all, movies hold an extremely high status in the entertainment industry, especially when one can produce world-renowned films. In that case, one can act with impunity in the entertainment industry. For example, Akira Kurosawa, whom Toho revered, and Takeshi Kitano, who dared to act with impunity in the entertainment industry in later generations.

"Have other film companies contacted Kimura-san recently?" Before Kimura Hiroshi could speak, Fukada Yuya asked again.

Unexpectedly, Yuya Fukada found out about this so quickly. Hiroshi Kimura did not hide anything and said, "Yes, I was invited to act in a movie or sing a song for a movie."

"Ha, as expected, a bunch of conservative and spineless guys who can only offer such a small amount of benefits. Kimura-san, I know you are a very ambitious person, and so am I. I hope we can continue to cooperate. As long as Kimura-san is willing, I am willing to provide you with any help you want."

Upon learning the news, Fukada Yuya was clearly afraid that his hard-won partner would be poached. Having won the gamble once, he was ready to gamble again. He was betting that this success was not accidental, but that Kimura Hiroshi truly had the ability and talent, and that he wanted to have a long-term partnership with Kimura Hiroshi.

Kimura Hiroshi was surprised that Fukada Yuya had such great courage. He was stunned for a moment, but he couldn't be sure about aligning himself with Toho right away, so he could only reply, "I need to think about this, Fukada-san."