I really just want to grind for entries related to crossover anime/manga.

"Hahaha! Genkawa-kun is really popular."

"As expected, it's Genkawa-kun."

"This is exactly what everyone wanted, hahaha!"

The audience erupted in cheers upon seeing the predictable result, along with some playful banter.

On the main stage, Jun Nagura looked at the starkly disparate vote count, almost cruelly so, and couldn't help but clap his hands and laugh into the microphone.

"It seems the result is already indisputable. Genkawa-kun's unparalleled popularity is truly enviable."

"Then, let's give a warm round of applause to welcome Genkawa Yu-kun back to the battle for the title of 'Weakest King'!"

The dazzling spotlight once again shone like a searchlight on Genkawa Yu, whose face showed a helpless, bitter smile that seemed to say, "I can't escape it after all." He calmly stepped back onto the stage.

Nagura Jun handed the microphone to him.

"Genkawa-kun, you are about to face the final three-way battle. If you lose, you must accept the title of 'Weakest King' with equanimity. At this moment, what would you like to say to your supporters?"

Genkawa Yu's gaze swept over the pure white "Weakest King" coat not far away, which seemed like a symbol of curse, and a resolute look flashed in his eyes.

"I will work hard, please believe me, I will definitely not become the 'weakest king'!"

"Oh oh oh!!"

"He's getting serious, Genkawa-kun is getting serious!"

"My expectations are through the roof!"

The third and final battle, contestants: Yu Genkawa, Shinya Ueda, and Ken Horiuchi.

The three of them, now in a three-way balance, re-entered the competition room, this time at a specially made three-way card table by the production team.

Although it's a variety show, no one wants to lose, so everyone has to give it their all in this round of drawing the joker.

As a seasoned MC, Shinya Ueda has seen many different artists, so he initially planned to analyze them using their movements and facial expressions.

Meanwhile, Ken Horiuchi began to pay attention to every successfully matched pair and started silently memorizing the cards.

Similarly, in the final round, Genkawa Yu also abandoned his exaggerated acting skills and entered a state of "absolute focus" in his thinking.

He observed his opponent's every draw and facial expression, organizing and collecting information from the game.

The other two are hosting partners who have worked together for over a decade, so Yuu Genkawa must stay fully focused to prevent them from having off-stage antics.

Which cards have been paired up?

Which cards have yet to appear?

Who will hold the Joker?

These issues all require analysis and thought. During the first week of the competition, Genkawa Yu's brain became an invisible card game sandbox, conducting extremely intense deductions.

After all, he really didn't want to lose.

The audience, all the hosts, including Mai Sakurajima, unconsciously held their breath, closely following every pass of cards on the table.

The cards were rapidly dwindling in the silent battle, creating an almost suffocating tension.

Ultimately, in a crucial round of drawing cards that determined life or death, Genkawa Yu accurately predicted, based on his previous card counting and his interpretation of Ueda Shinya's micro-expressions, that the card in his opponent's hand was most likely the Joker!

Without hesitation, he decisively chose the other card next to him. The card was turned over and revealed to be a safe card that could be paired with it.

"Just as I thought, the Three of Hearts!"

Genkawa Yu carefully dropped his last two cards into the recycling box with a "thud".

"Thank you for your kind words, Ueda-san and Horiuchi-san."

"yeah--!!!"

"We won! Genkawa-kun won!!"

"The ultimate victory belongs to Genkawa-kun! So powerful!!"

The previously calm atmosphere in the studio instantly exploded, with deafening cheers that nearly lifted the roof off.

In the next round, Shinya Ueda was equally determined, taking the last card that could be paired from Ken Horiuchi's hand, leaving the Joker in his own hand.

"Congratulations to Ken-san Horiuchi! You successfully defended your title! You've now earned the title of 'Weakest King'!!"

At this moment, Jun Nagakura on stage used all his strength to loudly announce in an almost aria-like "tragic" tone, and the audience immediately burst into laughter again.

The staff who had been waiting nearby immediately draped the oversized, pure white "Weakest King" suit jacket over Horiuchi Ken's shoulders, as if awarding him a "medal of honor."

Ken Horiuchi cooperated by making various funny faces and gestures, accepting his fate of defeat.

Tonight, he'll be wearing this outfit to take photos and post them on Twitter, making it a black mark on his past that viewers will never forget.

On the other side, the director sat backstage, watching the real-time viewership ratings monitor. At that moment, the curve broke through the historical high and settled steadily on a number that would make all television professionals marvel and cheer.

19%!

This viewership rating has surpassed the show's all-time record, even surpassing the ratings of the winter 2-hour special featuring big-name actors.

After the competition ended, Shinya Ueda regained the hosting rights, since he had always been the main MC in charge of controlling the event.

Facing the camera, he beamed with a satisfied and enthusiastic smile, and spoke in a loud voice.

"Thank you all so much for spending this night filled with laughter with us. And once again, I sincerely thank Genkawa-kun and Sakurajima Mai-san for bringing us such a wonderful match!"

"Please remember, the Netflix original series 'Alice in the Land of the Dying,' starring these two, will premiere next Saturday night! Stay tuned!!!"

"Stay tuned!!"

All the hosts spoke in unison, their voices converging into a powerful wave that spread towards the audience.

Yu Genkawa and Mai Sakurajima stood side by side, like partners fighting side by side in the drama, and bowed deeply to the camera and the still-boiling audience.

Thank you everyone!!!

The program concluded perfectly in this warm and hopeful atmosphere.

As soon as the recording of the show ended, before the noise had completely subsided, Genkawa Yu, accompanied by Kato Megumi, returned to the exclusive artist dressing room with his name on it.

He had just taken the microphone off his collar when a polite knock came at the door.

Kato Megumi quickly stepped forward to open the door, where stood a live executive director from the "Chat 007" program, his face beaming with excitement and a fawning smile.

"Mr. Genkawa! Congratulations! Tonight's performance was absolutely perfect!"

As soon as the executive director entered, he couldn't wait to express his respect, his tone very excited, "On behalf of the production team, I've come to invite you to tonight's celebration banquet! The director has already chosen a seat, at the [Kubei] main store in Ginza."

"Mr. Genkawa, tonight's ratings are absolutely insane! They've broken all the records our show has held since it started airing. It's all thanks to you, so please do us the honor of joining us!"

Listening to the other party's slightly exaggerated yet sincere flattery, Genkawa Yu maintained his usual calm and humility.

He nodded slightly, his tone very gentle, "You're too kind. Such high ratings are the result of the joint efforts of the production team and everyone. I will attend the celebration banquet on time."

Two hours later, in the main restaurant of Kyubei, a top-tier ryotei in Ginza, a spacious and elegant Japanese-style private room called "Matsu no Ma" was brightly lit and filled with the clinking of glasses.

The traditional Japanese sliding doors isolate the noise from the outside world, while the air is filled with the fresh aroma of sea bream and pufferfish, as well as the rich fragrance of top-quality sake.

The atmosphere at the celebration banquet was warm and harmonious. The attendees included the core directing team and main producers of the "Chat 007" program, as well as senior management from the TV station and three hosts (some had other work commitments, so only three of the original seven hosts were present).

Then there are the two biggest contributors tonight, Yu Genkawa and Mai Sakurajima.

Yu Minakawa and Mai Sakurajima were seated at the main table in the very center, alongside the program's director, Matsumoto, veteran producer Tanaka, and several high-ranking executives.

During the meal, praise and toasts poured in on the two of them.

Everyone used the most eloquent words to praise their impeccable performance tonight and thank them for the historic breakthrough they brought to the show.

After several rounds of drinks and dishes, the atmosphere in the private room became increasingly lively and enthusiastic, filled with the joy of success.

At this moment, a middle-aged man, around fifty years old, sitting to the left of the main seat, with a particularly calm and reserved demeanor and wearing an extremely fine dark gray suit, slowly put down the ceramic wine glass he had been playing with.

He is a managing director of Nippon Television and a senior executive with deep ties and close cooperation with Dentsu, the behemoth that controls the lifeline of Japan's media and advertising industry—Tadashi Fujiwara.

Fujiwara Masashi's gaze was gentle as it slowly fell on Genkawa Yu, who was sitting across from him, with an appreciative smile on his face that was typical of an elder looking at an outstanding junior.

His voice was not loud, even somewhat low, but when he spoke, the noisy enthusiasm at the table involuntarily quieted down a bit, as if his words carried an invisible magnetic field of authority.

"Genkawa-kun."

Fujiwara spoke slowly, his tone as calm as if he were chatting casually, but every word seemed to carry weight.

"Your performance tonight was truly unforgettable."

He paused slightly, as if searching for the most appropriate words, "It's not just about the professional qualities of an actor, but more importantly, that natural and unrestrained sense of humor in variety shows. Among the young people in the entertainment industry today, there are very few who can possess these qualities at the same time."

"Managing Director Fujiwara, you flatter me. I still have a lot to learn from my seniors."

Genkawa Yu bowed slightly, his attitude humble yet graceful, his response impeccable.

Fujiwara smiled, picked up the sake bottle, and personally refilled Genkawa Yu's half-empty sake cup with sake. This overly "respectful" gesture caused many of the observant people present to exchange glances.

"Mr. Yuanchuan has achieved remarkable success in both the film and television industry and the literary world, and is currently enjoying great popularity. I wonder if you have given any thought or made any plans to try some more nationally appealing television works?"

This question seemed ordinary, but it instantly attracted the attention of those around them. After all, everyone knew who Fujiwara Masashi was; he wouldn't speak without a reason. He probably wanted to invite Genkawa Yu to do something.

"My current focus should be on movies..."

"Haha, making movies is indeed a good thing, but it's also good to make some works with a wider audience, so as to better increase popularity."

Fujiwara smiled slightly and said, "I talked to Toei last time. They release tokusatsu dramas every year that are loved by children and even talked about by many adults. Toei's projects for next year are not yet finalized, and there are many uncertainties."

"I wonder if Genkawa-kun has any intention or interest in... participating in such a work?"

"A tokusatsu drama?!"

Although everyone present was a veteran of the industry, having seen it all, Fujiwara's explicit mention of the term "tokusatsu drama" still elicited a chorus of uncontrollable gasps and whispers from the audience!

Even Mai Sakurajima, who sat next to Yu Genkawa and maintained an elegant demeanor, subtly twitched her slender fingers holding the wine glass, and a hint of surprise flashed in her beautiful eyes.

Tokusatsu drama.

It is a very special and stable type of film and television drama in Japan. From the classic Ultraman series and Kamen Rider series to the Super Sentai series, they are not only children's hero dreams, but also carry the collective memories of several generations of Japanese people. They have a huge and loyal fan base, and their derivative product market and peripheral influence are extremely amazing.

Being able to play a major role in a tokusatsu drama, especially a new generation of "heroes," means gaining unparalleled national recognition, particularly in the minds of the younger generation and family audiences. This is a way to accumulate popularity with a very wide reach.

For any artist looking to further expand their influence, this is undoubtedly a very tempting shortcut.

So, Genkawa Yu nodded and asked.