Tokyo: The evil god doesn't want to be the top star

"I can't help it. I have acute gastroenteritis. I am already a victory if I can finish the performance."

"That's right, don't blame yourself too much."

Many trainees who knew that they had been working until almost dawn last night offered words of comfort.

"Those of you who haven't gotten on yet, come on!"

Under the expectant gazes of many trainees, the next two teams also went on stage with serious expressions.

However, even the teams led by five-star international trainees Jack and Basong were defeated one after another for various reasons...

The overall strength of these two teams was still a little weaker, and they soon returned to the backstage in despair.

"We've lost two games in a row again..."

"If I remember correctly, it was six to zero?!"

The one-sided competition made the international trainees feel like they had been upgraded from "background boards" to "sandbags". They were pinned to the ground by the production team and beaten crazily by the local trainees...

Although I knew when I participated in the program that the term "international trainee" was associated with "running-along", and that the international trainees were only a temporary team, I could not help but feel uncomfortable and unwilling in this situation where everyone prospers and suffers together.

"No, at least we won a game, it's not that embarrassing..."

The trainees in the waiting area subconsciously focused their attention on the last team that was about to take the stage...

This is the team where Xia Fan, the most popular "Seven Star Trainee", belongs.

"But even for Xia Fan, who is ranked first, it feels very risky."

During the rehearsal, everyone witnessed Xia Fan's team's "high-pitched Waterloo", so naturally they didn't dare to hold out too much hope.

"Could it be that the international trainee team will be wiped out and have their heads shaved bald?"

Such terrible thoughts emerged in the minds of the international trainees.

"Seventh group of international trainees, check each other's makeup and hair styles, and go on stage in thirty seconds!"

Under the complex gazes of the crowd, Xia Fan, the "last seedling" of the international trainee team, walked into the stage passage in an orderly manner.

……

“…Please call my name!”

Just as Xia Fan led the team to line up to enter, An Ziyao's team of trainees, wearing black suits, were singing passionately on the stage...

"I can't live without you, let me hold you in my arms once more, I won't leave you alone again!"

The five trainees who served as lead singers, including Kishi Tsunayo, sang wave after wave of high-pitched voices, which echoed in the main studio.

"Honey, I just pray..."

After the climax, the whole song ends with a long tail note like An Ziyao's sigh.

The audience below the stage immediately gave warm applause.

"Wow, the singing is so wonderful..."

"I don't know how to evaluate it. Let's leave it to Mr. Oda."

In the mentor's seat, Goro Kimura had an expression of wanting more and deliberately turned the topic to Masaru Oda.

This move not only praised Oda Masaru's vocal authority, but also gave him priority in evaluation...

After all, in this team, besides Kishi Sho, there are several other trainees selected by S Company, to which Oda belongs.

"Ahem... I can't sing the high notes of this song if I have to sing it now."

"You didn't lower the key and completed the song with a degree of restoration comparable to the original. Although there was one more person to share the most difficult high-pitched part, the effect was completely beyond my expectations."

Oda Masaru first made a self-deprecating comment, then gave a very high evaluation with a serious face, which caused cheers from the audience again.

"Wow, the rap part is really strong, the rhymes are steady, the rhythm is just right, and every line of the lyrics is like King Kong, echoing in my ears and unforgettable for a long time."

The camera turned to Shota Hirai, who immediately rapped a sharp comment.

"The performance was very good technically, but the emotions weren't strong enough, and the singing and rapping were a bit out of sync with each other."

“Considering that we only had three days to rehearse, it was pretty good.”

Even the most picky Yayoi Tsuki approved of the performance just now.

"Thank you, mentors... Next, let's invite the international trainees who will be performing the same piece of music..."

“Will the fusion of cultures from different countries lead to different interpretations of this song? Let’s wait and see.”

During Goro Kimura's hosting speech, Kishi Shiyao and his team took their bows and left the stage.

When the lights went out, Xia Fan and his team, dressed in white suits, walked onto the stage from the other side and stood in the designated positions.

"If the effect is still the same as in the rehearsal, this pervert will lose..."

Staring at a familiar figure in the center of the dark stage, Yayoi Tsuki felt her heartbeat inexplicably quicken, and her fingers tapped unconsciously on the table.

"However, with his current popularity, even if he doesn't share the 5 million popularity votes, he won't be eliminated, but his ranking will probably fall out of the top nine..."

"How about I buy another sports car and drive two different colors?"

Thoughts were rising and falling in her mind, and the fox ears on her head were swaying from side to side. She was carefully analyzing all the possible situations that might happen after Xia Fan lost this performance.

At the beginning of the first performance, from song selection to performer selection, the rules set by the program team were all intentionally or unintentionally targeting Xia Fan, who was the most popular performer...

But in Yayoi Tsuki's opinion, this is a very normal situation.

The competition in the entertainment industry is far more intense behind the scenes than on stage, with no bottom line and no scruples. No one can spend money to organize a talent show and then watch another trainee take first place.

The lights came on, and the seven trainees on the stage appeared before the audience.

Surrounded by a group of foreign trainees, standing in the C position, Xia Fan, dressed in fluttering white, with eyes like stars and a face like a jade, instantly captured the attention of the entire audience.

Chapter 261 Tangled

2024-07-13

"Xia Fan! Xia Fan! Xia Fan!"

"It's good for eating! It's good for eating! It's good for eating!"

Although the program production team had requested in advance that no noise should be made during the performance, many female audience members could not hold back and shouted Xia Fan's name in unison.

These women, of course, are the "Summer Disease" from "Midsummer Shrine". After working hard to campaign, a small number of them were lucky enough to draw tickets for the event.

The lights changed and the prelude started.

"Girl, I don't know where you are, but if you can hear me praying, give me one last chance..."

The figure melted into the dark corner, and Martin opened the curtain of the whole performance with a slow rap with a deep, magnetic and charming tone...

"What a smooth flow! This non-Chinese player must be an old OG..."

Shota Hirai's rapper blood was awakened, and he couldn't help but shake his head to the rhythm.

In the center of the stage, Ken and Sid turned their backs to the audience and put their arms around Xia Fan's shoulders, one on the left and one on the right.

Under the spotlight, Xia Fan seemed to be glowing.

"I always pray from the bottom of my heart, sincerely..."

He picked up the microphone with an indifferent look, but his bright eyes were filled with sadness like the sea...

This sentence is no longer the loud, hoarse voice of the first stage. One can hear that a lot of techniques such as breath control and cavity resonance were used.

A deep sadness slowly seeped into people's hearts from Xia Fan's seemingly plain singing, and began to ferment with the stage as the center.

Inside the studio, the mood in the originally excited and noisy audience suddenly became low.

Whether it was Yayoi Tsuki who was closest to him, or the female audience in the audience, they all inexplicably felt a desire to step forward and comfort the sadness in his heart.

The singing and emotions were still lingering in the room, but Xia Fan had already stepped back neatly and was dancing with everyone else...

"In that dark sky, I don't know, I can only say my prayers for you."

Ken, who was beside him, tacitly took over the next line of the lyrics.

"Please give me a chance, don't leave me alone, I can't live without breathing!"

The positions were rotated again, and Sid continued the soulful, curry-flavored singing with great affection.

In order to ensure that the lyrics were pronounced correctly and the transitions between songs were precise and natural, they had gone through countless "special training" sessions in the past three days.

At this time, infected by Xia Fan's singing, several teammates were in a good mood.

"Please come back to me, I will hold you tightly, I pray to the sky."

"In my dreams I can also stop the raging fire. I am willing to walk in. Where you stand is my glory!"

"You took away my last plea from the sky. If you can hear it, please come to my dream..."

Then, three people including Martin sang a long and violent rap with astonishing speed and explosive rhythm.

"The opening rap was very touching, and Xia Fan's first line also stimulated the emotions of his companions very well. It seemed to be an impeccable start, right?"

On the stage, the neat group dance, the tacit singing, the appropriate emotions, and the steadily interspersed rap made Shota Hirai in the mentor seat couldn't help but exclaim in praise.

"Yeah, that's really good. For an international trainee to be able to perform at this level, it seems like they've been rehearsing very hard."

Even though the international trainees had lost six games in a row, Goro Kimura was still willing to give them praise and echoed them.

To be fair, up to this point, Xia Fan's team's performance is slightly better than An Ziyao's team.

Among them, Xia Fan's emotionally infectious solo and Martin's super-standard rap, which can be called "blood talent", are naturally the biggest highlights.

"The rap, singing and dancing are all very good..."

"It seems that the foreign accent singing this song has some unique characteristics?"

This wonderful opening made the audience, who had just heard the song once and should have been "aesthetically fatigued", excited.

"Am I blind? Why can I only see Xia Fan on the stage..."

"Am I deaf? Why can I only hear Xia Fan's singing?"

"Lord Kazama looks so sad and cold. I really want to comfort him!!!"

Those who had the opportunity to be present at the event, all of them, entered a state of power generation.

"The opening was good in every way, but..."

Oda was frowning slightly, ready to speak up to defend the previous team's performance...

“But the decisive point of this song is still the climax.”

However, Yayoi Tsuki took the lead and spoke out what was in his mind.

"As expected of Miss Yayoi."

Oda Zheng, who originally thought that she would favor Xia Fan, couldn't help but look at her with some admiration.

The design of the song "Prayer", the slow lyrical opening, and the gradually increasing rhythm with rap as a catalyst in the middle, are actually all foreshadowing...

In preparation for the climax, the four lead singers took turns presenting ethereal high notes that rose step by step, creating a strong sense of contrast.

It can be said that without the stunning climax at the end, the whole song would be just a cliché boy band song that is full of sadness and melancholy.

……

"Xia Fan, for some reason, was put in the last group..."

At the same time, in the recording room, Manjiro Akimoto was watching Xia Fan's team's performance through the monitor with a confused look on his face.

According to the original plan of the program team, among the seven competitions, the international trainees should win one or two games "just for the sake of their performance".

He also didn't expect that due to various unexpected factors such as the overflowing national pride in the venue, a team suffering from collective diarrhea, and a team's unauthorized remake of the song, the international trainee team would actually lose six games in a row...

If we lose seven games in a row, the competitiveness, viewing experience and value of the performance stage will definitely be greatly reduced!

If the international trainees left the audience with the impression of being "vulnerable" in this episode, the local trainees would lose out on an excellent channel to gain recognition by "working hard and defeating strong opponents."

Without the driving force of "national pride", the audience's desire to spend gold coins to vote in the subsequent performances will naturally be much lower than expected.

Therefore, this last stage, where the outcome has not yet been decided, has become his life-saving straw.

However, Xia Fan, who gave him the most headache, happened to be in this team...

If all the international trainees fail, it will affect the overall plan of the entire program...

If this team wins, he is worried that Xia Fan's popularity, which is far ahead of others, will become even more difficult to surpass...