Crossover Anime: The Heroine is in Trouble? I Take Advantage of the Situation

The first episode has ended.

The agonizing hour finally passed.

At 11 p.m. that night, the ratings data that would determine the fate of viewers began to be released one after another.

Takeshi Tanaka's phone vibrated. He took a deep breath and opened the text message sent by his assistant.

When he saw the numbers on the screen, his face instantly turned pale.

[Breaking News: Our variety show premieres averaged 8.3% viewership rating]

“8.3%...?” He couldn’t believe his eyes.

This number is even lower than the lowest value he expected!

For a lineup as star-studded as theirs, this is a major failure that has to be cut short!

……

"How could it be so low?!"

Almost simultaneously, in the chairman's office at the television station, the secretary's voice trembled: "Chairman... our ratings... are only 8.3%..."

The chairman's brows furrowed instantly, and the atmosphere in the office became extremely oppressive.

"Was it this bad compared to expectations?"

Everyone began to have a bad feeling.

……

……

the other side.

In the Genesis conference room, everyone held their breath and stared intently at the large screen.

The premiere of "Human Observation" achieved an average viewership rating of 28.7%.

After a brief silence, a thunderous roar of celebration erupted!

"We won! We won!! 28.7%!!!"

The head of the film and television department jumped up from his chair with excitement, waving his fists as if he were going crazy, "We've broken a record! We've broken another record for the premiere of a variety show!"

The employees hugged each other, and the cheers and whistles almost lifted the ceiling.

Kato Megumi stared at the unbelievable number, her heart pounding. She looked again at Fujiwara Seiji's retreating figure, her eyes filled with an overwhelming adoration.

……deficit.

Chapter 140 TV Station: We still have TV dramas, we haven't lost yet! (4/4)

-

Chapter 18, Part 1: Variety Showdown

Tanaka Takeshi sat in his office, a glimmer of hope still in his eyes.

Even if our side is in bad shape, we can still survive if our opponent is even worse.

"May a million gods bless me, please let Seiji Fujiwara's show die a horrible death!" Takeshi Tanaka prayed in a low voice, his attitude more sincere than ever before.

At this time.

His assistant rushed over in a panic, his voice trembling: "Producer Tanaka, the ratings for Genesis are out..."

"How much?" Takeshi Tanaka suddenly opened his eyes.

“28.7%…” the assistant said, keeping his head down, not daring to look him in the eye.

"28.7%?"

Upon hearing this, Tanaka Takeshi felt a chill run down his spine, but he still struggled to ask, "Is there a mistake in the data? Is the decimal point misplaced?"

When his assistant confirmed the news again and presented him with a breaking news report from an industry news website, Takeshi Tanaka's face instantly turned from white to pale.

He staggered backward, bumping into the wall behind him: "This...how is this possible? Our program only has 8.3%? They...they have more than three times our rating?!"

His "top producer" aura was shattered at this moment by this number.

"No...it's impossible..." he repeated incoherently, his hands trembling as he covered his face, his voice choked with sobs, "I've been doing variety shows for twenty years...I invited the biggest stars in all of Japan...how could...how could we lose so badly..."

The assistant stood silently to the side.

……

……

In the conference room, the chairman put down his cigar, slowly raised his head, and looked at the secretary who had come to report, her face pale. "Say it again," he said.

His voice was eerily calm. "What were the ratings for Genesis' variety show?"

“28.7%...Chairman.” The secretary’s voice was barely audible.

The chairman's hand visibly trembled, and a long ash from his cigar fell onto his expensive trousers, but he was completely unaware of "107".

"28.7%...and we only have 8.3%?"

He seemed to have all his energy drained away, aging ten years in an instant. "Is this Fujiwara Seiji... really that terrifying..."

In the conference room, the others were also stunned, equally shocked by the viewership data.

The chairman looked around, quickly weighing his options in his mind.

They may have failed in variety shows, but they still have dramas!

And that famous director!

Thinking of this, the chairman took a deep breath and used all his strength to steady his voice: "Pass down the order, block all news about our internal turmoil! To the outside world, say that this is just a test! Put all the publicity resources into the TV series!"

"We absolutely cannot afford to fail with the TV series! If... if the TV series fails too..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but everyone present understood what he meant.

Then everyone should prepare to be doomed!

……

……

The Genesis celebration lasted for a full half hour.

When they learned that their competitor only had an 8.3% viewership rating, everyone was initially shocked, and then erupted in even more enthusiastic cheers.

Seiji Fujiwara simply smiled and said to the minister beside him, "As expected," which earned him a look of worship from the latter, as if he were looking up to a god.

He did not participate in the employees' celebration, but calmly returned to his office, with Kato Megumi following closely behind, making him another cup of hot tea.

Meanwhile, the headquarters of the three major online platforms were also filled with ecstasy.

Kazuya Tsutsumi, Tatsuya Mori, and Kenji Oshima held an emergency three-way video conference. All three were wearing pajamas, but each was holding a glass of champagne.

"Everyone! Look at this data! Our platform's new user growth in just one hour tonight has exceeded the total for the past month!" Tsutsumi Kazuya exclaimed excitedly, his face flushed.

"The advertisers have been calling our business department non-stop! They're waving cash around, begging to advertise during the mid-roll time slot of 'Human Observation'!" Mori Tatsuya couldn't hide his excitement.

"We...we won the bet!" Kenji Oshima exclaimed, overwhelmed with emotion. "Fujiwara-sensei, no, Fujiwara-sama! He is a god of this era!"

The three of them, separated by the screen, downed their champagne in one gulp, their eyes gleaming with boundless anticipation for the future. They immediately decided to pour all of the company's promotional resources into Genesis' upcoming television drama project, determined to achieve a complete victory over the television station!

……

……

That night.

An emergency meeting of the TV alliance was held.

"A crushing defeat! This is an unprecedented defeat!" A senior executive slammed the ratings report onto the table. "That good-for-nothing Tanaka Takeshi! He has utterly disgraced us all!"

“What’s the point of saying all this now?” another senior executive said dejectedly. “Young people don’t even look at what we do anymore. We’ve lost. We’ve lost to the times.”

An atmosphere of despair filled the conference room.

Just then, the TV station chairman, the previously calm old man, slammed his hand on the table, making a loud noise that stunned everyone.

"It's not over yet!" he roared angrily. "Variety shows are just the appetizer! Our real trump card is the drama! It's director Osamu Kitahara!"

"It's the result of decades of accumulated production experience and industry expertise!"

"As long as the TV series wins, we can win back all the face we lost today!"

His words sent a shiver down the spines of everyone present.

Indeed, compared to variety shows, TV dramas are the way to go!

They also have the famous director Osamu Kitahara!

"From now on, cancel all vacations!" The chairman stood up and said in a deep voice, "Put all the publicity budget into Director Kitahara's new drama! We can only win this battle, we cannot lose!"

"Yes!!"

The senior executives in the conference room responded resolutely.

The next day, the TV Alliance issued a statement, stubbornly claiming that "one variety show failure means nothing" and that "TV dramas are the true gold standard for testing production capabilities!"

These defiant remarks immediately sparked a new wave of public opinion.

Some traditional media outlets and old-school critics agreed: "The TV Alliance makes a good point. Variety shows and dramas are indeed two different things. Director Osamu Kitahara's artistic talent is something that a newcomer cannot match."

But many younger viewers responded with merciless mockery online.

"Hilarious! Losing means calling the other person lowbrow. Is that a sore loser?"

"It's supposed to be an art museum, but what if it turns out to be another hypnotic drama?"

"Waiting for Genesis to continue proving us wrong!"

Within Genesis, this statement didn't even cause a ripple.

The head of the film and television department simply projected the news at the morning meeting, gave the employees a contemptuous smile, and said: "Our competitors have started talking nonsense. We don't need to pay attention to the wailing of these losers. Let's focus on doing our own thing."

All the employees burst into knowing laughter, and morale soared like never before.

In their hearts, the war was already over.

All that's left is to watch their own team's victory unfold.

……

……

Osamu Kitahara's secluded villa in Karuizawa.

“Professor Kitahara,” the chairman said, his posture extremely humble, almost bowing, “the television industry today has been turned upside down by a young man who has no sense of respect. Only you, only a pillar of the state like you, can step forward to set things right and defend the dignity and glory of our television drama industry!”

Osamu Kitahara, an elderly man nearing seventy with long, artist-like hair, was leisurely tending to his bonsai. He didn't even turn around to look at them, but simply said, "I haven't touched a camera lens in five years."

The production manager quickly stepped forward, his tone earnest: "Teacher! There's no budget limit, and you can choose any actor you want! As long as you're willing to come out of retirement, the entire television alliance's resources will be tilted towards you! We implore you, for the sake of the 'art' we've dedicated our lives to, wave the flag one last time!"

The word "art" clearly resonated with Osamu Kitahara.

He slowly put down the scissors in his hand, turned around, and a hint of pleasure from being flattered and contempt for the younger generation flashed in his cloudy eyes.

"A mere newcomer who relied on luck to film a fast-food drama dares to compare himself to me in terms of television dramas?" He finally spoke, his voice filled with disdainful arrogance. "Young people these days simply don't understand what art is."

"Fine, since you're so sincere, I'll stretch my muscles and let that kid see the art of television drama!"

"Please, Mr. Kitahara!" The TV station executive was overjoyed and bowed deeply.

In order to allow the director to "better immerse himself in the creative process," the TV station "thoughtfully" arranged for three young, beautiful, and newly debuted third-rate actors to stay in the director's exclusive luxury suite under the guise of "studying the script."

When he saw the three girls standing in front of him, dressed in revealing clothes and smiling radiantly, calling out in unison in a sweet and coquettish voice, "Teacher Kitahara, please give us your guidance," a greedy glint instantly flashed in the cloudy old eyes of this "artist."

"Alright, alright! Everyone stay! We need to discuss the script properly tonight!"

The three young actresses felt a surge of disgust, but their faces still wore sweet and innocent smiles, as if receiving "guidance" from a master was an immense honor for them.

……

……

Controversial interview sparks heated discussion

Soon, the television station arranged a high-profile interview for Osamu Kitahara.