novelraw Chapter 40: Breaking 6%!
Chapter 40: Breaking 6%!
Wednesday, 'Nitto Shimbun', 'Yomiuri Shimbun'...
Those pieces of paper scrutinized by countless pairs of eyes in commuter trains, at this moment were like declarations of war splashed with ink. On the entertainment pages, using the largest fonts and the most magnificent rhetoric, a deafening song of triumph was played for that animation named 'Onibo Samurai'.
In the photo, Iwata Masao stood shoulder to shoulder with that quite prestigious Matsumoto Da-sensei, smiling so confidently as if they had already secured the entire month of April in advance.
What was even more blinding was that in the crevices of these voluminous psalms of praise, there would always inadvertently appear a few "objective evaluations" regarding 'Yamishibai' carrying contempt and pity.
"...Rough art style, simple production, relying on cheap jump scares to grab attention, ultimately difficult to attain elegance."
"...A flash in the pan of the late-night slot will ultimately reveal its petty nature in front of a true monumental masterpiece."
"Bastards!"
In the Suzuki Section, Minamura Hoshi slammed a fist on the desk. That young face flushed red, full of anger from being publicly humiliated: "What is this? Stepping on us to climb up? Too despicable!"
"This is no longer promotion, this is a personal attack!" Haseji Kakeru also trembled with anger.
Suzuki Kiyoto's complexion was as gloomy as the sky before a rainstorm arrives.He stared fixedly at Iwata Masao's smug face in the newspaper. That dignity belonging to an old-school producer was thoroughly ignited by this naked slander. He stood up abruptly and said in a deep voice: "I'll go find him! These underhanded methods are simply the shame of us television people!"
"Section Chief."
A calm voice, like a cup of clear tea, doused the anger about to start a prairie fire in this office.
At some unknown time, Nohara Hiroshi had stood up from the corner. He walked in front of Suzuki Kiyoto, gently pressed his shoulder, and shook his head.
"No need to go."
He picked up that newspaper, his gaze sweeping across those caustic words, but the corners of his mouth curved into a playful arc: "Look, the more viciously they scold, the more they tie us and 'Onibo Samurai' together. Tokyo audiences have the heaviest curiosity. They will think, what kind of 'garbage' is it really that warrants the newspaper expending so much effort to step on it?"
"So they will also come watch 'Yamishibai' to see how terrible it is. But once they come, can they really escape? Once they realize they've been deceived, they will counterattack with fury!"
He paused. Within those clear eyes sparkled an almost eerie light that saw through human nature.
"Traffic from smearing is also traffic, anti-fans are also fans. Sometimes, curses spread faster than praises."
He gently put the newspaper back on the desk, turned and returned to his seat, taking out another thick stack of manuscripts from his bag. That was the just-completed opening of the Dark Tournament for "YuYu Hakusho".
He carefully placed the drafts into a special envelope, preparing to send them to Editor Tadokoro at Shueisha.
The crowd watched his unhurriedness, that calmness seemingly staying out of the affair, and the anger in their hearts surprisingly miraculously settled down somewhat.
Sure enough, Nohara Hiroshi's prophecy was verified with an almost eerie precision in the following few days.
Wednesday, the ninth episode of 'Yamishibai', 'Curse', broadcasted. The viewership rating broke through the 5% threshold in one fell swoop, reaching 5.02%.
However, the brief cheers in the office were quickly shrouded by the shadow brought by another report—'Onibo Samurai' second episode, 5.68%.
Thursday, 'Yamishibai' tenth episode 'Moon', 5.22%. 'Onibo Samurai', 5.89%.
Friday, 'Yamishibai' eleventh episode 'Video Tape', 5.35%. 'Onibo Samurai', 6.07%!
Iwata Masao's promotional offensive regardless of cost was like a fierce flood and savage beast, sweeping along massive capital power to forcibly push the viewership rating of 'Onibo Samurai' to a new peak.
Inside TV Tokyo, the winds also began to quietly shift. The sounds of blowing up 'Onibo Samurai' were endless, while the miracle of 'Yamishibai' was gradually painted as an accidental "good luck".
In the Suzuki Section, that newly ignited fire of hope was compressed by these cold statistics until only a faint flicker remained.
The air became oppressive again.
Everyone seemed to be holding their breath underwater, working silently.
They knew the first season of 'Yamishibai' only had the last two episodes remaining. And the end of this month was also right before their eyes.
That 'Ichiban' title symbolizing glory, as well as the project approval determining whether 'Yamishibai' could have a second season, hung like sharp swords over their heads.
Only Nohara Hiroshi remained as calm as usual.
He seemingly completely didn't care about that clamor from the outside world. Only occasionally, in the gaps between manuscripts, he would raise his head to glance at that sky outside the window shattered by reinforced concrete, his eyes profound to the point no one could understand.
Saturday's early morning arrived quieter than usual days.
A silence seemingly like destiny approaching permeated the office. Everyone arrived very early, yet merely sat silently in their seats, awaiting the arrival of that final judgment.
'Bang—!'
However, at this time, the section's door was violently crashed open by a massive force.
Hashishita Ichiro rushed in.
Suzuki Kiyoto was sitting outside at this time. Looking at Hashishita Ichiro violently pushing in, a very rude action, he couldn't help but frown and say: "Hashishita, you are being too rude!"
"Section Chief! Section Chief!"
But Hashishita Ichiro completely ignored it. He waved that thin report in his hand. That action wasn't like waving a piece of paper, but like waving a flag soaked in blood and glory just seized back from enemy positions!
His typically steady face was currently covered in ecstasy and madness. He wanted to speak, but his throat could only emit "hoarse" sounds like a bellows.
He merely slammed that report heavily, using all his strength, onto the desk in front of Suzuki Kiyoto.
Then as if finally recovering.
Panting heavily, he said loudly: "Look at this! Look at this viewership rating!" Hashishita Ichiro's voice was distorted!
"What's wrong?! Hashishita-kun, did you discover something?!"
"Or is there some situation?!"
The crowd gathered around, but upon seeing the statistics on it, everyone's hearts seemed to stop beating at this moment.
"Late-night animation 'Yamishibai', twelfth episode viewership rating..." Hashishita Ichiro finally caught his breath, using a voice almost carrying a crying tone to read out that number sufficient to overturn everything:
"6.01%!"
Boom!
6.01%!
From 5.35% to 6.01%! Overnight, it skyrocketed like a miracle!
In the office, first there was a deathly silence, and then, that emotion suppressed for several days that almost drove people mad erupted with a roar like a volcano!
"Won! We won!" Minamura Hoshi and Haseji Kakeru muttered to themselves.
But Hashishita Ichiro shook his head. He used an even more violently trembling hand to point at another name on the report.
"No... not only won..."
His voice carried an unparalleled shock akin to witnessing a deity descend.
"'Onibo Samurai'... their viewership rating dropped from 6.07% to... 5.87%!"
A counterattack!
At the final juncture, in the most imaginable way, a counterattack was made!
That seemingly indestructible capital barrier, that overwhelming promotional flood, the final... collapsed in front of the bone-deep, soul-striking terrifying charm of 'Yamishibai'.
Looking at that number, Suzuki Kiyoto felt as if he had become twenty years younger. He turned his head, looking towards that corner, that young man who from start to finish had merely watched all this quietly.
And Nohara Hiroshi merely put down his pen, smiled faintly meeting everyone's gaze.
He knew audiences' patience was limited.
Flashy packaging ultimately couldn't conceal the emptiness of the core. When that novelty originating from cultural barriers faded, what remained was only boredom after aesthetic fatigue.
Whereas fear, especially that fear originating from everyday life, originating from oneself, would act like aged wine; the more it was savored, the more potent it became.
Instead, it was his tacit acknowledgment of those anti-fans and smearing traffic that attracted a large batch of audiences.
Then these audiences became free organic promoters.
Turned from anti-fans to fans.
Ultimately...
Achieved this!
"However, I'm also curious, how did the viewership rating surge so high?" Nohara Hiroshi actually also had some doubts in his heart.
After all, 'Yamishibai' broadcasting in the early hours of Saturday, because many people rest on Saturdays, so they had time to curiously see exactly how it was.
And 'Yamishibai - Final Episode - Pain Possesses the Body' broadcasted by himself on Saturday was also the most climactic type among urban legends.
It could certainly attract many audiences.
But he didn't expect this attracted viewership rating to be too terrifying, right?