Chapter 18: Everyone’s Despair
Seeing this number, Yamamoto’s tense nerves instantly relaxed, and he let out a long sigh of relief.
1.75%!
In the late-night slot, this number, while not the bottom, was definitely a mediocre-to-low level. For a brand-new proposal, this was a quite terrible start.
“Sure enough, it’s garbage.”
A trace of contemptuous sneer appeared at the corner of Yamamoto’s mouth. He quickly compiled this data into a concise briefing and sent it to Deputy Director Takada’s private email.
After doing all this, he felt he had completely completed the task.
Since he had already boarded Deputy Director Takada’s ship, he must stick to it until the end. Kiyoto Suzuki and that so-called 《An Shizhi》 were destined to become sacrifices in the factional struggle between the deputy director and Asumi.
……
The next morning, Toshihide Takada woke up in his luxurious apartment overlooking Tokyo City.
While sipping the coffee his secretary had prepared early, he opened his computer and browsed the briefings for last night’s work.
When he saw the report on 《An Shizhi》 sent by Yamamoto, the corners of his mouth involuntarily curved up, revealing a mocking smile.
1.75%.
As expected.
He even found it somewhat amusing that he had felt a twinge of palpitation and unease in his heart last night when watching the animation.
It was just a petty trick that couldn’t stand up to scrutiny. In the face of absolute resources and channels, no matter how ingenious the creativity, it couldn’t make any waves.
Asumi, oh Asumi, your move was wrong from the very start.
In a great mood, Toshihide Takada even ate an extra piece of toast.
Meanwhile, Masao Iwata, who was driving to the television station, also received a text forwarded by Deputy Director Takada’s secretary.
Seeing the number “1.75%”, he nearly floored the accelerator, causing the car to lurch forward sharply.
“Hahahaha!”
He laughed wildly in the car, his laughter filled with arrogance and triumph.
“I knew it! For that piece of junk, even 1.75% ratings is a disgrace to the television station! Kiyoto Suzuki, you old stubborn fool, let’s see how you die this time!”
Just then, his mobile phone beeped again—it was a message from Yamamoto in the Screening Department.
“Section Chief Iwata, your 《Oni-bō Samurai》 has been scheduled. Monday at 10:00 PM, broadcast on time!”
Boom!
This news was like the strongest stimulant injected into Masao Iwata!
10 PM! Monday late-night prime time slot!
This was top-tier resources second only to the prime 8 PM slot!
Using his meticulously produced show, invested at two million per episode, in the prime time slot to crush a shoddy slideshow invested at less than 100,000 and aired in a garbage time slot?
Did it even need comparing?
Masao Iwata felt he had already won, won completely! He could almost see himself promoted to second-class director, treading Suzuki’s Classroom and those paupers underfoot in glory.
……
Nine o’clock in the morning, Suzuki’s Classroom.
Everyone had arrived at the office early. A night’s rest hadn’t fully dispelled the fatigue on their faces, but everyone’s eyes sparkled with expectation and nervousness.
The air was eerily quiet, with only the sound of the old air conditioner’s airflow.
Finally, the classroom door was pushed open, and Ichiro Hashishita walked in with a report freshly printed from the Statistics Department, his face grim.
All eyes instantly focused on him.
“Hashishita… how is it?” Kiyoto Suzuki’s voice was somewhat dry.
Ichiro Hashishita swallowed hard, placed the thin sheet of paper on the table, and said in a tone almost like a death sentence: “Premiere ratings… 1.75%.”
This number was like a basin of ice water poured over everyone’s heads, instantly extinguishing all the flames in their hearts.
The office was dead silent.
1.75%……
Everyone knew what this number meant.
Failure! Utter failure!
According to Tokyo Television Station’s internal regulations, if a new proposal’s ratings remained in this dismal state for a full week, it would be immediately axed and taken off the air!
Had they fought tooth and nail for a week just to get this result?
“How could it… how could it be so low…” Hoshi Minamimura muttered to himself, his face pale.
“We’re done for… we’re done for…” Roji Hase slumped dejectedly into his chair.
Yō Kitagawa’s eyes instantly reddened. She bit her lip hard to keep the tears from falling, but the immense disappointment and grievance could not be suppressed.
Kiyoto Suzuki stared at the report, feeling the world spinning before his eyes. He could almost see the mocking faces of Toshihide Takada and Masao Iwata, feeling that all his years of persistence had become a joke.
You know, in the late-night early morning slot, most ratings couldn’t be high due to audiences sleeping.
They only fluctuated between 1.5% and 2.0%.
But 1.75% ratings was indeed a relatively low level among previously produced early morning films and animated films!
The horror reality show that was originally supposed to air at 20 minutes past midnight this week, which he took over, had 1.79% ratings on the first day.
But the ratings dropped every day after.
By Sunday, the ratings had already reached 0.9%.
The program was directly axed.
Not allowed to continue broadcasting.
Then their 《An Shizhi》 took over.
So this was why everyone felt so bitter and grief-stricken. Even the previous proposal project with 1.79% ratings had ended so miserably.
So how could they possibly do better?
“Everyone!”
In this despairing dead silence, a calm and powerful voice rang out again through the entire classroom.
“This is just the first day.”
Everyone lifted their heads in unison, looking toward the source of the voice.
Hiroshi Nohara.
He still stood there, his face showing no dejection or disappointment, his eyes clear and resolute.
He walked to the front of the crowd, his gaze sweeping over every ashen face.
“Our broadcast time is 20 minutes past midnight. This time slot itself dooms our ratings to not be high. This 1.75% is the result achieved under the worst conditions.”
“After all, no one knew we replaced the previous proposal project’s horror reality show. They still thought it was that reality show on Monday, so it’s normal that no one watched.”
He paused, his voice growing even more resounding and forceful.
“But don’t forget what our work is! It’s 《An Shizhi》! Its weapon has never been premiere ratings, but word-of-mouth! Person-to-person transmission!”
“Last night, that 1.75% audience was the first batch of seeds we scattered! Today, they will bring terror and curiosity to ten times, a hundred times more people around them! Believe me, starting from tonight, everything will be different!”
His words were like a beam of light, splitting open the gloom hanging over everyone’s hearts.
Yes, Nohara-kun is right!
Their animation was unique!
Looking at this eternally confident young person before them, the hearts of the crowd, which had sunk to the bottom, miraculously reignited a spark of hope.
Kiyoto Suzuki looked at Hiroshi Nohara, and light burst forth once more in his turbid eyes.
Right! It’s not time to give up yet!
The battle has only just begun!
