wavenovel Chapters 1330 and 1339, Record Awards? This is practically a sure thing!
Chapters 1330 and 1339, Record Awards? This is practically a sure thing!
Chapters 1330 and 1339, Record Awards? This is practically a sure thing!
In the evening, Suzumi and Shota from the Nakai family had already left the Akagi-in-the-Insider, leaving only a few members of the Nagayama family.
At this moment, Naoki Nagayama was holding Natsuka, looking at a brightly colored picture book. To be precise, it was the little girl looking at the picture book, occasionally sharing it with her father.
"Flowers~~" "Yes, these are flowers!" "Fish~~" "Yes, yes, fish. Carp are swimming in the water here."
Akina, standing nearby, was knitting something that looked like an apron while watching the heartwarming scene between the father and daughter, occasionally speaking up.
"Suzumi-san and Shota went to Lake Toya to relax in the hot springs. They'll probably go straight back to Tokyo afterward."
Akina said,
"Naoki-san, how's the process of getting into the United Nations going?"
"We're already in contact with them~"
Naoki Nagayama, who was filming a movie, couldn't handle this personally, so he asked Shuichi Itō, who had extensive connections in international organizations, to help him make contact.
"Even if you want to donate, there are procedures and channels required. But there shouldn't be too much resistance."
It's just about getting someone into the organization; it's not about seizing power or monitoring people. They can bring a lot of resources and connections with the Tokyo Film Association. Who wouldn't want that?!
You know, some companies become more and more successful the more connections they have, because those connections can bring resources and networks!
"But if we want to send them to New York, we'll have to wait until at least the end of the year."
"It's good that you can go."
Akina nodded with relief. She had talked a lot with Suzumi Nakai a couple of days ago. Suzumi was also very helpless about having to separate from Genta Nakai, and was very worried about Genta Nakai's current situation.
If it were Naoki-san who was stranded in a foreign country, Akina would definitely be unable to resist flying to his side immediately.
"Naoki-san, we've been staying at Abeyooin for over a week now."
Akina changed the subject.
"When are you going back to Yama-oka-in?"
"Oh?" Naoki Nagayama was somewhat surprised. "Is Akainu already bored?"
“It’s not boring.” Akina shook her head. “But my record award is going to be shortlisted, so I still need to go to rehearse.”
"Oh, I forgot!"
It's already the last month of the year, and the festive atmosphere for the Lunar New Year is starting to get stronger.
In addition to year-end promotional activities on the streets, year-end programs on major TV stations have also begun to appear on screens, and people's discussions have turned to topics such as where to spend the New Year and where to go for fun.
Meanwhile, the most famous year-end events in the entertainment industry, the Japan Record Awards and the Kohaku Uta Gassen, are being prepared in full swing.
Akina declined the invitation to the Kohaku Uta Gassen this time, but the Japan Record Awards is an important event!
"Akina's 'The Lost Ship' will definitely win the grand prize this time!"
Naoki Nagayama said to his wife with a smile.
I would never withdraw from a competition on my own and let some clueless guy take away my chance to create a music history record!
"Well... Hanami-san said the chances are still pretty good~"
"Haha, even Hanami-san said so, so there's definitely no problem!"
Naoki Nagayama put down Natsuka and hugged Akina.
"From now on, she'll be the Triple Crown Queen, Akina-sama!"
"How could I say that~" Akina blushed a little when she heard such an embarrassing nickname. "It's just a record."
Xia Hua, standing nearby, glanced at her parents, a little confused. Although she didn't understand what they were saying, they clearly seemed very happy, so she grinned and smiled too.
"Haha, look, Hua Jiang is happy too!"
After playing around for a while, Akina finally spoke:
"Then we'll head back to Tokyo in a couple of days."
"Okay, let's go back then." Naoki Nagayama nodded. "I'll still come back every day anyway."
It's just a matter of a private jet turning around!
Inside the Fuji Television building.
Sugiura Daiyasu, who hadn't been seen for a long time, was communicating with the production team about the year-end program planning. The usual large-scale galas and such had already been arranged, and they wanted something fresh.
"Year-end review programs are already a regular occurrence."
Daiyasu Sugiura was drawing key points on the small blackboard.
"However, it's still very difficult to come up with something new. And this year, we can't take stock of current affairs."
If we were to review major political events, we would inevitably have to mention the Recruit bribery scandal, the stock market crash, and the prime minister's resignation—all negative news that would put immense pressure on television stations!
"How about we take stock of the most popular songs?"
Satsuki Kawamura suggested,
"This should be the easiest to handle!"
"This has already been taken care of by the 'Night Hit' program team!" Sugiura Daiyasu shook his head. "'Night Hit' is the most important program in the music industry."
“How about,” Nishirumi suggested, “we compile a list of the most popular TV dramas?”
Movies are out of the question; authoritative magazines like Kinema Junpo will definitely handle that. But for television, TV dramas are a good option!
"There's very little material available for TV dramas."
There are only four or five TV dramas a year at most, how can that possibly fill the length of a program!
“How about,” Nishirumi continued, “we take stock of the new generation of entertainers in the entertainment industry!!!”
"Singer, actor, idol."
"Invite the celebrities who have become wildly popular this year to make a show!"
"No matter what the format of the program is, it will definitely be very attractive!"
After Nishirumi finished speaking, Sugiura Daiyasu and the others pondered the idea and immediately realized it was a good one.
New generation artists are certainly not too difficult to invite, and they are precisely at the stage where they need exposure. TV stations also want a fresh kind of program.
So everyone started speaking up and discussing it.
"So what kind of program will you be hosting?"
"Reality shows, of course, reality shows are definitely the most popular."
"For newcomers, the conflict might be a bit more intense."
"How about a team-based competition?"
"Game competition?"
As they chatted back and forth, the outline of a variety show gradually emerged, and it was no longer limited to the year-end project; it even showed a trend of developing into a top variety show for the new year.
"So, good ideas are all stumbled upon!"
Sugiura Daiyasu had a satisfied expression on his face. This variety show was innovative and funny, and had a very good prospect.
However, there are still some shortcomings in the specific form.
"Everyone, that's all for today. Everyone, please think about it when you get back, and feel free to share any good ideas you have."
Hi~ XN
As the people in the meeting room slowly dispersed, and only the more familiar, long-time employees remained, Nishirumi brought it up:
"Big Tai-san, Akimoto-san is probably the most familiar with this kind of reality show format, right? Could we ask him to be the director?"
"Hmm," Sugiura Daiyasu nodded, "But he's already exhausted from producing the 'Fighting' program all by himself, so he probably won't have the time."
One of the hottest offline competitive reality shows right now, attracting a huge amount of attention.
"Should we find someone else?"
"We don't necessarily have to find someone else. If the program format is right, our station's producers are fine too."
Sugiura Daiyasu looked at the preliminary design in his hand.
"It's just a matter of formalities; we need to have someone with discerning eyes take a look."
"Akimoto-san?"
“We don’t need someone who knows more about reality shows!” Sugiura Daiyasu looked at Nishirumi. “I heard that Akimoto Yasushi’s variety show was inspired by Naoki-san?!”
"Naoki-san?!" Nishirumi exclaimed in surprise. "But isn't Naoki-san busy filming a movie right now? And he hasn't watched any variety shows in a long time!"
"Who said that? The second season of 'Neon Voices' that Tree Friends is currently producing was proposed by Naoki-san, wasn't it?"
Sugiura Daiyasu's eyes glanced at Nishirumi.
"As for whether Naoki-san is busy or not, that depends on you, Nishirumi!"
"."
Nishirumi immediately sensed someone's ill intentions.
"I knew you had ulterior motives, Tai-san, but there really is nothing between me and Naoki-san!"
"Everyone knows Fuji TV, Nishirumi, you managed to get Naoki-san here!"
"That's because I happened to be the one who hosted Naoki-san when he first came to Fuji!"
Nishirumi shook her head repeatedly.
"The next few times were all about Shuyou's business. You have his phone number, Da Tai-san!"
"We really didn't have any private contact!"
Sugiura Daiyasu's tone was firm:
"Nishimi, I know you're a good girl!"
"You won't seduce Naoki-san, and with your beauty, you wouldn't be able to seduce him anyway!"
"."
Nishirumi's expression changed instantly, followed by the words, "No, thank you!"
"But!"
Sugiura Daiyasu's expression changed.
"But as the person who communicated directly with Naoki-san, you never made a mistake and completed the task very well!"
"So don't let this core competency fail!"
"."
An angry cross appeared on Nishirumi's forehead. Could it be that my core competitive advantage is being able to contact Naoki-san?!
"Okay. I know Naoki-san is very busy."
Sugiura Daiyasu felt that if he continued to provoke her, the woman in front of him might explode, so he quickly said...
"However, he'll definitely be there for the opening ceremony of 'Neon Voice' Season 2. I'll just ask him to take a look at the proposal when he has some free time; there shouldn't be any problem."
"After all, Naoki-san is a shareholder of Fuji Television!"
"."
Nishirumi took a few deep breaths to compose herself and forced a professional smile.
"Okay, I'll contact Naoki-san (as for whether he comes or not, that's not my concern!)"
"Mmm, I'm rooting for you!"
At the headquarters of the Japan Composers Association in Minato Ward, members of the Japan Record Awards committee are discussing the final winner of the grand prize.
"In terms of sales and brand awareness, Akina Nakamori has a significant advantage with 'Blond' in the first half of the year and 'Nanpasen' in the second half!"
Judge Yusei Kono, puffing on a cigarette, had a slight frown on his face.
"But if we award her the record award again this year, she'll have a three-peat!"
"This is unprecedented in the history of the China Record Awards."
"She's a strong contender for a three-peat!"
The other judges nodded in agreement. This was like how it was almost impossible to get a perfect score on a college entrance exam essay; it was practically an unspoken rule.
"But... no one else's songs or popularity can surpass hers!"
There's no way around it; Akina Nakamori is just too popular, plus she even performed on stage with Michael Jackson in the second half of the year.
"Really... Even after getting married, it hasn't affected you at all?"
The older Fujimoto Yuzo was clearly a chauvinist.
"After marriage, a woman should be a good wife and mother; why should she go out in public?"
The other judges remained noncommittal; they were all self-aware enough not to interfere in Akina Nakamori's life.
However, the judging panel was still somewhat cautious about awarding her the grand prize. After much discussion, one judge finally offered an opinion:
"The song 'The Broken Ship' has indeed received a lot of support, and the performance was excellent; the Gold Award is a sure thing."
"However, this song has some flaws in terms of originality, as it has already been released!"
"I think we might be able to use this to keep her out of the record awards!"
"Hmm." "This..." "It's against the rules~" "Would you like to reconsider?"
Different voices immediately rang out in the conference room. These people hadn't spoken up when they were criticizing the Triple Crown winner, but they had all been persuaded by Ken-on and still supported Nakamori Akina.
In the end, it was still the jury chairman, Koji Ishikawa, president of the Composers' Association, who spoke out sternly:
"The authority of the record awards should not be lost because of unspoken rules like the triple crown. What we should look at is the quality of the songs themselves."
"Even if we don't choose Akina Mori's 'The Shipwrecked', there must be an undeniable reason!"
"You know, once the authority is lost, no one will care about the record awards anymore!"
After Koji Ishikawa's remarks, the judges resumed their discussion, but this time, the focus was more on the album itself.
"Matsuda Seiko's 'Strawberry Time' also sold quite well." "But it's still just a sweet song, nothing special."
"And what about GENJI's 'STAR LIGHT'? Its sales are also quite good."
"However, there are too many male idol groups in Johnny's Entertainment, and their styles are all very similar."
"And what about Gijima's *Snow Country*? Sales are very strong!"
"Enka... it's so unoriginal!"
Teresa Teng's "Farewell Premonition" has a huge influence!
"After all, we're not Japanese."
One by one, songs were proposed, and then rejected. It seems that, apart from Akina Nakamori, everyone else who received the award at this year's Record Awards had some flaws.
After arguing for an entire afternoon without reaching a conclusion, they finally decided to wait until the preliminary rounds to see the live performances before making a judgment.
"Isn't Akina Nakamori pregnant? Her performance definitely won't be perfect."
After the meeting, the chairman of the jury, Koji Ishikawa, was invited to a club in Roppongi.
"President Ishikawa, it's been a long time."
In the cubicle, there was another person who surprised Koji Ishikawa: Kitagawa Mary.
"Marilyn and this is Kondo?"
"It's been a long time since I've sent my greetings."
The thin, pale Masahiko Kondo obediently greeted them. This male idol hadn't appeared in public for a long time.
If it weren't for her remaining fans, her status as a senior figure in Johnny's Entertainment, and some pity from Mary, this former top idol might have long since faded into obscurity. She's now practically on the verge of retirement.
"Marie-san, what's this?"
Koji Ishikawa looked at Mary Kitagawa, who was actually in charge, with some surprise.
"Oh, it's nothing. Kondo is just a cover; I can't let anyone know that it was me looking for you."
Kitagawa Mary gestured to ignore the guy and began exchanging pleasantries with Ishikawa Koji. Then they started clinking glasses and drinking.
Kondo Masahiko could only serve him like a servant, pouring him wine from time to time.
After they had drunk their fill, Kitagawa Mary revealed her true purpose:
"The reason we invited you here is actually for GENJI's debut song, 'STAR LIGHT.' What do you think?"
"Uh..." Koji Ishikawa took a sip of water to calm himself down. "This song is very popular, and it sold very well."
"Ishikawa-san"
Kitagawa Mary didn't try to hide it much.
"Johnny's Entertainment wants this song to receive some recognition within the industry."
"Oh, I see."
Lobbying is something Ishikawa Koji has done countless times. You should have said so earlier!
"Winning the STAR LIGHT Newcomer Award is definitely a certainty!"
"What if we want to go further?"
Kitagawa Mary continued,
"Ishikawa-san, Johnny's would be very grateful if you could help with this!"
"This"
"Isn't even a Newcomer Award enough?" Koji Ishikawa gasped. "Does a newcomer really want a Gold Award for their very first song?!"
"Please, Mr. Ishikawa, do be sure to help me."
At Kitagawa's signal, Kondo took out a gift box from the side. Ishikawa Koji took it and his heart skipped a beat. Judging by the weight, there must be at least ten million inside!
You should know that even as the president of the Composers' Association, he only earns around ten million a year at most.
"How can this be?"
Koji Ishikawa opened the door a crack, and then spoke hesitantly.
"It will cause controversy if a newcomer wins a gold award right after their debut!"
“Actually,” Kitagawa Mary lowered her voice, “what we’re hoping for is the Grand Prize!”
"??!!!"
This statement surprised even the experienced Koji Ishikawa!
"What? Newcomers? You want them to win the Grand Prix right away?!"
"Yes! Winning the Newcomer Award was expected; there's nothing surprising about it."
Kitagawa Mary's expression was somewhat distorted.
"If GENJI can win the Grand Prize on his debut, then he will definitely cause a sensation and become the king of idols!"
"A gold award, even a minor outrageous one, might cause controversy, but when it comes to the Grand Prize for Recording, others can only look up to it!"
Johnny's Entertainment has actually spent a fortune on this countless times. Masahiko Kondo's first album sold a million copies, even more than Momoe Yamaguchi at her peak. Who doesn't know the tricks behind this?!
This is just another process of spending money to buy fame!
"Aren't you afraid that Genji will get caught in a media storm?! They'll be torn to shreds by the criticism!"
"Hehe, judging from the previous actions of the tree friend, it's clear that being scolded is no big deal!"
Kitagawa Mary looked very serious.
"Popularity, buzz, and exposure are the lifeblood of an artist."
"Whether it's negative or positive publicity, I just want to expose it!!!"
"."
Koji Ishikawa was shocked by this insane way of thinking. He could only stammer,
"But even if I agree, the other judges will object!"
"I'll give them a reason they can't refuse!" said Mari Kitagawa, confidently.
It's just spending money!
Johnny's is rich!
Masahiko Kondo, who stood silently with his head down, had eyes full of jealousy.
If Naoki Nagayama hadn't banned him from participating in one of the three major music programs, "Music Station," and hadn't also prohibited other artists from sharing the stage with him, then he should be the idol that Johnny's is promoting right now!
He should have been the winner of the record award!
He already has far less exposure from the start, how could he possibly compete with others? He's not an exceptionally talented artist!
Damn it, that bastard Naoki Nagayama, why can't he just leave me alone?
(End of this chapter)