It’s just that the things they sell are different. of course. In addition to anime culture, Akihabara also has another label, which is an idol mecca. There have been three idol crazes in Japan. One was in the 1970s and 1980s, when there was a worldwide music craze and idols emerged with the music craze. The idols of this period were no different from singers, except that they were more approachable and had lower airs. Teresa Teng can be regarded as the most famous idol female star of that period. Not long after the first idol wave, Japan encountered a major economic boom. Then came the idol winter. The idols of this period were basically in a state of stray dogs, and could only pick up the scraps from the entertainment industry. It was not until the collapse of the bubble economy that idols, a cheap entertainment product, began to revive. Then came the second idol boom, and this time the model changed. Idols were no longer about being perfect or admirable, but instead had their own characteristics and some minor flaws, allowing fans to witness their growth.
Then, after the millennium, came the third generation of idols led by AKB. An idol you can "meet" and shake hands with. In 2010, Akihabara, Japan, gained a new landmark building. That is the AKB Theater located on the eighth floor of the Don Quixote store building. ---Small dividing line--- AKB Theater office reception area. This reception area is different from that of other Japanese companies. It is an independent small room with a bar and sofas. There are also dedicated waiters. Often the waiters here are AKB's trainees. On the one hand, most of these girls will become official members in the future, and they can use this opportunity to get to know more people in the industry. Secondly, since we are using these trainees as waiters, there is no need to pay them extra wages, right? "Would you like anything to eat?" A girl in uniform was preparing dessert for Ping Qingshan. Her movements were very skillful and it was obvious that she had been here for a long time. "No need to prepare anything, I'll wait for others." Ping Qingshan smiled slightly, then looked at the girl and added. "Your name is Mizutani Eri? Is that right?" "Hey! Do you know me?" The girl named Mizutani Eri looked up in surprise. Although she didn't know Ping Qingshan, she knew that the guests who could come here were all of extraordinary status. It's natural to feel a little surprised when your name is called suddenly.
"I heard your name mentioned by the theater manager." "Eh~ Really?" Mizutani Eri was obviously surprised by Hira Kiyoshige's friendliness. She didn't know how to respond. After saying a few words, she returned to the bar. In fact, Ping Qingshan was also surprised. He did know this girl, but not through some theater manager. Instead, he had read an Idolmaster magazine in his previous life which contained a profile of this girl. I just glanced at it in my previous life, but when I saw the name tag on the girl’s chest, it came back to me instantly. The idol industry in this world is actually very strange. With so many idol groups in Japanese comics in the past, one or two of them should be popular, but in fact, in this world, the most popular one is still AKB. Before coming, he made some special investigation. The focus was on the classic characters in the two IPs, The Idolmaster and LoveLive, and then a surprising conclusion was drawn. These girls are now scattered among various schools. There is very little information on the Internet, and the names of these girls can only be found in some school activities. Especially LoveLive. This world simply doesn't have the capital to organize idol selection activities like LoveLive School Idol. Therefore, the two groups under the big IP LoveLive, μ's and Liella!, do not exist at all, but those familiar names, Honoka Kousaka, Kotori Minami, and Koko Tang, do exist. But at this moment they are all ordinary female high school students. The characters in The Idolmaster are more scattered; some have already started working, while others have joined existing idol groups. It's the same with Eri Mizutani. When Ping Qingshan found this information, his first reaction was: What kind of movie is this? If they just gathered these girls together to form a girl group, wouldn't they just kill people all over the world? But after thinking about it, I decided to put this plan aside for the time being. Not to mention that his cheap dad is still waiting for his movie to become a hit. Moreover, in Japan, a girl group cannot be successful just because the girls have the ability. I don’t have a certain status or connections in the entertainment industry. It's really hard to become popular. If the movie "Battle Royale" becomes popular, Ping Qingshan can give it a try, but for now, forget it. After chatting with Mizutani Eri for a few more words, a thin man with curly hair hurried in. "Shan-kun! Long time no see." Everyone has his own network of relationships. This smiling man is Ping Qingshan's friend.
Or to put it another way, this is the friend of Ping Qingshan's body. His name is Kitagawa Kenji, and like Hei Seisan, he is also a second-generation. However, his father is not from Dentsu, but Sony's managing director Naoki Kitagawa. In other words, he is the son of Sony Music. As for why this son of Sony Music works as an assistant producer at AKB Theater, that is another story. Kitagawa Naoki and Hira Seishi's father have a good relationship. It was thanks to this relationship that Ping Qingshan was able to gain absolute say in the crew, so Ping Qingshan attached great importance to maintaining the relationship with Kitagawa Kenji. Kenji Kitagawa is already 30 years old this year, but he still looks like a young man in his twenties. Although his face looks a bit wretched, he is dressed very decently. Clothes make the man. No matter how shabby you are, once you put on a branded suit, you can still look elegant overall. "It's been a long time since we last met. How are you? How are you doing recently?" Since they have been friends for "many years", Ping Qingshan did not say any extra polite words. Chapter 35: Ambitious Mizutani Eri brought two more cups of cappuccino to the two of them, and Ping Qingshan politely said thank you. Kitagawa Kenji frowned, opened his mouth to say something to Mizutani Eri, glanced at Ping Qingshan, and finally took the coffee. "Which aspect are you talking about?" "Every aspect." Ping Qingshan stirred the hot drink in the cup with a small silver spoon. "It's okay, but to be honest, I'm still a little embarrassed about my identity here, unlike you. I heard you're going to make a movie?" Kenji Kitagawa also stirred his coffee. "Well, it's already been decided. The script has been written, but we're still short of actors, so I came here to see if I can find some suitable people from you." Ping Qingshan put down his coffee cup and took out his script from his bag and pushed it in front of Kitagawa Kenji. "Are you really going to find actors from us? I'm telling you, those girls don't have any acting skills." Kitagawa Ken took the script while smiling. Ping Qingshanzhi planned to find someone from AKB, more for taking advantage of the situation. Japan in 2010. AKB48 can be said to be at its peak, but it has little presence in film and television. However, Hira Kiyosugi was very clear that AKB had appeal at that time. And in two years, this appeal will allow these girls in AKB who have no acting skills to appear on a large scale in TV dramas and movies. Its essence.
It is somewhat similar to the success of China's TFBOY. Of course, the core is different. AKB's success is mainly due to its huge number of fans, while TFBOY also has a lot of capital factors. In addition, Battle Royale itself is an ensemble drama, so there is absolutely no problem in stuffing a few idols into it. And even if the acting is poor, there are only a few shots for one person, and these problems can be eliminated through polishing. Of course, Ping Qingshan would definitely not tell these things to Kitagawa Kenji. The purpose of his trip was to meet that man. "Since you said so, I will naturally help you, but this matter still needs to be decided by Mr. Akimoto Yasushi." "Of course, I'm here to look for him, but I'm not very familiar with Mr. Akimoto Yasushi, so I need you to introduce me to him." Ping Qingshan nodded. Kenji Kitagawa was also very decisive and did what he said. Soon we arrived at the office area on the 5th floor. In an office on the left. Ping Qingshan met the famous fat man. Just like the image in his mind, Akimoto Yasushi was a fat man wearing black-framed glasses and a black suit. He was not tall but very plump, with short middle-parted hair and a big head that made his shoulders look very narrow. It was indeed Higashiaki. Ping Qingshan recognized this "Father of AKB" at a glance. "Hello, Mr. Akimoto!" "Oh, you're Ping Qing Yinan's son, Ping Qingshan, right? I know you. Please sit down, please sit down." Akimoto Yasushi naturally didn't know Ping Qingshan, but he knew Ping Qingshan's father. In other words, most people who have reached a certain status in the Japanese entertainment industry know Ping Qingshan's father, and Ping Qingshan has long been accustomed to being called the son of XX. After sitting down, Ping Qingshan didn't beat around the bush and repeated what he had just said to Kitagawa Kenji. "Is that so?" After listening to Ping Qingshan's purpose. Akimoto Yasushi perked up instantly. As mentioned before, 2010 was the year when AKB just started to shine, but the status of AKB members in the entertainment industry has never been improved. In the mainstream entertainment circle, let alone movies, even TV dramas and larger variety shows rarely involve AKB. This is also the reason why Ping Qingshan feels that he cannot form an idol group now. Even a group like AKB can only stay in its own circle 5 years after its debut.
Given his current status in the entertainment industry, it would be even more difficult to promote such a project. Of course, as AKB becomes more and more popular and has more and more fans, this trend of collective rejection of idols will soon reverse 180 degrees. But that’s for later. For Yasushi Akimoto now, he is still very interested in resources from movies and TV series. With an expectant heart.