Another new year had arrived.
This time, in addition to the couple and the elder sister Misaki, there was another person at the Japan family dinner table who could join the conversation: Hina.
The little girl was only three years old, but she had inherited the cleverness of her aunt Misaki, while her personality leaned more toward her mother Miyu. None of the three adults, Rei included, were as lively as she was at the dinner table.
The entire family was involved in the animation industry, so most of their post-meal discussions revolved around ACGN topics. She would chime in every so often to ask her aunt and mother about her father's achievements in the animation industry over the years.
"Slow down. When you're a year or two older, Mama will find all of Papa's famous old works for you to watch. For now, let's just watch the fireworks."
Miyu was left speechless by her daughter's steady stream of questioning and could only change the subject by pointing at the fireworks exploding in the sky.
Upon seeing this, her daughter Hina clasped her hands together and closed her eyes to make a wish.
"It's not your birthday, and there isn't a shooting star in the sky, so what's the point of making a wish?" Rei chuckled.
"What if it comes true?" Hina opened her large eyes and spoke loudly with a playful smile on her face.
"So, what wish did you make?" her aunt Misaki asked with curiosity.
"I'm not telling you. If you say a wish out loud, it won't come true." Hina turned her head away.
"I bet you wished to eat more candy tomorrow or something like that." Miyu blinked, her tone suggesting she had seen right through her.
"How could I make such a boring wish." Hina's eyes widened as she retorted, indignant. "My wish is that no one in Japan will ever be able to surpass Papa's works."
"You don't want Papa to lose that much?" Rei laughed.
"Of course not." Hina's expression became smug. "I want to be the first mangaka to surpass Papa. I'll do what Mama couldn't do. That way, I'll be even more amazing than both Papa and Mama."
Miyu and the other two looked at each other, exchanging glances.
The thing they feared most had happened.
Hina's personality was exactly like her mother's.
Rei was stunned for a moment before he smiled.
"Then you'll have to work hard."
"I hope that when she gets older, she'll back down on her own and settle for easier life goals, like winning the lottery or something," Misaki whispered to her sister.
"There's nothing wrong with having her father as a goal," Miyu said with a light laugh. "It's just losing. Hina is different from Rei. She can afford to lose. Unlike Rei, who had to work and earn money back in high school and had no room or reason to lose. Even if she wastes her life on this, as long as she's happy, it will be a meaningful life."
The time had come, and the sound of fireworks across Tokyo drowned out their conversation.
The family of four stood on the top-floor balcony of their villa, watching the flowers blooming in the sky as the new year began.
On the first day of the new year, Shirogane Animation followed its tradition and released Rei's new animated film, Castle in the Sky.
By now, Japan's ACGN fans were used to going to the cinema on the day of the new year holidays to watch Shirogane's works.
Everyone's obsession with Shirogane's animated film box office numbers wasn't as deep as it used to be.
In the past, they were single-mindedly focused on taking the number one spot at the box office, and some fans would watch a movie two or three times to show their support.
Now.
You could say the profit from a movie never lay in the box office itself.
For investors, the benefits of live-action movies were often reflected in the stock price growth of the investment company behind them after a movie generated large profits. The money investors made in this area was often higher than the box office revenue.
Shirogane Animation insisted on not going public, and the bulk of the revenue from Shirogane's works often came from merchandise.
Most fans knew these tricks, but the Castle in the Sky animated film still took the box office championship for four days during the first seven days of the new year holiday slot.
Looking at the trend, its performance might not match Your Name or Spirited Away, but the final box office figures wouldn't be bad.
The current Rei no longer paid too much attention to such visible returns on his work.
He was more concerned with how to properly manage the IP of his works.
February ended, and March arrived.
The anime trailer for Puella Magi Madoka Magica followed close behind.
If we're being strict, because the world had changed, many genres did not exist.
Japan had no Ultraman or Kamen Rider, so naturally, there was no Magical Girl genre of anime.
The Magical Girl anime that were dime-a-dozen in Rei's past life were very novel in Japan. The trailer alone attracted a large number of ACGN fans. They didn't even need to wait for the turning point in the plot of episode three of Madoka Magica, as many fans were already half-invested just from the PV.
It was a work he had liked very much in his past life. It was almost synonymous with depressing anime, but Rei still spared no effort in helping with the live-action promotion.
He didn't miss a single fan meeting or promotional event.
After Madoka Magica began broadcasting in Japan in March, as Rei expected, by the end of March, he was subjected to a barrage of insults from Japan fans once again.
A group of young girls and male otakus had gone into the work expecting a lighthearted story, only to see the scene of the headless senior, Mami-chan, by the third episode.
The fourth and fifth episodes exposed more of the darkness of the Magical Girl world, and the subsequent plot followed the tragic fate of the protagonist Madoka's best friend, Sayaka, after she became a Magical Girl.
In Rei's past life in Japan, Puella Magi Madoka Magica was also a phenomenal IP masterpiece, and in the Japan market, its commercial value was greatly amplified.
It couldn't compare to the level of Hunter x Hunter or the Big Three, but it wasn't something a work like Steins;Gate, which only had a good reputation, could match. It could be considered the most commercially valuable anime Rei had released since the Big Three.
And then.
As the spring season ended in April, Japan's ACGN fans were still immersed in the depressing plot of Puella Magi Madoka Magica, unable to pull themselves out.
In July, the new work that ignited the Japan ACGN market was Death Note.
This work, which could not be watched through normal channels in Rei's past life in China, passed censorship without a hitch in the Japan dimension thanks to Rei's communication with the authorities, and.
After only three weeks of broadcasting, it made the Japan audience, as well as people in the Japan ACGN and film industries, understand what a top-tier psychological battle work was.
When it came to psychological battle works, in all the years of the Japan ACGN industry in Rei's past life, the absolute mountain that could not be bypassed was Death Note, hands down.
The biggest difference between this work and Rei's other works was that.
It was suitable for adaptation in all aspects: anime, manga, movies, and TV dramas.
And Rei did exactly that. Death Note was only a new anime that started broadcasting in July.
Its spin-off TV drama would start broadcasting on television in October.
The first spin-off movie would be released during next year's new year holiday slot.
It could be described as a psychological suspense anime with its commercial value maximized.
By August, the fanatical atmosphere surrounding Shirogane in the Japan ACGN world was still on the rise.
"I'm convinced. Is there any genre that Shirogane-sensei can't create?"
"Is this Shirogane-sensei's psychological battle work?"
"The plot of Death Note is divine. Only five episodes in, and I've watched every single one on my knees."
"Romance, sports, psychological battle anime, fantasy, shonen battle anime, depressing anime, sci-fi. And now he can even create psychological crime works. I'm convinced. Among the popular genres on the market, only comedy is left for Shirogane-sensei to try. I feel like it's just around the corner."
"I used to believe that hard work could make up for a lack of talent, but now I can only say that's total bullshit. How can the creators in Japan's ACGN world bridge the gap with Shirogane-sensei? Never mind the gap in talent. Who can match the diligence of creating five works simultaneously in a single year?"
"People used to say that the only thing keeping Shirogane-sensei from being titled a God was an early death, but now I feel that even if he's deified while still alive, no one should object."
"Now I just hope Death Note doesn't have a bad ending. It doesn't matter if one or two episodes of a battle shonen anime aren't great, but if a mind-game anime has issues with its plot settings for even an episode or two, it's over, for real."
"Relax. Shirogane-sensei has never given us a bad ending before."
"It's hard to say. Personally, I have no idea how the Big Three is going to conclude. One Piece is okay. The plot has only reached the Skypiea arc, and they probably haven't even finished a third of the Grand Line. I'm still scratching my head over how Luffy's crew will fight the invincible Enel, especially since Zoro was defeated on the spot. Naruto and Bleach are starting to feel a bit delicate, though."
"As for Naruto, I feel like the Shippuden plot isn't as exciting as the childhood period. Maybe I just don't like bitter vendettas. Shippuden is too depressing, and the anime's atmosphere is a bit of a downer. As for Bleach, I can't imagine how they'll kill Aizen?"
"The Espada under him are each more monstrous than the last. The protagonist Ichigo could defeat Kenpachi with just his Shikai, and defeat the captain-level Byakuya Kuchiki with his Bankai. In the latest episode, even using Bankai plus Hollowfication, he struggles against Grimmjow. If the sixth Espada is like this, wouldn't Aizen just insta-kill everyone? The power gap is too large. It feels like the power scaling is about to collapse."
"Long-running anime always have their flaws. As long as the merits outweigh the defects, it's fine."
"Don't worry blindly about the plot. You should care more about the new commercial district at the Shirogane Animation Headquarters. Hundreds of global ACGN fan chain stores are moving in, and hundreds of various elite ACGN fan-style merchandise, figures, and themed restaurants are opening. I feel like that area is going to explode in popularity."
"I have a friend who's planning to open a shop there. The rent is being driven up to terrifying levels, and all the shops are for rent only, not for sale. As the landlord, Shirogane-sensei is very optimistic about the future of this commercial district."
"Nonsense? With the Shirogane Animation Headquarters located there, how could he not be optimistic? The only suspense is whether it can become the hottest anime commercial district in Japan, not whether it can become popular. Success is inevitable."
In the new year, information about Shirogane in the global anime world remained the focus of attention for the ACGN fan community.
Rei also became very busy this August, even busier than when he was drawing manga during his school days.
The ACGN fan commercial district surrounding his company headquarters, which he had spent nearly two years self-funding, was about to fully open for business.
This officially marked the shift of Rei's company's revenue from pure ACGN fan IPs toward other industries.
Rei didn't have the advantages of the previous life's Disney, backed by the US with cultural exports worldwide and a mature entertainment industrial system. He didn't have the ability to rapidly spread IP influence globally.
At the very least, he had the ability to learn and gradually move in that direction. If it developed like this for ten years, something like a [Shirogane Works Theme Park] might actually appear in the Japan dimension.
Then. Time entered September.
Rei was officially thirty years old.
Rei, who had started focusing on exercise and balancing work with rest in recent years, seemed even more energetic and youthful than many newly graduated students.
He had never experienced the harsh beatings of society, nor had he suffered much. He had no mental pressure, a smart daughter, and a talented and beautiful wife. He didn't have to worry about unemployment, so he appeared young.
Only every so often would Rei think to himself.
It had already been fourteen years since he came to this world.
"Forget it, why think so much?" Rei snapped back to reality and gave a gentle smile.
Since he had already decided to stay locked into the anime industry for the rest of his life, not retiring until death, there was no great need to focus on his age.
Before he left this world, he would see the ending of One Piece, and the truth of the One Piece treasure would be revealed. Hunter x Hunter included. Its ending would be produced in Japan, no matter what.
Rei would never leave behind a single work with a bad ending in Japan.
Time entered September.
This ACGN fan commercial district, led by Rei's investment, officially opened for business across the board.
Major news media in Japan, Tokyo government included, held great expectations for it on its opening day.
The final facts still left many people astonished.
Before the renovation, this area was a second- or third-rate commercial circle in the eastern part of Tokyo, filled with a large number of old residential buildings. Back then, Rei only chose to buy the Shirogane Animation Headquarters building in this area because it was cheap.
For a non-listed company like Shirogane Animation, there was no need for the headquarters to be squeezed into the city center's commercial district. A significant portion of this area's popularity before the renovation was brought in by the Shirogane Animation headquarters, in fact.
On this day.
Once this commercial district officially opened, Shirogane fans came from every district in Tokyo, from other places as tourists, and even some who flew in from various cities in Japan.
They crowded the area into a sea of people.
Whether it was the various shops and eateries or the site of the anime convention being held, everywhere you looked, there were ACGN fans in various cosplay outfits roaming the commercial district.
From 5 Centimeters per Second to Tonight, Hikaru no Go to Arcane, Demon Slayer to the Big Three.
Death Note, Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Clannad.
Rei's anime works from various periods had never been forgotten by the fans. Everyone knew that over 70% of the properties in this commercial district belonged to Shirogane.
The reason so many people chose to come here today was simple.
They were here to spend money, to spend it on Shirogane-sensei.
It was no secret in Japan that Shirogane had poured all the money he'd earned over the last decade into building this commercial district and had even taken out loans worth trillions of yen.
This giant commercial district, which received tax support from the Tokyo government, had an investment of nearly 3 trillion yen, a total construction area of 830,000 square meters, and an average cost of nearly 4 million yen per square meter. If the investment failed. Shirogane would find it hard to recover for the rest of his life.
There were plenty of peers and competitors' anti-fans in Japan who hoped that the traffic would be thin after the commercial district opened, and that Shirogane's massive investment would go down the drain.
It would be best if this guy never recovered, his will broke, the plot of the Big Three collapsed, and he faded from the Japan anime stage amidst a flurry of criticism.
On the first day the commercial district opened, after Rei personally appeared and met with the massive crowd of fans on-site.
Its business data was magnificent.
Even setting aside the novelty for Japan's ACGN fans because it had just opened, the foot traffic remained staggeringly high across the following week.
This baffled a group of people in Japan.
The foot traffic data before and after the renovation was right there.
Could just having a Shirogane Animation Headquarters standing there, with this thirty-year-old young man appearing every so often to interact with fans, and investing trillions of yen into construction really turn this area into gold?
This fact brought the greatest shock to a group of investors in Japan.
"Phew. It's alright."
As the largest owner of this commercial district, Rei had reserved two luxury flats on the top floor of the building in the most central location as new homes for himself and his elder sister Miyu.
Rei stood at the highest point, looking down at the colorful neon lights of the streets below at night.
The data had stabilized after half a month of operation. The daily foot traffic after the initial novelty wore off was the true reflection of this area's commercial value.
This data was clearly a large step above what Rei and many market institutions had predicted.
The foot traffic of such a new commercial district would increase over time. Its existence needed time to spread among tourists in Tokyo and from other regions.
"It looks like there's no need to cut into the profits of the Big Three to pay back the debt," Rei chuckled. "Now besides being the boss of two anime companies, I'm also one of the major real estate owners in Tokyo. If it goes quickly, this investment will break even in less than ten years."