Tokyo: The evil god doesn't want to be the top star

Chapter 191 Fox Alms
According to the program rules, four well-known artists of different types will be invited to serve as "mentors" for these trainees.

In talent shows, the role of "mentor" has multiple functions and is quite complex.

They are not only judges who have the power to evaluate and score, but also professional teachers who guide trainees to improve their talents...

In the subsequent stages of the program, the mentors will also lead trainees from different groups to compete on a "cooperative stage".

During this process, the program team can also hype up the "deep affection between teachers and students" or "master-disciple rivalry" at various stages such as practice and elimination to increase the program's selling points and popularity.

"Well, Kimura Goro has no problem with his schedule, he has already confirmed his participation..."

"Hirai Shouta and Oda Masaru said they have no objection, but the agency has not yet given a final response."

Assistant Director Souta glanced at the contact information on his phone and confirmed them one by one.

"Well, with Kimura Goro, the original boy band idol, as the 'representative producer', the basics of the show should be fine."

"With the addition of Hirai Shouta and Oda Masaru, there should be a lot of exciting interactions."

Akimoto Manjiro breathed a sigh of relief.

The number of four mentors far exceeds the one hundred and one trainees for the entire program.

After all, a group of unknown and face-blind trainees is certainly not enough to attract viewers to watch the show.

Well-known artist mentors who have their own popularity and traffic can initially arouse the audience's desire to watch the show, and enhance their understanding and sense of involvement in the show.

Of course, for well-known artists, they can also achieve various goals such as accumulating popularity, increasing exposure, transformation, and improving their status by participating in such large-scale talent show variety shows.

The trainees who participate in the program are naturally happy to connect with the "mentor's" connections, laying the foundation for continued support in the entertainment industry after the program ends.

Under this mechanism, the program team, mentor artists, and trainees can be said to have achieved a certain degree of "win-win for all parties."

"But it's a bit too monotonous to have only male mentors... How is the feedback from female mentors?"

After thinking for a while, he asked Assistant Director Souta again.

"Ito Kanako did express her willingness to participate, but she is a rapper and has the same 'characteristics' as Hirai Shouta, so she is a 'lower-level substitute', so we have not confirmed her yet."

"And Leo, she has to participate in the N-station tour and can't make time for it."

"As for the other female artists who have sent invitations, there has been no response yet..."

Assistant Director Souta scratched his head and became distressed.

The three male mentors were chosen early on because they were co-operating artists of J-company, S-company and A-company.

However, the candidates for female artist mentors have not been confirmed yet, either because of duplicate personalities, insufficient schedules, or scandals.

"By the way, didn't Company B agree to let Yayoi Tsuki participate in our show at the beginning of the year?"

Akimoto Manjiro suddenly asked, remembering something.

"Yayoizuki..."

Hearing the name, Assistant Director Souta gave a wry smile.

"You know that she just released her 'farewell album' and announced that she would suspend her music activities..."

"Besides, even if they didn't suspend their activities, with Yayoi Tsuki's current popularity, Company B would probably regret not wanting her to help its competitor's talent show."

There was no one with a burning personality in the preparatory group, so he just said it bluntly.

Some time ago, Yayoi Tsuki released "I Once Thought About Ending It All" at almost "free" price. She also admitted at the press conference that she was deaf and announced an indefinite suspension of her music activities, which caused the entire online public opinion to boil for a while... After that, as her new song topped the charts and was played on a large scale across the country, Yayoi Tsuki, who was no longer exposed, not only did her popularity not diminish, but instead reached a new high, becoming a "one-of-a-kind" national female singer.

"After the meeting, try to contact her again. She has suspended her music activities, but that doesn't mean she has stopped all activities..."

"Besides, in order to get her to participate in this program, we exchanged a lot of resources with B Social at the beginning of the year. They can't go back on their word."

Akimoto Manjiro gave instructions to Souta unwillingly.

After all, it doesn't cost anything to ask.

If Yayoi Tsuki had joined the show as a mentor at this time, the ratings of "Idol Birth Festival" would have increased by at least 20 percentage points.

"Temporarily use Fujikanako as a backup. A female instructor must be selected within three days."

"The trainee list has been confirmed. Remember to arrange for them to take urine tests."

"The first recording of the program will officially begin in three days. Please prepare for the recording as planned."

"Nothing, meeting adjourned."

Rubbing his eyebrows, Akimoto Manjiro finally ended this long preparatory meeting.

……

Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine, Tokyo.

Behind the huge red gatehouse, there are about 10,000 vermilion torii gates stacked up to form a long corridor, leading from the shrine at the foot of the mountain to Mt. Inari behind.

This corridor, known as the Thousand Torii, is dotted with stone fox statues holding rice ears, keys, jade or scrolls in their mouths.

Near Mount Inari, foxes have been regarded as messengers of the "Inari God" for thousands of years.

Because it cannot be seen by human eyes like gods, it is called the transparent fox, or white fox for short.

It was early morning, and Yayoi Tsukishima, dressed in a red and white shrine maiden costume, was slowly walking down from the top of Mt. Inari along the Thousand Torii Gates.

Every few steps she took, she would squat down, close her eyes and touch the fox statues on both sides of each stone step.

It took the "shrine maiden" two hours of walking before she reached the foot of the mountain and the last vermilion torii gate.

"Ms. Yayoi, have you finished your morning lessons?"

A short priest in a white robe and with white hair and beard passed by, holding a cane.

"Greetings, Lord Wang Ren. I'm sorry to have caused you trouble these days."

Upon seeing the old man, Yayoi Tsuki, who was usually cold, arrogant and sharp-tongued, bowed to him unusually obediently.

"It's okay. According to the family tree, my Fushimi Inari clan has been on good terms with the White Fox clan for generations, just like family members."

"However, the faith has faded, the demon race's bloodline has decayed, and the white fox race has also become extinct. This is Fushimi Inari's eternal regret."

"Today, we can see the descendants of the white fox again, persisting in 'fox alms' on the mountain every day. The god Inari must be extremely happy."

The old priest known as "Lord Wang Ren" smiled and nodded.

In the ancient days when the white foxes lived in Fushimi Inari Taisha and served as "messengers of the gods", they often knelt down and worshipped at each step on the Inari Mountain Trail. This ceremony was called "fox alms."

But with the extinction of the white fox clan, even he had never seen a fox demon of pure blood, let alone "fox alms".

(End of this chapter)