Generation Z Artists

Chapter 333 Touching DNA
Fang Xinghe disappeared.

All the TV stations in China were waiting for Xinghe Pictures to organize a viewing of the show, but Xinghe Pictures remained silent, as if they had forgotten about it.

"No, where is Mr. Fang?"

The directors of Hunan TV, Dragon TV, Beijing TV, CCTV-2 and CCTV-8, Jilin Provincial TV... all inquired about him, but no such person could be found in China.

Three days later, news finally came, leaving everyone dumbfounded.

"Huh? You went to Japan? Why?"

This show won't fetch a good price in China unless a portion of the advertising revenue from the broadcasting station is used to generate revenue.

But how is this possible?

There is absolutely no precedent for this in China, and no station director would dare to make such a decision.

Unless...

First, we need to establish this model abroad and achieve very convincing results, which will then force domestic companies to follow suit.

This is called export-to-domestic sales, the most popular model in contemporary China.

Fang Xinghe did not go directly to Japan. Instead, he went to the United States first, met with Warner, and then talked with Nakamura Tosa of Sony before finally heading to Japan.

After landing discreetly, they went straight to Sony headquarters, where, with Sony's help, they held an internal screening of a TV show.

The targets are a total of 6: NHK, TBS, Fuji Television, TV Tokyo, TV Asahi, and Nippon Television.

Don't be fooled by the impressive names of the other stations; they are all privately owned, with NHK being the only public station.

In terms of physical coverage, NHK has the highest, but in terms of prime-time viewership, the six major channels are about the same, with Fuji TV leading by about three or four percentage points.

Therefore, as long as Fang Xinghe's conditions can be met, it doesn't matter which TV station "The Return of the Condor Heroes" is sold to.

The six major television networks attached great importance to this screening event, each sending a business team led by a vice president to Sony Pictures' internal screening room.

The story of The Return of the Condor Heroes begins with the young Yang Guo, played by Weng Feiran.

Episode 1: Visiting Zhong Nanshan.

Episode 2: Entering the Ancient Tomb.

In the third episode, Yang Guo becomes Xiaolongnu's disciple and grows up.

The fast-paced plot is rich and detailed. Although Fang Xinghe did not appear in the first two and a half episodes, the crisp and clean rhythm and gorgeous fight scenes were refreshing and not boring.

At the very end of the third episode, when the adult Yang Guo appeared, a chorus of gasps immediately erupted in the theater.

"WOW!"

"Hiss!"

"So beautiful, it was an amazing entrance!"

The screening room used a movie screen, so the loss of image quality from the master tape was minimal. As a result, these Japanese drama professionals experienced movie-level composition, color, and texture.

Before its appearance, the bird's-eye view from the soaring eagle brings a grand and magnificent perspective that Japanese dramas have never seen before.

Snow-capped mountains, green forests, blue lakes, and golden reflections—Fang Xinghe's aesthetic sense of color is no less than that of any master.

After Yang Guo appeared, the scene of him leaping into the forest on the back of an eagle caused them to chatter incessantly, deeply moved.

The introduction of complex wire harness systems has brought about unprecedented innovation in motion control.

Japanese live-action action films have always lacked imagination, so when "Rurouni Kenshin" was released in 2012, it instantly sparked a discussion in Japan about action aesthetics.

The enthusiastic response from the Japanese public proves that they do indeed have a need for and are interested in aesthetically pleasing live-action films.

This is the foundation of everything, and the source of Fang Xinghe's confidence.

In the morning, the first five episodes of "The Return of the Condor Heroes" were broadcast all at once.

In the afternoon, I skipped directly to the film version of "Xiangyang," the 3-hour and 20-minute DVD version.

In the evening, Sony hosted a banquet. After the banquet, everyone went to the conference room, where Fang Xinghe had an initial meeting with the teams from the six major TV stations.

NHK Vice President: "Mr. Fang, as far as I know, it seems that the TV stations in your country haven't reached an agreement yet. Why are you coming to Japan to sell the drama first?"

"Because this drama will be more popular in Japan."

As soon as Fang Xinghe finished speaking, the entire hall was shocked, and the representatives from the six platforms looked at each other in bewilderment.

After a long while, someone finally couldn't help but ask, "Why did Mr. Fang make this judgment?"

Fang Xinghe didn't put on airs; instead, he presented the facts and reasoned with the people.

"In April of this year, your country's BS Japan satellite channel introduced the mainland version of 'Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils,' which received a warm response. The media praised it as a 'true Chinese period drama,' and Hu Jun's portrayal of the chivalrous Qiao Feng was highly praised."

Among all the foreign dramas imported by BS Japan, "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils" had the second-highest viewership ratings, second only to "Autumn in My Heart," and higher than all American dramas.

In June of this year, Pony Canyon released a DVD of "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" with detailed Japanese subtitles and commentary. It sold over 200,000 copies, which is not a high number, but it has solidly cultivated a group of loyal fans of Jin Yong's martial arts novels.

In mid-August, Warner Japan released the 3-hour DVD "Xiangyang". To date, it has sold over one million copies and is aiming for 1.5 million, second only to Disney's "Mononoke Hime" and "Spirited Away".

Also this year, between April and August, NHK General TV aired the Korean drama "Winter Sonata," which achieved an average viewership rating of 20.6%.

These are phenomenal figures, signifying that the Korean Wave has officially become a cultural phenomenon sweeping across Japanese society.

Lead actor Bae Yong-joon, dubbed "Yong-sama" by the media, received near-fanatical adulation.

Fang Xinghe's voice was cold and detached, devoid of much emotion, yet it conveyed an absolute confidence under the premise of complete objectivity.

"Your country's media refers to me as 'Fang-sama.' Ladies and gentlemen, between me and Yong-sama, who is more popular?"

The NHK vice president laughed heartily: "Mr. Fang, without a doubt, you are more popular. Mr. Bae Yong-joon has never publicly released the data from the StarNet official fan cafe, so I imagine there must be a significant gap between you and him!"

The others chimed in, "Hey hey, it must be you!"

Fang Xinghe waved his hand, not wanting to delve into it further: "Let's just say it's close enough for now."

At this point in November, the most popular male celebrity in Japan is Bae Yong-joon, followed by the ever-present Takuya Kimura. Fang Xinghe estimates that he can only be ranked as a gatekeeper in the top ten.

Without any activities in Japan, the level of popularity is definitely not high.

However, judging solely by the number of die-hard fans, Fang Xinghe is still second in the Japanese region.

Thanks to the group's years of experience and the lingering popularity of the two super hit dramas, "Beautiful Life" and "HERO," Takuya Kimura has always maintained a slight edge over Fang Xinghe.

Fang Ge is indeed a top global influencer, but that doesn't mean he can crush top domestic influencers in a niche market; that's unrealistic.

Japan has Takuya Kimura, Korea has Bae Yong-joon, Hong Kong has Nicholas Tse (who is considered one of their own), the Bay Area has F4, and Europe and America need no further mention—there are plenty of artists with higher overall rankings than him.

Fang Xinghe's real brilliance lies in the fact that he ranks second or third in all regions of Asia, and is the only Asian to be in the top ten in Europe and America.

Overall, Fang Ge's position globally is second to none.

First is Michael Jackson, who, despite his decline, still reigns supreme.

Second is Britney Spears, Backstreet Boys, and Fang Xinghe; they're playing mahjong and are one player short.

Fang's disadvantage lies in the fact that his absolute territory is the domestic market, but the domestic commercial potential is too low.

Without Hong Kong and Taiwan, China will not be able to rise from the ashes for another 15 years.

Britney Spears is different from the Backstreet Boys. Although they are only a phenomenon in the Western world, the problem is that Europe and America are the core of the world today. Controlling the popular discourse in Europe and America is much more powerful than controlling Asia.

Fang Ge is still a long way from dominating Asia, and his chances of becoming the world's number one are almost nil.

He dares to say this in advance—if just two or three more hit dramas become popular, whether in Japan and South Korea or in Europe and America, they will go from praising to suppressing.

Unless you kneel down and act like a dog, offering concessions won't help.

The struggle for cultural discourse power is not something that can be resolved by a few parties forming an alliance. The inevitable struggle will come sooner or later.

That's why he's in a hurry to push "The Return of the Condor Heroes" to Japan and South Korea. There's only so much time left, and if he doesn't make it a hit soon, it really won't be.

Therefore, he had to secure a deal with the Japanese television station immediately, and it couldn't be a satellite channel; it had to be a terrestrial channel. After the room quieted down, Fang Xinghe slowly spoke.

"Popularity isn't the point I want to discuss. The core reason why Mr. Bae Yong-joon was able to rise to the rank of 'Yong-sama' with just one romance drama, in my opinion, is precisely the weariness and apathy of your country's people towards traditional Japanese dramas..."

He looked at the top executives of the six major television stations one by one.

"I don't know if you guys are aware of this situation, but the fact that I've compiled based on the data is that the Korean wave is on the rise, and Chinese martial arts dramas are also flourishing. Your country's people not only do not resist foreign culture, but are actually quite willing to accept the impact of new elements."

This could bring a strong stimulus to their stagnant lives, so once the dubbing problem is solved, foreign dramas with unique elements will be a great success in Japan.

As for what elements qualify as unique...

The visual quality of The Return of the Condor Heroes, the innovative action scenes, the grandeur of the war scenes, the tragic and romantic ending, and my second collaboration with Liu Yifei—every single one of these elements is something that could excite the people of your country.

Ladies and gentlemen, The Return of the Condor Heroes is not new in our country. It is expensive and grand, but it is still a traditional martial arts drama. Audiences have seen many similar dramas, none of which are as exquisite and magnificent, but the core is similar.

However, The Condor Heroes is a different story in your country; it is fresh, exciting, magnificent, romantic, and tragically beautiful.

Yang Guo and Xiaolongnu struggled in their love, and Guo Jing and Huang Rong died for their nation. You can understand these things, you appreciate these things. This "The Return of the Condor Heroes" is a more suitable drama for your country than "Winter Sonata".

As for me, Fang Xinghe, I will provide a solid foundation for this drama. After experiencing "Hero" and "Young You", I think I am qualified to look forward to a higher ceiling.

Whoever can win it will create a new ratings legend, and advertising revenue will pour in...

Fang Xinghe was like a tempting demon, or a fortune teller, manipulating everyone's emotions at will through the rhythm of his words.

He succeeded. The team leader from the six major stations was breathing heavily and excited, his eyes gleaming with ambition.

This is not empty talk or deception, but solid logic.

“Fang Jun…”

The deputy director of Fuji TV swallowed hard and spoke in a dry voice.

"I admit that the quality of The Condor Heroes is visible to the naked eye, but you may not have noticed a harsh fact - Korean dramas can be broadcast on terrestrial waves because there are no other obstacles."

And your drama wants to be broadcast on terrestrial waves...

Ahem, regarding your stance and some of your historical statements, our current government...

Well, I don't want to explain too much; you should understand.

"Yes, I understand."

Fang Xinghe chuckled and nodded.

This is precisely the biggest challenge of this trip to Japan – the honeymoon period between China and Japan is over, and this year, someone really doesn't like Fang Xinghe.

Because the distributor was Warner Bros., the release of "You Are My Destiny" was not affected. In fact, it became a phenomenal classic due to its bullying theme. However, Fang Xinghe had already felt the resistance in other aspects.

Kadokawa Tsuhiko explicitly stated, "Some of our endorsement deals have presidents who have reservations about renewing their contracts..."

What are your concerns?
There are concerns that this pressure will intensify and eventually lead to even stricter, more subtle forms of censorship.

Fang Xinghe knew what kind of trouble he was facing, but he was not flustered at all and was full of confidence—at least on the surface.

"But I don't think it will be a problem for the release; at most, it will cause some trouble for the publicity."

The president of TV Asahi responded succinctly: "It's difficult and very troublesome. We can't promote it extensively, so how can we expect a foreign drama to achieve good results? Do you have a solution?"

Fang Xinghe chuckled and nodded, then snapped his fingers with a flourish.

"Charlie, please help me out and let our Japanese friends hear the theme song I specially prepared for the Japanese version of The Return of the Condor Heroes."

As the intro to the original version of Lemon began, Fang Xinghe, with his Tokyo accent devoid of any accent, sang the first line of the lyrics with a heart-wrenching sorrow.

Meanwhile, footage specially edited from behind-the-scenes footage of The Return of the Condor Heroes creates a very stream-of-consciousness, very unnarrative music video.

Putting on makeup, changing costumes, falling heavily while suspended by wires, eating boxed lunches, writing at a desk, getting angry, laughing loudly, sitting on the edge of a cliff in a daze, tuning a guitar in front of a campfire, playing Yang Guo flying in the sky, giving Liu Yifei a small flower, cursing, and suddenly becoming motionless in the dim light of darkness...

An intense, inexplicable sadness quickly filled the conference room.

What kind of song is the original "Lemon" in Japan?
It holds the record for the fastest downloads in history, topping the charts from 100 million to 500 million downloads.

It has been ranked number one on the TOP list for two consecutive years.

Ten years after its release, it still tops the charts on all streaming platforms.

It has been ranked number one on the karaoke charts for 85 consecutive weeks, the best record ever.

"You to be" surpasses 10 billion views, becoming the number one and only Japanese song to achieve this milestone.

Popular phrase of the year: To this day, you are still my light (lyrics).

It was selected for inclusion in the highest-level music textbooks.

The song was covered by everyone, and the craze lasted for 5 years.

It has spawned a massive amount of derivative works, with a total of over 500 billion views, ranking first in the Japanese music category.

Multiple media outlets have jointly selected the representative song of the Reiwa era.

NHK: A collective emotional outlet for life-and-death issues in Japanese society, a collective memory of an era.

"Lemon" isn't a huge hit internationally, and it can't compare to Korean hits like "Gangnam Style" and "Nobody," but it has a Japanese DNA.

This situation is very unreasonable. Japan's music industry is particularly developed, with countless classic songs, but it is precisely "Lemon" that transcends the entertainment level and becomes a phenomenal national hit.

The music video quickly came to an end, and Fang Xinghe suddenly changed back into modern clothes, leaning against the tombstone, gazing melancholically at the sky.

His bangs covered half of his eyes, and he softly sang the last two lines—

Cut the chest and cover the chest
(Even if you hide the pain in your heart)

Today's light
(To this day, you are still my light)

……

As the last note faded into the distance, some people remained immersed in the feeling, unaware of its meaning, while others, experts with higher musical literacy, couldn't wait to exclaim in amazement.

"Fang-kun, is this a song you wrote specifically for the Japanese market?"

"This is incredible! This is a genuine Japanese life song!"

"It's so beautiful! So touching! So powerful!"

"I don't understand the technical aspects, but I have a feeling that this is a song Fang Jun wrote for your mother?"

"It's as if I've embraced my mother's death all over again..."

"This music video is simply... simply..."

"It evokes an uncontrollable sadness, doesn't it, Yutian-kun? Is that how it feels?"

……

Fang Xinghe didn't answer any of the questions, but instead asked a question in return.

"You can't promote my drama on TV, but the music association isn't restricted. Anyway, I suddenly felt like singing, so releasing a single in Japan shouldn't be a problem, right?"

The room suddenly fell silent, and then everyone's eyes lit up at once.

"Of course!"

"Completely a hero!"

"Lemon" hasn't been released yet, but everyone present subconsciously believed that "Lemon," sung by Fang Xinghe, would definitely be a huge hit.

There's no other reason; it's just that their DNA is stirred the moment they hear this song.

************
　Lemon isn't the best theme song in China, but if you want to open up the Japanese market, I can't think of anything else besides this song.

　　In addition, when I wrote the previous book, I specifically studied the basics of vocal music and composition, but I really don't have the ability to compose music myself for the sake of writing the book. In the end, I will definitely have to refer to and revise the classics after 2004.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)