America: My Time

Chapter 148 Guidance
Chapter 148 Guidance

After seeing Akio Morita off, John shook his head slightly, understanding what Morita was thinking and knowing what he would do. As long as Sony and Mitsui made their move, he believed that Dai-ichi Kangyo Bank would not have any problems, and other issues would be easier to handle.

"Alright girls, keep your party going!" With Akio Morita gone, everything was under control, and John felt a great sense of relief, the pressure instantly dissipating. Morita's arrival was a good thing; it made all the planning much easier. With him around, many things became much simpler.

After sitting down again, John chatted easily with the girls and learned more about the Japanese entertainment industry. Although the girls had all heard John's conversation with Akio Morita, none of them asked about things that were not their business to discuss, as it was not something they should know.

From John's previous conversation with Akio Morita, they gained a new understanding of John's identity. They might not know the full extent of Legendary Entertainment's power, but they were familiar with Universal Pictures, not to mention the gaming world—he was definitely a true bigwig. Seiko Matsuda finally understood why Naoko had been able to successfully land in the US and achieve success in Europe. Behind it all was not only John, but also the strong support of Legendary Entertainment, Hollywood's leading giant, a media tycoon that could force Warner Bros. to compromise.

Seiko Matsuda originally intended to enter the US market, but Warner Music's cooperation wasn't good enough. Furthermore, there's a difference between Warner Music Japan and Warner Music America; without sufficient support, success seemed unlikely. First and foremost is the quality of their work. This is the key difference between Warner Music and Universal Music. Warner Music, as an established record company, naturally has many artists under its wing, and good material is unlikely to be given to an outsider like Matsuda. Universal Music, on the other hand, is a newer record company with fewer artists, thus providing such an opportunity. Moreover, the environment for its artists is much better than Matsuda's, and they receive far more support.

However, Seiko Matsuda also knew that John handled all of Naoko's albums, and all of them were masterpieces—something most record companies wouldn't do. For most record companies, it's impossible for an entire album to be a masterpiece, but John did it anyway, and Legendary Entertainment could fully promote it.

Although Warner Music has a global reach, it couldn't provide the same level of support as Seiko Matsuda. After Naoko's new album was released, it didn't have a huge impact in the United States, but selling a million copies was definitely not a problem. In Europe, however, it caused a sensation, which shocked all Japanese singers.

While Seiko Matsuda may be more popular in Japan than Naoko, her global influence is nowhere near that of Naoko. A single English album made Naoko a sensation in Europe and around the world.

"Mr. John, what preparations are needed to enter the Western music scene?" With the opportunity right in front of her, Seiko Matsuda seized the chance to ask, hoping to gain some understanding of the Western music scene and avoid some detours in her future attempt to enter it!
"Your personal preparation isn't actually that important; what matters is resources—how much support your record company can provide. First, you need top-tier work, and then you need ample promotional resources. Only by combining the two can you achieve the success you desire. However, Warner Music is unlikely to provide you with such resources. If there were top-tier work within Warner, it would have already been taken by those divas; it would never fall into your lap. The competition within major record companies is extremely fierce, no less so than the competition in the Japanese idol market. If you rely solely on the resources of Warner Music Japan, you won't be able to establish yourself in the Western music scene. Japanese music and Western music are fundamentally different. It's not that Japanese music is bad, but the concepts are different, the styles are different, and most importantly, they struggle to grasp the general direction of the Western market. Under these circumstances, you will inevitably not receive the rewards you deserve!"

Very few Asian musicians can establish themselves in the Western music scene. This is not only due to their Asian identity, but more importantly, it's about resources. Record companies are unlikely to give top-tier work to an Asian artist, as this would affect their profits. Naoko's success cannot be used as a template because it's very difficult for anyone to imitate. Not everyone has a legend like Johnny Depp behind them, with numerous top-tier works and a media giant like Legendary Entertainment.

Capital is profit-driven, and Seiko Matsuda doesn't have the motivation to make Warner Music pay a huge price. Furthermore, given the current serious economic tensions between the US and Japan, Warner wouldn't make such a foolish choice. Even Johnny Depp had to back down, demonstrating the severity of the economic conflict. Competition among Japanese idols is fierce, and the turnover rate is rapid. It's understandable that Seiko Matsuda has concerns. Akina Nakamori has already gained momentum, impacting Matsuda. As for Naoko, although it's only been a year, her success in Europe and America has allowed her to successfully shed the idol label.

"In my opinion, your chosen path is wrong. The Western music scene is difficult, but Asia is not. If Warner is willing to put in the effort, you can definitely open up the Asian market and expand your influence in Asia first before talking about the West! Japanese music has a significant advantage in Asia. If Warner is willing to give you their full support, I believe you will become a sensation throughout Asia."

"Boss, how should we develop our business?" When she saw her boss giving instructions to Seiko Matsuda, Minako Honda couldn't help but ask in a low voice about her future development direction. Among the three members of the group, Minako Honda had the best singing skills. However, after going solo, her record sales were far lower than when she was in the girl group, which made Minako Honda a little worried. Not only her, but Yoko Minamino and Momoko Kikuchi also had the same concerns.

"There's no need to worry about your development. The company has everything arranged. The previous girl group was just to help you build popularity. Don't let the success of those two singles blind you. Groups are great, but they also come with a lot of constraints and will limit your development. Also, you're too thin, which isn't good. You should learn from Akina and gain some weight. With your current physique, you can't handle the pressure of someone like Seiko. Your health is very important, so don't neglect it! And you girls, don't associate with those idols from Johnny's. They're not as simple as they seem. You might get scammed and end up being taken advantage of. Since the company has taken you in, we have to be responsible for you and your families. We don't want any accidents to happen and ruin the agency's reputation!"

Akina Nakamori was devastated by relationship problems, while Minako Honda died young due to health issues. Taking advantage of this opportunity, John reminds Minako Honda to prevent her from following the same path. This last sentence isn't a reminder to Minako Honda, Yoko Minamino, or Momoko Kikuchi, but rather to Akina Nakamori. Whether it will be effective is uncertain for John, as Akina Nakamori isn't with his agency, and matters of the heart are best left unsaid.
John believes that Minako Honda's illness was caused by overwork. How could such a frail body withstand the intense idol promotion in Japan? In Japan, the release of each single is a major battle, and with four singles and an album a year, the pressure was immense, and naturally, Minako Honda's body couldn't handle it.

At his agency, John wasn't concerned with making money; his focus was on nurturing idols and providing strong support to record companies and TV Tokyo, easing the psychological pressure on these artists. He didn't want a bad reputation for exploiting his artists to make money, especially since his agency primarily focused on female idols. Such a disgrace was even more unacceptable; a bad reputation would destroy the agency.

"The three of you should just relax and follow the agency's arrangements. The agency will give you enough time to develop and won't rush things. Don't put any pressure on yourselves. If you get tired, just tell the agency and take a few days off. Don't ruin your health. Also, if you have any places you'd like to travel to, you can tell the agency and make those choices when arranging location shooting."

John was still willing to give these young women his full support, making their lives easier and avoiding the ruthless exploitation that other firms subjected them to. In John's view, that was inhumane; a good reputation was essential for attracting talent and for the firm to grow and thrive. Any sacrifice he made now was worthwhile. A good reputation was the foundation of everything!
John wasn't the only one who saw this problem; other agencies in Japan saw it too, but they couldn't act on it because they were too greedy and didn't have the time or energy to waste. In their view, if one batch of idols didn't work out, they'd just select another. John, however, held the exact opposite view: an agency should cultivate elites, and that meant giving them their all, not endlessly cycling through batches, searching for a needle in a haystack, looking for a sliver of opportunity that might not even exist!
John doesn't care about the profit of Elite Agency. He doesn't mind not making money for the first few years. Idols don't grow easily; it takes time and effort, and appropriate investment is necessary. In fact, as long as the agency becomes profitable, it can operate normally without constantly investing funds. The premise is that it can make a name for itself, which Elite Agency has now achieved, making it the envy of almost all idols in Japan.

A good reputation has brought many benefits to Elite Agency, accelerating its development in talent reserves. So, although it seems that Elite Agency has paid a high price, the results are proportional!

(End of this chapter)