America: My Time

Chapter 199 The Dark Side of Capital

Chapter 199 The Dark Side of Capital
Yoshiaki Tsutsumi is just the most famous example in the Japanese entertainment industry. The "interesting stories" of many more big shots are strictly controlled, and those who resist are eliminated. Among the many suicides and disappearances in Japan every year, who knows how many are silenced? And no one cares about these people. The power of capital is enough to suppress all voices.

In the Japanese entertainment industry, beautiful women without powerful connections often face a tragic fate. Being exploited is commonplace and an inevitable form of oppression they endure. Of course, Japanese women are also quite open-minded and not overly concerned with sex, which exacerbates this problem.

However, things are not absolute. If the agency you work for is powerful, you will be less oppressed and suffer less. They have connections and abilities. The fate of artists from small agencies is unimaginable to ordinary people. And this applies not only to beautiful women but also to handsome men. Kondo Masahiko is a shameless guy who is in this situation.

It's often said that South Korean actresses suffer immensely, enduring endless oppression and humiliation. However, the Japanese entertainment industry is no less brutal, perhaps even more so. Japan has seen its share of idol suicides, in fact, quite a few, but the reasons for these suicides have been suppressed. One could say that the South Korean entertainment industry learned from Japan, but the Japanese control by capital is far stronger. The power of capital can suppress all dissent, so no major scandals have surfaced. All the darkness has been suppressed beneath the surface, unknown to the general public!
"Introduce yourself. Now that you're here, speak your mind. If you don't want to accept this fate, you can say so too. Don't hide anything. If you don't want to accept it, you'll be free after tonight. Don't think I have any improper thoughts about you or that I'm trying to control you. This is an accident for you, and an accident for me as well. None of this is something I wanted to see or accept!"

As soon as John finished speaking, the pitiful-looking Kuroki Hitomi shivered involuntarily. 'Freedom'—this kind of 'freedom' was something she probably couldn't bear; such a fate was beyond her control. Perhaps the person before her didn't care, and meant her no harm; her appearance was merely an accident to him, even a huge accident to the woman beside him, 'Naiko'. But the zaibatsu that sent her here might not grant her 'freedom'. Kuroki Hitomi knew how powerful Sanwa was, and she also understood that she was nothing more than a powerless 'ant' in their presence.

In the other person's eyes, she was merely a public relations candidate to be used. Once it happened once, it would happen again, perhaps countless times. Once dragged into this dark circle, escaping would be extremely difficult, requiring a much higher price to pay. The mere thought of such a life was terrifying. Rather than having her body manipulated by countless men, her dignity trampled underfoot time and again, she chose to follow this man and become his woman. At least that way, she could preserve her dignity and, like Naoko before her, achieve a better outcome.

In the Japanese entertainment industry, countless people envy Naoko's opportunities. With a powerful figure like John as her backer, she not only avoids many troubles and the machinations and oppression of malicious individuals, but also enjoys access to vast resources, and her status is vastly different from before. Although Naoko is still an entertainer, she is far less vulnerable—that's the advantage of having a powerful backer!
Although Hitomi Kuroki deeply resented her current situation, she understood even more clearly that she had no choice. Under these circumstances, following the person before her was the best outcome. At least this person was young and powerful, and she wouldn't have to associate with those disgusting old men, or even some mentally unstable lunatics. If the worst-case scenario were to occur, Hitomi Kuroki didn't know if she could withstand it; those were the most terrifying, the most insane, and the most dangerous people.

Japan has no shortage of mentally unstable people; otherwise, there wouldn't be so many suicides every year. This is the result of mental instability. Those who haven't stepped into the entertainment industry don't know the dangers behind it, or its darkness. Only those who are in it understand how terrifying and dangerous this industry is!

The pressure in the Japanese workplace is unimaginable. Everyone carries immense pressure, making psychological problems extremely serious. From company presidents at the top to lower-level employees, there are far too many individuals with psychological issues. Therefore, it's perfectly normal for beautiful PR professionals to encounter some crazy individuals. However, the oppression and humiliation they face in such situations are unimaginable. Like the bombshell revelations from South Korea later on, such situations are actually quite common in Japan, but remain largely unknown.

While Takarazuka possesses considerable talent, not all beautiful female students from Takarazuka have a good ending. Countless secretly become playthings of powerful figures. Even Kuroki Hitomi, the senior student, doesn't escape unscathed and live a happy life. She deeply understands the complexities involved; not everyone from Takarazuka gets what they want or achieves a perfect ending. Many more fall into endless darkness, though the chances are slightly lower than outside.

"No, I didn't think that way. I just can't adapt to this change!" As a beautiful woman from Takarazuka, and the top female performer, the sudden shock of such an unexpected turn of events was understandable. It's understandable that she couldn't accept it immediately; the change in her status was too drastic, like falling from heaven to hell! At this time, Kuroki Hitomi hadn't yet experienced the many hardships she would later face, and her mindset wasn't fully adjusted. It could be said that she hadn't yet suffered the harsh realities of society, as her life had been quite comfortable before, without major setbacks. Within Takarazuka, she had Daichi Shin's protection, shielding her from much trouble.

Hitomi Kuroki is not only known as the "ageless witch" in Japan, but also has many unknown secrets. Among them, some people in Japan believe that her marriage was fake and that her daughter is not her husband's. The truth is unknown! However, from the first job she took after leaving Takarazuka and the first film she shot, we can tell how much pressure she was under at that time. Whether there are any secrets behind it that others do not know, only she herself knows.

Only those within the Japanese entertainment industry truly understand its darkness. Without a powerful management company as a backing, even someone from Takarazuka would pay a heavy price. Or perhaps she was already shrouded in darkness and had fallen into the abyss. Otherwise, a Takarazuka-trained actress would never have taken on such a job, as it completely contradicted Takarazuka's principles.

The darkness within the Japanese entertainment industry is far more terrifying and horrifying than the outside world realizes. Hollywood, in comparison, is somewhat better; at least there, transactions are open and transparent, with give and take. Of course, this isn't absolute. Given the numerous temptations within the entertainment industry, some darkness and unscrupulous individuals are inevitable. However, most of the time, the so-called darkness in Hollywood simply stems from one party's unmet interests or deliberate disruption.

In Hollywood, deals are the norm, and everything is out in the open with rules to follow. Becoming a top star gives you the ability to break free from the industry and be less constrained. Otherwise, Hollywood's film industry giants wouldn't have been controlled by stars in the future! In the 1940s and 50s, they wouldn't have had that ability or that courage. Capital controlled everything, and the film industry controlled everything. Even top stars didn't dare to go against the film industry; those beautiful women were merely playthings for the big bosses—that was no secret in Hollywood.

The darkest and cruelest place in the United States is the modeling industry. It is the most terrifying because it is closely connected with Wall Street. Most importantly, in the eyes of those designers, models are just tools and are not treated as human beings at all. In the eyes of those designers, they can do whatever they want to these models, and the models cannot resist. Those who resist will be directly suppressed and disappear from the modeling industry!

That's why the modeling industry is the darkest, most terrifying, and most horrifying place, because it's influenced by capital, specifically the most insane capital in the United States, and that insane capital is Wall Street.

It's true that Wall Street professionals are all elites, but they also endure unimaginable pressure. Handling such massive sums of money, every transaction is a battle, so you can imagine the psychological burden they bear. Therefore, it's normal for them to become psychologically unbalanced. There are all sorts of crazy people there, and their targets are the models and the women around them. Anything can happen on Wall Street.

In the US modeling industry, countless South American beauties work illegally. They don't have legitimate agencies, at least not on the surface. In fact, many of them are smuggled into the US. This status makes most of them playthings in the hands of powerful figures. Because this industry is closely linked to Wall Street, all the darkness is suppressed. The real darkness is more terrifying than the outside world knows.

(End of this chapter)