America: My Time

Chapter 40 Newcomers
Chapter Forty: Newcomers
John's Legendary Records was with Elite Management Agency. After Hideki Saijo and President Itō left, Yoshiko Koizumi said, "Boss, we don't really need to do this. With these two singles, we can easily make our own people famous!"

John shook his head slightly and said, "There's no need for that. As I said, we're a new company, mainly focused on female idols. In the beginning, there's no need to waste time and energy on other things. That would only distract us. How many new talents are being trained by agencies these days?"

"Boss, as you instructed, we selected four people as new talents born in 82 for training, and also signed an arrangement by Masao Akashi. Unfortunately, we haven't found a suitable composer and lyricist yet!"

John nodded slightly in understanding. It was unrealistic to do all of this in such a short time; doing even one or two things well was already quite an achievement. The firm was just getting started, and could be gradually improved over time.

"Are they at the agency today? If so, let them come out. I want to see which areas they are suited to develop in. We must fully support Akashi Masao, the master arranger. If we're going to do something, we should do it the best. Our agency only creates the best idols and cultivates the most outstanding talents. That's our philosophy!"

"Boss, they're all here. I'll get them out right away!" Koizumi Yoshiko was well aware of her boss's capabilities. Since the establishment of the elite agency, she had been keeping track of her boss's situation and deeply understood her boss's abilities. The Phoenix Comics that swept across Japan was a major achievement of her boss.

John's eyes lit up when he received the information from Yoshiko Koizumi. He hadn't expected Yoshiko Koizumi to be so capable. John was already very happy when Akashi Masao was mentioned earlier. This man was indeed a great composer with great potential and was worth nurturing. Just this one person was enough to prove Yoshiko Koizumi's vision and ability. Now, the people in this information made John even more convinced of her abilities!

What kind of people could surprise John so much? Although there are only four people on this list, each one is a talented individual: Momoko Kikuchi, Yoko Minamino, Minako Kudo (Minako Honda), and Miki Imai. Each of them has considerable talent. Apart from Miki Imai, the other three have faced obstacles in their development for various reasons. Momoko Kikuchi's attempt to transition into a band failed, so she had to turn to acting. Yoko Minamino's reputation was severely damaged due to a dispute with her agency. The most regrettable case is Minako Honda, who passed away at the young age of 38 due to illness.

While John was talking to Yoshiko Koizumi, Naoko saw Hideki Saijo off, and President Itō returned to his side. John nodded slightly and let her sit next to him. In John's heart, Naoko was a kind-hearted person. Even when she encountered an agency like Yunyi and was hurt by the agency time and time again, she never betrayed it, which was very rare.

Soon, the four appeared before John. Fortunately, Legendary Records and Elite Entertainment were located together, and Legendary Records had its own recording studio. John had no doubt about their potential, but to show his respect, he still listened carefully to their performance. Of the four, Miki Imai and Minako Honda were the strongest, while Yoko Minamino and Momoko Kikuchi's singing skills were lacking. However, their potential as idols was quite good; the only issue they faced now was their age.

Miki Imai is fine; she's the right age to debut. However, the other three are a bit too young. The youngest, Momoko Kikuchi, is only fourteen, and the other two are fifteen. While that's not unusual in Japan, John thinks they're a bit too young. Debuting at this age would be a big problem and would affect the company's reputation!
John asked Naoko and the other four to leave first and familiarize themselves with the agency's situation, leaving Koizumi Yoshiko and Akashi Masao behind. He said, "Gentlemen, we now have a big problem in front of us. Kikuchi Momoko, Honda Minako, and Minamino Yoko are all quite young. Would it be inappropriate for them to debut this year? How should we avoid this problem? Can they handle the pressure that comes with debuting?"

When John raised this question, Akashi Masao frowned. He had only just joined the company and couldn't find a solution to the situation at the moment.

Yoshiko Koizumi was far more astute than Masao Akashi, and quickly devised a solution, saying, "Boss, I don't think this is a big problem. Although they are a bit young, and debuting solo would indeed have some impact, we can avoid this issue by having them form a group. They can build up popularity in the first two or three years to prepare for solo careers, and they also have strong complementary skills!"

John paused for a moment, then nodded slightly and said, "That's not a bad idea. A girl group can give them enough ability to handle pressure, and they'll be able to compete with any solo idol! However, the development of Kikuchi Momoko and Minamino Yoko shouldn't be entirely geared towards becoming singers. We need to maintain a balance, finding a good balance between singers and actresses to deal with any unexpected events. Nobody knows how long the idol market will last! At the same time, we can't let this group exist for too long. Two or three years is impossible. Six months of adaptation time should be enough. Let them go solo next year!"

The Ice Age of Idols is not far off. 1987 will see the rise of bands, 1990 will be the peak of the band boom, and 1991 will mark the arrival of the Ice Age of Idols.

John wondered what would become of Momoko Kikuchi, Yoko Minamino, and Minako Honda if they debuted earlier than expected, and whether they could reach the same heights. After all, 1982 was a famous year for the "flower group" in Japan, with monster idols appearing one after another. Matsumoto Iyo debuted at the end of 1981, Yakushimaru Hiroko at the beginning of 1982, Mori Akina in mid-May, and then Mita Hiroko, Ishikawa Hidemi, Hayami Yu, Harada Tomoyo, Koizumi Kyoko, Hori Chiemi...

It was precisely because the popularity of idols was soaring in 1982 that by the time idols debuted in 1983, their popularity had declined. John couldn't wait any longer, so he chose to debut these four in 1982, making a girl group the only option! Speaking of the idol ice age, it all started with Onyanko Club. The disbandment of Onyanko Club sowed the seeds of serious problems. It was the numerous scandals of Onyanko Club that dragged idols into an ice age step by step.

If they can successfully acquire TV Tokyo and control a private television station, the agency can be fearless of any risks. With a television station in hand, they can vigorously cultivate their own artists. John doesn't know if TV Tokyo can be acquired, so he must prepare for the worst!

Faced with the crisis, John was not without other preparations. One of them was the fashion magazine under Phoenix Comics, which could create opportunities for the four of them to build popularity. They even had voice acting talent and could join the voice acting industry at animation production companies. In short, they had made comprehensive preparations before starting the agency!
After determining the development path for the four members, John expressed his commitment to Akashi Masao, stating that the agency and record company would fully support him, and that he would be responsible for producing the new artist's album, giving Akashi Masao the greatest production authority. Akashi Masao was deeply moved by the agency and boss's high regard for him!

Having dealt with these people's issues, John breathed a sigh of relief. Everything was finally on track, and all that was left was to proceed step by step. After Koizumi Yoshiko and Akashi Masao left, Naoko returned to John's side.

John had long been prepared for Naoko's development. Many people say that the reason Naoko did not become a top idol like Seiko Matsuda and Akina Nakamori is because of her own agency. She did not get good works and did not transform in time. By the time she transformed, it was too late. John did not want to make the same mistake!

"What are your thoughts on future developments?" John asked gently.

Hearing John's question, Naoko asked with some doubt, "What's wrong with continuing to be an idol?"

John gently shook his head and said, "Idols have a lifespan. You can't be an idol forever. It's time to consider a career change. You know how fierce the idol competition is in Japan. There are no idols who last forever. You should take advantage of the moment when your popularity is about to reach its peak to change your career, or it will be too late!"

Naoko nodded gently. Although she still had some doubts, she believed John was right and trusted him.

"The single I've prepared for you and Hideki Saijo this time is a bit vulgar, but it's somewhat similar to enka. Based on my understanding of Japanese music, if this single is done well, it could reach a million copies sold. Having a million-selling single would have an immeasurable impact on your career. This isn't even included in your four singles this year. I've also prepared other singles for you. As for the album, that needs to be considered and prepared separately, and you'll need to be involved yourself!"

In order to quickly open up the Japanese record market and accelerate the development of Legendary Records, I had made full preparations before coming to Japan. I just didn't expect to have such a wonderful encounter with Naoko.

John was surprised. Although his time with Naoko was short, he was very satisfied with and admired her. During the Showa era of geisha, Naoko, known as the "pure geisha," was one of John's favorite geisha.

Although Naoko Naoko did not become a top idol during the Showa era in Japan, she held an important place among the divas of the 80s. Even the then-popular Seiko Matsuda and Akina Nakamori could not replace Naoko Naoko's position as an elegant and clear-eyed diva.

What people like most about Naoko is her character. During her time as a songstress, her character was impeccable, which is what John admires most about her. Before they started dating, he didn't have many thoughts about her, but after this serendipitous relationship, he didn't want to see her go down the same old path!

(End of this chapter)