America: My Time

Chapter 888 The Expansion of Anime

Chapter 858 The Expansion of Anime
"I've decided to go back. I won't stay a few more days. Things aren't over in Japan yet!" John wasn't too surprised when he learned that Lee Boo-jin was returning to South Korea; it was within his expectations. Although it was a bit earlier than he had anticipated, he had to admit that Samsung's eldest daughter was very capable in management. She had completed the layout in Japan so easily, which surprised John. Letting her manage the Asian retail industry was indeed a wise choice.

"No, no matter how much the situation in Japan affects them, it won't impact retailers like 7-Eleven. Their low prices are enough to allow them to thrive. I must say, you have a really sharp eye. But I really didn't expect you to be so good to the women around you. Maybe my decision back then was right!"

"Right and wrong are not important, and it's too early to talk about these things now. You've seen the situation in Japan. Do you think South Korea will follow in Japan's footsteps? After all, South Korea's current situation is very similar to Japan's in the past. Perhaps one day, South Korea will also fall into the same crisis."

When Lee Boo-jin heard John's words, she was taken aback. She understood what John was referring to. Whether it was real estate or the economy, South Korea was just like Japan in the past. Now that Japan was in a bubble crisis, could South Korea avoid it in the future?
Lee Boo-jin quickly came to her senses, shook her head, and said, "I don't know, maybe. After all, no one can predict the economy, and South Korea's real estate market is indeed crazy. It's hard to say what the final outcome will be. But since you have such concerns, why are you increasing your investment in Seoul? Isn't that a bit risky? Or do you think you can get out of South Korea unscathed before the danger arrives?"

"Investing requires a clear direction. Once you reach your predetermined goal, you can let go. The worst thing you can do in investing is greed. You can't expect it to keep rising, and you can't hold on until you reach your expected goal. That will only lead to a terrible loss. So we're not worried about failing or getting into a crisis. Everyone fails sometimes, but as long as you cut your losses in time, you can recover. I've said before that the Japanese real estate market was too crazy, but unfortunately no one listened. When I decided to sell those assets, many people said I was stupid, but now it seems I've at least escaped unscathed, while many others have been caught in this crazy crisis."

“I understand what you mean, but can you always keep yourself so clear-headed and not act impulsively? Can you believe that your judgment will always be this sharp? Also, the situation in South Korea is different from that in Japan. The mistakes they made will not be repeated on us. We will learn from these experiences.”

John shook his head at Lee Boo-jin's words. This mysterious confidence was gradually appearing in the Koreans as well. The beautiful woman in front of him also had this mysterious confidence. Let's see what he has to say when the Koreans suffer from the Asian economic crisis.

"Alright, I hope that's the case; it'll be more advantageous for me. Now, let Sachiko take you; after all, you two know each other well!" John didn't continue arguing about this trivial matter; it was pointless. Time would tell. Greedy people never learn their lesson because all they see is profit.

Although Lee Boo-jin had spent some time in Japan, apart from Sachiko Kamachi who showed her enthusiasm, everyone else seemed to have a slight aversion to her. This wasn't the first time she had encountered this; she had felt it in Hong Kong and Taiwan as well. So she didn't pay too much attention to it now, but it did make her a little wary.

Those guys in Japan could hold out, but John didn't want to wait any longer. As companies downsize, college graduates would be the first to be laid off. He couldn't let those who had graduated not long ago and hadn't found jobs disappear from his sight. These guys were his targets.

Another company to take action was Phoenix Comics and Animation, which began recruiting recent graduates. This was not part of the company's original plan, at least John had not given such an order. But now they needed to expand, and with the outbreak of the Japanese real estate bubble crisis, this plan was temporarily added, for the good reason of accelerating IP operations.

At a time when Japan's economy is stagnating and people are feeling lost, Phoenix Comics and Animation has started hiring, which has surprised many people. But what surprised them even more was what followed: acquisitions were also underway, with Sunrise, Kyoto Animation, and GAINAX, three major animation companies, all of which were offered for acquisition.

Phoenix Comics and Animation already had an astonishing market share in Japan. If they were to acquire the three major animation companies, they would dominate the majority of the Japanese animation market. However, at this time, no one stood up to stop them. The reason is simple: the Japanese comics and animation industry has been severely impacted. The Miyazaki Tsutomu incident dealt a devastating blow to the Japanese animation industry, plunging the entire sector into a slump. Not all animation companies have the massive market share of Phoenix Comics and Animation, nor do they have the powerful global influence of the Phoenix Group. Therefore, they are not doing well. Now, with the emergence of the real estate bubble crisis, things are even worse for them.

If you don't sell, someone else will. After all, this period is extremely unfavorable for Japanese companies. Nobody knows what will happen next, and even if they want to consider it, they don't have much time. Before the three major animation companies could make a decision, Phoenix Media launched an acquisition of Pebrest Animation Studios, also known as Banpresto. Bandai, without hesitation, sold off its portion of the company. For them, securing assets to prepare for the upcoming crisis was paramount; Banpresto wasn't that important. Many felt the pressure during this real estate bubble crisis, and Bandai was no exception. Banpresto, seeing this situation, had no choice but to accept its fate. Soon, GAINAX Animation also had to accept the acquisition. After all, they had suffered heavy losses in the 'Royal Space Force' and were constantly paying off debts. Now that Phoenix Media was willing to acquire them, why wouldn't they sell quickly? The current environment was too harsh, forcing them to bow their heads. Delaying further risked bankruptcy. Now that Phoenix Media was willing to acquire them, what was there to hesitate about? Besides, Phoenix Media's resources were incredibly attractive.

Following the Miyazaki Tsutomu incident, the Japanese animation industry suffered a devastating blow. However, there was an exception: Phoenix Comics and Animation. Due to their large market, strong support, and, most importantly, their positive and progressive image, the Miyazaki incident did not negatively impact them. Currently, Phoenix Group is still recruiting, defying the market downturn. Therefore, in this acquisition, Phoenix Group holds an absolute advantage, encountering minimal, if any, resistance. Their overwhelming strength is their best weapon!

When they saw that Phoenix Media had already accepted the acquisition offer, Sunrise and Kyoto Animation didn't dare hesitate any longer and quickly agreed to the acquisition as well. Thus, a series of acquisitions was completed smoothly, much to the surprise of the Japanese. Even the cunning Akio Morita became uneasy, worried that John would continue to expand in the game market, impacting Sony.

Just as Akio Morita was about to sit down and talk with John, Toyota made its move, or more accurately, Mitsui made its move, and in cooperation with the government, they wanted to talk to John. You know, when Hughes Aerospace first started its global satellite positioning system, Japan paid a considerable price, and now they regret it very much, especially now that the other party's achievements are coming one after another, directly affecting the development of Japanese companies.

If Japan hadn't given up, its car companies wouldn't be in such a passive position now. Toyota is finally ready to talk to John. Since they couldn't do it themselves, they brought in the Japanese government. At this time, Akio Morita, that old guy, also wanted to sit down and talk with John to find out what he wanted to do.

Before Akio Morita could even contact John, he received bad news: Japanese officials had appeared, and Toyota and Mitsui wanted to sit down and talk with John. This news immediately darkened Akio Morita's expression.

"Are you sure this news is true? This is no joke!"

"The information is correct. Mitsui has confirmed it and even invited you to participate if you have time."

This was a slap in the face, a direct insult to Akio Morita. He was furious that they hadn't consulted him beforehand, and then sent someone to inform him after they had already communicated with John. But there was nothing he could do. He had been too arrogant and underestimated Toyota's methods.

"Is it a cocktail party or a regular meeting? Are there any other conglomerates involved?" Akio Morita quickly inquired whether the other party was hosting a cocktail party or a regular meeting, as this was very important to him.

"I don't know, they haven't notified us yet. But normally it's a cocktail party, not a regular meeting. After all, cocktail parties make it easier to talk about various topics, while regular meetings only involve business matters!" This statement makes some sense, but it's not necessarily true. To avoid involving more people, it's not impossible to only have a normal meeting. After all, even a normal meeting can be arranged by those guys, as Akio Morita has done before!

(End of this chapter)