In film, from the timeless classics of Akira Kurosawa and Yasujirō Ozu, to Hayao Miyazaki's animation empire, to the wallpaper-worthy frames of Makoto Shinkai, even to the blockbuster scripts that later grossed over five billion yen... everything was there.
In television, from Tokyo Love Story to Hanzawa Naoki, from The Great White Tower to Midnight Diner, every "legendary drama" that once created a ratings miracle or stirred social discussion... none were missing.
And anime? Even more outrageous.
From Mobile Suit Gundam, which ushered in the real-robot era, to Neon Genesis Evangelion, which sparked a nationwide philosophical debate, all the way to later phenomenon-level hits like Demon Slayer and Jujutsu Kaisen... every complete production plan was included!
Even...
The full planning documents and iconic segments of national-level variety shows, prank programs, and dating reality shows... were all there!
Seiji couldn't help but be awestruck.
The system had just crammed the crystallized essence of decades of Japan's cultural and entertainment industry straight into his mind!
With this grand archive, he could practically call himself a god of entertainment.
He could pull out any one of those works and make any actor a star overnight.
Combine a few variety formats at will, and he could flip an entire network's ratings hierarchy on its head.
With just his own strength, he could turn Genesis Company into a pan-entertainment empire that surpassed Disney and Netflix, standing atop the world.
While Seiji was still digesting this shock...
...
...
Tokyo, in a private room of a top-tier members-only club in Ginza, the atmosphere was blazing.
Gathered there were the three most powerful figures in Japan's online video industry: NikoNikoStream's president Kazuya Tsutsumi, Hulu Japan's director Tatsuya Mori, and AbemaTV's CEO Kenji Ootori.
The three of them were the "Alliance of Victory" who had joined forces to stream Legal High and triumphed completely.
On the table sat bottles of top-grade single malt whisky, and the air was thick with the scent of antique cigar boxes. But all their attention was fixed on the data report before them.
"Gentlemen, this is a miracle... an absolute miracle!" said Tsutsumi, his face flushed with excitement, voice trembling uncontrollably.
"In just one month since Legal High started airing, our three platforms combined have gained over three million new paying subscribers! Our servers have had to be expanded multiple times to handle the traffic spikes!"
"With traffic skyrocketing, our ad rates are now rivaling the golden time slots of the old TV stations!"
"Rivaling?" Mori from NicoNico pushed up his glasses, smiling with barely contained thrill. "We've broken their monopoly! For the first time, viewers have realized that you don't need TV to watch great shows... sometimes, you'll even find better, freer ones online!"
"But the one shaking the foundations of the TV industry isn't us," said Kenji Ootori, the oldest and most conservative of the three, with a complicated look. "It's... Seiji Fujiwara."
At once, the fervent mood in the room cooled.
Yes... they all knew. The audience hadn't come for their platforms. They came for Seiji.
Once Legal High ended, who knew how much of that massive audience they could actually keep?
They were just pigs flying on the wind. But Seiji... he was the one who created the wind.
"That's why I called you both here today," Tsutsumi said, inhaling deeply. "We can't be content with just sipping the soup... we need to bring Fujiwara-sensei onto our ship!"
"How?" Ootori frowned. "Keep buying his scripts at insane prices? Our finances can't take many more hits like that."
"No," Tsutsumi shook his head, then dropped a bomb that made the other two gasp in shock. "We... give up shares."
"What?!" Ootori nearly jumped from the couch, face twisted in disbelief. "Tsutsumi! Are you insane?!"
"Calm down, Ootori-san." Mori's voice was steady, but his words cut like a blade. "Actually, I agree with Tsutsumi-kun. If we don't pay a real price, how do we steal users from the TV giants?"
He turned to Tsutsumi. "You mean we three join forces, offer up part of our stock, and invite him in as a shareholder... to bind him strategically?"
"Exactly!" Tsutsumi nodded sharply. "We give him shares, even a board seat! What we need isn't just his works... we need him. If I can tie him to us, I'd bet half my net worth without hesitation!"
Tsutsumi's decisiveness and madness sent a chill down Ootori's spine. He still hesitated, pained at the thought.
Seeing that, Tsutsumi knew he needed to push harder.
He lowered his voice to a whisper that carried both awe and dread.
"Ootori-san, Mori-kun... have you heard what happened with Daido Life Insurance Company?"
"Huh? That company that got caught in a scandal and was bought out by a group called New Eden?" Ootori frowned.
"Then did you know," Tsutsumi's eyes grew razor-sharp, "that one week before the acquisition, three of their board members all died the same night... one in a 'car accident,' one from a 'sudden heart attack,' and one was 'killed in a home burglary'? And that before that, the yakuza group they hired for dirty work, the Black Dragon Syndicate... vanished overnight?"
"And all of that began because they tried to harass a woman named Megumi Kato... someone reportedly close to Seiji Fujiwara."
"Hhsss... !"
Both Ootori and Mori gasped in horror, cold sweat running down their backs.
They'd heard fragments of those rumors, but never imagined that all those bloody, unrelated incidents would trace back to the same person...
That elegant, refined young genius in the public eye!
The room fell into a deathly silence.
"The man we're trying to recruit," Tsutsumi said grimly, "isn't some naive kid. He's a real power player."
Hearing that, every hint of stinginess drained from Ootori's face, replaced by pure fear and reverence.
He lifted his glass and downed his whisky in one go, as though to steady himself.
"I... I agree," he croaked.
Beside him, Mori adjusted his glasses again, already calculating. "I agree as well. If we three go together, it shows sincerity. The only question is... who'll contact Fujiwara-sensei?"
All eyes turned to Tsutsumi.
"I'll do it." Tsutsumi nodded, picking up his private phone.
...
...
Ring, ring, ring...
Seiji's private phone lit up.
On the screen: "NikoNikoStream Tsutsumi Kazuya."
He answered, saying nothing... just waited quietly.
From the other end came Tsutsumi's trembling voice, overflowing with excitement.
"Fujiwara-sensei! I'm terribly sorry to bother you! This is Tsutsumi from NikoNikoStream!"
The man's tone was so deferential, it sounded less like a business call and more like a disciple addressing a god.
Seiji's voice remained calm. "President Tsutsumi. What is it?"
"Yes, well... !" Tsutsumi took a deep breath. "Legal High's success has shown us the limitless potential of working with you! On behalf of NikoNikoStream, Hulu Japan, and AbemaTV, I humbly present our proposal. We'd like to form a long-term strategic partnership with you and Genesis Company!"
He paused, choosing his words carefully.
"To show our sincerity, the three companies are jointly willing to offer you a combined fifteen percent equity stake, and a seat as executive director. We'll even create a permanent 'Genesis Exclusive Channel'... front and center on our homepages!"
"We only have one request... that you give our platforms priority for the release of your future works!"
"Fujiwara-sensei! The internet is the future. Together, we can reshape the era!"
"What do you think?"
Tsutsumi finished in one breath, heart pounding so hard it was audible in the quiet room.
He and the other two presidents held their breath, waiting for the reply.
They'd tasted the sweetness already... and now, they wanted more. They wanted to cling to Fujiwara's golden thigh and topple the old, decaying TV empires for good.
On the other end, Seiji listened, a slow smile curling on his lips.
When you're sleepy, and someone brings you a pillow... how considerate.
His mind's "Golden Age of Entertainment Archive" was just waiting for a grand enough stage to unveil its brilliance.
And now, the stage had delivered itself.
"Great minds think alike, President Tsutsumi," he said lightly.
Just a single line...
But to Tsutsumi and the others, it was thunder in their ears.
"Th-thank you! Thank you, Fujiwara-sensei!" Tsutsumi stammered, nearly incoherent with excitement.
"Tomorrow at ten a.m.," Seiji said calmly. "Bring your legal teams. We'll discuss the details at my office."
"Yes! Absolutely! We'll be there!"
After hanging up, Seiji slowly stood and walked to the floor-to-ceiling windows, gazing down at the city awakening in the morning light.
Entertainment, medicine, finance... the three pillars of his empire were set.
Online, offline, every channel of distribution was already under his control.
Looking out at the vast horizon, he felt his blood surge with ambition.
A new era... his era... was about to begin.
...
...
Genesis Entertainment's headquarters occupied the top floor of a newly built skyscraper in Kyoto.
Through its vast windows, the bustling city stretched endlessly below.
The minimalist décor... dark walnut and cold metal... exuded the commanding aura of a true ruler.
Now, NikoNikoStream's Kazuya Tsutsumi, Hulu Japan's Tatsuya Mori, and AbemaTV's Kenji Ootori sat before Seiji's massive desk.
The three titans of the online video world sat upright, their posture more that of subordinates than partners.
Tsutsumi leaned slightly forward with a practiced smile, hands folded neatly on his knees.
Mori adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses, eyes sharp and focused.
Ootori, the eldest, looked solemn... as though he were paying respects to a powerful clan head rather than meeting a young entrepreneur.
"Fujiwara-sensei, the success of Legal High exceeded even our boldest expectations!" Tsutsumi began, unable to hide his reverence. "Our subscriber counts, ad revenue, and industry influence have all exploded... and it's all thanks to you!"
Mori pushed his glasses again, his analytical tone barely hiding his excitement. "Indeed. We've torn a massive hole in the old TV networks' defenses. If we keep working with you, toppling them completely is only a matter of time."
Even the conservative Ootori nodded vigorously. "We came today to discuss our next collaboration. Whatever your terms, we'll do our best to meet them!"
They all looked eagerly toward the young man behind the desk, ready for him to name any price.
But Seiji merely twirled his pen, eyes calm, a faint smile playing on his lips.
"With such sincerity from all three of you," he said lightly, "I won't keep secrets."
"From today, Genesis will move forward on two fronts," Seiji said. "Drama... and variety."
The room fell silent.
The smiles froze on their faces, suspended mid-expression.
They exchanged looks, each seeing the same thought in the others' eyes: Did we hear that right?
"Fujiwara-sensei..." Tsutsumi finally asked, stunned. "You mean... you're producing a new drama and a new variety show... at the same time?"
"That's right," Seiji said casually, as if discussing the weather.
"But..." Tsutsumi hesitated.
The other two looked uneasy as well.
It was too audacious!
In Japan, drama and variety were two entirely different worlds, each with its own structure and teams. Even veteran networks relied on separate flagship crews to succeed in both.
One man. One new company. And he wanted to take on both at once?
Even for Seiji, that seemed impossible.
Mori frowned thoughtfully. "Fujiwara-sensei, this would require vast manpower, resources, and specialized understanding of two distinct industries... isn't that a bit risky?"
"Risk," Seiji replied calmly, "is only for those unprepared."
He smiled, full of quiet confidence. "Since I've decided to do this, it means I'm already sure of the outcome."
He opened a drawer and slid two folders across the desk.
"These are the partnership proposals. Take a look."
The three exchanged wary glances, then picked up the documents.
After reading just the first page, they all gasped.
It was insane.
A bold ratings-based profit-sharing contract...
Genesis would sell both the variety show and drama to their platforms at unusually low production costs.
But for every rating milestone surpassed, the platforms would owe Genesis exponentially higher profit shares!
If they broke TV's ratings record, they'd owe even greater commercial privileges.
But if the ratings failed to reach the minimum threshold... Genesis would lose everything.
"Fujiwara-sensei... this..." Ootori's voice trembled. "You're really confident, aren't you?"
"Of course." Seiji shrugged with an easy grin. "After all, I'm the kind of guy who starts a war on two fronts."
The three presidents fell silent again, hearts pounding.
The gamble was insane...
and they knew they were already on the hook.