Come on, Shinji, Time to Exercise

However, he can now laugh freely.

Because HF has already become incredibly popular.

The company added 420,000 new subscribers in October and 480,000 new subscribers in November.

The number of new subscribers in just the first two months was enough to put Mr. Seifer's mind at ease.

December isn't over yet, but with the premiere of the third episode of HF, they've already gained 260,000 new users, so the final result is sure to be good.

Moreover, the series has a good reputation, especially among some core Fate fans who consider it a high-quality work.

"This is Fate I've never seen before!"

Many fans have left similar comments on the IMDB message board.

For these die-hard fans who have already seen the same actors play the same roles three times, this is the highest praise.

"This is the real sequel to Fate/Zero! A pure dark fantasy Fate!"

This is a comment from a dedicated FZ fan.

It's clear that for fans who enjoy dark-themed stories like Fate/Zero, the first two versions of Fate/stay night were a bit too mainstream.

Regardless, it was the support of these Fate fans that significantly boosted HBO channel subscriptions and made HF receive so much attention.

This is precisely one of the characteristics of spin-off series.

Chapter 176 Come on, Shinji, it's time to exercise.

Before Shinji's time travel, the film market was sluggish, with only a few big-budget productions appearing each year. However, adaptations and sequels continued to thrive.

This is because there is a key difference between the two – the fan base.

Making movies is like buying lottery tickets; to ensure that the most viewers can enter the theater as soon as possible, attracting a large enough fan base is undoubtedly the safest way.

After all, word-of-mouth takes time to develop, and even good word-of-mouth doesn't necessarily translate into box office revenue.

But fans are different, because they are the ones who will actually buy tickets and go to the cinema as soon as possible—regardless of whether the movie is good or bad.

This is why some film producers will still approve and produce films even if they know they are bad; after all, as long as there is a fan base, even if it's terrible, there will still be fans to buy tickets.

Only a minority of viewers will watch a movie multiple times; the vast majority of viewers will only buy one ticket for a film.

Ultimately, movies are a one-off business; the producers' decisions all have only one purpose—to lure audiences into the theater.

Therefore, in the eyes of film producers, the evaluation of a film project is never based on its reputation, but on whether it can make money.

Even a bad movie can be a good movie if it can make money.

Some Film Company even specialize in producing these kinds of bad movies that already have a fan base, as long as they can control the costs, they can quickly make a fortune.

It's a pity for the fans of the original work. They had a rare opportunity to have their favorite work adapted into a movie, but instead, they became victims of the Film Company's interests.

Moreover, in order to preserve the value of an IP, if a bad movie is produced, the IP is likely to be shelved, and waiting for it to be adapted into a movie again is a matter of "lifetime".

However, Shinji would never do something like ruining an IP just to make a quick buck. Type-Moon Company has not become so inflated that it can afford to burn through IPs; they must take every work seriously.

Shinji never minded people saying that UBW and HF were reheated old dishes, because these two series are essentially reheated old dishes.

However, if leftover rice is cooked well and makes a good aroma, it can generate more commercial value than fresh rice.

For example, the premiere of the third episode of HF garnered over 10 million views, and including the limited number of on-demand views, the total viewership of the third episode has now exceeded 15 million.

"This is truly a wildly popular work!"

Looking at the report in his hand, Cypher Flora excitedly pumped his fist.

It's important to understand that HBO is a pay channel, and each viewer represents a real portion of the channel's revenue.

Even when UBW was still being serialized, Mr. Seifer sensed that HF would also be a huge hit.

But until the facts came to light, he still couldn't believe it.

This is the most accurate data he has seen so far.

"Shinji Matou's decision to increase the Restricted rating advantage of pay-TV content and add more gore and violence was very successful."

Seifer's secretary reported, "The group plans to produce several more TV series following this approach and is currently looking for scripts."

"Hmph, those people want to hog all the profits," Seifer sneered. "If they really wanted to, wouldn't it be better to just go after Shinji? In the end, they just can't bear to part with the profits."

Cypher could guess what the top executives at the Jidai Group were agonizing over.

The success of HF naturally proves that their collaboration with Shinji Matou to develop the Fate series was the right choice.

On the other hand, the immense success of the Fate series has also made them somewhat regretful, wondering why they didn't acquire the Fate rights back then.

Don't be fooled by the fact that Shinji Matou is the Director and the original story creator for Fate; there are many works whose copyrights are entirely owned by the Jidai Group.

That's right, the publisher is that domineering. Even though it's the original creator's story, the copyright holder can have complete control over it.

This practice is actually the norm for film distribution companies.

The main reason Fate didn't do that was because Shinji's marketing plan was too expensive, so expensive that the Jidai Group had to compromise on the copyright.

However, this move, which seemed incredibly brilliant at the time and could significantly reduce the investment and risks of the Jidai Group, now looks like it was even more stupid than a pig.

"Those idiots at headquarters are probably banging their heads on the ground and crying out in regret right now, aren't they?"

Cypher Flora thought with schadenfreude.

Anyway, the headquarters' decisions are none of his business, and as a shareholder, as long as the company makes a profit, his share of the dividends will not be less.

Mr. Seifer's biggest wish now is to further boost the ratings of the series HF.

As well as...

"Is Lizzie still in Japan?"

"Yes, she said she had been a bit careless before and wanted to take advantage of the fact that she's not busy at work now to win back some goodwill."

"That girl!"

The thought of his daughter gave Seifer a headache.

My daughter is great in every way, except she's always fixated on one man.

Although that man made him a lot of money, as a father, seeing his own plump, healthy cabbages being given away to someone else was still hard on his heart.

It's only Matou Family and Flora families are old friends that Mr. Seifer would have come knocking on the door with a chainsaw if it were any other wild boy.

Seifer let out a long sigh, "I just hope that Shinji won't break Lizzie's heart."

Compared to the various anxieties surrounding HF among the members of the Jidai Group, Shinji was quite different.

Although HF had explosive ratings and rave reviews, now that the series was fully completed, it was no longer Shinji's focus.

Even though he still had to handle some publicity and promotion work as the series producer and Director, his focus shifted to other projects.

Preparations for Apocalypse are still ongoing. Shinji has compiled a list of relics and asked various Mage Families to help X find them.

However, these highly specific antiques are not easy to find, and it's unlikely there will be any results in the short term.

In contrast, the later-initiated project, <Magical Girl Prisma Illya>, has already progressed to the stage where the script outline is complete.

There was no other way; unlike Fate/Apocrypha, which could be done slowly, Prisma Illya needed to be reported to the TV station immediately, and a series composition had to be produced as soon as possible.

Fortunately, most of the Lead Actor in this series are familiar faces, and the script is readily available. Compared to FA, which had to be completely rewritten from scratch, the preparation is much more straightforward.

Even so, Shinji had no choice but to lock himself in his office during the New Year holiday to write a script, only leaving when the holiday was almost over.

Besides needing to finish the manuscript before the deadline, Shinji had another reason for hiding:

Thump!

With a dull thud, Tohsaka Rin was Luviya's Diamond Cutter attack.

OK!

Rider stepped forward and separated the two who were emotionally agitated.

"In the 346th inning, Luviya Edelfelt wins! The current score Tohsaka Rin with 148 wins, Luviya Edelfelt with 149 wins, tied at 49 innings."

"Ptooey!"

Rin spat out the hair from her mouth while glaring at Luviya with displeasure.

Luviya, with her hands supporting her chest, displaying a figure that Tohsaka Rin could never achieve in ten lifetimes, smiled meaningfully and said, "Tohsaka, you really are useless."

"Wow, Luviya is amazing!"

Sakura clapped her hands and said with a look of admiration.

"It's nothing."

Luviya stylishly tossed her blonde hair and said smugly, "Sakura, if you want to learn, I can teach you."

"Really? That's great!"

Sakura's face broke into a smile reminiscent of a Yamato Nadeshiko (ideal Japanese woman).

"Hey, Sakura," Rin said coldly, "Why would you learn martial arts from someone you've known for less than a week?"

Sakura nodded, tilting her head, and said, "Because Tohsaka- senpai's fighting techniques focus too much on technique, while Luviya- neechan's fighting techniques emphasize strength more."

"Shinji, is this how you raised your sister? She ran off with a woman of unknown origin after only a few days?" Rin retorted.

"Sorry, I've always lost face in front of my sister, you know that."

Shinji blinked, looking completely innocent.

In just a few days, Rin and Luviya have already fought more than 300 battles, demonstrating that their irreconcilable conflict is second only to the King of Knights, who have fought more than 1,000 times in a month.

Because the conflict was too intense, Shinji had no intention of getting involved.

To everyone's surprise, almost a week had passed, and the bickering between the two was still not over.

"Besides, Luviya's approach might actually be quite suitable for Sakura."

Seeing Sakura clinging to Luvia, Shinji was reminded of the Tohsaka family —Rin, who almost became the founder of a new martial art combining Magecraft and Chinese boxing, and Sakura, who was adopted by distant relatives at a young age and became an unimaginable bouncy wrestler...

[Perhaps this is fate. I just hope that Sakura won't use me as a practice dummy after she learns those techniques.]

Shinji prayed from the bottom of his heart.

"Isn't this a good thing? Girls, especially female Magecraft, should always learn some fighting skills for self-defense."

"What nonsense are you spouting? Shouldn't the female Magecraft of Fuyuki City collectively learn Baji Quan? Isn't that tradition?"

"Huh? When did this tradition start?" Shinji retorted. "It was just that Grandpa Risei disciplined us when we were kids. Learning Baji Quan wasn't a requirement at all!"

"Snort!"

Rin crossed her arms and let out a cold snort, her gaze still fixed on Luviya.

"Heh, you're not attractive yourself, so you look down on others. That's all you're good for, Tohsaka." Luviya glanced sideways at Rin.

"Luviya Edelfelt!"

"Tohsaka Rin!"

The gazes of the two unapproachable beauties clashed, a scene that even Shinji had to concede.

Unlike Chloe Ryougi Shiki, these two were completely reckless when they started arguing, and even his attempts to seduce them couldn't calm them down.

So Shinji prepared to make a run for it.

As a result, Rin grabbed Shinji's shoulder.

"Wait, Shinji. I think it's necessary for you to know the difference between Baji Quan and that Nordic Monkey Play Technique!"

"What?!"

Shinji looked shocked.

Rin smiled, and commanded, "I believe only in this way can you make the right choice for your lovely little one."

"What does Matou Sakura's choice have to do with Shinji Matou? Rin, don't take it out on me!"

"That's good. I think letting outsiders judge it would provide a more objective evaluation."

Luviya nodded, and she grabbed Shinji's other arm.

"Etc..."

Shinji struggled to back away, only to find his head resting on a pair of soft balls.