The Conservative Production Committee
Yoshimura's mind went blank.
His expression changed instantly.
The talks broke down?
Sega trying to kick Toei out of the game?
Cold sweat slid down his temples.
"We've finalized a completely new plan for Mr. Kurumada." Nakayama Takuya picked up his chopsticks, took a piece of golden-brown Wagyu beef, and placed it on the small plate in front of him.
Yoshimura's heart was in his throat, and he even deliberately slowed his breathing.
"The first step is a complete reboot of the Hades Chapter." Nakayama Takuya looked up at Yoshimura. "We won't be going for the usual TV time slot. The entire series will be produced according to standard OVA specifications. My requirements aren't high; Toei should allocate a minimum budget of standard OVA standards for each episode."
Yoshimura's eyes widened further.
The complete OVA series?
This kind of money-burning approach will drive up the production cost per episode. The Toei board of directors would definitely be furious when they see this budget.
"You, Toei, don't need to worry about the production costs." Nakayama Takuya put the Wagyu beef into his mouth and chewed slowly.
"Sega Galaxy will take full control of overseas marketing and distribution. Sega will cover the entire video rental market and VCD distribution in North America and Europe. Silicon Valley Online will simultaneously invest resources in promoting the product on North America internet portals. The overseas copyright revenue alone will be enough to cover your production costs. Toei only needs to arrange the key animators, especially the animation supervisors, and not skimp on the budget."
Upon hearing that Sega would fully cover overseas distribution channels, Yoshimura felt a sense of relief.
Not airing on TV means not being constrained by television ratings and not having to rely on sponsors.
As long as overseas channels can be established, this will definitely be a huge, highly profitable deal.
Just as Yoshimura was about to make his statement, Nakayama Takuya dropped an even more explosive bombshell.
"The Hades Chapter OVA was just an appetizer to wake up the market."
Nakayama Takuya took the sake bottle and filled the white porcelain cup in front of him.
"Mr. Kurumada has agreed to fully open up the licensing of merchandise creations based on this IP."
Sitting next to him Masami Kurumada nodded and took a sip of his tea.
Yoshimura was completely stunned.
Open license.
This is simply unimaginable in the rigid and conservative world of Japan manga.
"The previous Holy War, solo spin-offs of the various Gold Saint, and even more series extensions." Nakayama Takuya tapped his finger on the table. "Sega Galaxy will take the lead in establishing a dedicated Planning Department, recruiting energetic young scriptwriters who understand the new generation of readers, as well as doujinshi artists with solid basic skills. Mr. Kurumada will personally be responsible for reviewing the outlines and supervising the core settings, while the specific drawing tasks will all be delegated to these young people."
Yoshimura's mouth was slightly open, and his breathing became completely erratic.
Having spent most of his life in the animation industry, he knew all too well what this move meant.
The main storyline 0VA elevates its appeal with top-notch graphics and nostalgia, rekindling the enthusiasm of longtime fans.
Spin-offs and prequels use different art styles and new stories to expand the audience and attract younger readers.
In addition, there's Bandai's continuous toy development and Sega's development capabilities in the gaming field.
This is no longer an animation project; it's like creating a gold mine that can be continuously mined.
This plate is so big that Toei could eat it for ten or even twenty years!
"President Nakayama —Mr Kurumada— " Yoshimura's voice trembled with extreme excitement, "This—this is absolutely a groundbreaking achievement that will change the entire landscape of the Japan animation industry!"
Nakayama Takuya picked up the wine glass on the table but didn't drink it.
He stared coldly at the overly excited Yoshimura.
"I've drawn the plate. The meat is also cut and placed in front of Toei."
Yoshimura's smile froze instantly, and he quickly straightened his back.
"This project is for everyone to take their time, work meticulously, and make money in the long run." Nakayama Takuya's tone became more serious, carrying a strong sense of pressure. "Every step must be taken steadily. Release 0VA first, and once the market reputation is stable, then release derivative works in batches. The entire release and promotion schedule will be entirely under the direction of Sega Galaxy."
He slammed his wine glass on the table, making a crisp sound.
"If anyone dares to jump in halfway through and rush the schedule, if anyone tries to make their year-end financial report look good by adding some shoddy original storyline to pad the plot and rip people off—" Nakayama Takuya pointed at Yoshimura, "If Toei makes the same mistake of killing the goose that lays the golden eggs again, I guarantee that Sega will immediately terminate all cooperation. We'll cut off all of Bandai's toy manufacturing orders as well. We'll kick you out of the game completely."
Cold sweat broke out on Yoshimura's forehead again, and the back of his shirt was completely soaked.
Without the slightest hesitation, he immediately placed his hands on the tatami mat and lowered his upper body.
"President Nakayama, rest assured! Toei will fully cooperate with Sega's strategy! Progress, quality, everything will be based on the will of Sega Galaxy and Mr. Kurumada! Anyone who dares to disobey and sabotage this project, I, Yoshimura, will be the first to dismiss them at the board meeting!"
Seeing Yoshimura's posture, as if he wanted to commit seppuku on the spot to prove his innocence, Masami Kurumada couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Nakayama Takuya dropped his imposing aura.
He picked up the glass in front of him and handed it towards Yoshimura.
"Now that the rules are set, all that's left is to eat and drink."
Yoshimura has now fully come back to life.
He quickly went to meet him, holding his cup with both hands, half-squatting down, deliberately pressing the rim of his cup much lower than that of Nakayama Takuya.
A crisp sound.
The atmosphere at the meal completely changed.
The extreme torment that had been weighing on Yoshimura's mind for two days vanished instantly, replaced by the ecstatic joy of securing a mega order.
With his job at Toei secured, Managing Director Yoshimura's position in the company was not only secure, but he could also use this project to advance his career further.
Without the pressure of work, Yoshimura fully utilized his Kansai shrewdness and the social skills he had honed over many years of socializing.
"Mr. Kurumada, please try this matsutake mushroom soup. It was just delivered from Nagano this afternoon!" Yoshimura stood up, took the soup ladle and served soup to Masami Kurumada. His movements were quick and efficient, without the slightest airs of a senior executive of a large company.
"President Nakayama, I must toast you! Sega's vision and vision are unparalleled in all of Japan!"
Inside the private room, glasses were clinked and drinks were exchanged.
With his psychological burden lifted, Masami Kurumada, after a few jugs of sake, his face flushed red, chatted enthusiastically with Yoshimura about all the outrageous things that happened during the serialization back then.
Yoshimura chimed in enthusiastically from the sidelines, bursting into laughter from time to time, creating a very lively atmosphere.
The president's office is on the top floor of Sega Headquarters building.
Nakayama Takuya casually tossed his pen aside next to the pen holder, closed the last financial report for the North America business with a thud.
His two-day trip to Lake Okutama had ended, and the fatigue from dealing with Masami Kurumada hadn't completely dissipated when the backlog of desk work consumed another entire afternoon.
He glanced at his watch; it was 6:15.
Just as I was about to grab my suit jacket from the back of my chair to leave work, there was a knock on the office door.
"Enter."
Hattori pushed open the door and walked in. This director of Sega Galaxy was carrying a navy blue folder and walking briskly.
"I hope I didn't disturb your departure time, President." Hattori stopped in front of the desk.
"Get to the point." Nakayama Takuya sat down again, leaning back.
"The people from TBS and Dentsu just left." Hattori placed the folder on the table and pushed it towards them. "The preliminary plot outline for the live-action Rurouni Kenshin movie has been finalized. They're eager to schedule a project launch meeting, and they want it to be this Friday."
Nakayama Takuya look through the folder; he just tapped his fingers twice on the edge of the table.
"Now that the outline has been released, it shows that Miyahara is indeed taking it seriously and isn't trying to fool us with soap opera gimmicks. However—" Nakayama Takuya changed the subject, "Before the launch meeting, did Sega Galaxy conduct a detailed data assessment of the entire East Asia, Southeast Asia, and North America viewership markets?"
Hattori was prepared and immediately opened the memo in his hand.
"The assessment report just came out yesterday," Hattori stated directly, presenting the data. "In Hong Kong Island and Taiwan, with the existing audience of the ' Rurouni Kenshin ' manga, plus the hype of period swordplay and China choreography, selling the first-run rights for a high price is no problem at all. In several key Southeast Asia countries, the acceptance of Japan manga adaptations is also increasing year by year."
Hattori paused for a moment, then turned the page.
"The challenge lies in North America. United States audiences aren't buying into traditional Japan samurai films. But your strategy was highly targeted: abandoning slow-paced confrontations and opting for high-intensity wire stunts and close-quarters combat. Plus, Silicon Valley Online promised to provide..."
"Our homepage placement on portal websites, along with our video rental market and cable TV on-demand channels in North America, promises very substantial revenue."
Nakayama Takuya nodded.
"The accounts are clearly laid out. But this is only our side's unilateral plan." Nakayama Takuya pointed to the navy blue folder on the table. "To gain a foothold in North America and Southeast Asia, a script outline alone is not enough."
Hattori closed the memorandum, looking troubled.
"This is the core issue I've come to report to you today." Hattori crossed his arms in front of him. "To facilitate overseas distribution, I proposed to TBS and Dentsu that Sega's multinational legal team and tax coordinator must be included in the pre-production Production Committee."
Nakayama Takuya listened quietly.
"The legal and tax issues involved in cross-border projects, such as copyright distribution, profit settlement, and even labor contracts for foreign action choreographers, are extremely complicated," Hattori frankly stated. "If these rules aren't clearly defined beforehand, the later repatriation of profits will be a complete mess."
"They resisted?" Nakayama Takuya bluntly stated.
Hattori gave a wry smile.
"It was more than just resistance. Several representatives from Dentsu immediately turned hostile. While TBS didn't directly retaliate, Miyahara's attitude became ambiguous."
The traditional television production industry in Japan has always been rife with intrigue and corruption.
Major television stations and advertising agencies have long been accustomed to the revenue-sharing model of Production Committee used in China.
Various shady expenditures, favoritism, and unclear accounts all rely on personal connections and unspoken rules to maintain order.
Now that Sega is bringing in professional international legal and tax personnel to keep an eye on things, it's like exposing their cards to the light of day, putting every single account out for scrutiny.
"People from Dentsu have been saying privately that Sega is trying to seize power and turn them into a pure OEM team," Hattori recounted from the meeting room. "They're used to being in charge and are extremely resistant to these strict international compliance regulations. I reckon they'll band together and engage in non-violent non-cooperation at the kickoff meeting to slow things down."
After listening, Nakayama Takuya remained silent.
He picked up the navy blue folder, glanced at it, and casually tossed it onto the table.
The folder slid half a meter away and almost fell to the ground.
"Conservative, short-sighted, and bullying only within their own ranks." This Nakayama Takuya.
Hattori straightened up, awaiting further instructions.
"We brought them in to make US dollars, to make money in the global market," Nakayama Takuya, his hands slamming on the table. "But they're still fixated on those paltry production fee kickbacks from domestic suppliers."
"President, what about the legal and tax departments—" Hattori inquired, "Do we need to make some concessions?"
"Concessions?" Nakayama Takuya mention the issue of IP ownership. Sega is working tirelessly for overseas channels, especially the most profitable North America channels. Why should we concede to these misers?"
Hattori's spirits lifted.
"Reply directly to TBS and Dentsu tomorrow," Nakayama Takuya ordered, his tone curt. "Make it clear. If they feel their legal and tax departments have crossed their bottom line, if they want to continue clinging to those outdated production rules..."
Nakayama Takuya held up one finger.
"Then so be it. The scope of this project will be narrowed down to the Japan domestic market."
Hattori was stunned.
"Complete downsizing?"
"Yes." Nakayama Takuya replied without hesitation, "They won't get a single penny of the profits from overseas expansion, whether it's the videotape distribution in North America or the broadcasting rights in Southeast Asia. We'll also exclude them from any future collaborations on live-action manga adaptations or even live-action films."
Hattori swallowed hard.
This move, cutting off their supply lines, is incredibly ruthless.
TBS and Dentsu were vying for a partnership with Sega, all for a piece of that huge overseas market pie.
If they only relied on local resources, they wouldn't need to invest in top-tier production.
"President, if we're pushing them this hard, what if they really back out—" Hattori with deep concern, "The entire time spent on preparation will have been wasted."
"The world keeps turning no matter who's gone. We don't need a fickle partner." Nakayama Takuya stood up from his chair and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window.
He gazed at the dazzling night view of Tokyo outside.
"Especially TBS. Do they really think Japan television networks can't function without them?" Nakayama Takuya turned around and looked at Hattori.
"Don't forget, my father-in-law is the director of TV Tokyo."
Hattori immediately recalled the news that had been circulating wildly in the industry.
"TV Tokyo has indeed been making some big moves lately," Hattori immediately chimed in.
"The Greed of Man, along with those few Hong Kong dramas, have firmly established the reputation of the late-night slot," Nakayama Takuya stated, laying out the facts. "More importantly, they developed that B2B advertising model targeting a precise customer base. Now, business service providers are lining up with huge sums of money to buy advertising space in TV Tokyo's late-night slot. TV Tokyo's production budget is no longer an issue..."
The question is in progress.