Cherry Blossoms in Splendor
"Jin has such a sharp tongue, we need to find a way to mediate."
Alice is such a lovely child!
"Oh no, I chose the wrong option! My affection level has dropped! Reload! Reload!"
On Monday morning, an eerie atmosphere permeated the trams and school corridors.
The crowd was invisibly divided into two categories: one group had dark circles under their eyes from staying up all night, but a mysterious smile that seemed to know everything; the other group was anxious, wanting to go over and ask questions, but also ready to cover their ears at any moment as if guarding against a thief.
"Hey, Sato, just give me a hint: was Sakura really sent back to the countryside by that sharp-tongued young lady in the end?"
On the rooftop during lunch break, several students who were short of money and couldn't afford a Sega CD surrounded the only "rich kid" in their class.
Sato slowly took a bite of the fried noodle bread, his gaze drifting into the distance, adopting a profound posture that only those who had cleared the game could understand.
"Go back? Ha, you underestimate our legendary captain."
"Who is Captain God? We haven't seen him on TV! Could he be the male lead? Tell us quickly!"
Just as Sato opened his mouth, ready to bask in the gasps of astonishment, a chubby man wearing glasses next to him pounced like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, forcefully covering his mouth and letting out a pig-like scream, "Shut up! Don't say a word! I want to wait for next Friday's anime! Anyone who dares to spoil it will have to deal with me!"
"Ugh!" Sato's eyes rolled back as he was being strangled, but his gaze was full of mockery.
The frustration of holding the truth but being unable to speak it out has transformed into a strange sense of superiority.
Seeing the conflicted expressions on the faces of those around him, eager to know the plot yet afraid of being spoiled, Sato felt that the Sega-CD player he had bought with all his savings was absolutely worth it.
This is called information asymmetry, this is called class barriers.
Some people even deliberately sighed loudly in crowded places to evoke this sense of superiority, "Ah, I never imagined that Sumire Kanzaki was actually—"
Before he could finish speaking, a large empty space instantly appeared around them. Everyone covered their ears and scattered like birds, muttering, "Spoiler dogs deserve to die a horrible death!"
Meanwhile, at Sega Headquarters.
Hiroi Ouji slammed a freshly printed data report onto Nakayama Takuya's desk with such force that the water in his teacup spilled out.
"All the effort I've put in over the past two years has been worthwhile."
The producer, his face flushed and utterly undignified, loosened his tie, his excitement bordering on euphoria. "TV Tokyo just called! Friday night's ratings were in the top three for its time slot. And—"
He pointed to the soaring red curve on the report, his fingers trembling. "The game's first-day sales have exceeded 100,000 copies!"
These are expensive CD-ROM games! The most outrageous thing is that the Hardware Department reported that more than 3,000 Sega CD consoles were sold out over the weekend, and several stores in Akihabara put up signs saying "out of stock".
Takuya picked up the report and glanced at it, his expression remaining calm, only his fingers tapped the table a little faster.
"As expected."
He put down the report, picked up his teacup, and took a sip. "Buying a machine for a woman, that's a man's romance."
Tell the Sales Department to stop being so excited and get back in stock. This hype has only just begun. It would be a huge mistake if players who want to save Sakura couldn't buy a machine even with their money.
Looking at the overly composed young man before him, Hiroi Ouji couldn't help but give him a thumbs up. "Executive Director, you're so calm; you must have done quite a few projects like this over the years. So, what's next—"
"What's next?" Takuya looked out the window, a slight smile playing on his lips. "Let's wait for the word-of-mouth from the anime and game to build up a bit more."
As the ending theme of the second episode of the anime played again, TV Tokyo's hotline was flooded with calls from enthusiastic viewers. This time, however, there were fewer complaints and more requests for a rebroadcast.
If the first episode was what lured the audience into the trap, then the second episode, with Sakura sweating it out at the dojo late at night, solidified that trap.
Those who were initially waiting and watching could no longer sit still.
On Mondays, the school became an information exchange hub.
Students who hadn't bought a Sega CD swarmed around like cats drawn to fish, shamelessly sneaking into the homes of classmates who had consoles.
"Freeloading" has become a new social etiquette. The threshold of Sato's house was almost worn down by the crowds. The living room was packed with heads, all just to catch a glimpse of how the great captain would choose to shut up Sumire Kanzaki's sharp tongue.
Even worse, several office workers pooled their money to buy a computer and placed it in the company break room, ostensibly to "relieve work pressure," but in reality, they almost came to blows over the controller during lunch break.
Amidst this surge of enthusiasm, the latest issue of Famitsu, a leading industry publication, hit the shelves.
On the cover, Sakura Shinguji holds the Wild Eagle Spirit Sword, looking heroic and dashing.
Turning to the inside pages, the bright red "36 points" stung the eyes of all competitors.
Platinum Hall of Fame.
In his foreword, editor-in-chief Hirokazu Hamamura bluntly wrote, "At first, I thought this was just a fancy sugar coating that Sega had piled up with money, but after peeling it back, I found that it contained an ambition that was enough to change the rules of the industry. Although the strategy game part lowered the threshold to cater to casual players, the introduction of the LIPS System made the battle full of variables. You are no longer a cold commander, you are the living, Ichiro Ogami."
"When Chisa Yokoyama's voice blares through the speakers, when Mayumi Tanaka's roar accompanies the explosion of her special attack, you'll realize that Sega has forcibly turned the page on the era of visual novel games. This isn't just a game; it's a playable anime, a movie whose script can be rewritten."
Once the reviews were released, even hardcore gamers who had previously scoffed at "dating games" changed their tune. Who could resist such an all-encompassing audiovisual feast?
The Sales Department phone at Sega Headquarters became a hotline.
"Restock? No problem! The factory is already working in shifts to rush production!" The sales manager kept apologizing to one distributor after another into the microphone.
Nakayama Takuya looked at the latest sales report in his hand. By mid-April, the game's sales had exceeded 200,000 copies.
This number might not seem significant compared to a multi-million dollar monster like Mario, but for a game that relies on expensive peripherals...
For a brand-new IP with a niche appeal, this is a nuclear-level start.
At this time, pink cherry blossom posters were plastered all over the streets and alleys of Akihabara.
Whether it's a used store or a new product section, anything related to "cherry blossoms" is going up in price.
This pink storm, started by Sega, is sweeping across the entire Japan archipelago in an unruly and unreasonable manner.
Meanwhile, in unseen corners, countless players are scratching their heads at the options on the screen, willingly sacrificing their sleep and wallets for the sake of a girl's smile.