Chapter Eleven: The Road of Idols

  Starting from the 1990s, idols gradually became a field that most companies were unwilling to enter, at least in traditional idols. The regular work of idols was taken over by companies selecting girls with special talents in that direction at that time, such as some idols going to take photos, some idols going to do variety shows, and even some professions that were not originally idols developed idol-like qualities, such as voice actors.

  But from this time on, idols also became...not so valuable anymore.

  The idol of the kitten club before, youthful and beautiful, favorite food is strawberry shortcake, favorite boy is a gentle person, even in the meal, there will be rumors that "idols do not go to the toilet" full of fairy tale. Don't think nobody believes it, now people may not believe it, but really many fans at that time thought so.

  But the times also need idols, especially when the time entered the late 1990s, when the Internet gradually entered people's lives, the idol industry finally began to have a hint of revival.

  The ones who seized this opportunity were the group that Zhou Xiao was currently watching on TV, the Morning Musume.

  X Japan is a very famous rock band, and their singles released in the 1990s even reached sales of over one million copies.

  In the late 1990s, Sharan Q held two rock vocalist audition programs. However, the two champions produced by these auditions are now hardly remembered by anyone. What people really remember is that after the competition ended, Sharan Q's lead singer Tsunku (real name Mitsuo Terada) suddenly gathered several girls who failed in the final together and released a single CD for them. At that time, Tsunku probably just tried it casually, so only 50,000 copies of the single were produced initially.

  And as a result, this combination born of sudden inspiration completed its task in just five days, and thus the Morning Musume of today was born.

  Good morning, the momentum of the Morning Musume in '98 and '99 was actually a bit fluctuating. The sales of their second to fourth singles were basically maintained at around 400,000 copies, but after that, the fifth and sixth singles dropped to around 200,000 copies. For Japan's entertainment industry at that time, this was almost a normal thing. Idols were no longer fresh, and a small fire followed by a decline was almost inevitable.

  But just at the end of '99, another single from Morning Musume came out, and this time they truly made history, stunning everyone. Their seventh single broke through one million sales.

  "LOVEMAE" is a cute, playful and somewhat KUSO single, but the real reason why Morning Musume was able to sell out their singles was that they successfully created an image different from previous idols with the help of TV media and other factors, which caught the attention of audiences all over Japan.

  Among them, there are mature ones, childish ones, arrogant ones, weak ones, foolish ones, clever ones, handsome ones, gentle ones, and even not-so-beautiful ones. They are no longer the simple "pure, elegant, beautiful" representatives of the idol era in the 80s. It can be said that since the early days of Morning Musume, singing is no longer a necessary skill for idols, but rather an indispensable part of their image that everyone knows about.

  And this is exactly why idols need exposure and resources so desperately.

  Zhou Xiao looked at the girls jumping around on TV and couldn't help but feel a sense of melancholy. He was very clear about what these girls would become in ten or so years.

  Fujiwara Miki will marry with Harashima Shoji, in a 2013 variety show, she appeared as a senior in the program performed by AKB, letting Japanese audiences and Chinese fans who know the history of Japanese idols feel that time flies.

  The strong aura, the most star-like quality, the windy girl Maki Gotou will be hit hard by family matters, especially her brother's affairs, and constantly rumored to debut in A.V.

  Kashima Island's girl Yuki Kashiwagi was fascinated by Ishikawa Rika, and because she eventually took the same path as an idol, joined AKB48, becoming a presence that is not inferior to them.

  Takashi Hoshino's looks would have been impossible as an idol in the 80s...

  Yaguchi Mari... was caught by her husband in the closet with a third party, ruining the image she had built up over many years.

  In the 21st century, the era of idols was opened by them, and after them, Zhou Xiao will replace Akimoto Yasushi to become the one who takes over!

  "But... before that... I need to fill my stomach first... If I really starve to death, then there's nothing left..." Zhou Xiao thought to herself as she looked at her small living room.

  For a traverser, the best way to make money is probably writing, as it's an investment-free business with a huge return. However, Zhou Xiao, although fond of Japanese entertainment, didn't have much knowledge about Japanese literature. Most of what he remembered were Chinese works, which wouldn't be suitable for Japan. But after rummaging through his mind with his eyes closed, surprisingly, Zhou Xiao found a few Japanese books that would be published in the future or had not been published yet.

  These books have the same author: Keigo Higashino.

  However, Zhou Xiao couldn't just take out what was in his mind and show it to the publisher.

  The reason why Dong Ye Gu You's works are in Zhou Xiao's mind is mainly because these few works were adapted into movies or TV dramas, so they were included in his Japanese entertainment website. Among them, the most important ones are "Suspect X", "Meteor Garden" and "Shinzanmono".

  In these three books, the newcomer's connection to the Shooting Star or perhaps directly taking it to the publisher has nothing to do with it, but Suspect X's dedication must undergo major changes, because the original protagonist and background of this book are from "Galileo" which was published in 1998. Later, Galileo will be adapted into a TV drama, while Suspect X's Deduction will be adapted into Galileo's theatrical version.

  In addition, Keigo Higashino's writing style has undergone some changes from his early to later periods. Now, although he still writes mysteries, his writing style is relatively fresh and new, but it wasn't until his later period that his writing became more sophisticated and brilliant. "Suspect X" is the turning point in his writing career.

  So, even if Zhou Xiao wants to plagiarize these three books, he will still need some time to carefully choose his words and phrases. Given that he has 5,000 yuan in his pocket, it's unlikely that he can write enough text worthy of publication before the money runs out.

  "Besides writing books...” Zhou Xiao's gaze swept around the room, finally coming to rest on the guitar in the corner.

  Staring at the guitar for half a minute, Zhou Xiao first shook his head.

  "It's not going to work... Let's not talk about what happens after the song is copied and taken away, just talking about whether the company will give us money first after receiving the song makes me worried."

  Japan has a very strict copyright system, with songwriters and composers receiving 6% each, and singers receiving 2-3% of sales revenue. Additionally, karaoke income, TV broadcast royalties, and other sources of income are also substantial. This excellent system allows many songwriters to live comfortably for the rest of their lives after writing just one hit song. However, in today's difficult circumstances, it has also made it impossible for Zhou Xiao to "get a sum of money that would at least allow him to live without worrying about food and clothing".

  "Must I really continue on this path of being a comedian?" Although today's results were quite good, Zhou Xiao truly didn't want to be a comedian anymore.

  "Huh? Wait a minute..." Zhou Xiao's gaze fell back onto the guitar.

  "If it's just about making some money for food first..."

  Looking at the guitar, Zhou Xiao thought of another way to make money.

  How about going out to sing and sell songs?

  Japan... shouldn't have city management bureau?

  PS, although the ultimate goal is to establish AKB, but from 2000 to 2005 this period will not be abbreviated, or in other words, AKB is just a part of this book. Tomorrow I'll sign the contract with the postal service. Thanks to the seniors who write entertainment news for their advice. If anyone is interested in setting up a group, you can leave a message in the book review section and I will help you pin it.