Tokyo Bubble Life

Chapters 1551 and 1560: Popularity Ranking! Who is the hottest celebrity in Japan?!

When Akina arrived at NTV, she made a special trip to the popularity ranking office next door.

The phone support program was launched the day before yesterday, and today is the first settlement day for the rankings. The popularity rankings will be released on various channels.

Pushing open a small door labeled "Trending List Center," a torrent of phone calls immediately hit her, and the operator's urgent voice made Akina feel as if she had stepped into the work scene of a stockbroker in "Ginza no Tora"!

However, what really heated up this room was her and Seiko Matsuda's popularity.

"Akina-san?"

Fujiwara Kazuhisa, the producer of "Neon Voices," was also inside. Upon seeing Nakamori Akina, he immediately went to the door.

"How did you end up here?"

"I want to see the statistics center for the popularity chart."

Akina peeked inside and saw that all the operators were focused on answering calls and taking notes. Not a single one of them looked up at her!

This is something that top idols have never experienced before. Generally speaking, no matter the occasion, her appearance will attract most of the attention!

"It's so lively here!"

Fujiwara Kazuhisa laughed:

"Yes, we have 10 hotline numbers set up here. Since the list was released yesterday, we've received several thousand calls. We finally finished compiling the data this morning and have already sent it from the center to the various distribution channels."

"I reckon this month's electricity bill will really break Director Koga Ryuta's heart!"

"Hmm."

Akina wanted to laugh, but felt embarrassed, since these were all ideas she had suggested.

However, Fujiwara Kazuhisa clearly saw through Akina's thoughts and comforted her:

"It's okay. 'Neon Voice' has already reached a 45% viewership rating. If we work a little harder, we might even catch up with the Kohaku Uta Gassen. The advertising revenue alone will be more than enough!"

"That's good, that's good~"

Just then, Seiko Matsuda also walked over from around the corner. Upon seeing Akina Nakamori, her expression tightened, and then she nodded as if suddenly realizing something.

"Akina-chan, you really are checking your own popularity rankings too!"

Since Seiko Matsuda herself is very concerned about her popularity, she naturally assumes that Akina Nakamori values ​​it as well.

Now that the first day's statistics are out, she naturally wants to know them as soon as possible!

That's not it.

"Ha, duct tape!"

Seiko Matsuda walked to the entrance of the popularity chart center, looked at the bustling scene inside, and decided not to go in.

He directly asked Fujiwara Kazuhisa:

"Fujiwara-san, where do Akina and I rank in terms of popularity right now?"

"Ah, based on the initial statistics, Seiko-san's popularity score is 6870, while Akina-san's popularity score is 6590."

The popularity score is calculated using an algorithm that combines the number of calls made to support the two individuals, the number of members of their respective teams who support them, and other factors.

"I see!"

Upon hearing this number, Seiko Matsuda showed a hint of pride, but still spoke to Akina...

"Akina-chan, don't worry, the popularity index is updated daily, it might even surpass you tomorrow!"

It's worth noting that Seiko Matsuda is very concerned about this matter and has even mobilized the club's die-hard fans to support her!

"."

Akina was speechless. She originally only wanted to use this list as a way to guide fans to avoid offline battles and resolve public opinion issues, but being teased by Matsuda Seiko in person ignited a fighting spirit in her heart!

Who isn't a top idol in their twenties?!

Akina certainly has a strong competitive spirit; otherwise, how could she have reached the top in just a few years after her debut? It's just that Naoki Nagayama's love softened some of her edges later on.

"Seiko-chan is right! It seems that if we want to surpass Seiko-chan, we'll have to ask the fans for their help!"

"Oh dear, Akina-chan, there's no need to take the popularity rankings so seriously~"

"Wasn't it Seiko-chan who valued it first? I'm only valuing it out of respect for Seiko-chan~"

Both of them were once very popular female idols with stunning looks. Now, with their beautiful faces, they teased each other in sweet tones, a scene that was even somewhat pleasing to the eye for others!

However, Fujiwara Kazuhisa, standing between the two, only felt extremely awkward.

He should be inside the door, not here.

"Hey Bai, these two seem to be getting serious!"

"The purpose of setting up the popularity chart was clearly to prevent fights between the two fans!!"

Meanwhile, with the release of the first statistical results of the popularity chart, it appeared on large screens in various shopping malls, on the walls of record stores and related shops, in the passageways of subway stations, and during program breaks on NTV channels.

All of them show the first update of the real-time popularity chart!

"Oh~~ It's the popularity ranking!" "Seiko-chan won!!! As expected, the Seiko faction won!!" "Seiko-san is the best!" "Seiko-chan is the hottest star in Japan!!"

"Damn it!! We Akina fans can't give up!!" "Go, call your friends to help Akina-chan out!" "The next live update will be tomorrow morning!" "Then we'll show the Holy Son faction who really is the hottest star in Japan!"

"."

This feeling is similar to your favorite streamer on Douyin (TikTok) engaging in a PK battle with someone else; the fans of both streamers are compelled to compete, attracting more and more people to participate and spreading the influence of this popularity chart wider and wider.

More and more people are getting involved!

By the time the recording ended in the evening, this popularity ranking had become the hottest topic of conversation throughout the entertainment industry!

Other agencies and artists who were initially just watching the spectacle were suddenly impacted by the popularity rankings. Who is truly the hottest artist in Japan? Certainly not those of them who weren't on the list!

Under these circumstances, they naturally became anxious and began communicating with their own agencies, wanting to participate in the popularity rankings!

"Crack!!"

Director Uemura shouted,

"Alright, that concludes today's recording. Everyone, thank you for your hard work!!"

"Everyone can get ready to leave work now!!"

After the director finished speaking, the studio suddenly became lively. Those who had been there all day stood up to stretch their bodies, chat with acquaintances, and say goodbye.

"Finally." "You've worked hard!" "Free now~" "See you tomorrow."

Akina was naturally among them, and she bid farewell to Mori Shinichi with familiarity:

"See you tomorrow, Mr. Mori!"

Haha, okay~

Mori Shinichi answered with a smile, then, seeing that Matsuda Seiko had quietly left without saying a word, he asked, somewhat puzzled,

"Why do you and Seiko-chan seem so strange today? Did you have a fight?!"

"Of course not!"

Akina immediately shook her head.

"It's just that Seiko-chan is in a hurry to go to the office to take care of some things."

".I see"

Even a veteran like Shinichi Mori knows about the trending charts, but this is clearly not the time to talk about that.

Wanting to continue the farewell discreetly, they discovered that Kasahara Yukinori, the head of the production department, had rushed into the studio to call Fujiwara Kazuhisa and Uemura Sora out for a meeting. He suddenly stopped as he passed Nakamori Akina:

"If Akina-chan is still here, that's perfect. Let's go discuss the popularity rankings together!"

"Huh? Me?!"

"Hi, because it was Akina-chan who first suggested it!"

"."

Akina seems to be in a bit of a predicament. It looks like it's impossible for her to get home early tonight and see Hana-chan, Ren-chan, and Naoki-san.

Following the main group, we arrived at the conference room, where many people were seated.

In addition to NTV's planning director, Gakuto Nakamura, there were also the editor-in-chief of Asahi Shimbun, other media personnel, and even representatives from some agencies.

When Akina and the others came in, the group paused their discussion for a moment, and then continued talking.

"Minister Nakamura, his potential has been undeniable on this popularity ranking list. In just one day, he has attracted attention comparable to major news!"

The firm's representative began by saying:

"Besides Seiko Matsuda and Akina Nakamori, we believe other celebrities should also be included on the list!!"

"Otherwise, this popularity ranking list would lack fairness and authority!"

The popularity of this list has risen rapidly, making many professionals eager to get a piece of the pie.

However, NTV's department head, Gakuto Nakamura, gave a cold laugh:

"It didn't have any real authority to begin with; it was just a segment of the program 'Neon Voice'!"

"Therefore, there's no need for other celebrities to be on the list!"

"How can that be possible!"

The agency representative was anxious. He knew that the current popularity of this trending list was being driven by the national variety show "Neon Night" and the buzz surrounding the two top idols. However, it seemed that the buzz was about to surpass the show itself!

The entertainment industry is all about exposure and traffic. These channels with such high exposure and traffic are monopolized by only two artists, which is simply unfair to other artists in the industry!

"Aren't you at NTV worried that the rest of us will also make it onto the trending charts?!"

"Hahaha~"

Nakamura Gakuto laughed.

"This is like writing a song. You have to register it first to have copyright. People will recognize our popularity charts, but they might not recognize your fame charts!"

"."

This is precisely what the agency representatives are worried about. The impression they have now been formed in the public's mind is already established, and it will be very troublesome to replace them!

An awkward silence fell over the meeting room, but fortunately, Yukinori Kasahara smoothed things over:

"Alright, alright. This popularity ranking has just come out, and it's not certain whether it will stay popular. There's no need for you all to be in such a hurry!"

"Later on, we will try to expand the number of lists!"

"When will that be?"

"Probably next year."

"Kasahara Yukinori, don't push your luck!"

Everyone knows that the end of the year is the time when the competition for traffic and exposure is fiercest. By next year, the idol might be finished!

"You know, NHK's Kohaku Uta Gassen (Red and White Song Battle) also has nationwide exposure. If they also create a trending chart, do you think it can overshadow your popularity chart?!"

"Forehead"

That's possible.

Under such threats, NTV had no choice but to seriously discuss adjustments to the popularity charts with representatives from various agencies.

Akina, who had been in the meeting room the whole time, just listened quietly without offering any opinions.

Akina returned home very late that night and missed dinner.

Fortunately, her husband and children were still awake, so she could spend some quality time with them. The family played with toys and chatted in the living room.

Hana-chan was the main one playing, while Ren-chan followed along, chatting with Nagayama Naoki and Akina.

"So, someone came to us wanting to get their artists onto the charts?"

Listening to Akina's retelling, Naoki Nagayama was somewhat curious that the concept of a real-time popularity ranking, which he had casually come up with, had actually attracted such strong support from the industry. This was quite unexpected.

He originally just casually mentioned the trending lists on Weibo and Douyin, since there wasn't even an internet in this day and age, so it was difficult to create real-time updated lists. But he didn't expect that someone would create them using an artificial liver!

The rankings are truly updated daily; you can see real-time updates every morning on billboards in major department stores, on TV screens, and in various entertainment merchandise stores!

And now, even people from other parts of the entertainment industry want to join in!

"Yeah. They said that 'popularity' can't be judged solely on me and Seiko-chan!"

As Akina helped Hana-chan carry the building blocks, she said...

"All artists need to be involved."

Naoki Nagayama continued to ask:

"So the higher-ups at NTV agreed too?"

"Hi"

Akina laughed.

"Others used the Kōhaku Uta Gassen (Red and White Song Battle) trending charts to threaten Kasahara-san and his group."

Currently, the NHK Red and White Song Festival is still the highest-rated program in Japan. It can be compared to the 83 Spring Festival Gala, and it can easily surpass the "Neon Voice". Moreover, it has a large number of participating artists and a great influence.

Based on this program, creating a new real-time trending chart could very well directly replace the popularity chart of "Neon Voice".

There's nothing we can do about that.

Naoki Nagayama shrugged.

So how many people were added in the end?

"It's not decided yet. We need to set thresholds."

Akina shook her head and said,

"The threshold hasn't been discussed yet. Popularity isn't necessarily based on music charts, nor is it solely determined by idols."

There are tens of thousands of artists in the entertainment industry, and it's impossible for them all to be on the popularity charts based solely on popularity!

Naoki Nagayama stroked his chin, feeling that this popularity chart seemed to be gaining momentum. In the absence of the internet and website platforms, relying solely on manual statistics, it was somehow getting on the verge of going viral.

Wait, there's no website platform?

Naoki Nagayama paused for a moment, recalling the website he had just prepared to set up. Back then, it seemed Facebook started with a ranking system based on appearance, right?

Could he perhaps take inspiration from Zuckerberg's success story and leverage the popularity of the rankings to attract the first wave of traffic for his planned portal website?

It seems that computer networks are now becoming more common between universities and larger companies; it's not impossible to have internet access now.

"Naoki Mulberry, Naoki Mulberry?"

Akina's call brought Naoki Nagayama back to his senses.

"what happened?"

"Ah, my mind just wandered a little."

However, upon hearing this, Akina suddenly became a little anxious. She knew that Naoki Nagayama sometimes would suddenly drift off into his own thoughts and then begin creating:

"Naoki-san, did I interrupt your creative process?!"

"Oh, no!"

Seeing Akina's nervous expression, Naoki Nagayama quickly comforted her.

"I was just thinking about the popularity charts, wondering if there were any other methods besides making phone calls."

"Akina, do you think anyone would actively vote if they could vote on a computer?"

"computer?"

Akina wasn't very interested in the computer in the study; Naoki-san was the only one who used it for typing!

But if it can be used for voting, she might as well use it!

"Maybe!"

"That's right!!"

This really encourages people to embrace computer networks!

Subconsciously, Naoki Nagayama thought of internet companies, Yellow Pages, Tianya Forum, the four major portal websites, and Alibaba.

If he were to take advantage of this period and directly apply their success model, then in the future, Naoki Nagayama...

It's so tiring!!!

"Forget it, I'll just find someone to do angel investing!"

Naoki Nagayama shuddered.

"It's definitely better to have someone else work for you!"

At that moment, Xiaoxiahua happened to arrive in front of Nagayama Naoki and overheard his words:

"Dad, do you want me to work?"

"Forehead"

"Hua Jiang is very good at working!"

Xia Hua immediately showed off, putting all the scattered building blocks back into the box. In her mind, working meant tidying up her toys!

As Naoki Nagayama said during the day, after doing something well, you can get a small snack as a reward, that's called working!

"Okay, that works too!"

Naoki Nagayama nodded.

"Once Huajiang finishes her work, we'll take a shower and go to bed!"

"it is good!!"

Hua Jiang nodded.

"But I want some snacks too!"

Okay~~

(End of this chapter)