Chapter 73

The series *My Sister's Man (Season 1)*, due to the majority of its content being about the stories of young boys and girls in their middle school years, was renamed *My Sister's Boyfriend* when it aired. Although it was expected that the show might become popular, no one anticipated that it would suddenly become a huge hit. It is unknown how Fukuda Mihime managed the public relations, but Tokyo TV gave it a prime time slot, which laid the foundation for its success. After airing three episodes, discussions about the plot began to spread online, and major TV stations and newspapers started to pay attention to the drama's storyline. The show's popularity far exceeded that of other dramas airing at the same time. And with Kimura Takumi being tricked by the Sunglasses King into a five-year movie project, leaving him without any work that year, *My Sister's Boyfriend* achieved a staggering 25% or higher viewership rating.

If we analyze the reasons for the show's success with the benefit of hindsight, we can identify the following: 1. The young actors were incredibly cute, and housewives had no resistance to anything cute; 2. The story involving the romantic relationships of middle school students caught the attention of parents, as these teenagers are the hardest group to understand and communicate with; 3. The background setting of reconstituted families with stepchildren was quite fresh for the Japanese audience—similar to how the three stepchildren in *Home with Kids* were almost unimaginable in China, making it a special case rather than the norm, which piqued the curiosity of the Japanese.

Such post-facto analyses can be numerous, but such sudden and overwhelming success is still rare and unpredictable. Prior to the show, TV producers could only try to analyze and research as much as possible and improve the quality of the show, which is the internal factor. The timing of the show's airing by the TV station was a necessary condition for its success. While good advertising can help sell a product, poor quality can still lead to failure.

*My Sister's Boyfriend* gained even more widespread attention than *The Witch's Condition*, sparking a wide range of discussions. Especially when Yamashita Tomohisa, playing the younger brother, brutally beat up the sister's male classmate, critics claimed that such a story was corrupting young people and encouraging violence. Shen Zhenghui did not pay attention to such nonsense. Due to his previous experience in film, the fight scenes in the drama were exceptionally well-shot, earning praise for their style and realism, which was a significant step forward from the imitation of Bruce Lee in *North High School Cruel History*.

Seeing the Japanese seriously criticize early romance, school violence, and parent-child relationships in families, Shen Zhenghui found it somewhat amusing. However, the topics generated by the show were beneficial for its ratings, especially when it came to the topic of middle school students, which naturally piqued the interest of actual and potential middle school students. The drama became popular among the younger generation, and Yamashita Tomohisa quickly became an idol for Japanese teenagers, much to the delight of Johnny's & Associates, who decided to groom him as their top star.

Additionally, the show's success brought fame to the Queens agency, solidifying its position in the entertainment industry. The emergence of three adorable girls—Erika Sawajiri, Aoi Miyazaki, and Koyuki Kato—left a deep impression on many. The Japanese entertainment industry has always placed a high value on the cultivation of young beauties, and the appearance of three highly promising young actresses from one agency, with already commendable acting skills, was a significant achievement. After the drama, they left a lasting impression on Japanese teenagers, laying a solid foundation for their future careers. The Queens agency also demonstrated its strength in the industry, which was not good news for other agencies, as it meant they had a new powerful competitor, especially one that had a good relationship with Johnny's & Associates and was a strategic ally.

Johnny's & Associates focuses on male groups, while Queens focuses on female groups, so there is no direct competition, but rather a complementary relationship. Fukuda Mihime had already established a deep partnership with Johnny's & Associates through her investment in TV dramas, and this was just a further deepening of that relationship.

Shen Zhenghui, making his directorial debut, did not attract much attention. The news in the Japanese entertainment industry spreads quickly, and almost everyone knew that he was a wealthy second-generation Chinese, and that his involvement in directing and acting was purely out of interest, so no other companies approached him for projects. On the other hand, the assistant director, Miyamoto, gained sudden fame and was hailed as a new generation director. His past as a director of adult films was also dug up, and several major adult film production companies extended offers to him to direct large-scale productions.

Miyamoto would never go back to that, and he told Shen Zhenghui about it as if it were a joke, while subtly inquiring about the next project plans for Spring Image—ideally, a film project.

Shen Zhenghui and Fukuda Mihime were dealing with a visiting Taiwanese CEO, Mr. Chai, who was preparing to produce *Meteor Garden*. However, when the copyright for the show was initially purchased from Fukuda Mihime, it was agreed that a Japanese actress would play the lead role, so Mr. Chai came to discuss this.

Fukuda Mihime seemed a bit embarrassed, "Can we reconsider the lead actress?" Mr. Chai asked.

"Wasn't it already agreed upon?" Fukuda Mihime frowned, but her gaze fell on Shen Zhenghui, who pursed his lips.

"Well, Mr. Wang hopes that an actress from his agency will play the role," Mr. Chai said awkwardly. "Mr. Wang has a lot of influence in the Taiwanese entertainment industry and has good relationships with major TV stations, so I have to give him some face."

"Then why didn't Mr. Wang come to Japan with you?" Fukuda Mihime asked.

"Well..." Mr. Chai looked embarrassed.

"Who is the actress?" Shen Zhenghui asked.

"Her surname is Xu, Xu Yuanyuan," Mr. Chai quickly replied.

Shen Zhenghui thought to himself, history has a powerful inertia. Despite his efforts to push the show forward by two years, it still ended up with Xu Yuanyuan as the lead actress, which was quite strange. He looked at Fukuda Mihime, conveying his thoughts through his eyes.

Shen Zhenghui had already decided that it was unnecessary for Aizawa Tomoaki to play the role of Makino Tsukushi in the Taiwanese version of the drama. If the drama became popular, that was fine, but if he wanted to cultivate Aizawa Tomoaki as a future leading actress, the drama would be a black mark on her record. It would be better to let the new talent from Queens or a Taiwanese actress take the role. However, he couldn't show indifference, as it might make him appear weak, and that could lead to future problems. This was a matter of principle, and he couldn't easily back down.

Fukuda Mihime pursed her lips, "If that's the case, let's call off the cooperation," she said casually, looking at Shen Zhenghui. "Mr. Shen, your new show has good ratings. Let's try a new Japanese version of *Flower Boys*!"

This made Mr. Chai anxious. If a Japanese version came out first, it would directly impact the ratings of the Taiwanese version. Even though he felt that Fukuda Mihime was putting pressure on him, he couldn't help but stand up, "President Fukuda," he said earnestly, "We can discuss the terms! Whether to change the lead actress or not, we can find a way to balance it with other conditions!"

Fukuda Mihime glanced at Shen Zhenghui.

Shen Zhenghui shrugged, "Aizawa Tomoaki can't play the lead role," he said, "but I can't accept Xu Yuanyuan as the lead."

"Why?"

"Because of her appearance and age," Shen Zhenghui said seriously.

Mr. Chai inwardly cursed: "You're not the original author, so what does her appearance and age have to do with it? If we strictly adhere to the age of the lead character, we wouldn't even be making the show!" His expression was very strange.

Fukuda Mihime paused, as if thinking, then shook her head, "Her appearance really doesn't work." She sighed and had her secretary bring over a photo album. "Mr. Chai," she said, pursing her lips, "Aizawa Tomoaki is filming *My Sister's Boyfriend* Season 2 and won't be available. Here are the profiles of all the eligible actresses from our agency. You can take a look."

Mr. Chai's face stiffened, clearly indicating that the lead role could only be chosen from the Queens agency's list of actresses.

Thus, Mr. Chai's visit did not result in any breakthroughs. Both sides merely stated their positions. With the Japanese side showing a firm stance, Mr. Chai had no choice but to return to Taiwan and try to persuade Mr. Wang. Shen Zhenghui and Fukuda Mihime were not in a hurry.

Regarding Miyamoto's overtures, Shen Zhenghui had another idea. He asked Miyamoto, "You said that adult film production companies are asking you to direct. Are you the writer and director?"

Miyamoto was a bit taken aback, "Yes, of course, but I..."

"Great, I'm very interested," Shen Zhenghui interrupted. "I have some ideas. How about we try making some new types of adult films?"

"That's hard to innovate," Miyamoto said.

"I know, adult films have very low budgets," Shen Zhenghui said, pursing his lips. "Don't worry about that. I can try investing in a couple of films for fun."

Miyamoto was completely at a loss, wondering if Shen Zhenghui was really just doing it for fun, considering his background.