I am a literary giant in Japan

"July 22" is a rare literary work with a very clear political orientation and stance, and the film adaptation is practically ready to print the phrase "I think the liberal left is a bunch of idiots" at the beginning of the film.

If Hideaki Kitagawa were a Westerner, then by writing this book and making this movie, he should be prepared to be blacklisted by countless Western capitalists and Hollywood from then on.

However, in Japan, his main source of income is still literature, which is relatively high-end, and he has already made a name for himself worldwide.

As is well known, being a writer is a very independent and special profession, and politicians and businessmen are extremely tolerant of them.

In times of war and chaos, many arrogant warlords and thugs held writers in high esteem, and few would target this group with massacres.

Therefore, even if Kitagawa Hide writes a novel that directly challenges the leftist forces, they most likely won't actually fight him to the death like the Arnault Club did, to the point where it's either him or them.

Kitagawa Hide was only worried that "July 22" would be intercepted in overseas markets and then fail to circulate among its true audience.

As for the Japanese literary market, given his current status and popularity, even if Kitagawa Hide wrote "Battle Continent" and "Battle Sky", there would probably be a large number of mindless fans willing to pay for it.

This was the matter he wanted to ask Saito Rena to handle.

Rena Saito has accompanied Hideki Kitagawa to Stockholm for two consecutive years. If it weren't for the conflict in their schedules this time, with Kitagawa flying directly from Kazan to Stockholm and Saito needing to stay home to write, she would definitely have come along too.

Besides, when he went to France to receive the Prix Goncourt, to the UK to receive the Booker Prize, and to the US to receive the Pulitzer Prize, Reina Saito accompanied him.

Rena Saito's numerous overseas experiences gradually transformed her from a highly homogenized Japanese editor into a more international literary editor.

During these journeys, Saito Rena, a graduate of the University of Tokyo, fully utilized her outstanding academic abilities to develop a wide network of connections within the industry, laying a solid foundation for her to dominate the Japanese publishing world.

After learning that his business partner had extensive connections in the Western publishing industry, Kitagawa Hide considered having Saito Rena, as his editor, contact those publishing tycoons in the West to see if they could bypass the political and business circles in the West and directly get some well-known publishers to publish "July 22nd" without going through the magazine and newspaper serialization process.

Unfortunately, just like in Japan, most well-known Western literary magazines and newspapers are controlled by the government and major trusts. In Russia, for example, several very famous magazines are backed by government capital. If it weren't for the high profits and fame of "Childhood," their content alone would have been enough to get them banned a thousand times over.

Even so, it is said that the top echelons of the Tsarist Russian political circles are still debating whether "My Apprenticeship" and "My Universities" can continue to be serialized in "New World".

If his books are subject to interference and manipulation by local officials wherever they go, Kitagawa Hide would rather they never go overseas.

Moreover, "July 22" itself is a novel that opposes political forces.

On the way back and at the subsequent dinner party, Kitagawa told Saito Rena all about these things and hoped that she could set off as soon as possible to Western countries to find out the situation.

"Kitagawa, are you asking me for a favor?" As his nominal superior, Saito Rena, who had drunk a few rounds of wine and was slightly tipsy, leaned closer to him and asked in a low voice, while pouring him a cup of sake from a small bottle.

At workplace gatherings in Japan, some superiors like to pour drinks and serve food to their subordinates to show their "care" and "concern".

Of course, this job is usually done by lower-ranking or even lower-status waiters, while those in higher positions can simply sit and enjoy themselves.

Kitagawa Hide couldn't quite grasp Saito Rena's true thoughts at this moment. Holding his wine glass, he glanced at the "swollen-faced" female editor he had worked with all along and felt that there was a rare softness and coquettishness in her tone of voice.

What a hell!

Kitagawa Hide downed his sake in one gulp, sat up straight, and nodded, saying, "Yes, this is my request to you. Please help me get through these difficulties. I beg you!"

After saying that, he even tried to get up and bow to express his gratitude, which immediately attracted the attention of Rei Jabami and the others.

When Saito Rena saw that he was really going to get up, she sobered up instantly. She quickly pressed her hand on his thigh and gave him a reproachful look: "Kitagawa, you rascal, alright, alright, I was just joking."

Don't worry, I'll definitely handle this! Just leave it to me.

"Yes, I trust you to do things. Then I'll focus on writing the book and ignore all this stuff." Kitagawa Hide breathed a sigh of relief and nodded as he saw her return to normal.

"Well, you have a lot of books to write lately, so don't overwork yourself. You should also take good care of Yumeko, Archer, and Midori."

The workplace in our country is a high-pressure environment. Even those of us who are somewhat detached from it can't help but neglect our families because of work, just like in Japanese dramas.
Oh dear, look at me, it's been so long since we last met, I couldn't help but ramble on and on, don't take it to heart."

To cover her embarrassment, Saito Rena drank a large cup of sake by herself, which immediately made her tears and snot flow from the spiciness, and she felt extremely uncomfortable.

I don't know when it started, but because she always prioritized her career and neglected to care for her two younger sisters, she became the most talkative one among them.

In the past, it was always Yumeko, Mayumi Aso, and Mrs. Shimamura who were married who kept talking about this kind of thing.

"It's okay, you're just trying to help me, I understand, I'll be careful, don't worry."

Since submitting his work, Kitagawa Hide has been cared for like a "mother" by Saito Rena. If it weren't for Yumeko, he might have ended up like some of the Japanese manga artists from his previous life, needing his editor to even feed him.

I heard that in my previous life, the most outrageous manga artist in Shueisha's "Weekly Shonen Jump" had to have his editor visit him every few days to check on his diet and sleep, lest he suddenly disappear without anyone knowing.

Therefore, Kitagawa Hide didn't think that Saito Rena was meddling in other people's business or worrying about things that weren't her concern.

The two of them were talking about their new books, while Jabami Rei and Yumeko were also talking about their own new books.

The "Kara no Kyoukai" series is more like the light novels currently popular throughout the country. Rei Jabami updates quickly, and Osamu Takeuchi, the head of the Faculty of Letters at the University of Tokyo, is also giving it guidance. The quality is also better than the original version by Kinoko Nasu. It has now become the top light novel in the "Kitagawa Bunko" series.

No one knew that this newly debuted light novelist, using the pseudonym "Girl A," was none other than Rei Jabami, who was currently a hugely popular figure in the Japanese entertainment industry.

She created another social media account called "Girl A" on the internet, which now has nearly 100 million followers. Her daily posts, which include writing updates, receive nearly a thousand likes and shares, greatly satisfying her vanity and sense of freedom.

Sensing the huge potential market and anime adaptation of the "Kara no Kyoukai" series, Toho, a company specializing in anime, contacted Kitagawa Bunko, hoping to collaborate with the author, Girl A, to release an OVA version of "Kara no Kyoukai".

"As soon as I heard it was Toho, I immediately called the editorial department of Kitagawa Bunko. Guess what I said?"

To maintain her figure and avoid giving paparazzi any ammunition, Jabami Rei rarely goes out for drinks.

This time, everyone had a good opportunity to drink at the dinner party. Now that she's drunk, she's grabbing Yumeko and Shizuko Kawade's hands and starting to brag like crazy.

"How so?" Mengzi, the straight man, was quite good at playing the role.

When Jabami Rei heard someone respond, she immediately chuckled, then put on a serious face and perfectly imitated the tone of the president of Toho Corporation when he fired her: "Well, Toho is indeed a very good company, especially in the field of anime, where they are far ahead of the competition."

If we could join Toho and have them produce the "Kara no Kyoukai" series, the anime would probably become a huge hit.

but! "

She imitated it very well, clearly showing that she was very concerned about the slander she suffered for standing up for Kaoru.

At that time, she was first sidelined by Toho, and then Toho saw that things were not going well. They didn't even give face to Kitagawa Hide, and the president directly stepped in and fired her with a few official words.

If it weren't for her role in "Children in the Dark" which salvaged her reputation and the subsequent clarification of her previous scandals, her career would likely have been over.

Not every female celebrity who is slandered has the powerful backing of someone like Hideki Kitagawa, who can use his work and money to pave a new path for her. Therefore, Rei Jabami truly hates Toho for abandoning her at the crucial moment.

If they had investigated the matter a little before giving up, she wouldn't be so resentful.

Upon hearing the "but," Shizuko Kawade, who had been drinking and smiling, turned her head and looked at her curiously.

She also wanted to know how Jabami Rei rejected Toho.

In any case, when it comes to producing anime, no company can compare to Toho.

"But what?" Yumeko asked with a smile.

After Jabami Rei's suspenseful behavior was satisfied, she immediately said, "But! I went to Asakusa Shrine a while ago to have Miyamizu Mitsuha help me with my fortune telling, and she said that Toho and I are incompatible according to our birth charts."

Well, there's nothing I can do about that. This is the will of the three shrine gods of Asamizu, and I dare not disobey them~

"puff--"

Kitagawa, who was listening intently, almost spat out a mouthful of beer onto Saito Rena's face.

Fortunately, he reacted quickly and at the last moment, he turned the gun around and fired at an empty spot.

Noticing the commotion on Kitagawa Hide's side, Jabami Rei, who was also slightly tipsy, smiled and leaned over, asking with a smile, "Does Kitagawa-sensei have some brilliant idea?"

Before drinking, even if you gave that sharp-tongued woman a hundred times the courage, she wouldn't dare to banter with Kitagawa Hide like that in front of everyone.

But today, like Saito Rena, she exudes an oddity, as if alcohol emboldened a coward.

"I actually have some insightful opinions regarding the manga adaptation of the Kyoukai series."

Kitagawa Hide pushed Jabami Rei's large face away and earnestly recounted what he had seen and heard in his previous life.
"Your novel has a rather avant-garde theme and is aimed at a young audience. It certainly can't target the film and television market like 'Ju-on' and 'One Missed Call'; animation is its best destiny."

A few years ago, I would have definitely advised you to give in to Dongbao. No matter how unhappy you are, you can't turn down money.

But now, there are actually quite a few companies more suitable than Toho for adapting the "Kara no Kyoukai" series.

"Huh? Are you serious?" Jabami Rei sobered up considerably after Kitagawa Shuichi pressed her cheek.

Is she short of money?

We are desperately short of money!
As a top-tier celebrity in China, she spends over ten million yuan on clothing and makeup every year. She also loves to spend money and now has a large number of disabled children who need her help. Japanese celebrities don't earn high salaries or appearance fees and rely entirely on endorsements and advertisements to make a living, so she must be short of money.

Rejecting Toho was an impulsive decision, and after calming down, Rei Jabami regretted it to some extent.

After all, she could have her manager, Kyoko, talk to Toho. She was unhappy with Toho, but she could simply ignore it. In any case, her literary career and her acting career had to be kept separate, and the identities of Girl A and Jabami Rei wouldn't overlap for the time being.

But if she actually did that, her mind would be clouded, so now that things have come to this, she doesn't regret it that much.

Regardless, Toho is Japan's number one anime production company, that's undeniable.

It's not like it's some kind of animated feature film, and there's no such thing as Studio Ghibli being a bug in the system.

Besides, Rei Jabami doesn't even know Hayao Miyazaki!
Judging from Kitagawa Hide's tone, it's clear that the animation studio he's referring to that can surpass Toho isn't some kind of overpowered giant like Studio Ghibli.

The other girls also looked on curiously.

In their minds, Kitagawa Hide was not the kind of man who knew how to comfort girls in this way.

He also rarely lies about such things to please others.

Could it really be true?

Or is he planning to develop a new animation company under Kitagawa Entertainment?
"Of course I'm serious. Your book belongs to Kitagawa Bunko, which is also my company. I get a portion of the profits, so I certainly wouldn't say anything out of line."

Kitagawa Hide rolled her eyes at her. When it came to money, Kitagawa Hide was more calculating than anyone else.

"Which companies are you referring to?" Jabami Rei asked, disbelieving.

“ufotable, the UFO company,” Kitagawa Osamu said without hesitation.

The women exchanged glances, then simultaneously looked at Mayumi Aso, who was quite knowledgeable about anime—her daughter was of an age to watch anime, and she had watched quite a bit of it herself.

Mayumi Aso was also completely baffled, having never heard of this company before.

Hideaki Kitagawa added, "ufotable is an animation production company that will be jointly funded by Hikaru Kondo, a producer from Telecom Animation Film, the famous second-generation Tokyo Film Co., Ltd., through Step Image, a subsidiary of Sumitomo Corporation, and our Kitagawa Entertainment, and will be established early next year."

Second Generation Tokyo Film and Step Image are both well-known companies in the industry, as Mayumi Aso knew, but this UFO company...
Upon hearing that it was Beichuan Entertainment that had invested, the group suddenly realized what he meant.

"You should have said so earlier. Since our company is going to do it ourselves, it doesn't matter." Jabami Rei waved her hand.

"No, UFO Company does it themselves; we just invest."

If Kitagawa Hideki had the ability, he would definitely have gotten involved, after all, he has the ability to predict the future and a huge arsenal. The problem is that Ufotable is the producer of the "Kara no Kyoukai" series, and later became one of the top animation production companies in Japan. There is absolutely no need for him to get involved.

The women didn't believe it; they just thought Kitagawa Hide was helping Jabami Rei get revenge.

Kitagawa Hide was also helpless; he couldn't possibly list all of Ufotable's later wildly popular works.

And even if I tell them now, they'd probably be completely confused.

For example, the popular IP Fate series, including Zero and Stay Night, are their creations.

Twenty years later, they also made Demon Slayer, which completely changed the sluggish state of the Japanese animation market.

Isn't this quality and standard good enough?

"Okay, okay, whatever makes you happy. Um, there's an old saying from next door, 'fertile water'?" Having been with Kitagawa Hide for so long, Jabami Rei could also recite a few of the idioms and proverbs from next door.

However, she had drunk too much and her mind wasn't quite clear.

"We shouldn't let the good stuff go to outsiders," Kitagawa Hide chimed in, then added helplessly, "It's really not what you think." (End of Chapter)