I became a girl group idol for my sister.

"Oh, right, there's one more thing." He said while picking up a piece of beef, "Just in case, in addition to learning the remaining dances of SKG, we also need to hurry up and learn the dances of the other two sister groups. So we still need to practice every day after we get back."

"No, no way?!"

Nanase Touka's eyes widened; she had never imagined that she would have to undergo such terrifying training starting tomorrow.

Could it be that my senior is trying to get revenge on me because I discovered her secret?

"Do you think I'm getting revenge on you with that look? No way! This plan was decided a long time ago, and it won't be as tiring as it was a few days ago. You can rest an hour earlier every day. How about that? I'm so kind, right? I can make sure you get your normal sleep time every day!"

Nanase Touka could only utter the answer she didn't really want to say, with a long face.

"Yes, I understand, senior..."

At this moment, even the originally delicious food seemed to have lost a little bit of its appeal.

……

Monday, August 2018, 9.

Today is a workday, but for Miyamoto Nana's fans, it's a special day.

The movie "The Demon Girl" starring Nana Miyamoto was officially released today. How well it performed at the box office on its opening day is a question for many people. Even though it will be released on the weekend, many people are still not optimistic about its opening day being a weekday.

[Actually, it avoided the release dates of several major films; the timing was quite good, avoiding direct competition with films from big studios.]

[I was even thinking of taking the day off, but then I saw there were tickets available for around 5 PM, so I bought tickets for both 5 PM and 7 PM shows. I want to see two shows in a row!]

[I bought three tickets! I gave the noon ticket to my sister; she's on leave from school right now, so she can go see it. I plan to watch both shows after get off work this afternoon!]

[I'd love to go, but I've already agreed to see it with my girlfriend this weekend, and I'm worried about spoilers... So I've decided to go this afternoon, and next time I go with my girlfriend, I'll pretend I don't know anything!]

There are also a lot of online discussions, many of which are comments from fans. Of course, in addition to fan comments, there are also some film critics' analyses.

This time, "The Demon Killer Girl" has attracted a lot of attention because it stars Miyamoto Nana, a current idol of SKR. This is naturally due to her popularity as a current idol of SKR, but there are other reasons as well.

If we go back in time, Nana Miyamoto's first collaboration with director Ryosuke Yamazaki was actually the music video "Sengoku Girls" that she filmed when she was still a graduate student. It is said that Nana Miyamoto's skillful use of weapons in the video left a very deep impression on the director.

Later, the two collaborated again in the movie "The Last Samurai". Although it was only a short two-minute dance segment, it still received a lot of praise. From then on, it can be said that Miyamoto Nana's acting career was officially launched.

The reason this film has garnered so much attention is not only because she's an idol, but also because of her performance in "The Last Samurai." Everyone wants to see what kind of movie this dancer, who left a deep impression back then, will deliver, especially since she's playing the lead role.

This review was published the day before the film's release. After the film's release, a bunch of film critics rushed to the venue and completed the first round of viewings. Among those who contributed to the premiere's box office were quite a few film critics.

Subsequently, film reviews sprang up like mushrooms after rain.

[A stunning performance. The combination of a beautiful anime girl and a samurai sword is already very appealing, but it is quite difficult to portray it in the real world. After all, it is difficult to perform with enough intensity. Actors are not real samurai. However, this movie gave me a strange feeling that the quiet girl on the screen was really a samurai!]

Her incredibly sharp moves, combined with her speechless face, actually made even me, a junior, break out in a cold sweat. Her eyes could be described as containing murderous intent!

Honestly, that look was scarier than anything in a horror movie, because for a moment, the thought "I'm going to die" popped into my head.

While the fighting styles are still somewhat exaggerated, this is ultimately for visual effect. Compared to real sword fights, this kind of effect is more appealing. Even so, I still want to say that this is the best sword-fighting film I've seen in recent years. Perhaps, "The Demon Killer" points to a new path for the future of sword-fighting films, satisfying not only fans of classic sword-fighting movies but also attracting many newcomers!

Is this really a low-budget film? Why do I think the fight scenes here are better than many big-budget productions? Perhaps we should seriously consider how a film should shoot its scenes, and whether the money was spent where it should be spent, instead of constantly boasting about how much money we spent.

Also, I suggest filming a modern version of "The Demoness's Slaughter." This samurai outfit is really an eyesore; the legs are always being covered. Sailor uniforms would be perfect!

[Miyamoto Nana's new work, "The Demon Killer," features a current idol entering the entertainment industry and using her talent to open the door to a new world!]

Comments started popping up one after another, while director Ryosuke Yamazaki sat silently in his office with a somber expression.

He waited for time to pass, for the moment when the clock struck midnight. For him, this was the trial, although the first day's earnings were only a preliminary judgment, and the specific earnings would be calculated after the movie ended.

As for the lead actor, he focused all his energy on the theatrical performances and didn't care about the film's revenue at all.

Chapter Fifty-Four: The Senior's Inspection

The movie "The Demon Killer Girl" was unexpected. It starred an idol who had hardly ever acted in movies. With a low budget of only 200 million yen, it achieved an astonishing box office of 103,032,000 yen on its opening day and even broke 100 million yen on Monday!

This is thanks to the enthusiastic support of Nana Miyamoto's fans, but the question is how long the fans can support it, and whether ordinary viewers can really accept this kind of movie. We'll have to wait and see. We'll only get an answer after the first weekend.

Some netizens now predict that, based on the opening day's box office, the box office for the first two days of the opening weekend may reach a total of 400 million yuan. It seems that "The Demon Killer Girl" can not only make back its costs, but also make a fortune.

The investors and director must be feeling relieved.

Related reports always come out very quickly. At this moment, Yamazaki Ryosuke looked at the box office statistics in front of him, first sat on the sofa, poured himself a glass of wine, and then took a small sip.

As he savored the taste of the liquor spreading across his taste buds, he took a deep breath and muttered something under his breath.

"Monday, the day with the lowest box office, reached 100 million... Am I dreaming?"

He pinched his arm hard, and a sharp pain immediately shot through him, but it made Yamazaki Ryosuke grin.

"Hehe, it's not a dream!"

At that moment, his phone rang.

Upon opening it, I found it was someone from the investors.

"Yes, it's me. I saw it. The box office on the first day exceeded 100 million. As long as we check the movie's reviews, we can roughly determine how much revenue we can make in the first week." Yamazaki Ryosuke said, "Yes, yes, I know. Miyamoto Nanase is an idol, and idols can indeed drive fans to buy extra things, so the first day's data will still be a lot of inflated. We'll have to see the numbers tomorrow for the exact figures."

After Yamazaki Ryosuke finished speaking, he listened to what was being said on the other end, and after a while, he was stunned.

"What? If the results in the first three days are good, we're considering a global release? There are also plans to import it to theaters in North America? But we need to see the specific results first?"

He almost cried out, but he quickly regained his composure. Even so, his slightly widened eyes revealed the excitement in Yamazaki Ryosuke's heart.

Not only will it be released domestically, but the film he personally produced might also be released globally?!

In that instant, a possibility suddenly occurred to him.

Yes, this type of sword-fighting film actually has a smaller audience in Japan than in Europe and America. If the film is confirmed to be good, it can actually generate more revenue if it is released in Europe and America. Even if the number of viewers is not as high as in Japan, the population of Europe and America is much larger than that of Japan. Europe can contribute about 25% of the global box office.

Now that the investors have realized how successful this movie is, they certainly won't let go of such a great opportunity.

Thinking of this, Yamazaki Ryosuke hung up the phone and chuckled to himself.

He wasn't worried at all about the film failing to pass muster or being unable to be shown in European and American theaters. He knew his own film best, not to mention that the first day's revenue had far exceeded his expectations. He had originally guessed that he would be lucky to earn around 4,000 yen on the first day, but he never expected that the final revenue would exceed 100 million yen!

In his excitement, he immediately picked up the phone and dialed a number.

Soon, a slightly puzzled voice came from the other end.

"Director Yamazaki, what's the matter calling so late?"

It's Miyamoto Nana.

"You're still awake?!"

"If I were asleep, I would definitely hang up right now!" Miyamoto said bluntly on the other end of the phone. "My partner and I are having dance practice, so what's up?"

"Have you forgotten that the movie was showing during the day?"

"Huh?" There was a moment of silence on the other end, then someone said, "Oh, right, the movie's release date."

"You really don't care at all," Yamazaki Ryosuke said helplessly.

“I’ve already given it my all, so there’s nothing I can do about what happens next. Besides, I also have to keep an eye on theater performances and stuff…” Miyamoto muttered to himself, “I’m not like you, the director, who can just relax on days when we’re not filming.”

"Okay, good news, the box office on the first day has exceeded 100 million."

"One hundred million dollars?"

Ryosuke Yamazaki nearly choked: "How is this possible?! One hundred million yen!"

"Oh, one hundred million yen, that's about what I budgeted, just a little bit more." Miyamoto's voice sounded relatively calm.

"Your calculations?"

“You guys have your own methods for calculating the revenue of a typical movie, and I have my own methods for calculating how much my fans will buy. It’s just some basic knowledge about idols,” Miyamoto said. “I originally thought it would be around 80 million, but I underestimated it.”

Miyamoto has a system that helps him count his die-hard fans, and then uses that data to estimate the total number of fans and then to estimate the overall box office revenue. This is based on the data from the two general elections, and it seems that his calculations are quite accurate.

"I originally estimated that the total box office would be around one billion yen at most, but judging from the current situation, it will definitely be more than that. And there is also good news: the investors think the movie is very good. Let's see how the results are in the next two days. If it is good, we plan to release it simultaneously around the world."

"Besides airing it first in Japan, it will be released simultaneously in other regions? My movie is going to be released worldwide?" This news stunned Miyamoto Seiya. He never expected things to develop in this way: "I'm going to appear in front of people all over the world?"

"That's right, in most cases, yes. Judging from the first day's performance, even if tomorrow is worse, I think the box office should still be around 60 million. After all, your fans mainly exert their efforts on Monday, and the rest will depend on the actual strength of the team."

After finishing his explanation, Yamazaki Ryosuke felt he should add a few words: "Generally speaking, Monday is the worst day for box office revenue, while the best days are the first two days of the week. The data from Tuesday to Thursday should be better than Monday, or maybe about the same. So if you don't see any significant changes in the data starting tomorrow, don't worry."

"Well, I'm pretty easygoing."

"Also, Friday is a crucial time, as many people go to the movies on Friday afternoons. So, Friday's box office can reflect the word-of-mouth. Of course, the most crucial days are Saturday and Sunday. According to the West, the higher the total box office divided by the first weekend's box office, the better the film's potential for future success."

"Are there any specific figures? For example, tell me what the figures are for popular movies," Miyamoto asked. He was too lazy to look it up himself, and besides, as a director, Yamazaki Ryosuke must be very familiar with such data.

"For example, the American superhero movie 'The Avengers' released this year had a total domestic box office of $600 million and a first weekend box office of $200 million, so the first weekend multiplier is about 3. In terms of this number, the movie is very impressive. However, 'The Avengers' was released for almost two months, while our movie only has one month, so it is estimated that it cannot be extended."

“In a month, maybe we can achieve a multiplier of 3?” Miyamoto smiled, sounding like he was joking. Yamazaki Ryosuke also laughed: “Although the idea is good, it’s probably a bit difficult. The box office of a movie drops very quickly after the first week. Unless the word of mouth is very good, it may rise a little bit, but the increase will be very small.”

At this point, he added, "Okay, I'll hang up now. You go ahead and get busy. Anyway, we'll have to see tomorrow's box office results to know for sure."

"Goodbye."

After hanging up the phone, Yamazaki Ryosuke breathed a sigh of relief, leaned back on the sofa, and muttered to himself, "A multiplier of 3 for the first weekend? That's probably unlikely..."

……

After midnight on the second day, Yamazaki Ryosuke continued to stare at the data, waiting for it to be updated.

Although it wouldn't take long, he felt even more nervous waiting for the outcome after confessing his feelings in high school.

Then, very quickly, the data came out.