Monday 11 May 2000 TV Asahi Offices.
Kojiro Asahi, the CEO of Asahi TV, was currently in a meeting with the CEO of TV Tokyo, Shoei Marugame. However, this was not a formal or official meeting with strict agendas or business documents. Instead, it felt more like two old acquaintances casually catching up. They sat across from each other in a relaxed setting, sharing food and drinking alcohol while talking freely without pressure. The atmosphere was informal, almost like a private gathering rather than a corporate discussion, allowing both of them to speak honestly about the current situation of the television industry.
Kojiro groaned, rubbing his temple before letting out a long breath. "Damn it… our TV entertainment is really struggling these days. Ever since that damn ZAGE showed up in 1991, everything started changing. People suddenly had a new kind of entertainment. They introduced video games, and little by little, viewers began leaving TV dramas and variety shows." He shook his head and poured himself more sake, clearly irritated. "And they didn't stop there either. After that, they built those 'Subscription TV' channels, releasing their own shows directly on platforms like YaDo and Nickelodeon. That alone already weakened conventional TV. We lost viewers, we lost attention, and the younger audience barely even looks at us anymore."
He paused, his jaw tightening as he inhaled slowly. "And now… YouTube is here. People don't even need TV anymore. They can watch whatever they want, whenever they want, from anywhere. No schedule, no waiting, no control from us." He leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling for a moment before continuing in a lower tone. "Do you understand how dangerous that is? We're not just losing ratings… we're losing relevance. The entire habit of watching TV is disappearing."
He tapped the table lightly with his fingers, voice growing more bitter. " Younger audiences don't even recognize our prime-time shows. Even when we try to adapt, we're always one step behind them." He let out another heavy sigh, his shoulders dropping. "How are we supposed to survive like this…?"
Without waiting for a response, he grabbed his sake and drank it in one go, his expression a mix of frustration, bitterness, and quiet fear.
"AGH, now our revenues from TV shows are really decreasing! ZAGE is taking everything!" Kojiro complained loudly, clearly unable to hide his frustration anymore. He poured himself another drink before continuing, his tone filled with irritation. "Every year it gets worse. Less viewers, less sponsors, and somehow they just keep growing like nothing can stop them. It's like no matter what we do, we're always falling behind."
He leaned forward slightly, voice lowering but more intense. "Do you know how bad it is? Even long-running shows are starting to lose their audience. Sponsors are questioning their contracts, and new programs barely survive more than a few months. It's like the entire system we relied on for decades is slowly collapsing."
Meanwhile, the CEO of TV Tokyo, Shoei Marugame, simply grinned as if the situation didn't bother him at all. "Well… that's just you," he said casually, taking a sip of his drink. "Honestly, we have a pretty good relationship with ZAGE." He chuckled lightly. "Back then, when they asked for a favor from us, we took the opportunity. And honestly… that might be the best decision we've ever made."
He set his glass down calmly, his expression relaxed. "While everyone else saw them as a threat, we saw them as a chance. Instead of fighting them, we worked with them. That's the difference between surviving and adapting."
Shoei grinned, clearly enjoying the situation. "Back when ZAGE just started, and at that time Zaboru Renkonan was still just a teenager, he went around visiting many TV stations, asking them to run advertisements for his game console. And all of you rejected him, didn't you?" He chuckled, taking another sip of his drink. "Only us at TV Tokyo agreed to give him a chance. Everyone else thought he was just some kid with a strange idea, but we saw something different."
He leaned forward slightly, his tone becoming more confident. "Since then, our relationship with ZAGE has only continued to improve. It wasn't just about ads anymore. Zaboru himself even shared ideas with us—how to adapt, how to survive in this so-called 'Digital World' era. Hell, he even talked about his future plans back then, and let me tell you… he was already thinking ten steps ahead of everyone." He laughed quietly. "Hehehe… working with him was never a mistake."
This story was true. TV Tokyo was one of the few television channels that welcomed ZAGE with open arms during its early days. Because of that decision, they didn't just survive—they became one of ZAGE's closest partners in the industry.
Kojiro's eyes widened. "What!? He actually said that? Hey… can't you share some of that advice with me? For old time's sake?" His tone shifted from shock to half-serious pleading, though pride still lingered in his voice.
Shoei chuckled, shaking his head. "In your dreams, man. Go figure it out yourself. We're still rivals, you know." He took another calm sip, clearly enjoying Kojiro's reaction.
Kojiro groaned and leaned back. "Should've known… old bastard like you is stingy as hell." He clicked his tongue, annoyed but not truly angry.
Kojiro let out a long sigh, his voice lowering. "Even if I wanted to play dirty… it's not that simple. If I try to blackmail ZAGE, Rashomon is behind them. And now with ZAGE's backing, Rashomon's 'legal security company' Aoshidan has extended its reach even into the media. It's a headache… anything we do can come back and hit us twice as hard."
He rubbed his forehead again, clearly exhausted. "They're not just strong in entertainment… they've built protection around themselves from every angle."
Shoei laughed, this time a bit louder. "Hahaha, yeah… don't mess with ZAGE, dude. You'll regret it. They don't just win… they make sure you can't fight back after."
The two continued their gathering, drinking and talking, but beneath the casual tone there was an unspoken truth. What Kojiro felt wasn't just personal frustration—it reflected the entire state of traditional television. The industry was cornered, pressured from every direction, and slowly losing its ground to something much bigger.
TV channels around the world are in serious trouble right now as their viewer numbers continue to decline year after year. They are starting to realize that this new "ZAGE Digital World" is not just competition, but a direct threat to their entire business model. In response, some television networks have begun using misleading narratives and even outright false news to paint ZAGE as the villain, trying to influence public perception and slow its growth. However, these efforts rarely escalate into anything major, especially in Japan, where public trust in ZAGE is already very strong due to its consistent delivery of quality products and services. Even so, there are still a few persistent individuals and groups who are determined to damage ZAGE's reputation, using any means they can to stir doubt and opposition among the public.
And one of them was someone connected to a fallen insider of the industry. A former NHK TV employee named Kazuhiro Natani had a son, Kazuhiko Natani, who would soon become one of the faces used in this growing narrative against ZAGE.
Kazuhiko Natani was still in his early 20s, but his life had already gone downhill. Ever since his father was fired from NHK two years ago, the Natani family had struggled financially. Their situation worsened quickly, forcing Kazuhiko to drop out of college due to lack of money. Bills piled up, savings disappeared, and even daily expenses became a constant burden. However, what made things worse was not just their circumstances, but Kazuhiro himself. Instead of adapting and finding stable work, he held onto unrealistic expectations, wanting a job that paid as much as he once earned at NHK. He kept comparing every opportunity to his past status and rejected anything that didn't match it. In the current declining TV industry, that kind of opportunity was almost impossible to find, especially for someone with no real experience or discipline. Because of that, the Natani family's situation only continued to get worse, slowly dragging all of them down.
And Kazuhiko is lazy. Rather than improving himself, Kazuhiko drifted further away from responsibility. He spent more time gambling, drinking, and avoiding reality, convincing himself that things would somehow work out. Days passed without progress, and small problems turned into bigger ones. He had never taken his studies seriously in the first place, and now that reality had finally caught up with him, he found himself with very few options left. Even when chances appeared, he lacked the will and discipline to take them, choosing comfort and escape instead of effort. Over time, this only deepened his frustration, making him more bitter and easier to influence by others who offered him an easy way out.
That was when certain TV stations approached him. Seeing his background and situation, they offered him money to participate in content that portrayed ZAGE in a negative light. Kazuhiko accepted without much hesitation. To him, it was easy money, and more importantly, it gave him a sense of relevance again.
He began appearing in these programs, telling exaggerated stories about his family's downfall, subtly shifting the blame toward ZAGE. The shows framed him as a victim of the "Digital World," a symbol of people left behind by rapid technological change.
In reality, Kazuhiko was not particularly intelligent or driven. He lacked discipline, often indulged in alcohol, and preferred short-term comfort over long-term effort. But to the media, he was useful. His story was easy to shape, easy to dramatize, and easy for audiences to sympathize with.
And so, he became part of a larger narrative—one that was not entirely true, but powerful enough to influence those who didn't know better.
Basically, these shows portray how difficult the Natani family's life has become after the father was fired from the TV station. However, the situation is heavily exaggerated, going as far as depicting the family losing their home and struggling to afford even basic necessities. At the same time, the programs strongly emphasize the narrative that ZAGE is responsible for the suffering of families like the Natanis, even though the reality is far more complex.
Despite this distortion, the portrayal receives a strong response from the Japanese audience. Some viewers feel sympathy and support the narrative, while others who understand the broader situation strongly disagree with it and question its credibility.
A large portion of the public began to push back against this narrative, saying that the Natani family's situation was being exaggerated and that the media was unfairly framing ZAGE as the cause of everything. Many people pointed out that it was not fair to claim ZAGE was destroying the economy when, in reality, especially in Japan, ZAGE had been elevating it. The company was well known for paying its employees very well, and many ZAGE employees had risen into middle to upper economic classes because of it. Not only that, but ZAGE also ensured that workers in its subsidiaries received proper salaries. Even employees at ZAGE stores were known to have stable and decent income.
Because of this, ZAGE maintained a very strong public image. Many people viewed the company as one of the few that genuinely improved people's lives rather than exploiting them. On top of that, a large portion of the gaming community began shifting the blame toward traditional TV networks instead. They argued that TV companies were responsible for their own decline, pointing out that they had fired employees, failed to adapt, and refused to innovate when the industry started changing.
As discussions spread across forums, early online communities, and YouTube, this counter-narrative grew stronger. People began comparing the two industries more directly—one adapting and growing, the other resisting change and falling behind. In many cases, public opinion became less about sympathy for the Natani family and more about frustration toward outdated systems that refused to evolve.
In the end, these programs that were meant to damage ZAGE's reputation started to backfire. Instead of weakening ZAGE, they exposed the weaknesses of the TV industry itself, further accelerating the shift in public perception.
This happened because Aoshidan was working behind the scenes. Akechi knew exactly where to strike, so these opinions were not fabricated; they were real sentiments from the public. However, Aoshidan ensured that these voices were properly amplified and delivered to a wider audience. Because of that, ZAGE was able to maintain a strong and positive reputation despite the ongoing media pressure.
To be continue
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