A rare holiday.
It was already seven o'clock in the evening when Sheger finished his daily training and dinner and returned home.
As the most technically outstanding and commercially valuable professional tennis player on Blue Star, Sheger's life is like a hardworking monk. He doesn't like to smoke or drink, and doesn't like to play outside. Apart from training and business activities that he must attend, he stays at home honestly, even more like a stay-at-home.
When he came out of the shower, the clock on the wall happened to show half past seven.
There were still two and a half hours left before the sleep time he had set for himself.
How to spend this bedtime time
Xie Ge quickly thought of the new animation that Huaying promoted on Weibo not long ago. Because of Huaying's Sherlock Holmes series and Harry Potter series, he is considered a half fan of Huaying. It just so happened that Huaying's animation this time was also about tennis. Since he had nothing to do anyway, he might as well watch "The Prince of Tennis".
He had just turned on the TV and switched the channel to the Xingning TV Children's Channel when his cell phone rang:
"Hello? Brother Xie? Are you not staying at home and doing nothing again? Let's go out and get together."
Xie Ge was stunned for only a moment, but soon he realized that the person who was speaking was his teammate from the Xingning Provincial Team, Yao Libei.
Xie Ge did not hesitate: "No, I'm watching TV at home. Let's get together again when we are free."
This refusal was not very clever, and could even be said to be very unpleasant, but Yao Libei was used to it. Instead, he became interested in the TV that Xie Ge mentioned: "Nowadays, TV stations only show the same TV series. What's good to watch?"
"It's not a TV series," Sheger said briefly, "it's an animation called The Prince of Tennis."
This name is not unfamiliar.
Yao Libei quickly recalled the person in the Weibo video not long ago who was described by Sheger as a professional tennis player. It was said that the person was an animation director who did not exercise much and had not received professional tennis training. But it was this person who was recognized by Sheger.
To be honest, this made him feel quite unhappy. But he did not show this emotion, and said nonchalantly: "Oh, you mean the tennis animation? This is the first time I have heard of a sports-themed animation. I have nothing to do, so why don't I come to your house and watch it with you."
As soon as he finished speaking, Yao Libei didn't even give Xie Ge a chance to reply, and said directly: "Then it's settled. I'll come to your house now."
Without waiting for Xie Ge to refuse, he hung up the phone.
Yao Libei was not worried at all that he would be rejected by Xie Ge. In terms of tennis, Xie Ge was indeed worthy of the title of "Big Devil", but in reality, Xie Ge's character was a bit soft. If Yao Libei really went to Xie Ge's house, even if he was not happy, he would probably not refuse.
As expected.
After seeing him coming, Xie Ge frowned slightly, but he didn't say anything to drive him away. Yao Libei went straight to the living room and sat on the sofa without any hesitation.
"Hey, it looks like I came at the right time."
On the LCD TV screen facing the sofa, the main movie of "The Prince of Tennis" has already started.
Xie Ge had a gentle personality to begin with, so he couldn't say anything at this moment, so he just sat on the sofa and watched TV, but his brows were still furrowed.
This is a tennis court that looks rather simple.
Three standard-sized tennis courts stood side by side. There were several lush trees growing beside the venue. Further back, there were Japanese-style houses. From time to time, the sound of tennis balls hitting the floor could be heard from the courts. As the camera shifted from the center of the court to the audience seats, the low voices of young people began to murmur.
"Hey, have you heard? I heard that there's a 12-year-old elementary school student participating in the junior high school group under 16 years old."
"Elementary school students participating in the junior high school competition? Maybe they registered wrongly?" Another boy said, his eyes subconsciously turning to the bulletin board not far away, which listed the full list of the Kakinokizaka Junior Tennis Elimination Tournament. After noticing a certain line of words, he couldn't help but widen his eyes in surprise:
The animation camera simultaneously landed on the billboard and zoomed in. Among the 16-year-olds, another unique number stood out. It read:
No. 48 Echizen Ryoma
(Individual, 12 years old)
"No, no way! Is this person crazy?"
The animation shot freezes here, and one second later, the OP of "The Prince of Tennis" starts to sound.
"How can an elementary school student possibly participate in the junior high school competition?" Yao Libei frowned, "This animation is ridiculous."
Xie Ge didn't say anything, but his frowning brows, which had been furrowed by Yao Libei's arrival, had already relaxed unconsciously. Unlike Yao Libei's disdain and disgust, Xie Ge felt that this plot was indescribably familiar and intimate - because seven years ago, he was spotted by his current coach and brought to the youth team because of a match against a boy three years older than him.
Because of this intimacy, Sheger even watched the opening credits carefully.
As a sports-themed animation, the opening song of "The Prince of Tennis" is undoubtedly full of youthful vigor. In addition, there are far more characters appearing in the opening than just the protagonist. In the short OP, there are clips of the protagonist's game as well as daily training.
These people should be the protagonist's teammates, right? I wonder what kind of personalities they have
By the way, the 12-year-old Echizen Ryoma who participated in the junior high school competition at the beginning should be the protagonist of "The Prince of Tennis"? Will he win this knockout round
With such curiosity, Xie Ge ignored Yao Libei's complaints and continued reading.
After the opening theme ended, the animation quickly got to the point.
The beginning was a competition, but now the plot begins in a tram: a few teenagers don't care that they are in a public place, and they are proudly demonstrating the "Western grip" while waving tennis rackets. Of course, Xie Ge saw the wrong grip at a glance and smiled.
The few of them were boasting and full of energy, but it was a pity for the little girl who happened to be sitting among them. The girl looked embarrassed and was almost hit by the tennis racket. At this moment, a clear young voice suddenly rang out:
"It's so noisy."
Several high school students were stunned for a moment. Just at this moment, the train shook and the tennis racket in one of their hands fell to the ground. The boy seemed to want to save face and said with a little embarrassment: "It's so embarrassing that I was taught a lesson by an elementary school student..."
Before he could finish his words, Echizen Ryoma glanced at him and said calmly, "That's right. Grabbing the racket from above like you are doing now is the correct Western grip. The grip you just mentioned, which is like shaking hands, is actually the Eastern grip."
The boy said, casually pressing the brim of his hat, and got off the tram. He walked away without looking back.
"These two grips are the ones that people often don't understand."
Shego's smile deepened.
Although he is always modest, he does not dislike powerful people being arrogant. It can even be said that because of his gentle and soft personality, he actually admires people like Echizen Ryoma. Young people should be outspoken, and his strength is the capital of his confidence.
As of now, this protagonist, who is completely opposite to him, is quite to his liking.
The plot of the animation continues to move forward.
The more Sheger watched, the more he felt that the animation had a good rhythm.
Although he had no knowledge of rhythm, the animation in front of him seemed to him to be exceptionally smooth. The character design of the protagonist Echizen Ryoma was also quite likable.
On the train, the boy inadvertently corrected the grip of several high school students, and also helped the little girl Sakurano escape from danger. After Sakurano pointed in the wrong direction, causing her to be late for the competition and then lose the qualification to participate, facing Sakurano who blamed herself and said it was all her fault, Ryoma responded bluntly: "If not you, who else?"
However, when Sakurano offered to buy him a drink but had no change, Ryoma said nothing and instead bought Sakurano a drink.
As for Sakurano thanking him for his help on the train, the boy tilted his head and asked in surprise: "You were on the train just now?"
Shego almost laughed out loud.
As the two chatted, they didn't expect that the people they met on the train had overheard their conversation. The high school student in the lead threw a can of beverage directly in the direction of Ryoma, and the empty can fell on the floor with a clattering sound. After thinking they had taught Ryoma a lesson, the people turned around and left.
"Hello."
Following the boy's voice, several high school students subconsciously stopped. Behind them, the boy picked up the beverage can on the ground slowly and threw it back into the trash can, while slowly saying, "Have you learned how to hold the racket?"
"What did you say?!"
At this moment, the young man turned around, raised his hand to press down the brim of his hat, stood in a rather lazy posture, with a distinct arc at the corner of his mouth, and a pair of dark golden eyes looked straight at him, but his voice sounded indescribably calm: "I think, let me teach you how to play tennis now."
Needless to say, the ending is obvious. This character, who is obviously a cannon fodder villain, is naturally beaten up by the protagonist and taught a lesson.
The plot was a bit exaggerated, but Xie Ge was enjoying it. Yao Libei was the opposite. Seeing that the high school student was beaten by the elementary school student protagonist, he was immediately dissatisfied:
"Isn't this plot too outrageous? An elementary school student and a high school student play tennis, and the elementary school student actually beats the high school student? Are you kidding me?"
Xie Ge didn't care: "It's just an animation, as long as it's good-looking."
"It's not good-looking, but it can't be designed so awkwardly," Yao Libei complained. "I thought there was something special about this painting, but it turns out to be as shallow as those crappy TV series out there. The plot is totally unrealistic. That's not how tennis is played. Isn't it misleading the audience to release this?"
Xie Ge said, "I think this animation is very well made. Compared with other sports, tennis is not as popular as basketball and football. This animation is aimed at children, so of course it must be attractive enough to the audience in order to have a greater impact and attract more people to play tennis."
He said that it is this kind of plot that can more easily attract the audience to like tennis itself.
What's more, the other party is Huaying.
As the first animation work after Harry Potter, Sheger does not think that Huaying will treat it casually. Or, precisely because it is Huaying's work, Sheger has some special expectations. For example, if this tennis animation causes enough response, is it possible to bring a different kind of heat to the mediocre tennis circle
Sheger himself comes from an extraordinary family. He is only focused on tennis and does not care about money or anything like that. But it is undeniable that being an athlete is an industry that relies on youth.
As a professional tennis player, most of his friends and mentors are either professional players or professional coaches. If possible, he certainly hopes that the tennis circle can attract more attention and professional tennis players can be more valued. In this way, everyone can be treated better, and even if the players retire one day, they can live a better life with the money they have saved.
With the abilities of Muxuxing and Huaying, they can certainly make a rigorous and sophisticated tennis animation, but what is the point of such a niche self-entertainment animation that cannot be popularized among ordinary audiences
Unexpectedly, Xie Ge, who was always mild-tempered, would refute him so bluntly this time. Yao Libei was stunned for a moment. He wanted to refute the other party, but when he met those deep and silent eyes, he subconsciously closed his mouth.
At this moment, Sheger looked a bit like the big devil on the tennis court.
The two parted unhappily, and when Yao Libei returned home, he became angrier and angrier the more he thought about it.
First, Sheger inexplicably praised an amateur player for his excellent tennis skills - in the end, that person was just marketing in a roundabout way, and thought it was really something great. Take the outrageous plot in this animation for example, who knows if that tennis video was synthesized in post-production.
He was feeling unhappy, and at this moment, a push notification about "The Prince of Tennis" suddenly appeared on his Weibo homepage.
Yao Libei stared at the push for a few seconds.
With the indescribable shame and anger in his heart, he forwarded the Weibo post without thinking and quickly wrote down his comment:
Yao Libei v: I thought I would see a surprise, but I was only shocked. I don't know what to say. I hope that when some companies make works on related themes, they can show more respect for tennis. Although our circle is cold, it is not something that can be easily ruined.
A notification of successful posting quickly popped up on Weibo.
However, for some reason, for a moment, Yao Libei suddenly felt guilty, because of some little thoughts that only he knew, and also because of the vague possibility that Xie Ge believed in -
“… create a bigger impact and attract more people to play tennis…”
Yao Libei shook his head and immediately put the thought behind him.
A children's animation that sparked a tennis craze
Yao Libei thought with disdain that if that day really came, he wouldn't mind publicly apologizing to Huaying.
At the same time, in a room of the animation branch of Yunsu Group in Xingning City.
It was already ten o'clock in the evening. It was a quiet night outside the window, but the room was brightly lit.
The Yunsu employees, who were used to working overtime, sat in groups of two or three at the small table in the movie room, holding a cup of coffee in their hands. They seemed to be relaxed and casual, but if someone paid attention to their faces, they would unexpectedly find that both the person in charge holding the coffee and the ordinary employees behind them looked somewhat irritated.
Anyone who is forced to work overtime until 10 o'clock because of a ridiculous excuse like "the company requires everyone to watch a children's animation" would probably feel annoyed.
Okay, they’ve finished watching the first two episodes of The Prince of Tennis, now what
Yes, this animation is well-made and looks good, so what does it have to do with them
Studying the plot rhythm of "The Prince of Tennis"? Isn't that what the project team should do
"Manager Chen."
The one who broke the silence was a middle-aged man sitting at the small round table in the front. He frowned, with a look of obvious displeasure: "I thought that what we should study is the business chain of Huaying, and their operating model of converting animation works into actual profits—"
"Gathering a bunch of people like this and watching a children's animation together, I don't think this behavior has any meaning."
The others didn't say anything, but their faces all showed disapproval. Obviously, they also didn't quite understand why Manager Chen called them to the viewing room.
To put it bluntly, Yunsu Animation is not doing charity. Their first, or only, goal is to make a profit itself, rather than learning how to make an excellent animation.
What they need to see from beginning to end is not the animation itself, but the profit points and profit methods behind this animation.
The man called Manager Chen was not annoyed, but instead asked another seemingly unrelated question: "So what do you think, Deputy Manager Zhang, is the reason why Huaying makes such a huge profit from animation?"
The middle-aged man was slightly stunned: "Well, I have to study the operation mode of Huaying..." As if he knew that what he said was not very confident, he added: "Anyway, I don't think this has anything to do with us having to watch a TV animation."
idiot.
Why does the headquarters always like to parachute in some self-righteous idiots? With this kind of idiot, he still wants to lead Yunsu Animation to replace Huaying's market share? I don't know where his confidence comes from.
Manager Chen was full of contempt in her heart, but she didn't show any clues on her face. She sighed and felt that she had a new understanding of the stupidity of these people: "Of course it is related."
She looked directly at Deputy Manager Zhang in front of her and said, "Do you know how Huaying made a fortune using "is"?"
The middle-aged man's face froze.
Manager Chen guessed that he was probably still wondering what "is" was. He didn't expect him to answer at the moment, so he continued, "Many people believe that Mu Suxing is the most outstanding and sensitive animation producer in the current animation industry. In my opinion, this evaluation is not wrong, but it is not complete."
She said calmly: "If you ask me, Muxuxing is not only an outstanding animation producer, but also an outstanding businessman."
Someone retorted unconvincedly: "But didn't they say that Huaying didn't do any marketing before the show started this time?" Even so, can he be considered an excellent businessman
Manager Chen, are you kidding
Manager Chen asked back, "Do you think Huaying needs marketing?"
Indeed, for film and television, marketing can be said to be an indispensable process. When it comes to movies, sometimes, an excellent marketing plan can often help a high-quality movie achieve better results, but for Huaying, these are not a problem at all.
On the one hand, "The Prince of Tennis" is a children's television animation, and its audience is mainly younger children, whose time spent online is limited.
As for the other aspect, it is easier to understand - in the past few years, Huaying has already left a reputation in the hearts of fans and even passers-by that "Huaying's products are high-quality". So much so that whenever Huaying has a new work, fans will spontaneously promote it without Huaying having to spend money on marketing.
Is there any "marketing" more convincing than the fans' tap water
"Why do I say that Muxuxing is also an excellent businessman?" Manager Chen said: "The reason is simple, because every time Huaying launches a new work, Huaying has its own targeted operation methods."
"For example, IS, which brought a lot of initial funding to Huaying, many people only noticed that the plot of IS was simple and rough, but few people discovered that Mu Suxing put a lot of effort into the character expression of IS, a harem comic - to be more precise, the appearance, skin color, and even the texture of the thigh stockings of the female characters."
"Because only in this way will fans be willing to buy expensive BDs."
Manager Chen sighed and said, "This is the direct reason why the sales of the BD of "IS" exploded."
"Muxuxing is actually a very capable person," she shook her head. Speaking of the core producer of a competing company, her tone was filled with subtle admiration: "For every animation project, he would calculate all the links clearly, neither under-working nor over-working. Outsiders may find it incomprehensible, but in fact, everything is within his expectations."
"Why didn't Muxuxing even look for an animation promoter this time? Because in his opinion, the goal he wanted to achieve was almost certain to be achieved."
silence.
Yunsu Group and Huaying Animation had conflicts before. At this moment, Manager Chen praised Muxuxing without any hesitation. Naturally, there were many unhappy employees present. However, if they really had to refute Manager Chen's judgment, they were speechless.
Huaying has encountered various accidents along the way, but she has managed to get through each one safely and become the biggest winner at the time. This alone is enough to prove the correctness of Manager Chen's words.
"Manager Chen."
Just when everyone didn't know how to refute, a young man raised his phone, and his tone was full of gloating: "Just half an hour ago, a professional tennis player publicly criticized Huaying for his random creations and disrespect for tennis. Now someone bought a trending search and it has directly topped the trending search list."
He looked at Manager Chen and said provocatively: "Do you think this is also within Muxuxing's expectations?"