After the Sonic the Hedgehog anime aired, TV Tokyo released its ratings.
As expected, they weren't very high—only 4%.
But honestly, that was already pretty decent. At the time, even TV Tokyo's top programs only pulled in around 10%.
Kobayashi Tetsu wasn't worried in the slightest. Okada Toshio, on the other hand, called him in a panic, apologizing profusely in an exaggerated tone, claiming his supervision had been inadequate and vowing to do better on the next episode.
Kobayashi Tetsu casually comforted him with a few words and sent Okada on his way.
He truly wasn't anxious at all. Long-running anime like this were never meant to explode right out of the gate—the ratings were supposed to rise gradually as the story unfolded.
Besides, he had specifically instructed Gaina to follow the script he had written.
Still, even if Kobayashi Tetsu wasn't in a rush, others couldn't sit still.
On the phone, Yamashina Makoto's voice carried a tightly suppressed impatience.
"Kobayashi-kun, this isn't looking good! We spent a fortune making this anime, and the first episode only got a 4% rating! At this rate, aren't we just burning money?!"
Kobayashi Tetsu replied calmly, trying to reassure him. "Brother Yamashina, I know you're anxious, but there's no point in rushing. Trust me—the ratings will rise steadily."
Yamashina Makoto didn't believe it.
"It must be because we didn't advertise enough. We should run more ads on TV."
Kobayashi Tetsu felt a headache coming on. "So what you're saying is, for an anime we made to sell toys and games, we now need to make commercials to advertise the anime itself?"
Yamashina Makoto froze.
That angle hadn't occurred to him at all.
After a long silence, he finally let out a hesitant response.
"Kobayashi-kun, I know I shouldn't be so impatient, but compared to the last anime, these ratings really are lower. I can't help but worry."
After much reassurance, Kobayashi Tetsu finally managed to calm Yamashina Makoto down. All he could say was—wait.
Right now, all they needed was time.
Time for Sonic's story to continue, and for word of mouth to build.
This was never the kind of anime that blew up from episode one. Without time on air, how could anyone grasp its style?
Two more weeks passed like this.
Both sides of Atlus continued their development work at a steady pace.
Meanwhile, the Sonic anime had already aired its third episode.
In the Atlus garage, Kobayashi Tetsu stared intently at the screen.
In this episode, a master thief famed for his agility appeared. With his memories still incomplete, Sonic couldn't fully draw out his abilities and failed to catch the thief again and again. The Yoshida family, who had taken Sonic in, keenly sensed his frustration and offered him timely care and affection.
We're a family!
Family!
As a result, Sonic broke through his limits, regained part of his memory, recalled a new technique, captured the airborne thief, and delivered him to the Metropolitan Police Department. The story ended there.
"That's really nice."
A heartfelt sigh came from behind him.
Kobayashi Tetsu turned his head to see Kobayakawa resting her chin in her hands, deeply moved. "The Yoshida family really cares about Sonic. They're just like a real family!"
Kobayashi Tetsu switched off the television and looked at her. "You think this part of the story is good?"
"Of course!" Kobayakawa couldn't quite explain it clearly, so she summarized simply. "With encouragement and care from his family, Sonic becomes stronger. Of course that's good."
Kobayashi Tetsu nodded.
If this were decades later, he'd have to admit that such a plot was nothing special.
But this was a different era. Storytelling formulas hadn't yet been fully analyzed and categorized. The technique of applying pressure first, then achieving a breakthrough, was still more than enough to impress. And after three episodes of buildup, Sonic's journey—from arriving on Earth, to displaying his powers, to being accepted as family by the Yoshidas—formed a complete narrative cycle.
At heart, people tend toward kindness. Stories about becoming better resonate deeply. By choosing family as the core theme and handling it properly, the show naturally created a sense of closeness for viewers.
Those from happy families could empathize. Those from unhappy ones could still yearn for such warmth and acceptance, and for a local family that welcomed someone like Sonic. This theme was bound to be popular with a mainstream audience.
Kobayashi Tetsu was certain of one thing.
After this episode, the ratings would definitely rise.
As the ending theme began to play, Kobayakawa continued staring at the screen, lost in thought.
Sonic… having a family that cares about him is really nice.
…
As it turned out, Kobayashi Tetsu wasn't talking out of thin air about the ratings.
After the third episode aired, the ratings rose just as predicted.
In fact, from the first to the third episode, the ratings had been steadily climbing all along—it was just that impatience made people overlook the trend.
By episode three, the rating had reached 5%, which could already be considered excellent for TV Tokyo.
Kobayashi Tetsu was still discussing the Sonic game with Yuji Naka and the others, planning to incorporate several bosses of different styles into the AI design, when Yamashina Makoto's call rang loudly on the other end.
"Kobayashi-kun!!"
The shout was so loud that Kobayashi Tetsu almost pulled the phone away from his ear.
"Brother Yamashina, I know what you're going to say. The ratings went up."
"They did—wait, how did you know?"
Kobayashi Tetsu let out a small hum. "Of course I'm paying attention too. A rise in ratings is perfectly normal. This is a long-running anime, so its ratings will naturally increase over time. As long as the animation studio maintains stable production, there won't be any problems. All we need to do is supervise through the Sonic Production Committee and make sure the studio doesn't go off the rails. That's enough."
After hanging up, Kobayashi Tetsu couldn't help shaking his head.
Yamashina Makoto really was far inferior to other fathers—impatient, obsessed with quick results.
No wonder Yamashina Naoharu had been able to build Bandai into such a massive enterprise, while Yamashina Makoto ended up failing after investing in Royal Space Force.
The difference between the Sonic anime and Jörmungandr lay precisely here. Jörmungandr was a short series, so it opened with shocking scenes like the world serpent devouring battleships to instantly hook the audience. Sonic, on the other hand, was a long-form anime, focused on Sonic's growth within a broader framework—from a naive, hot-blooded alien hedgehog to a protagonist capable of responsibility and adventure.
Stories like that needed time to ferment.
On the other end of the line, Yamashina Makoto sounded genuinely reflective.
"Lin-kun, you were sure all along that the ratings would rise?"
Kobayashi Tetsu replied, "It wasn't guesswork—it was a judgment based on structure. You know I came back from the United States, right? Hollywood has a standardized structure for advancing stories, a technique screenwriters there use all the time.
"I'm not a professional writer, but this script strictly follows the three-act structure. There's no way it wouldn't work. The first three episodes show Sonic's journey from not fitting in to gradually accepting his situation, maximizing the audience's emotional engagement.
"Even if you don't trust me, don't you trust all of Hollywood?"
It was precisely because Kobayashi Tetsu knew this was how things would develop that he never felt anxious.
Yamashina Makoto let out a sigh—this time, sincerely.
"Lin-kun, there's a gathering tonight. You have to come. You're absolutely qualified to be part of this circle."
Kobayashi Tetsu held the phone between his neck and shoulder and asked casually, "What circle, the toy sellers' circle?"
"No. It's a circle of people living in Tokyo whose parents had status—those who inherited their family businesses and are trying to build something of their own. A second-generation circle."
Yamashina Makoto continued, "The venue is the Takakura Club in Tokyo. The host is Haruki Kadokawa, president of the Kadokawa Shoten Group. He inherited the entire Kadokawa publishing empire. No matter what you want to do, having Kadokawa's support would be a huge advantage. Some of Bandai's cultural merchandise distribution also relies on the Kadokawa Group."
Kobayashi Tetsu tilted his head slightly.
Kadokawa Game Magazine had been launched by Kadokawa Shoten back when Nintendo was at the height of its popularity.
Put that way, he really was interested.
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