I'm Not A Master, I'm A Director
Chapter 396: This Is the Gap in Strength
Shinji had gone to bed close to dawn.
But that didn't mean he could laze around in bed all day catching up on sleep.
Just like he had joked while trying to court the Holy Maiden, he had an overwhelming amount of work to deal with during this period.
Before noon even arrived, Shinji had already left the Matou residence and returned to the Type-Moon office building with his secretary.
As a "considerate" and "approachable" boss, Shinji generously gave the employees who attended last night's premiere a half-day off, allowing them to come in during the afternoon instead.
However, when he stepped into the conference room, Type-Moon's senior executives were already seated neatly around the long table.
Udagawa Nao—who was, in all likelihood, destined to become Shinji's aunt—sat at the head of the table with her arms crossed. Her eyes had been fixed on the door, clearly waiting for him.
The reason was simple.
He was the core of the company.
His projects had brought Type-Moon its dazzling performance. Almost single-handedly, he had elevated the company to where it was now, ensuring that every film and television project under its banner yielded generous returns.
And this time, Shinji Matou was about to continue his legend.
Franchise films could certainly ride on the goodwill of previous installments, but that same legacy also placed enormous pressure on any new entry.
If a sequel failed to surpass or meaningfully innovate beyond earlier works, it risked entering a vicious cycle: declining reputation, shrinking box office, and diminishing returns with each release.
Before his transmigration, the Terminator series and the Pirates of the Caribbean series had been textbook examples of that phenomenon.
Fortunately, Shinji Matou and his Fate franchise were nowhere near that downward slope.
Judging from the midnight screenings, they might even be on the verge of soaring to new heights.
So when Shinji walked into the conference room, the operational executives of Type-Moon, along with representatives from Times Group, Bandai, and Tsuburaya, all turned their gazes toward him in unison as if they were looking at the savior of mankind itself.
As he walked toward his seat, Shinji nodded at each of them in turn, wearing a faintly smug smile.
Behind him, his secretary Ophelia frowned slightly.
She felt that her boss's growing pride was a dangerous sign.
'Maybe everything's gone too smoothly lately… that's why he's starting to get arrogant. Before arrogance turns into outright hubris, maybe he needs to taste a little hardship. Should I tell Miss Cloris about his womanizing?'
Shinji, blissfully unaware that his secretary was contemplating betrayal, continued greeting everyone around the table.
Everyone present was either a key executive from his own company or a representative from an allied firm. Maintaining good relationships with them could only bring benefits.
Once Shinji took his seat, Udagawa Nao formally announced the start of the meeting.
Unlike Shinji's flashy entrance, this was a business meeting with a very clear objective. The moment it began, everyone went straight to the point.
"The midnight box office figures for Fate/Apocrypha are in."
The speaker was the head of Type-Moon's distribution and statistics department. He wasted no time delivering the news everyone cared about most.
Every ear in the room perked up.
Everyone present had direct financial interests tied to Type-Moon. The performance of the Fate series was closely connected to their own profits. No one didn't want to see Fate/Apocrypha succeed.
"In North America—our largest market—the midnight gross reached 7.56 million dollars. Across sixteen other countries and regions that have reported so far, the combined midnight total is 4.83 million dollars."
A number of smiles immediately appeared around the table.
These were seasoned industry professionals. Even with the interference of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the midnight numbers had only fallen slightly short of internal projections, yet still exceeded many expectations.
"And what about Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles?" Shinji asked a crucial question.
What he was truly worried about was how much Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles would affect Fate/Apocrypha's momentum.
"Paramount hasn't officially released their numbers yet," the statistics director replied. "I've already sent people to gather the data."
"If you're worried about our film's staying power, Matou-san, there's no need. Audience reception for Fate/Apocrypha has been extremely strong. Across all surveyed regions, positive ratings are holding steady above 85%."
For a large-scale commercial release, that was more than solid.
With that level of word-of-mouth as a foundation—combined with aggressive marketing and the higher ticket prices of 3D screenings—Fate/Apocrypha's final box office was practically guaranteed to perform well.
"This summer is a critical moment for Times Group and for Type-Moon."
Shinji's gaze swept across the executives at the table as he spoke in an unusually serious tone.
"You all know that several North American studios deliberately chose the same release window to compete with us."
"These films are not to be underestimated. We're facing a very tough battle. Only by coordinating closely can we secure final victory."
"Don't assume that just because our box office is higher than theirs, we've already won. What matters is whether our profit meets expectations."
After laying out the standards and goals, Udagawa Nao smoothly picked up where Shinji left off, assigning specific tasks one by one.
For this portion, Shinji barely spoke.
He excelled at filmmaking.
But when it came to operational strategy and execution, he was more of a "paper general." Brainstorming ideas was fine—but actual implementation was better left to a professional like Nao.
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"Hey, Shinji."
Just as the meeting concluded and Shinji was about to leave, a representative from Times Group called out to him.
The man hurried over. "Do you have a moment?"
"Of course."
Shinji wouldn't refuse.
Cloris hadn't been to Fuyuki City in quite some time due to work commitments. At present, all matters between Type-Moon and Times Group were being handled by this representative.
He was one of Lissy's trusted people and had always cooperated smoothly with Type-Moon.
For a teammate who never dragged things down, Shinji naturally gave full courtesy.
"Miss Flora and I both believe the Fate series will reach even greater heights under your leadership."
Years of experience had instilled strong confidence in Shinji among Lissy and her faction within Times Group.
"Miss Flora would like to ask about your next move. Will you continue focusing on the Fate series, or shift your attention to the new series, The Garden of Sinners?"
"That depends on the situation… nothing's been finalized yet."
Shinji paused for a few seconds before continuing.
"I've drafted plans for both series' continuations. As for how to execute them, that's still under consideration."
Perhaps sensing that his answer was too vague and might cause misunderstanding, he quickly added:
"No matter who directs future installments, Times Group will remain the distributor. Our partnership continues. And don't forget, besides those two series, we also have Spy Among Spies."
"So you're considering letting someone else direct future projects in those franchises?" the representative asked.
"I'm thinking about it," Shinji admitted openly. "There are a lot of projects lined up for both series. I might not be able to handle everything myself."
Once the tone for The Garden of Sinners was firmly established with its first film, Shinji personally hoped to step back from the project.
As for FGO…
That was a truly massive undertaking.
If he tried to do it alone, it might very well turn into one of those "lifetime projects" that never actually gets finished.
Shinji was still hesitating over how exactly to present the series.
He hadn't decided whether FGO should be adapted as a long-running television series or as a film project. Each format had its own strengths and weaknesses.
"If you decide not to direct it yourself," the Times representative continued, "do you have any backup candidates in mind?"
"Not for now." Shinji shook his head slightly. "But don't worry. The moment there's any concrete progress or changes to the project, I'll inform Cloris immediately."
Whether it was Fate or The Garden of Sinners, both were Shinji's passion—and his money-printing machines.
Even if he didn't direct them personally, he would absolutely find someone reliable to take the helm. And he would remain on board as producer.
With that assurance, Lissy's representative visibly relaxed.
As long as Shinji Matou could continue delivering high-quality projects, the young lady's internal battles within the Times Group would remain secure.
They were both busy people. After finishing their conversation, they went their separate ways.
Shinji left the office building and headed off for promotional duties.
Once inside the car, his secretary Ophelia handed him the latest merchandise sales report for Fate/Apocrypha.
Shinji accepted it and read carefully.
After all, this was where Type-Moon's real profits came from.
The sales figures were almost exactly as he had predicted before the film's release. The best-selling characters were the heroine Jeanne and the adorable Astolfo.
Beyond those two, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon—the floating castle in the sky—was undoubtedly the most eye-catching element of Fate/Apocrypha.
Related toys and scale models were among the film's flagship merchandise.
Of course, unlike Batman's Batmobile or Batcycle—purely functional vehicles that could spawn endless variations of toys—the Hanging Gardens weren't exactly something you could casually ride around.
So in terms of merchandise variety, it couldn't quite match the overwhelming number of Bat-vehicle products that accompanied every new Batman film in Shinji's memory.
But that didn't mean the Hanging Gardens lacked presence.
Today, as part of the promotional campaign, the Fate/Apocrypha production team had organized a "Hanging Gardens Parade" over Fuyuki City.
The parade route passed through Ryuudou Temple, Miyama Town, the Mion River, and Shinto—covering nearly all of Fuyuki City—and drew tens of thousands of spectators into the streets.
As for why such a small city could gather that many people, it's because most of them were moviegoers from the premiere who hadn't gone home yet.
That was precisely why Shinji rushed to hold the parade today. One more day, and the crowds would have dispersed.
To maximize publicity impact, Shinji invited several television stations and even dispatched helicopters for full aerial coverage.
Stations like TBS—who had a strong working relationship with Shinji—interrupted their hourly news broadcasts to run special reports on the parade.
Naturally, Shinji wouldn't let the Empress fly around alone.
Jeanne, Amakusa, Astolfo, and several other main cast members all participated throughout the parade.
Since Heroic Spirits wouldn't get blown away by strong winds, Shinji had them stand proudly on the garden's platforms during the flight, posing for interviews and waving so that the news helicopters could capture them clearly on camera.
As for Shishigou and Shiki—actors with actual human bodies—they were spared the high-altitude exposure due to their fragile mortal frames. They simply followed the procession on the ground.
Shinji himself made a brief appearance before the parade began, giving a short interview to the press.
Facing the reporters' microphones, he praised everyone in turn—from the actors to the prop designers to the team responsible for creating the Hanging Gardens.
It was a perfect display of confidence and cohesion.
After all, this was the difference in strength.
The interview itself wasn't particularly groundbreaking.
And, strictly speaking, there was even a hint of fabrication, after all, there was no such thing as a real "Hanging Gardens design team."
But with the majestic floating fortress slowly ascending into the sky behind him as a backdrop, Shinji Matou interview effortlessly seized a considerable share of viewership.
There was no doubt about it—
At the very start of the 2007 summer season, Fate/Apocrypha, with all its flashy promotional stunts, had easily crushed its same-release competitor, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, in terms of publicity. It became the most talked-about film of the moment.
There was nothing Paramount could do about it.
No matter how hard they tried, they simply couldn't outmatch Shinji Matou when it came to stirring up spectacle.
Their promotional strategy for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles largely consisted of inviting members from the classic animated series to appear at events, or rebroadcasting old episodes on television.
Those tactics worked well for longtime fans.
But for casual viewers?
Not so much.
Online, the gap in popularity between the two films was painfully obvious.
On real-time sharing platforms, as of that evening, Fate/Apocrypha had been reposted over one million times.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles?
A meager three hundred thousand.
On Google, searches related to Fate/Apocrypha exceeded 650,000 that day alone.
Turtles barely reached 150,000—fewer searches than the Hanging Gardens parade itself.
Most importantly, there was the gap in audience reception.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles had done a respectable job with nostalgia.
But nostalgia was all it really had.
As for the lifeblood of commercial blockbusters—action scenes—If Fate/Apocrypha didn't exist, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles might have scraped by with a passing grade.
But unfortunately for them, they had collided head-on with Fate/Apocrypha.
No matter how you compared them, the level of spectacle in the action sequences simply wasn't on the same tier.
And in the most critical category for a summer blockbuster, that gap translated into heavy deductions.
The commercial film market was still in its growth phase. Audiences hadn't yet grown tired of formulaic popcorn entertainment. Their tastes were still relatively unified.
Faced with a choice between Fate/Apocrypha and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the outcome was almost self-evident.
When Friday night arrived, attendance at theaters around the world doubled compared to weekdays.
After a week of work, people wanted nothing more than to relax. Their objective was clear: pick one of the newly released summer blockbusters and let their weary minds unwind.
Fate/Apocrypha and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were the primary contenders.
However, as word-of-mouth began to ferment, audience preference became increasingly obvious.
At first, for every three people buying tickets to Fate/Apocrypha, one would choose Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
By the second and third screening rounds, the gap widened. More and more people chose Fate/Apocrypha, while Turtles steadily lost ground.
By the final showings on Friday night, it had become roughly a five-to-one ratio.
Out of every five ticket buyers, only one chose Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
The other four?
All Fate/Apocrypha.
As for the remaining films in theaters—
Those poor souls didn't even qualify for mention. Some of them couldn't sell a single ticket even if Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles managed to sell ten.
And so, when the box office statistics for the first Friday of the summer season were released, the difference between the films was crystal clear at a glance.
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