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Chapter 137. Everything is Within My JOJO's Calculation
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"This really is just like President Cujoh said—viewers have sharp eyes."
Akiyuki Shinbo immediately got hold of the viewership report and kept an eye on online comments. He also noticed the messages Cujoh Jolyne had previously posted using an alternate account to steer the conversation.
In theory, when faced with defamatory comments, Akiyuki Shinbo and his team, as the ones involved, should have immediately taken action—at the very least, reporting the account that was stirring things up to clear the situation.
But, as mentioned, this was "in theory."
Given how much effort Cujoh Jolyne put into stirring the pot, there was no way she would let Akiyuki Shinbo's "scheme" succeed.
She directly countered their attempts with phrases like "facts speak louder than words" and "the audience has sharp eyes," effectively sending the increasingly anxious Akiyuki Shinbo and his team back to their stations.
Now, whether those reasons were effective or whether a veteran like Akiyuki Shinbo actually believed them?
Well, of course, they were effective, and he did believe them!
It wasn't just because Cujoh Jolyne was their boss, but also because of her commanding leadership when she served as director, which had earned the team's respect.
Even though they didn't fully understand what was going on or the purpose behind it, they trusted that if President Cujoh said everything was fine, then everything was indeed fine.
So, while Akiyuki Shinbo and his team waited anxiously despite President Cujoh's reassurances, the forums they had been monitoring finally received replies from other users—
"Phew, thank goodness. At first, I was worried that this troublemaker's post might affect "Battle Tendency"'s performance."
"But now, it seems we underestimated President Cujoh."
"To think that President Cujoh could come up with a method like this to increase the discussion around "Battle Tendency"!?"
The idea that "Battle Tendency" might repeat the tragedy of "Phantom Blood", with Caesar meeting a fate similar to his ancestor, Zeppeli, and with Joseph, who also carries the Joestar bloodline and the 'JoJo' name, could potentially share Jonathan's doomed fate—was this really just the rantings of some troll (a.k.a. Cujoh Jolyne's alternate account) on forums like 2CH?
Due to the fact that Green Dolphin Studio had a bit of a history in this regard, even though Akiyuki Shinbo and his team had seen "Battle Tendency" final episode and were the ones who edited and released it, they were inclined to say this troll was spouting nonsense and was likely an enemy plant sent to discredit them.
But this couldn't stop the already worried fans from stressing out even more.
You're saying it's nonsense?
Then how do you explain Caesar's death?!
See? No explanation.
So, Joseph paying homage to Jonathan by dragging Kars down with him seems quite reasonable, right?
So when Akiyuki Shinbo and his team saw Cujoh Jolyne's alternate account post that comment, although they also felt there was a high chance this troll was a plant sent by the enemy, they understood that the fans, fed up with Green Dolphin Studio's repeated tear-jerking tragedies, were ready to resist.
This troll's timing was impeccable.
Thus, Cujoh Jolyne and the fans of "Battle Tendency" instantly reached an unspoken agreement. They elevated what would have been drowned out in the flood of discussions to a top comment and even rallied more people who hadn't yet watched the episode to join in.
This was why Akiyuki Shinbo and his team felt wronged and started to panic.
In today's world, even good products need to be promoted.
Sometimes, public opinion can be more important than the quality of the work itself.
This is why flashy celebrities have suddenly become so popular in the industry. Compared to other works that might never even be heard of, works starring celebrities, even if terrible, at least get their names out there.
And that's enough for the industry.
So, if the public opinion surrounding a work is largely negative online, then aside from a small group, most people might not even give it a chance.
A work that no one watches is a work that no one will pay for.
But! This is where Cujoh Jolyne's brilliance lies!
She used this very psychology to make "Battle Tendency" a hot topic, drawing far more attention than usual and implanting the idea that "Joseph might die" into the minds of the viewers, turning it into "Joseph will definitely die."
Don't underestimate this.
When viewers holding this belief see that Joseph not only survives but gets a Happy End, wouldn't they feel guilty? Wouldn't they then, driven by a sense of remorse, start praising "Battle Tendency" to atone for their previous wrongs, thereby attracting even more viewers?
"Brilliant! President Cujoh's plan is simply brilliant!!"
Seeing how the online perception of "Battle Tendency" had completely turned around and how the viewership numbers were skyrocketing, Akiyuki Shinbo, who believed he had uncovered Cujoh Jolyne's scheme, sincerely exclaimed, "Keeping calm under pressure—that's what President Cujoh is all about."
"And because this sense of guilt arises only after "Battle Tendency" ends, how could the viewers not tune in to "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders", the next installment?"
Reflecting on how he had earlier panicked, Akiyuki Shinbo felt a bit ashamed and muttered, "Just like Joseph said—everything must be within President Cujoh's calculations."
…
"Why... why did it turn out like this...?!"
Cujoh "Everything's in Your Calculations" Jolyne stared at the data before her in complete bewilderment.