The Sacred Art of the Tie-Up
"What on earth are you talking about?"
"When you say 'holy land,' those are the kinds of places that come to mind. Jerusalem, Mecca... aren't those holy lands?"
"Well... literally speaking, yes, that's correct. But that's not the kind of place I'm talking about."
"Then are you saying we're going on a pilgrimage to Shinto shrines? As a Korean, isn't that a bit... iffy?"
"What are you talking about now?"
"Like Yasukuni Shrine..."
As a Korean, visiting and paying respects at a place like Yasukuni Shrine would cause an absolute uproar back home, regardless of how it might be perceived in Japan. Suyun voiced this concern with genuine gravity, only to stop mid-sentence. Looking at the others' expressions, she realized she was completely missing the mark.
"Hey, even I don't know much about otaku stuff, but I know what a 'holy land' means in this context. You spend so much time on the internet lately, how do you not know this?"
"Aside from monitoring our band's feedback, she probably only visits Mule."
"Wait, how did you know that? Are you... what, stalking me or something?"
Hearing Iseor's remark, Suyun stammered in slight embarrassment. Back in the day, she had frequented online communities under the guise of "studying modern trends," which had even led to a mild addiction. Lately, however, she had cut all of that out. Aside from monitoring their band, her internet usage was strictly limited to browsing guitar forums on Mule and answering technical questions about guitar playing.
"Whenever you go to the office, you're always looking at Mule and clicking your tongue, complaining about how guitarists these days do this and that..."
"Ahem! Anyway. Anyway, so that's not what you mean by 'holy land'?"
"Yes... a holy land, or seongji... in otaku slang, it refers to real-life locations in Japan that appeared in, or served as the model for, a manga or anime."
"A real-life location?"
"For example, Uji City... has a lot of locations that appeared in Euphonium, which I mentioned before. People go there, take photos... look around, and things like that..."
Even with that explanation, Suyun still couldn't quite grasp the concept and scratched her head. Seeing this, Iseor let out a deep sigh and thrust her phone forward. The screen displayed a photo of a real city alongside what appeared to be an anime still. Except for the medium—one being a photograph and the other an illustration—they depicted the exact same location.
"You go to places like this. To take photos and stuff."
"Ah... so it's like visiting Abbey Road. It's basically a tourist landmark, then?"
"A tourist landmark..."
While Seoha muttered the words "tourist landmark" with an incredulous look, Suyun recalled their previous trip to Japan. When they had visited Enoshima back then, the girls had constantly babbled about "holy lands" and "pilgrimages."
I thought I just misheard them.
Iseor and Hyun-ah had chattered endlessly, taking photos and even wearing strange outfits. So that was what it was all about. While Suyun was lost in these memories, Hyun-ah continued.
"Basically, Tre-Tre features... the subways of Tokyo's 23 wards. Not just the JR lines, but the subway... what's the Korean word for it..."
"What are you talking about?"
"Th-there's something like that. Anyway, we could visit the subways and several above-ground locations! We can learn a bit more about Tre-Tre... and do some sightseeing in Japan at the same time. I thought that would be... nice..."
Despite calling the members over with such confidence moments ago, Hyun-ah finished her pitch on a rather deflated note. Suyun twirled a strand of her hair and looked down at the paper Hyun-ah had brought. It was a map of Tokyo's 23 wards, densely packed with marked locations. There were even markers plotted right within Setagaya Ward, where Suyun and the members were currently staying.
"There's one right near our place. Have you been there yet?"
"Oh, n-no... not yet. I wanted to go... together with everyone..."
"Wow, that's a ton. If we visit all of these, we'll literally be touring the entirety of Tokyo."
Suyun nodded in agreement with Iseor's murmur. With this many locations, it would take a serious, dedicated effort over a long period to visit them all.
"We could probably visit one or two, but going to all of them is going to be tough. If we try to hit every single spot, we'll miss our deadlines just from traveling back and forth every day."
Hyun-ah's face fell at Suyun's realistic assessment. Seeing her dejected expression, Suyun briefly wondered if she should offer some words of comfort... but that thought was quickly cut off by Seoha.
"Hey. Why don't we film our own content with this?"
"Our own... content?"
"Yeah. This covers all 23 wards of Tokyo. Since you're an otaku, we can use that as the concept. We can frame it as a Japanese travel vlog mixed with a Tre-Tre holy land pilgrimage. You get to work and indulge your hobby at the same time. It's a win-win."
"Oh... oh! That's... an amazing idea...! As expected of Seoha..."
At Hyun-ah's response, Seoha began pointing at the paper to explain further.
"The response to our Gangneung trip content was incredible. It's almost at a million views now. If we film something like that, we can satisfy the fans who've been begging for more self-produced content. I think it's a solid plan."
"Hmm... that actually makes sense."
Suyun looked down at the map of the 23 wards once more. Most of these were places she had never set foot in. Using this opportunity to visit them all might not be a bad idea. Especially if it could be turned into actual work.
"Something like that... Wait, actually, I just thought of an even better idea."
"What is it?"
"First, I need to talk to Manager Jung. I'm not sure if this is feasible."
With that, Seoha immediately dialed Manager Jung's number. After a few rings, Manager Jung's voice came through the receiver. Listening to the voice, Suyun thought to herself: Isn't today the weekend? Man, traveling all the way to a foreign country only to work overtime on the weekend as a manager... What a grueling job. Of course, she completely failed to realize that she was the primary source of his grueling workload.
A building in Yeongdeungpo Ward.
The era has finally come where my subordinates assign work to me...
Entertaining such useless thoughts, Ko Kyungmin rode the elevator up to his destination. He arrived at an office featuring a sleek, well-designed corporate logo.
"How can I help you?"
"I'm Ko Kyungmin, Team Leader from Label Echo Sound. I spoke with Manager Kim earlier regarding a promotional matter..."
"Ah! Yes, just a moment... Manager Kim, your guest has arrived. It's Team Leader Ko Kyungmin from Echo Sound. Yes. Yes. Understood, I'll show him in. Would you please follow me?"
Passing the reception desk, he walked through an office that, while not particularly large, felt solid and well-established. He was guided to a small meeting room. As he was reviewing the points for today's discussion, a young man dressed in casual attire rushed into the room, looking slightly out of breath.
"Hello! You must be Team Leader Ko Kyungmin, right?"
"Yes, that's correct. Manager Kim Joo-hyun?"
"Yes, yes! That's me. Ah, it's a pleasure to meet you. I'm sorry we don't have much prepared to welcome you..."
"It's quite alright. Shall we get right to it?"
"Yes, absolutely!"
With practiced ease, Team Leader Ko pulled the contract from his bag and handed it over. While the manager read through the document thoroughly, Kyungmin glanced around the inner office. The employees all looked remarkably young—similar to the demographic at Label Echo Sound. It was a sight that truly drove home the fact that this was a youthful, modern enterprise.
"Everything matches what we discussed beforehand. There don't seem to be any issues... but do you mind if I ask you one quick question?"
"Of course, go ahead."
"Our company has absolutely no connection to, well, Group Sound. How did you end up thinking of signing a contract with us? I don't mean this in a negative way, I'm just genuinely curious. On the surface, they seem like polar opposites, don't they? Rock music and Japanese anime. It feels like a clash between mainstream culture and subculture..."
The manager, who seemed to spend a fair amount of time online, explained his thoughts using internet-savvy terms. Kyungmin scratched his temple lightly before answering.
"To be completely honest, this wasn't a proposal that originated from our corporate planning. One of the members of Group Sound happens to be a massive fan of the anime in question... Tre-Tre."
"Really? I assumed rock band members wouldn't have any interest in this sort of thing."
"Well, rock musicians are only human, after all. At any rate, the members discussed it among themselves and figured they could create a mutually beneficial opportunity here..."
Meanwhile, the signing of both copies of the contract was completed. After reviewing the clauses one last time, Kyungmin signed his name and handed one copy back to the manager.
"So, what will the schedule look like? And do we need to upload the content on our platform as well?"
"If we do that, the traffic might get split. It would probably be better to put a YouTube link on your main landing page instead. Once you send over your website specifications, we'll take a look and give you a more detailed answer."
"Thank you so much!"
The manager began packing up his things as they wrapped up the conversation. Kyungmin also gathered his documents and slid them into his bag, thinking that the manager's point was probably valid. The fanbases of Japanese anime and rock bands did seem to run in completely different circles.
The members seem to view this as a win-win, but in reality, isn't this a contract where only we stand to benefit? Especially since it's a contract with a Japanese anime OTT platform...
What the members of Group Sound had proposed was to sign a promotional contract with Tycoon, an OTT platform specializing in importing Japanese anime. Since they had already signed a tie-up contract for Tre-Tre's opening theme, they figured they could hit multiple birds with one stone: film self-produced promotional content for the anime, tour Tokyo's 23 wards, improve the public perception of otaku (a concept Kyungmin still couldn't wrap his head around), and generate additional revenue.
"Thank you! Please let us know once the details are finalized."
"Understood. We will get back to you as quickly as possible."
Kyungmin bowed politely and quickly made his exit from Tycoon's office. The contract was already signed; there was no turning back now. And who knew? Perhaps this content would receive a great response, helping Tre-Tre blow up in Korea and giving Tycoon some excellent advertising exposure in return.
A few years ago, didn't everyone go crazy over Demon Slayer or whatever it was called? Maybe something like that could happen...
"Alright...!"
The very next day after receiving news that the contract with the OTT service had been finalized. Suyun, who had cut her practice short and trudged back to the dorms after being told to hurry home, was greeted by a massive whiteboard that looked like it belonged in a corporate office. A giant whiteboard sitting incongruously in the middle of a typical Japanese home was a bizarre sight, to say the least.
"Alright...!"
"Wait, what is this? You need to explain first. And before that, I haven't even showered yet. What are you trying to start?"
Standing in front of the whiteboard was Hyun-ah, wearing a black academic gown and a mortarboard hat of unknown origin. The other two members were sitting at the low table, and a video camera—clearly borrowed from the office—was set up to record.
"Hurry up... and go wash...!"
"Yeah. We told you to be here by seven, and you show up exactly at seven? Haven't you ever heard of arriving fifteen minutes early?"
"Hey, you must live in a world that runs thirty minutes slower, considering you're always fifteen minutes late."
After throwing that sarcastic retort at Iseor, who was shaking her fist, Suyun put down her guitar and rushed to take a quick shower. Drying her hair roughly, she returned to the living room, where Hyun-ah was tapping the whiteboard, urging her to sit down.
"So, what is all this?"
"Before we... air the... promotional content for Tre-Tre...! First! I felt there was... something I needed to explain... to Suyun, Seoha, our Group Sound fans... and the general public..."
"Something you need to explain?"
"And that is... Otaku-ology 101...!"
Otaku-ology 101?
Suyun listened, bracing herself for whatever ridiculous nonsense was about to come out of Hyun-ah's mouth. However, the explanation Hyun-ah laid out was surprisingly logical and made a fair amount of sense.
"What... is an otaku?"
"Isn't it just someone who watches Japanese anime?"
"Nowadays, yes, it has that meaning...! But fundamentally, an otaku is someone who dives deep into something... those kinds of people. They obsess, analyze... In that sense, you could even be considered a guitar otaku, Suyun..."
"Omg. Suyun was an otaku?"
"Did it always mean that? Then can I start calling myself an otaku too?"
Leaving behind Iseor, who had tried to tease Suyun only to end up speechless, Hyun-ah continued her lecture. While the term "otaku" had evolved in modern times to mean "someone who likes Japanese anime," its original definition still coexisted.
"The holy land pilgrimage we're going to do... is the same concept! By analyzing and diving deep into the work... we visit these places as a form of tourism, or simply as a way to enjoy it...! It's not a negative thing at all!"
This is actually pretty interesting.
People who possessed a natural inclination for analysis and immersion fundamentally had the makings of an otaku... While Iseor and Seoha snickered occasionally, Suyun found herself listening to Hyun-ah's lecture with genuine interest. There were quite a few points worth pondering. However, when the lecture reached a certain topic, Suyun couldn't help but raise her hand to ask a question.
"...And so, in the case of gacha games... people sometimes spend thousands of dollars just to pull a character... which serves as a way of proving their love for that character..."
"Wait, hold on. I have a question."
"What is it...?"
Suyun simply couldn't wrap her head around it. Originally, she hadn't understood how someone could fall in love with a fictional character, but after Hyun-ah's explanation, she could grasp it to some extent. She also understood that these characters appeared in games and that people wanted to collect them.
"Ultimately, they just want to collect them, right?"
"Yes..."
"Then can't they just take a screenshot of the character card? That way, they can still look at it on their phone or computer without spending any money."