Otaku Translation: Absolute Number One C109

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Chapter 109: The Tenfold Revenge Workplace Showdown

Early the next morning, Chihara Rinto received the viewership report for Episode Five of Hanzawa Naoki. The episode achieved an average rating of 30% and a peak rating of 32.6%. While the increase wasn’t as dramatic as the previous episode, the upward trend remained strong, securing its position at the top of the charts. Moreover, the gap between Hanzawa Naoki and its closest competitor, , widened further.

Doctor’s Heart was no slouch—it featured excellent acting, well-crafted storytelling, ample budget, and polished production. As a workplace drama, it also exposed some dark truths about Japan’s medical system, making it a solid contender. Under normal circumstances, it might have dominated the season. Unfortunately, it had the misfortune of going head-to-head with the phenomenon that was Hanzawa Naoki. For now, it remained overshadowed.

Seeing the rankings unchanged and the ratings curve steadily climbing, Chihara Rinto and the others attending the analysis meeting collectively breathed a sigh of relief. However, the fallout from Sugano Makoto’s past scandal had significantly impacted the production team. For nearly a week, filming had ground to a near halt. Since the show revolved entirely around “Hanzawa Naoki,” and Sugano was constantly attending interviews and variety shows to win public sympathy by showcasing his relationship with Komori Hinako, the shooting schedule had been severely disrupted, causing significant delays.

With the situation as it was, Chihara Rinto could do little but grit his teeth. There would always be people unwilling to mind their own business, choosing instead to meddle in others’ affairs—a frustrating reality. Fortunately, the pre-production preparations had been meticulous, so there was no immediate concern about the next episode. Still, if another issue arose, they might have to suspend broadcasting for a week.

After the meeting, Chihara returned to his office. Finding himself alone, he slammed his fist on the desk in frustration, jolting the lamp three inches into the air. Above all else, he hated having his plans disrupted. Although he had anticipated this crisis and responded swiftly, neutralizing the turmoil without inflicting substantial damage on Hanzawa Naoki, the fact that his reserves had been depleted and the shooting schedule severely compromised left him seething. He couldn’t afford to display his anger in front of colleagues or subordinates, though.

If there was indeed a mastermind behind this incident, he vowed to make them pay—someday.

Sitting down, he took a deep breath and jotted the name of the tabloid that first leaked Sugano Makoto’s old photos, , into his notebook. When he gained more influence, he’d make sure to settle the score. Chihara wasn’t one to let offenses slide; anyone who dared disrupt his progress should be prepared for retribution.

Amid his frustration, he failed to notice two things: this was his first time achieving a 30% average rating, setting a new personal best, and a fleeting green flash in his peripheral vision—a phenomenon he’d long since dismissed as an ocular anomaly.

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While Chihara Rinto stewed over the disruption to the shooting schedule, the world outside buzzed with fervent discussion following the airing of Hanzawa Naoki’s fifth episode.

The conclusion of the first major storyline left audiences exhilarated, resonating deeply with Japan’s corporate workforce. In the grim reality of modern life, what truly terrified and oppressed wasn’t the (9 a.m. to 9 p.m., seven days a week) but the suffocating helplessness of knowing something was wrong yet being powerless to speak out.

Hierarchical relationships, favoritism, personnel transfers, factional struggles—all the dark undercurrents of workplace culture were condensed into this series. For Japan’s salarymen, these issues hit close to home.

“Subordinates act only to please their superiors, aware of problems but afraid to voice them.”

“Lackeys are often worse than the bosses themselves.”

“Transfers sound nice, but they’re just exile in disguise.”

“In the workplace, human resources dictate everything.”

“A subordinate’s achievements become the superior’s credit, while the superior’s mistakes become the subordinate’s fault.”

These razor-sharp lines sliced through the veneer of pretense, exposing the unspoken rules of Japanese corporate culture with brutal honesty. The pent-up tension built over the first four episodes—totaling five hours of runtime—exploded with the airing of Episode Five. Hanzawa Naoki defied every unwritten rule, resisting organizational authority and flipping seemingly unwinnable battles through wit and determination. Truly, he embodied the concept of “.”

In Episode Five, Hanzawa Naoki delivered a resounding “No!” on behalf of every downtrodden office worker. It was cathartic, empowering, and invigorating.

Within two days, emotions ran high. Countless office workers rushed to support the show. Even employees of mainstream newspapers began leaning toward it. According to a survey conducted by All Japan News, 7,900 respondents participated in just two days, with 77% stating that Hanzawa Naoki voiced what they couldn’t say, venting their frustrations and grievances.

Public sentiment shifted decisively. No one dared criticize Hanzawa Naoki by dredging up Sugano Makoto’s past altercation, fearing backlash from its passionate supporters. Individually, office workers might resemble docile dogs, apologizing even when kicked. Collectively, however, they were not to be trifled with. Though not the largest consumer group, they were among the primary producers of societal wealth. Any ill-timed remarks offending this demographic could trigger a boycott, potentially crippling a career in the industry—or at least tanking newspaper sales by 70%.

Columns across newspapers quickly aligned with the salaryman audience, praising Hanzawa Naoki and standing firmly with them. The wave of enthusiasm soon spilled beyond entertainment sections, reaching social commentary and front-page discussions. Social critics weighed in, lamenting Japan’s entrenched conservatism and impending societal decline. Solutions? That was for politicians to figure out. After posing the question, they turned to the Prime Minister: “Can you fix it? If not, step aside—we haven’t hit our quota of three prime ministers this year yet!”

The intensity of this cultural moment was underscored by one telling example: Hanzawa Naoki spawned an AV parody titled Tenfold Revenge: The Ultimate Workplace Showdown. The protagonist bore an uncanny resemblance to Sugano Makoto. As for the content…

Chihara Rinto didn’t bother watching. Instead, he immediately called ’s legal department, instructing them to pursue royalties from the production company. If they were going to capitalize on the hype, they’d better share the profits.

With outsiders cashing in on the craze, Kanto United TV’s operations department sprang into action. Within three days of Episode Five’s broadcast, all 3,000 tenfold revenge buns were sold out. Countless other merchandise items—notebooks, keychains, kitchenware—flew off the shelves, leaving the team counting money until their fingers cramped. Emboldened, they developed a line of “tenfold revenge” products: tenfold revenge burdock tea, bundles of tenfold revenge udon varieties, all emblazoned with Sugano Makoto’s face. They even released a “,” plated in gold and priced at 9,999 yen per unit.

Chihara Rinto was exasperated by the sales team’s antics, but he had no authority over them—their department operated parallel to production. Complaining to Shiga Ayumu over such trivial matters wasn’t worth it, so he chose to ignore it. On the bright side, 5% of the profits would flow back to him—not an insignificant sum. Let them have their fun, he thought.

The immense social impact of Hanzawa Naoki caught the attention of countless other programs. With Chihara Rinto and Sugano Makoto’s precedent of appearing on talk shows to clear Sugano’s name, invitations poured in like snowflakes. Program producers eagerly requested Chihara-sensei and Sugano-san to share behind-the-scenes stories with their audiences.

Given Sugano’s absence last week, Chihara refused to let him participate again, especially with the tight shooting schedule extending late into the night. However, he couldn’t afford to offend others outright. Instead, he coordinated with various programs, sending minor cast members whose scenes were completed or had limited roles—regardless of the network, including TEB. Navigating the dense web of alliances within the industry, he understood that fostering goodwill was essential.

It was a win-win arrangement. These appearances satisfied audience demand, boosted ratings for participating shows, and expanded Hanzawa Naoki’s influence, paving the way for higher viewership numbers.

As for himself, Chihara was too busy to attend. Managing a 300-person crew, even with capable assistants like Murakami and Yoshizaki handling many tasks, left him swamped. He even considered delegating the task of replying to again. Yet, despite his workload, he couldn’t entirely avoid obligations. Both and Yoshizaki Shingo reminded him of favors owed, while Shiga Ayumu personally called to request his participation in a few key programs.

Shiga Ayumu spoke frankly, acknowledging that most requests had been declined but emphasizing that a few couldn’t be avoided. Ultimately, Chihara made the decision himself, prioritizing ratings above all else. If he truly couldn’t attend, Shiga assured him he’d find alternatives.

After deliberation, Chihara reluctantly carved out time to appear on a few programs. Navigating this industry required tact and reciprocity; burning bridges wasn’t an option. Unable to send Sugano Makoto, he stepped into the spotlight himself, transforming from behind-the-scenes producer to frontline actor. Appearing on several high-profile talk shows and variety programs, he repeatedly recounted his “tragic” past and celebrated his current “success,” inadvertently positioning himself as an inspirational figure.

Reflecting on his appearances, even he felt like a motivational icon: orphaned, bankrupted, forced to drop out of university, yet rising from humble beginnings to become the hottest screenwriter of the year. Truly, the epitome of perseverance.

For a time, he became a sensation in his own right.

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