Forward

Meanwhile in Japan, TV Asahi finally premiered the anime "Dragon Ball," garnering widespread attention. Consequently, a surge in interest led to an increase in the manga's sales. A similar phenomenon occurred with "One Piece" and "Naruto," captivating manga enthusiasts.

Simultaneously in South Korea, Man Hwan emerged victorious in the presidential election. As January approached, KiShin faced delays in releasing their highly anticipated video game products like SKES and Gameboy.

With the administration that faced strong animosity from Japan, South Korea targeted KiShin. While other Japanese companies like Tora, Suzuki, Toyota, and Mitsubishi were unaffected by South Korea's actions due to their stronger political standing, KiShin, lacking political influence in South Korea, found itself in a vulnerable position.

Despite protests from video game enthusiasts eager to experience KiShin's latest products in the South Korean market, the company faced an obstacle. KiShin, in response, informed the South Korean gaming community that political and diplomatic tensions between South Korea and Japan hindered the release of their products in the region.

This news left South Korean video game fans disheartened. The older generation, witnessing the support for a Japanese company by the younger generation, felt a sense of disgust. They admonished their children and the younger populace.

By January, the situation escalated, leading to the ban of KiShin in South Korea. Meanwhile, in Japan, at the KiShin Headquarters, Shin, upon learning of the ban in South Korea, couldn't help but sigh in disappointment.

South Korea's market was undeniably lucrative, yet with the ban in effect, KiShin received inquiries from SamStar Electronics and Hyun Motors regarding the distribution of KiShin video game consoles. Recognizing that KiShin was now prohibited in South Korea, both SamStar Electronics and Hyun Motors extended their hands to facilitate the potential release of KiShin SKES and Gameboy under their respective company banners.

In a conference room, Shin, accompanied by executives and Han Lee, who had just returned from Taiwan, wore a serious expression as they delved into discussions on this matter.

In their current deliberations, they faced the decision of selecting a company for product distribution in South Korea.

Amidst the discussion, Han Lee unexpectedly spoke, suggesting, "Mr. Suzuki, I must advocate for SamStar. While their offers may appear less favorable than Hyun Motors', their significant influence and strong brand presence in South Korea could offset this. Choosing SamStar might mean sacrificing a bit of profit, but the partnership could still be lucrative, establishing a valuable connection. Moreover, the disparity in the conditions proposed by SamStar and Hyun Motors is minimal..."

Shin, Mira, and the executives regarded Lee Han with a hint of surprise. Meanwhile, Shin, stroking his chin, remarked, "You have a point. Partnering with SamStar could also establish connections..."

Observing Shin's subtle decision, Mira, Lee Han, and the executives acknowledged that KiShin had opted to partner with SamStar.

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Simultaneously, KiShin wasn't the sole entity grappling with this dilemma. Tora and Suzuki, while their companies weren't entirely banned in South Korea, allowing them to sell products like cellular phones, cars, and TVs, faced a ban on their video game consoles and games within the country.

In response, they received offers from other South Korean chaebol companies.

After a few days had passed, with SamStar joining forces with KiShin and Hyun Motors facing rejection, they proposed a partnership between the Tora-Suzuki Alliance. Ultimately, Hyun Motors secured a partnership with Suzuki, while the Lucky Gold Group teamed up with Tora.

Meanwhile, South Korean video game fans initially expressed frustration over KiShin's ban. Their mood briefly lifted upon learning that SamStar would distribute SKES and Gameboy under its banner. However, their excitement turned to anger again upon realizing that the release date was set a few months in the future.

It was taking an extended period, prompting some South Korean video game fans who could afford it to fly to Japan just to purchase KiShin SKES and Gameboy.

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Meanwhile, in the United Kingdom, on January 8, 1993, a crowd of mostly young British people gathered outside a KiShin store, eagerly anticipating the release of SKES and Gameboy in about a week.

A frustrated British young man commented as he surveyed the long line, "Bloody hell, I thought the release of KiShin's latest products would be one of the most exciting things to happen in my life, but this line is killing me..."

"I agree, buddy," a middle-aged man echoed the young man's sentiment.

"You should be planning to buy SKES and Gameboy too. Which video games are you quite interested in?" The young man, realizing there's no use in complaining, decided to initiate a conversation with the middle-aged man.

The middle-aged man chuckled as he replied, "I'll only buy a Gameboy, and the video game I'm highly anticipating is 'Tetris'."

Upon hearing this, the young man felt speechless but chose not to reprimand the middle-aged man, considering his old age. However, from the young man's perspective, KiShin had far more interesting video games to offer than just 'Tetris.' In response, he proceeded to inform the middle-aged man about the captivating video games that KiShin had released this year.

Following KiShin's release in the United Kingdom, France, and various countries in Europe, the release extended to Australia.

As the release of KiShin's latest products continued in other countries, the company also launched a new video game, 'EarthBound,' which thrilled Japanese players who had become fans of the earlier 'EarthBound Beginning.'

Shortly after, 'EarthBound' was released in the United States. Matt, a devoted fan of this video game series, hastily made his way to the KiShin physical store to purchase the new installment. His excitement and joy were palpable, given KiShin's release of a new 'EarthBound' video game following 'EarthBound Beginning.'