Villain or Hero?

Around March 1997, a certain Anime in Japan caused seizures to hundreds of children in the country.

The one responsible for it, the anime studio under Tora Corporation, apologized and compensated the ones affected.

When Shin heard of this news from TV, he remembered that Pokémon episode was the cause of such an incident. However, since Shin specifically instructed the anime studios not to feature a sequence of flashing lights and intense colors due to it being a seizure-inducing sequence for people with photosensitive epilepsy.

Now, the Tora Anime named Mechanical Boy will undergo a hiatus while regulations on animation and the use of flashing lights are tightened.

KiShin Foundation was actively spreading awareness, but most anime studios in Japan remained skeptical until Tora's anime actually caused seizures in children.

Several studios, especially those under Nippon TV or Suzuki Entertainment, promptly edited out sequences with flashing lights and intense colors in response to the incidents.

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On March 28, 1997, Tora and Suzuki officially ended their alliance.

This news surprised many gamers since Tora and Suzuki were well-known partners in the gaming industry.

Following the breakup, Tora joined forces with Yahoo!, an internet company.

Yahoo! aimed to enter the video game industry and develop their games with the partnership, allowing them to create their own video games.

Meanwhile, anime studios under the Suzuki Group aired an anime adaptation of the popular manga "Slam Dunk."

The first episode captured the attention of many basketball fans, causing NHK to surge in viewership. However, it still couldn't compete with TV Asahi's "Sailor Moon" or even "Shin-chan."

However, NHK wisely avoided scheduling their anime in the same timeslot as those popular shows on TV Asahi, recognizing that the allure of KiShin's anime was beyond their understanding.

Additionally, Suzuki's RPG video game, titled "Justice Knight: Church," was gaining popularity in both Japan and the USA.

While the game's setting appeared to draw inspiration from Christianity, such themes have become commonplace in the video game industry, particularly within the RPG genre.

Featuring classes like Priest as healers and Knights as fighters, it's evident that the game takes inspiration from medieval Europe.

Despite initially being considered a failure due to low sales a few months after its release, "Justice Knight: Church" experienced a sudden surge in both sales and popularity.

This was challenging to explain, but experts in the magazine attributed its success to its graphics and, notably, its complex and difficult gameplay, which intrigued RPG gamers in Japan. The fascination of Japanese gamers with the RPG genre left Suzuki optimistic about the video game's potential. They actively promoted the game in the USA, where it indeed achieved a modest success.

This is why Suzuki Electronics was willing to break up the alliance with Tora, as they didn't want their RPG video game success to be solely credited to Tora.

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Tokyo, Japan.

The signs of the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis were becoming evident. Shin reviewed a report on the situation in Southeast Asia.

Several Southeast Asian economies, particularly Thailand and Indonesia, were now experiencing significant current account deficits. This indicated that they were importing more goods and services than they were exporting, creating an imbalance in their external trade.

There's also the issue of rapidly depreciating currencies. Even before the crisis officially began, the currencies of vulnerable economies like the Thai baht and the Philippine peso showed signs of depreciation against the US dollar. This signaled a loss of confidence in these currencies and the possibility of capital flight.

Additionally, there's rising inflation. Rapid economic growth fueled by easy credit and foreign investment led to inflationary pressures in several Asian countries. This, in turn, eroded the purchasing power of local currencies and intensified economic instability.

Shin, with insider information, knew that in the months leading up to the crisis, Soros' hedge fund, Quantum Fund, had reportedly taken substantial short positions on various Asian currencies, especially the Thai baht. This implied they were betting that the currencies would depreciate in value.

As the crisis unfolded in July 1997 with the Thai baht devaluation, Soros' short positions undoubtedly yielded significant profits, further contributing to the currency's downward spiral.

Although Shin understood that the Asian financial crisis wasn't solely triggered by currency speculation, with years of unsustainable growth, financial imbalances, and weak banking systems creating underlying vulnerabilities, making the region susceptible to external shocks, Soros' shorting of Asian currencies added fuel to the fire during the crisis. His actions were just one piece of a much larger puzzle.

Shin, armed with future knowledge, couldn't do much to prevent the financial crisis, given its complexity and deep-rooted causes. However, what Shin could do was strategically guide the KiShin Foundation to invest in stable assets and currencies outside the affected region. They could even consider purchasing distressed assets at bargain prices after the crisis hit. This strategic approach could have generated significant profits, which they could then use to support countries in need.

KiShin also recruited financial experts and economists with direct experience in Asian markets to conduct thorough, data-driven analyses of the potential crisis. Through established channels, they could relay this information to International Financial Institutions (IFIs), allowing the report to be submitted to IFIs and potentially garner more attention, sparking further investigation.

Furthermore, KiShin Merchandise strategically focused on sourcing materials and production from the affected countries, thereby boosting their economies and creating job opportunities.

While Shin contemplated manipulating the market for humanitarian purposes, he recognized the potential backlash and wisely decided against it.

Besides that, Shin didn't involve his company too much in the inevitable crisis, recognizing that altering the course of the crisis might have unforeseen consequences, potentially harming other countries or industries in unexpected ways.

Shin also ensured that his actions were transparent and accountable to avoid ethical concerns and accusations of manipulation.

Although Shin did what he could to help, he knew it wouldn't stop the inevitable. In a way, he anticipated the crisis, expecting SamStar stocks and other major South Korean companies to drop significantly. KiShin could then step in for a shopping spree.

Anticipating the incredible comeback these Korean companies would make, KiShin planned to invest heavily in their stocks at bargain prices during the crisis, reaping significant returns in the long term.

After investing, KiShin would become a hero, as increased foreign investment through their actions would potentially contribute to faster recovery and development in South Korea, creating jobs and stimulating the economy.

Reflecting more deeply, Shin wasn't sure if he was a villain or a hero.