With the October election mere months away, Horn Kingdom's media landscape shifted into campaign mode.
Hellfire Network led the charge, initiating comprehensive coverage of the competing political parties.
To the untrained eye, Hellfire Network's bias toward the Royalist Unit Party seemed blatant. Their promotion of RUP saturated the airwaves, particularly during peak viewing hours.
The pattern became especially noticeable during popular telenovelas, where RUP campaign messages dominated the commercial breaks, their polished advertisements strategically placed to capture the largest possible audience.
While Hellfire Network maintained a veneer of subtlety in their political coverage, their preferential treatment of RUP became increasingly apparent. Simultaneously, both the network and its print subsidiary, Hellfire Daily, launched what appeared to be an aggressive campaign against the Economic Prosperity Alliance.
Yet these supposedly negative pieces about EPA carried an unexpected impact. One notable article, titled "EPA Leader Abandons Economic Forum for Factory Visit," detailed how Valerie Blackhand spent six hours touring a struggling manufacturing district instead of attending a prestigious financial conference.
The piece described her walking through crowded factory floors, discussing wage reforms with workers, and visiting their families in nearby communities. Though framed critically, the article painted a compelling picture of a leader who prioritized understanding common citizens over networking with elite power brokers.
Another "exposé" followed Blackhand through Horn Kingdom's poorest districts, allegedly criticizing her "unbecoming" involvement in local issues.
The report showed her listening to street vendors' concerns about rising permit fees, visiting overcrowded schools, and meeting with small business owners struggling under outdated regulations.
Each piece meant to discredit EPA instead highlighted the stark contrast between their grassroots approach and RUP's detachment from ordinary citizens.
These calculated "hit pieces" produced an unexpected effect - television viewers and newspaper readers increasingly gravitated toward EPA.
The TV viewers and article readers were not "dumb" - they saw right through the obvious scheme where Hellfire Network and other TV networks were clearly "paid" to promote the RUP.
One evening, a husband and wife sat in their living room when yet another RUP commercial appeared on their screen. The husband slammed his tea cup down in frustration. "Look at this nonsense! The royalist party has ruled this kingdom for decades, and what progress have we made? We're falling behind Thorn Kingdom in everything!"
Beyond the political drama, Hellfire Network's latest programming announcement stirred excitement among manga enthusiasts.
The network's commercials teased a new show that had fans buzzing with anticipation.
The source of their excitement? "Dragon Ball" animation was coming to Hellfire Network, with manga readers in Morningstar and Japon particularly thrilled about the adaptation.
Dragon Ball had carved out impressive popularity in Morningstar and Japon. While the manga sold well across Horn Kingdom and neighboring regions, its following remained unmatched, having captured readers' imaginations in a way other kingdoms had yet to experience.
At July's end, "Dragon Ball" made its debut, claiming the coveted noon slot immediately following "Hellfire News."
The show's impact surprised everyone. Children who had never encountered the Dragon Ball manga found themselves completely drawn into the animated world.
Even more surprising was its effect on adult viewers. Male employees catching lunch at restaurants found their attention pulled away from their meals, unexpectedly captivated by the animation.
This reaction proved particularly noteworthy because while men occasionally enjoyed TV telenovelas, they rarely showed the same deep engagement as female viewers. Yet here they were, watching what they'd initially dismissed as children's entertainment, finding themselves thoroughly absorbed by Dragon Ball's very first episode.
(Apollonia Morningstar POV)
"My brother really achieved something incredible..."
Watching "Dragon Ball" on TV, I found myself completely absorbed in the story. I never thought an "animation" meant for "children" would capture my attention .
From this animation alone, my heart swelled with pride at my brother Arthur's latest achievement. I've grown to love all his innovations - the telenovelas, the football live broadcasts - but this was special.
Dragon Ball playing on the screen was just another level entirely. I couldn't take my eyes off it!
I fell in love with Goku right away, though Bulma made me frown. Who points such a dangerous weapon at an innocent demon child? Still, I couldn't help but laugh at Goku - so innocent yet somehow so clever about surviving in the wild.
The full episode left me amazed - the animation style was absolutely incredible!
Back in Empirica, I'd watched that foreign animation "Mr. Mouse" - but it couldn't hold a candle to "Dragon Ball."
Unlike Mr. Mouse's simple cartoons, Dragon Ball's characters spoke with real depth. Just this first episode showed me how amazing the story would be.
"Did you enjoy the world's first anime Dragon Ball? If you can't wait for more episodes to come - go and buy the Dragon Ball manga at the manga stores now!"
A TV commercial suddenly caught my attention, mentioning a "manga store." "Interesting..." I couldn't help muttering.
That phrase the narrator used - "world's first anime" - caught my ear too.
This term "anime" felt new yet somehow familiar, like an echo of "animation."
"Is it just another way to say animation?" I wondered.
Well, one thing was certain - I had to get my hands on that Dragon Ball manga. The story had me hooked.
Of course, being a princess of Morningstar Kingdom meant some precautions. I reached for my robe - couldn't have everyone recognizing me at the store.
The manga store was already buzzing with excitement when I arrived. As I slipped inside, conversations about "Dragon Ball" filled the air.
"Did you catch the first episode? Man, it was incredible! Can't believe we have to wait for the next one!" a scaled demon exclaimed, practically bouncing on his feet.
"Tell me about it," his friend, a monkey demon, agreed eagerly.
A fiend demon nearby ran his claws through his hair in frustration. "If only we could fast-forward time to the next episode!" Thɪs chapter is updatᴇd by NoveI[F]ire.net
"Right?" The monkey demon's tail swished in agreement.
My ears caught other discussions around the store.
"I'll admit it - I completely overlooked the Dragon Ball manga before," a wolf demon was saying. "Saw the TV ads but didn't give them a second thought. Now after that first episode? I'm completely hooked!"
His words hit close to home. I felt a twinge of guilt, remembering how I'd ignored the series myself until seeing the anime.
"I know what you mean," his friend chimed in. "Part of me wishes I'd known about it sooner, but honestly? Watching that first episode without knowing what was coming made it even more amazing."
Listening to these demons talk so excitedly about Arthur's latest innovation filled me with pride. Yet that pride came with an uncomfortable twist - my brother was still an exile, and he'd even cast aside our family name "Morningstar" in favor of "Pendragon."