Chapter 437: Dragon Turtles I

Someone else will probably have to deal with that supposed aftermath for later.

As for that likely someone... he's most likely that missing one out of the three... still as busy as can be.

Likely to be even busier than a bee.

Reading through finalized comic drafts...

Sifting through the progress reports of in-development games...

Browsing through some toy designs...

Sorting through quarterlies and expected annuals...

Then going through all the financial statements...

Can a bee even be thorough throughout all that?

For context, most of them are routine for sustainability and perpetuity.

Others are in preparation for upcoming projects.

While some are a heads-up for the tax-filing month of April that couldn't wait soon enough.

Tax is specifically something that Alexander expected to only worry about until much later. Until he's turned 18, at least.

But as complex as it is, here he was. Making it even more complicated by finding tax loopholes for the greedy heck of it, as other greedy capitalists do.

And as much as anyone else would probably want to skip through all these kinds of responsibilities that have piled up on this table, Alexander couldn't.

In fact, he shouldn't. It's also a given that he wouldn't.

Which, admittedly, is a tad overboard with all the contracting and negating modal auxiliary verbs.

Not wanting to fall any further into that pit, Alexander was quick to the true main focal point in the middle of all this paperwork...

TMNT and Dragonball. With its turtles and dragon or dragon and turtles...

Two shows that may have just started their syndication break but that didn't mean that they truly were.

If anything, there's never really a break to skip through. Hopefully...

After all, there's still follow-up syndications, mostly televised re-runs. And then the exportation to other countries outside of the states.

Wherein, sub versus dub, the debate between subtitles against dubbed translation, will rise up to the occasion.

Either way, their first seasons may have ended but they never really will, in a manner of speaking...

Even if said conclusions are to make way for the second, third, and fourth seasons so on.

Still, Alexander didn't want to get ahead of himself by that much.

For the most part, he's actually just perusing through some of the preliminary data and Nielsen-esque rating estimates that Miss Marker assiduously compiled.

Matching all this with the rest of the compiled data and ratings from past weeks of telecasting, he had a much more comprehensive idea of what's what.

With this very "what" showing how both shows practically topped viewership against all other Saturday Morning Cartoons in contention.

Granted, Alexander wouldn't really discount the fact that Voltron and He-Man have not really been Defenders nor Masters of their Universes for some while now.

Then there's the G.I. Joes and their premature retirements from being American heroes to add to that.

Of course, he also had to take into account that he was only up against the likes of SilverHawks, which are not the ThunderCats...

Or The Real Ghostbusters. Yet not really the real Ghostbusters. So much so that the Winston Zeddemore actor of the movies was kicked out of the cartoon gig, in favor of another guy who supposedly sounded more Winston than him.

Quite dramatic but not as dramatic or anti-climactic as being up against Inspector Gadget, My Little Pony, Centurion, and the Inhumanoids for Saturday morning dominance.

Alexander could say that this line-up didn't really have a chance. Not really a brag as it's backed by facts.

Even with The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin added midway in that mix.

TMNT was just that much of a cowa-bunging phenomenon. Now more than ever... with the updates it had.

If it had been a phenomenon in the past past, then that was only cemented in this present present.

Then, there's the Americanized Dragonball, the surprise hit that tagged along. Its classic success in old Japan must have been Americanized as well.

All are further exemplified by these glowing reviews that he's suspiciously able to get his hands on.

These were mostly from the relevant "critics", who capped off their insights of the two whole-ly animated shows.

As for how he's able to get copies of their drafts in spite of the finale just finalizing and publications not yet publicizing...

Well... Alexander didn't really sink in 10-plus years of comic strip obligation for no rhyme or reason.

Calvin and Hobbes just had that many benefits. Which really just made him wonder about what was to happen if he added a few more.

He wouldn't really act on it but it is something to think about.

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Not that he'll sink more thought into all these positives and false positives. It's not really conducive nor is it that healthy.

Hence, to look into the potential negatives for a change, he enunciatingly asked. "What about those specified information that I asked for?"

As a form of assist, the assistant pointingly aided. "It should be in that one folder that I've tagged as box turtle, little boss."

As the secretary who also sectored these files, she also couldn't help but spout out. "The findings in there are really not as detailed as you'd hoped though..."

"How so?" Alexander wondered whilst unfolding the corresponding folder.

"Since it's lacking on source locations, trade routes, and how these operations are structured." Miss Consigliere layered and added. "Miss Marker really wanted to express her regrets on that."

"Still... even though she could only go with inaccurate sales records of select pet stores, it was about enough to get a glimpse of the uptick that you were concerned about."

"I see." He hummed and read in agreement. Especially with all the numeric numbers that mathed it out.

"I take it that there's some development on the concerns of parents then?" Despite knowing the answer already, he still had to ask.

To which, Miss Consigliere preparedly enlightened. "Parents' associations and other groups fitting that demographic have reacted as you've expected, even some notable television pastors are rallying along. With their sentiment getting even more vocal than how it was during the pilot episodes."

"Not just with Dragonball's obvious controversies but TMNT's alleged breach on their children's innocence as well." A fact that really made her sigh in between. "And as you know, it's not just these shows that they're condemning, they've extended their unwelcome to your video games too..."

"Citing the supposed addiction that it's perpetuating... the rage that it's inducing... and the potential detriment that it has on the socializing skills and physical wellbeing of today's youths." Something that she really internalized as it roused emotions in her.

Not in sympathy for what they wanted to portray but in empathy to the misconstrued company and misunderstood employer that she's working with.

It's a matter of where her livelihood loyalties lie, after all.

"Perdonami, little capo..." At that point, she recomposed herself as she voiced. "I may have said too much but this trouble is really troubling enough..."

"I guess it really is." Which was all that Alexander echoed, albeit still as composed as ever.

But, he can admit, these potential negatives have that much potential... to become bad and even worse.

With the up-ticking issue regarding box turtles being the least of his worries.

Those could be displaced out of their shells for all he cares.

After all... Dragonball's calculated controversy may have just inadvertently exposed some sort of brewing conspiracy and deep unrest...

And that's gotta have some sort of precedence over the other, right?

Like how dragons trumps turtles.

Unless, of course, this is some rare case about dragon turtles?