I, Hiroshi Nohara, the star of Japanese cinema

Chapter 130 Hiroshi Nohara misses his hometown! Now that things are on track, he plans to go back to his hometown for a visit!

In this special room, Nobuhiko Sakata and Hiroshi Nohara did not stay for long; it was more of a formal meeting.

However, the chat was still quite pleasant.

When Hiroshi Nohara and Nobuhiko Sakata walked out of that lounge, which seemed to belong to another dimension, side by side, they returned to that social vortex filled with hypocrisy and probing.

The air in the entire banquet hall seemed to undergo some kind of subtle chemical reaction in an instant.

All eyes, like iron filings drawn to a magnet, were fixed on the young man.

There was no longer any jealousy or scrutiny in their eyes.

Only one kind of complexity remains.

They probably don't know what happened in that small lounge.

But they all saw that when the young man came out, Mr. Fujiwara, the man who was like a god in the entire Tokyo propaganda system, personally escorted him to the door.

That face, which was always as calm as still water, even carried a hint of appreciative smile.

This is no longer a simple endorsement.

This is a silent declaration from a higher dimension—

Lord Fujiwara admires this young man!
"damn it!"

Takada Toshihide, the executive vice president of the production department of TV Tokyo and the number two person in the production department, was holding a glass of scarlet Bordeaux wine and chatting and laughing with several TV executives from the same faction.

But when his gaze fell upon the tall, composed figure emerging from the lounge, his hand holding the wine glass trembled slightly involuntarily.

The scarlet liquid swayed in a dangerous arc on the glass, like his heart, already riddled with holes from jealousy and fear, making its final, futile struggle.

Beside him, Yasui Takashi and Ito Nagasu, those two once-arrogant variety show stars, stood there dejectedly like two roosters whose feathers had been plucked in public, not daring to even lift their heads.

They felt like foolish children.

However, the other side had already created a path to the real world in a way that they could not understand at all.

They even went inside!

"Takada-kun, so you're here."

Nobuhiko Sakata's cheerful voice rang in their ears like a thunderclap. The head of the production department, beaming with pride, led Hiroshi Nohara over.

"I just spoke with Mr. Fujiwara, and he was very satisfied with our television station's recent work. He especially praised Mr. Nohara."

He paused, and a sly glint, like that of an old fox, flashed in his always squinting eyes.

"Your Excellency specifically instructed me that young people like Nohara-kun, who are talented, responsible, and have a broad perspective, are treasures of our entire Japanese television industry. We must give him the greatest support and the best platform so that he can focus wholeheartedly on creating more excellent works that can 'connect' people' for our country."

Every word he said was like an invisible hammer, striking hard against Takada Toshihide's heart.

He knew that Nobuhiko Sakata was giving him a warning.

It was also a warning to him.

From today onwards, any underhanded actions against Hiroshi Nohara will no longer be considered simple factional struggles.

Rather, it is an open provocation against the "official will".

"Yes...yes, the director is right."

Takada Toshihide squeezed out these words through clenched teeth, his gloomy face already shrouded in an ashen blue.

He knew that he had lost.

A crushing defeat.

Lost so badly...even the last bit of hope of a comeback is gone.

But when Takada Toshihide thought about it, he realized that he could still make a difference in film and showcase his abilities within TV Tokyo's production department, and he slowly breathed a sigh of relief.

Looking at Hiroshi Nohara in front of him, he finally managed a smile, showing that he was open-minded and not narrow-minded.

"Hehehe." Nobuhiko Sakata saw the smile that finally appeared on Takada's face and also revealed a sly smile.

In Sakata's view, everyone is getting along well now.

That's a really great atmosphere!
……

The social vortex of hypocrisy and probing in the banquet hall finally subsided before the midnight bells rang.

One by one, these influential figures who usually wield great power in their respective fields, with complex feelings of satisfaction, disappointment, or calculation, quietly dispersed like the receding tide.

Hiroshi Nohara followed Nobuhiko Sakata through the lingering noise, and with the Imperial Hotel manager bowing almost humbly as they saw him off, they entered the black Toyota Century that had been waiting at the door for a long time.

The car door closed silently, instantly isolating all the glitz and hustle of the outside world into an absolute tranquility constructed of top-quality soundproofing materials and thick bulletproof glass.

"You didn't eat much in the banquet hall, how about you drink something to appease your stomach first?"

Nobuhiko Sakata, the powerful TV station tycoon who commands respect outside, was like an ordinary, kind, and approachable neighbor at this moment.

He took a bottle of Perrier, which was already chilled and still slightly cold, from the car refrigerator and poured a glass for Hiroshi Nohara.

His eyes held a gentle smile.

"Thank you, Director." Hiroshi Nohara accepted the exquisitely crafted crystal glass. The fine water droplets condensed on the glass refracted a dazzling and mesmerizing light under the soft interior lights of the car.

Nobuhiko Sakata didn't say anything. He just held his cup and looked out the window through the huge car window.

The bustling night view of Tokyo under the night sky.

He sighed and said, "Hiroshi-kun, you know what? Tonight, watching Asumi and Takada fight like cats and dogs in front of you, I actually felt... quite uncomfortable."

Hiroshi Nohara didn't respond; he just listened quietly.

Nobuhiko Sakata's voice carried a sense of desolation and helplessness that came from someone who had been through it all: "Back then, the decision to acquire Kanto Television was made by me personally, against all odds. My idea was simple: a powerful alliance, resource integration, to transform our TV Tokyo into a true media empire that no one could shake. But despite all my calculations, I overlooked one thing."

He paused, a bitter look appearing on his usually smiling, chubby face: "I miscalculated, the human heart."

"The 'Tokyo Faction' and the 'Kanto Faction,' two names that should have disappeared with the merger, are like two old, unhealable scars, tearing at this building for five whole years. They fight for resources, snatch projects, form cliques, and scheme against each other... turning a perfectly good production department into a chaotic mess. As the director, I saw it all, felt anxious, but... I was helpless."

These heartfelt words stirred a subtle ripple in Hiroshi Nohara's heart.

He knew that this was not just a complaint, but a trust from a higher perspective.

“But, Hiroshi.”

Nobuhiko Sakata slowly turned around, his usually squinting eyes now wide open, flashing with an unprecedented brilliance: "Your appearance is like a pebble thrown into stagnant water, completely stirring everything up."

"You have proven to everyone with your talent that in this industry, what truly determines success or failure is not where you come from or which faction you belong to, but whether you can produce works that can silence everyone."

His voice lowered slightly, carrying an almost strategist's foresight: "More importantly... look out the window, the 'Greater Tokyo Metropolitan Area' plan has entered its final fast track. In less than ten years, the entire Kanto region will become part of Tokyo. By then, the so-called 'Tokyo faction' and 'Kanto faction' will become laughable historical terms."

"So, Hiroshi-kun."

Nobuhiko Sakata looked at him, his gaze no longer that of a superior scrutinizing a subordinate, but one filled with expectation: "Don't limit yourself to these petty gains, don't let those underhanded factional struggles bind your hands and feet. Your vision should be set on the entire 'Greater Tokyo,' on this coming new era."

He paused, and a warm smile returned to his chubby face, a smile that carried a promise that could put anyone at ease.

“As you know, our station director is more of a political appointee, responsible for communication with the government. He doesn’t handle the specific operations. As for me, the director of the production department, I’m getting old and my energy is waning. Most of the time, I’m just behind the scenes, cheering everyone on. The real decision-makers for the future of TV Tokyo are you young people on the front lines.”

"Good job."

Nobuhiko Sakata patted Hiroshi Nohara's shoulder heavily, his voice filled with undeniable affirmation: "Your promotion is just the beginning. As long as you can continue to produce results like today, I guarantee you that in less than five years, the position that Asumi is currently sitting in will be yours."

Five years later, he became the deputy director of the production bureau.

This is no longer a simple promise.

This is a silent declaration, almost like "establishing an heir apparent."

……

When that black Toyota Century returned to the entrance of TV Tokyo.

Hiroshi Nohara got out of the car under the respectful gaze of the bureau chief's personal driver, watched them leave, and then got into his own Toyota Crown Majesta, which was equally imposing.

"..." Hiroshi Nohara pursed his lips.

I never expected that Director Sakata would value me so much. He not only introduced me to the high-ranking government official in charge of the television station, but also spoke to me so frankly in the car.

He even made a promise to himself.

Consider the Japanese character: they don't usually make promises, but when they do, they almost always keep them.

Hiroshi Nohara knew that from tonight onward, he would no longer be a simple, charging pawn on the power chessboard of this television station.

He has earned the right to engage in equal dialogue with those who wield the chess pieces.

This qualification comes with age and ability.

"This world... is getting more and more interesting."

Nohara Hiroshi's mouth curled up slightly.

The car started, and the V8 engine let out a deep roar, like a beast awakened, carrying his already boiling ambition and his talent that was enough to overturn the times, and rushed into that dazzling galaxy woven from countless neon lights, full of unknowns and possibilities.

His era, that of Hiroshi Nohara, has only just begun.

This grand performance, which he personally directed, has only just begun its most magnificent prelude.

What he has to do is to turn this warmth that is unique to the late night into a ratings myth that will drive the entire Neon crazy!

……

On the second Saturday of October, as the cool autumn breeze finally dispelled the last trace of heat that shrouded Tokyo, a long-planned ratings storm, known as the second season of "Super Transformation," descended as scheduled.

TV Tokyo, Studio 3.

The air backstage seemed to have been sucked out, solidifying into a heavy, cold piece of amber, sealing all the beings within within in endless anticipation and anxiety. "It's here! It's here! It's about to begin!"

Kei Tanaka, the former head of the variety show division who had undergone a complete transformation, was now staring intently at the monitor screen like a general about to go to the final battle. His face, which had long since shed all its dejection, was filled with barely suppressed excitement.

On stage, the two hosts, already regarded as "ambassadors of happiness" by the Japanese people, were warming up the audience with their signature friendly smiles.

"Dear viewers! Last week, we witnessed the 'Snow Woman Team' from Hokkaido successfully win over all the judges with their creativity full of ice, snow and fantasy, securing the first spot for advancement in our second season!"

The female host, Wei Lixiang, had a loud and infectious voice.

"Yay!" The male host, Hachigo Shin, made a victorious gesture, which drew good-natured laughter from the audience.

“But!” Wei Lixiang’s tone shifted abruptly, a sly glint flashing in her ever-smiling eyes: “Does losing mean it’s over? On our stage of ‘Super Transformation,’ creativity never ends!”

He paused, and amidst countless expectant gazes, he announced, word by word, the brand-new rules that were enough to drive the entire nation of Japan into a frenzy.

"Starting this week, we will officially open the 'Loser's Revival' channel! All teams that unfortunately lost in this region will automatically enter our 'Popularity Revival Pool'! Every week, we will select the most popular team based on audience votes via phone and pager! They will have the opportunity to fight their way back to this stage in a brutal revival match in the final championship qualifier!"

"boom--!"

This decision was like a real atomic bomb, exploding in the minds of all viewers in front of their televisions!

Osaka Prefecture, Sakai City, in the living room of the Tanaka family.

"Did you hear that?! Did you hear that?!" Tanaka Genichi, a veteran steelworker who had spent his entire life at the factory, was now as excited as a child, his face flushed. He grabbed the old-fashioned black telephone on the table and roared into the other end in a bold, Kansai-accented voice, "Hello! Is this Old Wang from the union?! Quick! Mobilize everyone! Vote for our Taro! Fight for the honor of Osaka!"

In a brightly lit ramen shop in Hakata Ward, Fukuoka.

"Boss! Ten more servings of char siu, please! It's on me today!" A young man wearing a SoftBank Hawks baseball team uniform slammed his beer mug heavily on the table. His face, flushed from the steam of the ramen, was filled with a do-or-die determination: "Brothers! Get your phones out! Vote for our 'Hakata Ramen Wars' team! We can't lose! We absolutely can't lose to those arrogant guys in Tokyo!"

This fire, ignited by the "loser's resurrection" movement, called "regional confrontation," spread like wildfire across the entire Japanese archipelago in just a few minutes!

In countless homes, countless offices, and countless cafes and izakayas that are still open, the sounds of telephones and pagers rise and fall!
They argued and shouted, like a group of enthusiastic fans cheering for their respective teams. Their heartfelt sense of belonging and honor to their hometown burned brightly both inside and outside the small screen, in an unprecedented way!

Behind this nationwide frenzy, the young man at the center of the storm simply sat calmly in his office overlooking the entire city of Tokyo, watching the snowflakes of vote statistics reports faxed in from all over the country.

"Minister...is this...is this...a bit too much?"

Kei Tanaka stood aside, looking at the reports, a look of uneasiness on his face.

He felt like he was witnessing the birth of a huge vortex that was enough to stir up the entire neon world.

The man standing in the center of the vortex just calmly sipped his cup of black tea, which had already become a little bland.

"Is it big?" Hiroshi Nohara put down his teacup and chuckled. "This is just the beginning."

In the second episode, the creative "Human Washing Machine" from the Tokyo team, brimming with modern urban sensibility, clashed fiercely with "The Flight of a Thousand Paper Cranes" from the Hiroshima team, a piece filled with prayers for peace. Ultimately, the latter, with its profound message of humanistic concern, narrowly prevailed...

The entire neon-lit city was in complete ecstasy!

……

The following morning, a media storm swept across Japan with unparalleled force.

TV Tokyo, Data Center.

"It's here! It's here! The final ratings are out!"

A young data analyst stared at the red curve on his computer screen, which seemed to have broken free of all constraints and was soaring wildly at an almost vertical angle. His voice was filled with disbelief and trembling.

He practically scrambled out of the office and handed the report—a report that could stop a heart from beating—to Nobuhiko Sakata, the head of the production department, who was already waiting there.

Nobuhiko Sakata took a deep breath and slowly unfolded the thin sheet of paper, which seemed to weigh a ton.

Then, his pupils suddenly contracted!
40.3%!

This number, like a divine decree spanning heaven and earth, struck him hard in the depths of his soul!
“Haha…hahahahahahaha!”

After a long while, a burst of uncontrollable, almost manic laughter suddenly erupted from the mouth of the head of the production department!

He laughed so hard he almost fell over, tears streaming uncontrollably from the corners of his eyes. On that chubby face that was always smiling, there was now only one thing left: an immense pride that came from the very marrow of his bones after witnessing a true miracle!
"A national variety show... We... We really created a national variety show that is worthy of being recorded in history!"

He murmured to himself, his voice filled with a dreamlike tremor.

A 30% rating is enough to call it a national-level program.

So what does 40% mean now?!

A program that's become a national phenomenon!?
In Tanaka Kei's memory, apart from the 'Yamato Drama' produced every three years under the auspices of the Japanese government and the Film and Television Association, there are very few dramas that can achieve a viewership rating of over 40%!
Any program that achieves a 40% viewership rating is undoubtedly one of the most famous and groundbreaking innovative programs in history!
Of course, now that we look at our own "Super Transformation Season 2"...

This variety show introduced the concepts of fans and fandom.

It truly was a groundbreaking event!
"Are fans and fandoms really that terrifying?" Tanaka Kei, a variety show director living in the 1990s, a relatively conservative era, didn't even know what "traffic" meant. He felt his heart was completely conquered.

And he wasn't the only one who was conquered.

The massive shockwave generated by the terrifying 40.3% viewership rating quickly crossed geographical boundaries and slammed into the faces of those competitors who were watching from the sidelines.

Osaka, Kansai Television.

"That's true..."

Ichiro Aya, the deputy director of the production department, couldn't help but smile as he looked at the viewership report faxed from Tokyo.

It was a bitter smile.

He had already anticipated this.

He thought of many things, watching the raging fire, called "National Carnival," ignited by Hiroshi Nohara himself, already transcend the cold screen and spread like wildfire into the real lives of each and every one of them.

Ichiro finally closed his eyes, and all his previous disdain, anger, and hysteria vanished.

There is only peace.

Only the helplessness and calm after accepting one's fate.

Then he suddenly opened his eyes.

"Immediately! Establish the 'Nohara Analysis Group'!"

Ichiro Gaiya suddenly stood up, grabbed the phone on the table, and roared into the receiver in an almost shouting tone:

"I don't care what methods you use! Take 'Super Transformation' and that damn 'Urban Ghost Story' and analyze them frame by frame! I need to know, that kid, how exactly... he did it!"

Accepting one's fate is one thing.

But whether he admits defeat or not, he still wants to give it a try!

At the very least, you have to learn!

……

This wave of learning quickly swept across all local television stations in Japan.

Those bigwigs who once looked down on Hiroshi Nohara are now like the most devout students, frantically studying every myth created by that young man.

And those film critics who once had doubts about Hiroshi Nohara, now like a group of believers struck by an oracle, put down their pens that had been prepared long ago and were full of sarcasm and ridicule.

Veteran film critic "Shin Kou Tang Shizi" wrote a completely new title in his column for the next day's Weekly Bunshun, using an almost repentant tone. This title was enough to make the entire Japanese television industry blush with shame.

[God is indeed the God of variety shows! ]

"...I must offer my sincerest apologies to Mr. Hiroshi Nohara for my previous shallowness and ignorance. I once thought he was just a genius storyteller. But I was wrong, completely wrong. He wasn't producing a show at all. He was making the rules. A brand new set of entertainment rules that belonged only to him, named 'Hiroshi Nohara'!"

"He has rewritten the entertainment attributes of variety shows! He has given the public the ability to strengthen connections, reject indifference, and reject numbness! Hiroshi Nohara is using his style to change the times! He is changing Japan!"

"He used the simplest, purest creativity to inject a powerful dose of joy into our age, long eroded by boredom and numbness! From tonight, please allow me, as a devout believer, to pay my highest respects to this true god who has long stood at the pinnacle of our times."

"He truly changed Japan! He changed our bad habits! He changed our apathy and indifference!"

As soon as this article came out, the entire Neon was in an uproar.

The title of "the first person in variety shows in the new era" is like a heavy crown forged by the cheers and respect of hundreds of millions of viewers, which was officially crowned on the head of that young man who was only twenty-three years old.

……

And at the center of the storm, in the office of [Nohara Hiroshi Independent Production Department], the atmosphere was one of triumphant carnival.

Hiroshi Nohara calmly looked at the 40.3% audience rating report, and a light and relaxed smile of a winner appeared on the corner of his mouth.

This war is over.

From the moment he decided to bring that plan that could revolutionize the era from the future into this world, the ending was already determined.

"minister."

Kitagawa Yao, the office manager who had already undergone a complete transformation, still skillfully placed a freshly ground cup of Blue Mountain coffee gently on his desk.

That capable-looking face held a hint of mischievous anticipation: "Osaka, Nagoya, Fukuoka... almost every local TV station's production department called, specifically asking for you. They said they were celebrating your and TV Tokyo's record-breaking ratings for variety shows. They expressed their respect for you and TV Tokyo, and even said they wanted to invite you to give a lecture at their stations, offering very generous appearance fees."

“Tell them I’m busy right now, and TV Tokyo won’t let me go.” Hiroshi Nohara didn’t even bother to lift his eyelids.

He is indeed very busy right now.

The second season of "Super Transformation" is now on track, and it has even brought in fans and fan culture.

From animation to television sets to variety shows, everything has now entered a standardized phase.

The comic book business also made his life much easier thanks to Future Comics Club, giving him more time to rest.

He's really planning to take a break now!

"I've been working hard in Tokyo for half a year now. I should go back to my hometown, Misae's hometown, and go see it together."

To be honest, Hiroshi Nohara is homesick right now.

PS: Guys, please keep asking for monthly votes and recommendation votes!
(End of this chapter)