I, Hiroshi Nohara, the star of Japanese cinema

Chapter 83 is so exciting! The storm of "Anzhiju Season "!

Neon first!

These four words were like a hot brand, deeply engraved on the sleepless night of July 1990, .

Japan's film and television industry has never been turned upside down like it is tonight, by a secondary popular program.

……

A quaint townhouse near Toei Studio Park in Kyoto.

Director Gosha Hideo, a master known for his work on period dramas, had just finished a long late-night talk with his producer and was preparing to go to bed.

His face, as angular as a sculpture, carried a hint of the anxiety of a creator.

Because he hasn't created any good works for a long time.

"Jingle Bell--"

Just as he was lying on the bed, closing his eyes and preparing to sleep, the red telephone on the bedside table inopportunely broke the tranquility of the night.

"Who is it? It's so late." Wushe Yingxiong frowned and picked up the microphone unhappily, with a sense of oppression unique to a big boss in his voice.

"Gosha-sensei! It's me! Ishigami!"

On the other end of the line came his most proud assistant director, Ishigami Saburo, whose voice, suppressed with extreme shock to the point of being distorted, said: "Something big has happened! Something big has happened over at Tokyo TV!"

"TV Tokyo?" Gosha Hideo's brows furrowed even deeper, his tone tinged with disdain. "What big deal could possibly happen to them? Another idol star getting into a scandal? Or did their Executive Deputy Director, Takada Shunei, lose his composure at another party?"

In the eyes of a film master like him, Tokyo TV is very strong and can be said to be the number one TV station in Japan.

But it is too arrogant.

They were so arrogant that he couldn't accept their arrogant attitude.

If it weren't for the fact that the other party was so powerful in the Japanese film and television industry that they couldn't get around this TV station, he wouldn't bother to pay attention to these arrogant guys.

"No! That's not it!" Ishigami Saburo on the other end of the line was a little incoherent due to his excitement. "It's... it's the ratings! They have a new show in the middle of the prime time, called... something like 'Wonderful Stories of the World'. The first episode just aired, and the final ratings are... 20.3%!!"

"..."

Wushe Yingxiong's hand holding the microphone suddenly froze.

For the first time, a look of astonishment appeared on that face that was always calm.

"How much did you say?" he asked subconsciously, thinking he had heard it wrong.

"The entire episode had a 20.3% viewership rating!"

This time, Ishigami Saburo's voice was as clear as thunder: "Teacher! This is no longer a sub-golden record. This... even if it were in the prime time, it would be enough to make all opponents despair!"

The Five Society Heroes fell silent.

Of course he knew what this number meant.

"That program...what is it about?" He was silent for a moment before he spoke slowly, his voice filled with real solemnity.

"It was filmed by... a young man named Nohara Hiroshi. The subject matter... is very strange, called 'Urban Tales'. The first episode tells the story of a woman with superpowers, who..."

Ishigami Saburo repeated the amazing plot as quickly as possible.

When he talked about the shocking reversal at the end that overturned everything, and how the seemingly perfect second male lead was actually a perverted murderer.

Finally, Ishigami Saburo added: "Even Kurosawa Eiji, who has been somewhat at odds with you, has been a guest on this young man's show, hosting a segment!"

"……Snapped."

The phone in Goshe Yingxiong's hand slipped quietly and fell on the cold floor.

He stared blankly at the cold moon outside the window. In his eyes, which had captured countless classic shots, there was only undisguised, bottomless shock.

The bad guys win?

This……

How can this be? !
This completely goes against the iron rule of 'punishing evil and promoting good' that these older generation creators have believed in all their lives!

Yet, it is such a rebellious work that has achieved such astonishing success!

And Kurosawa Eiji, he couldn't help but frown slightly when he heard this name.

I shoot a costume drama with a grand narrative.

Kurosawa Eiji directs samurai costume dramas with exquisite details.

Once in the seventies and eighties.

The two are often compared.

So we developed a rival-like relationship, and even now, when we are old, there is still a sense of confrontation between us.

He didn't expect that Kurosawa Eiji was such a proud person, like a samurai.

He actually became a supporting role for a young man.

"Nohara...Hiroyuki..."

Wushe Yingxiong slowly squatted down and picked up the microphone. On his face, which was always full of majesty, a hint of excitement of meeting a worthy opponent emerged, which he himself had not noticed.

"Ishigami."

His voice regained the calmness that belonged to a master, but it also carried a command that brooked no room for questioning:
"Tomorrow, no, now! Immediately! Go get me the tape of that show! I want to see it! I want to see what kind of monster this young man is who can make that old stubborn Kurosawa Eiji willing to be his supporting actor!"

……

The shocking storm created by "The Wonderful World of Stories" spread much faster than anyone imagined.

From Hokkaido to Okinawa, from a powerful TV station director to an independent filmmaker struggling to make ends meet.

Anyone who had anything to do with film and television was completely stunned that night by the terrifying 20.3% viewership rating and the unfamiliar name Hiroshi Nohara.

They made frantic phone calls and used all their connections to try to find out the source of the storm.

And when they learned about the plot of "superpowers", "the heroine's counterattack", and "the second male lead's shocking reversal" from their friends, colleagues, and even opponents who had watched the show.

Everyone fell into a long silence.

It was a kind of powerlessness and awe that came from the bone marrow after witnessing a true dimensionality reduction attack.

They realized that this was truly a brand new era!
If these old people who stick to the old rules do not make changes, the only fate that awaits them is to be ruthlessly abandoned by this era.

However, just when the entire Japanese film and television industry was unable to sleep all night because of this masterpiece that came out of nowhere.

The millions of ordinary viewers who truly determine the direction of the ratings are experiencing a journey from heaven to hell, a world of ice and fire.

……

10:29 pm.

University of Tokyo, Komaba Campus, in a male dormitory.

The air was filled with a mixture of sweat, instant noodles and youthful hormones. Simply put, it was a bit sour and smelly.

But no one cares, these unkempt boys have long been used to it.

"Yoshi! Yoshi! Yoshi!"

A boy with a pompadour hairstyle named Kenta Sato was pacing back and forth in the small room, as excited as a cat whose tail had been stepped on, repeatedly chanting the phrase that best expressed his feelings at that moment: "That twist! Did you guys see it?! That twist! It was fucking a stroke of genius! I still have goosebumps!"

"Who says it isn't?"

Another gentleman, wearing thick glasses, also blushed with excitement. "I thought the heroine killing that policeman was already a big turnaround! I didn't expect the real boss to be that handsome guy who's always been helping her! Who...who wrote this script?! I want to send him razor blades! No! I want to send him knees for life!"

"Nohara Hiroshi! It's Mr. Nohara Hiroshi!"

The only modern person in the room, a stylishly dressed boy named Suzuki Takuya, proudly raised the "Weekly Shonen Jump" in his hand, which contained the latest episode of "Yu Yu Hakusho".

"I told you all a long time ago! Nohara-sensei is a god! You still didn't believe it! Are you convinced now?!"

"I'm convinced! I'm completely convinced!"

"From today on, I am Mr. Nohara's most loyal believer!"

"Me too!"

The entire dormitory was immersed in a fanatical pilgrimage atmosphere after being baptized by divine works.

They kept discussing the plot and the clever reversal.

I can’t stop anymore!
"Hey, hey, hey! Look! It's half past ten! 'Dark Zhiju' is about to start!"

Someone shouted, and everyone's attention was instantly focused on the small TV.

"Ohhhh! Here it comes!"

"It's amazing! I just finished watching a masterpiece and now I can watch another one! Tonight is pure heaven!"

"I just don't know what kind of surprises Nohara-sensei's "Anzhiju" will bring us this time!"

Suzuki Takuya deliberately emphasized the four words "Nohara teacher", and the sense of superiority of a veteran fan almost overflowed the screen.

But at this time, some people refuted: "This time, "Anzhiju Season 3" is no longer produced by Mr. Nohara, but seems to have been replaced by a colleague named Iwata Classroom."

"That's right, I heard that too. Mr. Nohara wanted to focus on the production of "The Wonderful World of Tales", so he gave the third season to his colleagues." Another person also said.

"But it doesn't matter. After all, Mr. Nohara has made the first and second seasons of "An Shibaju" very perfect. The third season should also inherit Mr. Nohara's style." Suzuki Takuya pursed his lips at this time.

"Maybe. But according to the previous publicity, the visuals of the third season of "Dark Zhiju" have been improved." Some people were also vaguely worried.

But soon as the time was up, they stopped discussing.

However, when the familiar, somewhat weird and old-fashioned opening credits ended, the story officially began.

The atmosphere in the dormitory gradually became a little strange.

"Huh? What's going on? Where's the storyteller?"

"Yeah, why did he change into an Onmyoji dressed like a cosplayer?"

"And the painting style... It feels different from before. The lines are so clean, without that rough, scary feeling."

When the evil ghost with green face and fangs jumped out of the screen accompanied by terrifying sound effects.

The entire dormitory fell into an eerie silence.

Sato Kenta stared blankly at the screen, scratching his head subconsciously. "This... this is... 'Anzhiju'? Am I seeing this right? Why does it feel like 'GeGeGe no Kitaro' that my five-year-old nephew watches?"

"puff--"

His words were like a switch, instantly igniting the entire room.

"Hahahaha! Kitaro! You know what, they really do look a bit like him!"

"Holy crap! What the hell is this?! That ghost looks so funny! And that Yin Yang Master, is he really chanting those spells? Why does it sound like he's just naming dishes?"

"My eyes! My eyes are going to go blind! How dare they! How dare they film 'An Zhi Ju' like this?!"

At last, the handsome Onmyoji used a golden talisman to beat the evil ghost to death, and the four big words "Evil spirit, go away" appeared on the screen in a childish way.

The entire dormitory was completely blown up.

"Get out of here, motherfucker!"

Suzuki Takuya was the first to jump up. He grabbed an empty instant noodle bowl on the table and smashed it hard against the wall. His always handsome face was now filled with anger of betrayal!
"This is a fucking scam! It's a blatant scam! Why would they use Mr. Nohara's name to promote this kind of garbage?! What do they think we, their loyal audience, are?! Are we idiots?!"

"That's right! This is too much! I feel like my intelligence has been insulted!"

"I want to complain! I'm going to call TV Tokyo right now! No! I'm going to write a letter! I'm going to use the most vicious language I've ever used to greet that producer named Masao Iwata!"

"And that Hashimoto Ichiro! I remember reading in the newspaper that he was a former subordinate of Mr. Nohara's! Is this how he repays his teacher's kindness?! What kind of garbage did he make!!!"

"This isn't 'Dark House' at all! Those damn guys! This isn't 'Dark House Season 3' at all!"

"That's right! I don't admit that this is the third season of 'An Zhi Ju'!"

This tremendous rage transformed from disappointment swept across the entire Neon like a prairie fire in just a few minutes.

The same angry condemnation erupted in countless families, countless izakayas, and countless university dormitories.

They felt like a group of diners looking forward to tasting the kaiseki cuisine prepared by a Michelin three-star chef.

As a result, what the waiter brought was a plate of old rice that had grown moldy in the warehouse and was covered with green hair. On top of it was a spoonful of sour-smelling natto left over from the guests at the next table.

The feeling of humiliation of being deceived, fooled, and fed like pigs made all the loyal fans of "An Zhi Ju" completely go crazy.

Tokyo TV's customer service hotline was completely overwhelmed with calls within ten minutes of the program being broadcast.

The operators had sad faces as they listened to the various imaginative and cordial greetings coming from the other end of the phone, which were enough to make the people of Zaun feel ashamed. They felt that their ears and hearts had suffered a devastating blow.

The next morning, the correspondence sections of major newspapers were flooded with complaints.

"...I never imagined that a work I loved so deeply would be ruined like this. That producer, Masao Iwata, has no idea what horror is! He only knows how to insult the audience's intelligence with the cheapest special effects and the stupidest plot! I demand that TV Tokyo immediately stop broadcasting this garbage! And, publicly apologize to Mr. Hiroshi Nohara and all of our viewers!"

——From a senior film and television fan who wishes to remain anonymous and has been watching TV for ten years.

"...I'm an art student, and I can honestly say that the third season's art style is a disaster. It completely abandons the unique Japanese horror aesthetics of the first two seasons, rooted in Kamishibai, and has become a cryptic, half-baked attempt at a swashbuckling shonen manga. I suggest the artist responsible for the original artwork go back to the drawing board and rework it."

——From an angry art university student.

"...I just want to ask, Executive Director Hashimoto Ichiro, can you sleep well at night?"

——From a concise and die-hard fan of Hiroshi Nohara.

The intensity of this public opinion storm spontaneously sparked by the audience was far beyond anyone's imagination.

It was like a sudden tsunami, with an unmatched force, slamming heavily into the already crumbling door of Iwata's classroom.

It also completely nailed the so-called "classic continuation" of the third season of "Dark House" to the pillar of shame in television history.

And the instigator of all this is the young man who is sitting leisurely in the office, drinking hand-brewed coffee and flipping through the latest issue of "Weekly Shonen Jump".

The corner of Nohara Hiroshi's mouth just curled up into a light smile.

He expected it.

only……

I didn’t expect it to be so exciting!

(End of this chapter)