My girlfriend is Saiki Kusunoki

"Wait a minute? I've never seen this male lead before? A newcomer?! How dare they cast a newcomer in a movie like this?"

"I remember the male lead in this movie was indeed a newcomer, wait, let me see... Kashima Tour, what the heck! It's actually a girl!"

"Nani?!"

When film critics and professionals learned that the male lead was actually played by a woman, they were completely dumbfounded.

Not only did they use newcomers, they even cast a woman as the male lead! That's incredibly audacious!

The way this group of people looked was exactly the same as when I watched CJ7 and found out that the scruffy little boy was actually a boy. It was enough to shatter my worldview.

Chapter 164: A Heart-Pounding Film

Compared to the original live-action Parasyte, Naoto's version of Parasyte adopted a lot of new filming techniques. Although the director and assistant director/screenwriter are filmmakers from academia, it does not mean that they are rigid in their thinking and do not know how to be flexible.

In fact, after struggling in the lower rungs of the film industry for so long, the two of them have long since abandoned their old-fashioned ideas.

At least it doesn't have the prevailing Japanese mentality of saving money wherever possible. The whole movie feels like watching a Hollywood blockbuster, with all sorts of special effects going wild. While it's exhilarating, you can't help but marvel at how damn rich they are.

In terms of plot, while making minor modifications to the original work, some innovations were also added, condensing the entire comic's content into two hours. While maintaining the original flavor, it also ensured that the audience was kept up with high-energy plot throughout, calling it wonderful.

At the very beginning, when the first man parasitized by the parasite appeared, everyone held their breath.

The oppressive atmosphere, coupled with eerie music, instantly makes you feel like you're watching a horror movie.

Indeed, when that twisted and bizarre head appeared before everyone's eyes, screams erupted in the theater.

"Holy crap! Was that the person who was parasitized by the parasite?"

"What a terrifying feeling. It's as if that monster was right in front of me."

"A very impressive filming technique. Instead of using a suit or model, they used CG to create a monster. They even showed how the monster's head was deformed."

"Was this filming style inspired by Hollywood blockbusters? The rhythm and style have a feel of The Ring."

"After creating a terrifying atmosphere, they immediately brought out the monster. It's a very clever filming technique. I never would have guessed that these two people used to make adult films."

As numerous film critics offered their reviews, the plot continued to unfold.

Kashima's portrayal of Shinichi Izumi and Ichika's portrayal of the female lead both gave excellent performances.

Although the details of the male protagonist's encounter with Xiao You are compressed, they do not feel abrupt.

The bond between the female and male leads was also given some additional plot developments, making their relationship even closer.

After subtle adjustments to the plot, the overall storyline of the film became even more compelling.

What everyone was worried about—whether Kashima, the newcomer, could perform well—quickly turned out to be something they didn't need to worry about at all.

Although Kashima's acting was somewhat raw, the directors made good use of this characteristic in the film, allowing Shinichi Izumi's early personality traits to be brought to life.

Throughout the entire movie, in addition to giving you an adrenaline rush, there were also plenty of tear-jerking moments.

The protagonist's despair when he saw his mother being possessed, his grief at having to kill her, his father's inability to escape the sorrow, and the desolation of the empty house—this tragedy brought a group of sentimental film critics to tears.

The subsequent death of Kana, delivered with Mai's superb performance, was even more heart-wrenching.

Throughout the film, the final monologue by Migi to protect Shinichi Izumi, and his final farewell, were so heartbreaking that the entire theater was filled with sobs.

Even Naoto, who was in the movie theater, couldn't help but have tears in his eyes.

If we're talking about anyone in the entire theater who didn't cry, then it would probably only be Nanzi, who never cries, and... the two directors who were already too excited to contain themselves.

In fact, throughout the entire movie, their attention was entirely focused on other people.

When they heard the crying, they knew the film was finally a success. Their hard work was finally about to pay off.

And that's exactly what happened. When the movie ended and the names of the cast and crew started appearing, many viewers were still in shock.

Online, various reviews and analyses of Parasyte quickly dominated the internet.

This is the best live-action movie I've ever seen. It's absolutely fantastic, non-stop entertainment, watch it now!

I admit I watched it with prejudice, but after watching it, I was completely hooked. Enough said, guys, I'm going to see the third showing.

This film not only explores family bonds, but also romantic love and friendship. The bold filming techniques of Hayato Akagi and Seiichi Izumi, combined with ONE's storytelling, create a powerful synergy, pointing the way for future live-action films: good films cannot be made carelessly.

[I have to say, I couldn't believe it when I saw that the male lead was played by a newcomer, and even a woman. The handsome Shinichi Izumi in the movie is actually a girl? I have to say, it really shocked me. Apparently, the actor was recommended by ONE (the creator of shonen manga), truly living up to his reputation as the top manga artist; his eye for talent is incredibly unique.]

Looking at the protagonist's handsome figure, I felt like I was in love. But when I found out the protagonist was a woman, I realized I liked her even more.

[Sakurajima Mai's first comeback has been such a pleasant surprise; she truly deserves her status as a national idol. Although it was only a supporting role, she delivered a performance more profound than the lead actress. Sakurajima Mai is truly exceptional; it seems this film will propel her to new heights.]

Compared to Mai Sakurajima, Ichika Nakano is just as captivating. Unlike her lively and adorable image in other films, in this movie, Ichika plays a gentle childhood friend, which is a unique and compelling aspect of the film.

This movie truly made me cry and feel incredibly excited. My girlfriend was sobbing uncontrollably, and during the fight scenes, she kept cheering for the characters. I've never seen her so emotional before.

The overwhelming praise made Hongmu and Quanmu extremely happy.

The actors who participated in the film also became instant hits.

In recent years, with the Japanese economy beginning to decline, there haven't been many movies that have generated this much discussion.

"Thank you so much, ONE-sensei. If it weren't for you, this movie would never have been made. Thank you so much."

Although the two had been complaining about Naoto being a troublesome guy, when they actually succeeded, they only felt gratitude towards him.

It's like your high school homeroom teacher. Even if you disliked him during the school year, when you actually got to high school, you probably only felt gratitude towards him.

"No, that's not true. Making such a movie is the result of your hard work. Don't relax yet, there's still the box office to consider."

Chapter 165: A New Box Office Record

After Parasyte finished airing, the entire Japanese film and television industry exploded.

The impact of the Parasyte movies has far exceeded everyone's expectations.

Back then, even though Naoto invested 200 million yen, many people weren't optimistic that he could make the movie a hit. After all, live-action movies weren't exactly popular in Japan.

It's not just Japan; even the renowned DC and Marvel companies have suffered enough blows in recent years to cripple them.

It's no wonder people weren't optimistic at first. After all, how could they possibly compete with those deep-pocketed companies in terms of special effects and experience?

However, no one expected that Parasyte would gross over 80 million on its opening day, leaving everyone stunned.

Especially the movies released around the same time as Parasyte, every single one of them became mere foils to Parasyte.

"The famous director Qing Dong's film 'Terror Love' only grossed 800 million at the box office?!"

"The movie 'Wolf King's Dream,' starring superstar Shan Mei and national idol Mei Yue, has grossed over 1000 million at the box office?!"

"The superhero movie 'Red Hero' only grossed 1200 million at the box office!"

Even the directors from abroad were somewhat bewildered when they saw these first-day figures.

Wasn't it said that Japanese films have been severely restricted in recent years? How could such an amazing film suddenly appear? It's like a tiger charging into a flock of sheep!

The top ten movies combined can't even compare to this one; it's like a dream.

In just one day, Naoto had already recouped nearly half of his investment. Such an astonishing money-making ability is unparalleled in the entire Japanese film industry.

"It's like a dream to have such high box office numbers on just the first day."

"Do you think Parasyte will break film and television records when it's taken off the air?"

"No way! Japan's box office record is about to be broken by a live-action adaptation of a manga?"

At some point, a topic suddenly appeared on the internet that Parasyte was about to break a new box office record.

This topic has become increasingly popular, igniting the entire film industry.

Looking at the parasitic beast that resembled a monster, people in the Japanese film industry felt as if they were facing the Titanic, utterly powerless to stop it.

This is like an attack from ten ONE teachers—what can stop it? How can it be stopped?

Many people who read the original Parasyte script back then now find it somewhat outrageous.

You have to understand that with such a terrible script, it's impossible to make a good movie. No matter how much money you spend, it will all be in vain.

Moreover, they also studied the screenwriter's previous works, none of which were worth watching.

But it was precisely this kind of script that, in the end, was turned into this.

It seems that things started when Naoto invested in the film and became an insider.

Such a thing makes one marvel at how this straightforward person seems to truly possess the power to turn the impossible into the possible.

Even those flops of directors and screenwriters could be transformed into top-tier directors and screenwriters under his tutelage.

In the following days, people interested in Parasyte, as well as die-hard fans of Naoto, began to watch the movie two or even three times.

The number of games for Parasyte has increased from three per day at the beginning to several more late at night.

Even so, tickets for Parasyte are still extremely difficult to obtain.

Even if it's a ticket for the middle of the night.

Industry insiders originally estimated that the situation would improve after a week of airing, but who could have imagined that the frenzy would last for half a month.

Moreover, the box office revenue is increasing day by day.

Overseas, Parasyte is also a money-devouring behemoth, constantly sucking up the box office revenue of various films. Even more unusually, it was imported into China, making film directors wonder if they were dreaming. It's simply too crazy.

Meanwhile, at Naoto's house, Naoto was also waiting for the final box office results for Parasyte.

Although Naoto knew he had already broken even and even made a considerable profit, he was still very curious about how much Parasyte would ultimately earn at the box office.

It's worth noting that the original live-action Parasyte only grossed over 340 million yen domestically, which was already the highest-grossing film in Japan at the time.

With a major investment and script revisions by Naoto, the new Parasyte surpassed the original live-action version in just one week.

This brand-new work has already exceeded Naoto's expectations and has begun to fly into the unknown.

"Naoto, are you nervous?"

Sitting next to Naoto, Nanko noticed Naoto's trembling hands and couldn't help but ask him this question.

"How could that be? I'm just a little cold."

Obviously, this kind of thing cannot be deceived by Nanko, but right now, Naoto is not the only one who is nervous.

The entire Parasyte crew is now anxiously awaiting the new box office results.

"Jingle Bell--"