Japanese Entertainment: A Comeback Beginning from Bankrupt President

There's definitely no way to repay it in time.

Let alone half an hour, even a second wouldn't be enough for Kazuya Sawashiro. After all, he could only be a master of time management, not a master of time control.

All he could do was use his clumsy vocabulary to praise Amano Aki's current attire.

"Very fashionable..."

"Excellent taste..."

"I can feel your enthusiasm..."

Unable to think of anything else or say anything else, Kazuya Sawashiro was afraid that if he said anything cute, Aki Amano would punch him.

She's not the cute type.

However, after witnessing another side of Kazuya Sawashiro, Aki Amano did have confidence in the upcoming script; it seemed that Kazuya Sawashiro could indeed write a good script.

...

A week later.

At the office, Aki Amano saw the script that Kazuya Sawashiro had brought over.

Or perhaps it shouldn't be called a script. It's just that Kazuya Sawashiro wrote out the plot outline and character background settings, but he himself said that this was a movie he was going to make next, so Aki Amano naturally thought it was a script.

Is it really reliable to write it in just one week?

With these questions in mind, Amano Aki read the manuscript brought by Sawashiro Kazuya.

"Sample? What a strange name, and it's even a sci-fi setting. Will this movie really have a market?..." Amano Aki watched on while making sarcastic remarks.

The story is about an ordinary 25-year-old marginalized man who wakes up one day to find himself in a completely empty white room. The room doesn't even have a door in the conventional sense; it's like a cardboard box magnified many times over.

She could still breathe, feel her own heartbeat, and hear sounds, but there was nothing around her.

"A crime drama? Isn't it supposed to be science fiction?" Amano Aki subconsciously retorted, already losing interest in the script, but still patiently continued reading. "The other side of the room was also empty, with only a vaguely visible figure..."

The science fiction elements suddenly appeared, so it seems this is not your average kidnapping. Amano Aki's expectations have returned a little bit.

As she continued reading, Amano Akira slowly began to understand the room and why it was set in science fiction. However, she no longer knew where to begin criticizing the script. A feeling of unease spread through her body, and she stared blankly at Sawashiro Kazuya before asking the question she shouldn't have:

"Is this protagonist...me?"

This is neither science fiction nor a crime drama, but a mockumentary wrapped in these elements.

The protagonist's experiences are entirely based on Aki Amano's own.

She became a model at the age of 13 after participating in a magazine audition. She thought she would become famous overnight and make a name for herself in the entertainment industry, but she found that being a model was just a ticket to enter the entertainment industry, and there were hundreds or thousands of people like her.

Amano Aki was a complete outsider among these people.

She is desperately learning the knowledge needed to survive in the entertainment industry, and preparing the skills to one day appear in front of the camera and play roles. But everything she does is in accordance with the agency's instructions. How is this any different from a girl who has been kidnapped?

In order to survive, she also listened to what the mysterious man said.

If she shows the slightest sign of resistance, or does or says something wrong, she will be punished by the agency.

The more realistic thing is that I am just someone who can be replaced at any time, and my final fate is the same as that of the "kidnapped" girl, who lost everything even if she survived.

That's just how the entertainment industry is.

If one person's persona is missing, many others with similar personas will immediately emerge, especially someone like her who has been out of the spotlight for over two years. How many people still remember her?

"Yes..." Kazuya Sawashiro nodded, agreeing with Aki Amano's guess. "The character design is based on your experience, and the background is used to metaphorically represent certain facts in the entertainment industry. The reason I chose this setting is mainly to showcase your acting skills."

"I can see that; the vast majority of the plot takes place in that room."

Not entirely stupid. Kazuya Sawashiro asked with a smile, "After reading it, what do you think of the script? Could we get a screenwriter to refine it into a filming script, and then we can work together to film it?"

"There are definitely no problems with production and filming, but the problem lies after filming," Aki Amano rested his chin on his hand, pointed to the sky, "Will it be able to be released in theaters? And if it is, how many people will watch it?"

It was certainly gratifying to design the storyline based on her, and there were no issues with the authenticity of the storyline. Therefore, Aki Amano only had one thing to consider: how many people would watch it after it was filmed.

Wasn't the ending too depressing?

"Of course, that's the basis for my judgment when I wrote this plot." Kazuya Sawashiro had, of course, given this issue careful consideration.

He did indeed draw inspiration from Aki Amano's life experiences, but the core framework of the plot was actually based on a suspense thriller called "Buried Alive," about a man creating a miracle of 30 million dollars with just one coffin.

He used the themes of independent space and survival as the core, incorporating a metaphorical setting of the entertainment industry, to write this story.

If it's to be released domestically, it definitely has to pass the censorship hurdle.

If someone insults the agency to their face, then the movie can only be released overseas. After all, people here won't watch a movie like this. But there's a very simple problem with that: Sawashiro doesn't have the money to release it overseas.

Even if we assume he did go overseas, overseas audiences would still face an ending they wouldn't understand.

This is a metaphor, not an explicit statement.

Unlike local audiences, overseas audiences have a natural sense of identification with this film. Even if no one else appears in the movie, the most oblivious audience will still realize that it is about Aki Amano.

Moreover, since they are disguised as science fiction and suspense films, the censors can't really do anything about them. They can be shown in local theaters that specialize in showing niche films, and it's fine if they don't go through Toei's theaters.

But to be fair, Toei won't upload this movie.

As for how many people will watch it, that depends on how many viewers Kazuya Sawashiro and Akino Amano attract on streaming platforms during the time from filming to release.

He remained calm as he said, "Before the new song was released, weren't you also worried that no one would listen to it? But now, almost two months later, our single has become a top hit on the charts and has been heard by music lovers all over the world..."

Kazuya Sawashiro paused, and Aki Amano understood what he was about to say without him having to say it.

We should strive to do what we are supposed to do now. Instead of exploring the unknown, we should take practical actions to approach it. That's how the future is built step by step.

"Hoo hoo... You're always so confident," Amano Aki understood what Sawashiro Kazuya meant and strengthened her resolve to continue. "But this kind of confidence is good. I'll be relying on you again. Please take care of me, Coach Sawashiro."