My Name is Hiroshi Nohara, Star of Neon Film and Television!

Chapter 145: Going to the Set to Film "Seven Samurai" Right Now! Can't Wait Anymore!

Takada Toshihide at this time had already returned to his office, habitually facing away from the door, standing before that massive floor-to-ceiling window, holding a cup of coffee, overlooking the steel city beneath his feet.

The air in the office had congealed.

Iwata Masao who had just entered acted like a soulless stone statue, humbly bending his waist and sitting on the low stool beside the sofa.

"Creak——"

The door was pushed open, and two figures walked in one after the other.

Walking in front was Ashikaga Takashi, his chin always slightly raised. That look, always seemed as if arrogantly scrutinizing whether props were qualified or not one by one.

Because in TV Tokyo's period drama field, he was a Level 2 Director sufficient to rank in the top three.

Following behind him, was a slightly plump man, always hanging an amiable smile on his face, looking like a middle-aged man from next door.

His name was Asano Takata, similarly a Level 2 Director, proficient in period dramas full of a human touch.

Although he was smiling, his face was still extremely arrogant. "Deputy Director Takada." But the two of them still respectfully bowed and saluted towards that back figure akin to a mountain.

"Mhm." Takada Toshihide slowly turned around, unable to discern joy or anger on that gloomy face.

His gaze first swept across the faces of those two trusted subordinates, and immediately, landed on Iwata Masao who had practically been wood-like, keeping his head low from beginning to end.

"Iwata, let me introduce you." Takada Toshihide's voice was flat: "These two are Director Ashikaga Takashi and Director Asano Takata. The two of them, will act as assistant directors to assist you in completing this movie project."

"Director Ashikaga, Director Asano, greetings to the two of you." Iwata Masao hurriedly stood up and bowed deeply towards the two of them.

His posture was humble like a newcomer who had just entered the workplace.

However, Ashikaga Takashi merely pushed the glasses on the bridge of his nose, emitting a cold snort from his nose that was almost inaudible. His face was incomparably indifferent, completely not even looking him in the eye.

While Asano Takata, although that amiable smile still hung on his face, but in those narrowed eyes, there wasn't even a tiny bit of smile.

That contempt stemming from the bone marrow was not disguised at all.

They knew Iwata Masao.

They had inquired about it when they came.

A piece of trash who started out by directing late-night anime, and in the end even screwed up the project.

A stray dog who, in the television drama field, was beaten by that incredibly young brat named Nohara Hiroshi until he didn't even have the power to fight back.

Now, unexpectedly... wanting to ride on the heads of them, two veteran directors who had been immersed in the period drama field for almost ten years, to act as the general director?

It was simply the biggest joke in the world!

"Deputy Director Takada." Ashikaga Takashi finally couldn't hold it back. He glanced at Iwata Masao who was still maintaining his bowing posture and appearing extremely comical, impatience and arrogance carried in that voice: "Pardon my bluntness, movie projects and television dramas are two completely different fields. Letting Director Iwata, such a novice director, serve as the commander-in-chief, isn't it... a bit too hasty?"

Although these words were spoken tactfully, the meaning between the lines was glaringly obvious ——

Is he worthy?

The atmosphere in the office instantly became somewhat subtle.

Iwata Masao's originally pale face instantly flushed into the color of pig liver, a trace of resentment at being publicly humiliated flashing through his eyes.

"Alright."

However, Takada Toshihide merely smiled calmly.

He walked in front of those two arrogant and haughty subordinates, heavily patting each of their shoulders, speaking in a low voice.

"I know what you guys are thinking."

He paused, looking at the two of them and saying helplessly: "You have to give me some face, right? This filming task is very important, and I also want to give this cousin of my wife an opportunity. So can you guys come and help me out?"

"..."

Ashikaga Takashi and Asano Takata looked at each other, both seeing a trace of understanding in each other's eyes.

Of course they knew.

For Deputy Director Takada to be able to hand over an A-class movie project worth up to three hundred million to a piece of trash whose resume was full of failures, of course there was a reason behind it.

Unexpectedly it was Deputy Director Takada's relative.

"Moreover." Takada Toshihide changed the topic of conversation. On that gloomy face bloomed a smile once again: "I guarantee you guys, as long as this movie can succeed. In the future, I will try my best to approve higher filming funds for you guys, isn't that alright? Also regarding your matter of reporting to the Independent Production Department, I will also apply to Chief Sakata for it."

This promise full of temptation acted like two of the most potent shots of stimulants, instantly dispelling all the unwillingness in the two's hearts!

They looked at Takada Toshihide and bowed in unison: "We understand!"

"Very good." Takada Toshihide nodded in satisfaction.

He knew, these two untamable wild horses, were considered temporarily tied to his chariot by him.

"Alright, sit down." He waved his hand, gesturing for the three of them to sit down, while he returned behind that desk symbolizing power: "Now, let's talk business."

"Regarding this 'Samurai of the Cherry Blossom Tree', I have already read the script. The story framework is not bad, very much in line with our Tokyo Faction's usual style —— gorgeous, hot-blooded, full of commercial elements. But, there are a few places I need you guys to pay special attention to."

He looked at Iwata Masao: "Iwata, I don't care how you film it or what techniques you use. I only have one demand —— the screen time of the male lead and female lead must be sufficient! Especially the male lead! I want you to make him faultlessly handsome from beginning to end! Understand? Otherwise the big financial backer behind this will be very dissatisfied! Do I need to tell you what the outcome will be then?"

"Hai! I understand!" Iwata Masao nodded heavily.

Of course he understood.

This male lead, was the favorite character of that Persian cat of Chairman Sato Tokugawa!

If this wasn't filmed handsomely, this general director of his, probably wouldn't even know how he died.

Ashikaga Takashi and Asano Takata looked at each other again, both seeing a trace of tacitly understood playful smile in each other's eyes.

They understood too well.

Wasn't this the most typical "bringing capital into the group"?

It seemed, that "big financial backer" behind Iwata-kun, highly valued this male lead quite a bit ah.

"Alright, next issue." Takada Toshihide ignored this interlude full of surging undercurrents. He looked at those two true technical backbones, seemingly casually asking: "I heard, that old geezer Kurosawa Eiji, recently... is also preparing to film a samurai movie?"

"Yes, Deputy Director." Ashikaga Takashi pushed the glasses on the bridge of his nose. In that voice was full of undisguised contempt: "Called something... 'Samurai in the Blacksmith Shop'. I heard, it's a story of a fake samurai, an outdated subject. Moreover, I heard, over at the Board of Directors, his budget has already been reduced to only three hundred million."

"Three hundred million? With his stubborn old man temper, what kind of thing can he film?"

Asano Takata also snickered. On that face that always hung an amiable smile, was at this moment also full of schadenfreude: "I heard, for his so-called 'artistic pursuit', he insisted on not using any popular idol stars, insisting on using an unknown stage actor as the male lead. This is simply... seeking his own doom!"

"Exactly!" Ashikaga Takashi's voice was full of a sense of superiority: "The audience nowadays, what do they want to watch? It's handsome men! It's beautiful women! It's gorgeous special effects! It's hot-blooded fights! Who still has the patience, to watch that set of preachy, antique-style tragedies of his? That set of his has long become outdated!"

"A few days ago, I even specially requested someone, to take a look at his closed set."

Asano Takata seemed to have remembered something, a weird expression of watching a good show surfacing on his face: "You guys didn't see it ah! That scene, it was simply! Unbelievable! It's said, to pursue the so-called 'sense of realism', he unexpectedly made the actors, roll in the mud, for a whole week! The things filmed, covered in dirt, grimy, where is there even half a bit of our Tokyo Faction's gorgeousness and aesthetics? It was simply like... a group of beggars fighting in a trash heap!"

This description full of harshness caused the entire office to burst into uncontrollable loud laughter.

Takada Toshihide also smiled.

In that laughter was full of the confidence of having a wisdom pearl in hand.

He knew he was bound to win.

One, was a gorgeous samurai epic costing three hundred million, starring popular idol stars, and full of commercial elements.

The other, was an artsy boring film also costing three hundred million, but filmed by an outdated stubborn old man leading a group of unknown actors rolling in the mud, full of a "shabby vibe".

Before this war even started, the ending was already doomed.

"Very good."

Takada Toshihide slowly stood up and smiled: "I don't care what methods you guys use. Throw money at it, pile up special effects, hire the best martial arts choreographers, use the most gorgeous shots... I only have one demand."

He looked at the three of them, a palpitating madness flickering in his eyes: "For this year's New Year's Eve slot, I want that old geezer, to lose, until he doesn't even have his underwear left! I want everyone to know, exactly whose era this is!"

Takada Toshihide, who had already lost too much before the Kanto Faction, truly wanted to initiate a proper Jedi counterattack in the movie field!

Yet they completely didn't know, right next door to them, an even more terrifying and also even more fatal god-tier project sufficient to thoroughly crush all their calculations, had already quietly launched.

In this war belonging to movies, the true contestant, was never that Kurosawa Eiji who was already a hero in his twilight years.

But rather the one who possessed an entire parallel Japanese world's literary and artistic circle as his foundation ——

Nohara Hiroshi!

...

"Let's go! Nohara-kun! We're leaving right now! To the set!" Kurosawa Eiji was extremely excited.

"Eh?!" This time it was Nohara Hiroshi's turn to be stunned: "Now? Director Kurosawa, this... this is too fast, right? We haven't finalized the details of the script yet, the actors, the locations, the props... these are all still castles in the air."

"Those are not problems!" Kurosawa Eiji instead acted like a sleeping lion instantly awakened, his entire body exuding a paranoia and fanaticism belonging to top-tier creators!

He fished out that portable mobile phone which was still considered a rarity in this era, his movements so fast they even produced afterimages. He dialed a number, and roared unquestioningly into the mouthpiece:

"Hello! It's me! Kurosawa! Notify everyone! The 'Samurai in the Blacksmith Shop' project team, all personnel, immediately! At once! Come to Toho's Studio Seven to gather for me!"

"Rebuild that Warring States period village set from before for me! Right! That's the one! Just modify it slightly! I want the most dilapidated, most shabby one, the kind that can best reflect the despair of peasants! Props team! Dig out all the rusted katanas and tattered armor in the warehouse for me!"

"Also! Wardrobe team! I want a hundred sets of the most tattered peasant clothes! I want the kind with the smell of dirt and sweat on them! This afternoon! I want to see a perfect Warring States period poor mountain village that can start filming directly this afternoon!"

Those series of instructions, swept out like a string of machine gun fire "da-da-da", making Nohara Hiroshi at the side twitch his eyelids listening to it.

"Let's go, Nohara-kun." Hanging up the phone, Kurosawa Eiji allowed no explanation, pulling Nohara Hiroshi and heading out.

Nohara Hiroshi could only helplessly get into that black commercial vehicle belonging to Kurosawa Eiji.

...

The black commercial vehicle sped through the traffic of Tokyo.

The interior was spacious like a miniature mobile office. The driver was driving steadily in the front, and the air was permeated with the fragrance of bento.

Because the driver really bought bentos from a convenience store.

It was currently noon after all.

"Come, Nohara-kun, don't stand on ceremony, line your stomach first."

Kurosawa Eiji acted like the most enthusiastic host, handing over two deluxe bentos that looked to carry a hefty price tag. Inside them, from A5 grade Kobe Wagyu to Hokkaido sea urchin, everything that should be there was there.

It was clearly a deluxe bento.

And Kurosawa Eiji additionally said: "Just eat it in the car, we are rushing for time, this is truly very sorry."

Of course he said he was sorry in words, but fundamentally there wasn't the slightest meaning of being sorry in his tone.

There was only fanaticism and excitement.

Nohara Hiroshi dumbfoundedly took that bento which was sufficient to sell for tens of thousands of yen outside. That little bit of helplessness in his heart produced by being "kidnapped" was also diluted a bit by this stubborn old man's pure creative passion.

"Director Kurosawa Eiji, the location and props are easy to talk about, but what about the actors?"

Nohara Hiroshi elegantly picked up a piece of Wagyu with snowflake marbling using his chopsticks, seemingly casually asking: "Seven samurai with wildly different personalities, as well as that peasant Kikuchiyo who is both good and evil, this isn't something that can just be fooled by finding a few random extras."

"About this..."

Hearing this, Kurosawa Eiji as if performing a magic trick pulled out an exquisitely bound booklet thick as a dictionary from his briefcase beside him, casually tossing it over: "Take a look at this."

"This is..." Nohara Hiroshi subconsciously caught it. Opening the first page, his pupils violently shrank!

On it was fundamentally not any script or data.

But rather exquisitely produced actor cards one after another!

On every single card, was printed a bust photo, an artistic photo of an actor, as well as an outrageously detailed personal resume —— from height, weight, measurements, to alma mater, to all prior works they had participated in, and even the types of roles they were good at and their reputation in the circle, were all clearly marked.

And the most crucial thing was, all the actors included in this booklet, without exception, were all... from the Kanto Faction!

"Director Kurosawa, why do I feel... I seem to have walked into a trap you designed long ago?" Nohara Hiroshi lifted his head, looking at the old man opposite him who was currently laughing sheepishly. On his face surfaced a dumbfounded helplessness.

"Ahem ahem!" Kurosawa Eiji's old face flushed red, hurriedly using a cough to cover up his guilty conscience.

He turned his head pretending to look at the scenery outside the window, forcibly putting on that airs belonging to a master: "That... this of mine is also... to be prepared for all contingencies right. After all, although our Kanto Faction, is severely suppressed by that bunch of guys in the movie circle, but regarding the strength and professionalism of the actors, we are not one bit inferior to them at all!"

This speech full of the meaning of "protecting one's calf", made Nohara Hiroshi no longer able to hold back his loud laughter.

He knew, this seemingly aloof old man, deep in his bones cared more about this collective honor belonging to the "Kanto Faction" than anyone else.

He didn't say more, merely tossing his attention back onto that thick "actor directory" once more.

His fingers swiftly swiped across those familiar or unfamiliar faces.

Those actors who had left behind countless classic images on the screens of his past life, at this moment, was like rows upon rows of soldiers waiting to be inspected, quietly lying inside this small booklet.

In Japan, producers and directors truly possessed supreme power.

It could be said they were the kings of the set!

Compared to the Hua Xia sets of his past life, and the Hua Xia directors in a disadvantaged position, it was truly different.

But this was also good.

In Nohara Hiroshi's mind, that magnificent palace belonging to "Seven Samurai" that had slumbered for a long time, was also thoroughly awakened at this moment!

"Kambei, needs an actor possessing the aura of a leader, and with a bit of having seen through the vicissitudes of the world in his eyes... just him then, Miyoshi Taiji. I've watched his performance in 'Tales of the Unusual', that aura immovable as a mountain, is very suitable."

"Kikuchiyo, this character is the most complex. He comes from a peasant background, yet desires to become a samurai. On his body there is a beast-like vitality, and an almost childish innocence... Makino Shunpei, yes, just him! Inside those eyes, hides a beast that could break free from its restraints at any moment!"

"Kyuzo, the taciturn sword master, as calm as a machine when killing people... mhm, this newcomer is not bad, Fushimi Ryuji, his eyes are very clean, and also very cold."

...

His fingers tapped on them one by one on the booklet, those names spitting out of his mouth calmly and indifferently.

That posture was as if he wasn't selecting actors for an epic movie.

But picking a few of the most satisfactory flowers in his own backyard.

Kurosawa Eiji was listening quietly.

He looked at this young man, completely and unconditionally cooperating!

"Alright, just the seven of them."

In just a moment's effort, Nohara Hiroshi closed that thick directory, finishing the selection.

He thought about it and continued:

"As for those roles of peasants and mountain bandits, that's even easier to handle. From our 'Kasou Taishou', just randomly pick dozens from those amateur contestants with strong expressive power. That simple and wild nature on them, is something no professional actor can ever imitate."

This casting logic full of anti-common sense left Kurosawa Eiji thoroughly rooted to the spot.

Using... using a group of amateurs who participated in a comedy variety show, to act in a movie?

This... this is simply... unheard of!

However, before he could recover from this shocking shock, that young man, instead made another even more astonishing action that made his eyeballs almost pop out.

"Director Kurosawa, can you lend me some paper and a pen?" Nohara Hiroshi inquired.

"Ah? Oh!" Kurosawa Eiji awakened as if from a dream. He hurriedly took out a stack of brand new A4 drawing paper and a Montblanc fountain pen that looked very high-end from the hidden compartment inside the car.

These were all properties of the car, as he would occasionally write some things.

"Thank you." And taking the paper and pen, Nohara Hiroshi did not hesitate in the slightest.

The tip of the pen descended, carrying out rapid line drawing creations.

The interior of the car instantly became incomparably quiet.

Leaving only that soft rustling sound when the tip of the pen wandered on the paper, like the spinning wheel of fate, weaving a brand new legend about to be born.

Kurosawa Eiji watched blankly.

He saw those few peasants in tattered clothes, humbly kneeling down before that down-and-out samurai in the rain. In those eyes, was full of despair and expectation.

He saw those seven samurai of wildly different personalities, gathering at the village entrance for the first time. Under that banner painted with their respective images, those seven figures, stood like seven insurmountable mountain ranges between heaven and earth.

He even saw, that tragic final decisive battle full of mud and blood!

Those precise storyboards, that composition full of tension, that kind of samurai's honor, peasant's cunning, and desolate sorrow of troubled times revealed between the lines...

Acted like the sharpest katana, fiercely cleaving open his shackles of thought that had long been imprisoned by traditional samurai movie tropes!

"This... this is..." In his voice, was a trace of irrepressible shudder.

He originally thought, this young man, was merely going to tell him a general story outline.

But he absolutely did not expect, the other party unexpectedly... unexpectedly used this kind of method akin to "divine revelation", bringing an unfilmed movie, every shot, every frame, to life before his eyes!

This could no longer be summarized by the simple word "genius".

This was an absolutely dominant power over visual art close to the level of a demonic anomaly!

"Phew! Done!"

When Nohara Hiroshi put down the pen in his hand, gently pushing that thick stack of manuscripts still emitting the fresh scent of ink before him, Kurosawa Eiji felt his breathing thoroughly halt.

He reached out a trembling hand to take it, rapidly flipping through the contents on it.

"Nohara-kun..."

Eventually Kurosawa Eiji slowly lifted his head, looking at Nohara Hiroshi. All the pride belonging to a master of samurai movies on that face had faded.

Leaving only an emotion: "As expected, you truly are a monster!"

Whose family's child could generate a brilliant concept in their mind with just a few conversations?

Whose family's child could effortlessly draw countless storyboards?

Whose family's child would without another word...

Dare to directly go to the set to decide to film the movie, without the slightest thought of fear?

Now, in Kurosawa Eiji's eyes.

If Nohara Hiroshi was not a monster.

What else could he be!?

(End of Chapter)