novelraw Chapter 71: Kurosawa Eiji's Arrival
Chapter 71: Kurosawa Eiji's Arrival
The afternoon sunlight quietly peeked through the blinds, casting striped zebra-like reflections onto the smooth floor.
As a Level 1 Director of the Production Bureau, although Kurosawa Eiji also had his own section office at the Production Bureau headquarters, his independent office was outside, so when he appeared in the Director Section's office, the entire floor seemingly fell quiet for a moment.
After all, his reputation was too resounding.
Therefore wherever Kurosawa Eiji passed, whether it was assistant staff burying their heads in work, or directors of various levels passing by holding coffee, none didn't rapidly halt their footsteps, respectfully bowing ninety degrees, respectfully addressing from their mouths: "Director Kurosawa, good afternoon!"
"Mm." He merely nodded his head slightly as a returned gesture.
On that weather-beaten face not much emotion could be seen, but the sharpness within his gaze was sufficient to make anyone's heart tighten.
His gaze swept across this office area temporarily requisitioned as the 'Nohara Section', his brows furrowing unnoticeably for a moment.
There were many people here.
Approaching clamor.
But after he scanned around, he discovered those present, unexpectedly mostly were familiar faces from Kanto TV, people from the Kanto Faction he was familiar with."Sato, Yamamoto." Kurosawa Eiji halted his footsteps, looking towards the two people who came out to greet him upon hearing his voice: "What's going on here? The people of the Kanto Faction, since when did they gather together so unitedly in such a small place? Don't tell me you guys are preparing a Taiga Drama?"
The Taiga Drama in his mouth, is the annual historical grand masterpiece of the Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK).
Renowned for its massive investment, magnificent scenes, and fine production.
It is the pinnacle work in the television drama domain, normally requiring the mobilization of the resources of an entire faction to complete.
The named Sato Kenji and Yamamoto Takeshi, the two exchanged a glance, their faces both revealing complex expressions mixing bitter smiles and admiration.
Sato Kenji stepped forward a pace, his tone bearing an unsuppressable excitement: "Director Kurosawa, you misunderstand, we are preparing for Section Chief Nohara's episodic drama."
"Episodic drama?" Kurosawa Eiji's brows raised even higher, within those somewhat murky eyes flashed a trace of sharpness.
Of course he knew what an episodic drama was.
One independent story per episode, creativity is king, pacing is supreme.
This kind of playing method, compared to the kind of grand narrative he excels at which requires using tens of minutes of space to lay out characters' fates and depict the winds and clouds of an era, are completely products of two different worlds.
"Yes, Director Kurosawa." Yamamoto Takeshi also opened his mouth at this moment. On that face of his always sharp like a falcon, at this moment unexpectedly also carried a bit of reverence bordering on something student-like: "Section Chief Nohara's concepts, have already completely exceeded our imaginations. He integrated a brand-new kind of creativity, named by him as 'urban legends', into this live-action drama. Those of us here after seeing his project proposal, only genuinely understood, what is called... a genius."
A genius.
This word coming from the mouth of someone like Yamamoto Takeshi, a capable Executive Director who has always possessed extremely high standards and only recognized capabilities, its weight, possesses more impact than any viewership rating report.
Kurosawa Eiji's gaze, swept back and forth across the faces of Sato Kenji and Yamamoto Takeshi entirely written full of wholehearted submission.
He understands these two people far too well.
Back in Kanto TV, these two people were exactly the mid-level core forces he thought quite highly of.
One excels at coordination, one is proficient at execution, both were capable, and also possessed a proud and unyielding character.
But now, these two middle-aged men adding up to nearly a hundred years old, upon mentioning that young man merely twenty-three years old, actually uniformly without prior consultation, employed the respectful title Section Chief.
That reverence and submission coming from the bottom of their hearts, doesn't resemble acting at all.
This caused that curiosity originally already thick in Kurosawa Eiji's heart, to completely ferment into a thirst bordering on investigation.
Just what kind of a young man, could make these two untamable fierce tigers of the Kanto Faction, both willingly bow their heads?
"Take me to have a look." Kurosawa Eiji's voice wasn't loud, yet carried a majesty allowing no room for interference, "Don't make any noise, I merely wish to... quietly take a glance."
"Hai!"
Sato and Yamamoto exchanged a glance, both seeing understanding in the other party's eyes.
One on the left and one on the right, like two loyal guards, they pushed aside the layers of human waves for this former king, opening the path to the gates of a new world.
Also no one dared to be discourteous towards Kurosawa Eiji.
The artists present all knew of his identity.
Hence one after another cleared a path.
They arrived at the doorway of that independent room utilized as the Section Chief's office.
The door was slightly ajar, not closed tightly, like a gap deliberately left behind to invite people to pry into the mysteries inside.
Kurosawa Eiji's gaze cast inside passing through that gap.
"Mm?"
And then, he was stunned.
He had anticipated many kinds of possibilities.
Perhaps, that young man was high-spiritedly making phone calls directing the nation; or perhaps, he was frantic and overwhelmed, bitterly thinking over a pile of complex reports and budgets.
But he of all things didn't anticipate, it would be this scene before him.
The room was very quiet, only the soft rustling sound when the pen tip wandered on the paper, like spring silkworms tirelessly gnawing on mulberry leaves.
That young man hailed by everyone as a 'genius', at this moment was sitting quietly before the desk.
He didn't look at reports, didn't make phone calls, didn't even raise his head.
He was merely drawing.
Sunlight slanted in from the window by his side, outlining a soft yet firm contour of his focused side profile.
His hands were very steady, so fast it even produced afterimages.
Those smooth lines, precise composition, and storyboards full of visual impact, seemingly weren't created by him, but had long existed within his brain; what he needed to do, was merely writing them out from memory.
And beside his hand, a stack of already completed manuscripts, piled up like a small mountain. That thickness, was sufficient to make any veteran manga artist sweat with shame.
"...This!" Kurosawa Eiji's pupils abruptly contracted.
Of course he knew Nohara Hiroshi originated as a manga artist, he himself also had a few familiar manga artist friends.
But he had never seen anyone, capable of using such an astonishing speed, such a floating clouds and flowing water posture, to complete this kind of storyboard creation requiring massive mental effort.
This is no longer simple drawing.
This is using a pen, to construct a complete, vivid, cinematic world full of light, shadow, sound, and color!
"Director Kurosawa."
Sato Kenji's voice respectfully sounded out at this moment.
He had at some point, already handed over that storyboard manuscript of 『The Frightening Touch』 he had long flipped through countless times, passed before Kurosawa Eiji like holding up a peerless treasure: "Please look, this is the manuscript Section Chief Nohara produced beforehand, I believe it is extremely professional."
"Mm, let me see." Kurosawa Eiji's gaze withdrew from that door gap, landing on those few thin pieces of paper.
Beginning to flip through reading.
Then within those eyes of his, all calmness and prudence, in an instant, were thoroughly replaced by an even thicker shocking emotion!
He saw it!
He saw that close-up when the female lead first touches the murder weapon——the camera slowly pushes from her fingertips towards her eyes, that pupil acutely contracting in an instant, expressing the inner terror and shock to the fullest extremes.
He saw that crucial scene before revealing the truth——that handsome face of Male Lead Two, consistently having one half shrouded in un-dispersible shadow, that is a kind of textbook-level camera language using light and shadow to imply a character's duality.
He even saw next to every line of dialogue, concise text annotating the micro-expressions the actor should have at this moment——is it "the corners of the mouth uncontrollably twitching", or "a trace of unnoticeable fast intent flashing through the eyes".
This... where is this any storyboard manuscript?!
This is clearly a... shooting bible translated into visual language, precise down to every single breath!
"My god!" Kurosawa Eiji's hands, unexpectedly trembled slightly completely out of his control.
He raised his head looking at Yamamoto Takeshi, on that weather-beaten face, written full of unprecedented shock: "As long... as long as one shoots following this, even a beginner who just graduated from school, can shoot a decent work!"
"More than just decent."
On Yamamoto Takeshi's face, revealed a smear of bitter, yet incredibly proud smile: "Director Kurosawa, to tell you the truth, those of us here, what we need to do every day right now, is exactly to think of all possible ways, to... completely flawlessly reproduce the things Section Chief Nohara drew out, into reality. We are not creating, we are merely... a group of craftsmen with decent skills, reproducing a flawless masterpiece of art that was already designed from the start."
His words caused everyone around who heard it, to nod their heads with deep sympathy.
That is a kind of reverence and submission originating from the bottom of their hearts after witnessing a true genius.
Right amidst this silence nearly approaching pilgrimage, the rustling sound of a pen inside the room, stopped.
Nohara Hiroshi put down the pen in his hand, gently placing the latest completed page of manuscript, onto the peak of that small mountain.
He stretched heavily, moving his somewhat stiff neck for a moment, letting out a few crisp popping sounds of joints.
"Phew——"
"Finally done!"
Nohara Hiroshi exhaled a long breath of air.
The memories of his past life, were like an inexhaustible treasure vault, allowing him to use a method approaching cheating, to complete these creations that in the eyes of others required vomiting blood to produce.
In a short few days, the stories for the first six episodes of the first season, had already entirely taken form beneath his pen.
As long as the actors are in place, within a week, he is confident enough to completely shoot them all!
He picked up the long-cold tea on his desk, preparing to wet his throat, turning around yet became stunned.
At the doorway stood several figures, also instantly seeing that old man standing at the very front, using an incredibly complex yet appreciative gaze to look at him.
"Director Kurosawa!"
Inside Nohara Hiroshi's mind instantly flashed the information regarding this industry titan.
After all they just met in Asumi's office in the morning.
He almost subconsciously put down the teacup, walking over rapidly, respectfully bowing a standard ninety degrees before that old man, a humble posture, carrying not a single iota of arrogance stemming from his own current success.
"Truly sorry, Senior! This junior was too focused, to actually not notice your arrival, my pardons!"
In this country of Neon that heavily values etiquette and seniority, this posture of his is impeccable.
However, what exceeded everyone's expectations was, Kurosawa Eiji didn't merely faintly nod as a gesture like he usually did.
He actually personally extended those hands covered in age spots yet still powerful, steadily supporting Nohara Hiroshi's arms, gently lifting up his bent waist.
"No."
Kurosawa Eiji looked at this handsomely young face before his eyes that was young to an excessive degree, looking at those eyes still capable of maintaining clearness and calmness when facing him, a smile full of lament surfacing on his face:
"The one who should say pardon, is rather an uninvited old fellow like me."
He paused. Within those eyes that had seen countless worldly sinkings and floatings, sparkled an unprecedented light.
Kurosawa Eiji handed the first episode's manuscript in his hands to Yamamoto Takeshi behind him, then heavily patted Nohara Hiroshi's shoulder, that voice, hoarse, yet carrying a massive weight of a thousand jun:
"Nohara-kun."
"You, truly are... young and promising ah."