Tokyo's bubble economy: From literary giants to great entertainers

"lottery?!"

Shinbara Hideyoshi's eyes gradually became excited.

This equipment inventory system had been with him for a long time, so he wasn't surprised by the equipment's characteristics. However, the equipment shop was a complete surprise, and the items in it... were all damn powerful artifacts!

With this thought in mind, he looked up at the clock and saw that there were still about ten minutes before the audition started. He made an excuse to go to the restroom and went to the flower bed on the playground.

"Legendary director, top game producer, great songwriter, Best Actor, singer, literary giant..."

"Right now, the most suitable item for me is definitely the legendary director item, but unfortunately, it seems that the category cannot be locked. But in general, as long as I don't draw any literary master items for the time being, I'll be fine."

Shuichi Kambara sat by the flower bed, drinking water and thinking.

After looking left and right and confirming that he couldn't find a button to lock categories, he no longer hesitated and focused his attention on the lottery option. The next moment, all the items in the store began to rotate in his vision, somewhat like the lottery system in his previous mobile game.

Finally, the image freezes.

A golden pocket watch appeared in his field of vision and gradually materialized, appearing in the left breast pocket of his suit.

[Stephen Chow's Gold Pocket Watch in God of Gamblers]

[Quality: White]

[Effect: This gold pocket watch, embodying the classic gambling hero style of Stephen Chow, contains a hint of the essence of his nonsensical performance. Wearing it allows one to slightly learn Chow's unique nonsensical style talent. It is a one-of-a-kind piece that cannot be replicated.]

[Introduction: "Hey you little punk, get me some leather shoes~"]

[Note 1: Stephen Chow is a master of both acting and directing. If the wearer possesses sufficient understanding, this item will also influence the wearer's directing style.]

[Note 2: If the host actively gives it away, this item will also be effective on other people. However, if you choose to give it to someone else, the strength of the absorption effect depends on whether the wearer and the item are compatible.]

It may achieve an absorption rate of up to 200%, but it is more likely that it will not be able to reach the host's minimum 100% full absorption rate.

[Note 3: The item is soul-bound and cannot be completely absorbed by A and then transferred to B for absorption. However, once completely absorbed, it no longer needs to be worn.]

"It's Stephen Chow!"

Shuichi Kambara paused slightly in his breath.

Stephen Chow is an absolutely indispensable figure in the Chinese film industry.

In terms of acting, he, along with Chow Yun-fat and Jackie Chan, were known as the "Two Chows and One Jackie," supporting half of the box office during the golden age of Hong Kong cinema, winning the Hong Kong annual box office champion eight times and the mainland annual box office champion three times.

In terms of directing, starting with "From Beijing with Love," he gradually established his own cinematic aesthetics and won numerous top directing awards, including the Hong Kong Film Awards for Best Director, the Taiwan Golden Horse Awards for Best Director, and Best Feature Film.

In 2003, he appeared on the cover of Time magazine and was named an Asian Hero.

These are also his favorite actors and directors!

"However, the absorption effect..."

"It means that if I give this pocket watch to someone else, that person will also gain a similar talent."

"However, if I were the absorber, the minimum absorption would be 100%, with no upper limit. Others might only be able to absorb 30% or 40% due to incompatibility. And it can only be bound once..."

Shuichi Kambara frowned slightly, and after thinking for a moment, he put the pocket watch into his pocket.

Currently, the only actress he can truly consider an ally is Rie Miyazawa. In his opinion, she doesn't need the pocket watch to perfectly embody the role of Kyoko Hayakawa.

Furthermore, Rie Miyazawa's future career path is definitely not towards the kind of quirky, exaggerated facial expressions typical of actresses. Her naturally cool and aloof demeanor is better suited to roles in works with depth and complexity.

As for the other actors...

He had no interest in giving something so valuable to a stranger.

"But it's not a big problem."

"With the help of this pocket watch, I will be able to learn the nonsensical directing style more quickly, and then I will be able to better inspire the actors' talents through my on-the-spot management."

Does "From Today, It's My Turn!!" incorporate Stephen Chow's nonsensical humor...?

Thinking of this, Shinbara Hideki was instantly filled with fighting spirit.

but...

Ideal is full, the reality is very skinny.

Back in the audition room, as the auditions began and beautiful girls and handsome guys came and went, his brows gradually furrowed.

.

It was a little after 10 a.m.

"Next."

After seeing off another disappointed high school boy, Shuichi Kambara rubbed his temples, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and looked somewhat annoyed.

Although there were quite a few amateur actors auditioning this time, Kanbara Shuichi was, after all, a new director with little fame.

Therefore, although many people came to audition, they were basically high school novices with no acting skills at all, and some unknown actors who had no strengths and obvious weaknesses.

It's quite troublesome.

While this era doesn't demand as much from actors' acting skills, it doesn't mean that acting skills are completely unnecessary.

The previous version of "From Today, It's My Turn!!" started filming in 18. The lead actor, Kento Kaku, had already debuted in 07 and was a seasoned young actor with ten years of experience when he played Takashi Mitsuhashi.

Kentaro Ito, who plays Ito, debuted in 14 with "Hirugao," and the actress who plays the female lead Riko also debuted in 14 with "Tokyo Bakusozoku."

Even Kanna Hashimoto had already played Kagura in the live-action version of Gintama before starring in "From Today, It's My Turn!!", which received unanimous praise from the audience.

Especially the actor who plays Imai, Nakano Taiga.

Despite his somewhat clumsy appearance on TV, Nakano Taiga grew up in a family of actors. His father is veteran Japanese actor Nakano Hideo, his mother is the president of an entertainment agency, and his older brother Nakano Takeru was also an actor.

That's why Nakano Taiga was able to portray the character of Imai so well. Now, finding a replacement for Nakano Taiga among a large pool of ordinary people... is extremely difficult.

"How about we audition for the actor playing Ito first?"

Seemingly noticing Kanbaru Shuichi's headache, Matsuzaka Keiko, with her sexy black stockings crossed over her legs, asked a question.

Shuichi Kanbara flipped through the cast list and finally nodded, "Let's give it a try."

Time passed slowly, and as Ito's auditionees were eliminated one by one, and as Kanbaru Shuichi's brows furrowed more and more, the atmosphere in the audition room became increasingly somber.

It was 11:30, close to lunchtime.

When Shuichi Kanbara rejected another auditioning actor, Keiko Matsuzaka handed him a cup of tea and said with a smile, "He was the last actor to audition for Ito this morning."

"I know."

"Disappointed?"

Keiko Matsuzaka smiled and raised an eyebrow. Shuichi Kanbara took a sip of tea, his brows relaxing slightly. He chuckled, "Please, stop treating me like a kid. Auditions don't happen in half a day."

In addition, I had previously sent invitations to several young male actors that I had my eye on.

"It's just that I'm not famous enough, so those agents probably need to make sure their actors don't have any other opportunities in the near future before they come to audition."

"You have a very clear understanding of yourself."

Keiko Matsuzaka made a few teasing remarks with a smile, but looking at the character design information of Ito spread out on the table, she changed the subject, "But speaking of which, the image of this character is quite suitable for you."

"I?"

Shuichi Kambara was taken aback.

The others nearby were instantly visibly excited upon hearing this.

"A handsome high school boy, calm and charismatic, he's definitely a good fit for director Kanbara!"

"Written, directed, and acted in it all himself? That's just another marketing gimmick!"

"I think it's definitely worth a try."

Amidst the surrounding chatter, Shuichi Kanbara felt awkward.

He had some acting experience before, but those were all minor roles like playing dead bodies, so he never considered that he could play this role.

To be honest, the role of Ito is actually quite suitable for him.

His appearance is no less attractive than the original actress who played Ito, and he even has a certain charisma. More importantly, the focus of this role is on contrast, so the requirements for facial expressions are not as demanding as for Mitsuhashi and Kyoko.

"How about... I give it a try?"

Shuichi Kanbara raised an eyebrow strangely, and Keiko Matsuzaka shoved him to his feet, laughing, "No, not 'however'! Yes, it is! Go on! This time, your older sister will personally audition you! Oh, and you there! Go and call Rie over to act alongside our great director!"

"..."

Shuichi Kanbara was speechless, but in the end he straightened his collar and stood up—since he would be spending the next two months at this theater anyway, taking on an extra job would mean extra pay!

The director himself was going to step in, and without a doubt, the entire audition room instantly became lively.

As Keiko Matsuzaka watched Shuichi Kanbara's retreating figure, an interesting emotion welled up in her eyes, and she shifted the position of her voluptuous legs.

—Last night, when they were drinking, Shuichi Kanbara didn't lose his temper at all, even when she and Honami Suzuki got a little carried away after drinking too much. He cooperated with them with a smile, whether they were playing drinking games, rolling dice, or even drawing turtles on their faces.

Even now, when he was forced into office by his own instigation, he only felt a little annoyed, but never got angry.

But...she knew in her heart that this seemingly gentle and calm young man could single-handedly take down the West City Gang for Suzuki Honami. So much so that many biker gangs and Yakuza members now dared not go to Shimokitazawa, for fear of encountering this killing god.

"Are you the type who's assertive to outsiders but gentle at home?"

As she pondered, another figure gradually appeared in Keiko Matsuzaka's mind.

That figure was more somber and mature than Shuichi Kanbara, a figure who was both father and brother. But... the last image in my mind was that bloody night when the Matsuzaka family was nearly wiped out.

"Forget it, I don't want to think about it anymore."

Thinking of this, the smile in Keiko Matsuzaka's eyes vanished, and she transformed back into that cold and beautiful black rose.

However, her gaze would still unconsciously drift towards Shuichi Kambara, especially when she saw a bit of his shirt hem peeking out from under his suit trousers.

She hesitated for a moment, then reached out and grabbed Kanbaru Shuichi, laughing, "Wait, you little pervert, your big bad wolf tail is showing!"

Just then, unnoticed by everyone, an elegant woman wearing sunglasses appeared at the back door of the audition room.

"Shuichi..."

"Hey! What's Matsuzaka up to?!"

As soon as Suzuki Honami arrived, she saw Matsuzaka Keiko pulling on Kanbara Shuichi's belt!

He instantly glared at her coldly!