My daily life with the original diva

Because the script was written from memory, Hiroshi Kimura didn't know if there were any revelations in it, so he asked Akina Nakamori for suggestions.

Unexpectedly, Akina Nakamori nodded and sat up abruptly from Hiroshi Kimura's lap, saying, "There's a problem, Hiro-kun. There's a big problem with this script."

"Hey, what's the problem? Where is it?" Unexpectedly, this academic underachiever actually discovered a big problem. Kimura Hiroshi immediately perked up and quickly asked.

"The biggest problem with the script is the male lead, Sena. This guy is wavering between the female lead, Minami, and his crush, Ryoko. He's a total jerk. Choosing a jerk as the male lead is a huge problem. I absolutely cannot accept it," Nakamori Akina said very seriously.

Completely bewildered, Kimura Hiroshi thought there was some serious problem, but it turned out to be just a problem with the protagonist's character design. Come to think of it, which male or female lead in a modern Japanese romance drama isn't this kind of indecisive character? Aren't they all just scumbags? It's not a big deal, it's normal.

"What nonsense are you talking about? That's how the script is designed. If both the male and female leads are very determined, how can there be a subsequent story, and how can the plot be filmed? So this isn't a big problem. Anything else?" Kimura Hiroshi directly rejected this so-called big problem and asked her if there was anything else.

Shaking her head, Akina Nakamori said, "No, but Sena's indecisiveness makes him a jerk, and that's the biggest problem with the script."

Maintaining her stance, Akina Nakamori loudly and firmly stated her opinion.

Too lazy to pay attention to her, Kimura Hiroshi thought that Nakamori Akina might have been deeply involved in the role, since he would be playing the male lead and Nakamori Akina would be playing the female lead, Minami. If he were to waver like that, Nakamori Akina definitely wouldn't be able to accept it, so she must have been involved, and there was no need to refute it.

"Let's not talk about that for now. The male and female leads for the drama have been confirmed, but the second male and female leads, as well as several other important roles, haven't been cast yet. Akina, do you have any suggestions? If so, please let me know. I'm having a headache over casting." Not wanting to continue arguing with Akina about whether the male lead was a scumbag or not, Hiroshi Kimura quickly changed the subject.

However, casting is indeed a very troublesome thing. The second male and female leads are very important roles in this drama, and they must be chosen well. However, there are not many suitable actors. Kuroki Hitomi is not suitable for the second female lead, as is junior Ryoko. As for Miyazawa Rie, she is too young and her age is not right.

As for the remaining actresses similar to Kyoko Koizumi, they are about the same age, but their temperaments don't quite match. He is also not familiar with the other actresses.

For any other TV series, Hiroshi Kimura would have already let his subordinates choose the actors. But this was the first TV series he and Akina Nakamori co-starred in, so Kimura wanted to make it a classic. Therefore, casting was very important, and Kimura wanted to personally oversee the process.

Similarly, Akina Nakamori knew that casting for a TV series was a very important matter, as it affected the quality of the production. So she began to think seriously about it and decided to help Hiroshi Kimura.

After a while, and after careful consideration, Akina Nakamori said, "As for the second female lead, Ryoko, I do have some candidates: Momoko Kikuchi, also known as Momoko-chan, or Sonoko Kawai. Sonoko-chan is very suitable for the role. Both of them have a very pure and gentle appearance, which is similar to the image of Ryoko described in the script. As for the second male lead, I don't know much about him. It's up to Hiro-kun to choose."

After mentioning the actresses he thought were suitable for the second female lead, Kimura Hiroshi thought about the two options and felt that they were both acceptable. Choosing one should not be a problem. As for who to choose, it would depend on whose acting skills were better. Kimura Hiroshi was inclined to Kikuchi Momoko because she had acted in film and television dramas and had a solid foundation. Kawai Sonoko had very little experience in this area, but her image was more suitable. Kikuchi Momoko's image was too sweet.

"Wow, as expected of Akina, you have such good taste. You're right, we can choose one of these two, but who we choose depends on their schedules and who is more suitable. I'll have someone from the company communicate with their agencies." Kimura Hiroshi agreed with Nakamori Akina's choice.

After saying that, he sighed and continued, "But if the second female lead is confirmed, it will be difficult to choose a second male lead. There are too few suitable young male actors in the entertainment industry."

In an era where female idols practically dominate the entertainment industry, Japan's entertainment circle is largely dominated by women, with very few young male entertainers. This applies not only to singers but also to actors, and most of the young male actors he's seen haven't left a deep impression on him.

Seeing Kimura Hiroshi's distress, Nakamori Akina straightened up, put her hand on Kimura Hiroshi's shoulder, and said, "Since you're not satisfied with any of the young male actors right now, have you considered those male artists who have no fame at all? Or perhaps you could choose one from the general public? I think with Kimura-san's fame, if we were to choose that way, there would definitely be many applicants, and we'd eventually be able to find a suitable person."

It has to be said that this is indeed a great idea. Kimura Hiroshi's eyes lit up when he heard it. It is indeed an excellent idea. Selecting the second male lead in this way is similar to holding a talent show. The TV series has not even been filmed yet, but it has already generated a wave of popularity and can attract a lot of attention.

Another possibility is that doing this might allow them to select a few well-known male artists for future generations. If they could select two unsigned ones and bring them under their own name, they would have two more tools to make money for them in the future. This is truly an excellent method.

Unable to resist cupping Akina Nakamori's face in his hands and giving her a big kiss, Hiroshi Kimura said happily, "Akina, you are so smart to have come up with such a method. It's really great. It takes several months to prepare for the filming of a TV series. There is plenty of time. This way, there is no problem in selecting actors, and it can even attract enough attention in advance."

Seeing Kimura Hiroshi so happy, Nakamori Akina was also delighted. She hoped she could continue to do things that could help Kimura Hiroshi, and she happily said, "Yes, that's for the best. Congratulations in advance to Hiroshi-kun on finding the right actor!"

"Of course I will, but Akina has helped me so much today, I can't be stingy. I have to give you a reward today." Kimura Hiroshi said with a slightly mischievous smirk.

Nakamori Akina, being the innocent little rabbit she was, didn't know any better. She thought Kimura Hiroshi was really going to give her a reward, so she grabbed Kimura Hiroshi's arm and asked, "Ah, what reward? Is it something delicious, or... ah!"

Before she could finish speaking, Kimura Hiroshi picked her up and said to her, "It's a physical reward; let's go and claim it now."

At this moment, Nakamori Akina could easily understand Kimura Hiroshi's meaning. Her face flushed red, and she spat out, "You're so mean!"

Chapter 477 We Can't Go

Since he had decided to select the second male lead for the TV series from ordinary people and male celebrities who were still unknown, Hiroshi Kimura did not delay. He immediately contacted Yoshiro Hosono and asked Stardust Media to handle the matter. As for why he did not contact Ken-On, it was simply because Ken-On had signed any big-name artists who could not bring any benefits to Hiroshi Kimura.

"Mr. Kimura, you need to select male actors suitable for acting. We at Stardust Media have never done this before. However, the agency is expanding, and we can't do without male actors. I'll have someone prepare immediately. It will take about four days to prepare. Mr. Kimura, remember to send us the selection criteria." Yoshiro Hosono would naturally do his best to fulfill Kimura Hiroshi's request.

However, Stardust Media had always selected female celebrities, especially beautiful girls, and they had a lot of experience in this area. They could probably pick out whatever Kimura Hiroshi wanted. But this was their first time selecting male celebrities, so Hosono Yoshiro was very cautious and even asked Kimura Hiroshi to send over the selection criteria in writing.

"No problem, I'll have someone send it to you when I get back. Remember, good looks are always the only requirement. It doesn't matter what kind of good looks you have—whether it's delicate, heroic, or even a bit rugged, it doesn't matter." Kimura Hiroshi briefly mentioned the selection criteria.

These TV dramas depicting young people's love are actually similar to later idol dramas. Actors are not required to have superb acting skills, but at least they must be good-looking. There's no way around it; it's an era that values ​​appearance in every country.

After noting down Kimura Hiroshi's request, Hosono Yoshiro said, "I've noted it all down. Thank you, Kimura-san, for bringing us new business again. With your reputation in the advertising, Stardust Media's recognition in the entertainment industry will probably increase again, and we might even sign a few high-quality newcomers."

Although Kimura Hiroshi's request for Stardust Media to select actors may seem like an increase in their workload, it actually greatly enhances Stardust Media's reputation. Just think, if Kimura Hiroshi entrusted them with selecting the second male lead for an important TV series, then this agency must be quite good. Being able to attract more high-quality newcomers is a win-win situation for both parties.

"It's nothing, Hosono-san. Don't forget, I'm also a major shareholder of Stardust Media. I'll naturally entrust things that benefit Stardust to them," Kimura Hiroshi said, indicating that it wasn't a big deal.

The selection of male entertainers was now finalized. Kimura Hiroshi would have the drama department provide Stardust with written instructions regarding the specific requirements for the next selection. However, he hadn't come here just for that. Kimura Hiroshi continued, "How's Sachiko-chan's work going lately?"

Since deciding on the path to train Sachiko Kamachi, Hiroshi Kimura has shown no intention of changing it. Sachiko Kamachi has been working as a karaoke machine performer for several months now, and it's unknown how well she's doing in this job.

Speaking of this, Yoshiro Hosono couldn't help but chuckle and said, "Kimura-san, Sachiko-chan is quite a well-known underground singer now. Every time she goes to sell karaoke machines and performs, there are always some fans watching. This makes the sales of karaoke machines increase by about 15% when she's there."

This was quite unexpected for Kimura Hiroshi. He didn't expect that Sachiko Kamachi would do such an excellent job. Originally, he only wanted to use it to let Sachiko Kamachi experience the feeling of live performance and to build her qualifications, but he didn't expect her to do such a good job. It was truly rare.

"I didn't expect that. Sachiko-chan is far more outstanding than I thought. However, Hosono-san needs to remind her from time to time not to get too caught up in this job. She still needs to continue writing lyrics and other training. In another six months, she will have to adapt to a new job." Kimura Hiroshi was a little worried. Sachiko Kamachi was doing so well that she had forgotten the most important thing.

“Yes, I understand. Sachiko-chan is a future top singer, not some record player queen. I will give her plenty of time to train in songwriting and singing skills.” Hosono Yoshiro clearly understood the priorities. Sachiko Kamachi’s future value was far greater than selling this broken record player now.

Taking a sip of the black tea in front of him, Kimura Hiroshi said, "I naturally trust Hosono-san to handle things. By the way, WINK has released their debut single, right? How are the sales?"

The two girls selected by the magazine debuted in April with their first single. The single was created by a songwriter contacted by Hiroshi Kimura. However, Kimura was not sure about the sales figures, as he was too busy to focus on many things at once.

Speaking of this, Yoshiro Hosono shook his head bitterly and said, "The sales aren't very good, Kimura-san. It's been almost three months since the release, and the sales are only about 36,000 copies. I invested a lot in the production of WINK, and if the record sales continue to be like this, the investment is likely to be lost."

They both sing quite well, but they have no dance background. Even simple dance steps look a bit stiff on them, so I've decided to strengthen their training in this area.

Production costs for artists vary. If the investment is low, it doesn't matter if the artist isn't very popular, as the cost can be recovered and there might even be some profit. However, if a large investment is made and the artist isn't popular, it can lead to losses and even affect the agency's confidence. This is the current situation for Yoshiro Hosono.

In response, Hirokazu Kimura did not forget his promise. He had said before that if WINK did not become popular, he would write a song for them. However, that alone was not enough. He said, "In order not to let Hosono-san suffer losses, I will personally write a single for them. But that is not enough. Hosono-san, find the video of their performance and let me see if there are any problems."

Hearing that Kimura Hiroshi was willing to help, Hosono Yoshiro was overjoyed and said with a big smile, "It's great that Kimura-san is willing to help. Why watch a video? The two of them are at the agency right now. I'll have them go to the training room and perform live. Kimura-san can see if there are any problems."

"Don't do that," Kimura Hiroshi quickly interjected, then continued, "If they know I'm going, their performance will probably be even more restrained, and it won't be the same as it is on stage. Then what I see will be different, and their suggestions will likely be wrong."

I didn't expect Hiroshi Kimura to be so thoughtful. Indeed, the two girls are still newcomers. If they could see a senior like Hiroshi Kimura and a top singer watching their performance, they would probably learn a lot more than if they watched the show. It would be better to watch the recording and give them suggestions on their performance on stage.

"Kimura-san is very thoughtful. I'll have someone pick up the video recording right away." Hosono Yoshiro picked up the phone on his desk, made a call, and soon someone delivered the video recording to the president's office, where there was a television and video playback equipment.

Looking at the two beautiful girls in the video, Kimura Hiroshi felt that there was nothing wrong with their appearance, their singing was passable, and their dancing was very stiff, but these were not major problems. The problem lay in other aspects.

After watching the two recordings, Hiroshi Kimura stopped watching and offered his opinion: "Hosono-san, as for dancing, stiffness is not a big deal. You can choose simpler dance steps, and even if the movements are repetitive, it's not a problem. If there is any major problem, I think it's two aspects."

"Which two aspects?" Hosono Yoshiro valued this group, which he had invested heavily in, and hoped that they could become the first big hit singer from Stardust Media.

Based on his own observations, Hiroshi Kimura said, "The first aspect is the choice of single. This is a warm love song, but the popular singles now are European dance music and rock. Everyone likes singles with a strong rhythm. I think it would be better to choose a European dance music with a strong rhythm for the next single."

On the other hand, regarding their stage outfits, glamorous European-style gowns would be a better choice. Of course, some modifications are needed to better suit Japanese aesthetics. As for other aspects, no major alterations are necessary; maintain the current style, as it's difficult for them to change it in a short time. As for the single, I'll have it delivered in a couple of days.

After writing down all of Kimura Hiroshi's suggestions, Hosono Yoshiro said repeatedly, "Okay, okay, thank you so much, Kimura-san. I will do my best to implement all of these suggestions. As for the single, thank you for your hard work."

"It's nothing, just writing a single." Actually, at this moment, Hiroshi Kimura already had a suitable single in mind, which was "Love Will Never Stop." This song was originally a European dance track released by WINK, which officially propelled WINK into the ranks of top idols. Its sales were also very good, reaching nearly 600,000 copies.

The two exchanged opinions again, and it was almost evening. To thank Kimura Hiroshi for his help with Stardust Media, Hosono Yoshiro insisted on inviting him to dinner, and even said he would find a few beautiful girls from the agency to accompany him.

Kimura Hiroshi had originally planned to mooch a meal off Hosono Yoshiro, but after hearing what he said next, he immediately refused. He knew that Nakamori Akina had informants in Stardust Media, the first of whom was Miyazawa Rie, who would tell Nakamori Akina a lot of information.

Not to mention that Akina Nakamori and Sachiko Kamachi know each other, and there's also a sister-in-law there. If he were to find a beautiful woman to accompany him to dinner, Akina Nakamori would find out by tomorrow. This isn't like hiring a professional hostess for business meetings; that's just for social occasions. If he were to hire an artist from another agency, it would be considered having ulterior motives.

He quickly declined, then drove back to Hegemony Studio and instructed the drama department staff, who were already working on the script, to quickly write down the requirements for the male actor and send them to Stardust Media. He also asked them to send audition invitations to the agencies of Momoko Kikuchi and Sonoko Kawai, inviting them to audition so they could see who was suitable to play the second female lead, Ryoko. After finishing all this, it was already past 7 p.m. Nakamori Akina wasn't at the apartment today, so Kimura Hiroshi invited the drama department staff to dinner. He did this partly as a reward for their overtime work, and partly so he wouldn't have to eat alone.

Because of the generous salaries at Hegemony, and the fact that Hiroshi Kimura doesn't usually require mandatory overtime, the staff at Hegemony are incredibly efficient. They can leave as soon as they finish their work and are free to choose whether to go out or go home.

So, after Kimura Hiroshi assigned the task, the staff faxed the audition invitations to both agencies early the next morning, and even made a phone call to explain the situation.

The reactions of both sides to the audition invitation were exactly the same. Kikuchi Momoko was very excited after learning from her agent that Wit Studio had sent a collaboration invitation, but she was soon doused with cold water by her agent.

"Peach Sauce, you yourself requested to stop pursuing the idol route and form a band. Now is a crucial time. And don't forget, you also have a TBS TV drama to star in. This time, Wit Studio's partner is Fuji TV. If you go, the good relationship you built with TBS before may no longer exist."

Tired of the fierce competition among idols, Momoko Kikuchi had long wanted to change her singing career. Her agency had always disagreed, but after fighting for almost a year last year and only releasing one single, the agency finally agreed to her request and formed a band for her this year. The band is still getting to know each other, and she also has a drama contract with TBS. It's impossible for her to work with Hiroshi Kimura, as everyone knows that Fuji TV's current drama productions are somewhat aimed at TBS.

Although she really wanted to collaborate with Hiroshi Kimura again—the two had previously worked together on a single cover and a single—it seemed unlikely that she could participate in this drama project together. Kikuchi Momoko could only say, "In that case, I'll call Kimura-san myself and tell him the reason. I think Kimura-san will understand."

Although Kikuchi Momoko and Kimura Hiroshi were just ordinary friends, she still wanted to maintain this relationship and didn't want anything to ruin it. She wanted to call him personally to explain.

Kikuchi Momoko had no choice but to decline, while Kawai Sonoko, who was also thrilled to receive the audition invitation, had fewer concerns. Although she had a less than pleasant falling out with Fuji Television, Kimura Hiroshi didn't care about such things, and Fuji Television wouldn't ask anything of Kimura Hiroshi over such a trivial matter.

Since the disbandment of Onyanko Club, Sonoko Kawai's career has plummeted, leaving her helpless as she has no control over such matters. She has been constantly looking for opportunities because she does not want her entertainment career to end there.

She had originally considered approaching Kimura Hiroshi, but she was hesitant. Although the two had a decent relationship, she had become more aware of Kimura Hiroshi's influence after the disbandment of Kitten. He was not someone she could handle with her little tricks.

Unexpectedly, even though she hadn't arrived early, someone else came looking for her, which made Kawai Sonoko very happy, and she immediately accepted the audition invitation.

Chapter 478 The Second Female Lead is Confirmed

For a career-driven artist who seems to be on the verge of fading into obscurity, every opportunity is precious. Upon receiving an audition invitation from Wit Studio, along with the performance requirements, Kawai Sonoko immediately threw herself into it, carefully studying the performance requirements.

After watching it, she started performing in front of her manager. Although there were only two or three shots, they practiced until one or two in the morning. Then, around seven o'clock the next morning, Kawai Sonoko and her manager arrived at the entrance of Hegemony Company. At this time, Hegemony Company had not even opened for work yet, and the receptionist had not come over.

Unless there is a really urgent filming mission, the staff at Wit Studio will not come to work early. Their usual work hours are around 8:30. So Kawai Sonoko and her manager waited at the company entrance for almost an hour and a half before the receptionist came to open the door.

When the receptionist heard that they were there for an audition and had been waiting for an hour and a half, she was stunned. She told them, "We usually start work at 8:30 in the morning and finish get off work before 7:00 in the afternoon, unless there is an urgent overtime task. If you want to come to Weapon Company in the future, it is best to come at this time. Also, the president may not arrive until after 9:30. Please come in and wait. I will prepare coffee and sandwiches for you. This is a special breakfast perk of our company."

These words opened the eyes of Kawai Sonoko and her manager. They never expected that this production company, which has a huge influence in the entertainment industry and combines film, television and comic production, would have such flexible working hours. They thought that all the large production companies work overtime until 9 or 10 pm.

"Okay, thank you for letting us know, Miss. We understand. Thank you for your help. We'll wait a moment." Kawai Sonoko said very politely.

At this time, Hiroshi Kimura had already started working, but he didn't go directly to Wit's Entertainment. Instead, he went to Ken-On to prepare for his new single. He released his first single of the year in April, and his second single would be released in September. Now it was almost July, and he had to hand over his new single to Yukio Tomioka to prepare the arrangement.

However, as soon as he entered Ken-On, he ran into Terabayashi Akira at the entrance. When he saw Kimura Hiroshi, he greeted him with a smile and said, "I heard that Kimura-san is preparing for a new TV series recently?"

“Yes, Terabayashi-san, the new drama is a collaboration with Fuji Television. They have resumed their drama slot, but the ratings aren’t very good, so they invited us to collaborate,” Kimura Hiroshi replied.

"Is that so? Kimura-san is really amazing. You actually managed to get the TV station to invite you to collaborate. By the way, I heard that the second female lead for your new drama hasn't been cast yet. I wonder what Kimura-san thinks of Noriko-chan?" Terabayashi Akira first praised Kimura Hiroshi, and then revealed his true purpose.

So that's why they were waiting for him here. Kimura Hiroshi wasn't bothered at all. After all, he was also an artist under Ken-On, and it was perfectly normal for him to want to build a relationship with him.

Suddenly stopping, Hiroshi Kimura said very seriously to Akira Terabayashi, "Terabayashi-san, given my relationship with Ken-On, I would definitely consider Ken-On's artists for suitable roles. However, the second female lead in this new drama is a student who is about to graduate from university. Noriko-chan is too young, and her appearance is too immature, which does not match the role."

Noriko Sakai just turned seventeen this year, and she naturally looks very young. While Akina Nakamori can use makeup to appear more mature, Noriko Sakai can't. She has a round face, and even with makeup, she can't look like a twenty-something adult.

Upon hearing Kimura Hiroshi's words, Terabayashi Akira nodded and said, "I understand. I'm really sorry to have bothered you, Kimura-san."

After saying that, he immediately bowed and left. He had only wanted to give it a try, and if it didn't work out, so be it. He didn't have the power to force Kimura Hiroshi to agree.

After speaking with Terahina Akira, Kimura Hiroshi continued walking towards his office. When he arrived, he saw Tomioka Yukio and several assistants inside, and Kimura Hiroshi greeted them one by one.

Kimura Hiroshi took out his single, which he planned to release in September, from his bag and placed it on Tomioka Yukio's desk. He said, "Mr. Tomioka, this is my single that I will release in September. It is still a rock song, and I have given it an English name, 'Diamonds'."

This is a rock single released in 1989. It is not the kind of rock single with a very strong rhythm. It is completely different from "The Hottest Summer in the World". It is a single with a very light and cheerful rhythm. Its theme is to enjoy happiness.

This rock single perfectly captured the mindset of people during the bubble era, so it became an instant hit after its release, becoming the number one single of 1989. Although it didn't sell a million copies that year, by 1990, it had become a million-selling single.

Unfortunately, by the 1990s, the stock market bubble had already burst. Although the real estate market was still holding up, the Japanese had already sensed something was wrong, which made its sales seem unsustainable. Because everyone had felt the crisis, they had no mood to enjoy happiness.

Releasing it now would be very appropriate, because the bubble will reach its peak next year, and everyone will still be in a good mood to enjoy themselves.

"Diamonds, huh? The song title is quite fitting for this luxurious era. Let me see what I think of the song." Yukio Tomioka picked up the sheet music on the table and began to study it carefully. After a while, he nodded with great satisfaction.