My daily life with the original diva

The entire scene, from the camera work to the flow of the story, is excellent. At this point, the seasoned film industry professionals who initially thought they were watching a bad movie finally took it seriously. This is not some haphazardly shot bad movie. At least the first seven or eight minutes are definitely an excellent action-gunfight film.

Moreover, its style is very different from Japanese action movies, giving people a feeling closer to the European and American style, fast-paced, without too much dragging, exciting and suspenseful.

They were captivated, their attention completely absorbed in the film's plot, rising and falling with its twists and turns. Two hours later, the film ended after the female lead buried the male lead's favorite plant in the ground, and the credits rolled, followed by the theme song sung by Hiroshi Kimura.

When the movie ended, Yuya Fukada breathed a sigh of relief. The quality of the movie far exceeded his expectations. He originally thought it would be an idol romance film with gunfights between two top male and female idols, which he could accept and test the purchasing power of the fans of two top male and female idols.

However, his attention was completely drawn in from beginning to end. The various methods used by the assassins to hunt down their targets were described in great detail, especially the method of knocking on the door to lure people inside to open it, then asking, "Are you so-and-so?" Upon receiving an affirmative answer, they would directly open fire on the door. This terrifying method was both direct and brutal.

He even thought that if he stayed in a hotel and someone pretending to be a hotel staff member called his name at the door, he would definitely open the door, and then he would really die without even knowing how he died.

The romantic scenes between the male and female leads are also very smooth and well-executed. At least it looks very comfortable to watch. This can definitely be called a blockbuster with both action and romance being extremely well done.

The screen went dark, the lights in the screening room came on, and the veteran film industry professionals sitting in the front row stood up and walked over to Kimura Hiroshi, quickly gathering together.

"Minister Fukada, this must be Mr. Kimura, the screenwriter and producer of the film. He's really amazing. It's incredible that someone so young can write such a good screenplay and his acting is also excellent. It's truly unexpected."

"Yes, yes, young and promising! It's truly a great movie. If Mr. Kimura needs a script like this in the future, he can contact us for collaboration. Our experience is far superior to those who have never filmed before, and we believe the final result will be even more satisfying."

After watching the movie, several directors and producers came over to Hiroshi Kimura, praising him with smiles and goodwill, but their words implied a desire to collaborate.

When Takeshi Kitano, who was following behind, saw this scene, he was stunned for a moment, and then his stomach began to churn. He felt nauseous. Just two hours earlier, these same people had belittled him and Hiroshi Kimura, saying that they were no good at all.

They had just finished watching the movie, and they all knew how excellent the script was. They immediately came over to curry favor, hoping that they could get a share of the profits from such a good script next time. They didn't even need to prepare themselves mentally; they just came over and started sucking up.

The remaining few who offered praise were almost all screenwriters. Since they also wrote scripts, they couldn't get any benefits from Kimura Hiroshi, so they all looked unwell and stood silently in the back.

This group of people were just complaining about how bad the movie was, like close friends who could talk about anything. But now they've immediately split into two factions. That's what you call self-interest, naked self-interest. What friends are you talking about then?

"It would be disgusting for me to be with these guys, even more disgusting than those guys at the TV station. In that sense, I'm a good person, at least I wouldn't change my attitude like that," Takeshi Kitano couldn't help but mutter to himself.

Faced with these people's flattery, Kimura Hiroshi simply smiled and responded without giving them any clear answer. How could he not know what these guys were thinking? Giving them a perfunctory response was already giving them face.

"It seems everyone has no objections to releasing this film. That's wonderful! We don't need to hold any more discussions. Kimura-san, let's go talk about the collaboration." Fukada Yuya said happily. This collaboration with Kimura Hiroshi was entirely his doing. Now that the quality looks excellent, if it's a big hit, he'll firmly hold the credit.

Chapter 151 Let's Think About the Future

Fukada Yu was satisfied with the quality of the film, so the next step was to discuss the film contract, which was actually quite simple.

The film invested in by Hiroshi Kimura was placed under the shell company where Kimura worked. All he needed to do was, as the owner of the company, authorize Toho to distribute the film, and then discuss the distribution of profits.

After Kimura Hirokazu's staff confirmed that there were no problems with the contract, Fukada Yuya said, "Kimura-san, now we're going to talk about the most important part. You have two ways to get the profits from this movie. The first is that we buy out the movie at three times the production cost."

The second option is the standard revenue-sharing model, where you typically receive 26% of the box office revenue, while we cover all distribution and marketing costs. Both methods have their advantages and disadvantages; it depends on your choice and your confidence in the film.

Leaning back in his chair, Kimura Hiroshi pondered the two options. The first was that regardless of the film's box office performance, he could still earn a substantial income. The total production cost of this film exceeded 120 million yen, and three times that amount would be 360 ​​million yen. With filming lasting more than half a year, he could earn 240 million yen, a rather generous profit.

However, in another scenario, he might lose a fortune, or he might make a huge profit. As long as the film's box office reaches 1.4 billion yen, he can obtain all the proceeds from the buyout, and the higher the box office goes, the greater his profits will be.

Achieving this box office target can be easy or difficult, depending on whether Japanese audiences are receptive. No one can say for sure, because Japanese audiences sometimes have very different tastes from audiences around the world, but sometimes they are the same. They are unpredictable.

However, Hiroshi Kimura is very confident about his film. Look at how many of his action films have grossed less than 2 billion yen in Japan. There's no reason why his action-gun movie shouldn't reach that revenue. The film meets all the elements, and he also has two top male and female idols to boost it.

“Mr. Fukada, I’ll choose the second option. I have a lot of confidence in the film that I’m investing in and producing myself.” Kimura Hiroshi chose to maximize profits. Even if he didn’t get that profit, he was confident that he could at least get a share of the profits.

Fukada Isamu was also very pleased with Kimura Hiroshi's choice. He praised him, "Good, as expected of Kimura-san, I didn't misjudge you. Although the profit-sharing option is risky, it can also yield the highest returns. I like this approach as well, so it's decided then."

With the revenue model chosen, signing the contract became much easier, and it was completed quickly, thus finalizing the collaboration for the film.

"It's a pleasure doing business with you, Kimura-san. I need to have some personal words with you now, so please excuse me for a moment. I apologize to everyone." After the contract was signed, Fukada Yuya began to shoo people away, saying apologetic words, but his actions were anything but polite.

Yuya Fukada was the most senior person there. When he asked people to leave, no one dared to object. They would nod to him in acknowledgment and then leave the conference room. Soon, only Hiroshi Kimura and Yuya Fukada remained in the large conference room.

"Is there something you need, Mr. Fukada?" Kimura Hiroshi asked curiously, unsure of Fukada Yuya's intention in keeping him alone.

He gestured for Kimura Hiroshi to sit down, and Fukada Yuya sat down next to him, saying very seriously, "Kimura Hiroshi, you can take what I'm about to say as a warning. Of course, if you don't listen, then just consider it as me talking nonsense."

"Speak your mind, Mr. Fukada. I'm listening." Kimura Hiroya sat up straight, ready to listen carefully to what this man had to say.

Seeing Kimura Hiroshi's serious expression, Fukada Isamu spoke up, "Kimura-san's company is under the agency, right? That's actually very unsafe. I'm very optimistic about this movie. I estimate it could gross 3 billion yen at the box office. A large sum of money will go into the shell company's account, and your agency has the authority to move funds from that account, right?"

Frowning, Hiroshi Kimura naturally understood what Yuya Fukada meant: if the movie did well at the box office, the agency, seeing the potential profits, might get involved. This was quite possible, since the company was still under the agency's control, and they had the capability to do so.

The record market is still doing alright now, and the agency is focused on its own profits, so things might not be too bad yet. But in two years, when the record market hits rock bottom and record revenue plummets, he'll be making a lot of movies and TV series, and his income will skyrocket. They might be tempted by that kind of income, and then he'll be in big trouble.

However, this statement carries a warning tone, and of course, it also has a provocative tone. After all, Toho also has its own agencies, artists, and supervisors. If Kimura Hiroshi could leave Ken-On, Toho might accept him. Even if Kimura Hiroshi has his own company, it wouldn't be a big problem, at least there would be no interference from other agencies and companies.

Seeing the change in Kimura Hiroshi's expression, Fukada Yuya knew that Kimura had taken his words to heart. He gave a strange smile and continued, "I don't think Kimura-san will stay an idol singer forever. Although he has the identity of a creator, he is not a big shot in the entertainment industry. It's best to think about the future when he is at the peak of his popularity."

Without answering Fukada Yuya's question, Kimura Hiroshi simply said, "Thank you for the reminder, Mr. Fukada. I will consider this matter when I get back. Thank you for your consideration in this collaboration, Mr. Fukada."

"Haha, that's only right. Kimura-san, please think about my suggestion when you get back. By the way, Kimura-san, would you like to go out and have some fun tonight? The place I mentioned last time, is Kimura Hiroshi really not interested?" Fukada Yuya said enticingly.

Shaking his head, Kimura Hiroshi didn't want to be photographed doing anything he shouldn't, and said, "No need, Mr. Fukada, I have some things to take care of when I get back."

The conversation ended there. Kimura Hiroshi and Fukada Yuya left the conference room, met up with Tomioka Yukio and Kitano Takeshi at the corner of the corridor, and then left Toho's office building.

Upon reaching the parking lot, Takeshi Kitano suddenly walked up to him and said with a serious expression, "Kimura-san, I have something to discuss with you."

This left Kimura Hiroshi somewhat bewildered. What was going on today? Why did everyone have to talk to him? Couldn't they have chosen a different time? Why did they all have to pick the same day?

"Let's talk in the car then." After saying that, Hiroshi Kimura got into the car first, and Takeshi Kitano immediately followed.

The two sat in the back seat of the car. Kimura Hiroshi looked at Kitano Takeshi, whose face was solemn, and said, "What's wrong? Logically speaking, you should be happy that the movie can be distributed by Toho, but you don't seem happy at all."

"It's never pleasant to witness the disgusting side of a group of people who usually act high and mighty. I used to have some illusions about those guys, but now it seems they're even worse than a street scoundrel like me. Anyway, let's not talk about that. What I want to ask is, does what Kimura-san said to me last time still stand?" Kitano Takeshi asked very seriously.

"Of course, what's wrong, Mr. Kitano? Have you come to a decision?" Kimura Hiroshi was very curious about what Kitano Takeshi had encountered at Toho and why he had suddenly changed his mind. He remembered that Kitano had been quite dismissive last time, but now he seemed very eager to cooperate with him. However, he did not ask.

Nodding, Takeshi Kitano said, "I'm willing to cooperate with Kimura-san, but my work contract is with the TV station, so I can't sign any contract with Kimura-san. However, I, Takeshi Kitano, will definitely keep my promise. Kimura-san, do you trust me?"

"Not signing a contract? That's fine, because even with a contract, there's no way to restrain this guy. On the contrary, his promises might be more effective," Kimura Hiroshi said with a smile. "Of course, I trust Mr. Kitano. So our cooperation is considered complete. Don't worry, I'll definitely be able to get you to shoot another movie this year."

"Hahaha, I knew Kimura-san would agree. As expected, Kimura-san may seem like a hypocrite, but he still has some sincerity. I, Kitano Takeshi, will definitely keep my promise. From now on, Kimura-san will be my friend." Kitano Takeshi was very happy and patted Kimura Hiroshi's shoulder hard, as if he had approved of him.

Seeing him like this, Kimura Hiroshi was even more surprised. What kind of shock did this guy suffer at Toho to become like this? They hadn't been separated for long when they went in, and nothing unexpected happened. How did he suddenly become like this?

Chapter 152 The Back-and-forth Changes in Their Relationship in the Media

It has to be said that Toho acted very quickly. Just a few days after it was confirmed that Toho would distribute "Léon: The Professional," they launched the first round of massive publicity, with the first poster for this mysterious film appearing in many newspapers and magazines.

The poster, which took up an entire page of magazines and newspapers, featured a male protagonist wearing sunglasses and sporting stubble, standing in the back holding a massive M1911 pistol. In front of him stood the female protagonist, played by Akina Nakamori, with strange shoulder-length short hair, thick bangs, heavy eye shadow, and an unconventional look. She was also holding a revolver.

The two men stand side by side, one in front of the other, each holding a gun and pointing it at a target, indicating their identities as assassins. The poster also suggests that they are a formidable duo.

The information for the two lead actors was clearly marked next to the film (Hiroshi Kimura as the male lead and Akina Nakamori as the female lead), along with film information (this is a movie that combines action, gunfights, and romance), and finally, the release date, which is confirmed to be August 5th, coinciding with Japan's summer vacation.

The poster immediately sparked a huge discussion upon its release, which was inevitable. First of all, Hiroshi Kimura and Akina Nakamori have just too many fans. One is almost unrivaled among male idols, and the other is on the verge of becoming the top female idol.

In this golden age of idols, it's easy to imagine how much buzz a movie starring these two would generate. Not to mention that just a few days ago, the media was still buzzing about their bad relationship and their argument in the record company's recording studio. The hype hasn't died down yet, and the movie is already here.

The two consecutive events immediately prompted some entertainment media outlets to exclaim, "Damn it, we seem to have fallen for their trick again. I knew it was abnormal for hot topics to appear about this Kimura kid. This is another publicity stunt to generate buzz for his movie. That brat always pulls this trick."

"Yes, he uses this trick almost every time, so why do we always fall for it?" someone else asked at this point.

Everyone was speechless. Traffic was just too tempting. Every time Kimura Hiroshi's hot topics were well-managed, the sales of newspapers and magazines would see a significant increase. Not to mention that this time, top female idol Akina Nakamori was also involved.

If they don't speculate on it, wouldn't it be a waste of those colorful banknotes? But every time they speculate, they have their own selfish motives, wanting to cool down Kimura Hiroshi. But this time, it turns out they've actually promoted Kimura Hiroshi, so cooling him down is simply impossible.

"This kid is too cunning, yes, too cunning. Every time he comes up with something different, that's why we fall for it, that's it." It's impossible for him to admit that he wanted to gain traffic and willingly took the bait; it can only be that the enemy is too cunning, not that our army is not capable enough.

The increased popularity is a good thing, but bad things are also coming. Because the script for this movie was written by Hiroshi Kimura, who also stars in it, professionals have long said that this movie is bound to be a bad movie. It may not even be able to find a distributor, and it will just be a joke, something for everyone to watch for fun.

Unexpectedly, after the film was completed, Toho immediately took over and began a large-scale promotional campaign. Isn't this a slap in the face for them?

The media and the so-called professionals behind them never admit their mistakes. They started attacking Toho for making any bad movie just to boost the popularity of their top idols. They said that such movies would inevitably flop at the box office, and the reasons were, of course, the same old arguments.

An idol who didn't even graduate high school can write screenplays? Two idol singers can act? A stand-up comedian and a supporting actor in a movie can direct?

However, such opinions were suppressed very severely. Toho is a very powerful company. This is the summer movie that Yuya Fukada values ​​most, and it is also one of the achievements that helped him to get to the position of department head. How could he let public opinion make people not want to watch the movie before it was even released?

Leveraging Toho's influence, these comments could only appear in certain small and medium-sized media outlets. As for mainstream magazines and entertainment newspapers, they were full of positive reviews about the film, such as "This is the first truly meaningful Western-style gunfight blockbuster in Japan," "The action is comparable to Hong Kong films," and "The male lead's emotions are touching." In short, they were praising it to the skies.

With such a large-scale promotion and the high popularity of the two themselves, ordinary viewers are also very curious about what kind of movie these two top idols, who have never seriously acted in any film or television dramas, will make. And the fact that it is said to have a Western style makes them even more curious.

Compared to the curiosity of ordinary viewers, the fans of the two are filled with a mix of great anticipation and complex emotions, because not long ago, the media was still hyping up the fact that the two had a falling out and that they had argued in the record company's recording studio.

Fans of both sides thought the two really didn't get along, and were already preparing how they would take sides and criticize the other's idol if the two really fell out in the future.

Before the news had even been circulating for a few days, the movie starring the two of them had already been filmed and would be released in two months.

Furthermore, entertainment newspapers reported that both individuals expressed their intention to collaborate on more film and television projects, including movies, TV series, and even songs.

Not to mention that Akina Nakamori happily expressed in an interview about the film that she enjoyed making movies with Hiroshi Kimura and that the two of them would bring more great films in the future.

This doesn't seem like a bad relationship at all. Looking at how happy Nakamori Akina is, some of her fans suspect that she and Kimura Hiroshi have a special relationship. Especially when Nakamori Akina talks about Kimura Hiroshi in the interview, the light in her eyes is impossible to hide. She even talked about many embarrassing things that happened to Kimura Hiroshi on set.

Many of her fans know that when Nakamori Akina is interviewed and the host asks her about people she doesn't like, she always acts completely businesslike, with a calm and composed expression, and she'll just offer a few casual compliments.

If the relationship is just okay, she'll put on a business-like smile, speak softly, and offer a few genuine compliments. But if the relationship is exceptionally good, she'll show her most authentic self, laughing and joking during interviews, and even sharing embarrassing stories about herself and others, because how can a good relationship be defined if there are no embarrassing moments together?

“Their relationship is definitely not ordinary. Judging from Akina’s facial expressions during the interview, she would smile and her eyes would be particularly bright when she mentioned Kimura. This is the kind of expression one would only have when talking about the closest person to them. Previously, Akina had only shown this kind of expression when talking about her mother. So I have reason to suspect that the two of them are in love.”

On a certain entertainment program, a person who claimed to be an expert in micro-expression analysis made these remarks and even presented a comparison picture of Nakamori Akina's expressions when talking about Kimura Hiroshi and her mother. The expressions were indeed very similar. The next day, many entertainment tabloids began to follow up with reports, and the relationship between the two quickly changed from being very bad and arguing to having rumors and being in love.

The sudden turn of events left onlookers utterly astonished. Nobody believed it. Apart from a few fans who thought the photos did look alike and that there might be something between the two, the vast majority didn't believe it either, thinking it was just another publicity stunt.

The relationship between two top idols, coupled with a movie they starred in, has created chaos in the entertainment media recently. The release of Hiroshi Kimura's new single has only added fuel to the fire, as the promotion for his new album features Western pop dance music.

This is the first time a Japanese person has written and sung a pure Western-style pop song, and it's even a dance song! This immediately piqued everyone's curiosity and added fuel to the fire of their popularity. This June, the popularity of these two male and female idols is truly as hot as this summer.

Chapter 153 Why Am I the Only One Who Doesn't Have Feelings for Him?

Since releasing his new single in February and causing a major media frenzy, Hiroshi Kimura has rarely appeared on television programs. Although he still occasionally appears in the media, it is almost always in text form, and it is difficult to even see a single photo of him.

This has been the case since his debut, which is why Hiroshi Kimura has earned the nickname "the reclusive top idol!" It refers to his almost complete lack of public appearances except for promoting new songs.

At first, some fans and music lovers were very dissatisfied, feeling that it was unacceptable that the idols they wanted to see could not be seen on TV. However, a series of events that happened after Kimura Hiroshi made them realize that the idol they had become fans of was very different from other idols, and that the difference between him and other idols was like heaven and earth.

Such a special and handsome idol is truly rare. Fans and music lovers are relieved and feel that this is fine. However, every time Kimura Hiro releases a new single, it becomes their happiest day, when they can see their Kimura-chan again.

"Sakamoto, remember to watch Night HIT tonight! Our Kimura-chan will be performing his new single on the show airing today. I heard it's a pure Western-style dance track."

As school was about to end, Maeda Yumi called out to Sakamoto, who was packing his schoolbag. Ever since Maeda Yumi won the battle over Kimura Hiroshi's new single, she had been bringing up Kimura Hiroshi in front of Sakamoto. At first, it was meant to be sarcastic, but later it was just pure teasing, like today.

Now, Sakamoto trembles when he hears Maeda Yumi mention the name Kimura Hiroshi. That woman is really annoying. He only said one bad thing about Kimura Hiroshi, and she has been nagging him about it for months and still hasn't stopped. She is really hateful and vengeful.

"What business is it of mine what single he releases? Honestly, high school students should be studying hard, not chasing after idols all the time." Sakamoto couldn't help but retort.

But what he got in return was an even fiercer counterattack from Maeda Yumi. Maeda Yumi said in a very puzzled tone, "Oh, is that so? A couple of days ago, someone secretly bought Kikuchi Momoko's magazine at the newsstand. Oh, right, her debut song was written by our Kimura-chan."

"How did you know..." After saying this, Sakamoto realized he had let something slip. Wasn't this admitting that he had bought the magazine? His face turned red, he glared at Maeda Yumi, then grabbed his bag and ran out of the classroom, leaving Maeda Yumi's cheerful laughter behind him.