My daily life with the original diva

But if you were to actually ask Europeans who the lead actor in this movie is, probably very few would know, since Europeans simply don't remember what Asian actors look like.

However, ordinary Japanese people don't care about any of this. They only know that a Japanese movie has actually been released in Europe and is doing very well at the box office, which is really amazing.

This resulted in Kimura Hiroshi's continued high popularity, and everyone else involved in the film benefited greatly. Kitano Takeshi, who was originally considered to have no experience and was just a stand-up comedian, was praised as the best new director in Japan, and it is said that he will be awarded the Best New Director Award at the Japan Academy Film Prize at the end of the year.

Several major film companies extended offers to him, but Takeshi Kitano rejected them all. He knew exactly what was going on with the film; he had only finished filming, and the script and editing were actually controlled by Hiroshi Kimura. His role was not significant.

Not to mention that he had already witnessed the true colors of those insiders at Toho, and going there would probably not end well. It would be better to continue working with Hiroshi Kimura. Although he would be exploited by that kid, he would also be free to do whatever he wanted without any worries. Moreover, it wouldn't be long before he was able to make his own movie.

As the other lead actress, Akina Nakamori received even more benefits. When she participated in the program, Akina Nakamori could clearly feel that the attitude of both the TV station staff and other celebrities who participated in the program towards her had become more respectful.

Previously, when participating in some programs, female idols would always be asked to perform some suggestive acts. In the past, she would either refuse with a cold face or slack off and stand aside as a background figure. Now, no one asks her to participate in these performances anymore.

She's not just an idol now, but a movie actress who has appeared on the world stage. She's likely to become an international superstar in the future, at which point her status will be completely different. We can't treat her like an ordinary idol anymore.

This change made Akina Nakamori both happy and worried. She was happy because she no longer needed to offend the production staff when appearing on shows; they would automatically remove any work she didn't like. However, she was worried because more people were asking her about Hiroshi Kimura.

Especially recently, Hiroshi Kimura has announced that he will be filming his second movie and is looking for actors. Although he will not be the lead actor, he will be the screenwriter and assistant director. This is a great opportunity. If he can participate, it will probably be another blockbuster. Even if it doesn't become popular overseas, it would be a great success in Japan. Who wouldn't want such an opportunity?

However, apart from participating in necessary programs, it's really hard to find Hiroshi Kimura. He doesn't reply to many of the faxes they send, so they can only try to find a breakthrough in other areas, such as people who are familiar with Hiroshi Kimura. The most suitable person would be Akina Nakamori, who frequently participates in various programs.

As a result, every time she participates in a program, many people come to flatter her. In the past, there were only some female idols who wanted songs, but now even actresses come. Some managers even ask her how much it would cost to hire Hiroshi Kimura, saying they would pay whatever it takes.

This kept sounding alarm bells in Nakamori Akina's mind, especially since so many beautiful women wanted to throw themselves at her Hiro-kun; this was absolutely unacceptable.

It was another day of participating in various programs. As soon as she arrived backstage, she was greeted by two female celebrities she didn't know very well. They then started chatting with her, and the conversation gradually turned to Kimura Hiroshi. This annoyed Nakamori Akina, but she didn't want to refuse. Just as she was in a dilemma, someone came over.

"Ah, it's Akina-chan. I need to talk to you. Please come with me for a moment." The person who came was none other than Akina Nakamori's best friend, Kyoko Koizumi. Having also been in the entertainment industry for two years, Kyoko Koizumi had become quite bold and had a more assertive personality. She pulled Akina Nakamori away, completely ignoring the two female celebrities' astonished expressions.

The two arrived at a secluded corner of the lounge. Nakamori Akina took Koizumi Kyoko's hand and said, "Thank you, Kyoko-chan. I don't know what I would have done without you."

Looking at the helpless Nakamori Akina, Koizumi Kyoko said very seriously, "Akina-chan, I must warn you, you need to learn to refuse and be assertive. Kimura-san's career is booming, and more and more women will want to get close to him. If you are still so weak and don't know how to refuse, then you will be in big trouble in the future."

Akina Nakamori was well aware of this, but that's just her personality; she's always soft-hearted and can't bear to refuse others easily. The most she can do is pretend not to know.

"Akina-chan, you must really like Kimura-san, right? If you're not assertive, even if Kimura-san is an upright person, he'll eventually be overwhelmed by the constant stream of women taking the initiative. So as his girlfriend, you have to be strong. Think about it, what would you do if Kimura-san left you for another woman?"

Knowing my best friend's personality, I knew things couldn't go on like this; I had to make her stand up for herself.

The thought of Kimura Hiroshi leaving her made Nakamori Akina feel suffocated. She didn't want to know what that feeling was like. No, she couldn't tolerate this happening. She had to make some changes. She took a deep breath and said, "I understand, Kyoko-chan. I'll be more assertive from now on and refuse those people."

"That's more like it, my Akina-chan. But you don't need to worry too much. Kimura-san is so upright and likes you so much. He even co-wrote that album called 'Love' with you. It's really enviable. You sang that female voice, right?" After admonishing Nakamori Akina, Koizumi Kyoko couldn't help but feel envious of Nakamori Akina again.

Unfortunately, not every boyfriend is so talented that he can produce such an excellent album for his girlfriend.

"Hehe, Kyoko-chan recognized it, you're really amazing." Nakamori Akina was a little shy when she said this, since it seemed like she was showing off her affection.

"Having known you for so long, it would be strange if I couldn't recognize your falsetto," Kyoko Koizumi said proudly.

"Yes, Kyoko-chan is the best." Nakamori Akina agreed. Looking at her best friend, she suddenly thought, "Kyoko-chan, I heard you say before that you wanted to do some acting work. How about I recommend you to film in Kimura-san's drama? I heard they haven't found a female lead yet."

"Huh? Would it be inappropriate for me to go? And why didn't Kimura-san let you play the lead role?" Koizumi Kyoko said with some concern.

Patting Kyoko Koizumi's hand, Akina Nakamori said, "I can only ask for you. Whether it's feasible or not depends on Kimura-san's decision. As for why he doesn't want me to act, it's probably because Kimura-san has other plans. I heard he has another movie to shoot next year, and he'll let me play the female lead. He doesn't want me to work consecutively."

"Ah, he really knows how to care for people. You're so lucky in the future," said Kyoko Koizumi with a hint of envy and jealousy. A boyfriend like that is really hard to find.

Chapter 119 New and Old Directors in Hand

Despite the overwhelming praise and accolades from the media and numerous invitations to high-rated TV programs, Hiroshi Kimura seemed to have vanished. He made no public appearances, participated in any programs, and even media outlets with close ties to him did not publish any information about him.

At this time, Hiroshi Kimura was busy recruiting at his company, mainly recruiting new directors and other staff related to the film. These people would be his tools to shoot the good films in his mind. After all, his energy was limited and he couldn't possibly shoot all the films himself. Otherwise, he might work himself to death.

Given his naturally lazy personality, he would need some people to do these things. He could just throw the script aside and lie down to count his money.

However, he only had a superficial understanding of the recruitment process. To ensure he wouldn't make a mistake and recruit a group of equally clueless people, Kimura Hiroshi asked Fukada Isamu to send a senior supervisor from Toho to help him with the recruitment.

Fukada Yuya wasn't stingy either, and sent him an old man, Nishikawa Katsumi, who is now 66 years old and a renowned director.

She has directed many films, the most famous of which are the two versions of "The Dancing Girl of Izu". One version stars Sayuri Yoshinaga, the eternal white moonlight of the Japanese, and the other version stars Momoe Yamaguchi, the eternal female idol of the Japanese.

However, the past two years have been unlucky for this elderly and renowned director. Last year, he was filming a movie depicting family and school violence, but a violent death actually occurred at the school where the film was shot, and the movie was pulled from theaters.

Another film was shot this year, but the audience attendance was terribly low, failing to meet Toho's minimum attendance requirement, and the film was forced to be pulled from theaters. It can be described as a year of bad luck.

However, this bespectacled, elderly director is incredibly experienced, having directed over twenty films, many of which are classics. Therefore, Kimura Hiroshi naturally welcomed his arrival.

The renowned director was also very curious about the recently rising star, Hiroshi Kimura. After meeting, the two had a conversation, and Kimura found that the old man was quite amiable. After all, he was famous for his ability to promote new talents. Both Sayuri Yoshinaga and Momoe Yamaguchi were newcomers at the time, so he was kind to young people.

Similarly, Katsumi Nishikawa also had a good impression of Hiroshi Kimura. He had heard from his colleagues at Toho that the young man was arrogant and conceited, and that his recent film was a huge hit in Europe, which probably made him even more arrogant. However, after meeting him, he showed humility and goodwill.

"Kimura-san, the media has been saying you're a child prodigy lately, and the movies you produce are huge hits in Europe. Why would you want an old man like me to help you? I think you're good enough at making movies and recruiting people, right?" Nishikawa Katsumi asked curiously.

With a smile, Hiroshi Kimura humbly replied, "Mr. Nishikawa, the fact that 'Léon: The Professional' became so popular is, in my opinion, just a coincidence. I may have some talent, but in reality, the production of a film is all thanks to Takeshi Kitano, who is also a newcomer. That's not enough. I need to learn more from experienced directors like Mr. Nishikawa."

The recent buzz is mostly just hype. Kimura Hiroshi is well aware of his own limitations. The reason he hasn't made any public appearances is primarily to reduce the hype. After all, he's been incredibly popular in the last two months, abnormally so. If he continues to appear frequently, it might cause audience fatigue, so it's better to stay out of the spotlight.

In addition, he can use this popularity to sell his records and albums without having to put too much effort into promotion. This period is perfect for learning and recruiting suitable personnel. After all, next year he will try to direct his first film. Although he will ask this old gentleman for help, if he is only half-baked in everything, he will probably be laughed at.

Unexpectedly, this young man who has been praised to the skies recently has such a humble heart. Nishikawa Katsumi liked him even more and said, "Kimura-san is a genius boy, yet he still has such a thirst for knowledge. Your future is destined to be extraordinary. No wonder that Minister Fukada values ​​you so much. It seems he chose the right person."

In the days to come, I will help you select suitable young men. Also, if you have any questions, feel free to ask me anytime; I will tell you anything I know.

"Then I look forward to your continued support, Mr. Nishikawa," Kimura Hiroya said happily.

Over the next few days, Kimura Hiroshi began to exploit the old man's experience and energy without any hesitation. Besides learning how to direct films from him, he also asked him to help select young people who came to apply for jobs in the film industry and to see what their background was like.

I must say, this old gentleman truly lives up to his reputation as a veteran director who has been in the film industry for over twenty years. His insight is incredibly sharp. Those young people who don't have much real talent simply can't escape his notice; he sees through them all one by one, saving Kimura Hiroshi a lot of trouble.

The day was another routine recruitment drive. They worked until the afternoon, but still hadn't found a single suitable candidate. They had already done most of the recruitment in the past few days, and Kimura Hiroshi felt it was time to end the recruitment process. He figured they had enough young people for now, and they should just squeeze them dry for a while.

Just as he was about to finish, a young man with long hair rushed in, panting, and shouted, "Excuse me, is the recruitment still ongoing... Supervisor Nishikawa, what are you doing here? Did you also switch jobs from Toho?"

These words startled the two people in the office. This person knew Nishikawa Katsumi. Could he be someone from Toho? Nishikawa Katsumi was stunned when he saw the person call out his name. He seemed to have seen this young man before, but he couldn't remember where he was or what his name was.

"Who are you...?" Nishikawa Katsumi asked in confusion.

Seeing that he didn't recognize him, the young man looked at him with an understanding expression and said, "Director Nishikawa, I am a student at Yokohama University. I love movies. My name is Shunji Iwai. I have attended Director Nishikawa's training course and also interned at Toho. It's normal that you don't recognize me."

Hearing this, Katsumi Nishikawa showed an expression of understanding, but Hiroshi Kimura was stunned when he heard the name. Shunji Iwai, the university student Shunji Iwai, what was he doing here? Shouldn't he be studying at this time? Did he find out that I copied his love letter? No, he hadn't written it yet.

"Shunji Iwai, are you here for a job interview? But you're still a student," Hiroshi Kimura asked, composing himself.

Nodding, the still very young and inexperienced Shunji Iwai took out a roll of film from his bag and said, "Yes, I'm here to apply for a job. I heard from a friend at Toho that Kimura-san's company was hiring, so I wanted to give it a try. However, I still have to go to school, so I can only come here part-time. This is the film I shot. Please give me your guidance."

Although Shunji Iwai is much older than Hiroshi Kimura, he is a senior in the film industry, not to mention his current fame, so Shunji Iwai has great respect for him.

Without even wanting to look at the film, Hiroshi Kimura was determined to win him over. This man was a famous director who later directed many well-known romance films, but he was just a seedling now. What was he waiting for if he didn't win him over?

However, he couldn't be too enthusiastic at this moment, as that would be too strange. So he said, "Iwai-san, you're still a university student. Originally, we shouldn't be hiring you, but seeing that you seem very interested in filmmaking, we'll give you a chance. Let's take a look at your film. If you're satisfied, you can come and work part-time. Your salary will only be paid according to the temporary worker standard, is that okay?"

Upon hearing Kimura Hiroshi's agreement, Iwai Shunji was naturally overjoyed and bowed, saying, "Thank you so much. I would be happy to be hired if I could."

"That's good. I'll take a look at your film shots with Mr. Nishikawa first." Kimura Hiroshi had already made up his mind. Even if the shots had many problems, he would still bring him over to do odd jobs and train him slowly. When he was ready, it would be time for him to reap the rewards.

The staff took the film to the screening room for playback. Kimura Hiroshi and Nishikawa Katsumi then went in to watch it. The film was of a landscape, and Kimura Hiroshi was amazed by the effect of the shot. He was truly a master who could use scenery to express emotions. He was so young to have shot such a good film.

Nishikawa Katsumi, who was standing next to him, nodded repeatedly, clearly satisfied with the filming.

The ten-minute landscape video was quickly finished. Katsumi Nishikawa said, "The shooting angles and camera control are very good, but the shooting techniques are still a bit immature and unfamiliar. If possible, with proper training, he may become an excellent director in the future."

This was already a very high compliment. Kimura Hiroshi naturally understood what he meant. As he walked out of the screening room, he said to Iwai Shunji, who was waiting anxiously, "Iwai-san, you've been hired. However, you'll need to intern at our company for a while first. If you meet the requirements when you graduate, we can let you direct a film independently."

It was a promise, and Shunji Iwai was overjoyed to hear it. He immediately extended his hand and said, "That's great, thank you Kimura-san. I'm willing to join your company. It's definitely better to work for a younger company. Toho only wanted me to do odd jobs and never offered me the opportunity to make movies."

Hearing this, Nishikawa Katsumi, who was standing next to him, felt a little embarrassed. Goodness, he was an employee of Toho. Was it really okay for him to criticize Toho like this in front of him?

Chapter 220 Acne Again

I had a good chat with Shunji Iwai, who was still a university student and a future famous director. Of course, the main thing was to listen to this university student's vision for the future and to make promises to him. This is a skill that every president needs to master. A president who can't make promises to his employees is not a good president.

After seeing Shunji Iwai off, Hiroshi Kimura used the scenery film that Iwai had sent him to consult with veteran director Katsumi Nishikawa about how to shoot the scenery film. He wanted to learn as much experience and knowledge as possible to prepare himself for directing independently in the future.

After a busy day, he finished everything around 8 or 9 p.m. His sister, who had gone back to her apartment earlier, called him and told him to come to her place after get off work because his girlfriend, Akina Nakamori, was coming over for dinner.

During this time, Akina Nakamori would occasionally come over, but she would never stay overnight. She was simply too busy, only getting four or five hours of sleep each day, and needed to rest properly. She couldn't stay up late chatting with her sister, nor did she have the energy to keep up with Hiroshi Kimura's antics.

After driving back to his apartment, Kimura Hiroshi went straight to his sister's apartment. He knocked on the door, and it opened shortly after. It was Nakamori Akina. She wasn't wearing makeup today and was sporting her signature black-rimmed glasses. Seeing Kimura Hiroshi return, she smiled happily, took his bag, and said, "Welcome back. You must be tired from work, Hiroshi-kun."

Akina Nakamori originally thought that Hiroshi Kimura would respond by saying, "You've worked hard too, how's work going?" and then give her a loving hug, just like those affectionate young couples on TV do.

But when Kimura Hiro entered the room, he didn't say anything. He stared at her face intently for a moment, then pointed to the area above her nose and said, "Akina, you have pimples again. Ah, they're even redder than last time."

All her expectations were dashed in an instant. Nakamori Akina wanted nothing more than to punch her Hiro-kun. Her Hiro-kun was sometimes very gentle and romantic, but at other times he was even more awful than those chauvinistic boyfriends. He was completely unable to understand her thoughts and his words were extremely infuriating.

Not wanting to talk to Kimura Hiroshi anymore, Nakamori Akina grabbed his bag and went inside. Kimura Hiroshi, who was behind her, seemed completely unaware that there was something wrong with what he said and continued, "Akina, if you have pimples, you shouldn't eat fried food. It's bad for your skin."

Is this the time to talk about this? We haven't seen each other for several days, shouldn't we be gently comforting each other? It's really infuriating. She casually put her bag on the counter and sat down next to the table, not wanting to pay any attention to this guy.

The older sister, who had been sitting there without moving, found the interaction between the two quite amusing. "Yeah, this is how a younger brother should be," she thought. "He has no idea what a girl is thinking, let alone how to sweet-talk her."

"I'm back, sister. Did you have a hard day at work?" Kimura Hiroshi said as he walked into the living room after changing his shoes and saw his sister, Kimura Ryo.

"It's alright. I went through the company's work rules and then left work on time. You've worked hard, coming back so late," Kimura Ryo replied casually.

That's good. If he were to exhaust himself by borrowing his sister to help him set up his company, he wouldn't be able to explain it to his family.

"Hmph!" A soft snort came from the side. Kimura Hiroshi looked over and saw Nakamori Akina turning her head away with a cold face, clearly unhappy.

He knew perfectly well why this girl was acting this way, so he quickly sat down next to her, rubbed her shoulders, and said, "Akina, you've worked hard too. Hiro-kun, let me rub your shoulders to help you relax."

To be fair, Kimura Hiroshi does know a bit about massage. His pressure was just right, and after a few rubs, Nakamori Akina felt quite comfortable. However, thinking about his earlier performance and seeing her sister Kimura Ryo watching the two of them with amusement, she quickly said with a cold face, "Who asked you to massage my shoulders? I'm not tired. Stop now, I'm hungry, let's eat quickly."

After saying that, she ran into the kitchen under her sister's expectant gaze and soon brought out a hot pot. Her sister followed her into the kitchen and brought out all the dishes they wanted to eat. It turned out that they were having hot pot today.

"This was specially prepared by Akina. The weather is just getting cooler, so let's enjoy a warm hot pot. Thank you, Akina, for preparing so much." Kimura Ryo, the older sister, praised the heroine of tonight's dinner, putting food into the hot pot with her chopsticks.

"Is that so? Then we really have to thank Akina for letting us enjoy such a delicious hot pot," Kimura Hiroya echoed his sister's praise.

Akina Nakamori was delighted to receive praise from the two people. What she loved most was seeing her efforts bring joy to those around her. She said somewhat shyly, "It's not that great. I just bought some groceries. Let's eat!"

"I'm starting to eat, but Akina, you have pimples, so you should eat less hot pot, otherwise they might not go away for a while." Kimura Hiroshi picked up his chopsticks and was about to start eating, but before he did, he couldn't help but remind her.

Another pimple is nagging at you today, isn't it? Nakamori Akina, who was originally in a good mood, lost it all when Kimura Hiro brought it up again. Her temper flared up. Last time, she was so angry because of a pimple, and now it's back again.

Picking up a beef meatball, Akina Nakamori stubbornly said, "I want to eat it, I want to eat it, and I want to eat a lot of it. Let's see what you do about it."

After saying that, he took a big bite of the meatball, but suddenly let out a scream, "Ah, it's hot, it's so hot!"

Seeing that she seemed to have really burned herself, Kimura Hiroshi quickly put down his chopsticks and shouted, "Spit it out, spit it out quickly, don't burn yourself, sister, go get a glass of cold water."

Fortunately, Akina Nakamori reacted quickly and spat out the dumpling in her mouth. Hiroshi Kimura came to her side, cupped her face, and said worriedly, "Open your mouth and let me see where you're burned?"

Tears welled up in her eyes, but Nakamori Akina obediently opened her mouth. Kimura Hiroshi looked at her and, thankfully, it was just a little red from the heat, so she should be alright. He breathed a sigh of relief, "It's alright, it's alright, it's nothing. I just told you to eat less, not that I didn't want you to eat at all."