I really just want to grind for entries related to crossover anime/manga.

After a while, the core creative team of the production crew made a collective appearance.

The director chosen by Suo Shun for this film is another well-known director under the Burning series—Doi Kiwato.

This is a middle-aged man in his fifties with graying hair, wearing black-rimmed glasses, and always looking cheerful. He is known in the industry for his ability to capture subtle emotions and create a lifelike atmosphere, and he especially loves to depict the drama hidden in the daily lives of ordinary people.

"Mr. Genkawa, I've heard so much about you!"

Director Doi warmly grasped Genkawa Yu's hand, shook it vigorously, and smiled kindly.

"I've read your script several times; it's wonderfully written. I'm really looking forward to working with you this time!"

"Director Doi, you flatter me. It is an honor to work with you, and I will need your guidance."

Yu Genkawa responded humbly, showing respect for this experienced senior who clearly understood the core of the script. He knew that Director Doi's style was a perfect match for the tone of "Love Like a Bouquet".

After exchanging pleasantries, the crew quickly moved on to the formal filming phase.

Because "Love Like a Bouquet" uses a narrative structure that interweaves flashbacks and dual perspectives, the filming order did not follow the script's timeline.

The scenes filmed on the first day were shot from the perspective of the female lead, Kinu Hachiya, showcasing her hobbies and daily life, foreshadowing her later encounter and resonance with Mugi Yamano.

Akane Kurokawa was already prepared.

When she stands in front of the camera, she instantly transforms into that somewhat introverted girl who loves literature and film and has her own unique perception of the world.

The focus and joy in her eyes as she flipped through the old books, and the carefulness with which her fingertips brushed the pages.

The image of someone lazily and contentedly eating bread and reading comics in their apartment, with their legs swaying slightly, captures every detail perfectly—natural and vivid.

Akane Kurokawa not only portrayed the character's physical appearance, but also captured the essence of the "homebody" and "pure" spirit of being immersed in one's own spiritual world, a quality that is not completely tainted by worldly affairs, and is somewhat clumsy yet incredibly sincere.

Even the usually demanding director Doi couldn't help but nod repeatedly while watching the monitor playback, and whispered his praise to the assistant director next to him.

"Kurokawa-san's acting is even more delicate than I imagined. Her understanding of the character's inner world is very thorough. I really found a gem."

"After all... the male lead is Genkawa-san."

The assistant director was a woman with a keener eye for observation. Although Akane Kurokawa's acting skills were quite good, the light in her eyes hardly diminished whenever she looked at Yu Minakawa.

Hmm... Could this be a natural performance?

The assistant director had this thought on the first day.

Next comes the scenes featuring Yu Minakawa, told from the perspective of the male protagonist, Mugi Yamano.

Genkawa Yu changed into a slightly loose hoodie and jeans that suited his character. As he walked into the frame, the slightly naive, somewhat confused yet somewhat curious college student vibe began to emerge.

His absent-mindedness while working at the fast food restaurant, his gaze drifting out the window while wiping tables, reflected his weariness of repetitive labor and his vague longing for the unknown distance.

When taking photos on the street, the focused look in [Shanyinmai]'s eyes as she crouches down to find a unique angle makes it seem as if the whole world is condensed into the viewfinder.

Yu Genkawa's performance was completely natural, especially his clean yet slightly lonely smile and some unintentional little gestures, which were highly consistent with the character of Yamano Mugi in the script.

[Production Sequence 1: Skilled Level Voice Actor Shape Chart]

Experience points: 85/100

Experience points: 86/100

He accurately captured the sensitivity and richness beneath Shan Yinmai's "ordinary" appearance, the quality of being inconspicuous in a crowd yet possessing a complete inner universe.

"Great! Excellent! Genkawa-kun, that's exactly how it feels!"

Director Doi spoke into the walkie-talkie, his voice brimming with barely suppressed excitement.

"Keep it up! As expected of the scriptwriter, Genkawa-kun's understanding of the character is spot on, and his emotional delivery is very accurate. This is exactly the kind of realism we want."

On the outskirts of the set, far from the main shooting area, Asakura Toru and MEM Chu stood quietly.

Asakura Toru has changed into a simple costume, a plain-colored dress; her scenes will be filmed a little later.

Her gaze, as if drawn by a magnet, remained firmly fixed on the figure radiating talent and charm under the spotlight—Yuu Genkawa.

Watching him calmly communicate with director Doi, watching his effortless performance in front of the camera, watching him convey such rich emotional layers through just his eyes and subtle movements.

"Genkawa-kun's acting skills are really amazing."

MEM stood beside her, keenly sensing the turbulent emotions in her friend's eyes.

She gently nudged Asakura Toru with her elbow, lowering her voice and speaking in an encouraging tone.

"Tou-chan, this is the world you've always dreamed of. Although it's just the beginning, I believe that as long as you work hard, one day you'll be able to stand in that light just like them and become an even more amazing actor!"

Asakura Toru withdrew his gaze, looked at his friend beside him, nodded vigorously, and clasped his hands tightly in front of him as if to encourage himself. His voice was soft but unusually firm.

"Yes, I'm no longer confused. Now that I've found the place I want to get closer to, I'll definitely move forward slowly."

The girl's blue eyes burned with a clear fighting spirit. In the past, Asakura Toru was not interested in many things, and his passion for being an idol was not that high.

But after meeting Yuu Minakawa, some things had already quietly changed.

"I will always support Tou-chan."

MEM hugged her arm tightly, her face full of gentle smiles.

Unbeknownst to them, not far behind them, Kato Megumi was standing quietly.

The girl held the coat that Genkawa Yu had taken off earlier in her arms, her gaze calmly fixed on the filming in the center of the set.

Asakura Toru's words had just clearly reached her ears, but Kato Megumi's face showed no change in expression, not even a flicker of emotion in her eyes.

She then looked away.

She continued to quietly fulfill her duties as an "artist's assistant".

Volume 2 Tokyo Love Story: Chapter 19 New Vocal Direction, Song Producer! (2-in-1 5.5k)

On the set of "Love Like a Bouquet," afternoon sunlight streamed through the high windows, casting interplay of light and shadow on the cable-covered floor.

Fine dust particles float in the air, mixed with the smell of heat from the equipment and a faint aroma of coffee, creating a focused yet slightly restless creative atmosphere.

Director Hitoshi Doi had just yelled "Cut," ending the previous scene of Kinu Hachiya browsing through a secondhand record store. He rubbed the slightly prickly stubble on his chin, stared thoughtfully at the monitor for a moment, and then waved.

"Genkawa-kun, and Kurokawa-san, could you please come over here for a moment?"

Director Doi pushed up his black-rimmed glasses, his eyes behind the lenses gleaming with excitement.

"Let's talk about the key scenes we're going to film next, the part where [Kinu Hachiya] and [Mugi Yamano] meet and discover their amazing similarities and 'soul resonance'."

Genkawa Yu and Kurokawa Akane walked over to the director as instructed. Several other supporting actors who had a role opposite them also curiously gathered around, hoping to learn something from the conversation between the lead actor and the director.

Not far away, Asakura Toru, who had just finished her scene and hadn't yet removed her makeup or changed clothes, and Kato Megumi, who had been quietly staying in the back area like a shadow, ready to respond to any needs at any time, both turned their attention to this temporary creative core area.

Director Doi pointed to the close-up of Akane Kurokawa's surprised profile when she found her favorite vinyl record in the record store, which had just been replayed on the monitor, and then pulled up the sample footage of Yu Minakawa filming the cityscape on the overpass, and slowly said.

"As we all know, the backbone of this film is two seemingly ordinary but rich young people, Kinu Hachiya and Mugi Yamano. They quickly draw closer because of their amazing commonalities—their niche literature, films, and music—as if they have found the only person in the vast sea of ​​people who can decipher the code of their souls. This ecstasy of 'another me in the world' is the most touching and crucial emotional foundation of the first half of the story."

"but..."

He paused deliberately, his gaze shifting between Yuu Minakawa and Akane Kurokawa, with a hint of guidance.

“Our performances cannot just stay on the surface of ‘liking the same things’; the sense of resonance needs to go deeper, and even some imperceptible cracks need to be buried.”

"Mr. Genkawa, you are the creator of this story, and your understanding of the characters is unparalleled. Could you talk about your thoughts on the seemingly perfect resonance between [Kinu Hachiya] and [Mugi Yamanone]?"

The next moment, all eyes were instantly focused on Genkawa Yu.

He lowered his eyes slightly, his thick eyelashes casting a small shadow beneath them, as if he were deep in thought.

When he looked up again, his usually gentle eyes became exceptionally deep and clear, carrying a gentle calmness.

"Director Doi really got to the heart of the matter."

When Genkawa Yu spoke, his voice was clear and steady, and every word was clearly audible in the relatively quiet film set.

"【Hachigaya Kinu】 and 【Yamaon Mugi】were initially struck and attracted by their striking similarities. They both liked to use movie ticket stubs as bookmarks, both had a fondness for the same unknown stage actor, and even their ways of thinking were so similar."

"Therefore, when we are all lonely people, in this period of our youth, to find such a mirror-like existence, the ecstasy of 'finally being understood' and the feeling of 'this person is unique' is absolutely real and intense."

He abruptly changed the subject, his voice now tinged with a chilling clarity.

“But I think this kind of resonance, which is based on ‘communicating through things created by others,’ is inherently fragile.”

Upon hearing this, not only did Director Doi's eyes light up, but Akane Kurokawa also held her breath slightly and stared at him more intently.

The actors around him, including Toru Asakura, all wore expressions of surprise or deep thought.

After all, besides being an actor, Yu Genkawa is also a writer.

Genkawa Yu continued, his words unhurried yet possessing a penetrating power.

"【Hachigaya Kinu】and 【Yamaon Mugi】their initial in-depth exchanges were largely accomplished through shared favorite book quotes, discussions of movie plots, and sharing feelings about music they had listened to."

"They seem to be having a dialogue using a codebook carefully constructed by third-party cultural symbols. This resonance is passionate, beautiful, and intoxicating, but it may inadvertently avoid the deeper, direct collision and friction of their own souls."

He made a simple gesture, bringing his hands together in an attempt to express the abstract concept more vividly.

"Imagine what happens when the external environment changes, when they leave the fortress built by the 'common ground' that they believe they are closely connected to, when the pressures of reality come crashing down like mountains, when they have to face the mundane realities of daily life, when their life trajectories inevitably diverge due to employment and growth, when they no longer have so much time and peace of mind to immerse themselves in these utopias constructed by art and literature..."

“Those strong resonances that once made them feel that the other person was ‘the only answer in their destiny’ will fade at a heartbreaking speed, and may even reveal the emptiness that may exist beneath them.”

His voice wasn't loud, yet it seemed to possess a kind of deafening magic.

"Because what they love is perhaps not just the other person as a person, but also the reflection in that person in whom they can clearly see all their own preferences and thoughts, the great comfort of 'I am not the only strange soul in the world.'"

"When the external environment and shared interests that support this comfort gradually dissipate or change, and when each other is no longer a perfect mirror of the other's spiritual world, that almost fatalistic sense of certainty will begin to waver."

"This is why their love is like a carefully picked bouquet, which is extremely beautiful and fragrant when it blooms, but ultimately cannot avoid the fate of withering, because in the beginning, its roots have not truly taken root in the most unique and resilient soil of each other's souls."

"This is the name of the story, the origin of the bouquet-like love."

After he finished speaking, the film set fell into a deep silence.

Everyone was captivated and awestruck by Yu Minakawa's profound and insightful analysis.

Akane Kurokawa looked at him and felt as if her heart had been gently bumped by something, and then began to beat faster and faster uncontrollably.

She had long known that Genkawa Yu was exceptionally talented, but at this moment he was demonstrating not only the ability to create moving stories, but also a profound insight into human nature and the essence of emotional relationships.

This rational wisdom, combined with his focused, earnest, and even slightly divine profile as he immersed himself in thought, exuded an almost fatal attraction.

She felt her breathing become lighter, and a feeling of intense admiration, deep resonance, and irrepressible adoration surged within her like a tide.

Director Doi, standing to the side, suddenly slapped his thigh, his face beaming with excitement as if he had found a kindred spirit.

"Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!"