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

"Then go ahead. Let me see what you're capable of."

The two bowed and left the president's office.

After leaving the office, Suoh Shun watched his older brother's retreating figure, his fighting spirit already ignited within him.

"Genkawa-kun, I hope your script won't disappoint me."

Volume 1 The Shining Morning Star: Chapter 86 The Production Team Releases the Trailer, Career-Oriented People Take Action! (Two-in-One 6K+)

After the script reading and costume photo shoot were completed, the first real leading role challenge in Yu Genkawa's acting career finally began.

The production company, Burning Studio, demonstrated its remarkable efficiency and strength as an industry giant. With the full support of the producer, the "Alice in the Land of the Dying" project quickly completed its pre-production preparations and directly entered the substantive filming and promotion stage.

Having just completed some preliminary preparations, the production team decided to strike while the iron was hot and shoot a high-quality teaser trailer to generate buzz in the market, attract advertising investment, and build anticipation for the official broadcast.

As the undisputed male and female leads, Yu Genkawa and Mai Sakurajima naturally became the absolute core of this promotional video.

At seven o'clock in the morning, a black van was driving on the highway leading to Tochigi Prefecture.

Inside the car, Genkawa Yu looked at the scenery passing by outside the window with a calm expression, while Kato Megumi sat next to him with a serious look on her face.

The trailer was filmed in Ashikaga City. In order to recreate the impactful opening scene from the original work, the crew built a near-1:1 replica of Shibuya on a large open space in Ashikaga City!

This includes the iconic intersection, the Hachiko statue, and the ticket gate and adjacent restroom at the east exit of Shibuya Station.

This almost obsessive attention to detail, achieved solely for capturing those few crucial shots, speaks volumes about the cost and determination invested.

As the vehicle entered the film set, Yu Genkawa saw this "replica" Shibuya for the first time, gaining a deeper understanding of the power of capital.

Even though I knew it was a set, the familiar shop signs, zebra crossings, and even the slight wear and tear on the ground were all made extremely realistically. Walking among them, I had a fleeting illusion that I was actually at the world's busiest intersection.

However, at this moment, the place was deserted, with only busy crew members and various equipment, and a strange sense of incongruity arose in my mind.

"Isn't that amazing?"

Mai Sakurajima, who was chosen as the female lead, walked over from the side. She was in a different van. The girl was dressed casually today. Because the temperature had risen, she was wearing a loose, pure white cotton cardigan. The soft fabric outlined her elegant figure.

She wore light blue slim-fit straight-leg jeans and simple white sneakers. Her long black hair was loosely draped over her shoulders, giving her a more approachable, girl-next-door vibe.

"This is the first time I've ever seen a real set built on this scale. Is this the grandeur of a big-budget production?"

Genkawa Yu nodded, sincerely marveling, "It feels like bringing a scene from a dream into reality."

Today's shooting schedule is very demanding, mainly focusing on several key shots for the pilot episode.

Mai Sakurajima quickly got into work mode, and with the help of the stylist, she neatly tied her long, smooth hair into a high ponytail.

This hairstyle instantly and subtly changed her entire aura, making her less gentle and languid than usual, and more capable and heroic. Her eyes also became sharper and brighter, perfectly matching the tenacity and decisiveness of the character [Usagi Yuzuha] as a survival expert in the drama.

As for Yu Minakawa, he doesn't need to dress up too seriously. As a "good-for-nothing man," Ryohei Arisu doesn't need to have a particularly eye-catching, decadent vibe.

An hour later, filming for the trailer officially began.

The first highlight is the classic opening scene from the original work.

The protagonist, Ryohei Arisu (played by Yu Genkawa), and his two friends escape into the restroom next to the ticket gate at the east exit of Shibuya Station to avoid the sudden chaos. However, when they push open the restroom door and come out, still shaken, they find that Shibuya, which should have been bustling with people and flashing neon lights, has become deathly silent.

The once bustling city seemed to have been erased, leaving only empty streets, abandoned vehicles, and silently flashing traffic lights.

The visual and psychological contrast from extreme noise to extreme quiet creates an unparalleled impact on one's physiological senses.

Yu Minakawa needs to portray a series of emotional changes, from panic and confusion to disbelief, and finally to immense fear and bewilderment.

This is still quite challenging for him, since it's a bit difficult for a new actor (green) to play a leading role. So, the skill level of "proficient voice, acting, and physical expression" is what he has been focusing on gaining experience recently.

Genkawa Yu took a deep breath, trying to put himself in the shoes of Arisu Ryohei, an ordinary person suddenly thrown into an apocalyptic situation.

"Action!"

The director gave the order, and Yu Genkawa and the two male actors playing his friends (including Haruto Yamazaki) stumbled into the restroom, each with a genuine look of panic on their faces.

After a brief pause, the three of them cautiously and with a sense of hope pushed open the heavy door.

Despite being mentally prepared, when Yuu Genkawa actually stepped out of the "toilet" and stood on the completely replicated yet deserted streets of Shibuya, the immense, suffocating sense of emptiness and loneliness instantly overwhelmed his mind.

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

Experience points: 13/100

Experience points: 14/100

Experience points: 15/100

The camera zoomed in, capturing the subtle twitching on Genkawa Yu's face. His pupils dilated in shock, and his mouth opened slightly involuntarily, as if he had stopped breathing.

After a while, he staggered forward a few steps, looking around blankly, like a child abandoned on a strange planet.

The genuine shock and fear from the heart were clearly conveyed through the lens.

Experience points: 16/100

Experience points: 17/100

"Cut! Great, Genkawa-kun, the emotion was spot on!" Director Aoyama shouted with satisfaction.

The next moment, Genkawa Yusai slowly pulled himself out of that immersive emotion. He touched his chest and began to remember those forcibly created emotions.

The following filming consisted of a montage of various tense and exciting "game" scenes. In order to give investors and audiences a preliminary look at the setting of this cruel world, the director arranged for the filming of some action scenes and representative "game" montage shots.

At its core, "Alice in the Land of the Dying" is a game of death distinguished by the suits of playing cards.

Spades: A game that emphasizes physical strength, combat, and survival. It usually involves direct physical confrontation or extreme escapes, requiring strong combat skills, endurance, and teamwork.

Blocks: A game that tests intelligence, logical reasoning, and calculation skills. Like solving a puzzle, it requires a calm mind and extensive knowledge.

Plum Blossom: A game that emphasizes teamwork, division of labor, and trust. Each member needs to perform their duties and cooperate with each other to pass the level.

Hearts: The most cruel and psychologically torturous game, where manipulation, betrayal, and deception are commonplace, testing the weaknesses of human nature, and passing the game often means sacrificing others.

In the story, the protagonist, Ryohei Arisu, may have average physical strength, but he possesses extremely keen observation skills and strong logical reasoning abilities. He is particularly good at solving "block" type puzzle games. At the same time, his kindness and empathy also allow him to find unique solutions to some "club" and even cruel "heart" games.

The female protagonist, Yuzuha Usagi, was once an excellent mountaineer with outstanding physical abilities and strong survival skills, making her the absolute main force in dealing with the "Spade" type of physical games.

During breaks in filming, Yu Genkawa and Mai Sakurajima inevitably needed to discuss the plot and their characters.

After a simulated chase scene involving a black cheetah, the two rested against a "ruin wall".

"You could have lowered your center of gravity a little more during that dodge; that would have made you start up faster."

Mai Sakurajima naturally offered some pointers, as she had previously filmed action scenes and could share some of her experience with Yu Genkawa.

"Yes, I felt it. My reaction wasn't actually that fast when the other party pounced on me."

Because there were no CG effects during filming, everything had to be imagined by the actors. However, to make the promotional video more effective, the director directly hired an action actor to play the "black cheetah" in the scenes of pouncing and hunting.

"Take it slow. That's how action scenes are. You need to get used to the presence of the camera and your co-stars."

Mai Sakurajima smiled. After a chase scene, her forehead was covered in sweat, but the girl's voice was still clear.

"Sakurajima-san is really amazing, no wonder you're a senior."

Genkawa Yu took a sip of water and continued to ponder the content of the next scene.

"Humph."

Sakurajima Mai looked at Genkawa Yu and suddenly laughed, a sly glint in her beautiful eyes.

"Speaking of which, since the pronunciation of Arisu is exactly the same as Alice, how about I call Genkawa-kun Alice on set from now on? It's a pretty cute nickname."

"Sakurajima-san...do as you please."

Genkawa Yu didn't have any thoughts on this. Generally speaking, in order to better immerse themselves in the role, some actors in the crew will choose to call their co-stars by their character names during breaks, which helps them to better get into the mood.

"You really have no objections?"

"It's just a name, of course I have no objection."

Genkawa Yu shrugged.

After a while, filming resumed.

In subsequent filming, there will be some scenes where the two need to support each other while running, as well as scenes of exchanging information and making eye contact at close range.

Although their last collaboration was in a few minor scenes in "49", Yu Genkawa felt that he and Mai Sakurajima were becoming more and more in sync.

They portrayed the subtle tension between the characters very well, which also made Genkawa Yu's experience points gain faster.

Finally, after a long day of intense filming, the director announced the end of the shoot after the final reshoots of the explosions and action scenes were completed.

The staff began busily packing up the equipment, and the actors were finally able to relax.

Genkawa Yu glanced at his system panel.

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

Experience points: 21/100

"That's fast. Once the actual filming starts, we should be able to get this entry very soon."

After a period of intense work, even a regular meal on set tastes especially delicious.

The afterglow of the setting sun cast a nostalgic and slightly tragic hue over the entire Shibuya-inspired set, which strangely overlapped with the atmosphere of the world in the drama.

Although Mai Sakurajima and Yu Genkawa are the main characters, they still have to eat the crew's boxed lunches, but the quality is very high, and they have the special treatment that comes with being the main characters.

Kato Megumi wasn't an actress, so she had eaten beforehand. She was holding Genkawa Yu's coat and water bottle, sitting to the side at a perfect distance so as not to disturb the two of them while they were eating.

The two found a spacious small table together. While eating, Mai Sakurajima kept glancing at Yu Genkawa. She seemed to want to say something, but with this uniquely present artist assistant who had a close relationship with Yu Genkawa present, the girl seemed to feel that it was inconvenient to say some things.

She hesitated for a moment, but ultimately said nothing.

Genkawa Yu quickly noticed that Sakurajima Mai was hesitant to speak, so he took the initiative to break the silence with a smile.

"Does Sakurajima-san have something to say? It's okay, just say what you want to say, don't worry about Kato."

Mai Sakurajima smiled, glanced at Megumi Kato, and then asked directly.

"Okay, actually I'm concerned about something else. Have you been writing anything new lately?"

Genkawa Yu was somewhat surprised that she would ask this question. The script for "Love Like a Bouquet" was already more than half completed, and the finale was just around the corner.

"Actually, yes, but I'm not writing a novel, I'm creating a screenplay."