Crossover Anime: The Heroine is in Trouble? I Take Advantage of the Situation

During the interview, a young reporter raised a pointed question: "Director Kitahara, some viewers have commented that your works tend to be delicate and slow-paced, which may not be very popular with young audiences in today's fast-paced world. The ratings for your last work five years ago were also rather mediocre. What are your thoughts on this?"

Kitahara Osamu's face immediately darkened, and he almost slammed his fist on the table as he retorted, "Today's audiences are too impatient! Their brains have been spoiled by fast-food-style junk information, and they don't know how to appreciate true art at all! A TV series isn't like cola, which you can gulp down in one go! It's like a fine wine that needs to be savored! It's a work of art!"

The reporter pressed on, "So what do you think audiences like now, fast-paced shows like 'Legal High'?"

"Garbage!" Kitahara Osamu interrupted without any politeness. "That kind of attention-grabbing stuff doesn't even deserve to be called a work of art! True art stands the test of time, not just a fleeting fad!"

The interview caused an uproar online after it aired.

The young audience was utterly enraged: "What do you mean we don't understand art? We just don't like boring stuff!"

"Isn't this old man too arrogant? What era are we living in that he's still clinging to his old-fashioned things?"

Inside Genesis, employees who saw this interview shook their heads.

The head of the film and television department sneered, "It's over. He has completely put himself on the opposite side of the audience. He has already lost half the battle before filming even started."

Meanwhile, the TV alliance immediately spent money to bribe a large number of so-called "senior critics" and "academic professors" to publish articles in support of Osamu Kitahara, praising his "artistic perseverance" and "masterful character".

The A-list actors who participated in the film also publicly expressed their support for the director, under the arrangement of their agencies, saying that it was an honor to participate in the "creation of a work of art".

……

On set, Kitahara Osamu's "artistic pursuits" were taken to the extreme.

He was extremely fascinated by his own "aesthetics of tranquility".

That day, the film crew was shooting a scene depicting the male lead's inner turmoil upon learning that his first love was about to marry someone else.

Osamu Kitahara did not have the actors express their pain through dialogue or facial expressions, but instead designed a three-minute long take:

The male protagonist sat alone in the Japanese-style room, saying nothing, silently watching a maple leaf in the courtyard slowly drift down and eventually fall into the ripples of the pond.

"Cut! Perfect! Absolutely perfect!"

As Kitahara Osamu watched the playback on the monitor, his face flushed with excitement, and he became completely absorbed in his own world.

He exclaimed to the assistant director beside him, "This fallen leaf symbolizes his lost love; these ripples on the pond represent the turmoil in his heart! How poetic!"

The assistant director readily agreed, praising him with a smile.

However, the popular actor playing the male lead was inwardly raging: 'Art? My legs are numb from sitting here! Just to watch a leaf fall? What kind of understanding will the audience get? They'll just get bored and change the channel!'

However, due to Kitahara Osamu's status and reputation in the industry, he had to put on a thoughtful and "sophisticated" expression and said against his will, "Director, your concept is so profound that I feel completely immersed in the character's sadness."

"Not bad, you do have some comprehension," Kitahara Osamu commented casually.

……

After the variety show's disastrous failure, the TV station's executives were unsure of what to do, so they specially sent a production manager to visit the set.

The minister asked with great concern, "Teacher Kitahara, is the filming going smoothly? We... absolutely cannot lose again this time."

Upon hearing this, Kitahara Osamu sneered disdainfully. Pointing to the stunning scene of "fallen leaves dropping into a pond" on the monitor, he said confidently, "What are you worried about? Go back and tell the chairman to put his mind at ease! Look at this shot, this artistic conception! Could that greenhorn named Fujiwara Seiji have captured such a Zen-like scene?"

Looking at the seemingly impressive but actually confusing scene and listening to Kitahara Osamu's confident declaration, the minister's unease vanished, and his confidence soared.

He nodded and bowed repeatedly, saying, "Yes, yes, yes! You're right, teacher! With you here, we feel relieved!"

He immediately went back to report to the chairman, which reassured the entire senior management of the TV station.

……

……

the other side.

The cast and crew of the groundbreaking "Hanzawa Naoki" drama were like a sharp blade drawn from its sheath, full of passion and brilliance.

The day after the variety show's resounding success, the head of the film and television department was in a strange state of extremes, experiencing both joy and sorrow.

He was overjoyed by the victory in the variety show, but also felt immense pressure about the upcoming battle of television dramas, which the entire industry regarded as the ultimate showdown.

I spent the whole morning thinking about what kind of script my boss would come up with to compete with that legendary director, Osamu Kitahara.

Just then, Seiji Fujiwara appeared in the doorway, his expression as calm and collected as ever. Without saying a word, he simply placed a neatly bound script on the department head's desk.

On the cover, there are only four powerful characters: "Hanzawa Naoki".

"The script is out, take a look at it first," Seiji Fujiwara said with a faint smile.

"Yes! My apologies!"

The minister took a deep breath and, with a sense of pilgrimage, turned to the first page.

His breathing became rapid after just the first ten minutes of the story.

The internal factional struggles within the bank, the boss's attempt to shift blame, the enormous burden of a 500 million yen loan... the tense pace and the huge dramatic conflict instantly captivated his entire attention.

His reading speed increased, and his fingers turned slightly white from the effort.

When he saw the iconic line that runs throughout the entire series—"An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth!"—he felt a jolt of electricity shoot from his tailbone to the top of his head, and every hair on his body stood on end!

"A masterpiece... absolutely a masterpiece!"

He stood up excitedly, his voice trembling with shock, “Boss! This script… we must hire the biggest stars! Koji Yakusho, Ken Watanabe… only national treasures like them are worthy of a script like this!”

In his view, such a dramatic script must be handled by the industry's top veteran actors.

------

Thank you so much for the monthly pass from "17-year-old Purple Mom~"!

Last night, I watched BDD shatter the Super League's championship aura, transforming from a commoner into a dragon and gaining dragon power. I was so excited that I couldn't sit still and forgot to update. Sorry, sorry.

Chapter 141 "Hanzawa Naoki"! (1/2)

“They are all very good,” Seiji Fujiwara said with surprising calmness, “but they are too ‘righteous’ and cannot portray the ‘evil’ and ruthlessness that bursts forth from the bones when one is forced into a desperate situation.”

The minister was stunned, looking at Seiji Fujiwara with confusion.

"I've already decided on the lead actor." Seiji Fujiwara's gaze pierced through the office wall, as if he could see someone's future.

"who is it?"

"Arima Takuya".

Upon hearing the name, the minister was stunned once again.

Arima Takuya?

Having just played the flamboyant, sharp-tongued, and cynical lawyer Komekado in "Legal High," he's now cast as Hanzawa Naoki, a patient, resolute bank employee burdened with a deep-seated blood feud.

This...this is such a huge leap!

"Boss, this might not be appropriate, right? Arima-kun's image as Komikado is already deeply ingrained in people's minds, and it's hard for the audience to accept him suddenly becoming so serious..."

Seiji Fujiwara interrupted him: "The cynicism and contempt for rules that he displays in the role of Komikado are just a facade. Beneath that shell lies an extremely obsessive soul that refuses to be bound. By breaking that shell and channeling that obsessive energy into resistance and revenge against injustice, he becomes Hanzawa Naoki."

The minister was stunned.

He then realized that what the boss saw was not an actor's past image, but the potential deep within his soul!

This astonishing insight transformed his gaze towards Seiji Fujiwara from admiration to awe.

“I understand!” The minister bowed respectfully. “I’ll give him the script right away.”

……

the other side.

Arima Takuya, who had just become a sensation with "Legal High" and was enjoying flowers and applause, received the script for "Hanzawa Naoki" from his manager.

He initially thought it was just another ordinary job assigned by the company, but after reading the first three episodes, he jumped up from the sofa excitedly, clutching the script tightly as if he were holding onto his new life.

He immediately turned down all unnecessary engagements, locked himself at home, and began frantically studying the script.

He was completely immersed in Hanzawa Naoki's oppressive yet spirited world.

……

……

Smooth progress on set

Seiji Fujiwara will once again personally take the director's seat.

His direction was flawless, with not a single unnecessary word or shot.

Today, the crew is filming a crucial scene in the entire series—Hanzawa Naoki, at a board meeting, exposes the crimes of his superior, Managing Director Owada, in front of all the senior executives, and forces him to kneel down and apologize.

All the staff held their breath.

Seiji Fujiwara sat in front of the monitor and said only one sentence: "All departments, prepare. Arima, remember, you are not an actor now, you are Hanzawa Naoki. All your grievances, anger, and obsession with justice will erupt in this moment. Begin!"

With bloodshot eyes, Arima Takuya walked step by step toward the veteran actor playing Owada, and in a trembling but powerful voice, recounted the other's crimes.

His emotions progressed in layers, from anger to disappointment, and finally to resolute determination.

"Manager Owada! Do you think what you've done is fair to the subordinates who trusted you? Do you think you've betrayed the bank's trust in you?!"

"You! Kneel down!"

The final roar seemed to have exhausted all his strength.

The veteran actor playing Owada actually broke out in a cold sweat under the overwhelming presence of Takuya Arima.

His legs buckled, and with a thud, he knelt heavily on the ground.

At that moment, the entire film set was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

"Cut!" Seiji Fujiwara's voice broke the silence. "Perfect."

As soon as he finished speaking, the staff on site could no longer hold back and burst into thunderous applause!

The assistant director pumped his fist excitedly, and the cameraman's eyes were red.

"This is...this is amazing..." a young script supervisor murmured to himself, "I feel like I'm witnessing the birth of a masterpiece!"

As they watched the playback on the monitor, they felt a jolt of electricity shoot from their spines to the top of their heads, and goosebumps rose all over their bodies.

As Seiji Fujiwara's secretary, Megumi Kato often needs to be on set.

As she watched Seiji Fujiwara strategizing in front of the monitor, witnessing his meticulous control over every detail and his charismatic leadership that could unleash the deepest potential in actors with just a few words, she was once again deeply moved.

Seiji Fujiwara seems to have been born to be a ruler.

Realizing this, Kato Megumi felt a strange shiver run down her spine, a peculiar feeling that was both fearful and exciting.

……

……

On the eve of the official broadcast of the TV series, the TV Alliance held a grand internal screening and celebration party for director Osamu Kitahara.

The venue was chosen to be the banquet hall of Tokyo's most luxurious hotel, where almost all the core figures of the old guard of Japanese society gathered together.

In the banquet hall, people were well-dressed and drinking.

Osamu Kitahara, dressed in an elegant tuxedo, was surrounded by a group of old-school directors and bribed "senior critics," making him appear like the king of the world.

The preview screening had just ended, and the applause was thunderous and prolonged.

"A masterpiece! This is absolutely a work of art worthy of being recorded in history!" a critic exclaimed, his face flushed with excitement.

"Mr. Kitahara, you have shown us the true height of television drama art! That tranquil beauty, that delicate capture of human nature, is so profound!" another veteran director echoed.

As Kitahara Osamu listened to these compliments, a smile of extreme satisfaction appeared on his face.

He took a sip of red wine and said in a compassionate, masterly tone, "I just want to let today's young people know what true art is. Their taste buds have been ruined by those noisy, fast-paced 'electronic food,' and they no longer know how to appreciate true beauty."

He shook his head, sneering meaningfully, "My work requires you to calm your mind and feel it with your soul. Every shot, every ray of light and shadow is an interpretation of 'beauty.' As for that Seiji Fujiwara, he's just a businessman who knows how to calculate what excites the audience. He doesn't understand what the 'soul' of creation is at all!"

These words drew widespread approval.

Traditional media and critics have already prepared press releases with headlines such as "The Return of Art: Osamu Kitahara Uses Tranquil Aesthetics to Combat Commercial Fast Food" and "This is What a TV Series Should Be Like," ready to be published everywhere tomorrow.

In a more private box next to the banquet hall.

Several chairmen of the TV alliance are celebrating their victory ahead of schedule.

"Hahaha... This is the industry barrier we've built up over decades!" The chairman of TBS raised his cigar and exhaled a thick cloud of smoke triumphantly. "That kid named Fujiwara is doomed to lose this time! We'll show him what professionalism is!"

“That’s right!” A Fuji TV executive chimed in with a smile. “The failure of variety shows was just an accident; dramas are our domain! I’ve already prepared a celebratory front page headline. We’ll wait for the ratings to come out tomorrow night and completely crush his face!”

They have even begun discussing how to divide the market gap left by Genesis's defeat after their victory.