I, Hiroshi Nohara, the star of Japanese cinema

Chapter 77: The Era of Nohara Hiroshi! Certification from the Audit Department!

The atmosphere in the Audit Department's office was completely different from the tense atmosphere in the corridor.

This is the heart valve of TV Tokyo, the last hurdle before all creativity and ambition can finally be pumped into the audience's blood vessels.

Here, there are no factions, only rules.

No personal grudges.

There is only absolute rational logic for the final ratings.

Ai Takeshita, who has worked in the audit department for nearly ten years and has witnessed the rise and fall of countless geniuses, and who prides herself on having a calm mind, now feels her heart skip a beat.

She looked at the two plans on the table that were both marked as "S-level", but her eyes were clearly different.

One is the third season of "Anshiba" submitted by Masao Iwata.

She didn't even bother to take a second look at the well-made plan. She just took out the master tape and placed it at the bottom of the file shelf awaiting review.

In her opinion, this is nothing more than a poor imitation of others. An IP that has already proved its value has been reborn after its creator was replaced under the influence of power.

The significance of reviewing it is just to go through the process.

Just see if there are any political metaphors or extreme ethical issues that may make the audience uncomfortable.

As for the ratings?
Haha, the myth of the original work is spread throughout the entire Japanese film and television industry. Do we still need to care about the ratings?
Takeshita Ai knew with her toes that as the name of "An Zhiju Season 3" was released, it would be sought after by a large number of enthusiastic viewers who had already watched the first and second seasons of "An Zhiju".

Even if the production is a pile of garbage, there will be countless readers willing to watch it because of the name "Anzhiju".

The reason lies in the reputation effect brought about by the careful creation and care of its original father, Hiroshi Nohara!
"It's a bit shameless." Takeshita Ai looked down on the behavior of stealing other people's credit when one's own ability is insufficient.

But think about the power struggle and interest exchange involved.

She felt sick.

This is also the reason why she is willing to stay in the Review Department, a department that is almost independent and must look at films rationally.

And the other one——

Ai Takeshita's eyes fell on the title designed with a unique artistic font, which was a bit mysterious and weird.

——"Wonderful Stories of the World".

Her fingertips gently brushed over the business plan that still had the fragrance of ink, and a hint of almost girlish anticipation emerged in her eyes, which always looked a little serious behind the black-framed glasses.

"Come here, everyone."

Ai Takeshita cleared her throat and waved to her equally experienced colleagues in the office.

"There's a new movie, an S-level one, come and have a look."

"Oh? S-rank?"

A middle-aged man with slightly curly hair named Tanaka Ken walked over with a cup of coffee, a look of indifference on his face. "Is it the third season of Section Chief Iwata's 'Anshiji Residence'? What's so good about it? It's just a few urban legends with a bloodier scene. It's the same old cliché."

"That's right, if you have that much time, you might as well read a few more episodes of the Yu Yu Hakusho manga." Another younger female colleague echoed in a low voice. She is a loyal fan of Nohara Hiroshi.

"No." Takeshita Ai shook her head. She gently pushed the plan for "Wonderful Stories of the World" to the center of the table. Her action was as if she was showing off a rare treasure.

"It's Section Chief Nohara's new project."

This sentence was like a stone thrown into a calm lake, instantly causing a thousand waves in the small office.

The laziness and disdain on everyone's face disappeared instantly, and were replaced by a kind of concentration and curiosity that was almost like a pilgrimage.

"Quick! Let's see!"

"I've always wanted to know what new tricks that genius can come up with!"

"Where's the master tape? Bring it out!"

Ai Takeshita looked at this group of colleagues who were instantly energized, and a hint of understanding appeared at the corner of her mouth.

She knew it would be like this.

She placed the master tape with the words "Touch of Horror" printed on it steadily into the projector.

The lights in the office dimmed and the huge monitor screen lit up.

Everyone held their breath.

The screen lights up.

There are no intense opening sequences and no dazzling special effects.

There was only a completely black background, a table lamp emitting soft light, a retro leather sofa, and... a man wearing a black suit and sunglasses, sitting there quietly.

"……hiss!"

When the camera slowly zoomed in, clearly presenting the man's profile to everyone, a uniform gasp of surprise suddenly rang out in the office.

"Director... Kurosawa Eiji?!" Tanaka Ken shook the coffee cup in his hand violently, and half of the scalding liquid spilled, but he was completely unaware.

"Oh my God! Am I seeing things?! It really is Director Kurosawa... Director Kurosawa!" The young female colleague covered her mouth tightly to prevent the scream from bursting out of her throat.

This is no longer just a surprise! This is a shock!

Letting a national treasure-level first-class director serve as the host of a short drama? !
How on earth did Nohara Hiroshi do it?! Is he crazy, or does he really have supernatural powers?!

In this almost frozen state of shock, the mysterious man on the screen slowly spoke.

"Humans are incredible creatures..."

That hoarse and steady voice, with a sense of vicissitudes of life, seemed to have a kind of magic that instantly pulled everyone's mind firmly into the wonderful world that was about to unfold.

The story officially begins.

A bright modern city, a crowded subway, and crowds of people hurrying by.

The heroine Xiao Xunhua appears, an ordinary, even somewhat introverted urban white-collar worker, but she has an unknown secret - she can sense a person's deepest thoughts by touching his or her belongings.

"Superpowers?" Tanaka Ken raised his eyebrows slightly. "This theme is quite fresh, a bit like those American comics. However, in Japan, this kind of theme is not easy to shoot. If you're not careful, it will look cheap."

However, before he finished speaking, the plot took a sharp turn for the worse.

After the blind date, Xiao Xunhua accidentally touched a man's belongings in someone's car.

When her fingertips touched the cold object, a surge of bloody and violent malice, like a flood bursting through a dam, instantly overwhelmed her sanity!
Images of countless girls being brutally murdered flashed through her mind!

And that man, that man who looked gentle and even handsome, was standing not far away at this moment, looking at her coldly with a look that made her shudder.

He is the serial killer!
What happened next left even the seasoned veterans in the review department speechless. The scene they had anticipated—the female lead panicking and calling the police for help—none of it happened!
This seemingly weak heroine, after experiencing a brief period of fear, actually made a decision that no one expected - she wanted to fight back!
She had to strike first before this monster could hurt her!
She began to follow the man, collect his information, and even... began to frame him, trying to send him to prison, or even to his death!

"This...this heroine's setting is so captivating, isn't it?!" The young female colleague's eyes lit up. "In TV dramas before, weren't heroines just pretty girls waiting to be saved by the hero? This...this is simply a black rose with thorns!"

"It's truly novel." Takeshita Ai nodded, her usually calm eyes gleaming with approval. "It transforms women from passive objects into active agents, even those willing to walk the legal line for self-protection. This concept surpasses 90% of the TV dramas on the market."

Just then, the second male lead appeared.

A handsome, wealthy, gentle and considerate perfect man.

He seemed to have sensed the danger of the male lead, and began to take the initiative to help the female lead, giving her advice and even... personally helping her get rid of the "murderer".

When the man they identified as the murderer finally met his death on the screen, everyone in the office subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief.

"it's over?"

"Is that all? It feels quite exciting... but it seems a bit simple."

"Yeah, the plot doesn't seem to have much depth, but it's not bad for a prime-time popcorn TV show."

Although everyone said this, there was a hint of regret in their tone.

This is Hiroshi Nohara's first reality show.

They are all looking forward to it.

Now, perhaps because the expectations were too high, I feel a little unsatisfied.

However, just when they thought the story was about to have a happy ending of 'justice triumphs over evil'.

The scene changes.

While sorting through the belongings of the 'dead' male lead, the heroine discovered a work notebook.

When her fingertips touched the notebook, she froze.

There wasn't a trace of malice in it, only the policeman's persistence in the case, the desire for the truth, and... the deep concern that an innocent girl would be caught in danger.

That girl is herself.

And on the last page of the notebook, written in sloppy handwriting was a name that made her feel like she was falling into an icy cave.

——Watanabe Ryu.

The perfect second male lead who helped her 'solve' the problem.

‘Ding dong~’

At the same time, the doorbell of her house rang.

Standing outside the door was the handsome man whom she regarded as her savior.

He held a bouquet of beautiful roses in his hand and had the gentle smile she was most familiar with on his face.

"Xiaoxun, I'm here to pick you up."

But when the heroine subconsciously reached out to touch Watanabe Ryu, the hands that could see through everything because of their super powers told her that the handsome face was twisting little by little, and finally turned into a hideous and crazy face, a face of a real devil!
He is the serial killer!

The thing she had touched from the male lead Fujii Itsuki before did not belong to the policeman at all, but was an item left behind by this demon!
She killed the wrong person!
She misunderstood the policeman!
She, with her own hands, brought upon herself a true, inescapable death!
"ah--!"

The scene came to an abrupt end as the heroine's desperate scream pierced the sky.

"The End!"

The screen went black instantly.

The entire Audit Department office fell into a dead, suffocating silence.

Everyone seemed to be under a spell, staring blankly at the dark screen. On those faces that had seen so much storm, there was only undisguised shock and horror.

Their hearts were still beating wildly because of the shocking reversal in the last second, almost jumping out of their chests!
A long time, a long time.

"...Strange...Monster..."

Tanaka Ken's voice, as hoarse as if polished by sandpaper, sounded faintly in the dead silence.

He stared at the screen, his eyes looking as if he was looking into an abyss that had just swallowed up all his sanity.

"This... this is the real horror! This is the real urban legend!"

His words were like a lit fuse, instantly setting off the entire office!
"That's awesome! This twist! Holy shit! I'm getting goosebumps!"

"We were led to believe the male lead was the murderer! Then the female lead's counterattack in the middle made us believe it was a female awakening! And the final twist completely overturned all the foreshadowing! Who wrote this script?! It's absolutely diabolical!"

"And this shot! Did you see it? That fast-cutting close-up of the character's face! That eerie soundtrack! I'm about to have a heart attack! This production is too sophisticated, right?!"

Praises came like a tide, completely flooding the small office.

This group of old hands who have been immersed in the television industry for decades and have long been immune to all kinds of routines are now completely conquered by this short 20-minute unit drama!
The way they looked at the plan was no longer one of scrutiny, but of admiration.

But Takeshita Ai didn't say a word from beginning to end.

"Hu——" She just leaned back in the chair quietly and let out a slow, long breath.

That breath seemed to take away all the numbness and fatigue she had felt in the past ten years.

Ai Takeshita looked at the sky outside the window, and in her eyes, which were always as calm as an ancient well, there was a flame of excitement burning.

She slowly stood up, walked to the plan, and picked up the red seal that symbolized "approval."

She looked at her colleagues in the office who were still immersed in shock and unable to extricate themselves. Her voice was not loud, but it was clearly heard by everyone.

"Everyone."

"We may be witnessing the arrival of a brand new era that will change the history of Japanese live-action dramas."

"And this "Wonderful Stories of the World" is the beginning of this era."

"Snapped!"

A red seal was heavily stamped on the cover of the business plan.

The bright red color is like a burning flame, and also like a drop of blood announcing the end of the old era.

It's more like the coronation ceremony of a new king who is about to rise.

At this time, Takeshita Ai uttered a name:
"The era of Nohara Hiroshi!"

(End of this chapter)