I, Hiroshi Nohara, the star of Japanese cinema

Chapter 92 is well received! "An Zhi Ju Zhen Season " is released!
On the third Monday of July, night gently enveloped Tokyo like a giant velvet soaked in ink.

This city that never sleeps, after experiencing the suffocating hustle and bustle of the day, finally sheds some of its anxiety and puts on an enchanting and blurry mask woven from countless neon lights.

Behind this mask, countless pairs of eyes are simultaneously focused on the same small glowing box that allows them to temporarily forget their real troubles.

Shinjuku, Kabukicho, late night cafeteria.

The boss, Mizukami Xiang, was slowly wiping a freshly heated sake pot with a clean white towel. His face, which always looked a little distant, now had a rare smile of interest on it.

His eyes were fixed on the small television in the corner of the bar.

On TV, the fifteenth episode of "Wonderful Stories of the World", "Too Late for Lovers", is being played.

In front of the bar, the nightclub guards, who were wearing black suits and looked ferocious but had actually been worn down by life, were staring intently at the screen, forgetting even to drink the cold beer in front of them.

"...Tsk, this male protagonist is so miserable, isn't he? He finally mustered up the courage to confess his love, but the other person turned out to be a ghost who had been dead for many years."

A burly man with a shaved head and a corner of the Prajna tattoo exposed on his neck smacked his lips, with a hint of sigh in his voice.

"Who says it isn't?"

A companion next to him, who had a shallow scar on his face, took a big gulp of beer and burped loudly. "But isn't that the tone of Mr. Nohara's dramas? Always when you think you're about to get some sweet moments, they give you the most brutal backstab. The 'Touch of Terror' in the first episode, even now, I get chills down my spine."

"Hey, what do you know!"

The burly man with a crew cut immediately retorted, his attitude like a fervent fan defending his idol: "That's called depth! That's called an analysis of human nature! Mr. Nohara's work is art that makes people think! It's completely different from those gangster movies that only focus on fighting and killing!"

These words made the people around him touch their noses subconsciously and no one dared to respond.

Who makes this guy the strongest in combat?

The boss Shui Shangxiang listened to their discussion and the smile on his face became even more pronounced.

He remembered that a month ago, these guys were still cursing at the rubbish made by that guy named Masao Iwata, but now, they have become loyal fans of that young man.

This young man named Hiroshi Nohara does have some magical powers.

"But speaking of which," the scarred man glanced at his watch, a look of anticipation on his face, "The third season of Nohara-sensei's reboot of 'Anshiji Residence' is going to air tonight at 10:30, right?"

"Ohhh! Right, right! I almost forgot!"

"I'm looking forward to it! I just don't know if it will be as scary as the first two seasons."

"It's... a bit risky, isn't it?" A guard who looked a bit older said hesitantly, "I heard in the newspaper that this reboot was rushed out by Mr. Nohara to appease the audience. He even told everyone not to get their expectations too high."

These words immediately cooled the atmosphere in front of the bar.

Yes, how good can the quality of a work that is rushed out be?
Although they had almost blind trust in Nohara Hiroshi, their rationality subtly reminded them not to raise their expectations too high, lest they be more disappointed later.

……

The same conversation is happening simultaneously in countless corners of Tokyo.

In the lounge of the taxi operation center, a group of drivers who had just returned from their shifts were gathered around the TV, smoking and talking in a non-stop manner.

"Well, to be honest, I really admire that young man named Nohara Hiroshi. He is responsible. If it were me, I wouldn't bother to clean up that mess."

"Who says it isn't? However, the quality of this rushed product is definitely going to be compromised. I hope... it's not like last time, where they treated me like a fool and fooled me."

In the men's dormitory of the University of Tokyo, the group of energetic academic elites appear more optimistic.

"What are you afraid of? That's Mr. Nohara! Even if he drew the storyboard with his feet, it would be a hundred times better than what that idiot named Iwata came up with with his brain!"

"That's right! I believe the teacher! He must be just being modest when he says that! Who knows, maybe he's planning something even bigger this time, ready to scare our eyes out!"

Expectations and worries.

Trust, and doubt.

Two completely different emotions, like two invisible ropes, tightly wrapped around the hearts of every old fan of "Anzhiju".

They long for the return of the familiar horror world that can make them feel a chill on summer nights, but they are also afraid that this hard-earned hope will eventually turn into a disappointing farce again.

……

10:25 pm.

The lights in Nohara Hiroshi's Special Production Team's office were brightly lit.

The atmosphere is completely different from the hustle and bustle of the outside world. It is so quiet that it is even a little depressing.

All the core members gathered in front of the huge Sony Trinitron TV.

But this time, their eyes were all focused on the man who was sitting upright, his body as tense as a fully drawn bowstring.

Hashijita Ichiro.

His forehead was covered with fine beads of sweat, his bloodshot eyes were fixed on the dark screen, his lips were slightly pale due to nervousness, and his hands on his knees were clenched into fists.

This is not a simple premiere for him.

This is a public trial that will determine whether he can be accepted by the world again.

Nancun Xing, Chang Gu Lu Zou and Beichuan Yao were sitting behind him, with complicated expressions on their three young faces.

They still couldn't completely forgive this man's betrayal, but seeing him trying so hard to atone for his sins, the resentment in their hearts inexplicably dissipated a little.

Kenji Sato and Takeshi Yamamoto, the two veterans of the Kanto faction, looked at him calmly like two invigilators. There was scrutiny in their eyes, but also a subtle hint of recognition from a colleague.

They have all seen how hard Hashiichi Ichiro has worked during this period.

The human heart is made of flesh.

sometimes……

A few sighs and it was over.

Only Hiroshi Nohara remains the outsider who stays out of the matter.

He didn't even watch TV. He just leaned against his desk with a cup of warm black tea, and looked at the micro-expressions of everyone in the office with interest.

He is like a skilled chess player. After making his move, he no longer cares about the fighting on the chessboard, but enjoys observing the most real and interesting human nature presented by the chess pieces whose fate he has disturbed.

This made Hiroshi Nohara feel very accomplished!

Arrived on time at half past ten.

The familiar, classic opening with a bit of weirdness and old-fashioned feeling arrived as promised.

Everyone's heart was in their throat at this moment.

The screen lights up.

It was still the same Kamishige uncle wearing the ominous mask, the same old bicycle parked in the dusk, and the same familiar opening line.

"If you're passing by, come take a look. It's time for Anzhiju again..."

That's it!
Everyone in the office breathed a sigh of relief subconsciously.

Hashiji Ichiro's tense body also relaxed a little.

He knew that, at least at the beginning, he had perfectly fulfilled Nohara Hiroshi's requirements.

The story officially begins.

Season 3, Episode 1 - "Lend It to Me".

Late at night, in an ordinary apartment bathroom.

A young office worker, just off work, is about to wash away her fatigue. The air is thick with steam, the lights are dim, everything seems so ordinary, so…normal.

However, just as he took off his clothes and was about to turn on the shower, the bathroom door creaked open a crack.

Then a voice came from the gap.

A woman's voice, her tone devoid of any emotion.

"Um..." Her voice, as if coming from an ancient well, carried a chilling feeling that didn't belong to a living person: "Can you lend me your towel...?"

The man was startled, but seeing the pitiful tone in the other person's voice, he hesitated and handed over the towel hanging next to him.

"Thank you." The woman took the towel and disappeared behind the door.

The man breathed a sigh of relief, thinking it was just a prank.

But the next second, new words came out from the crack of the door.

"Um...can you lend me your soap...as well?"

"..."

The man began to feel something was wrong, but he still handed over the soap.

"Can you lend me your shampoo...?"

"Can you lend me your shower gel...?"

The woman's demands are becoming more and more excessive and more and more expensive.

Something would squeeze in through the crack in the door little by little every time something was "borrowed".

The man finally felt the fear from the bottom of his heart. He wanted to escape, but his legs felt like they were filled with lead and he couldn't move.

Finally, the "melting woman" who had completely squeezed into the bathroom finally showed a weird smile on her face.

She stretched out her equally swollen hands, pointed at the man's body, and whispered in a tone that sounded almost like a dream:

"Um... can you lend me yours... too?"

She was pointing at the man's arms, his legs, and his... head.

As her sticky fingers touched the man's skin, his body began to melt and deform bit by bit like a candle. Finally, he was completely absorbed and merged by the woman...

The picture stopped abruptly.

"..."

The office fell into a dead silence.

Everyone felt a chill running from their tailbone to the top of their head.

"...Oh my god."

It was unknown how long it took before Nancun Xing squeezed out the word that best expressed his mood at the moment.

He subconsciously touched his arm and felt the skin there was still numb.

"This... this story..." Hase Luzou's face turned pale. "It's not about ghosts. It's about the cheap, yet potentially fatal... kindness of those of us living in the city."

"That's right." Yamamoto Takeshi let out a long breath. "In a cold city like Tokyo, we're always taught to be kind to others. But who knows, will the helping hand you extend be taken for granted by a monster lurking in the shadows?"

"It's questioning us about the rules of urban survival: should we be indifferent and protect ourselves, or... be so kind that we bring disaster upon ourselves?"

These words made everyone present fall into deep thought.

They finally got it.

Hiroshi Nohara's reboot of "An Shibai Shin Season 3" is no longer simply pursuing sensory shock.

Instead, it injects a deeper layer of philosophical thinking into the familiar Japanese horror atmosphere, which is enough to resonate with all urban people.

This is no longer just a simple horror animation.

This is a modern urban fable packaged as a ghost story.

As Hashijitaro looked at the shocked and thoughtful expressions on everyone's faces, his heart, which had long since sunk to the bottom, finally, slowly surfaced.

He knew that he had made the right bet.

No, it was Section Chief Nohara who made the right bet once again.

He is just a loyal executor.

……

This new shock brought by "An Zhi Ju Zhen Season 3" once again swept across the entire Neon in just a few minutes.

In the late-night restaurant, the nightclub guards who were just worried about the quality now looked like they had their acupuncture points pressed. Their faces turned pale and their hands holding the wine glasses were trembling slightly.

"...From now on, if anyone ever borrows something from me in a public bathroom again, I'll...I'll call the police!"

In the university dormitory, the fearless boys, after a brief period of silence, suddenly burst into a discussion that was even more heated than when they watched "The Wonderful World" before.

"Holy crap! Holy crap! Holy crap! This melting girl setting is too awesome! This is true psychological horror!"

"Nohara-sensei... he... he's not even human! How could he come up with such a perverted, yet profound story?!"

"I take back what I said before! How can this be a rushed piece of work? This is clearly an open lesson on human nature that Nohara-sensei is giving us after concentrating on a big move!"

"Apologize! I must apologize to Mr. Nohara! I shouldn't have doubted him!"

This wave of fanatical pursuit, which was transformed from shock, once again brought a new round of baptism to Tokyo TV's audience service hotline.

However, this time, what came from the other end of the phone was no longer angry curses, but sentences full of excitement and guilt...apologies.

"...I'm sorry! I was wrong! I shouldn't have doubted Nohara-sensei! Please tell him that he is the eternal god in our hearts!"

The next morning, when the final ratings report of the first episode of "Anzhijuu Shin Season 3" was sent to [Nohara Hiroshi Special Production Team].

Everyone was shocked again by the number on it.

8.35%!

Although, this number seems insignificant compared to the terrifying performance of "The Wonderful World of Tales" which often exceeds 20%.

But everyone knows what this means.

This means that after the catastrophic failure of Iwata Classroom and when its reputation almost collapsed, Hiroshi Nohara brought the ratings of this IP back to the peak level of the second season in just one episode!
In fact, it even exceeded it by half a point!
This is no longer just a simple turning of the tide, it is a miracle!
It is a miracle that only that man can create, a miracle that belongs only to him, a Nohara Hiroshi-style miracle!

In the office, thunderous cheers broke out again.

Nohara Hiroshi just looked at the report calmly, with a faint smile on his lips.

He knew this was just the beginning.

The two real trump bombs he had already buried, named "Dark Zhiju" Season 4 and Season 5, have not yet exploded.

On the other hand, a brand new battlefield called "Super Change", which is enough to subvert the entire variety show industry, has also opened its doors for him.

This war that belongs to him, to conquer the entire Japanese television industry, has just begun.

"I'm a little looking forward to it." Nohara Hiroshi felt happy.

(End of this chapter)