mchenry-crisis.org Chapter 290 The Prospects of Sports Themes
Chapter 290 The Prospects of Sports Themes
Chapter 290 The Prospects of Sports Themes
Compared to the rigorous, quiet, and even slightly class-oppressive atmosphere of Japanese film sets, Hong Kong film crews are more like a lively, bustling marketplace. They're full of life and energy, and everyone together feels like a close-knit team working together.
As filming progressed, Kitahara Shin fully experienced this completely different film crew environment. Here, unexpected situations often relied on the on-the-spot reactions of the director and actors, and even "flying scripts" (writing scripts on the spot) were common occurrences.
Filming too many conventional police and gangster movies can easily make people tense, but on the set of "Infernal Affairs," you can see a lot of funny things every day.
For example, during the filming of a scene between Chen Yongren and Silly Qiang, the actor playing Silly Qiang mispronounced a vulgar, gangster-style swear word due to overacting, which immediately amused the usually composed Kitahara Shin. Another example is Andy Lau, who, while reciting a rapid-fire monologue, suddenly burned his mouth and couldn't help but cover his face and laugh in front of the camera.
Kitahara Shin always strives for absolute efficiency, aiming for a perfect one-take performance when filming, but he didn't impose this obsessive efficiency on the rest of the crew. Faced with laughter and mistakes, he didn't put on airs like a multinational tycoon or a top actor to exert pressure; instead, he thoroughly enjoyed the relaxed and lively atmosphere. On several occasions, when a scene had to be reshot multiple times due to a colleague's mistake, Kitahara Shin never complained, patiently accompanying everyone with a gentle smile as they did the takes again and again. His easygoing and tolerant attitude earned him the complete respect and admiration of the entire crew.
In this well-paced atmosphere, filming progressed quite quickly. In the blink of an eye, they arrived at some of the most dramatic and classic scenes in the entire "Infernal Affairs" series.
First, there was that rooftop confrontation that went down in film history.
In early winter in Hong Kong, the wind on the rooftop carried a touch of desolation. Under the azure sky, the city's concrete jungle became the grandest backdrop.
Andy Lau wore a well-tailored, spotless, and impeccably styled suit, with his hair neatly combed; while Kitahara Shin wore an old leather jacket, had a bit of stubble on his chin, and his eyes revealed deep weariness and vicissitudes.
One in black, one in white; one a policeman, one a criminal—the mismatch of identities reached its peak at this moment.
"Give me a chance." Andy Lau looked at the empty space in front of him, his tone filled with a hint of pleading and struggle.
"How can I give you a chance?" Kitahara Shin gripped his gun, the muzzle pointing steadily at the other man, his eyes as cold as knives.
"I didn't have a choice before, but now I want to be a good person."
"Fine, go tell the judge and see if he'll let you be the good guy." Kitahara Shin's lips curled into a mocking, bitter smile.
"So you want me to die?"
"I'm sorry, I'm a police officer." Kitahara Shin's eyes became exceptionally bright and firm at this moment, the only faith he had held onto for ten years in the darkness.
"Who knows?"
The exchange of a few lines, without any intense physical conflict or desperate shouting, revealed a profound sense of destiny beneath the seemingly calm exteriors of the two actors, conveying a deep-seated sense of fate in every subtle twitch of their muscles. Liu Weiqiang, standing behind the monitor, barely dared to breathe, afraid of ruining the perfect moment.
What followed was an even more shocking elevator scene depicting Chen Yongren's death in the line of duty.
In this scene, Kitahara Shin's handling of details was absolutely divine.
As the elevator doors opened, the hidden police officer suddenly opened fire without warning. A muffled "shatter" was heard.
There was no sentimental background music or deliberately slowed-down shots in the script. Kitahara Shin's body jolted violently, and a bloody hole instantly appeared on his forehead. He didn't make any exaggerated struggles in pain. In that instant, what flashed in his eyes was not the fear of death, but an incredulous astonishment, and a heartbreaking relief that his ten-year undercover career had finally come to an end.
His tall body collapsed like a withered tree that had lost its support, half of his body falling outside the elevator.
The elevator doors began to open and close mercilessly, repeatedly clamping down on his numb leg. Kitahara Shin's eyes, which were gradually losing focus, stared blankly at the ceiling, bringing the tragedy to its climax at this moment.
All the staff present, seeing Kitahara Shin lying in a pool of blood, even forgot to call a halt; a chilling sense of dread instantly swept through the entire scene.
In just over two weeks, all of Kitahara Shin's scenes were filmed smoothly and efficiently.
This crime thriller, destined to go down in history, will be taken back to Kitahara's post-production center to be dubbed into multiple languages and distributed worldwide through the Kitahara Group's extensive overseas distribution channels.
After leaving Hong Kong, Kitahara Shin returned to Tokyo on a private plane.
As he walked out of the airport's VIP passage surrounded by bodyguards, an unexpected encounter occurred.
A young man wearing a casual jacket and sunglasses walked towards us. Even though most of his face was covered, his unique, unrestrained demeanor was still very eye-catching.
Their eyes met, and they both stopped in their tracks.
The person opposite took off his sunglasses, revealing the face that captivated countless young girls—Takuya Kimura.
Upon seeing Kitahara Shin, Kimura Takuya visibly froze for a moment, his body involuntarily tensing slightly.
In the past few years, the two have often been compared by outsiders, and their respective dramas have even clashed head-on in the same time slot. The result is self-evident: whether it's the ratings or the audition results for top-tier productions, Kimura Takuya was completely crushed and unilaterally humiliated by Kitahara Shin.
Although the two have never officially collaborated in a film, in Kimura Takuya's heart, he has always regarded Kitahara Shin as a mountain that he must overcome in his acting career, and even harbors a love-hate relationship with him, like the proverb "Why did the heavens create both Zhou Yu and Zhuge Liang?"
Upon this chance encounter at the airport, Takuya Kimura froze for a few seconds before taking a deep breath, stepping forward, and bowing respectfully to greet him: "President Kitahara, what a coincidence, I didn't expect to meet you here."
Kitahara Shin stopped and looked at the future king of Japanese dramas before him, smiling gently: "What a coincidence, Kimura-kun. Where did you just get back from your vacation?"
"Yes," Takuya Kimura replied, trying to make his tone sound as natural as possible. "I happened to have some free time recently, so I went to the United States with some friends and learned to surf."
Upon hearing the word "surfing," Kitahara Shin subtly raised an eyebrow.
Memories of his past life flooded back. He knew, of course, that Takuya Kimura was a die-hard surfing fanatic. This guy later went so far as to stop using sunscreen to protect the marine environment, tanning his once-handsome face and causing it to age prematurely, much to the regret of countless fans.
"Surfing? Sounds like a pretty good sport." Kitahara Shin nodded, chatting casually, "How's it going? Fun?"
It was just an ordinary chat, but Kimura Takuya felt an unusually heavy burden. Facing Kitahara Shin, who now wielded immense influence in the Asian capital and film industries, he felt that even breathing was incredibly stressful, making it impossible for him to relax like a normal friend.
"It's very—very exciting, and also a great opportunity to train your core strength," Takuya Kimura replied cautiously, his palms even sweating slightly.
After exchanging a few brief pleasantries, the two nodded and said goodbye.
Only after walking out of the airport exit and completely out of sight of Kitahara Shin's back did Kimura Takuya finally breathe a long sigh of relief and wipe the cold sweat from his forehead.
On the other side, Kitahara Shin got into the back seat of the black luxury car sent by the company to pick him up.
Outside the car window, the Tokyo street scene rushed past. Kitahara Shin leaned back in the leather seat, but a sudden flash of inspiration came to his mind because of his conversation with Kimura Takuya about "surfing".
sports.
He reviewed his business ventures and acting credits over the past few years. He starred in romance films like "Tokyo Love Story" and "Love Letter," suspense films like "Furuhata Ninzaburo," crime films like "Infernal Affairs," art films like "Departures," and even dabbled in tokusatsu and anime voice acting.
But he suddenly realized that he had never tried a genre that could really get the audience's adrenaline pumping and easily trigger a nationwide frenzy—sports and athletic competitions.
Whether it's a TV series or a movie, an excellent sports-themed work can not only sweep the youth market, but also be the best shortcut to creating a national idol.
Kitahara Shin tapped his knee lightly with his fingers, a knowing smile playing on his lips. It seemed that Kitahara Agency had another huge gold mine to tap into in its upcoming content matrix.
Upon returning to Tokyo headquarters, Kitahara Shin immediately devoted his energy to this new "gold mine".
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He directly convened the core scriptwriting team of Kitahara Studio and held a special seminar in the conference room on the top floor.
"Next, the company plans to develop a brand new content line—sports and esports." Kitahara Shin sat at the head of the conference table, his fingers lightly tapping the surface, looking at his group of top screenwriters. "What suggestions do you have? What's the hottest sport in the country right now?"
The head of the scriptwriting department immediately stood up and reported to the director: "President, if we're talking about national popularity, baseball is definitely the first choice. The youthful passion and excitement of Koshien has always been a classic theme. But it has a fatal flaw: baseball rules are more popular in parts of Asia and North America, but its global reach remains very limited."
Kitahara Shin nodded; this was indeed a problem.
Another screenwriter suggested, "What about basketball? Ever since a certain nationally popular basketball comic ended last year, the popularity of basketball in China has remained high."
When basketball is mentioned, the first thing that comes to mind for Kitahara Shin isn't the athletic, high-flying players of the NBA, but rather the Taiwanese idol drama "Hot Shot" from the early 21st century. While that show later seemed overly melodramatic and even a bit ridiculous, it undeniably had a fatal attraction for teenagers with its exaggerated style of incorporating martial arts elements into basketball. If that exaggerated style could be toned down a bit, combined with the uniquely Japanese feel of passionate anime and advanced computer-generated special effects, it might have had great potential.
"What about the soccer ball?" Kitahara Shin continued to ask.
"President, this is 1997!" The person in charge said excitedly. "The Japanese national team is going all out to qualify for next year's World Cup in France, and the football atmosphere in the country is at its peak. If we take advantage of this momentum to make a football drama, it will definitely be a ratings hit. However—live-action football dramas are really too difficult to manage. Dozens of people running on such a big green field, it's hard to capture the delicate dramatic conflicts of a group of people on camera."
Kitahara Shin leaned back in his chair, lost in thought. Baseball had its limitations, basketball was prone to being portrayed in an overly dramatic or childish way, and soccer was hampered by the technical difficulties of filming live-action footage. He needed to find a better breakthrough.
"By the way," Kitahara Shin changed the subject, casually inquiring about the company's other trump card, "How's the 'Great Investigation Line' project progressing lately?"
"Reporting to the president, the situation is excellent!" The person in charge immediately flipped through the data report, his face full of pride. "Currently, this drama has completely solidified its viewership base, and we are steadily releasing new seasons every year as instructed by you. Moreover, we have abandoned the traditional fixed main character system and will reasonably change the core characters every two seasons."
"The veteran protagonists weren't forcibly eliminated; instead, they were promoted or transferred to less prominent positions, naturally mentoring newcomers. This 'mentorship' model not only didn't lose viewers, but actually made the entire police station's ensemble cast feel incredibly real. Currently, related videotapes and merchandise are selling extremely well, generating a steady stream of profits."
Kitahara Shin nodded in satisfaction. His thoughts gradually became clearer: since the "unchanging ensemble cast" model of "Bayside Shakedown" was so successful, wouldn't applying it to the theme of high school sports clubs be the perfect finishing touch? As long as the school exists, there will be new students enrolling every year and third-year students graduating every year. It's practically a perfect model that can be endlessly sequeled!
After the meeting, Kitahara Shin rubbed his temples, pondering which sports platform to choose as he walked down the corridor of the company headquarters.
As he passed the private dance studio on the upper floors, he unexpectedly caught a glimpse of a familiar figure through the half-open glass door.
Matsu Takako was wearing a tight-fitting yoga outfit, stretching her limbs alone in the spacious activity room. Her graceful figure was outlined in alluring curves under the sunlight, and fine beads of sweat clung to her forehead.
Kitahara Shin, somewhat curious, gently knocked on the door and went inside: "Don't you have any work scheduled today? Why are you relaxing here all by yourself?"
Upon seeing Kitahara Shin suddenly enter, Matsu Takako's cheeks instantly flushed red, and her movements became somewhat flustered.
She bit her lip, a little embarrassed, and explained in a low voice, "The schedule is in the afternoon—I've been working out a lot lately, and I've also been learning a little bit of basic dance from my teacher—"
As she spoke, her voice trailed off, her face turning as red as a ripe apple: "Mainly because it was Akina-senpai who suggested I learn it. She said—that you, President, are under too much work pressure, and if I could learn some dance and improve my flexibility, I could help you share more of the burden when I'm by your side, and it would also bring more novelty—"
Upon hearing these suggestive words, Kitahara Shin couldn't help but chuckle. It was clear that Nakamori Akina, as the eldest sister in the harem, was teaching her newest sister some "tricks" and tricks for dealing with her.
"I see." Kitahara Shin's lips curled into a mischievous smile. He simply sat down on the bench next to him, crossed his arms behind his head, and said, "Then you can practice yours. Don't worry about me. I'll just take a break and check on your progress."
Matsu Takako suddenly felt her body temperature rise, but under Kitahara Shin's deep, smiling gaze, she obediently turned away. Although she was so shy she was practically steaming, she still gritted her teeth and continued practicing the stretching movements to the accompaniment.
The activity room was quiet, with only soft music playing.
Kitahara Shin sat to the side, initially just intending to appreciate the beautiful scenery. But as he looked at Matsu Takako's graceful back, her ponytail trembling slightly with her movements, and the youthful energy she exuded, striving to present herself beautifully to him, a sudden thought struck him.
Sweat, effort, and the resilience to get back up after falling down.
He finally knows what sport to film next!
Not only does he want to film, but he also wants to take a two-pronged approach to create two blockbuster ensemble dramas that will cause a sensation throughout Japan!
Since baseball has limitations and soccer is difficult to film, the sport that best embodies team spirit, is easiest to film passionate group portraits, and appeals to both male and female audiences is undoubtedly volleyball!
In this parallel universe, he could easily create a live-action version of the "Haikyuu!!" series ahead of time. Volleyball has clear positional roles, and the net-based competition avoids complex physical collisions, greatly reducing the difficulty of filming. At the same time, every save and every spike perfectly showcases the passionate positive energy of Japanese sports.
Besides the inspiring story of sports competitions, when Kitahara Shin looked at Matsu Takako's diligent and well-behaved appearance, another completely different theme came to mind, but one that could also bring out the ultimate "ensemble cast" and "positive energy comeback".
That is the masterpiece that changed the fate of countless underachieving students—Dragon Zakura!
A sports anthology about athletes striving for national championships with sweat and toil; a college entrance exam anthology about students using their intellect to gain admission to Japan's top universities.
If these two dramas are approved at the same time, they can perfectly accommodate the newly signed young actors under Kitahara Agency!
Having made his decision, Kitahara Shin acted decisively. He left the meeting room and issued the highest-level project launch document to the entire company.
Two ensemble male-centric dramas destined to create a ratings frenzy—a sports drama tentatively titled "Haikyuu!!", and "Dragon Zakura", which focuses on a struggling student's journey to gain admission to the University of Tokyo—have officially entered the dual-track project preparation stage.
The news caused an instant uproar throughout the entire Kitahara Office.
All the agents and their young artists and trainees had their eyes redden the moment they received the internal casting call. Everyone knew that if they could land a significant role in one of these two ensemble dramas personally directed by the company president, even a supporting role, it would be a guaranteed path to stardom.
However, the rules set by Kitahara Shin at the casting meeting made many people who wanted to take shortcuts gasp in shock.
Especially for that volleyball-themed sports drama, Kitahara Shin directly listed "physical fitness and sports fundamentals" as the first and most crucial requirement for the audition.
"What I want to film isn't the kind where someone has a perfectly styled haircut, strikes a couple of cool poses on the court, and then it's all edited together—"
"These are low-quality idol dramas that use slow motion and editing to fool the audience." Kitahara Shin stood at the front of the conference room, his self-spotting light sweeping over everyone, his tone leaving no room for doubt, "Volleyball is a sport that always looks upward, a competition where you keep falling and keep jumping."
"Go tell those guys who want to audition that if they want to get into this production, they'd better be prepared to go through hell. I need them to have real muscle definition, real jumping ability, real sweat, and exhaustion!"
"In this production team, there is absolutely no faking it. Only by giving 100% of our sweat and effort, and authentically portraying the cruelty of competitive sports and the bonds of teamwork, can this inspiring message for young people across Japan be truly powerful and ignite their passion!"
This uncompromising and domineering declaration set the hardcore tone for the entire series.
In an instant, the entire style of Kitahara's office changed.
Those young men who used to focus solely on skincare and practicing their smiles all flocked to the gym like madmen. The company's fitness room was packed from morning till night. The sounds of footsteps on treadmills, the thud of volleyballs hitting the walls, and the screams of exhaustion filled the air.
Even a young artist like Takeru Satoh, who already had considerable fame and was considered a strong contender for the male lead role, didn't hesitate to turn down several easy engagements and lock himself in the training hall to work hard on basic movements and physical training with a professional volleyball coach.
Everyone was giving their all, pouring their sweat into seizing this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The entire firm was filled with an unprecedented atmosphere of fervor and intense competition, reminiscent of the eve of the Koshien finals.
And this is exactly the effect that Kitahara Shin wanted to see.