mchenry-crisis.org Chapter 277 Teaching by Example
Chapter 277 Teaching by Example
Chapter 277 Teaching by Example
Preparations for Great Teacher Onizuka GTA0 are progressing at an almost frantic pace and with extremely high standards.
With the release of the audition list, a veritable battle of the gods, the entire Japanese entertainment media went wild. In recent years, major television stations have assembled numerous star-studded "super teams" to compete for ratings, but these often backfired due to a lack of focus on key actors. However, GTO is different. Its core is the insurmountable ratings legend, Shin Kitahara, alongside rising stars like Nanako Matsushima and Yosuke Eguchi, and a group of highly talked-about newcomers such as Shun Oguri and Yosuke Kuboe.
The sheer power of this lineup made other TV drama production teams preparing to premiere at the same time feel an overwhelming sense of oppression.
However, just as all the media's cameras were pointed at the upcoming "GTO" production team, Kitahara Shin's name once again dominated the headlines of major newspapers' culture sections in an extremely unexpected way.
It wasn't because of Jackie Chan's action films set in Hong Kong, nor because of his award-winning art films in Europe, but because of a name: Hideaki Anno.
As we entered the second half of 1996, the social tsunami caused by "Neon Genesis Evangelion" (EVA) after its national premiere the previous year had not subsided. Instead, with the release of videotapes and LD discs worldwide, it completely ignited the global anime and manga community.
The work has received an extremely enthusiastic response both in Japan and abroad, but it is also filled with a very complex sense of conflict.
EVA is undoubtedly a work with an extremely somber tone. It contains an immense amount of negative energy and inner turmoil from its creator, Hideaki Anno. Viewers can even clearly feel, through the screen, the director's pent-up frustration.
The core premise of the story—"Because we cannot understand each other, there is a wall between our hearts"—is crucial.
"Field" was like a sharp scalpel, piercing through the painful issues of Japanese society at that time.
Although Kitahara Shin, with his foresight and ruthless methods as a time traveler, managed to make a name for himself and those around him in this era, he was ultimately just one person and could not single-handedly reverse the decade-long macroeconomic recession and confusion that followed the bursting of Japan's bubble economy.
In this oppressive era, countless adults have experienced layoffs, bankruptcies, and downward social mobility, while young people find no way out in the seemingly endless stratification of social classes. EVA, with its ultimate romanticism of mecha combat and mystical religious theology, ...
The narrative, perfectly intertwined with apocalyptic sentiments of world destruction, directly shattered the psychological defenses of this group of viewers. It was no longer a monster-fighting animation for children, but the ultimate catharsis for the confused souls of a generation.
What surprised Kitahara Shin even more was the way the last two episodes of EVA were handled.
He generously granted Hideaki Anno an extremely ample production budget, expecting a massive, epic mecha battle that would burn through the budget. However, Anno did not use a barrage of explosions to mask the core of the story.
He still chose the highly controversial "stream of consciousness" technique to end the story!
However, this time it was not a helpless act of being "so poor that he couldn't afford to eat" like in his previous life, but rather an artistic choice made deliberately by Hideaki Anno when he had ample funds.
Even with ample funding, he believed that the protagonist Shinji Ikari's inner struggles and profound self-analysis must be presented through this stream-of-consciousness style stripped of its glamorous facade. This approach not only didn't falter, but the exquisite production quality left the audience with ample room for imagination and philosophical reflection, fully showcasing Hideaki Anno's inexplicable genius.
Kitahara Shin made headlines because of an exclusive interview with Anno Hideaki after the latter became a sensation overseas.
As EVA DVDs sold like hotcakes in Europe and America, foreigners, despite not fully understanding the unique sense of social repression in Japan, were still captivated by the charm of mecha, Angels, and Rei Ayanami.
When interviewed by several top media outlets, including Time magazine, Hideaki Anno, who is usually aloof and not good at speaking, unusually teared up in front of the camera and mentioned the name "Nobu Kitahara" several times.
"Without President Kitahara, there would be no EVA as we know it today," Hideaki Anno said sincerely in an interview. "When I was at my lowest point, most lost, and constantly hitting walls with my project proposal, it was President Kitahara who gave me absolute trust. He not only provided funding far exceeding the budget, but more importantly, as the sole investor, he never interfered with a single line or storyboard from beginning to end!"
"He gave me the purest creative freedom, allowing me to express my deepest emotions without any reservations."
President Kitahara is like a second parent to this work!
At the same time, Hideaki Anno dropped a bombshell at the end of the interview: in 1997, EVA will release a true original theatrical version (The End of Evangelion), in which he will present the emotions and worldview that the TV version failed to fully express to the world on the big screen without reservation.
Once this interview was transmitted back to Japan, it caused a sensation throughout the Japanese cultural world.
Capitalists are typically greedy and enjoy having outsiders instructing insiders, but Kitahara Shin's exceptional character—"only giving money, no nagging, and completely respecting the artist"—was instantly hailed as a legendary tale in the industry. His keen eye for talent, his generous assistance to Anno Hideaki when he was still struggling, was packaged into an almost mythical urban legend.
In the president's office, Kitahara Shin looked at the highly praising interview with Anno Hideaki in the newspaper and couldn't help but shake his head with a smile.
It would be a lie to say that you were unhappy. Being praised so sincerely in front of the whole world as a "talent scout" would make anyone feel extremely pleased.
As the myth of EVA's reputation was established, the monetization capabilities of the EVA-related industries reached a chilling level.
Although many children don't understand the plot at all, that doesn't stop them from thinking that the berserk mecha of Unit-01 is extremely cool; while those adults who are deeply engrossed in the plot have even developed "cyberpsychosis," showing an extremely fervent desire to buy all kinds of figurines, art books, and even a card with Rei Ayanami's smile on it.
In terms of pricing for merchandise, Kitahara Shin did not take a more affordable approach like he did with pirated DVDs. Many limited-edition EVA figures and merchandise were priced very high.
But Kitahara Shin gave a strict order: "The price can be high, but the product quality must be absolutely impeccable."
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From the precision of the paint job to the articulation of the mecha joints, every piece of EVA merchandise produced by Kitahara Productions' contract manufacturers is of an art-level industrial standard. This "expensive but truly worthwhile" scarcity marketing and quality control assurance makes fans grit their teeth and spend money while also thanking the official company for producing such high-quality merchandise.
From a financial perspective, the overall revenue generated by EVA is now comparable to that of Ultraman Tiga, which is sweeping the market across all age groups. These two super cash cows have completely supported Kitahara Office's profit base for the second half of the year.
After reading this delightful little anecdote, Kitahara Shin casually set the newspaper aside.
EVA, like a towering tree, has fully grown and no longer needs his attention. He stood up, walked to the full-length mirror, and glanced at his short hair, which he had just dyed a dazzling gold for the role.
Now, it's time for the "Grit Teacher," wielding a sledgehammer and riding a motorcycle, to make his grand entrance, ready to smash down the hypocritical barriers of the Japanese education system.
The auspicious start of filming for "Great Teacher Onizuka" did not immediately begin in front of spotlights and cameras, but instead ushered in a "mystical" ceremony with strong Japanese traditional characteristics.
In this industry, many film crews will invite a priest to perform a "prayer ceremony" before filming begins, praying for a smooth shoot.
The ratings soared. However, ever since Kitahara Shin secured his position as the "God of Ratings," many directors and producers felt that as long as President Kitahara was in the cast, it was the biggest guarantee of high ratings, and they would skip the superstitious rituals and formalities.
But this time it wouldn't work. The producer and the "unyielding" screenwriter from Kansai TV showed an unusual obsession with this matter.
"President Kitahara, although you are the lifeblood of ratings, there are too many things we need to destroy in this drama. I won't feel at ease without showing some respect to the gods." The producer wiped his sweat and dragged the main cast and crew to a temporary shrine outside the filming location.
Kitahara Shin, sporting blond hair specially dyed for the role and wearing a floral shirt, couldn't help but find it somewhat amusing as he watched the priest waving a "stringed scepter" with white paper strips attached above everyone's heads in a mystical manner. However, he didn't put on airs as a boss, but instead cooperated fully with the crew by completing the ritual of two bows, two claps, and one bow.
As the prayer ceremony came to a successful close, the clapperboard finally rang crisply in front of the camera.
The first episode of "Great Teacher Onizuka" has officially started filming!
The core appeal and main conflict of this drama are vividly displayed from the very first episode: the hypocrisy and perfunctoriness of the adult world colliding with the rebellion and despair of teenagers.
The first episode tells the story of Eikichi Onizuka, a former biker gang leader, who, by a twist of fate, is chosen by the chairman of Musashino Private Academy to become the homeroom teacher of the school's most troublesome class, "Class 2-4." The students in this class take pleasure in driving their teachers away. The core conflict of the first episode revolves around a female student named Nanako Mizuki.
Although Nanako's parents lived under the same roof, they were like strangers, having even built a solid wall between themselves to avoid disturbing each other. They were only concerned with maintaining the facade of a respectable family, ignoring their daughter's extreme inner pain and cries for help. This suffocating domestic violence was a microcosm of countless dysfunctional families in Japanese society at the time.
The real highlight of the first episode is when Eikichi Kiji wields a sledgehammer and personally goes to a student's house to smash the wall!
This scene was filmed in a studio setting that was a one-to-one recreation of a family home.
"Action!"
In the scene, the veteran actors playing Nanako's parents are separated by a wall, coldly passing the buck about their responsibility for their daughter's upbringing. Meanwhile, Eikichi Kiga (Shin Kitahara), a blond man with a cigarette dangling from his mouth, kicks open the door to this cold, aloof family home, carrying a heavy sledgehammer.
In the original timeline and script, the male protagonist's approach here is usually exaggerated in anime style, yelling and rushing in to smash things, emphasizing a thrilling and exciting atmosphere.
However, after thoroughly understanding the script, Kitahara Shin made extremely clever adjustments and optimizations to this famous scene.
He didn't start yelling and shouting right away. He carried the sledgehammer with extremely steady steps, even carrying a hint of the intimidating "yakuza boss" aura he exuded in "Shinjuku Incident".
He walked up to the wall, his fingers trembling slightly as he held the cigarette. It wasn't fear, but a physiological reaction to the forced suppression of extreme anger. He looked at the hypocritical, terrified parents, his eyes devoid of anime-style fervor, filled only with an extreme disgust for the hypocrisy of the adult world and a deep pity for the girl crying in that corner.
"Since this wall prevents you from seeing your own daughter's tears—"
Kitahara Shin exhaled a puff of white smoke, and then, the anger in his eyes erupted like a volcano. He gripped the wooden handle of the sledgehammer tightly with both hands, and suddenly exerted force from his waist, channeling terrifying explosive power through his arms to the hammerhead.
"Then I'll smash it to pieces for you guys!!!"
"boom--!"
With a deafening roar and a powerful monologue, the sledgehammer struck the weakest point in the wall with pinpoint accuracy. The plasterboard and bricks shattered instantly, sending dust flying.
Kitahara Shin swung his hammer with tremendous power and destructive aesthetics, but with his extremely abnormal body control, he kept the flying fragments perfectly within a safe range, without harming the surrounding actors in the slightest.
The sheer power of breaking down all pretense and using primal violence to save the students' souls pierced through the monitor screen and struck the hearts of everyone present!
Outside the photography studio stood a large, dark group of young people.
This would be absolutely forbidden in a normal film crew, but Kitahara Shin made a special exception for all the young trainees and actors under his company who had not yet received a role, allowing them to come to the set to observe and learn.
Fourteen-year-old Shun Oguri, the arrogant Yosuke Kubo, and Takeru Satoh, who had recently clashed with Shin Kitahara in "Shinjuku Incident," were all squeezed at the very front of the crowd.
Looking at the blond man in the ruins, carrying a sledgehammer, with a roguish yet dazzling smile, the eyes of these young people gleamed with undisguised fervor and awe.
Especially Takeru Satoh. He knew all too well the impeccably dressed, unapproachable demeanor of Kitahara Shin in the company. But now, that man had completely abandoned all pretense and charisma, transforming himself into a rude, lecherous, yet fatally charming delinquent teacher.
The ultimate "relaxation" in seamlessly switching between different roles, and the absolute "control" over the camera and emotions, made Takeru Satoh feel deeply admired, while also filling his chest with an indescribable sense of pride.
That was the pride of being proud of one's idol and one's boss.
"This is a real actor." Shun Oguri murmured to himself, looking at Shin Kitahara as if he were looking at a peak that could never be surpassed, yet one that one couldn't help but want to follow.
With the director's shout of "Cut!", the tense atmosphere on set immediately eased. The crew began busily clearing away the debris and relighting the props.
Kitahara Shin casually tossed the heavy sledgehammer to the props team, took a towel from his assistant to wipe his hands, and walked to the nearby rest area to sit down. He had just unscrewed a bottle of mineral water when he saw a slender figure stop somewhat awkwardly in front of him.
Fourteen-year-old Shun Oguri gripped the folded script tightly in both hands, his thin shoulders trembling slightly from nervousness. But he still took a deep breath and bowed deeply to Shin Kitahara at a perfect ninety-degree angle.
"President! I have a crucial scene coming up, and I feel like I'm not capturing the emotions quite right—could you...could you teach me how to act it?!"
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The boy's voice was still a little hoarse due to puberty, but it sounded exceptionally clear in the noisy film set.
Kitahara Shin paused slightly in his hand holding the water bottle, a hint of novelty and surprise flashing in his eyes.
Given his current dominance in both the entertainment and financial worlds, not only newcomers but even established celebrities often tremble with fear and dare not utter a sound when they see him. He hasn't seen a greenhorn like Shun Oguri, who dares to bravely approach him seeking guidance despite his "billion-dollar tycoon" aura, in a long time.
"You've got some nerve." Kitahara Shin chuckled lightly, not putting on any airs of a boss, but instead patting the empty chair next to him in a friendly manner. "Sit down. Which scene would you like to ask about?"
Seeing that Kitahara Shin had actually agreed, Oguri Shun was so excited that his eyes reddened, and he quickly flipped the script to the folded corner page and handed it over.
That was a scene where Yoshikawa Noboru, having suffered long-term bullying at school, was forced to take off his clothes on the rooftop and was so desperate that he wanted to jump off.
"Talking is useless. You need to act it out in front of me first." Kitahara Shin leaned back in his chair, his gaze instantly becoming focused and sharp. "Just act out the look in your eyes when you stand on the edge of the rooftop and turn around to look at those bullies."
Shun Oguri nodded vigorously and immediately adjusted his breathing. He walked to the open space, closed his eyes and gathered his thoughts for a few seconds, then suddenly turned around, his face filled with extremely outward fear, anger and sorrow, his body trembling violently.
For a fourteen-year-old newcomer, this is already a very competent performance.
But Kitahara Shin shook his head. He stood up, walked to Oguri Shun's seat, and said calmly, "You see, true despair isn't hysterical anger, it's numbness."
The next second, Kitahara Shin's aura suddenly changed.
He sported a dazzling head of blond hair and wore an extremely flamboyant floral shirt, but the moment he turned around, his eyes dimmed completely. There was no exaggerated trembling, nor any gnashing of teeth in anger.
Those were eyes like stagnant water, revealing an extreme gloom that seemed to have been "tortured to the point of being used to it, and even calling for help felt superfluous."
His lips even twitched very slightly, pulling out a bitter, self-loathing smile that was uglier than crying.
With just a glance, a slight twitch of a muscle, the suffocating feeling of being bullied to the bottom of the abyss instantly gripped the throats of everyone present as if it were a tangible thing!
Shun Oguri stood there dumbfounded, goosebumps rising all over his body. As if his meridians had been opened in an instant, he nodded frantically, took out a small notebook, and quickly wrote down the points of emotional exertion that Shin Kitahara had just explained.
Meanwhile, the young trainees and actors watching from the sidelines, seeing this extremely rare "one-on-one private tutoring session with a tycoon," all had red eyes, and the air was filled with a strong sense of bitterness.
Especially Takeru Satoh, who was standing at the very front.
He bit his lip hard, gripping the safety tape tightly with both hands, practically driven mad with jealousy! He was filled with resentment, hating himself for not getting even a minor student role in this amazing production team! He could only watch helplessly as others received the president's divine acting skills through "words and deeds."
"Damn it—I really want to go in and act with the president!" Sato Takeru roared in his heart, so envious that tears were about to fall.
This vivid and even somewhat heartwarming scene was captured without any omission by the behind-the-scenes camera in the corner.
The publicity team behind the scenes had already planned everything. This behind-the-scenes footage not only showcased Kitahara Shin's professionalism as a top-tier actor, but also brought his extreme contrast of "outwardly a delinquent blond teacher, but in private an extremely gentle and patient company president" to its peak.
It's foreseeable that when the GTO DVD is released, as long as this behind-the-scenes footage of "teaching by example" is included as a bonus, countless female fans across Japan will go crazy buying it for this damn "gap moe" (a term used to describe the unexpected charm or contrast between the characters' personalities and the characters' personalities).
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