Tokyo: My Best Actor Gear List

Episode 1 of Chapter 66 premieres.

"I'm not watching. That guy who plays a gangster killer can act in a romance drama? I feel like this director's casting is definitely problematic, is he out of his mind?"

In a shared apartment in Shibuya, Misaki, an office worker, rolled her eyes at her roommate Mayumi, who was glued to the TV, as she patted on her face with toner. "When a man with a fierce look in his eyes, like a murderer, says 'I love you' to the camera, the female lead would probably be so scared that she would call the police. It just feels so weird."

Mayumi sat cross-legged at the low table, peeling an orange. "But the magazine said he's a great cook, and did you see that gossip news report? He handled it very well, and his answers were quite gentle. I guess he's alright, right?"

"Hmph, whatever, I'm not going to watch it anyway."

Obviously, it can be problematic if an actor portrays a type of character too convincingly.

For example, if you immediately think someone is a bad person, that impression will last a very long time once it's formed in the audience.

It's difficult to change, or rather, to be accepted by the public and have one's image replaced.

There are quite a few viewers like Misaki, who all have similar thoughts, in a state where they don't really think about it, but they will leave the TV on while doing other things.

The clock hand points to nine o'clock in the evening.

The Fuji Television logo flashed by.

As the guitar intro, which is worthy of being recorded in the history of Japanese pop music, began, Kazumasa Oda's clear and high-pitched voice instantly captured everyone's ears.

The scene cuts in.

A rural train station in Ehime Prefecture, followed by the crowded streets of Tokyo.

Misaki originally only intended to listen to the voice, but when the figure wearing an ill-fitting, cheap suit and carrying a briefcase appeared, being jostled and pushed around in the crowd, she stopped applying toner.

That's Kitahara Shin.

But that was not Kitahara Shin at all.

The man in the video has messy hair, but his eyes lack any of that chilling ferocity.

He looked at the dazzling streets of Tokyo, his eyes filled with the confusion, unease, and clumsy longing of a country youth.

"This appearance has changed quite a bit... Is it really the same person?" Mayumi forgot to chew the orange in her mouth.

Immediately afterwards, Rika Akana appeared.

Honami Suzuki's bouncy steps and her loud "Maruko!" were like a pebble thrown into a calm lake.

In this scene, Kitahara Shin's performance gave millions of viewers in front of their televisions a revolutionary perspective.

It wasn't that he did anything outrageous, but rather that the character and image he projected were vastly different from the previous Sawada.

Faced with Rika's American-style enthusiasm, he was stunned at first, his body subconsciously leaning back, and a look of bewilderment on his face as if to say, "Why is this person like this?"

He slumped his shoulders helplessly, sighed, and a forced, yet infinitely indulgent, bitter smile appeared on his lips.

That wry smile contained a tenderness that said, "I can't do anything about you."

This gentleness isn't acted out; it's like a stone warmed by the sun—rough, lukewarm, but genuine.

"...She's actually quite cute."

Misaki had already sat down next to Mayumi at some point, her eyes fixed on the screen. "To be honest, this kind of man is quite my type. I don't like people who are too sharp and assertive. They're too strong and edgy. This kind of man who looks a bit silly and clumsy makes me want to bully him."

Mayumi, standing to the side, was speechless as she listened to her roommate's inappropriate remarks.

"Didn't you say you weren't going to watch it?"

Faced with this question, Misaki remained silent and continued watching TV.

The extreme contrast that Kitahara Shin has shown so far is something that many people clearly did not expect.

It's clear that Misaki and Mayumi are not the only viewers who reacted this way.

Especially for those who have read Kitahara Shin's works, the more they remember how ruthless he used to be, the more their hearts are touched when they see him looking like a "punching bag".

The series is halfway through.

When Kanji was teased by Rika in the office, his helpless yet unwilling-to-get-angry demeanor resonated with many women watching on television.

"This young puppy is really cute, I want to adopt him!"

"This kind of man would definitely make a good husband!"

"Really? Is this really Kitahara Shin? I'm going to send him an apology letter. I even criticized him before, saying his portrayal of a yakuza was too realistic and disgusting!"

"Come on, when did you send a letter? You're probably just thinking of using this opportunity to write some nonsense so you'll swoon over him!"

……

The next day, Fuji Television Production Department.

"The ratings are out!!"

The data clerk rushed into the office with a fax paper in hand, his voice cracking with excitement.

While drinking coffee, Da Liang's hand trembled, and a few drops of dark brown liquid splashed onto the table.

"How many?"

"20.7%!!"

The data analyst waved the paper, "The peak viewership rating was 22.1%! It happened during the scene where Rika shouted 'Maruko'! And the audience hotline was flooded with calls, all asking about the next episode's plot, and some even asking if they could buy the same trench coat as Kanji!"

Duo Liang let out a long sigh of relief, leaned back in his chair, and wore the maniacal laugh of a gambler who had won a lot of money.

The premiere episode garnered over 20% viewership.

In this era, this is not just a success, it's the beginning of a phenomenon.

"That Kitahara kid..."

Screenwriter Yuji Sakamoto sat on the sofa, twirling a pen in his hand, looking at the simple, honest smile frozen on the monitor with a complex expression. "He brought Kanji to life. No, he even made Kanji more...heartbreaking than the one I wrote."

The original script portrayed Kanji as someone who was sometimes too indecisive, and even a bit of a jerk.

But Kitahara Shin gave this character a kind of "underlying color".

His underlying attitude of "Although I'm clumsy, I'll try my best to catch you" makes his indecisiveness a quality that makes him hard to hate.

……

The telephone line at the Daejeon office has been disconnected.

Because there's simply not enough to handle it all.

Invitations from GG magazines, newspapers, and major television stations came in like snowflakes.

"Meatballs" have become a hit.

It became incredibly popular.

On the streets and alleys, young men began to imitate the way of wearing suits with the sleeves rolled up, while women discussed that if they were Rika, they would never let go of this gentle man who could cook.

Although everyone had a feeling that, given the typical nature of this kind of TV series, the following plot would definitely be full of misunderstandings, missed opportunities, and melodramatic twists.

But so what?

As long as they could see that helpless smile on the face of the man in the white shirt, they were willing to sit in front of the TV on time, even if it meant crying through an entire box of tissues.

Kitahara Shin was walking to the film set.

As I passed by an electronics store, I saw that more than a dozen televisions in the window were replaying the first episode of last night's show.

Several high school girls in school uniforms gathered around, pointing at the screen and screaming excitedly.

"Maruko is so cute!"

"I wish my future boyfriend would be like this!"

Kitahara Shin lowered the brim of his hat, and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly.

It seems that the label of "murderer" has finally been washed away completely by that bowl of steaming hot udon noodles and that kind smile.

-

Meanwhile, on the other side of the ocean.

Inside a luxury apartment next to Central Park in Manhattan, New York.

Snowflakes were falling heavily outside the window, but the heating in the room was on full blast.

Akina Nakamori was curled up on the sofa, hugging her knees, wrapped in a thick wool blanket. On the television screen, the videotape that her assistant, who hadn't even had time to adjust to the time difference, had rushed over from the airport was playing.

In the scene, the man who is always calm and even a little mischievous is now looking at Honami Suzuki with his signature, innocent, and almost comical expression, like a primary school student being criticized by the teacher.

"puff……"

Akina couldn't help but laugh out loud, her shoulders trembling slightly.

She reached out a hand and poked the silly-looking face on the screen from a distance.

"Fool."

She muttered a curse under her breath, but her tone was sweet as honey.

"He's usually as shrewd as a fox, but he can act like an honest man so convincingly... He's such a big liar."

But as she laughed, her finger slowly stopped tapping the screen.

In the scene, Rika's gaze at Kanji, and the chemistry between them that made the air thick even though they were separated by a screen, caused the smile on her lips to fade slightly.

Her womanly intuition, combined with the sensitivity of a top artist, allowed her to sense a dangerous signal.

Although it was just acting.

but……

"A bachelor who can only cook..."

Akina muttered the headline from the news article, a bittersweet feeling rising in her heart, like biting into an unripe green apple.

She turned to look at the snow falling outside the window, her gaze gradually sharpening.

While jazz and vocal lessons in New York are certainly important, if she stays here too long, when she returns, there might actually be a pair of the lady of the house's slippers in that "bachelor's" apartment.

"Looks like we'll have to compress the course."

She gripped the blanket tightly, picked up the remote, rewound the image, and froze it on Kitahara Shin's warm smile.

"Just you wait, Maruko."

"The real female lead hasn't even appeared yet."