Tokyo: My Best Actor Gear List

Chapter 52 The First Blue Ribbon of the Heisei Era

"Kitahara-kun! This way! Look this way!"

"That laugh! Please give me a 'Sawada-style' cold laugh!"

At the entrance to the banquet hall of the Grand Hotel, the flashes of light from the red carpet on both sides almost burned through people's retinas.

As soon as Kitahara Shin stepped out of the black car, he was immediately engulfed by this suffocating sea of ​​white light.

Six months ago, he was just an extra who didn't even dare to take an extra box of lunch from the film crew.

Now, he only needs to pause for a moment and straighten his cuffs to cause a stir in the press section.

"Kitahara-kun, it's been a long time."

A slightly overweight middle-aged man squeezed through the crowd and warmly extended his hands.

Kitahara Shin recognized that face.

This is the casting director of a major film company.

Six months ago, this same person casually threw his resume into the trash can, without even glancing at him, leaving only a cold comment: "You're too standard-looking. There are tons of faces like that in the entertainment industry. You're not memorable and are destined to never become famous."

At this moment, the minister's face was covered with a greasy smile, as if he were his long-lost brother.

"Congratulations on your nomination! I knew you were a promising talent; your performance in 'Yakuza Blood' was absolutely brilliant! You're a natural-born actor! Our company has a big production next month, and I've reserved the second male lead role for you!"

Kitahara Shin stopped and grasped the sweaty hand.

He smiled politely, shook hands with just the right amount of pressure, and then quickly withdrew his hand.

"Thank you for your guidance; I will always remember your teachings."

After saying that, he didn't linger and turned to walk into the venue.

Behind him, the minister was still bragging to the person next to him: "See? I'm very close to Kitahara-kun. I was the one who gave him pointers back then..."

This is the entertainment industry.

Once you become famous, your previous harsh words are now seen as "guidance," and you'll find yourself surrounded by fewer bad people.

Inside the venue, round tables were covered with clean white tablecloths.

This is the scene of the 32nd Blue Ribbon Awards ceremony.

As an award selected by film journalists from seven major newspapers in Tokyo, the Blue Ribbon Award holds extremely high prestige within the industry.

Kitahara Shin was seated in the third row.

This in itself is a form of recognition.

His name appeared on both the "Best Newcomer" and "Best Supporting Actor" nomination lists. With his roles as "Sawada" in "Yakuza Blood" and "Kikuchi" in "Violent Cop," he is this year's most popular dark horse.

Are you nervous?

The chair next to him was pulled out, and a man with a crooked neck and a displeased look sat down.

It's Takeshi Kitano.

He was wearing a suit today, which was unusual for him, but his tie was tied crookedly, obviously forced on him by his agent.

"It's alright." Kitahara Shin poured him a glass of water. "Anyway, I'll probably just be a runner-up."

"You're smart."

Takeshi Kitano snorted, his gaze sweeping over the several judges sitting upright in the front row. "Those old guys don't like our kind of films. Too violent, too dark, it doesn't fit their sentimental taste of 'though it's tough, we have to keep going.' They prefer tearful love stories or fake family dramas."

The ceremony begins.

Just as Takeshi Kitano predicted.

"The winner of the Best Newcomer Award at the 32nd Blue Ribbon Awards is..."

The award presenter dragged out his words.

Kitahara Shin felt several cameras pointed at him. He maintained a polite smile, even though he knew perfectly well that the envelope didn't have his name on it.

"...Noriyuki Higashiyama!"

The audience erupted in applause.

The popular Johnny's idol stood up and hugged the person next to him with a look of surprise and delight.

Kitahara Shinya also clapped.

The reasons are quite valid: the character is wholesome, radiates positive energy, and aligns with the prevailing social trends. Meanwhile, Kitahara Shin primarily plays psychopaths and madmen; the judging panel would feel uneasy accepting awards for such roles.

Next up is Best Supporting Actor.

It still wasn't him.

The trophy was awarded to a veteran actor who has been acting for thirty years.

This is a "respect for elders ticket," which is also a way of ranking people by seniority within the circle.

They lost two prizes in a row.

Several sighs of regret came from the media section, and the cameras moved away from Kitahara Shin's face.

In everyone's eyes, this biggest hit of the night has been completely relegated to the background.

"boring."

Takeshi Kitano yawned loudly enough for several tables around to hear, "I should have known better than to come. I would have preferred to go beat up pachinko."

Just when everyone thought the turmoil of the night was over.

"Best Director... Takeshi Kitano, *Violent Cop*!"

The hall fell silent for a moment, then erupted in complex applause.

This movie is so special that even though the judges didn't like its violence, they had to admit that "Kitano Aoi" was groundbreaking.

Takeshi Kitano stood up.

He didn't smile; he even frowned, as if the trophy was a troublesome hot potato.

He slowly walked onto the stage and took the trophy wrapped in a blue ribbon from the guest.

Unlike others, he did not express his gratitude to the production crew, his family, or CCTV.

He leaned closer to the microphone, his face, twitching from the aftereffects of the car accident, looking both comical and grotesque under the lights.

"This thing is pretty heavy."

He tossed the trophy around. "I just saw that guy... oh, Kitahara, sitting there clapping for ages, his hands must be red from clapping, right? I'm just wondering, he gets an award for playing a good guy, but not for playing a bad guy who scares the good guys so much they wet their pants? Is this an actor selection or a moral exemplar selection?"

The audience was completely silent.

The producer's face turned green. Is this the kind of blunt truth that should be spoken in this setting?

"I don't think this award is of any use to me."

Takeshi Kitano scratched his messy hair. "Whether a movie is good or not isn't determined by this piece of iron. It's determined by the guy who coughed in the last scene."

After he finished speaking, he did something that shocked everyone present.

He picked up the trophy and strode off the stage, heading straight for the third row.

The spotlight frantically followed his figure.

Before Kitahara Shin could even react, he saw the dark trophy being shoved into his arms.

"Take it."

Takeshi Kitano patted him on the shoulder, his voice loud and undisguised, "You're the one who helped me earn this. Those old men are blind, but I'm not. On my set, you're the best."

"Director, this..."

Kitahara Shin held the heavy trophy, feeling both amused and exasperated.

"Stop talking nonsense and help me take it home. My closets are full, and I have nowhere to put it."

Takeshi Kitano waved his hand, completely ignoring the hundreds of shocked eyes and frantically flashing camera shutters around him. He loosened his tie, as if he had just finished a chore, and said, "Let's go, let's go for a drink."

He really is gone.

He tossed the award, coveted by all Japanese filmmakers, to the unsuccessful supporting actor like trash, and then swaggered out of the banquet hall.

Only Kitahara Shin remained, sitting in the center of the spotlight, holding in his arms the recognition that didn't belong to him, yet carried more weight than any award.

The way people were looking around had changed.

If before it was regret, now it's naked jealousy and shock.

That unconventional and brilliant director crowned this rejected newcomer in the most ironic way.

Kitahara Shin looked down at the trophy in his hand.

It still carried the sweat and tobacco scent from Takeshi Kitano's palms.

He slowly raised his head and looked at the reporters who were frantically pressing the shutter button.

He didn't panic, nor did he return the trophy.

He simply held it steadily, facing the camera, revealing that elegant yet slightly crazy smile that belonged to "Sawada".

The photo made the front page of all the newspapers the next day.

There is only one title:

The worst master and disciple in the Heisei era.