Chapter 165: Box Office Myth In The Making! Reputation Explodes! 《seven Samurai》 Sweeps Neon!
Sure enough, the next day, when the first ray of morning sunlight pierced through Tokyo’s thin mist and sprinkled onto the streets and alleys, a wave of fanaticism swept across the entire Kanto Region with an unstoppable momentum, especially the Tokyo Metropolitan Area.
《Seven Samurai》!
This name was like a thunderbolt from a clear sky, instantly igniting everyone’s nerves!
Almost all newspapers and news outlets had their front-page headlines dominated by this movie without exception!
“《Film Report》: Miracle descends! Twenty-three-year-old genius Hiroshi Nohara single-handedly subverts the Neon Film Industry! 《Seven Samurai》—an epic transcending the era!”
“《Asahi Shimbun》: National reflection! The lie of ‘class conflict’ is exposed, Hiroshi Nohara’s ‘Easter egg’ is the most profound insight into humanity and the era!”
“《Mainichi Shimbun》: Rebirth of Bushido! 《Seven Samurai》 redefines Neon Spirit, unbound by status, not limited by bloodline—anyone can be a samurai!”
“《Yomiuri Shimbun》: Box office myth confirmed! 《Seven Samurai》 explodes in reputation, nationwide hot discussion, unprecedented lines at theaters!”
Newspaper delivery personnel from major publishers had their papers snatched up by citizens who had been waiting for a long time almost as soon as they arrived at the kiosks!
On streets and alleys, in coffee shops, on trains, in office buildings… whether well-dressed office workers, vibrant young students, or housewives returning from shopping, everyone was passionately discussing the same topic—《Seven Samurai》!
“Oh my god! I watched 《Seven Samurai》 yesterday, it’s simply… simply a masterpiece!” A young office worker excitedly waved the newspaper in his hand on the train: “I originally thought that guy Hiroshi Nohara was really, as the papers said, an ‘ungrateful wretch’, an ‘elite’. But after watching the movie, I realized… I was wrong! I was really wrong!”
“Yeah! I watched it too!” His companion beside him nodded vigorously, his face full of shame: “He wasn’t insulting farmers at all! He was deconstructing! He was telling us that so-called ‘class’, so-called ‘status’, are worthless in the flood of the ‘era’! Those who curse him are the real ones who didn’t understand the movie or the era!”
“I went to the theater last night!” A female high school student chimed in excitedly, tears shining in her eyes: “That Chiyo! Though he’s a fake, he has more ‘samurai spirit’ than any real samurai! He showed us that so-called ‘Bushido’ is never determined by status, but by the ‘heart’! This… this is so inspiring!”
“Exactly! And did you notice?!” Another college student wearing glasses pushed up his lenses, his tone excited: “In the movie, the ones who survive in the end are those farmers! They survived with their own cunning and resilience, becoming the masters of the new era! While those samurai, the class once representing glory and order, were mercilessly abandoned by the era! Isn’t this saying that we Neon people entered this golden age because each of us has a brave, forward-charging, unbound-by-status new era Bushido spirit?!”
“Well said!”
This speech full of philosophical reflection instantly drew admiration from everyone around!
People nodded one after another, their faces filled with awe of sudden realization!
“I’ve decided! I’m going to watch 《Seven Samurai》 again today! I want my friends, my family, everyone to know that Hiroshi Nohara is not some ‘ungrateful wretch’! He’s a true genius who deconstructed the era and humanity!”
“Me too! Me too! I cursed him yesterday, today I’ll apologize with action!”
“Let’s go! Together!”
In an instant, the entire Neon was going crazy for 《Seven Samurai》 and Hiroshi Nohara!
Those media outlets that had once vehemently criticized Hiroshi Nohara now switched stances like chameleons.
They praised Hiroshi Nohara to the skies, using the most gorgeous rhetoric to shape him into a “transcendent thinker of the era”, “savior of the cultural circle”, “Neon’s pride”!
Large sections of newspaper pages were dedicated to introducing Hiroshi Nohara’s achievements—from the manga sales myth of 《Yu Yu Hakusho》, to the national-level ratings frenzy of 《Super Change Change Change》, to the urban legends universe of 《World of the Strange》, and the late-night animation miracle of 《An Shizhi》!
Each achievement shone like the most brilliant medal, dazzling the eyes!
And this overwhelming positive promotion acted like the strongest catalyst, drawing even more people to the theaters to witness with their own eyes this 《Seven Samurai》 already revered as a “masterpiece” by countless people!
At theater entrances, the lines stretched endlessly!
……
Tokyo Television Station seventeenth floor, Deputy Director Asumi’s office.
Sunlight streamed through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, illuminating the entire office brightly.
However, the atmosphere in the office at this moment was even hotter and more joyful than the sunlight!
“Hahaha! Hiroshi-kun! Director Kurosawa! You two are simply… simply gods!”
Deputy Director Asumi was laughing heartily at this moment, his usually refined and steady face now full of irrepressible ecstasy!
Beside him, Eiji Kurosawa was also laughing uncontrollably, all fatigue and desolation gone from his weathered old face, leaving only heartfelt exhilaration!
And opposite them, the seven actors who played the “samurai” had long shed their tragic and heroic seriousness from the movie, each laughing like a child, their faces beaming with survivor-like excitement and pride!
“As expected of Hiroshi-kun! This promotion tactic is simply… a stroke of genius!”
Deputy Director Asumi heavily patted Hiroshi Nohara’s shoulder, his face full of gratification: “I thought this public opinion storm would give us a headache for a while. I didn’t expect you to turn it into the best promotion for our 《Seven Samurai》! Now, everyone has forgotten all about ‘class conflict’ and ‘insulting farmers’! They all think your words were just a carefully prepared ‘Easter egg’ for the movie! They’re all apologizing for their previous misunderstandings! Praising you as a genius! Praising your work for its depth and intent!”
“Yeah!” Veteran actor Taiji Miyoshi, who played Kanbei, sighed deeply: “In my life, I’ve never seen such a… bizarre promotion method! First cursing everyone bloody, then conquering them all with the movie! This… this is manipulating hearts to the extreme!”
“Hahaha! What do you call this? This is ‘build-up through suppression’!” Shunpei Makino, who played Chiyo, proudly waved his fist: “Those Tokyo Faction guys really shot themselves in the foot! They thought they could smear our Minister, but ended up promoting us! Now, they’re probably regretting it to death!”
“Hmph!” Eiji Kurosawa snorted coldly, a flash of contempt on his face: “Those clowns dare to manipulate public opinion? They thought those dirty tricks could take down Nohara-kun? They’re too naive! They have no idea that Nohara-kun’s wisdom far surpasses these narrow-minded mortals!”
He paused, turning his gaze to Hiroshi Nohara, his eyes full of appreciation and trust.
“But this is also because Hiroshi-kun and Director Kurosawa, you two directed so well!” The actor who played Kyuzo couldn’t help but speak up: “If the movie’s quality wasn’t rock-solid, no amount of promotion would make it last. It’s you two who conquered all audiences with a true masterpiece!”
“Exactly!” The other actors chimed in, their faces full of pride: “It’s 《Seven Samurai》 itself that conquered everyone’s hearts!”
However, Eiji Kurosawa just calmly shook his head, his face once again showing frankness and pride.
“No.”
He spoke slowly: “As I said, the true chief director of this movie, the true filmmaker, the one who truly completed this artwork, is only one person—him… Hiroshi Nohara!”
Eiji Kurosawa himself was a proud man, disdainful of claiming credit or taking others’ achievements.
Especially regarding Hiroshi Nohara.
Now, he was truly convinced from the heart!
Everyone stared dumbfounded at Eiji Kurosawa, then at Hiroshi Nohara, their faces filled with shock!
They knew Director Kurosawa was always extremely straightforward, saying what he meant.
Yet even when everyone credited him, he pushed all the glory to that young man again!
This… this was no longer just “promoting a junior”!
This was clearly… true recognition!
This made the office atmosphere even warmer, filled with a powerful force called trust and unity!
“Great! Great! Great!”
Deputy Director Asumi clapped heavily, his voice trembling with excitement: “Hiroshi-kun! You… you’ve truly won an unprecedented great victory for our Kanto Faction this time!”
He took a deep breath, his gaze sweeping over everyone present, his eyes shining with confidence!
“I dare to assert!”
Deputy Director Asumi’s voice boomed like a great bell: “This 《Seven Samurai》 will absolutely be a hit! A massive hit!”
“I can even boldly predict that just today, on Christmas Eve, 《Seven Samurai》’s opening day box office will absolutely not be less than 100 million yen!”
Boom—!
This number instantly exploded in the office!
Everyone was stunned!
100 million yen?!
That’s a box office figure only super blockbuster commercial movies can reach on opening day!
They who worked in television knew the film industry was deep, but 100 million yen on opening day for a period piece, for a samurai film, was simply… outlandish!
“O… one hundred million yen?!” Shunpei Makino, who played Chiyo, was the first to exclaim in shock, his young face full of incredulous horror!
“Deputy Director Asumi, y… you’re not joking, are you?!” Taiji Miyoshi, who played Kanbei, also widened his eyes, his face full of shock!
“Hahaha!” Deputy Director Asumi laughed uncontrollably at everyone’s stunned expressions, his posture devoid of any deputy director dignity, clearly an excited gambler who finally saw victory in desperation!
“What?!” He retorted, his voice full of pride: “Do you think this movie doesn’t deserve to explode?!”
Everyone fell silent.
Because they knew.
It does!
Absolutely does!
This movie is not just a movie.
It is a groundbreaking masterpiece capable of changing all of Neon, even the world’s, ingrained perceptions of the words “samurai”, “class”, and “era”!
It deserves all the most gorgeous praise!
It deserves all the highest honors!
It especially deserves… the craziest box office!
“Of course it does!” Hiroshi Nohara’s lips curved in satisfaction, his eyes gleaming with composed confidence.
He knew Deputy Director Asumi’s prediction might even be conservative.
After all, 《Seven Samurai》 was his previous life’s 1954 film by Director Kurosawa Akira, a true masterpiece etched in world film history!
And in this Neon world, enhanced by his “plagiarist” script, more exquisite costumes and sets, perfect cinematography, top-tier post-production, precise promotion…
《Seven Samurai》 in 1990’s Neon would absolutely surpass its previous life height!
He knew well that in his previous life’s 1990 Neon film market, box offices hovered around 5 billion yen.
And with his “black traffic” promotion, nationwide hot discussion buildup, explosive reputation fermentation…
《Seven Samurai》’s final box office would absolutely be an astronomical figure to drive everyone crazy and shocked!
Now, all they had to do was wait.
Wait for the news of victory!
“By the way, I’m curious about the performance and reputation of 《Samurai of the Cherry Blossom Tree》 that Takada arranged for production?” Deputy Director Asumi asked with raised eyebrows: “Using idols and stars to make a movie probably won’t go well, right?”
“Hahahaha! Deputy Director Asumi, your prophecy is more accurate than the weather forecast!” Shunpei Makino, who played Chiyo, was the first to burst out laughing uncontrollably.
His face now full of irrepressible excitement: “On my way here, I specially checked the neighboring theater. Guess what? For 《Samurai of the Cherry Blossom Tree》, the line was fully half as short as ours! And I asked some film critic friends, many are slamming Shunsuke Kamiki, saying his samurai is such a wimp! Even drawing the sword is limp, like a spineless eel!”
As he spoke, he mimicked Shunsuke Kamiki’s “tender” expression from the movie, speaking in a falsetto: “‘Miyuki-chan, my heart is like the falling leaves under this cherry blossom tree, drifting with the wind, withering only for you…’ Ugh, gave me goosebumps all over!”
This vivid imitation instantly ignited the office atmosphere!
“Hahahaha!”
Deputy Director Asumi laughed uncontrollably, tears nearly streaming.
He pointed at Shunpei Makino, gasping: “You kid, you’re really… a real treasure! But speaking of which, I heard that movie is indeed… indescribable.”
“More than indescribable!” Taiji Miyoshi, who played Kanbei, shook his head, his steady face now full of undisguised contempt: “Last night, to know the enemy, I specially watched that 《Samurai of the Cherry Blossom Tree》. Result… sigh, total waste of life! Where’s the samurai film? Clearly an idol drama in period costume!”
He paused, his tone increasingly disdainful: “The whole movie had nothing left besides Shunsuke Kamiki’s face and Miyuki Kitagawa’s wide-eyed staring expression. Plot empty, logic chaotic, action scenes ridiculously fake! That Shunsuke Kamiki can’t even do basic kendo posture, yet dares call himself the ‘spokesperson for new era samurai’? Simply… ridiculous!”
The actor who played Kyuzo joined in the complaint, his face full of disgust: “And most shots are close-ups of that Shunsuke Kamiki! As if the director feared audiences wouldn’t see his face! I thought then, is this movie his personal MV or for the audience?”
“Exactly!” The actor who played Gorobei Katayama said indignantly: “I was in the theater and heard several audience members cursing out loud! Saying ‘watched half a day for garbage’, ‘better to watch 《Super Change Change Change》, at least you can laugh’! I felt so helpless, why drag our 《Super Change Change Change》 into it?”
“Hahahaha! Serves them right!” Shunpei Makino proudly waved his fist: “The Tokyo Faction relies on money and promotion, right? Saying millions of fans would pack theaters? Now it seems audiences’ eyes aren’t so easily fooled!”
“Hmph!” Eiji Kurosawa snorted coldly upon hearing this, his contempt undisguised.
“Those clowns don’t understand samurai films at all!” His voice was heavy: “Samurai require faith! Spirit! Forged with blood and sweat, countless trainings! Not something wimps who can’t hold a sword can pose for!”
He paused, his tone growing more impassioned:
“I’ve directed samurai films my whole life! I know better than anyone that a true samurai’s every glance, every move, must carry soul! Not piled up with money or so-called ‘traffic’! It requires actors to immerse for months, even years, practicing repeatedly to perform!”
“That Shunsuke Kamiki, besides his face, what does he have? Does he know Bushido? Sacrifice? Faith? He knows nothing! He’s just a soulless doll packaged by capital! Him playing a samurai is the greatest insult to ‘Bushido’!”
Eiji Kurosawa grew more agitated, slamming the table with a huge bang that shook the office!
“I’ve said it before, film is art! Not for those capital players! Nor for spoiled idol stars to defile!”
He looked at everyone, his sharp eyes blazing with anger: “That old fox Toshihide Takada thinks with money and backing from that old man Tokugawa Sato, he can do whatever? Thinks spending billions makes a ‘timeless classic’? Pure delusion!”
“Yeah!” Deputy Director Asumi nodded with a sigh: “That Masao Iwata was kicked off the section chief position by Nohara-kun back then. Toshihide Takada thought he was talent and protected him, even made him chief director to turn things around! Sent Soji Ashikaga and Kouta Asano, those second-class directors, to help! Result? This pile of crap!”
He sneered: “I bet their 《Samurai of the Cherry Blossom Tree》 box office passing 200-300 million yen would be heaven-sent! They won’t even recover production costs! As for that sky-high promotion fee… heh, all down the drain!”
Everyone in the office burst into triumphant laughter!
That laughter was full of the victors’ mockery of their opponents’ foolishness!
“Deputy Director Asumi, what do you think that old fox Toshihide Takada’s face looks like now?” Shunpei Makino laughed till tears came.
“Hahaha! I bet he’s smashing ashtrays in his office in rage!” Taiji Miyoshi, who played Kanbei, teased.
“Maybe he’s kneeling before that old man Tokugawa Sato, snot and tears begging forgiveness! Lost so much money, someone has to take responsibility!” The actor who played Kyuzo joined the teasing.
“Hahahaha!”
Though they knew this somewhat insulted the executive deputy director Toshihide Takada, they had been sorely oppressed by the Tokyo Faction before, so private joking was fair game.
Thus the office erupted in another round of hearty laughter; they were overjoyed!
……
Sure enough, on the first workday after Christmas, Tokyo Television Station seventeenth floor, Hiroshi Nohara’s Independent Production Department welcomed an unprecedented celebration.
“Minister! Minister! Big news! Huge news!”
Kei Tanaka, producer of 《Super Change Change Change》, rushed into the minister’s office waving a fresh box office report like a hyped bulldog, his face full of irrepressible ecstasy!
Behind him, Tsuyoshi Yamamoto and Ichiro Hashishita were equally flushed with excitement, eyes gleaming with incredulous shock!
“Calm down, Section Chief Tanaka.” Hiroshi Nohara just smiled calmly, not even lifting his head from the mountain of manuscripts, casually sipping from the teacup on his desk.
This nonchalant composure made Kei Tanaka even more agitated, wanting to jump!
“Minister! H… how can you be so calm?!” Kei Tanaka rushed to Hiroshi Nohara’s desk, placing the box office report carefully like a treasure, his voice trembling with excitement: “《Seven Samurai》! Our 《Seven Samurai》’s Christmas Eve opening day box office—”
He took a deep breath, shouting the number that would shake the entire Neon film industry in near-roar!
“—180 million yen!”
“Boom—!”
This number hit like the most precise nuclear bomb, exploding in the office!
The department staff’s expressions froze instantly upon hearing it!
180 million yen?!
This… this was no mere “big hit”!
This was clearly… a true box office myth!
Neon’s film market was always Hollywood blockbuster territory. Local films breaking 2 billion yen were already excellent.
Except for a rare few breaking 5 billion yen.
And opening day at 100 million yen was countable on one hand!
Moreover, this was a “controversial work” slammed by countless media and people!
And just one day, Christmas Eve!
“Miracle… this is a miracle!” Someone cheered.
Heated discussion immediately surged in the office again.
“I knew it! Minister Nohara created another miracle!”
“Next, should our department arrange a film classroom too?”
“Minister Nohara is a god! Never fails!”
They looked at that young man, his calm eyes full of infinite longing for the future and absolute trust in Hiroshi Nohara’s god-like ability!
“Congratulations, Minister!” Kei Tanaka was so excited he was incoherent, not knowing what words to use for his mood, instinctively bowing deeply to Hiroshi Nohara: “Y… you’ve created another miracle!”
“Congratulations, Minister!” Everyone bowed excitedly.
“Not bad.” Hiroshi Nohara finally set down his teacup, slowly lifting his head, his clear eyes sweeping over the three and the department staff behind, a faint smile on his face.
He knew this was just the beginning.
《Seven Samurai》’s box office would continue climbing at astonishing speed in the coming days, even weeks!
Because the reputation had fully exploded!
He could even see that in the near future, this movie would become an insurmountable eternal monument in this parallel world’s Neon film history!
Possibly even more dazzling than the previous life’s 《Seven Samurai》!
“By the way.” Hiroshi Nohara’s gaze fell on an inconspicuous small name in the corner of the box office report: “What was 《Samurai of the Cherry Blossom Tree》’s opening day box office?”
“That one…” Kei Tanaka’s ecstasy faded, replaced by gloating contempt: “That movie’s opening day box office… a mere 35 million yen.”
“35 million yen?!” Tsuyoshi Yamamoto and Ichiro Hashishita exchanged glances, seeing shared mockery.
That movie boasted 300 million yen investment, promotion fees astronomical!
Yet opening day only a measly 35 million yen?!
This was… a total bloodbath!
“Hmph!” Kei Tanaka snorted: “I bet their final box office breaking 500 million yen would be heaven-sent! Those promotion fees definitely all down the drain!”
Tsuyoshi Yamamoto sneered: “Who told them not to focus on the movie, only dirty hype! Now they reap what they sowed!”
Hiroshi Nohara smiled without speaking.
He slowly stood, walking to the floor-to-ceiling window, overlooking the steel city awakening in the morning light below.
His mood increasingly cheerful.
“Looks like with 《Seven Samurai》’s great success, my Akita Dog plan can proceed as scheduled.”
PS: Keep seeking recommendation and monthly votes~ One more chapter tonight~
