Chapter 83: This Thrilling! The Storm Of 《an Shizhi Season 3》!
Neon Number One!
These four words were like a scalding brand, deeply seared into this sleepless night of July 1, 1990.
Neon’s film and television industry had never been stirred up like this tonight, by a sub-golden slot program.
……
Kyoto, near Toei Uzumasa Eigamura, an ancient townhouse.
The master renowned for filming period dramas, Director Eiji Goshima, had just ended a late-night long talk with the producer and was preparing to go to bed.
On his sharply chiseled face like a sculpture, there was a trace of anxiety belonging to a creator.
Because he hadn’t created any good works for a long time.
“Ding-ling-ling—”
Just as he lay in bed with his eyes closed preparing to sleep, the red telephone on the bedside table untimely shattered the tranquility of the night.
“Who is it? So late.” Eiji Goshima frowned, very displeased as he picked up the receiver, his voice carrying the oppressive force unique to a big shot.
“Goshima-sensei! It’s me! Ishigami!”
From the other end of the phone came the voice of his most proud assistant director, Saburo Ishigami, suppressing extreme shock to the point of being somewhat distorted: “Something huge happened! Tokyo Television Station… something huge happened!”
“Tokyo Television Station?” Eiji Goshima’s brows furrowed even deeper, his tone carrying a bit of disdain: “What big thing could they have? Another idol star causing a scandal? Or did their executive deputy director Toshihide Takada lose composure at some drinking party again?”
In the eyes of a film master like him, although Tokyo Television Station was very strong and could be called Neon’s number one television station.
It was just too arrogant.
Arrogant to the point that he could hardly accept their nose-up-to-the-sky attitude.
If not for the fact that the other party was too powerful in Neon’s film and television industry, impossible to avoid this television station, otherwise he wouldn’t bother with these arrogant guys.
“No! It’s not!” Saburo Ishigami on the other end of the phone, his voice agitated to the point of being somewhat incoherent: “It’s… it’s the ratings! Their sub-golden slot new program, called… called《World of the Strange》, just finished the first episode, final ratings… 20.3%!!”
“…”
Eiji Goshima’s hand gripping the receiver suddenly stiffened.
On that always calm face, for the first time, a trace of astonishment appeared.
“How much did you say?” He instinctively asked again, thinking he had misheard.
“Full episode ratings 20.3%!”
Saburo Ishigami’s voice this time was clear like thunder: “Sensei! This is no longer a sub-golden slot record, this… even in prime time slot, it’s a result enough to make all competitors feel despair!”
Eiji Goshima fell silent.
Of course he knew what this number meant.
“That program… what is it about?” He was silent for a moment, then slowly spoke, his voice now carrying true solemnity.
“It’s… a young person named Hiroshi Nohara who filmed it. The theme… is very strange, called ‘urban legends’. The first episode’s story is about a woman with superpowers, she…”
Saburo Ishigami recounted that plot that made one slap the table in admiration at the fastest speed.
When he got to the final earth-shattering twist that upended everything, that the seemingly perfect male second lead was actually the real perverted killer.
And finally, Saburo Ishigami added: “Even Eiji Kurosawa, who has some rivalry with you, guest-starred in this young person’s program as the host of the unit drama!”
“…Pa.”
The phone in Eiji Goshima’s hand quietly slipped and fell onto the icy cold floor.
He stared blankly at the pale moon outside the window, in those eyes that had shot countless classic lenses, at this moment, only undisguised, bottomless shock remained.
The bad guy won?
This…
How is this possible?!
This completely violated the iron rule of ‘punish evil and promote good’ that they old-generation creators had believed in for a lifetime!
But precisely such a rebellious work achieved such shocking success!
And Eiji Kurosawa, he couldn’t help but frown slightly upon hearing this name.
He filmed grand narrative costume dramas.
What Eiji Kurosawa filmed were samurai costume dramas with exquisite details.
Back in the 70s and 80s.
The two were often compared.
So they developed rival-like emotions, even now in old age, still faintly at odds.
He hadn’t expected Eiji Kurosawa, such a proud person, like a samurai.
To actually go be a supporting role for a young person.
“Nohara… Hiroshi…”
Eiji Goshima slowly squatted down, picked up the receiver, on that always majestic face, a trace of excitement belonging to meeting a worthy opponent appeared, one he himself hadn’t noticed.
“Ishigami.”
His voice returned to the master’s steadiness, yet carried an irrefutable command:
“Tomorrow, no, now! Immediately! Get me the video tape of that program! I want to watch! I want to see what kind of monster this young person is who can make that stubborn old man Eiji Kurosawa willingly be his supporting role!”
……
The shock storm stirred up by《World of the Strange》 spread at a speed far faster than anyone imagined.
From Hokkaido to Okinawa, from powerful television station directors to independent filmmakers struggling on the poverty line.
Everyone even slightly related to film and television was thoroughly stunned this night by that terrifying 20.3% ratings number and that unfamiliar name Hiroshi Nohara.
They frantically made phone calls, mobilized all their connections, trying to investigate the source of this storm.
And when they learned from friends, colleagues, even rivals who had watched the program, about that “superpower”, “female lead counter-kill”, “male second lead shocking twist” plot.
Everyone fell into long silence.
It was a kind of powerlessness and awe from the bones after witnessing true dimensional reduction strike.
They realized that a brand new era had truly arrived!
And they old folks clinging to old rules, if they didn’t make changes, what awaited them was only to be ruthlessly abandoned by this era.
However, just as the entire Neon film and television industry was sleepless because of this godlike work that appeared out of nowhere.
The countless ordinary viewers who truly decided the ratings direction were experiencing a rollercoaster from heaven to hell, ice and fire.
……
10:29 PM.
University of Tokyo, Komaba Campus, in a certain male dormitory.
The air was filled with a mix of sweat, instant noodles, and youthful hormones—simply put, a bit sour and smelly.
But no one cared; these slovenly boys were long used to it.
“Yoshi! Yoshi! Yoshi!”
A boy with a pompadour hairstyle named Kenta Sato was agitated like a cat whose tail was stepped on, pacing back and forth in the narrow room, repeatedly chanting this phrase that best expressed his current mood.
“That twist! Did you see it?! That twist! It’s fucking divine! I still have goosebumps!”
“Who didn’t!”
Another boy wearing thick glasses, looking quite refined, was also flushed with excitement: “I thought the female lead killing the police was subversive enough! I didn’t expect the real boss to be that handsome guy who kept helping her! This… who wrote this script?! I want to send him death threat letters! No! I want to send him my knees for life!”
“Hiroshi Nohara! Teacher Hiroshi Nohara!”
The only normie in the room, a stylishly dressed boy named Takuya Suzuki, smugly waved the《Weekly Shonen JUMP》 in his hand, which featured the latest chapter of《Yu Yu Hakusho》.
“I told you long ago! Teacher Nohara is god! You didn’t believe! Convinced now?!”
“Convinced! Totally convinced!”
“From today, I’m Teacher Nohara’s most loyal believer!”
“Me too!”
The entire dormitory was immersed in a fanatical pilgrimage atmosphere after being baptized by a godlike work.
Constantly discussing the plot just now and that clever twist.
They couldn’t stop!
“Hey hey hey! Look! 10:30!《An Shizhi》 is starting!”
No one knew who shouted, but all eyes instantly focused on that small television.
“Oh oh oh! Here it comes!”
“Awesome! Just finished one godlike work, now another! Tonight is paradise!”
“Just don’t know what surprise Teacher Nohara’s《An Shizhi》 will bring us this time!”
Takuya Suzuki deliberately emphasized ‘Teacher Nohara’, that sense of superiority as a veteran fan practically overflowing the screen.
But someone retorted at this time: “This《An Shizhi Season 3》 is no longer produced by Teacher Nohara; it seems to have been taken over by a colleague called Iwata’s Classroom.”
“Right right, I heard too, Teacher Nohara is devoting himself to《World of the Strange》 production, so he handed season 3 to a colleague.” Another said.
“But it should be fine, after all Teacher Nohara produced《An Shizhi》 season 1 and 2 perfectly, season 3 should inherit Teacher Nohara’s style.” Takuya Suzuki pursed his lips at this.
“Maybe. But according to previous promotion,《An Shizhi》 season 3’s images have been upgraded.” Someone was faintly worried.
But soon as time arrived, they stopped discussing.
However, when that familiar opening with eerie and outdated feel ended, and the story officially began.
The atmosphere in the dormitory gradually became a bit strange.
“Huh? What’s going on? Where’s the storytelling uncle?”
“Yeah, why changed to an onmyoji dressed like cosplay?”
“And this art style… feels different from before. Lines too clean, no that rough terror feel.”
When that blue-faced fanged evil spirit jumped out of the screen with terrifying sound effects.
The entire dormitory fell into eerie silence.
Kenta Sato stared blankly at the screen, subconsciously scratching his head: “This… this is…《An Shizhi》? Am I seeing wrong? How does it feel like《GeGeGe no Kitaro》 my five-year-old nephew watches?”
“Pfft—”
His words were like a switch, instantly exploding the whole room.
“Hahaha! GeGeGe no Kitaro! Don’t say, it really fucking looks like it!”
“Damn! What the hell is this?! That ghost looks too funny! And that onmyoji, is he serious with those spells? Why does it sound like ordering dishes?”
“My eyes! My eyes are going blind! How dare they! How dare they film《An Shizhi》 like this?!”
When finally, that handsome onmyoji used a golden glowing talisman to blast the evil spirit to soul dissipation, and the screen chuunibyou-style displayed “Evil spirits disperse” in big letters.
The entire dormitory completely exploded.
“Disperse your mom!!”
Takuya Suzuki was the first to jump up, grabbing an empty instant noodle bowl from the table and smashing it hard against the wall; that always somewhat handsome face now full of betrayal-fueled anger!
“This is fucking fraud! Naked fraud! How dare they promote this garbage using Teacher Nohara’s name?! What do they take us loyal viewers for?! Idiots?!”
“Exactly! Too much! I feel my IQ insulted!”
“I’m complaining! Calling Tokyo Television Station to complain right now! No! I’m writing a letter! Using the most vicious language of my life to greet that producer Masao Iwata!”
“And that Ichiro Hashishita! I remember the newspaper said he was Teacher Nohara’s former subordinate! Is this how he repays teacher’s recognition?! What garbage is this he produced!!!!”
“This isn’t《An Shizhi》 at all! Those damn guys! This isn’t《An Shizhi Season 3》!”
“Right! I don’t acknowledge this as《An Shizhi Season 3》!”
This towering rage transformed from disappointment swept across the entire Neon in mere minutes like a prairie fire.
Countless households, countless izakayas, countless university dormitories erupted in the same angry denunciations.
They felt like diners full of expectation, preparing to taste kaiseki cuisine handmade by a Michelin three-star chef.
But what the waiter served was a plate of moldy, green-furred stale rice from the warehouse, topped with a spoonful of leftover stinky natto from the next table’s guests.
That humiliated feeling of being deceived, fooled, and fed like pigs made all《An Shizhi》 loyal fans completely go berserk.
Tokyo Television Station’s viewer hotline was completely blown up within ten minutes after the program aired.
The operators with mournful faces listened to all kinds of imaginative, Zaun-level affectionate greetings from the phone, feeling their ears and hearts suffered devastating blows.
The next morning, major newspapers’ reader mail sections were flooded with complaint letters like snowflakes.
“…I never imagined a work I love so deeply would be ruined like this. That producer Masao Iwata doesn’t understand terror at all! He only knows to use the cheapest effects and stupidest plot to insult viewers’ IQ! I demand Tokyo Television Station immediately cancel this garbage! And publicly apologize to Teacher Hiroshi Nohara, to all us viewers!”
—From a veteran film and television fan who has watched TV for ten years and wishes to remain anonymous.
“…As an art student, I can say season 3’s art style is a disaster. It completely abandons the unique style from seasons 1 and 2 originating from ‘kamishibai’, full of Japanese horror aesthetics, turning into a mismatched mess trying to imitate hot-blooded shonen manga. That original illustrator, I suggest remanufacturing him.”
—From an angry art university student.
“…I just want to ask one thing, that line producer Ichiro Hashishita, can you sleep at night?”
—From a concise Hiroshi Nohara diehard fan.
This audience-sparked public opinion storm had ferocity far beyond anyone’s imagination.
It was like a sudden tsunami, with an unstoppable posture, ruthlessly slamming onto Iwata’s Classroom’s already shaky door.
And completely nailed《An Shizhi》 season 3, this so-called “classic continuation”, to the pillar of shame in television history.
And as the instigator of all this, that young person now leisurely sitting in the office, sipping pour-over coffee while flipping through the latest《Weekly Shonen JUMP》.
Hiroshi Nohara’s mouth curved into a faint, breezy smile.
He had anticipated it.
Just…
Didn’t expect it to be this spectacular!
