Chapter 68: Time To Train The Team!
In the office of the Hiroshi Nohara Special Production Team, the atmosphere was completely different from the clamor outside.
There was no champagne popped mid-way, no flattery.
Only the faint aroma of freshly brewed black tea, the rustling of drawing boards and pencils, and the almost scorching focus unique to souls that have been suppressed for too long, burning anew.
Time had come to noon.
“Alright, everyone, seniors,” Hiroshi Nohara gently placed a thick stack of manuscripts, still exuding the fresh scent of ink, in the center of the conference table.
His movement was like that of a skilled chess player, who, after setting up a sure-win game, unhurriedly makes the first decisive move.
“This is the complete storyboard for episode one of World of the Strange, Terrifying Touch. Please take a look and pass it around.”
His voice was calm, carrying a power that stabilized people’s hearts.
Kenji Sato, the liaison officer sent to coordinate Hiroshi Nohara and these veterans, a rather refined-looking third-class director wearing gold-rimmed glasses, was the first to pick up the manuscript.
Beside him, the “Kanto Faction” veterans – Line Producer Tsuyoshi Yamamoto, Director of Photography Kai Matsushita, Art Director Nagisa Oshima, Screenwriter Ryosuke Kudo – instinctively leaned in.
Their faces bore the professional scrutiny of experts, as well as consideration for this young “Section Chief” who seemed too young.
They were here to fight, to reclaim their glory.
But the prerequisite was whether this young general was truly worth their following.
However, as their eyes fell upon the flowing and precise lines on the paper, the composition filled with visual impact, and the cinematic language noted in concise text at the corner of the image, which could be called the finishing touch.
That scrutiny gradually gave way to amazement.
Their eyes were shocked.
“This… this is…”
Ryosuke Kudo, the somewhat dull-looking screenwriter wearing thick glasses, was the first to exclaim.
He pointed to the last page of the storyboard, the earth-shattering twist that could overturn everything, and his eyes, always dim, erupted with an unprecedented brilliance:
“The ending… can it be twisted like this?! The man who saved the female lead is the real killer?! This isn’t a good ending, it’s a bad ending!? This… this is simply a genius concept!”
Ryosuke Kudo was so shocked he could barely speak.
Because it was such a novel anti-trope concept!
You must understand.
Let alone in the current year of 1990, even in 2025, this kind of twist and anti-trope ending for movies and television would be considered a minor highlight.
It’s a novel and eye-catching creativity.
So, to put it this way.
In 1990s Japan.
It was like the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, exploding in their hearts, making everyone’s heads reel!
Their thoughts were so shattered they couldn’t concentrate!
Especially when everyone, even though they had seen the proposal and knew there would be a twist, experiencing it through the manga gave them a clearer visual and cognitive understanding.
They were even more amazed by this twist concept!
“It’s more than just the ending!”
Tsuyoshi Yamamoto, the line producer with eyes as sharp as an eagle’s, also wore unconcealed shock on his face.
He pointed to one of the pages, his voice filled with the excitement of an insider: “Look at this storyboard! The close-up when the female lead first touches the murder weapon, the camera slowly pushes from her fingertips to her eyes, using the contraction of her pupils to show her inner fear… This… this is no longer just a manga storyboard, it can be used directly as a shooting script! Even the shot composition and camera movement are designed for you!”
“And the handling of light and shadow!”
Director of Photography Kai Matsushita couldn’t help but speak up, the eyes that always carried a hint of artistic decadence now shone frighteningly:
“Look, before the truth is revealed, the second male lead’s face is always half-shrouded in shadow. This… this is using light and shadow to imply the character’s duality! So brilliant! Truly brilliant!”
In this small office, exclamations of amazement rose one after another.
These veterans, marginalized by Tokyo Television Station for years and their hearts as calm as an ancient well, were now completely ignited by this thin storyboard!
They looked at the young man who had been calmly smiling from beginning to end, and the gloom, loneliness, and unwillingness in his eyes were gradually fading, replaced by ignited excitement and fanaticism.
They realized they were not following a lucky person who rose to power through factional struggles.
But a true, once-in-a-century genius!
A monster with absolute control and execution!
“How about that? Isn’t Section Chief Nohara amazing?”
Amidst this almost reverent silence, Hoshi Minamimura’s voice, carrying a hint of unconcealed pride, quietly sounded.
With his hands on his hips, his young face was filled with a sense of shared pride, like a loyal servant showing off his family’s treasures to outsiders: “Let me tell you, this is just routine! When we were making World of the Strange, the Section Chief was like this too, handling all the core concepts and storyboards by himself! We were just his assistants!”
“That’s right, that’s right!”
Roji Hase also nodded vigorously, his eyes, which always held a hint of shyness, now sparkled with worship: “We’ve already seen how amazing the Section Chief is! The expressions you all have now are exactly the same as ours when we first saw the World of the Strange manuscript!”
He deliberately pronounced the words “World of the Strange” one by one, his sense of superiority as a veteran almost overflowing from his face.
These words deepened the shock on the veterans’ faces. They looked at the three young people in front of them, who had expressions like “You country bumpkins who have never seen the world,” and the dignity they held as seniors was completely shattered at that moment.
“So, it’s like this!”
Tsuyoshi Yamamoto let out a long sigh, as if all the pent-up frustration and unwillingness of the past few years had been carried away by that breath.
He walked up to Hiroshi Nohara, without any unnecessary politeness, and bowed deeply to him.
It was a bow characteristic of a samurai upon seeing a lord worthy of his loyalty, filled with determination and respect.
“Section Chief Nohara,” he straightened up, and the sharp, eagle-like gaze was devoid of all scrutiny and consideration, leaving only pure conviction. “From now on, Line Producer Tsuyoshi Yamamoto will follow all your orders!”
His words were like a bugle call.
“Director of Photography Kai Matsushita, follow orders!”
“Art Director Nagisa Oshima, follow orders!”
“Screenwriter Ryosuke Kudo, follow orders!”
…
In an instant, the answering voices in the office, rising one after another, merged into a flood that could shake the entire building.
It was a long-suppressed ambition, finding an outlet worthy of burning for, creating a blood-boiling resonance.
Hiroshi Nohara looked at the faces of the veterans, whose eyes had rekindled flames, and finally revealed a heartfelt, spirited smile.
“Very good.”
He nodded, his voice calm but carrying an irrefutable power as he said again, “Since everyone has no objections, let’s discuss the ‘equipment’ issue for the next step.”
He turned his gaze to Tsuyoshi Yamamoto: “Director Yamamoto, we have the script and storyboard. The next step is the actors.”
“Yes!”
Tsuyoshi Yamamoto immediately stepped into the role of line producer. He pondered for a moment and offered the most stable suggestion: “Section Chief, I believe the choice of host is crucial. He needs sufficient national recognition and a steady demeanor to hold the audience. I recommend Senior Tiansen from the news department; he has hosted the evening news for thirty years and his image is deeply ingrained in people’s minds.”
“As for the actors for the unit dramas.”
He paused and continued, “Considering our budget and the risks of an S-class project, I suggest we can invite some veteran actors with strong acting skills but slightly less popularity, or some second-tier stars with buzz. This way, we can ensure performance quality while controlling costs.”
This advice was flawless, the standard answer any experienced producer would give.
And a qualified answer.
However, Hiroshi Nohara simply smiled dismissively and shook his head.
“Director Yamamoto, your suggestion is very good and stable.” His voice carried a hint of praise.
But then his tone shifted, and his clear eyes flashed with a confident light.
Hiroshi Nohara had now fully assumed the role of Section Chief.
Now.
He was the one giving orders.
“But stability has never been my style.”
He stood up, walked to the whiteboard, picked up a pen, and under the title “World of the Strange,” he wrote two characters.
— “Star-making.”
“We don’t need national recognition for our host.”
Hiroshi Nohara’s voice was not loud, but it clearly reached everyone’s ears: “I need a ‘symbol’ with a unique image, a mysterious aura, preferably someone you can’t forget at first glance. He might not be famous, he might not even be a professional host, but he must become the ‘face’ of our show.”
“As for the actors…” Hiroshi Nohara’s lips curled into an even bolder arc: “I don’t need veteran actors or second-tier stars either. What I want are those who have just graduated from art school, still carrying their youthful rawness, yet full of potential; I want those who were once wildly popular but have since fallen silent for various reasons, yearning for a chance to make a comeback.”
He turned around, looking at the veterans who were utterly stunned by his decision, his voice carrying a calm insight into everything.
“Everyone, have you ever thought about what it means if this S-class project is successful?”
“It means we not only created a great work. We also personally nurtured a group of stars belonging to our Tokyo Television Station, stars that we can firmly control.”
“It means that our small production team will have its own ‘loyal troops.’ In the future, what we want to film and who we want to use will be decided by us.”
“This is the true value of an S-class project.”
The office fell into dead silence.
Everyone was completely shocked by the grand and enticing blueprint Hiroshi Nohara had painted with his words.
They looked at the young man before them, their eyes as if they were looking at an omnipotent strategist.
They finally understood.
This young man’s ambition was never just about the success of one work.
What he wanted was to carve out a kingdom in this forest of power, a place truly his own, where he could freely roam!
“I… understood!”
Tsuyoshi Yamamoto’s body trembled slightly with extreme excitement.
He looked at Hiroshi Nohara, and for the first time, his sharp, eagle-like eyes revealed an almost fanatical worship.
Then he said in a deep voice, “Section Chief! I’ll contact the station’s Artist Management Department right away! We in the Kanto Faction also have many talented newcomers, just lacking opportunities! This time, we can let them…”
“Very good.” Hiroshi Nohara nodded with satisfaction.
He knew that from this moment on, this former “defeated army” had been completely united under his command.
The Kanto Faction’s projects should naturally use Kanto Faction people.
They were all friends back then.
They were all colleagues.
They were all brothers who got along well.
But because Kanto Television Station was acquired by Tokyo Television Station, even though they were transferred to Kanto Television Station, they were pushed to the periphery.
Then, because of their past relationship, they huddled together for warmth.
Now that something good has happened.
With a good project.
Of course, they would pull these friends, colleagues, and even brothers who were still down on their luck, marginalized, and ostracized, out of their predicament.
This way, they would be grateful to Hiroshi Nohara.
And it would be easier for Hiroshi Nohara to use them.
And for Hiroshi Nohara, perhaps this would also allow him to quickly accumulate a team of his own.
After all, Hiroshi Nohara was too young, so young that he had just graduated.
Even if he was brimming with talent.
His seniority was too weak.
To achieve this through normal means would require time for gradual progress before he could gain his own team.
This is perfect now; as soon as World of the Strange begins production.
Then the Kanto Faction veterans who were once marginalized will spontaneously come over.
And according to the World of the Strange in the past life of Japan, it was a national-level project IP that aired for over thirty years and was still in production before he time-traveled.
Then it means Hiroshi Nohara can live comfortably on this merit book for his entire life!
And with this merit book.
He can recruit talent for over thirty years to work for him!
No one understands better than he does how popular, how hot, how deeply ingrained in the hearts of Japanese people, and how influential for an entire generation the World of the Strange is.
PS: Continuing to ask for monthly and recommendation tickets~ If possible, please also recommend this book to your friends and help spread the word~
PS: Continuing to ask for monthly tickets and recommendation tickets~ If possible, please recommend this book to your friends and help spread the word~
