sinovels Chapter 292 The Pinnacle of Crime Detective
Chapter 292 The Pinnacle of Crime Detective
Chapter 292 The Pinnacle of Crime Detective
Kitahara Shin used the same method, employing this simple and brutal yet highly effective practical selection method that tests physical fitness, reaction time, and teamwork, to conduct a rigorous selection process over the next few days for all the new generation actors who came to audition.
Finally, the main cast of Haikyuu!! was officially finalized.
This roster can be described as a gathering of the most promising young talents in the current Japanese entertainment industry: Satoshi Tsumabuki, with his sunny smile and seemingly inexhaustible energy, naturally secured the role of the radiant male lead; while Yosuke Kuboe, exuding an air of rebellious arrogance and genius aloofness, was chosen to play the team's genius setter. Add to that Junichi Okada's exceptional physical abilities and Takeru Satoh, already a shoo-in for the core position, and this real-life Karasuno High School's newly formed team is practically flawless in terms of both looks and youthful energy.
After carefully reviewing the outline and the first ten episodes submitted by the writing team, Kitahara Shin readily signed off on the script for this drama.
He had initially considered using his memories to revise some scenes, but after reading the final draft, he realized it was completely unnecessary. Under the mature, industrialized training system of Kitahara Agency, these scriptwriters had long since mastered the golden formula for sports dramas. Whether it was the character arcs and growth, or the complex, adversarial bonds between teams, everything was written with remarkable solidity.
This greatly pleased Kitahara Shin. It proved that even without the precognitive advantages he possessed, the collective wisdom of Kitahara's elite staff was sufficient to consistently produce high-quality scripts. This vast entertainment empire had already developed a powerful self-sustaining mechanism.
In order to produce this ensemble drama with an unprecedented quality, Kitahara Shin generously approved the highest single-season budget in the history of his agency's drama division.
He not only booked a professional indoor stadium as a filming location, but also invested heavily in the latest high-speed tracking cameras and an extremely complex wire sling system from Hollywood. Kitahara Nobu gave the directing team a strict order:
While ensuring that the actors are 100% authentic and their spikes are genuine, we use the latest filming equipment to capture the feeling of hang time with each jump and the power of each spike, creating an ultimate visual impact that is like a hot-blooded anime!
At the same time, the commercial expansion is also underway. The same jerseys and knee pads worn by all the characters in the series, as well as various volleyball-themed merchandise with team logos, have been arranged for OEM factories to enter the expedited mass production stage, ready to reap the market rewards as soon as the TV series premieres.
On the first day of filming, the volleyball hall was filled with groans and cries.
In the midst of intense, realistic training and endless repetitive spiking drills, young and handsome players like Satoshi Tsumabuki and Takeru Satoh completely forgot about their idol image. They were panting heavily, their jerseys soaked with sweat, and the grimaces and even somewhat comical expressions of exhaustion on their faces were perfectly captured by the high-speed cameras.
This entirely new filming method abandons the somewhat rigid fixed camera positions of traditional Japanese dramas. The camera follows the flying volleyball rapidly through the air, and the overwhelming sense of speed and the boys' most genuine fatigue and indomitable spirit made the assistant director on set feel goosebumps, exclaiming that Kitahara Shin's concept of introducing action film shooting techniques across disciplines was simply a stroke of genius.
While the volleyball crew was working hard and sweating it out, Kitahara Shin arrived at "Dragon Zakura" the very next day.
The film crew's preparation site.
Compared to the passion on the volleyball court, *Dragon Zakura* tells a story of underdog triumph from another perspective: a bankrupt, low-ranking high school filled with delinquents and academic underachievers welcomes an unconventional, hardcore lawyer from a humble background. This teacher, who becomes the homeroom teacher, uses all sorts of extreme yet realistic methods that directly address societal pain points to force these underachieving students to strive for admission to the University of Tokyo, Japan's most prestigious university.
This is a bowl of ultimate realistic chicken soup that can not only excite students, but also resonate with countless parents.
During the auditions for "Dragon Zakura," Kitahara Shin made an extremely clever arrangement, combining the current timeline with his own cast.
He himself naturally took on the role of the stern, domineering, and charismatic devilish mentor, Kenji Sakuragi. To conceal his overly youthful and handsome face, the stylist specially applied realistic fake stubble to his face, and styled his hair into a slightly casual, weathered look. Paired with an ill-fitting, cheap black suit, the moment Kitahara Shin stepped out of the dressing room, his mature, roguish charm—a blend of worldly experience and a profound understanding of the rules—instantly captivated everyone present.
The original script featured a naive and kind-hearted English teacher who was always left speechless by the male lead's sharp retorts, but Kitahara Shin directly cast Matsushima Nanako in the role. Nanako's gentle and intellectual temperament made her a natural fit for the slightly naive yet kind teacher, and their bickering interactions in the drama are definitely a major highlight.
As for the rebellious underachievers in the drama, Kitahara Shin set his sights on Miyazawa Rie, as well as Hirosue Ryoko and Takizawa Hideaki, who were just going through puberty at that time.
At 24, Rie Miyazawa convincingly portrayed a rebellious girl with a delinquent air but a deep yearning for recognition. Her superb acting skills perfectly captured the character's rebellious yet vulnerable nature.
The reactions within the production crew were quite amusing. Rie Miyazawa and Nanako Miyazawa often secretly laughed at Shin Kitahara during breaks, seeing him looking like a weathered old man with a fake beard. But as soon as filming started, when Kitahara transformed into that devilish mentor, relentlessly spouting workplace and life's unspoken rules, both Nanako Miyazawa and the young actors were completely overwhelmed by his powerful aura of authority.
Especially for fifteen-year-old Hideaki Takizawa, when he saw the intimidating gaze of Shin Kitahara, he was so excited that he almost mispronounced his lines. He was a die-hard fan of Shin Kitahara, and now he could not only see his idol in person, but also be scolded and acted with by his idol in the same drama. This huge sense of happiness and pressure made him extremely excited on set.
Whether it's the volleyball court where sweat flies or the Dragon Sakura classroom where chalk dust flies, both of these blockbuster dramas, destined to change the landscape of Japanese dramas, are progressing steadily and efficiently under the personal supervision of Shin Kitahara.
As time went by.
While Kitahara Shin was immersed in the film set in Tokyo, in Hong Kong, a storm that was about to sweep across the entire Chinese-language film industry had completed its final preparations.
The pre-release promotion for "Infernal Affairs" has officially begun in Hong Kong with an overwhelming campaign!
Throughout Hong Kong, from the streets and alleys to subway stations and giant GG billboards in Victoria Harbour, there are huge posters of Andy Lau and Shin Kitahara back to back, their eyes filled with a sense of fateful confrontation.
The hype surrounding the film even exceeded director Andrew Lau's expectations. The reason is simple: the name Shin Kitahara carries immense weight with Hong Kong film fans. Last year, his collaboration with Jackie Chan in "Shinjuku Incident" alone, portraying a ruthless and cunning transnational yakuza boss, completely captivated Hong Kong audiences who value brotherhood and loyalty, causing his fame to skyrocket in the Southeast Asian market. Now, with him starring in a pure Hong Kong-style police thriller, Hong Kong audiences' expectations are at their peak.
The premiere was a star-studded affair.
Facing countless flashes and microphones, Andy Lau, known for his hard work and confidence, gave a comment that shocked the entire city of Hong Kong during a media interview.
When asked by reporters about his scenes with Kitahara, Andy Lau looked serious, even a little apprehensive, and said, "Acting opposite Mr. Kitahara was the most stressful experience I've ever had in all my years in the industry. He wasn't acting at all. The moment the director yelled 'action,' the way his eyes looked at you, you felt like he really was that undercover agent who had lived in the shadows for ten years. In the rooftop scene, I felt several times that I almost couldn't keep up with his acting. That kind of pressure from his acting was terrifying, but also incredibly exhilarating!"
This high praise from one of the Four Heavenly Kings completely ignited the curiosity of all the viewers.
The movie officially started.
As the plot unfolded, the atmosphere in the theater went through a dramatic transformation, from relaxed to confused, then to deathly silent, and finally to being so shocked that it sent chills down your spine.
In the back row, a few students who particularly enjoy traditional Jackie Chan action movies and the Young and Dangerous series were initially looking forward to intense street fights and machine gun battles. But after watching for half an hour, they realized that this movie didn't do any of that at all.
However, far from being bored, they were completely engrossed in the plot. When they saw Kitahara Shin and Andy Lau listening to Tsai Chin's songs while testing out audio equipment in the audio store, the scene of them, despite being mortal enemies, finding a subtle resonance in the music, left these young movie fans speechless. For the first time, they realized that without bullets flying, just the eye contact between two men could create a tension ten times more exciting than a gunfight.
In the middle area sat many ordinary white-collar workers and office workers who had just finished get off work and were relaxing. They were completely captivated by the extreme psychological battles depicted in the story.
When Superintendent Wong's identity was exposed, he was thrown from a high-rise building by the gangsters, slamming hard onto the roof of the taxi behind Chan Wing-yan (Shin Kitahara). The entire audience couldn't help but let out a short gasp.
On the big screen, Kitahara Shin slowly turned his head, watching his mentor and father figure, his superior, die tragically before his eyes. He didn't, like the protagonists in typical police dramas, hold the corpse and howl to the sky, nor did he wail in despair.
In that close-up shot lasting over ten seconds, Kitahara Shin's eyes first showed extreme astonishment, then the emptiness of collapsing faith, and finally transformed into indescribable despair and suppressed trembling. That top-notch acting, conveying profound sorrow silently, was like a rusty, dull knife, tearing viciously at the hearts of every viewer.
Many sensitive female office workers couldn't help but burst into tears when they saw this scene. They clutched their tissues tightly, heartbroken and breathless by Kitahara Shin's utterly broken sense of fate.
The middle-aged couple sitting in the corner were completely shattered by the elevator scene in the finale.
When the elevator doors opened, Chen Yongren, played by Kitahara Shin, was shot in the forehead. His unfocused eyes stared blankly at the ceiling, and his tall body crashed to the ground, plunging the entire screening room into a deathly silence.
The middle-aged wife covered her mouth and sobbed softly. Her husband, whose eyes were also red, held her hand tightly and murmured, "It's so tragic—we were about to regain our identities, why don't good people get good rewards—"
The film does not offer a clichéd happy ending, but only Lau Kin-ming's (Andy Lau) desperate line, "I want to be a good person," and the Buddhist verse that serves as the soul of the entire film: Avici Hell, where longevity is the greatest torment.
As the end credits rolled and the screen lit up with credits, not a single one of the nearly one thousand audience members stood up to leave.
After a minute of deathly silence and oppressive tension, someone started clapping. Then, applause swept through the entire theater like a torrential downpour, lasting for a long time.
Everyone clearly realized that what they were witnessing tonight was more than just the success of a film.
This is a masterpiece of Hong Kong crime films, and even the entire Asian crime film genre, a pinnacle that will be difficult to surpass for the next ten or even twenty years!
Not only were ordinary viewers and white-collar workers shocked by this film, but a special group of people also fell into a long silence in the smoky, chaotic private clubs of Kowloon and Tsim Sha Tsui.
Those were true Hong Kong gangsters who operated in the gray area.
In a luxuriously decorated but somewhat gloomy private room, several bigwigs with a reputation in the Yau Tsim Mong area were sitting around a huge projection screen, watching a copy of a film obtained through internal channels.
The private room was silent, with only the smoke from cigars slowly swirling under the lights.
-
With a soft puff, the big boss sitting in the main seat, a thick gold chain around his neck, exhaled a puff of smoke and broke the silence with a hoarse voice: "Damn it, this Japanese guy is acting more like a real gangster than a real gangster."
A leader beside him wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and whispered in agreement, "Boss, especially when Chen Yongren died in the elevator, my heart skipped a beat. We officers are most afraid of having traitors like that around us, but after watching this movie, I actually think that the policeman who was the mole was a real man."
Another elderly tycoon, who had remained silent until now, shook his head and sighed, "This movie is ruthless. It doesn't depict how we fight and kill; it depicts fate." That young man named Kitahara Shin is no ordinary person. That kind of look in his eyes—you absolutely can't fake it without experiencing the real underworld. How can a big Japanese boss understand our helpless predicament so thoroughly?
In the eyes of these veterans of the underworld, Kitahara Shin was no longer just a high-ranking president of a multinational entertainment company, but more like a fellow man who was well-versed in the rules of the underworld and might even wield enormous power in the shadows. They had an instinctive admiration for the strong, especially those who could so profoundly dissect their lives.
"I want to meet this Kitahara Shin." The bigwig at the head of the table stubbed out his cigar, his eyes flashing with a complex light. "Even if we don't do business with someone like him, it's good to be friends with him. Hong Kong movies these days are getting more and more boring, all just random shooting. Only his films have captured our feelings."
"But boss, he's the president of a multinational conglomerate. He's usually surrounded by layers of bodyguards. With our status, it might not be easy to arrange a meeting with him in Hong Kong."
The bigwig at the head of the table sneered, stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the bustling Victoria Harbour night view: "If we can't see him in Hong Kong, we'll see him in Japan. Don't we still have a few business deals to discuss with the local yakuza in Tokyo and Osaka? Contact some acquaintances in the Yamaguchi-gumi or Sumiyoshi-kai, and say that I want to visit President Kitahara. Ask them to act as intermediaries and make an introduction. If we can get in touch with such a big shot who has international prestige, it will be very beneficial to our future endeavors."
These triad bosses, who once held sway over Hong Kong, were now acting like teenagers chasing after celebrities, seriously planning how to make a pilgrimage to Japan.
Meanwhile, Kitahara Shin, who was far away in Tokyo and busy giving acting instructions to young actors on the set of "Dragon Zakura," had no idea that his film "Infernal Affairs" had not only won over film critics and audiences, but had also unexpectedly gained him immense popularity among Hong Kong's underworld, to the point that those bigwigs were willing to use their connections in the yakuza to try and meet him.