thenovelthief Chapter 270: All Time (1)
Chapter 270: All Time (1)
Chapter 270: All Time (1)
From the moment he heard Kang Woojin’s comments, Director Kyotaro began to mutter phrases like ‘a stranger’ and ‘an outsider ignoring all causality’. It was as if he were talking to himself.
Watching Director Kyotaro stroke his chin with a serious expression, Woojin thought.
“......”
He didn’t react outwardly, but internally, he felt slightly nervous.
‘Did it work? Or not? What’s going on, which is it?’
He had said it recklessly, but this was the first time he’d done something like this. Even after suddenly becoming an actor. But if he hadn’t said anything, he would have regretted it.
That was Kang Woojin’s true feelings.
The ending of a work could determine the overall success or failure of its performance. In other words, if the ending of ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’ were to change as Kang Woojin suggested, there could be a change in its rating.
-[7/Scenario (Title: The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger), SS Grade]
Currently, it was SS-grade, but it could drop to A-grade or, worse, even B-grade. Well, it could also go the other way.
‘If the ending doesn’t change, there’s nothing I can do.’
It would be fine even if the grade dropped a bit. Or would it not be fine?
‘Still, somehow- it feels like I’ve protected Kiyoshi?’
Even if the grade of ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’ drops, Kiyoshi would be saved. Woojin felt that this alone was worth it. The reason wasn’t clear. It was just a feeling. Although he didn’t realize it himself, this was an actor’s ambition. Something like not wanting to ruin a character?
Kang Woojin, unaware of his own growth.
He spoke to Director Kyotaro, who was deep in thought right in front of him.
“The ending being different from the original might draw complaints from fans of the original, but I just wanted to mention it because it seemed like Kiyoshi’s character was being ruined.”
Even in this situation, he maintained his composure. Why? Because this line was essentially a direct challenge to the world-renowned writer Akari.
‘It’s tough, really tough. Pretending to be tough is like walking on thin ice every day.’
Meanwhile, Director Kyotaro, who was full of grey hairs, remained silent for a moment before slowly nodding.
“......I understand what you’re saying.”
Then he took out the shooting storyboard and a pen from his back pocket. He began writing something in the empty space. It was to note down a sudden inspiration. At the same time, Director Kyotaro thought.
‘This might be. No, it’s definitely a gamble. 100% the hardcore fans of the original will complain.’
There’s also a high chance the entire Japanese content market will criticize it. It’s an act of blatantly breaking the deeply rooted cliché of ‘cause and effect’. Many in the public and the Japanese entertainment industry will be negative about it.
‘Especially in Japan, change is poison.’
To be precise, there’s a strong aversion to new things. Hence, Japanese actors perform standardized, often loud and exaggerated acting for decades. Movies and dramas continue to maintain similar plots. In other words, they’re playing it safe.
The plots of powerful Japanese animations are the same.
However, because the manga market, which forms the basis of animation, is somewhat creative, anime has developed. Conversely, the rest of the content market stagnates. Yet, every year it remains the same. It doesn’t progress.
‘It’s already ruined.’
Japanese dramas and films have reached the point where live-action adaptations of anime or manga are the main focus. They’ve long fallen behind Korea. Just look at the global phenomenon of the Hallyu Wave. In contrast, Japan still relies on its domestic market.
They fear change.
Director Kyotaro recalled the initial significance of ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’.
To criticize this foolish market.
The acting of Japanese actors, the market atmosphere, the fixed flow of money, and many fearful directors. Kang Woojin was chosen as the hitman for this. His monstrous acting, putting a Korean actor at the center of a world-renowned Japanese writer Akari’s work, all aimed to create a reversal.
Now, Woojin was even trying to overturn the ending of ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’.
But Director Kyotaro was positive about it.
‘Yes, if we’re going to do it, we should do it right-’
He was ready to take the lead.
‘Kiyoshi will shine more if we go with Woojin’s suggestion.’
He imagined the bombardment. No matter how fierce the battle would be.
“......Alright, I understand. Let’s take a 5-minute. No, a 10-minute break.”
Director Kyotaro, muttering in Japanese, continued to jot down something in his storyboard while turning his body. Then he took out his phone. He was probably calling writer Akari, but Woojin didn’t think much of it.
‘Well, did it work? I said what I needed to.’
Soon, the assistant director shouted across the entire set. Something like ‘10-minute break!!’ The staff, numbering around a hundred, were bewildered by the break taken right after starting filming, but they busily moved their hands and feet to prepare for the next shot.
Meanwhile, Japanese actors approached Kang Woojin as he was leaving the set. For some reason, they all gave him thumbs up.
“Congratulations, Woojin-ssi.”
“I saw the article and was super surprised! I’ve never experienced such audience numbers!”
“Congratulations. It’s a result rarely seen in Japan, so I’m envious but also impressed.”
What’s this? Why the sudden congratulations? At first, Woojin was puzzled, but then a light bulb went off in his head.
Ah, ‘Island of the Missing’!
At that moment, Choi Sung-gun approached Woojin. With a smile, he whispered in Kang Woojin’s ear.
“‘Island of the Missing’ hit 700,000 viewers. It tied with the first-day record of Korea’s top-grossing film.”
“···Is that so?”
Kang Woojin coldly asked back, but inside, he was screaming.
It surpassed 700,000 to over 800,000 daily viewers. The total audience count exceeded 2 million in just three days. For the first time, ‘Island of the Missing’ was challenging the ironclad first-place film ‘Sea Battle’.
『[Movie Talk] All-time #1 ‘Sea Battle’ Third Day Score 2.1 Million, Challenger ‘Island of the Missing’ 2.28 Million...The tables have turned!』
It was the moment it toppled the record.
At this time.
Late morning, Japan’s TOP3 anime studio ‘A10 Studio’ was holding a major event. Specifically, the entire team for ‘Male Friend: Remake’ was involved.
“Wow-”
“It came out great.”
“The effects and 3D are really clean.”
“Even without the OST and sound effects, it’s promising.”
Dozens of people were gathered in a mid-sized studio, speaking in Japanese. They were the team from ‘Male Friend: Remake’ and executives from ‘A10 Studio’. On the large and small monitors in front of them, an animation was playing.
One of the male characters looked very familiar. He closely resembled Kang Woojin.
The reason was simple.
“The characters are all charming. And above all, the male lead is excellent, modeling him after Woojin-ssi was the right choice.”
What they were watching was the anime adaptation of Korea’s ‘Male Friend’, titled ‘Male Friend: Remake’. And it wasn’t the first episode.
It was the 12th episode.
In other words, the test of the final episode.
Despite the lack of post-production elements such as dubbing, sound effects, or mixing, the anime was still highly anticipated by those watching. And it was justified. They had enlisted Korean actor Kang Woojin as a voice actor. The moment marked the completion of episodes 1 through 12 of ‘Male Friend: Remake,’ a adaptation of the original drama with numerous challenges.
An astonishing speed of about six months. Managing four teams was a masterstroke.
Now, only the OP and EP, OST are left to be added in.
“Have you scheduled the voice dubbing, sound, and OST recordings?”
“We’re coordinating it, but we have a rough outline.”
“Good. Ah, but what about Woojin-ssi?”
“I received word that he’s in the final stages of filming ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’.”
“......Finally, the end is in sight.”
With only Kang Woojin and the voice actors’ recordings left, they were ready for launch.
Meanwhile, in the parking lot outside the set of ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’.
In the vast parking lot filled with many vans, two familiar figures were facing each other in the back seat of a white, square van. One of them was Director Kyotaro, his expression firm.
“......”
Opposite him sat writer Akari Takikawa, the original author of ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’. She was looking down at a few sheets of paper, her glasses perched on the tip of her nose. The pages were filled with text.
-Swish.
Naturally, it was something Director Kyotaro had handed over. Specifically, it was the revised ending of ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’. It was a proposal Director Kyotaro had crafted in just a few days. Akari’s confirmation was essential. Her expression as she read it was hard to decipher.
Neither expressionless nor smiling.
The ending Kyotaro had written depicted the aftermath of ‘Iyota Kiyoshi’ completing his ‘homework’.
It began with the morning commute on the subway.
The setting for the ending Kyotaro wrote was very ordinary and familiar. Not only Akari but everyone would think so.
‘A morning commute scene that you could see anywhere. It’s neither unique nor shocking.’
It was quite static. A dense crowd waiting for the subway. Office workers worn out from commuting. All looking the same. In black or navy suits with no expressions. At a glance, it was hard to distinguish who was who.
Hundreds of people boarded the subway en masse.
And then they got off.
The black color made it look like a massive movement of ants. Perhaps they were people produced in a factory. They said nothing to each other.
Naturally.
They were ‘strangers’ and ‘unknowns’ to each other.
The angle showed the backs of hundreds climbing the stairs. Among these hundreds of strangers or unknowns, one person stopped and slowly turned his head back.
One of the countless strangers living an ordinary life after completing his ‘homework’.
[“......”]
It was the ‘stranger’ ‘Iyota Kiyoshi’.
Having read this far, writer Akari quietly asked Director Kyotaro with a calm expression.
“This ending......was suggested by Woojin-ssi?”
*****
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