dognovel Chapter 293 A Little Turmoil
Chapter 293 A Little Turmoil
Chapter 293 A Minor Turmoil (16/71)
The global release of "Infernal Affairs" was like a storm sweeping through the film industry.
In the North American market, due to the cultural barriers of the undercover cop genre and the lack of Jackie Chan's signature visceral action scenes like in "Shinjuku Incident," the film's box office performance, while impressive, failed to break the previous record. However, when the meticulously produced Japanese dubbed version was released in Japanese theaters, it triggered an astonishing viewing frenzy.
Countless movie fans flocked to cinemas just to catch a glimpse of Kitahara Shin's performance in this authentic Hong Kong crime thriller.
As the elevator doors slowly opened and closed on the big screen in the theater, Kitahara Shin's character, Chen Yongren, was shot between the eyebrows, his tall body falling desperately and tragically into a pool of blood. Almost every movie theater in Japan resounded with sobs. Japanese fans were heartbroken by this extreme sense of "breakage" and tragic fate; many female moviegoers even had to reapply their makeup several times while crying in the theater.
Kitahara Shin was not surprised by the exaggerated reactions coming back from the theaters.
In his past life's memories, "Infernal Affairs" was a masterpiece. After the film became a sensation across Asia, the Japanese film and television industry even went so far as to seek the rights to remake it, creating their own Japanese drama series. Although the Japanese version made localized changes to its focus and content, its reputation and quality were certainly far inferior to the original two films.
In this version, there's no need for a Japanese remake. "Infernal Affairs," starring Shin Kitahara himself and featuring authentic Hong Kong style, has arrived directly in Japanese theaters—a true game-changer. In the hearts of all Japanese viewers, this is an insurmountable peak.
While the aftershocks of "Infernal Affairs" were still reverberating, another realistic masterpiece, "Dragon Zakura," personally directed and starring Shin Kitahara, officially premiered on prime time on major Japanese television stations.
However, the response to this drama was somewhat different from that of the past.
Inside an ordinary detached house in Setagaya Ward, Tokyo.
The Igarashi family was sitting in front of the television in their living room. The father, Makoto Igarashi, was an ordinary company employee whose salary had been reduced after the bursting of the bubble economy, and the mother was a full-time housewife. Their son, Ryosuke Igarashi, a second-year high school student, was locked in his bedroom on the second floor.
Ryosuke's grades were consistently at the bottom of his class, and he spent his days engrossed in Sega Saturn game consoles and various manga. In the eyes of Japanese teenagers of his generation, society was bleak; adults were always frowning, and even graduates from prestigious universities couldn't find jobs or were even laid off. Since hard work was useless, going to university was not only meaningless, but simply a lie used by adults to imprison them.
Tonight, the Igarashi couple watched the premiere of "Dragon Zakura" on time.
When the TV screen showed Kitahara Shin playing Sakuragi Kenji, dressed in an inexpensive suit, standing domineeringly on the podium, pointing at the group of delinquents below, and confidently and arrogantly shouting, "Idiots and ugly freaks, go and take the Tokyo University entrance exam!", the eyes of the Igarashi couple instantly lit up.
Those highly provocative lines ignited a burning desire within these parents. They longed for a strong, confident teacher in real life who could give their son a sharp spur and push him to achieve his goals.
"Ryosuke! Come down here and take a look at this!" The father couldn't help but walk to the top of the stairs and roared sternly, "Look at what the teachers on TV are saying! How long are you going to stay up there wasting your time?"
Under his father's coercion, Ryosuke reluctantly dragged his slippers downstairs and was forced to sit on the sofa and stared at for ten minutes.
Looking at the hardcore lawyer on the screen who was spouting "social rules" and "exam-oriented education," Ryosuke Igarashi felt nothing but utter amusement.
"This is just wishful thinking and self-indulgence from you adults!" Ryosuke suddenly stood up, looking at his parents with a mocking expression. "What do you mean getting into the University of Tokyo can change your life? Uncle Kimura next door graduated from a prestigious university, and he was laid off from his company last month, wasn't he? This society is already dead; it's all a bunch of toxic motivational lies! Don't try to brainwash me with this kind of boring TV drama!"
After saying that, he flung his father's hand away, slammed the living room door shut, and ran back upstairs without looking back. He put on his headphones and turned the game console volume up to the maximum.
Scenes of intense arguments, like those in the Igarashi family's, were simultaneously playing out in countless homes across Japan in the days following the airing of the drama.
Unlike Kitahara Shin's previous works that quickly resonated with all age groups, "Dragon Zakura" accurately hit the pain points of parents, but also unprecedentedly triggered a strong backlash from a considerable number of teenagers.
In 1997, a year when young people generally felt lost and hopeless, the extreme test-oriented motivational rhetoric promoted by Kitahara Shin in the drama offended and oppressed many students who were already averse to studying. They vented their dissatisfaction with real life and their fear of the future on Kitahara Shin, who was both the lead actor and screenwriter.
Entertainment reporters, with their keen sense of smell, immediately noticed this unusual trend.
"Nobu Kitahara's new drama sparks huge controversy; capitalists force-feed toxic positivity, leading to boycotts by young people across Japan!"
"The ratings myth shattered? A genius screenwriter who doesn't understand the hardships of ordinary people!"
The next morning, Kitahara Shin sat at his desk, flipping through the overwhelming array of entertainment newspapers, his eyebrows slightly raised.
He knew very well that "Dragon Zakura" did not provide these young people with the "emotional comfort" they wanted. In this era of bursting bubbles, what these kids lacked was not encouragement, but a heavy hammer that could shatter their protective shell called "rebellion," which was actually "escapism."
Since there's a dispute, let's resolve it in the most elegant way possible.
He immediately pressed the internal communicator on the table and contacted Fuji Television, his long-term partner.
"Notify the production team that an emergency special live broadcast episode of my personal variety show, 'Kitahara Shin Can Do Anything,' will be added to the schedule tonight."
At 8 p.m. that evening, during prime time, countless viewers who were originally preparing to watch a TV series suddenly found the screen flashing and switching to the live broadcast of Kitahara Shin's highly-rated personal variety show.
The studio had no extravagant set design, only a spotlight shining on the center of the stage. Kitahara Shin, dressed in clean and crisp casual wear, sat alone on a high stool, facing the camera. His expression was calm and gentle, completely unlike the arrogant and domineering devilish mentor he played in the drama.
"Good evening, everyone. I believe many of you have seen today's newspaper." Kitahara Shin cut straight to the point without any pleasantries. "I heard that the character I played in 'Dragon Zakura' recently has angered quite a few young people. You think I'm just talking without understanding the situation and instilling false lies in you."
In front of the television, countless rebellious teenagers like Ryosuke Igarashi put down their game controllers. Ryosuke took off his headphones, staring at the small television in his bedroom with a complicated expression. He wanted to hear how this tycoon, who stood on a pedestal, would try to justify himself.
Kitahara Shin leaned forward slightly towards the camera, his eyes becoming incredibly sharp.
"Here, I want to say a few words from the heart to all my angry young friends. I know why you're angry. You've witnessed the bursting of the economic bubble, seen adults humbling themselves every day to keep their jobs, and you think, 'If even graduates from prestigious universities can be unemployed, why should I work hard?'"
"You think you've seen through the true nature of society, so you treat 'rebellion' and 'aversion to school' as a cool attitude of defiance."
Kitahara Shin's voice pierced the hearts of every teenager through the radio waves: "But today I must ruthlessly expose you—that's not rebellion at all; you're just making excuses for your laziness and cowardice!"
In front of the television, Ryosuke's body suddenly stiffened, as if he had been slapped in the face.
"I know better than anyone that studying is never the only path in life." Kitahara Shin's voice became steady and inspiring. "If you can find what you truly love and excel at early on, such as wanting to become a top chef, an excellent mechanic, or an athlete who sweats it out on the field, and are willing to dedicate your entire life and passion to it, then I absolutely support you in pursuing your dreams immediately!"
"But—" Kitahara Shin's tone shifted, his gaze seemingly piercing through the screen, looking directly at every lost soul, "If right now, all you do is play games and read comics, feel lost about the future, don't know what you like, or what you're capable of, yet you insist on pretending to be world-weary and mocking those who work hard—"
Then you are a complete coward!
"Studying and taking exams are the lowest-cost and fairest path in the world. Getting into the University of Tokyo certainly doesn't guarantee you a life of financial security. But it can give you something called the right to choose in this cruel society."
"Sakuragi Kenji's words may be harsh, but what he wants to tell you is this: the rules of this society are always made by those who possess knowledge and resources. If you don't want to be manipulated like puppets by rules set by others for the rest of your lives, then pick up your books and seize the high ground where those rules are made!"
"Don't throw away the only weapon you have to protect yourself before the world has even shown you its cruelest side!"
This passage contains no condescending preaching, but rather uses an almost cruel rationality to vividly tear apart the most realistic operating rules of society, presenting them bloodily before everyone.
This bowl of top-notch realistic chicken soup not only brought tears to the eyes of countless parents in front of the TV who hoped their children would become successful, but it was also like a heavy hammer that completely shattered the self-esteem that rebellious teenagers used to disguise themselves.
In the bedroom upstairs, Ryosuke Igarashi stared at the man with deep eyes on the screen, the game controller in his hand unconsciously slipping onto the tatami mat.
His previous disdain and resistance had completely vanished, replaced by an unprecedented shock, shame, and a tremor awakened from the depths of his soul. He suddenly felt that the man before him was more real and understood him better than any adult he had ever met.
Ryosuke slowly turned his head and looked at the backpack he had thrown in the corner, which was now covered in a layer of dust.
This well-mannered, sincere, and incisive speech, broadcast live, swiftly and decisively reversed all public opinion the following day.
Kitahara Shin not only deflated the so-called "boycott storm" with ease, but also, because of his undisguised honesty and hardcore approach, completely transformed the teenagers who were initially dissatisfied with him into his die-hard fans. After this nationally sensational episode, Kitahara Shin's personal reputation and the ratings of "Dragon Zakura" skyrocketed, experiencing an unstoppable and crazy surge.
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