booktalesy Chapter 216 Japanese Drama Academy Awards! Kensuke Komikado's Dominance
Chapter 216 Japanese Drama Academy Awards! Kensuke Komikado's Dominance
Chapter 216 Japanese Drama Academy Awards! Kensuke Komikado's Dominance
Stepping out through the VIP passage backstage, Kitahara Shin led three of his top actresses into the star-studded main venue of the awards ceremony.
As is customary at the Academy Awards, film crews and actors are divided into sections based on their nominated awards and agencies. Therefore, Rie Miyazawa, Nanako Matsushima, and Takako Matsu were led by staff to the front right section for actresses and invited guests, while Shin Kitahara, as the top contender for "Best Actor" and "Best Screenplay," was taken directly to the central section for the Best Actor nominees.
As soon as he sat down, Kitahara Shin noticed that the two seats next to him were occupied by familiar faces: Eguchi Yosuke with his signature long hair and Karasawa Toshiaki, who was still dressed in a sharp suit and looked incredibly handsome.
At the dawn of the golden age of Japanese dramas in 1993, these two were undoubtedly the most sought-after leading men. Yosuke Eguchi became a household name in the past two years with "101st Proposal" and the phenomenal youth drama "Under the Name of Love"; while Toshiaki Karasawa also had a string of highly-rated hits and held a very high position in the industry.
"Kitahara-kun, it's been a long time!"
Seeing Kitahara Shin sit down, Karasawa Toshiaki immediately moved closer. Although he had been Kitahara Shin's "little fanboy" on set before, at this moment, the admiration in his eyes not only had a touch of composure, but also revealed an extremely deep sense of awe.
If he had previously only thought of Kitahara Shin as a genius actor with phenomenal acting skills, then the news that Kitahara Shin had won the Jury Prize at Cannes as the "top screenwriter" recently completely shattered Toshiaki Karasawa's worldview. In his view, the limitations of an actor had been completely broken by this man, as if the word "impossible" simply did not exist in this person named Kitahara Shin.
"Hey, Kitahara-nii, you're a real international star now." Eguchi Yosuke, on the other hand, seemed much more casual. He patted Kitahara Shin on the shoulder with a smile, half-jokingly trying to get closer to him, "How about it? Could you give me a boost for our past friendship? Write me a god-tier script, okay?"
Kitahara Shin straightened the hem of his suit jacket, raised an eyebrow, and looked at him with a half-smile: "Take you flying? Eguchi, if I remember correctly, we're rivals for 'Best Actor' today, aren't we?"
"Stop fooling around!" Yosuke Eguchi laughed and waved his hands repeatedly, saying with extreme self-awareness, "How could we possibly compete with you for that Best Actor award? My goal tonight is at least to win a category award. Your 'Legal High'..."
That's absolutely outrageous! To put it bluntly, even my grandmother's generation would sit in front of the TV every evening after dinner to watch you rant in court. You've driven the whole of Japan crazy!
Yosuke Eguchi's words were not just empty flattery.
The reason why "Legal High" achieved such terrifying dominance is not only because of Komikado's extremely dramatic character design, but also because Kitahara Shin incorporated too many bloody problems of real Japanese society into the script in a very sharp way:
The monopolies of conglomerates, the blind following of the masses, the incitement of the media, and the hypocrisy behind so-called "justice." It is precisely because these pain points are so real that they have resonated strongly with audiences of all ages.
Kitahara Shin was well aware of this. In his previous life, he knew all too well how perfectly the script for the first season of Legal High was polished, with almost every case pushing the boundaries of social ethics. It was precisely this meticulous, cost-no-object approach to polishing that created this masterpiece.
Three men at the top of the Japanese male star pyramid gathered together, occasionally chatting about insider gossip, attracting frequent glances from the cameras around them.
As more and more celebrities took their seats, the lights in the grand theater gradually dimmed.
Amidst rousing music, the annual Japanese Drama Academy Awards ceremony officially commenced.
Tonight's stage was incredibly luxurious, and the two hosts were Japan's national-level stage management masters—Tamari (Kazuyoshi Morita), a titan in the hosting world with his signature sunglasses, and Fuji Television's leading lady, a female news anchor known for her intellectual elegance. Their mere presence on stage was enough to demonstrate the prestige of this awards ceremony.
With Tamolina's distinctively humorous opening remarks, the awards began to be presented in an orderly manner.
This is like listing a long, luxurious menu: the best theme song is unsurprisingly Chage & Aska's "YahYah".
Yah won Best Actress, while the award was given to Emi Wakui for her outstanding performance in a workplace drama. The phenomenal youth drama "Love White Paper," which brought together a group of young idols including Takuya Kimura, also won several important awards, including Best Cast.
After the dazzling "reciting the menu" segment, the background music suddenly became tense and grand.
"Next, we will be presenting the two most anticipated awards of this year's Japanese Drama Academy Awards—Best Screenplay and Best Actor!" The female announcer's voice rose slightly with excitement.
On the large screen at the back of the stage, a split-screen display immediately showed classic episodes featuring the four strongest candidates. (Legal)
In "High," Kensuke Komikado's signature side-parted hair and arrogant smile prominently occupy the most central position.
As luck would have it, Yosuke Eguchi and Toshiaki Karasawa were also on the shortlist. The live camera on the big screen switched to project the three sitting together onto the screen, eliciting screams from the fans in the audience.
Tamori adjusted his sunglasses, held up his cue cards, and began to deliberately create suspense: "This year's competition is truly unprecedentedly fierce. Eguchi-kun's heartfelt performance moved countless viewers, and Karasawa-kun's persistence brought tears to people's eyes—but if I had to pick the one who left the deepest, most infuriating impression on me personally, and even on the entire Japanese society, this year would probably be that bastard lawyer who would turn black into white for money in court."
These words were met with knowing laughter and applause from the audience.
"So, who is the winner of both Best Screenplay and Best Actor this year, achieving a double crown?"
Tamori suddenly looked up and pointed to the first row of the audience.
"Lega High, Shin Kitahara!"
"boom--!"
The entire arena erupted in a blinding flash, all focused on Kitahara Shin.
The jury's award citation echoed loudly on the radio: "With unparalleled talent and acting skills, he perfectly blended extreme slapstick with extreme professionalism, completely shattering the traditional shackles that Japanese drama protagonists must be perfect and righteous, and setting a brand new milestone in the history of Japanese television!"
Amidst the shoving from Yosuke Eguchi and the admiring gaze of Toshiaki Karasawa, Shin Kitahara calmly stood up, buttoned his suit jacket, and walked onto the stage with extremely steady steps.
After receiving the two heavy trophies from the presenter, Kitahara Shin stood in front of the standing microphone.
Originally, he had prepared a very proper and impeccable official acceptance speech, which was nothing more than thanking the TV station,
Expressing gratitude to the crew and other similar sentiments.
However, as he stood atop this pinnacle, representing the highest honor in Japanese television, looking down at the gazing faces below, he suddenly recalled his experiences over the past two years: fighting his way up from the bottom to the world of fame and fortune, winning an international award at Cannes, and now achieving absolute dominance in the television industry.
He considered his own achievements and realized they were already formidable enough, but what he truly wanted was to fundamentally change the entrenched structure of the entire Japanese film and television industry.
Thinking of this, Kitahara Shin suddenly changed his mind.
Under the silent gaze of the entire audience awaiting his speech, Kitahara Shin deliberately extended his right hand and forcefully swept a strand of bangs across his forehead to the side, framing it in the iconic and arrogant side-part hairstyle of Komikado Kensuke from "Legal High".
The entire audience was stunned for half a second, then erupted in an incredulous gasp.
Kitahara Shin held the microphone with one hand, slightly raised his chin, and his eyes revealed an arrogance that looked down on all living beings, as if the invincible and extremely arrogant Komikado Kensuke had truly possessed him.
"I bet everyone's waiting for me to tearfully thank the TV station for its support, thank my seniors for their guidance, and maybe even say 'I'll keep working hard,' right?"
Kitahara Shin's lips curled into an extremely mocking sneer, his voice echoing throughout the entire grand theater through the sound system.
"I'm sorry to disappoint you. There's only one reason I received these two awards: my script is impeccable, and my acting is unmatched in this era!"
These words caused an uproar in the audience! Such an extremely arrogant and self-important statement was like a nuclear bomb in an award ceremony in Japan, where humility is highly valued!
But Kitahara Shin gave them no time to react. His speech quickened, firing off like a machine gun: "Look at the Japanese television industry these days! It's full of formulaic preaching, fake tears, and illogical displays of love and peace! Audiences are tired of those condescending dramas lecturing them on how to be human. What I want to do is tear off these masks of hypocrisy and show the world the most real, ugliest, but also purest desires!"
"These two trophies today are not the end for me, but merely an entry ticket. My future blueprint is to build a film and television empire that can not only dominate the domestic market, but also export to the whole of Asia and even Europe and America. Fellow colleagues—"
Kitahara Shin raised the trophy, his gaze sweeping aggressively over the stunned Japanese elite actors and producers in the audience. In Komikado's arrogant yet undeniably irrefutable tone, he made his final declaration: "If you want to make a living in the future, you'd better discard your outdated beliefs and desperately follow in my footsteps. Otherwise, you'll only be able to watch helplessly as I rewrite the rules of this industry!"
After saying that, in the deathly silence of the entire audience, he turned around with great flair and walked off the stage.
A full five seconds passed.
"Pfft, hahahahaha—" Yosuke Eguchi was the first to break down, clapping wildly from below the stage, shaking his head and laughing, "This kid is as special as ever, he's absolutely insane!"
Toshiaki Karasawa, standing to the side, had his eyes shining, his admiration almost overflowing. This attitude of daring to declare war on the industry's old rules on the highest stage is just so cool!
Meanwhile, in the female guests' section at a distance.
Rie Miyazawa, Nanako Matsushima, and Takako Matsu were all affected by this emotion, their eyes slightly red with excitement. Looking at the man on stage, issuing commands like a god, they felt an indescribable sense of pride and honor.
Sitting in the front row, film industry heavyweight Sayuri Yoshinaga watched Kitahara Shin's departing figure and sighed with a mixture of relief and emotion.
She still remembers that last year she had to do her best to help him win the Best Newcomer Award in the film industry.
But now, this young man has grown into a true towering tree. He doesn't need anyone's protection; with his talent alone, he can forge ahead in this extremely exclusive circle.
Yoshinaga Sayuri couldn't help but feel secretly pleased with herself, realizing that her judgment back then had indeed been extremely sharp.
Unlike the excitement and relief of these people, the conservative veterans and TV station executives who had always controlled industry resources in the audience looked as if they had swallowed a fly, feeling extremely uncomfortable and powerless.
They were furious with Kitahara Shin's arrogant attitude of "being outside the three realms and outside the five elements" and not playing by the rules, but they were powerless to do anything about it.
In this industry, actors can be blacklisted, but Kitahara Shin is no ordinary actor. He holds the "get-out-of-jail-free card" of the Cannes Jury Prize; he is a genius screenwriter and top-tier investor who can decide the life or death of a production crew and stands at the top of the industry's hierarchy of contempt!
In this era where content is king, who dares to offend a screenwriter who can create a ratings phenomenon like "Legal High"?
Not only did they not dare to do anything wrong, but they were also secretly scheming with extreme envy about how to swallow their pride and beg him for cooperation, so as to get a share of his vast film and television empire.
After the awards ceremony, in the underground parking lot, avoiding the frenzied media reporters outside, Kitahara Shin and his three female stars smoothly entered the spacious black van.
As soon as the car door closed, shutting out the noise from outside, the atmosphere inside the carriage instantly relaxed.
Rie Miyazawa took off her high heels, rubbed her ankles, and turned to look at Shin Kitahara, who was sitting in the back row with his eyes closed, her tone tinged with helplessness and worry: "Tell me, were you deliberately acting so arrogant on stage just now? If you keep doing this, tomorrow's news is definitely going to explode. Even though the fans enjoy it, aren't you afraid that the TV station executives and veterans will unite to boycott us, making us the target of everyone's criticism?"
Before Kitahara Shin could even speak, Matsushima Nanako, sitting on the other side, fiercely defended him, giving him a thumbs up and retorting earnestly, "I think there's absolutely no problem! It's only right for teachers to be a little arrogant. After all, in recent years, teachers have been the big shots in the Japanese film and television industry, so even if those old guys don't like it, they can only keep quiet."
Hearing Nanako's unprincipled "die-hard fan" remarks, Matsu Takako, sitting in the corner, couldn't help but swallow.
Just now at the awards ceremony, she was indeed deeply impressed by Kitahara Shin's domineering aura, her heart racing and her blood boiling with excitement. But now, sitting in the quiet car, with the cold wind blowing, her rationality as a young lady from a prestigious family has finally regained its footing.
She glanced at Kitahara Shin, who looked completely nonchalant, and then at Matsushima Nanako, whose face seemed to say, "My boss is the best in the world." Suddenly, an extremely absurd realization dawned on her.
This group of people—are they all crazy?! The boss is a crazy person who doesn't play by the rules, and the core employees below him are also crazy people who blindly worship him! Matsu Takako silently leaned closer to the car door, suddenly having the illusion that she had boarded an extremely dangerous "pirate ship" and that the door had been welded shut.
Seeing the different expressions on the three women's faces, Kitahara Shin opened his eyes, chuckled, and explained in an extremely lazy tone, "Hey, don't be so nervous. Those were just polite words, just for fun."
"Are you kidding?" Rie Miyazawa's beautiful eyes widened.
"That's right." Kitahara Shin shifted to a more comfortable sitting position and began to earnestly impart his philosophy of "great conman." "Actually, many times, regardless of whether you can actually do it or not, the most important thing is to first establish your momentum! In this circle where people bully the weak and fear the strong, as long as your momentum is strong enough and the pie in your mouth is big enough, you can make others feel awe and trust in you psychologically."
He paused, a shrewd capitalist smile playing on his lips: "Once others trust us and stop creating obstacles for us, everything we do will become incredibly smooth. And when all the resources and green lights are on your side, miracles you never even dared to dream of will naturally unfold. Understand?"
Hearing Kitahara Shin's extremely shameless yet strangely logical "deception theory," the three women in the carriage were stunned for a moment.
Subsequently, apart from Nanako Matsushima, who was still full of worship and completely brainwashed, Rie Miyazawa and Takako Matsu both looked at him with an extremely subtle gaze.
They finally understood that the man's domineering "divine" aura on stage was essentially a sophisticated psychological warfare tactic! Looking at his self-righteous and cunning demeanor, Rie and Takako exchanged a glance and couldn't help but laugh helplessly.
Well, we're already on this pirate ship, what else can we do?
Meanwhile, Ota Shoichi, the agent and general manager, was sitting in the driver's seat, his hands gripping the steering wheel. Hearing the laughter coming from the back seat, he still felt his heart pounding and his blood boiling.
Although he knew that after the president made those remarks today, the company would definitely face a lot of public pressure and open and covert attacks, and those conservatives outside would probably criticize them for being arrogant in the newspapers.
But so what?
Ota Shoichi took a deep breath and slammed on the gas. Looking in the rearview mirror at the young man who had led them to the top of the industry, he felt completely refreshed.
Who cares about public opinion or who's the target of criticism? The feeling of trampling the old rules of the entire Japanese television industry underfoot tonight—that's all that matters!
The day after the awards ceremony, public opinion throughout Japan was in an uproar.
The front pages of major newspapers and entertainment news were all dominated by Kitahara Shin's arrogant "Komekado-style" remarks.
The Arrogant TV King! Kitahara Shin Declares War on the Traditional Television Industry!
Talent is his greatest strength: The invincible Kensuke Komikado has descended into reality!
It was thought that such arrogant remarks would provoke the resentment of conservative citizens, but to everyone's surprise, the public, who were in a period of economic recession and social repression, absolutely loved his style of "using absolute power to shatter all hypocrisy"!
"That's so cool! That's a true powerhouse!"
"He's right! Modern Japanese dramas are so boring; we need a madman like Kitahara Shin who dares to speak the truth to change everything!"
"The Kitahara Zaibatsu, please make sure you rule us!"
Amidst overwhelming and fervent support, Kitahara Shinna's slightly rebellious personal charm once again experienced an unprecedented surge.
He not only won the industry's highest honor, but also successfully captivated the entire Japanese audience with an extremely arrogant declaration, drawing their attention to his soon-to-be-launched film and television empire.