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Chapter 1141: You Need Remedial Learning【Happy Birthday to Yihua Yiye】
Suzuki Sonoko sighed, "We're just worried that you two are in a bad mood."
"I'm fine…" Odagiri Toshiya smiled, then said to Chi Feichei, "Hassashi, don't worry either. Miss Renki has always advocated for leniency, and the lawyer she found is very skilled in these types of cases. Moreover, he's so talented, and many of his collaborators are helping with negotiations, hoping he can have the freedom to pursue music in the future. He's destined to be a composer, but I don't think he wants to escape that fate either."
Chi Feichei nodded, "I heard from Teacher's Wife."
Until the very end, Haga Kyosuke didn't regret it.
If he were someone from the Judicial Department, he should think Haga Kyosuke should repent, but he was different. Since it was a choice Haga Kyosuke had to make, and he didn't regret it to the point of crying his eyes out, he could accept it.
Moreover, he had far more blood on his hands than Haga Kyosuke, so much it was almost black. Don't expect him to feel any remorse.
What's done is done; he wouldn't dwell on it.
Morizono Kikuto smiled, "Alright, Sonoko, they're grown adults. They can handle their own emotions. Don't frown. Having Hassashi alone is already troublesome enough."
He couldn't tell anything from their reactions. Let alone Chi Feichei—he never understood what Chi Feichei was thinking day to day—but Odagiri Toshiya, while usually carefree, was surprisingly good at bottling things up when it came to serious matters.
These two were already troublesome enough; don't go and upset the little sister in their Shareholder Group.
Chi Feichei ignored Morizono Kikuto's teasing.
He was in a good mood today; he wasn't going to bother.
"By the Way," Odagiri Toshiya turned to the Middle-aged Man, "Mr. Okubo, what did you want to see me about?"
The Middle-aged Man hesitated for a moment. Considering he was already here, and the atmosphere was already ruined, he might as well just get it over with. He confessed, "It's about Mizuhara. I've been turning down some TV performance offers for him recently."
"Speaking of which, it has been a while since we've seen Mizuhara on TV…" Suzuki Sonoko mumbled, then suddenly stood up and took two steps back, looking at the man with a terrified expression. "Uncle, you wouldn't be trying to blacklist your own artist, would you?"
Morizono Kikuto instantly had Black Lines on Forehead.
No need to trouble themselves; the only girl in their Shareholder Group already had some quirks—a personality not very girly, an incredibly rich imagination, and a bold tongue…
"No, no," The Middle-aged Man was startled by Suzuki Sonoko's statement and quickly explained, "It's because the roles Mizuhara plays are all cool and aloof. His roles are too one-dimensional, leading to him only being offered similar roles. I think this isn't good for his development and makes it hard for him to improve. I want him to try new types of roles, so I've been rejecting those offers."
"Isn't that a good thing?" Suzuki Sonoko looked at the others questioningly.
"Sonoko, you need remedial learning." Chi Feichei said mercilessly.
Suzuki Sonoko made Half-Moon Eyes, "Brother Hichiji, you could at least maintain your silence…"
Morizono Kikuto chuckled and explained, "Playing only one type of role is indeed bad. Just like Mr. Okubo said, over time, it's not beneficial to his acting skills. Once he gets used to one performance style, it will be awkward, even difficult, for him to play other types of roles. And once the audience gets used to him playing that type of role, they'll remember his previous roles whenever they see him. If he wants to change his style, unless his acting skills are superb enough for the audience to forget his previous roles, the audience will find it jarring."
"This will limit his Acting Career to just this one path. And when one day, this type of role is no longer in demand, or when he hits a bottleneck in his own Level, he'll eventually fade away…" Morizono Kikuto paused, then turned to the Middle-aged Man, "I hope you don't mind me saying so?"
The Middle-aged Man sighed, "Why would I mind? That's indeed what I'm worried about."
"Speaking of which, Kudo's Mother is really intense," Suzuki Sonoko muttered, "She's played a high school girl, a female Workplace Elite, even a super cool Female Agent…"
Chi Feichei agreed with Suzuki Sonoko's assessment of 'intense'.
On his Master Kuroba Toichi's side, the other three fellow disciples he knew were all total Drama Kings, with top-notch Acting Talent.
Odagiri Toshiya looked at the Middle-aged Man questioningly, "So Mr. Okubo, you came to me to…"
"I got Mizuhara a TV Drama role, a completely different character from his usual roles—a gentle and smiling character. As long as he can adapt, his Career Transition will be perfectly fine. Mizuhara has a really charming smile," the Middle-aged Man said sincerely, "I was thinking, if his Performance is good, I hope we'll have the opportunity to collaborate with Your Company in the future."
Chi Feichei understood Okubo's intention.
Everyone acknowledged Mizuhara Ryoji's Ability to play 'super cool handsome guys'. Even THK Company, when they needed external support actors, would only think of Mizuhara Ryoji when they lacked 'super cool handsome guys'. For other types of roles, they would naturally consider actors who excelled in those types of roles.
Therefore, even if Mizuhara Ryoji's Performance in a new type of role was successful, he might still not get offered new types of roles in the Initial Stage. And to truly succeed in his transition, he would need to accumulate experience in new types of roles.
Okubo was thinking, since he happened to meet Odagiri Toshiya here, he might as well bother him and mention this matter, so that Odagiri Toshiya would have an Impression, and perhaps pay more attention to Mizuhara Ryoji's transition. If Odagiri Toshiya thought Mizuhara Ryoji had Potential, he might give Mizuhara Ryoji an opportunity when considering casting for other types of roles in the future.
In short, Okubo was already paving the way for the Follow-up Development of Mizuhara Ryoji's transition.
He didn't know if Okubo was confident in Mizuhara Ryoji or if he was acting too hastily.
Other Managers, even if they encouraged actors to take risks and transition, would mostly wait and see if the actor could successfully make the initial transition. They wouldn't seize every opportunity and pave the way before that.
Because if the actor himself wasn't good, or couldn't adapt, it would all be for nothing, and it would easily leave a bad Impression, making people think Okubo was overly confident, or that Mizuhara Ryoji wasn't suitable for a change in style. Unless Okubo took responsibility and resigned, shouldering the negative impact himself, it would have a Negative Impact on both the actor and the Manager.
Of course, those things didn't matter in the face of Ability. If Mizuhara Ryoji still had Popularity even if his transition failed, that little bit of bad Impression wouldn't affect their cooperation.
Entertainment Companies are very realistic.
Similarly, for them, Mizuhara Ryoji already had a Popularity foundation, and they didn't need to accompany Mizuhara Ryoji through his transition. Once Mizuhara Ryoji proved his Ability, giving him opportunities to play other types of roles wouldn't be a big deal. A good Performance was all that mattered; they could all make money together.
A Win-Win Situation, easy to negotiate.
"Of course, no problem," Odagiri Toshiya nodded, handing his Business Card to Okubo, "I hope we'll have the opportunity to cooperate in the future!"
Okubo solemnly received the Business Card, "Thank You."
"Is Mr. Okubo an Independent Agent?" Morizono Kikuto asked gently, "I heard Mizuhara seems to have a Company…"
Okubo answered frankly, "I'm not an Independent Agent. I'm in the same Office as Mizuhara…"
Only then did Odagiri Toshiya pick up his Lighter, lit the cigarette he hadn't had time to light before, listened in silence for a while, leaned closer to Chi Feichei, and whispered, "Hassashi, have you looked at the three Scripts I sent you before?"
Chi Feichei knew Odagiri Toshiya wouldn't whisper and talk about other things while Okubo was speaking. He probably guessed Odagiri Toshiya's intentions and whispered back, "The Comedy Male Lead #2's Age and Appearance are suitable for Mizuhara, but it's too different from the types of roles he currently plays. The other two, the Romance Drama and the Urban Professional Drama, both have roles suitable for his transition; the Transition would be gentler."
"Cough cough…" Odagiri Toshiya, having his intentions seen through, felt a little embarrassed, "Looks like we're thinking alike."
Chi Feichei: …
That wasn't the case.
It was just that Odagiri Toshiya had been smoking, with a look of 'serious thought' on his face, and then suddenly mentioned the Scripts written by other screenwriters in the Company. He guessed that Odagiri Toshiya still wanted to help Mizuhara Ryoji.
Odagiri Toshiya became more serious and whispered an explanation, "Those three Scripts can all get Investment, but they aren't enough to become a Big Fire on their own. I plan to find Investors to invest in a portion of the filming. It's a pity to use the Company's top Artists, and the suitable and capable actors among the others have already been cast. Using actors who lack the Ability would easily backfire. I need to choose actors from outside the Company to collaborate. It's better to give Mizuhara a role. The vacant roles in these three Scripts are quite suitable for a transition. I haven't had Contact with Mizuhara, but Mr. Okubo gave me a good Impression. Of course, there's also Mr. Kyosuke's reason. Anyway, it's not a difficult matter. If we can help, we should help. It's a Favor. If their Company can't make it in the future, I can also take over."
"You decide."
Chi Feichei had no Opinion.
It was just that Odagiri Toshiya's last sentence was a bit… malicious.
Odagiri Toshiya continued to mutter, "At least Mr. Okubo is pretty good. There are two Managers in the Company who are doing Subtle Moves behind the scenes. I plan to transfer them."
Chi Feichei agreed, "He is good."
He didn't like to judge a person's Character based on his First Impression, but whether it was sincerity or Disguise, Okubo's consideration of helping the artist transition, his seizing the opportunity when he met Odagiri Toshiya, his choice of not disturbing them and waiting aside in a way that gave people a Good Impression, and his non-irritating way of speaking, all showed that Okubo's Ability was good.
Managers need to help artists contact various people and secure Resources. Okubo's ability to leave a Good Impression on everyone is a Skill, better than many Managers.
Even if Okubo paved the way for Mizuhara Ryoji prematurely, because of his hasty Personality or excessive Confidence, it was still Flaws Don't Hide the Jade. You can't expect someone to be Perfect.
Odagiri Toshiya sat up straight, watched Okubo chat with Morizono Kikuto for a few sentences, patiently answered Suzuki Sonoko's few nonsensical questions, finished his cigarette, and then asked mysteriously with a smile, "Mr. Okubo, do you want a role?"
Chi Feichei: …
That smile was very good, and when paired with the words he said, the President looked like a Scalper selling tickets.
Suzuki Sonoko: …
She had just asked Mr. Okubo if being a Manager was tiring. Minye's topic jump was too fast.
Morizono Kikuto: …
He remembered that someone was in charge of Casting. Except for major productions that the Company valued, it shouldn't be necessary for Odagiri Toshiya, the President, to personally ask, right?
Okubo: …
Why did he feel like he was being stared at? An Illusion, it must be an Illusion.
Happy Birthday, Yihua Yiye.
End of Chapter
Suzuki Sonoko sighed, "We're just worried that you two are in a bad mood."
"I'm fine…" Odagiri Toshiya smiled, then said to Chi Feichei, "Hassashi, don't worry either. Miss Renki has always advocated for leniency, and the lawyer she found is very skilled in these types of cases. Moreover, he's so talented, and many of his collaborators are helping with negotiations, hoping he can have the freedom to pursue music in the future. He's destined to be a composer, but I don't think he wants to escape that fate either."
Chi Feichei nodded, "I heard from Teacher's Wife."
Until the very end, Haga Kyosuke didn't regret it.
If he were someone from the Judicial Department, he should think Haga Kyosuke should repent, but he was different. Since it was a choice Haga Kyosuke had to make, and he didn't regret it to the point of crying his eyes out, he could accept it.
Moreover, he had far more blood on his hands than Haga Kyosuke, so much it was almost black. Don't expect him to feel any remorse.
What's done is done; he wouldn't dwell on it.
Morizono Kikuto smiled, "Alright, Sonoko, they're grown adults. They can handle their own emotions. Don't frown. Having Hassashi alone is already troublesome enough."
He couldn't tell anything from their reactions. Let alone Chi Feichei—he never understood what Chi Feichei was thinking day to day—but Odagiri Toshiya, while usually carefree, was surprisingly good at bottling things up when it came to serious matters.
These two were already troublesome enough; don't go and upset the little sister in their Shareholder Group.
Chi Feichei ignored Morizono Kikuto's teasing.
He was in a good mood today; he wasn't going to bother.
"By the Way," Odagiri Toshiya turned to the Middle-aged Man, "Mr. Okubo, what did you want to see me about?"
The Middle-aged Man hesitated for a moment. Considering he was already here, and the atmosphere was already ruined, he might as well just get it over with. He confessed, "It's about Mizuhara. I've been turning down some TV performance offers for him recently."
"Speaking of which, it has been a while since we've seen Mizuhara on TV…" Suzuki Sonoko mumbled, then suddenly stood up and took two steps back, looking at the man with a terrified expression. "Uncle, you wouldn't be trying to blacklist your own artist, would you?"
Morizono Kikuto instantly had Black Lines on Forehead.
No need to trouble themselves; the only girl in their Shareholder Group already had some quirks—a personality not very girly, an incredibly rich imagination, and a bold tongue…
"No, no," The Middle-aged Man was startled by Suzuki Sonoko's statement and quickly explained, "It's because the roles Mizuhara plays are all cool and aloof. His roles are too one-dimensional, leading to him only being offered similar roles. I think this isn't good for his development and makes it hard for him to improve. I want him to try new types of roles, so I've been rejecting those offers."
"Isn't that a good thing?" Suzuki Sonoko looked at the others questioningly.
"Sonoko, you need remedial learning." Chi Feichei said mercilessly.
Suzuki Sonoko made Half-Moon Eyes, "Brother Hichiji, you could at least maintain your silence…"
Morizono Kikuto chuckled and explained, "Playing only one type of role is indeed bad. Just like Mr. Okubo said, over time, it's not beneficial to his acting skills. Once he gets used to one performance style, it will be awkward, even difficult, for him to play other types of roles. And once the audience gets used to him playing that type of role, they'll remember his previous roles whenever they see him. If he wants to change his style, unless his acting skills are superb enough for the audience to forget his previous roles, the audience will find it jarring."
"This will limit his Acting Career to just this one path. And when one day, this type of role is no longer in demand, or when he hits a bottleneck in his own Level, he'll eventually fade away…" Morizono Kikuto paused, then turned to the Middle-aged Man, "I hope you don't mind me saying so?"
The Middle-aged Man sighed, "Why would I mind? That's indeed what I'm worried about."
"Speaking of which, Kudo's Mother is really intense," Suzuki Sonoko muttered, "She's played a high school girl, a female Workplace Elite, even a super cool Female Agent…"
Chi Feichei agreed with Suzuki Sonoko's assessment of 'intense'.
On his Master Kuroba Toichi's side, the other three fellow disciples he knew were all total Drama Kings, with top-notch Acting Talent.
Odagiri Toshiya looked at the Middle-aged Man questioningly, "So Mr. Okubo, you came to me to…"
"I got Mizuhara a TV Drama role, a completely different character from his usual roles—a gentle and smiling character. As long as he can adapt, his Career Transition will be perfectly fine. Mizuhara has a really charming smile," the Middle-aged Man said sincerely, "I was thinking, if his Performance is good, I hope we'll have the opportunity to collaborate with Your Company in the future."
Chi Feichei understood Okubo's intention.
Everyone acknowledged Mizuhara Ryoji's Ability to play 'super cool handsome guys'. Even THK Company, when they needed external support actors, would only think of Mizuhara Ryoji when they lacked 'super cool handsome guys'. For other types of roles, they would naturally consider actors who excelled in those types of roles.
Therefore, even if Mizuhara Ryoji's Performance in a new type of role was successful, he might still not get offered new types of roles in the Initial Stage. And to truly succeed in his transition, he would need to accumulate experience in new types of roles.
Okubo was thinking, since he happened to meet Odagiri Toshiya here, he might as well bother him and mention this matter, so that Odagiri Toshiya would have an Impression, and perhaps pay more attention to Mizuhara Ryoji's transition. If Odagiri Toshiya thought Mizuhara Ryoji had Potential, he might give Mizuhara Ryoji an opportunity when considering casting for other types of roles in the future.
In short, Okubo was already paving the way for the Follow-up Development of Mizuhara Ryoji's transition.
He didn't know if Okubo was confident in Mizuhara Ryoji or if he was acting too hastily.
Other Managers, even if they encouraged actors to take risks and transition, would mostly wait and see if the actor could successfully make the initial transition. They wouldn't seize every opportunity and pave the way before that.
Because if the actor himself wasn't good, or couldn't adapt, it would all be for nothing, and it would easily leave a bad Impression, making people think Okubo was overly confident, or that Mizuhara Ryoji wasn't suitable for a change in style. Unless Okubo took responsibility and resigned, shouldering the negative impact himself, it would have a Negative Impact on both the actor and the Manager.
Of course, those things didn't matter in the face of Ability. If Mizuhara Ryoji still had Popularity even if his transition failed, that little bit of bad Impression wouldn't affect their cooperation.
Entertainment Companies are very realistic.
Similarly, for them, Mizuhara Ryoji already had a Popularity foundation, and they didn't need to accompany Mizuhara Ryoji through his transition. Once Mizuhara Ryoji proved his Ability, giving him opportunities to play other types of roles wouldn't be a big deal. A good Performance was all that mattered; they could all make money together.
A Win-Win Situation, easy to negotiate.
"Of course, no problem," Odagiri Toshiya nodded, handing his Business Card to Okubo, "I hope we'll have the opportunity to cooperate in the future!"
Okubo solemnly received the Business Card, "Thank You."
"Is Mr. Okubo an Independent Agent?" Morizono Kikuto asked gently, "I heard Mizuhara seems to have a Company…"
Okubo answered frankly, "I'm not an Independent Agent. I'm in the same Office as Mizuhara…"
Only then did Odagiri Toshiya pick up his Lighter, lit the cigarette he hadn't had time to light before, listened in silence for a while, leaned closer to Chi Feichei, and whispered, "Hassashi, have you looked at the three Scripts I sent you before?"
Chi Feichei knew Odagiri Toshiya wouldn't whisper and talk about other things while Okubo was speaking. He probably guessed Odagiri Toshiya's intentions and whispered back, "The Comedy Male Lead #2's Age and Appearance are suitable for Mizuhara, but it's too different from the types of roles he currently plays. The other two, the Romance Drama and the Urban Professional Drama, both have roles suitable for his transition; the Transition would be gentler."
"Cough cough…" Odagiri Toshiya, having his intentions seen through, felt a little embarrassed, "Looks like we're thinking alike."
Chi Feichei: …
That wasn't the case.
It was just that Odagiri Toshiya had been smoking, with a look of 'serious thought' on his face, and then suddenly mentioned the Scripts written by other screenwriters in the Company. He guessed that Odagiri Toshiya still wanted to help Mizuhara Ryoji.
Odagiri Toshiya became more serious and whispered an explanation, "Those three Scripts can all get Investment, but they aren't enough to become a Big Fire on their own. I plan to find Investors to invest in a portion of the filming. It's a pity to use the Company's top Artists, and the suitable and capable actors among the others have already been cast. Using actors who lack the Ability would easily backfire. I need to choose actors from outside the Company to collaborate. It's better to give Mizuhara a role. The vacant roles in these three Scripts are quite suitable for a transition. I haven't had Contact with Mizuhara, but Mr. Okubo gave me a good Impression. Of course, there's also Mr. Kyosuke's reason. Anyway, it's not a difficult matter. If we can help, we should help. It's a Favor. If their Company can't make it in the future, I can also take over."
"You decide."
Chi Feichei had no Opinion.
It was just that Odagiri Toshiya's last sentence was a bit… malicious.
Odagiri Toshiya continued to mutter, "At least Mr. Okubo is pretty good. There are two Managers in the Company who are doing Subtle Moves behind the scenes. I plan to transfer them."
Chi Feichei agreed, "He is good."
He didn't like to judge a person's Character based on his First Impression, but whether it was sincerity or Disguise, Okubo's consideration of helping the artist transition, his seizing the opportunity when he met Odagiri Toshiya, his choice of not disturbing them and waiting aside in a way that gave people a Good Impression, and his non-irritating way of speaking, all showed that Okubo's Ability was good.
Managers need to help artists contact various people and secure Resources. Okubo's ability to leave a Good Impression on everyone is a Skill, better than many Managers.
Even if Okubo paved the way for Mizuhara Ryoji prematurely, because of his hasty Personality or excessive Confidence, it was still Flaws Don't Hide the Jade. You can't expect someone to be Perfect.
Odagiri Toshiya sat up straight, watched Okubo chat with Morizono Kikuto for a few sentences, patiently answered Suzuki Sonoko's few nonsensical questions, finished his cigarette, and then asked mysteriously with a smile, "Mr. Okubo, do you want a role?"
Chi Feichei: …
That smile was very good, and when paired with the words he said, the President looked like a Scalper selling tickets.
Suzuki Sonoko: …
She had just asked Mr. Okubo if being a Manager was tiring. Minye's topic jump was too fast.
Morizono Kikuto: …
He remembered that someone was in charge of Casting. Except for major productions that the Company valued, it shouldn't be necessary for Odagiri Toshiya, the President, to personally ask, right?
Okubo: …
Why did he feel like he was being stared at? An Illusion, it must be an Illusion.
Happy Birthday, Yihua Yiye.
End of Chapter
