MMB Chapter 136 The Monster of Ratings
Chapter 136 The Monster of Ratings
Chapter 136 The Monster of Ratings (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
1992, October.
A restless atmosphere permeated the air in Tokyo.
Although the sense of depression following the bursting of the economic bubble lingers, life must go on for the average person.
In this age of entertainment to the death, the only things that can soothe the soul, besides alcohol, are the prime-time TV dramas every night.
Fuji Television has played a grand strategy this season.
They seem to have a deliberate intention to imprint the name "Kitahara Shin" on the retinas of all viewers.
Monday night at 9 PM, "The Whole Picture Without Makeup".
Sunday night at 9 pm, "Under One Roof".
One person, two dramas, dominating prime time.
This is seen as an extremely risky move in the industry. Audiences will get tired of the same old thing, the character will become repetitive, and if the performance is bad, it will result in a double blow to the reputation.
But when the first week's ratings report came out of the fax machine, only one voice remained among all the top executives at Fuji Television—
The sound of inhaling.
Monday night at 9 PM.
Shibuya, a certain izakaya (Japanese pub).
The area in front of the television was crowded with office ladies and working people who had just finished get off work.
On the screen, the scene is frozen on the beach. Under the setting sun, Akina Nakamori, playing Yumiko, is holding Nobu Kitahara's hand as they run on the sand.
That was the climax of the first episode of "The Whole Face".
In the shot, Kitahara Shin is wearing a simple white shirt with the cuffs rolled up, his eyes carrying a helpless yet indulgent smile. Nakamori Akina, on the other hand, laughs unrestrainedly, a smile that the public hasn't seen in a long time, the smile that belongs to the "Son of the Sun."
"They're a perfect match!"
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A young female office worker holding a beer couldn't help but exclaim, "They're such a perfect match!"
"Right! I think so too!" The colleague next to her immediately chimed in, "Although Miyazawa Rie is also very cute, seeing Akina-chan smiling so happily makes me think—if that man were Kitahara Shin, it would be pretty good too."
This mindset represents the thoughts of the vast majority of female viewers.
Akina Nakamori.
This name has carried too much sorrow over the past few years.
Women all over Japan looked at her like they were looking at a wounded younger sister.
Everyone is hoping she can be happy.
The appearance of Kitahara Shin at this juncture, with his "younger boyfriend" image in the drama—who, although not talkative, always manages to catch all of Akina's emotions at crucial moments—was like a shot in the arm.
"But—what about Kanji?"
In the corner, a die-hard fan still obsessed with "Tokyo Love Story" timidly raised their hand, "I don't accept it! Rika is the original wife!"
That night, the premiere of "The Complete Story of a Woman Without Makeup" achieved a viewership rating of 26.4%.
This is a rather alarming number.
Although it was a drama with two female leads and Yasuda Narumi had a significant role, the next day's newspaper and magazine headlines were almost entirely dominated by the phrase "Kitahara Shin X Nakamori Akina".
The famous gossip magazine "Weekly Women" even created a list overnight of "the most suitable actress for Kitahara Shin".
vote.
The result was as expected—Rika Akana (Honami Suzuki) won the championship by a landslide.
After all, the filter of "Tokyo Love Story" is too thick, and that kind of "unresolved feelings" is the most unforgettable.
However, thanks to the performance of this drama in its premiere, Akina Nakamori managed to climb to second place.
Even Rie Miyazawa, who hasn't had many leading lady works yet, was included by the media, ranking third, with the reason being "the strongest visual combination".
"This is way too outrageous!"
The Fuji Television producer looked at the report in his hand, shook his head with a wry smile, and said, "This is what they call a CP (Content Provider)."
"Feeling?" This guy is practically walking hormones.
If Monday's hustle and bustle belongs to the romantic fantasies of young men and women, then Sunday night belongs to the whole family.
Under the same roof.
This family drama, which focuses on kinship, has a much wider audience in terms of its subject matter.
Nine o'clock in the evening, at an ordinary family home in Saitama Prefecture.
A family of four was sitting around the television eating dinner.
"Ugh, this guy is so noisy."
The grandmother in the family frowned as she drank her tea. "Isn't Yosuke Eguchi acting a little too much? All that shouting and yelling is giving me a headache."
"Grandma, that's what you call real passion!" the high school student retorted. "But—why hasn't Second Brother come out yet?"
The voice just fell.
The television screen switched to the hospital.
White walls, cold operating lights.
"Click".
Footsteps sounded.
Shin Kitahara, who plays Masaya Kashiwagi, appears at the end of the corridor wearing a well-tailored white lab coat.
He didn't speak, but just looked down at the medical record in his hand, his silver-rimmed glasses reflecting a cold light under the lamp.
When the nurse greeted him, he simply nodded slightly. The aloofness and elite aura emanating from him instantly made the air in front of the television seem to drop several degrees.
"Wow----"
The old lady, who had just complained about her older brother's noise, suddenly brightened up, "This doctor—he's really handsome!"
"Right! I told you Second Brother is the most handsome!"
The mother at home also put down the dishcloth and came over to say, "And look at his hands, how gentle he is when examining patients. Although he's a bit sharp-tongued, that professional air about him tells you he's a renowned doctor."
As the plot progresses.
Masaya and his older brother Tatsuya had their first argument in the hospital lobby.
Faced with Yosuke Eguchi's spittle-flecked roar, Shin Kitahara simply stood there, pushed up his glasses, looked at the other man with the eyes of someone looking at a single-celled organism, and then uttered a few extremely calm medical terms, leaving his older brother speechless.
The exhilarating feeling of "intellectual crushing" keeps viewers glued to their TVs.
"You acted so well."
The father, a usually serious office worker, couldn't help but nod in agreement: "This actor's name is Kitahara Shin, right? I don't know anything about acting, but when he stands there, he's like a real surgeon. The way he holds the pen, and the way he looks at people—it's very convincing."
Ordinary viewers might not see the intricacies, they just think it's "like," "professional," and "stylish."
But in the eyes of real medical professionals or film critics who are meticulous about details, Kitahara Shin's performance is simply textbook-worthy.
Monday morning.
The premiere ratings for "Under One Roof" are in – 28.2%.
It directly planted a royal flag in this season's ratings battle.
"monster----"
An executive at a rival TV station, looking at the two ratings reports, sighed and stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray: "Dating on Mondays, surgery on Sundays. This guy's raking in the whole week's viewership. Does he even leave any room for anyone else?"
With the popularity of the two dramas, the name "Kitahara Shin" completely ignited the early summer of 1992.
In bookstores, magazines with his cover are always the first to sell out.
On the streets of Harajuku, young people began to imitate "Masaya" by wearing white shirts and silver-rimmed glasses.
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It's even said that the application rate for medical school has slightly increased because of this drama.
The media, like sharks smelling blood, began a frenzied hype.
Weekly Bunshun: [The acting monster of the Heisei era! Can Kitahara Shin end the "looks-obsessed era" of idol dramas?]
TVGuide: [From Yakuza Dragon to Elite Doctor: A Look at Kitahara Shin's "Thousand Faces" of Acting Skills.]
Amidst this overwhelming praise, astute media professionals began to turn their attention to two other individuals.
One is Yuji Oda.
As one of the "Heisei Big Three", Yuji Oda's brilliance was not overshadowed by the fact that Kitahara Shin starred in last year's national hit drama "Tokyo Love Story".
Instead, he took a different approach, establishing his unique image of being "passionate, sunny, and full of vitality" with last year's box office champion film, "The Unusual Frontline." This spring, his new TBS drama, "Finding Me on That Day," is also airing on another channel, consistently ranking in the top three in viewership ratings. He is one of the few male stars of his generation who can rival Kitahara Shin.
In a public interview, when a reporter deliberately provoked him by asking how he viewed Kitahara Shin, who had "dominated" the spring season ratings, he was met with resistance.
Oda Yuji revealed his signature, slightly wild, hearty smile, his eyes blazing with undisguised fighting spirit: "Kitahara-kun is a very talented actor. I've seen his work, and I admire his delicate approach to acting."
However, he can't imitate my style. I won't easily admit defeat, whether it's in ratings or box office. If I had the chance, I'd really like to have a head-to-head showdown with him.
These words were interpreted by the media as "a declaration of war by the king".
The other person was Toshiaki Karasawa.
A year ago, on the set of "Grand Hotel", he was a little fanboy whose eyes would light up when watching Kitahara Shin act.
But in just one year, thanks to the drama "Love When Brand Names Rise," he quickly became a rising star.
When asked about their collaboration back then, Toshiaki Karasawa's answer was more humble, but also more confident: "Kitahara-san has always been a role model for me. Being compared to him by everyone is an affirmation in itself. But I will try my best to catch up, because—in this industry, standing still is falling behind."
Roppongi, Kitahara Office.
Kitahara Shin sat behind his desk, casually flipping through the pile of newspapers that had lauded him so highly.
"Ratings monster — a thousand-faced actor — these media outlets really dare to write that, even though I've never even won an award for Best Actor."
He smiled and threw the newspaper into the trash can.
"These are all real achievements."
Ota stood to the side, his face beaming with undisguised excitement. "GG's phones are practically ringing off the hook with calls to our front desk. Especially pharmaceutical and insurance companies, they're all specifically requesting Masaya Kashiwagi as their spokesperson."
"Let's filter them; don't go for anything too cheap."
Kitahara Shin stood up and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window.
Outside the window is the bustling night view of Tokyo.
Looking down at the bustling traffic from dozens of meters above the ground, it's easy to get the illusion that you've conquered the city.
But he was very clear-headed.
The excitement we're experiencing now is just the beginning.
Whether it's Yuji Oda, Toshiaki Karasawa, or even the still-lying Takuya Kimura—these names will be the most ferocious beasts in this arena of fame and fortune over the next decade.
"Ota."
Kitahara Shin suddenly spoke.
"exist."
"Please contact Shinji Nojima for me."
Kitahara Shin looked at his reflection in the windowpane, adjusted his glasses, and a hunter's gleam flashed in his eyes:
1
Filming for "Under One Roof" is about to wrap up. — I want to talk to him about a story about "perversion" and "destruction."
During this time, in addition to discussing the script itself with Shinji Nojima, Kitahara Shin also talked about other things. When it came to creative preferences, Shinji Nojima also mentioned that he liked his style very much and was willing to create a script for him.
Kitahara Shin felt this was a rare and valuable resource, and if they collaborated a few more times, they might be able to bring Nojima Shinji to their company.
Da Tian was taken aback.
Perverted? Destructive?
Wait, buddy, why are you planning to play a pervert again?
Are you planning to embark on a path of "abnormal human" from which there is no turning back?
"Okay, I'll arrange it right away."
Although he was internally complaining, Ota immediately wrote it down.
Because he knew that whenever Kitahara Shin showed that expression, it meant that he was about to stir up trouble in this circle again.
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