mesbooks Chapter 301 The Progenitor of Mary Sue
Chapter 301 The Progenitor of Mary Sue
Chapter 301 The Progenitor of Mary Sue
When Takuya Kimura, Yosuke Eguchi, and others received the script outline and the scripts for the first few episodes of "Boys Over Flowers," these experienced male stars were amazed by the "sweet spots" in the script that accurately hit women's soft spots.
They naturally assumed that this was yet another original masterpiece from Kitahara Shin, the "genius screenwriter" whose imagination ran wild.
It wasn't until Kitahara Shin explained with a smile that the drama was actually adapted from the shoujo manga of the same name by Japanese manga artist Kamio Yoko, which was being serialized at the time, that everyone realized what was going on.
With Kitahara Productions holding a press conference to officially announce the manga adaptation project of "Boys Over Flowers" and the F4 lineup, which can be described as a nuclear bomb, this news not only caused a magnitude 10 earthquake in the Japanese drama circle, but also stirred up a huge wave among the huge anime and manga fan community.
Fans of shoujo manga have always been among the most discerning of all audience groups.
Because in the world of anime characters, the proportions of a character's facial features can be drawn perfectly. The exaggerated aura of a tycoon and the domineering lines that say things like "I'll buy the whole of Paris" will appear very dreamlike when set against black and white halftone paper.
However, when it comes to crossing the dimensional barrier and having real actors perform the role, it often creates a huge sense of incongruity, and if not handled carefully, it can appear extremely greasy and awkward.
On the rooftop of a high school in Tokyo, several female high school students were having a heated discussion while holding the latest issue of an entertainment magazine.
"While Kitahara-sama and Kimura-kun are undoubtedly among the most handsome men in Japan right now, I'm still really worried." A seasoned manga fan pushed up her glasses, her brow furrowed, and said, "Can anyone in real life really portray the domineering aura of Domyouji? Won't he just look like an ill-mannered thug? And what about Hanazawa Rui's melancholy? If a real person were to play him, he might just end up with a blank expression, right?"
"Yes, although these four people standing together are definitely pleasing to the eye, I'm really afraid they'll ruin the F4 myth in my heart."
This feeling of "expectation mixed with strong skepticism" is prevalent among the vast majority of comic book fans. They acknowledge the quality of the cast but remain reserved about the "accuracy of the 2D to 3D adaptation."
Sensing this market sentiment, Kitahara Shin made a decision that was completely different from the past.
In the past, I filmed "Tokyo Love Story," "Infernal Affairs," and now I'm working on post-production for "Resident Evil."
To ensure absolute secrecy on set and the crew's focus, Kitahara Shin never allowed any unrelated passersby or fans to approach the set. But this time, while filming "Boys Over Flowers," he did the opposite.
What is the essence of idol dramas? It's about creating dreams, creating interaction, and monetizing emotional value in advance!
Shin Kitahara directly instructed the publicity department to announce that during the early school scenes of "Boys Over Flowers," the production team would open up "on-site viewing" slots for fans. All fans could participate in a lottery by purchasing designated postcards from the production team and sending them to Kitahara Production's email address. Winners would receive the dream privilege of entering the set and watching F4 act up close!
The news nearly paralyzed the entire Japanese postal system.
Millions of girls went into a frenzy! To see four top male gods—Makoto Kitahara, Takuya Kimura, and many others—appear in the same frame was more exciting than winning the lottery. In just one week, Kitahara Productions' PR department received millions of postcards.
Among these young women who signed up in droves, minors or girls who had just come of age made up the vast majority. In this age group, Takuya Kimura, the top star of the Johnny's super boy band SMAP, undoubtedly had the largest fan base, far exceeding that of Shin Kitahara, whose audience leaned towards mature women.
Two weeks later, at a prestigious private school in Tokyo with a long history and architecture that exudes European classical luxury.
This is the real-life filming location for "Eitoku Academy" in "Boys Over Flowers".
For modern urban dramas, Kitahara Shin has an incredibly clear business logic. Unless it's a high-effects sci-fi film like "Resident Evil" that requires a lot of gore and explosions and has no real-world counterpart, in which case he would need to invest heavily in building a studio, modern dramas must use real-world locations as much as possible for filming.
He knew that once the drama became a hit across Asia, its enthusiastic fans would unleash a tourism frenzy known as "pilgrimage to sacred sites." Using existing real schools, cafes, and streets as filming locations would not only save a significant amount on set construction costs, but also allow them to reap substantial long-tail profits through tourism collaborations with local governments and businesses. This is why this originally prestigious private school willingly vacated its campus for filming on weekends, swayed by Kitahara Shin's vision of it becoming a "tourism landmark for the next decade."
The morning sun shone on the classical-style fountain sculpture, and long police tape had already been put up outside the campus.
Five hundred lucky fans, selected by lottery through mail, were led in batches into the outer area of the campus for filming, their excitement palpable, under the guidance of staff.
The fan base at the scene was remarkably diverse. Most of them held up signs supporting Takuya Kimura, while a few held signs bearing the names of Yosuke Eguchi and Yutaka Takenouchi. As for Shin Kitahara's light sticks, they were surprisingly few among these young women.
"I heard they're filming a major scene from Eitoku Academy today. We'll finally get to see Takuya live!" A few die-hard Kimura fans whispered excitedly.
"But seriously, isn't President Kitahara the main character today?" a girl next to me whispered.
"President Kitahara is indeed very impressive, a big shot at the very top of the pyramid." A leading Kimura fan curled his lip somewhat unconvinced, "But, if we're just talking about idol charm and how to attract girls' hearts, our Takuya-kun is absolutely number one in Japan! Takuya-kun has always considered President Kitahara as a rival he must surpass, so today we must support him with our spirit and absolutely not let him be outdone!"
While fans were secretly competing, the core members of the production team had already taken their places.
Kou Shibasaki, who plays the female lead Makino Tsukushi, is nervously taking deep breaths in a corner of the corridor. For a sixteen-year-old amateur who was just wandering the streets of Ikebukuro a few days ago, the pressure of facing four towering male idols right from the start, with hundreds of discerning eyes watching her, is enough to make anyone break down.
Kitahara Shin, dressed in an extremely arrogant custom-made high-end school uniform with a slightly open collar, walked calmly to Shibasaki Kou.
He looked at the girl, who was so nervous she was almost jumping around, and a faint smile appeared on his lips: "Still scared?"
"President—I, I'm afraid I won't perform well and will drag everyone down." Shibasaki Kou bit her lip, her fingers gripping the hem of her skirt tightly.
"Forget all those acting techniques in the script." Kitahara Shin reached out and gently patted her shoulder, his tone carrying an undeniable, almost magical quality. "You don't need to act," Makino Tsukushi said. "You just need to remember that day in my office, that fearless, indomitable anger you showed when you pointed your finger at me and yelled at me. When filming starts later, I'll treat you the worst possible way. If you feel wronged, if you feel angry, then fight back with all your might. Understand?"
Shibasaki Kou paused for a moment, recalling Kitahara Shin's harassment of her that day, and the wildness and indomitable spirit of the underdog within her was instantly ignited. She took a deep breath, her eyes sharpening again, and nodded heavily.
"All departments, prepare! Lights in position! Sound equipment in position!"
As soon as the director shouted through a megaphone, the five hundred fans watching fell silent instantly. Everyone held their breath and stared intently at the center of the corridor.
"Action!"
The moment the clapperboard fell, the system that had been dormant in Kitahara Shin's mind suddenly emitted a soft chime that only he could hear.
[Absolute Film Set Territory, now operational.]
[Current genre classification: Top-tier shoujo manga adaptation/Mary Sue idol drama.]
[Exclusive environmental filters: Girly pink bubble effect/perfect backlighting/air purification, all fully covered!]
[Group flow guidance: Enhanced sense of well-being!]
In an instant, the magnetic field of the entire film set underwent a dramatic change.
The natural light, which was originally somewhat glaring, was refracted into an unusually soft light by the invisible intervention of the system's filters.
A dreamlike, contour-lit atmosphere. A faint, almost imperceptible breeze seemed to appear out of nowhere, carrying a delicate rose scent that gently brushed against the hair of everyone present. This "shoujo manga atmosphere," defying the laws of physics, went straight to the optic nerve.
It struck the hearts of the five hundred fans present with a powerful impact!
Just then, at the end of the corridor, F4 appeared.
Led by Kitahara Shin, followed by Kimura Takuya, Eguchi Yosuke, and Takenouchi Yutaka. The four were dressed in luxurious, custom-made school uniforms.
The tall, model-like man walked slowly towards them, his steps perfectly synchronized, bathed in the system-generated backlight, like four gods descending to earth.
A sudden burst of frantic gasps erupted from the crowd of onlookers, as if the gasps were being forced out of their mouths!
"Oh my god—what kind of filter is this? Why does it feel like the air is glowing when they walk over?!"
"Takuya-kun is so handsome—he's as melancholic as a prince—but—"
The die-hard fan who had vowed to support Takuya Kimura was now staring intently at Shin Kitahara, who was walking at the front. His pupils dilated, and he almost dropped the support sign in his hand.
Because at this moment, Kitahara Shin's charm is simply too terrifying and too aggressive!
With the system's "Sensation Enhancement" buff, Kitahara Shin completely transformed into the arrogant and disdainful young master of a wealthy family, Domyouji. His hands were in his pockets, his chin slightly raised, his deep-set features radiating a mixture of mockery, arrogance, and nonchalance—a complete disregard for everyone. The domineering aura emanating from his very being, and the innate aristocratic pressure he exuded, were like a powerful magnet, making it impossible to look away from him even for a moment.
Even the usually radiant Takuya Kimura was automatically filtered by the system into a quiet and reserved green leaf in the face of Shin Kitahara's full-on "domineering CEO aura".
The plot has progressed to the most classic and memorable scene in the entire series: the corridor conflict following the red sticker incident.
Kou Shibasaki plays Makino Tsukushi, who, unable to bear it any longer, stands in front of the F4 because her friend is being bullied.
"Domyouji Tsukasa! You parasite who only knows how to bully others! What's so great about you besides having a few stinking coins!" Shibasaki Kou's eyes were red. This was not an act at all. She was genuinely enraged by the contemptuous look Kitahara Shin had given her when he walked over. She was like a little wild leopard that had gone berserk.
The fans watching were so frightened they didn't dare to breathe.
Kitahara Shin stopped, lowered his head slightly, and looked down at the girl who barely reached his shoulder. Under the system's micro-expression detection, a flicker of surprise flashed in his eyes, quickly replaced by a furious outburst of offense.
He stretched out his long, strong fingers, grabbed Shibasaki Kou's chin, and forced her to raise her head.
"Don't mess with me, you poor girl. In this Eitoku Academy, my word is law. If you dare to say another word, I'll make you disappear from this earth." Kitahara Shin's voice was deep and magnetic. Although he was uttering the most vicious villainous lines, the girls present did not feel disgusted by the overwhelming sense of oppression. Instead, they felt a tingling, weak sensation on their scalps.
"This is too domineering! Why do I want to be scolded by him like that?" A young fan of Takuya Kimura, her face flushed, covered her burning cheeks. The idol defenses that were originally as solid as a rock in her mind were crumbling inch by inch under the charm bombardment of Shin Kitahara.
Just when everyone was immersed in Dao Ming Si's domineering CEO aura.
"Snapped!"
A crisp sound broke the silence of the corridor.
Shibasaki Kou slapped Kitahara Shin's hand away hard. Then, to everyone's horror, the sixteen-year-old commoner girl launched a flying kick, landing squarely on Kitahara Shin's flat, firm stomach!
"Don't be so arrogant! I, Makino Tsukushi, even if I were a weed, would never bow down to a bastard like you!"
The entire venue fell silent. The fans even forgot to scream, the director's hand trembled slightly, and even Takuya Kimura and Yosuke Eguchi, who were standing nearby, were stunned.
The script called for fists, but this girl just used feet?! And the kicks were so hard and so realistic!
Kitahara Shin was kicked so hard that he took half a step back.
But he did not call a halt.
Under the system's stunning filter, Kitahara Shin slowly straightened up. He didn't fly into a rage, but instead slightly turned his head, a few strands of hair falling down his forehead and obscuring half of his eyes.
Then, the corners of his mouth slowly curled upwards, revealing a wicked smile full of wildness, interest, and even a hint of childlike surprise. His deep eyes were fixed on Shibasaki Kou, as if he had spotted the most interesting prey in the world.
"You woman—you're quite interesting."
boom-!
This classic line, paired with Kitahara Shin's captivatingly wicked smile, was amplified to the extreme by the system's "pink bubble of girlish heart," detonating like a high-yield nuclear bomb in the hearts of five hundred onlookers!
"iii客图客图客图客图, the moment the director yelled 'Cut,' the entire filming set erupted like a volcano. Five hundred girls burst into heart-wrenching screams, a sound so loud it almost lifted the roof off the prestigious school!"
"Help! Xin-jun's smile! That smile is absolutely amazing! I'm going to faint!"
"Domyouji! He's the living Domyouji! So charming! So domineering!"
"Oh my god, I declare that I'm switching sides starting today! Sorry, Takuya-kun, although you're handsome, Kitahara-sama's domineering CEO persona is just too irresistible!"
Those young girls who had vowed to defend Takuya Kimura's dignity had long since forgotten their previous promises. Their eyes were filled with the pink bubbles created by the system's filter, and their minds were filled with Kitahara Shin's arrogant yet fatally seductive gaze.
Takuya Kimura stood to the side, looking at the fans who had turned against him so madly that they had even forgotten to hold up their own support signs, and shook his head with a wry smile.
He had always regarded Kitahara Shin as a rival he wanted to catch up with, but only today, when they actually shared the stage and he personally felt the terrifying aura that could even control the air, did he truly understand: in front of this man named Kitahara Shin, the halo of any idol would be ruthlessly crushed into powder.
Behind the monitor, the director watched the playback footage, each frame as beautiful as a meticulously edited wallpaper, and was so moved that tears streamed down his face.
He knew that with Kitahara Shin's almost magical ability to control the flow of the show, "Boys Over Flowers" didn't need a deep plot at all. As long as it aired, women all over Asia would willingly become prisoners of the Kitahara Group's super money-printing machine.
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