N-M Chapter 107: A Preview of the Polar Reversal
Chapter 107: A Preview of the Polar Reversal
Chapter 107: A Preview of the Polar Reversal
Just as "The Grand Hotel Lies" was experiencing a box office flop due to its "too heavy tone causing discomfort to viewers," Nippon Television released the long-awaited trailer for "Ocean Waves."
During the prime-time GG segment on Friday night, a dull insurance GG that was playing suddenly ended.
The screen went black for a second.
Immediately afterwards, a crisp, summery cicada chirp pierced the silence.
The screen suddenly became so bright it was almost blinding.
A clear blue sky, surging white waves, bicycles speeding along the coastline, and a boy in a white shirt, his skin tanned a healthy wheat color, smiling brightly.
A line of clear, large text appeared on the screen:
Hearing the Waves
Starring: Shin Kitahara/Rie Miyazawa, Studio Ghibli's young producer Tomomichi Mochizuki directed the film. Half a month later, that summer arrived as promised.
This minute-and-a-half-long trailer was like a cool breeze carrying the scent of sea salt, blowing directly into this sweltering, oppressive atmosphere.
Tokyo is filled with bad news.
A corner of a somewhat dilapidated shopping street in Daejeon-gu.
In the small shop called "Oshima Bento", the roller shutter door was already half-drawn.
The shop owner, Kenichi Oshima, was vigorously wiping the oil-stained stainless steel countertop with a rag.
His wife, Yoko Oshima, sat behind the cash register, carefully counting the coins they had earned that day.
"One thousand, two thousand—Kenichi, today's sales are five hundred yen more than yesterday's."
Yoko neatly stacked the coins into the box, a tired but satisfied smile on her face.
"Really? That's great."
Jian straightened up and pounded his sore back.
Looking at his wife's hands, which had become rough from being soaked in dish soap for a long time, a hint of guilt flashed in his eyes, but more than that, he felt a sense of relief at surviving a disaster.
This couple from Oshima are actually the same two people who almost took their own lives when the bubble burst six months ago.
At that time, they were still living in a luxury apartment in the port area.
When the securities firm's financial crisis erupted, and Kenichi was so burdened by enormous debt that he considered jumping off a building, it was the movie "Tokyo Love Story" that saved them.
That late night, in that old, run-down apartment building where they didn't even dare turn on the heating.
Kenichi clearly remembers what he looked like back then—his eyes were like still water, and he felt like a piece of trash who had dragged his wife from the clouds into the mud.
Until on TV, Rika pointed to her lips and said, "They sell batteries here."
Until Shin Kitahara, playing Kanji, awkwardly but firmly kissed her, completing the "recharging" ritual.
At that moment, Yoko, crying, imitated what she saw on TV, pointing to her cheek and asking him, "Do you sell batteries here?"
That kiss pulled Kenichi back from the brink of hell.
That very night, after the couple had a good cry, they made a decision: to sell their last remaining valuables, pay off some of their debts, and then use the rest of the money to open this bento shop.
Although life is tough, with long hours and no more kaiseki cuisine or designer bags, I feel more grounded and alive than before.
"We've finally made it through these difficult times—"
Kenichi sighed and looked up at the old television hanging in the corner.
Just then, that dull insurance guy's interview ended.
The screen went black, followed by a clear, crisp chirping of a cicada.
Kenichi stopped wiping the table.
Yangzi stopped counting the coins.
The couple just stared blankly at the screen.
In the scene, a boy carries a girl through a coconut palm-lined avenue, with light piano music playing in the background. There is no gloom, only a refreshing youthful atmosphere.
Kenichi finally breathed a sigh of relief when the trailer ended and the scene switched back to a dull news program.
"That sea—"
He muttered to himself, "It's a bit like the sea near my hometown, Kamakura."
"yes."
Yoko closed the coin box in her hand, her eyes softening as if she had traveled back in time and seen a scene from twenty years ago. "Back when we were in high school, you often rode that old bicycle and took me to the beach in Enoshima to enjoy the breeze."
You were much thinner and darker back then, and your smile was just as silly as this kid's on TV.
"You were younger back then. Your hair was so long back then, and it was always moving around when you sat in the back seat."
Kenichi smiled, and a rare look of nostalgia appeared on his usually tired face.
Those are their memories from before the bubble era.
Back then, there were no unpayable loans, no damned layoffs, and no suffocating pressure.
There was only summer, the sea, soda, and that girl sitting in the back seat laughing loudly.
"Speaking of which, I really didn't dare to watch Kitahara-kun's last movie, 'Grand Hotel'."
Yangzi said with lingering fear, "The butcher next door said that the film was too realistic, like looking in a mirror, showing all the pathetic state of people like us. Now I just want to watch something cheerful."
"This looks really cheerful."
Kenichi pointed to the TV, "And the ticket price is cheap. The trailer says it's only 1,000 yen because it's short."
"One thousand yen?"
Yoko's eyes lit up. "That's the price for two bento boxes."
The couple exchanged a glance.
In this cold winter when everyone is tightening their purse strings, the money for two bento boxes to exchange for a long-awaited dream about youth and the sea seems like a very worthwhile deal.
"Let's go take a look."
Ken threw a rag into the bucket, his tone decisive, "Once the movie's released, we'll close the shop for half a day. Business's always been like this, it won't make a difference. Let's go recharge."
"Um."
Yoko smiled and nodded. "I want to see the sea."
In an old house in Setagaya Ward.
The elderly Tanaka, who is over seventy years old, is wearing reading glasses and watching TV while drinking tea.
"Ouch!"
Upon seeing Kitahara Shin in his school uniform in the trailer, the old lady excitedly patted her husband, who was reading the newspaper beside her, and exclaimed, "Old man, look! Isn't that...that guy?!"
Who is it?
"That's the guy who played the little samurai in that Taiga drama!"
The old lady pointed at the TV, "Look at this face, how handsome he is! Before, he played a lifeless waiter in that restaurant, which was quite frightening. Now that he's back to looking like a student, he looks much better."
The old man pushed up his glasses and took a closer look.
"It's true, this young man has a wide range of acting skills. How come he's getting more and more like a high school student as he gets older? He looks like a real high school student."
"That's what you call acting skills."
The old lady beamed from ear to ear, "This movie is cheerful and bright. Unlike the TV dramas these days, which are all about crying and wailing. I'll have my grandson buy me a ticket so I can join in the fun."
An izakaya (Japanese pub) in Ginza.
Several office ladies who had just finished get off work were drinking alone in silence.
"Mayumi, why have you been so listless lately?"
"Don't even mention it, the company is laying off more people, I'm on tenterhooks every day at work."
Mayumi sighed and downed her beer in one gulp. She was a die-hard fan of Kitahara Shin, having become completely enamored with the gentle Kanji from "Tokyo Love Story."
But she really didn't dare to watch or want to watch that movie "The Lies of the Grand Hotel" that aired recently.
Colleagues who have seen it say that the film was too depressing, and that they wanted to quit their jobs after watching it.
She was already on the verge of a breakdown and really didn't want to spend money to suffer.
Just then, a trailer started playing on the TV hanging in the izakaya.
Mayumi, who had been complaining, suddenly brightened up.
"Ah! It's Kitahara-kun!"
Pointing at the screen, her voice rising an octave, she exclaimed, "This is so cool! This is exactly what I wanted to see! This refreshing feeling, this blue sky and white clouds, it's so soothing to my eyes!"
"The female lead is Rie Miyazawa!"
Misaki, her best friend standing next to her, frowned. "Her reputation isn't doing so well lately. I heard she's in a lawsuit with her mother, making a huge fuss about it."
"What does it matter!"
Mayumi looked at the profile of the stubborn yet beautiful girl on the screen, waved her hand, and said, "This is a movie, not a selection of moral exemplars. Besides, look at this scene, isn't it beautiful? Anyway, I'm going to see it. I just want to go to the cinema and have a dream, even if it's only for a little over an hour."
Although the controversy surrounding Rie Miyazawa persists, and people are still recovering from the blows of the bubble economy.
But this trailer is like a small white flower blooming in a murky swamp.
It's too clean.
It was so clean that you couldn't help but want to get closer.
half a month later.
"Hear the Waves" has been officially released.
Because this film was a bold attempt, and also to adapt to the pace of television broadcasting, its total runtime is only 72 seconds.
minute.
Compared to those serious blockbusters that often run for two hours, its ticket price is set to be exceptionally "affordable".
A regular movie ticket costs 1800 yen, but this one is only 1000 yen.
If you are a student, the fee is only 800 yen with your student ID.
On its opening day.
A long queue unexpectedly formed outside a movie theater in Shinjuku.
I didn't see a single one of those big shots who wore formal attire and made a grand entrance.
Looking around, the people queuing up were just ordinary people who had just finished get off work or school.
There were middle-aged people dressed simply like the Ito couple, chattering high school students, and office workers who slipped out during their lunch break.
"That's really cheap."
An uncle at the back of the line was clutching a thousand-yuan bill. "It's only a thousand yuan, just the cost of a lunch."
Go inside, enjoy the air conditioning, and see some handsome men and beautiful women—it's a win-win situation no matter how you look at it.
"Yes, and it's only been a little over an hour, so it won't delay my afternoon work."
Everyone was very relaxed.
This doesn't feel like going to see a "masterpiece of art" that requires you to sit up straight; it's more like going to a convenience store to buy a rice ball or taking a walk in the park.
In this atmosphere of low cost and low expectations, people entered the theater with the mentality of "it doesn't cost much anyway, so there's no harm in watching."
The staff at the ticket gates were extremely busy, but they had long-lost smiles on their faces.
No one expected that in this cold winter when everyone is tightening their belts, these "cheap and plentiful" youth films would become the most popular comfort for everyone.
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