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Chapter 134. To The Fearless Warrior Who Acknowledge Fear, We Offer Golden Souls~
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If Jolyne Cujoh knew that even in such a situation, there were still people who resonated with her dislike for "Battle Tendency" and wished for its downfall, she would probably be greatly relieved. She might even try to recruit Josuke Higashikata as an actor.
But... on second thought, maybe not.
After all...
"—Sakata Gintoki!!"
Jolyne was on the verge of losing her mind! Even without logging into the 2CH forum or checking the audience comments, just seeing the scene unfolding before her eyes, she could already predict the storm of excitement that would erupt once the latest episode of "Battle Tendency" aired.
Because Sakata Gintoki, playing Joseph, had truly broken through the despair brought by Kars and grasped the only hope of victory firmly in his hands!
"Even though I knew about this in advance, why is the scene Shinbo showed me back then so different from the final broadcast!?"
Lacking the relevant knowledge, Jolyne didn't realize that the production process includes a step called "editing."
Of course, Shinbo Akiyuki, a seasoned director, had already roughly edited the footage when he transmitted the scenes from the script world, using different camera angles to make it easier for Jolyne to watch and understand the plot.
Because of his skills, Jolyne mistakenly believed that the scenes she saw were the final cuts and overlooked the fact that the work would undergo further polishing in post-production...
In other words, the helplessness and subsequent fierce resistance that Gintoki's portrayal of Joseph brought to life in this most thrilling and climactic moment of "Battle Tendency" was not just a result of the passionate performances by Gintoki and the other chosen actors. It was also influenced by Shinbo Akiyuki, who had watched films like "The Old Man and the Sea" and "To Live" multiple times, drawing inspiration from them during his spare time.
He also watched documentaries like "Two Bombs, One Satellite" and "The Long March" from a certain eastern country, which further fueled his creative energy.
While preserving the oppressive and despairing atmosphere, Shinbo also infused it with a sense of grand struggle and determination, creating a mix of both despair and defiance. The effect was so powerful that even Jolyne, who already knew the plot, couldn't help but be moved by the atmosphere.
As the OP of the first part, "JoJo ~Sono Chi no Sadame~, played in the background—
"To the fearless warriors who acknowledge fear, we offer golden souls~~ ...Wait? Why am I singing along?!"
Jolyne, realizing she was unconsciously singing along, quickly snapped out of it and regained her serious demeanor. After all, if even she, someone who wanted "Battle Tendency" to fail, was drawn in by it, how would others perceive it?
Jolyne couldn't bear to think about the outcome.
"Damn it! If I'd known, I shouldn't have been so greedy and should have just paused when Shinbo suggested it!"
"Now look what's happened... I've got nothing..."
Actually, Jolyne hadn't lost everything. When she was unexpectedly appointed as the chief director, most of the crew feared the project would fail and worried about its prospects. But her decisive action to continue filming despite the concerns had won over even those who initially thought she was just there to pad her resume.
As a result, her radiant and majestic image was deeply ingrained in their hearts, sparking a new resolve among the crew.
What's slacking off? With a boss like Jolyne, who not only has great skills but also actually spends money when she says she will (to burn through the budget), this was the perfect environment for these individuals to pursue their dreams!
Why had they chosen this field in the first place and joined the industry even when many thought it was doomed? Wasn't it because they, like a certain old rascal, wanted to create works that would lead an era and save the industry they loved?
Now, the chance to realize their dreams was right in front of them!
Unaware that the employees she had carefully selected were becoming rebels, Jolyne clung to this last lifeline. While praying, she logged into the 2CH forum, desperately trying to spread negativity about "Battle Tendency" to stir up a negative reaction.
As the director of the last episode of "Battle Tendency", one reason she let the scene pass was because everything happened too fast, and she didn't have time to pause it. Another reason was that Gintoki's performance gave her no valid reason to pause. But there was also the fact that she knew the upcoming plot, which involved Joseph and Kars being sent into space!
Although the audience, coming from "Phantom Blood", had already seen a similar scenario with Jonathan and DIO's final battle and Jonathan's death, they still couldn't accept Caesar's sacrifice when it mirrored Uncle Zeppeli's fate. Despite finding countless reasons to rationalize it afterward, none of them could bring Caesar back to life or erase the bitterness they felt about his death.
And that was with Wamuu, an enemy they reluctantly admired. What if it were Kars, a despicable villain? And considering the idea Jolyne had already conceived about exploiting the "Joestar family's curse of short lives" to cause a stir...
Jolyne couldn't guarantee "Battle Tendency" would lose money, but she was sure that the initial sales of the BD special would be impacted! As long as she could maintain this effect until the system's evaluation, she would come out ahead!
"Yes, I still have a chance!"
Ignoring the fact that Shinbo Akiyuki still had the editing phase ahead, and thrilled by the idea of finally seeing "Battle Tendency" fail after Joseph and Kars were sent into space, Jolyne didn't pay any more attention to Shinbo's ongoing work. She decided to bet her lifelong single status on this possibility!
"Please! It has to fail!!"