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Chapter 174. A Very Young Type-Moon
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The planning and setting for "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure" Part 4, "Diamond is Unbreakable", were finalized amid the protests of Kira Yoshikage.
Truthfully, this whole process didn't need to be so complicated. In fact, after receiving the resumes that Cujoh Jolyne had brought in, Pucci felt there was nothing to worry about regarding the actors she had found and the suggestions she made.
After all, Stand users are naturally drawn to other Stand users, right?
All Pucci had to do was make some minor adjustments and corrections to the details that Jolyne had left behind. The only real challenge was how to get the rest of the crew to accept these seemingly absurd actor selections and suggestions!
It's worth noting that Pucci's situation was different from before. While his first time casting for "Phantom Blood" may have seemed unorthodox—neither Jonathan nor Dio were played by professional actors—what other shortcomings were there?
None!
As for Jonathan's and the others' muscle-bound style, which somewhat deviated from the industry's mainstream aesthetic at the time... After "Phantom Blood" became a massive success, and Joseph continued the undefeated streak of these "chosen actors" with his performances, the idea of casting non-professionals with a muscle-bound aesthetic became Pucci's unique vision.
Not only did he find such great talents, but he also led the entire industry back to the era of the "tough guy" aesthetic!
Of course, it helped that Joseph and Dio were not bad-looking. Even if their look wasn't the mainstream style, beauty and charm transcend trends. It's like how someone who likes l*lis can also like mature women—if something is beautiful, people will like it.
And Joseph and Dio? They fit that mold.
But as for the actors Jolyne had found... Though calling them "ugly" might be too extreme, only a few of them, like Higashikata Josuke and Kishibe Rohan, could be considered "handsome."
However, these "handsome" ones were a minority. Most of the actors Jolyne had selected... Well, the staff found it hard to believe anyone's aesthetic could be warped enough to appreciate someone like Nijimura Okuyasu or Yangu Shigekiyo. Even with their character boosts, the audience would probably be drawn to the spirit of Okuyasu and Shigechi, not their appearance.
This was a harsh reality.
But now, after Pucci's explanations, the staff's doubts were temporarily dispelled. In fact, they became very interested in the idea of Kira Yoshikage starring in "Diamond is Unbreakable"! Even those who worked with Kira daily were shocked after hearing Pucci's take on the possibility that Kira could be a hidden serial killer disguised as an ordinary person.
If others learned about this, or saw this story unfold, what would happen? It would definitely be thrilling! The crew couldn't wait to shoot this project!
Unfortunately, based on the number of episodes in "Stardust Crusaders", their desire to film "Diamond is Unbreakable" might take a long time to realize...
…
"So, what do you think, Takeuchi?"
"Let's not talk about what I think for now..."
Looking at Nasu Kinoko, who was eagerly explaining "Stardust Crusaders" to him, Takeuchi Takashi could only feel his eyebrow twitching furiously. Inside, his anger was about to explode!
Because...
"I was wondering why we can never catch up with our work schedule! It turns out you've been slacking off again, Nasu!"
Although, to be fair, Takeuchi had also been secretly slacking off. But after seeing Nasu's level of laziness, Takeuchi realized just how diligent he himself was in comparison! This was unacceptable.
He immediately took the moral high ground and reprimanded Nasu Kinoko for his laziness.
"This is out of my control! There are just too many good shows and fun games out there... It's an irresistible force!" Nasu Kinoko argued. "Plus, if I didn't keep up with the latest industry news, how would I have discovered the new techniques used in "Stardust Crusaders"?"
He said this with such righteousness, as if his slacking off was entirely for their benefit. It was as though he had sacrificed his own rest to stay up all night playing these works, just to uncover this secret!
"..."
Takeuchi, unable to refute Nasu's self-righteous explanation—especially since, to some extent, Nasu Kinoko wasn't wrong—sighed and said, "Even if you say that, those studios still look down on small companies like ours."
Takeuchi lamented the harsh realities of the industry. The industry is tough, and a strong hierarchy of disdain exists. No matter what, they, as a company formed from doujin creators, would always be at the bottom of that hierarchy.
At first, they could boast that if their works were good enough, none of that would matter. But reality often hit them hard. No matter how well they sold in their niche, when it came time to adapt their work into film or other media, the larger studios didn't care. They'd just take their settings and popular characters and make a superficial adaptation.
Even if the Green Dolphin Studio possessed new techniques that could perfectly adapt their work, what did it matter if nobody valued their projects?
At least Takeuchi felt that with their current influence, Type-Moon didn't have the clout to make demands.
"No! I think Green Dolphin Studio is different from the previous teams we've encountered!"