I Reincarnated and Tried to Become a Genius Child Actor. I Want to Quit.

“Okay, cut! Include emotion. The heroine, you should have belief that the protagonist will time leap; it’s strange to see you worrying so frantically. Next, take 8.”

*

“Okay, cut! Please compare; this stop is too short. In this scene, you have belief that the protagonist is time leaping, so please look at the protagonist a little bit longer. Next, take 15.”

*

“Okay, cut! You’re close, but the timing of the blink is wrong. And, when looking at the protagonist, please don’t blink. Also, please control your gaze and blinks when acting. Next, take 21.”

Time again and time again I call for a retake, and, each time, I compare and match them to the sample. The acting doesn’t have to be the exact same, but it’s practice to be able to act according to your image. If I don’t compromise but make them match, I think that they’ll be able to act similarly later on.

Kotori-san stayed silent to my support, but she precisely fixed the areas that I pointed out. Already, she almost copied the sample; the lines and expressions aren’t a problem. A great effort is necessary, but talent is most important. I didn’t think that she’d progress this much already. Amazing.

Being able to move in almost the exact same way is amazing. People who can’t do it, no matter how many retakes, will never become able to do it. It’s hard to copy even simple gestures.

Moreover, she’s an idol, so she does voice training and pronunciation practice, and dancing and live concerts can’t be counted as nothing. Her attitude is also pure. She has a foundation to be able to improve quickly.

Even if I didn’t teach her, or if I did my lesson properly and played a minor role in making her digest experiences, I wonder if it wouldn’t have been a problem at all.

“Okay, cut. It’s OK. You’ve considerably improved. Already, there’s no problem with this scene.”

To confirm, I played back the video. Kotori-san was almost able to do the same movements as me in the sample.

Isumi-san said, happily, “Kotori, didn’t you become skilled!”

Momiji-san added, “Kotorin, amazing, isn’t it! Aren’t you going to aim for the leading actress award?”

And, finally, Kotori-san said, “Yeah, compared to the be from before, my skill is becoming better, but… Yep, it’s entirely different from Nana-chan’s acting.”

In another place from the 2 happy people, Kotori-san compared my acting to the sample and made a thoughtful face.^[1]

Even if she’s able to do almost the same movements, it doesn’t mean that she’s able to do the same acting. I thought that she’d be satisfied, but it seems that Kotori-san unexpectedly hates to lose.

“Kotori-san, what is your goal to reach doing this acting lesson?”

“Umm, to become better at acting… for that?”

“That’s not your goal; it’s only a means to an end, is it not?”

“Means to an end?”

“Nn, In Kotori-san’s live concerts, do you want to make the people watching you feel happy or want to make them excited; don’t you have feelings like that?”

“…I do.”

“Actors have the same feelings. We want to make the people watching us in a movie feel happy and want to make them excited; feeling that when acting makes more breadth and depth come out.”

Yes, that was written in a book that I recently read.

With a deep impression of “a good book,” I accepted it’s teachings and put them to use. I normally wouldn’t think of such things.

But, such words were said for nothing.

“Um, is it okay if I ask for you to say it again?”

At the time when I said those second-hand words with a smug face, Kotori-san was looking at the monitor, thinking with a serious expression on her face.

Kotori-san’s atmosphere was different.

What the heck, this atmosphere is positively eerie. Now, how can I say, “Second-hand words from a book desu♪” with this atmosphere?

“Then, I’ll do the protagonist role.”

As the one with the most dignity until now, I was going to ask Isumi-san to be her partner, but, honestly, she’s a ham actor. Well, I knew that she couldn’t act skillfully if I suddenly told her to act as a man, but the day was about to end, so I stopped the acting lesson and went through with it.

Kotori-san’s acting is already okay, so I guess I’ll act as the opposing role.

*

“Mogamogga!”

I tried to say “Okay, cut!” but my voice was muffled by Kotori-san’s chest. In the last scene, the heroine hugged the protagonist, but my height is short and it was like her chest surrounded my face. Although I didn’t manage to say anything, it seems that my meaning was understood, so Kotori-san’s released the hug.

I thought that she was about a D, but Kotori-san is the type that looks slender in clothing.^[2]

“…How was it?”

“E, right?”

“Huh?”

“No, it’s good. I just too much into the mood! Let’s watch the recording.”

By mistake, I revealed my inner voice, so, in haste, I changed the subject and told everyone to gather in front of the TV to watch. On the TV playing the recording, it wasn’t the Kotori-san that copied others; it was the Kotori-san that acted with her own style.

When the heroine learned that the protagonist was repeatedly time leaping through mails from the future and questioned him in half-doubt, and then, at the end of the suffering, didn’t meet; that scene. Literally, changing the past.

The heroine’s doubt, conflict, suffering, and love for the protagonist were perfectly acted. Starting from tsun and ending with dere; it was an admirable tsundere.

The regrettable thing was that the partner was me, my height completely doesn’t fit, and a female high schooler hugging a female elementary schooler gives out a perverted impression.

Before this, her partner was Isumi-san, and that gave out a yuriyuri impression.

“Yep, sore wa ii.”^[3]

“So reh wah eee?”

“It’s amazingly good. I couldn’t improve that fast.”

Just a while ago, she was a complete novice, but, under no circumstances, do I think that she over did it. After checking the clock, it’s still 6 o’clock in the evening. At 3:30, I came to Iroha productions and took 30 minutes pacifying Kotori-san. So, in essence, I only taught the lesson for 2 hours.

I didn’t know that all the lessons that I did for how many years could be learned in such a short time; that’s seriously impossible.

Well, as her crude parts stand out, so I don’t think she caught up yet. Probably.

“Umm, I’m being praised…right?”

“Of course!”

When applauding while saying “Bravo, ohh, bravo!”, Momiji-san, who was stunned, also applauded with me.

“Already, there is nothing for me to teach you; this is just the beginning. Please refer to the DVDs I gave you before, and do the lessons there.”

“Ehh! Can’t we do one more scene!?”

“Okay! Kotori-san is already okay! Then, I have to go home, that’s enough for today, bye!”

“Nonono, wait. Are we never going to get lessons?” said Momiji-san.

I wonder if I can stay anywhere where there’s such a cheat bastard (Kotori). Momiji-san caught hold of my arm when I was trying to leave.

Isumi-san added, “Teach me too!”

“Sorry, I forgot. Then, let’s resume the lesson without Kotori-san.”

Isumi-san was also touched off by Kotori-san’s acting, so she asked me that with a serious face. Even the non-cheat wants me to continue the lesson.

“But, for now, there’s a 10 minute break.”

“”Ehhh~~!?””

“Breaks are important things. Because concentration breaks off, making it meaningless to have a lesson.”

Momiji-san said, “I was doing nothing, so it’s okay.”

Isumi-san said after, “I-I can go!”

Momiji-san replied, “That spirit and goodness! Then, let’s continue without a break.”

“Uh, umm, I also still want to continue the lesson…”

I ignored the cheat bastard saying something and continued the lesson, but, this time, I had Kotori-san act as the protagonist and gave a lesson to the other two.

They started by copying my samples, but, no matter how many times I retaked, they still couldn’t get to the level of Kotori-san. Nevertheless, I continued the lesson without losing heart until it was nearly 9 o’clock. At that time, Momiji-san could copy to an acceptable degree, and Isumi-san had the feeling of “let’s do our best!” until the end.

Despite the fact that tsundere-san is supposed to be tsundere, she was the number one worst at copying a tsundere.

“I’m not talented, I guess…”

“It’s not something to worry about; I was like that at the beginning too.”

“…When you first acted, how old were you?”

“Around 3, I think?”

“I’m the same as a 3-year-old child…”

I tried to console the depressed Isumi-san, for her depression was unnecessary; I was only 3 in body, but 30 on the inside.

*

“Well, that was easy to understand. As expected of the genius child actress Nana-chan.”

“Thank you very much. Thanks to Nana-chan, we’re going to manage somehow.”

“Nono, I didn’t do anything that important, really.”

Really, I didn’t do anything that important. Both of them were easy to teach, and Kotori-san was a bit too much of a cheat. I didn’t think that they’d improve so quickly.

Kotori-san has self-confidence in her acting, and has a happy face. For now, mission complete, I guess.

“Impromptu acting and the basics are also important, so please only copy to a certain extent and take lessons. And, please think about the situation about your role, know their goals and their obstacles. Please be aware of what conduct your role must use, and always look at your role in the big picture. While thinking on how you are projected on to the camera, think, think, think, and be sure to keep acting.”

“”Yes!””

The two of them responded with a good face, but Isumi-san was still despressed. There’s nothing strange about only improving a little bit after taking a lesson; what’s strange are the two people next to her. It can’t be helped with them around.

“Isumi-san, do you want to become an actress?”

“…I really wanted to be an actress, but I was told that I was more suited for an idol…”

Hmm, I don’t think that it’s a problem if an idol-san can’t act, but it seems that she really wants to become an actress. If she appears in movies and dramas now, it’ll be easier to switch into being an actress in the future, I guess. Idols can’t last forever.

“Then, from now on, how about I do lessons?”

“Eh, is that fine?”

“Umm, maybe you could teach me to dance and sing in return?”

Iroha productions specialized in idols, so their dancing and singing lessons were good. When I moved to this lesson room, I saw the idols in the other lesson room taking dancing lessons, but the contents were entirely different from our “Sun Aca.”

As we are specialized in child actors, dance that we teach is Japanese dance. I’m also doing hip-hop dance, but I didn’t put that much effort into it. Things like singing lessons, they’re all just at a chorus level.

Recently, the lessons I wanted to aren’t there, so it’ll be good to learn full-blown dancing and singing.

[1] Literally “hard face” or “difficult face”
[2] Nanami-chan, looks like you are still a male in heart! If you don’t get it, Nanami-chan’s referring to cup size.
[3] バッチグー (bacchiguu)[Sera: Slang mashing together the word ばっちり and the word “good” which was apparently used in the 90s but has fallen out of use; so basically it’s a joke about the salaryman in Nanami showing his real age, like hearing someone go “totally radical” or something. Another similar word I’ve encountered was “now-i”, made by sticking the “i” denoting many Japanese adjectives onto the English word “now” to mean something “hip”; “now-i” decidedly isn’t “now-i” any longer.]