[Matou Shinji's Heaven's Feel shows significant improvement compared to his previous works in all aspects.]
[While watching the fourth episode, a strange, profound, and unsettling feeling lingered with me. However, this work is fundamentally different from traditional horror films.]
Milo Johnson is a well-known North American film critic.
Unlike most critics who chase high art, this gentleman exclusively reviews horror films.
Don't underestimate the status of horror films in this world. Before Shinji's meteoric rise, the global box office leader was Disney's The Lion King, followed by Hollywood's The Sixth Sense.
In this world where blockbuster films aren't a major trend, audiences looking for thrills turn to horror films.
As such, although Milo Johnson has never been embraced by mainstream critics, his reviews are must-reads for horror enthusiasts.
Now, with the release of the fourth episode of Heaven's Feel (HF), Milo has finally published his review in the newspaper:
[At its core, HF is an emotional show with heart. It may wear the guise of a horror movie and include elements of cult cinema, but it is ultimately a story about the importance of love in one's life.]
[Matou Sakura becomes a monster who kills indiscriminately because she never experienced true love growing up.]
[Although HF still lacks depth, it marks a surprising shift for Matou Shinji. It shows that he's beginning to focus on storytelling and substance rather than solely pursuing visual spectacle.]
[That said, fans of Matou Shinji's past style need not worry; HF still boasts thrilling action sequences that won't disappoint.]
"Wow, it seems this critic has a high opinion of our dear director," said Reines as she placed the newspaper on the desk, smiling at Cloris sitting opposite her.
"Well, our Times Group spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on him. Of course, he'd have a good impression of Shinji," Cloris shrugged, revealing a truth that left Reines speechless.
"Hundreds of thousands… of dollars?" Reines blinked, seemingly unable to believe what she had just heard.
As someone still young, she couldn't reconcile the notion of film critics and money being intertwined.
"Yep, it was Shinji's suggestion back when he was studying in North America," Cloris smiled. "He said we should cultivate critics who specialize in reviewing commercial films and have influence among moviegoers."
"According to Shinji's standards, the group cultivated quite a few. Although only a handful secured their own columns, there are still some, like Milo Johnson."
At this point, Cloris set the newspaper aside.
"So, it's no surprise that Milo gave HF high marks and glowing praise."
Reines frowned deeply, her youthful idealism shaken to the core.
"I was wrong. Discussing such things with you corrupt adults was a mistake," she pouted.
Due to her involvement in Times Group's European operations, Reines had known Cloris long before she met Shinji.
Perhaps because they were both female magi, Reines and Cloris became close friends and spoke to each other freely.
"I thought it was because Mr. Matou's directing skills had improved, leading critics to give good reviews. But now you're telling me it's all thanks to dirty money," Reines said, wrinkling her delicate nose in disdain.
"That's just how it works, kiddo. You'll get used to it once you've seen enough," Cloris said, mimicking Shinji as she ruffled Reines's hair.
"I'm not a kid!" Reines protested. "If it weren't for Waver investing in Shinji's projects, I wouldn't even care!"
"Actually, there's no need to overthink it," Cloris said. "Even though that critic is on our payroll, his reviews still hold merit."
She picked the newspaper back up and flipped to the latter part of the column.
"To be honest, I'm quite surprised he praised Sakura's acting."
With that, Cloris glanced meaningfully at Arturia, who was sitting on the sofa enjoying snacks.
To minimize the frequency of fights between the two Kings of Knights, Shinji had arranged their activities far apart as much as possible.
"Even though Milo is one of ours, he's always been rigorous when it comes to evaluating actors' performances," Cloris said.
"Evaluating performances?" Arturia lifted her head, her elegant face showing a trace of displeasure.
"I can totally relate!"
With Shinji giving her plenty of opportunities to showcase her talent, Arturia had become one of the most skilled actors among the Heroic Spirits.
While her acting was limited to the Heroic Spirit community, she had steadily improved with each project.
However, critics seemed to overlook her progress, repeatedly labeling her as a poor actor. This infuriated her.
If it weren't for her magnanimous heart, she might have drawn her sword and charged into the critics' offices like her Alter counterpart.
But now, hearing that critics praised Sakura's performance in HF? That was hard to swallow.
"He did give her a few compliments," Cloris said, amused by Arturia's glare.
She indulged herself in a smile and read the column aloud again:
[HF is a fantastical story about loneliness and love, brought to life by the actors' dedicated performances.]
[Although Matou Shinji's actors still fall short of industry standards, they genuinely worked hard to break free from their previous limitations.]
[Especially the female lead, Matou Sakura. I initially feared her performance would mirror the disaster of The Godfather Part III.]
[But I was wrong. Matou Sakura perfectly embodied the character of Sakura Matou from the story.]
[She is the girl who lacks a sense of security, always anxious and fearful.]
[She is the girl whose lonely soul longs deeply for love.]
[She is the girl who, ultimately broken by her family's malice, resigns herself to despair—]
After reading, Cloris put the newspaper down and gave Arturia a teasing look.
Cloris smug expression seemed to convey the message: See, they only praised her a little.
However, before Arturia could explode in frustration, Cloris took the initiative to console her.
"Don't take it too personally," she said in a seasoned, comforting tone, drawing from her years of experience in the film industry. "Critics tend to be more forgiving toward child actors. It's their way of showing 'humanity.'"
Critics are a peculiar group. They adore seeing handsome men and beautiful women debase themselves on screen, believing that's the hallmark of great acting.
Yet, at times, these same critics are remarkably "humanitarian."
More precisely, in their quest to be moral exemplars, they often extend extra kindness to marginalized groups.
It's why industry insiders often quip: The best way to win awards is to get pregnant or die.
Besides pregnant women and deceased actors, child actors also fall under this category of "protected" groups.
This year, Sakura just happened to be at the tail end of the age range qualifying her for this leniency. By next year, she'd lose that privilege.
"Ugh," Arturia grumbled, lying on the desk in frustration. "My body's forever youthful, so why don't I get this kind of treatment?"
Cloris couldn't resist taking a jab. "You were already middle-aged when you died, weren't you? Stop pretending to be young!"
"Hey!" Arturia protested, her indignation evident.
"I've always been curious," Cloris teased with a laugh. "When you interact with Shinji, do you act your body's age or your actual age?"
"Cloris."
Arturia shot back, displeased. "I think Master had a rather apt metaphor for this kind of gossip. He said it's like toilet paper."
"What, you use it and throw it away?"
"No, it's something you shouldn't pull out unless necessary."
"..."
<+>
Of course, Shinji himself had seen the review praising Sakura, but he didn't make much of it. He simply congratulated his sister with a passing remark.
Joking aside, there was no way Shinji would suddenly change his plans just because of one critic's praise and make Sakura the lead in Prisma Illya or Fate/Apocrypha.
Not only was Sakura's star power as a lead still questionable, but the idea itself was inherently unreliable.
If Prisma Illya were recast with Illya and Sakura as dual leads, fans would probably dub it an HF remake—a second round of the Holy Grail War between two vessels of the Grail.
Especially with the suggestive undertones between Illya and Miyu later on…
Tsk tsk.
"Honestly, I think casting Sakura and Illya as rivals might not be a good idea. It could throw long-time Fate fans off," Shinji mused aloud.
"Shinji, could you focus on something more wholesome?"
Tsuburaya Kazuo adjusted his glasses, a look of exasperation evident on his face.
"This kind of story, with underage girls clinging to each other…. Is it really the kind of story that kids watch on weekend morning cartoon channels?"
"How is it not?" Shinji crossed his arms and shot back, "I'm making a series filled with positive energy about bonds and friendships between girls!"
"Bonds and friendships, huh..."
Kazuo picked up the draft outline of the Prisma Illya script with a helpless sigh.
The first scene of the first episode read:
Rin Tohsaka and Luviagelita Edelfelt fight in magical girl outfits. The more intense the fight, the better.
<+>
If you want to see more chapter of this story and don't mind paying $5 each month to read till the latest posted chapter, please go to my Patreon[1]
Current Chapter In Patreon: Chapter 238: Losing to a Film Like This is Nothing to Be Ashamed Of[2]
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[1] https://www.patreon.com/Thatsnakegirl
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