Rick had a good life as an investment banker in New York, or so he thought. Till he saw that ad at the subway station on his way to a Christmas party hosted by someone he hardly knew. Till the moment he saw the ad, he had not realized that he hardly knew anyone at the party he was going to. Except for his girlfriend. Rick had a girlfriend because that was expected of him. He had a penthouse in Manhattan tastefully decorated to look like a room in a furniture catalog, because that was expected of someone making as much money as he did. Till the moment he saw the ad, Rick would have argued to death with anyone about how his life was perfect.
But the ad - a tourism ad for Japan with a kimono-wearing woman smiling invitingly at the viewer suddenly made more sense to him than anything in his life. He wanted to be in that image - to take the shinkansen across endless fields with Mt Fuji in the background heading to an idyllic and simple life. Heading home.
Elena was having her makeup touched up for the thirteenth time that morning. The makeup artist apologized as she worked on Elena's face.
"Honestly, I don't even know why you need any makeup. It's all my fault really. No matter what I do with makeup, it just detracts from your natural beauty Elena-san. But the art director and the photographer don't get along - so they fight over every decision and this time it happens to be your makeup. Oh gosh! I have messed up your eyeliner. I need to start over again."
Elena placed a hand on the makeup artist's hand and said, "Why don't you take a break. I am used to doing my makeup many more times than you are used to doing my makeup. I was also there when the art director and photographer both gave their ideas. I think I can incorporate both their suggestions."
The makeup artists looked unsure, "Really? Will you be ok?"
"Yes," said Elena, and the makeup artist left.
Elena finished fixing her eyes with a few well-placed strokes on both sides to even them out. She finished the rest of the makeup, a little color here, a little touch up there and she was done. She stared at the result in the mirror. Suddenly an irrational thought struck her, "Who am I really under all that makeup? Does anyone know the real me? Does anyone even want to know the Yukiko hiding inside Elena?"
When Director and Kyoko arrive at the audition center, two men and a woman are waiting nervously. They are introduced as ADs.
"Director!" says the woman who introduces herself as Nakajima Risa. "While we were waiting for you, we took the opportunity to shortlist some of the candidates. They are all waiting in that room." She points.
The two men miffed at being outdone by Nakajima step forward and one of them says, "What Nakajima-san means to say is that we looked at the candidates and from a looks perspective we tried to keep only the candidates that look like Rick."
The director doesn't say anything. He simply walks to the room pointed out and opens the door. He pauses for a long moment before saying to the people inside.
"Get out! All of you. Thank you for coming."
Out from the room come myriads of men all with varying shades of blond hair. Most of them are obviously Japanese-looking but some are not.
As the room almost empties out the director stops one man who also has blonde hair but is not Japanese-looking.
"Do you speak English?" the director asks him in English.
"Yes. As a matter of fact, I do, given that most of my life I have lived in the States," he replies.
"What is your day job?" asks director Hyuga.
"I'm an English teacher."
"Good. Stay."
The man raises an eyebrow but stays.
"You three!" Director Hyuga calls the two men and woman brusquely. They walk over to stand in front of him in a posture, not unlike students called into the headmaster's office.
"Ok. Pop quiz. What is Rick's last name?"
The two men look nonplussed but Nakajima thinks a bit and responds, "Fernandez?"
"Correct. And what ethnicity does Fernandez remind you of?"
"Umm..."
"Latin American. Now I know Rick is from the USA and when you idiots think of the USA, it is always blonde hair blue eyes. But only 5% of Americans are naturally blonde. How exactly did Rick Fernandez get blonde hair then?"
"Maybe he got it from his mom." replied one of the men just to say something.
"Do you know what is the likelihood of that?"
"Umm..."
"Maybe he dyed it?" asks the other AD.
"And why would he go all the way to dye his hair? Was he ashamed of his natural brown hair? Do you want him to be ashamed of the natural hair that his father and maybe also his mother gave him?" Director Hyuga is close to yelling now.
"Umm.."
"Now you three listen to me and listen good. We are not making a show that gives people exactly what they want. No. That is not my game. I am going to make a show that is real and that gives people what they need. Makes them think. Questions their assumptions and their prejudices. I can't do that when my own ADs can't get past their own assumptions and prejudices. Now I want you to go and find me a candidate who may have been among those you so thoughtlessly threw out, who may have read the script and did the research to realize that brown hair was what made sense. If you don't find anyone, don't bother coming back."
Director Hyuga turns his back to the ADs clearly finished with them. To Kyoko, he says, "Looks like we will have time to have our lunch then."