Japanese Entertainment: From special effects actor to action superstar

Chapter 101: Section Chief of Toei is not a perfect person

Judo Straight Line, originally a work produced by Toei and TBS in 1969, was distributed and broadcast by TBS.

The filming experience of this work also laid the foundation for Toei's subsequent Kamen Rider. Many action stunt actors were later directly used as suit actors in Kamen Rider, including Fujioka Hiroshi and Sasaki Tsuyoshi, who also had shots in this drama and were successively chosen to become Kamen Rider No. 1 and No. 2.
Judo Ichijo is based on the manga of the same name, and its premiere sparked a moderate judo craze. The screenwriter is Mamoru Sasaki, who has also written numerous tokusatsu films.

Shozo Uehara also wrote the episodes for this work.

Just like Toei's other hit works, once the performance is good, it will be broadcast for a long time. This work was produced for two years and was not broadcast until April 1971.

It was Gu Ming's first time to visit Toei's territory. Compared with Wan Gu's two-story building, Toei's place was much more imposing. Even though he only came to Toei's TV department, which was a subsidiary of Toei, this grandeur was still visible to the naked eye.

It can be said like this.

The houses used as warehouses by Toei are all bigger than Wangani.

"Or else, Toei is still rich."

Gu Ming was amazed. Since they had made a reservation in advance, the three of them were welcomed upstairs after they reported their identities to the security personnel.

When he first met Watanabe Ryotoku, Gu Ming didn't have any special impression of him. He was a very ordinary-looking man, in his forties, almost fifty. There was still a light in his eyes, and it was obvious that he was an energetic person.

Ryosuke Watanabe is currently the head of Toei Television Department.

——Working in Japan is like a fight that escalates, and there are levels.

From high to low they are director, deputy director, section chief, department head, and class leader.

The deputy minister is equivalent to half a step minister, and the department head is equivalent to half a step section chief.

From this point of view, Watanabe Ryosuke's status is not as high as Kagi Ie.

But Toei itself is a large company with a large business, and Watanabe Ryosuke is responsible for a wide range of businesses, and his actual responsibilities are not much different from those of a minister.

Watanabe Ryosuke would later become very powerful, serving as vice president of Toei headquarters, president of Toei Pictures, special consultant to Tokyu, and so on.

He also did something very unusual.

Among the three major Japanese special effects, only Super Sentai can make money through ratings, and the other two works are not profitable.

Everyone knows that Ultraman lost money, but the fact that Kamen Rider was able to turn losses into profits was related to Watanabe Ryotoku.

At that time, although the first generation of Kamen Rider had extremely high ratings, it was still losing money. Watanabe Ryotoku contacted a half-dead company - Bandai.

The two parties reached a cooperation, with Bandai acting as the agent for manufacturing the Kamen Rider belt.

Within the next year, more than one million belts were shipped, Bandai was revived, and the Kamen Rider project became profitable.

When Ryotoku Watanabe first took over as head of the television department, Toei's television project was a failure, and the president of Toei once planned to dismiss Watanabe.

Watanabe Ryosuke guaranteed at the time that Toei TV Course could achieve a profit of 10 billion within a year.

More than two years later, Watanabe Ryosuke achieved his goal, with annual income exceeding 30 billion.

In 1995, Watanabe Ryotoku was reported for internal corruption three times, and the allegations were proven to be true. He was eventually dismissed from Toei and only retained the position of consultant.

It can be said like this.

Although Watanabe Ryotoku had a flawed personal ethics, was nepotistic, corrupt, and abused his power for personal gain...

However, he is really capable in his job.

This was the first time that Gu Ming met Watanabe Ryotoku. Thinking about the various controversial rumors about this person later, he couldn't help but feel a little complicated.

But thinking about Watanabe Ryosuke's evaluation, Gu Ming felt a little relieved.

——At least Watanabe Ryosuke doesn’t withhold wages.

Watanabe Ryotoku naturally had no idea what Gu Ming was thinking. When they met, he laughed heartily a few times, walked around the desk, reached out to Gu Ming, and hugged him affectionately.

Gu Ming couldn't refuse, so he hugged Watanabe Ryosuke and patted each other on the back. He felt that although this man was not tall, he was quite imposing.

"As expected of an action actor, you have some strength in your hands. Furuya Akira, hahaha, Furuya-kun's name has been very famous recently." Watanabe Ryosuke smiled and looked at the two people next to Furuya Akira. Furuya Akira briefly introduced Manatsu Ryu and Niiemoto Tatsumi, saying that they were artists signed by the agency.

Watanabe Ryosuke nodded, shook hands with the two of them, and didn't ask any more questions.

"As the saying goes, 'Only a flying bird can defeat a blue cloud.' Outsiders can't see Furuya-kun's abilities, but I see them clearly. TBS is so stingy, only giving such a small amount of money."

Watanabe Ryosuke suddenly slammed the table.

"Come to Toei! Become Toei's exclusive killing array master! I will give you and your agency at least three million per month!"

Manatsu Ryuu suddenly looked up.

These bunch of losers who can't even get a role in an acting career are actually worth three million yuan together?

Nijiaben Tatsumi said nothing, but just quickly calculated the price.

Gu Ming didn't expect that Watanabe Ryosuke's first words would be to recruit him.

But he still declined.

"Thank you, Mr. Watanabe, for your interest. I'm truly flattered to receive such treatment. Unfortunately, my brothers and I have already established an action actor agency." Gu Ming declined the offer. "If Toei needs us, we will naturally do our best to accommodate the work arrangements."

It's not that Gu Ming is being arrogant. It would be quite generous to be able to earn 3 million yen every month, but Gu Ming knows very well that what is in his head is worth more than 3 million yen.

That is action design that is ahead of its time and must be controlled by oneself and one's own firm.

Even though he was relatively confident in those young Yakuza, Gu Ming still signed a contract to prevent them from leaving easily.

If possible, Gu Ming would like to put together his own team to shoot works in the future, so he certainly won't sell it for 3 million yen now.

Although he was rejected by Gu Ming, Watanabe Ryosuke didn't mind too much.

"It's a good idea to have such thoughts. Young people need such confidence. Then, the design of the killing formation for 'Judo Straight Line' will be handed over to your team. We have another judo consultant, and you will meet him later."

Gu Ming nodded and took note of this.

Of course a judo consultant is necessary. After all, it is a TV series about judo, and it won’t work if there is no judo consultant.

Consultants are professionals, they are motion designers, and their responsibilities do not conflict.

Although Watanabe Ryosuke spoke straightforwardly, he was reluctant to mention the deposit.

After some discussion, Watanabe Ryosuke suddenly changed his tone.

"I heard that Furuya-kun was in a Wangu production before, as a suit actor in that popular 'Ultraman'?"

Gu Ming nodded slightly: "I made a small contribution."

"That's no small contribution..."

Watanabe Ryosuke lowered his eyelids slightly, as if staring at the decorations on the table, but his mind was already a little wandering.

He was still thinking about the masked man K who had not yet taken shape.

The plan has not yet been finalized, and Watanabe Ryosuke is just asking casually.

Sensing the time was right, Watanabe Ryosuke spoke up, "Regarding the design of the killing formation for this work, I believe Furuya-kun already has a rough idea. Why not show it to me right here?"

Gu Ming was waiting for this moment, and immediately looked at Niemoto Tatsumi and Manatsu Ryu.

"Then let Mr. Watanabe see what we can do."

Gu Ming had already designed a set of moves and gave them to the two of them to practice.

Now that it's time to use it, there is no problem at all.

(End of this chapter)