Japanese Entertainment: From special effects actor to action superstar

Chapter 415 The Uninvited Guest at the Funeral

In the cramped room, dressed in a black suit, Gu Ming tightened the buttons on his inner lining, his appearance solemn and dignified.

Human life is like that of plants, from sprouting and breaking through the soil to flourishing, withering and decaying, and finally returning to the earth. This is both an end and a beginning.

"What a great opportunity, what a great opportunity!"

Kurosawa paced back and forth, finally unable to contain his excitement, and leaned close to Gu Ming, looking into Gu Ming's eyes.

"This is the best time. Right now, the two movies are neck and neck at the box office, and neither theater chain wants to offend the other. At this moment, the other side made a bad move, but we made a good one!"

Kurosawa gestured as if unfolding a scroll: "How about 'The passing of tokusatsu master Eiji Managaya, his disciple's masterpiece going on sale'?"

Gu Ming twitched the corners of his mouth, wanting to say something, but in the end he just raised his hand and gently patted Kurosawa Mitsuru's shoulder.

"There should be some bottom line in marketing, I won't use this method."

He raised his hand to look at his watch; it was time to leave.

"I'm sorry, I have many other people to see today, so I can't see you right now."

"Furutani-kun! Think about it again, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"

"I know, but it's not necessary."

After Gu Ming finished speaking, he got up and walked out of the changing room.

Kurosawa Mitsuru stared at Taniguchi's retreating figure, unable to understand or comprehend it.

It's like he can't understand why people have become the way they are now.

……

……

On the first day of the funeral, the body is placed in a suitable location, and preparations are made for a vigil.

The vigil will be held the following day with the cooperation of the funeral home.

The third day was the farewell ceremony.

In the presence of family and friends, they bid a final farewell to their deceased loved ones and were sent to the crematorium. A person weighing over 100 pounds would eventually become a small coffin.

"Furuya-kun, your father has left you a letter. If you can, read it when you get back."

Wan Guyi leaned close to Gu Ming and whispered something.

"There's another thing my father said: everyone who came to the funeral today is a useful person."

Gu Ming held the thin envelope, which seemed to contain only a single page.

As a director who has worked his way up from scratch to build this photography company, all the connections he has built since Toho will choose to give the old man face and attend the funeral service today.

Even some casual acquaintances will come to this occasion for various reasons.

"Then, I'll go over there to greet them."

Wan Guyi lowered his head and turned to walk towards the gate.

As Gu Ming watched the crowds coming and going, and the mourning tent and wreaths remaining unchanged, a sense of emotion welled up in his heart.

The dead are dead; doing things for the dead is just for the living to see.

Of the people who came to the funeral today, how many came specifically to attend the funeral, and how many came to expand their social network?

What is left for the dead is a funeral; what is left for the living is another kind of social gathering.

Funerals are not fun places; everyone remains silent, with only occasional visitors entering to offer new wreaths.

"Dantaro Inayama, Director of Special Photography Department, Toho"

"Hideki Yukawa, Head of the Performance Department at Toho"

"Dongbao..."

Many people from Dongbao came.

"Tokaido Clothing".

"Mitsubishi Heavy Industries."

Tokyo Optical Photography Studio.

"Tokyo Limited Express Subway".

People from various companies that Gu Ming knew, didn't know, had met, or had never met came to the scene, presented wreaths, and then chatted with Wan Guyi for a few words.

After a few words, she would show a surprised expression and then walk towards Gu Ming.

Gu Ming shook hands with each of them, exchanged greetings, and traded business cards. The funeral was not sudden; many people had been notified beforehand, and the guests, initially from Tokyo, gradually spread to more distant areas.

From the Hokuriku region to Hokkaido, from Kumamoto Prefecture to Sapporo.

"Kyoto Nintendo Co., Ltd....Shigeru Miyamoto?"

Gu Ming suddenly looked up at the man in front of him.

His hair was simply combed, and he wore a black suit. He was thin and had a strong otaku vibe. The suit seemed a little ill-fitting on him.

He was a very cheerful man. He seemed to want to give Gu Ming a smile, but he quickly suppressed it and replaced it with a solemn expression.

Gu Ming shook hands with Miyamoto Shigeru.

"I am sorry for your loss."

Shigeru Miyamoto lowered his eyelids and said in a low voice, "I really didn't expect that Mangaya would become Furuya-kun's property. To be honest, our president is also a loyal fan of Mangaya, but I think it's not appropriate to talk about these things now. Let's talk in detail after we see that old man off."

After finishing speaking, Shigeru Miyamoto got up and went to the other side to admire the portrait.

As Gu Ming watched him bow repeatedly, he was also lost in thought.

Nintendo and Wagon Valley may sound unrelated, but they actually have a connection.

Nintendo originally made Hanafuda playing cards, and later also produced many simple toys. Historically, after the first Ultraman series aired, President Hiroshi Yamauchi immediately contacted Eiji Mantani and requested a set of portrait licenses, and released a game.

Many people born in the 90s may remember this toy: a colorless cardstock with simple pictures drawn on the surface, and gold powder that could be applied and dyed.

Before Nintendo made game consoles, they made these kinds of cardboard toys.

"Nintendo is a very large company, and the people who came are probably related to business. If they were from one of its toy factories, they would probably be there to buy toy licenses, but it's Shigeru Miyamoto who came... What's the purpose of this?"

Shigeru Miyamoto is both a high-ranking executive at Nintendo and the famous creator of Mario, so if it is indeed Shigeru Miyamoto, then it is highly likely to be related to games.

or.

It's related to game consoles.

Gu Ming shook his head, deciding not to think about it anymore; he would know the answer when they met after the funeral.

He roused himself and prepared to greet the next guest.

A wreath was carried into the funeral site by a worker.

"Honda Ishiro".

Gu Ming suddenly looked up at the group of people who had just entered through the door.

At this moment, Wan Guyi looked at the people in front of him with a hint of helplessness.

It was Wan Gu'ao, whom I hadn't seen for a while.

Mango Takashi, Honda Ishiro, and a man dressed in flashy clothes with a patterned tie and collar, who had some Southeast Asian features, along with two bodyguards.

Gu Ming walked over quickly.

"Hey! What do you mean by that?"

"Brother, of course I will come to Dad's funeral, as will Mr. Honda Ishiro, a good friend of Dad, and this Thai businessman, Mr. Sinbot, who studied special effects technology in our Mangoku. We are here to attend the funeral, pay our respects, and send Dad off on his final journey!"

Gu Ming stopped in his tracks, thinking to himself that it was damn good.

Indeed, the immortals were numerous and numerous; all those who were supposed to come had arrived.

Honda Ishiro needs no further explanation.

Wan Gu'ao, a notorious corrupt official.

Sinpot, this name may be unfamiliar, but he does have some connection with Wangu. He learned special photography techniques in Wangu and brought them back to Thailand. Later, he went into business and could be called a 'tycoon'.

Sinbot is most famous for buying the rights to Wong Valley and then producing an amazing film.

—Hanuman the Monkey King and the Seven Ultramen.

It's the kind of work that's incredibly impressive just to hear its name.

Wan Gu'ao and Shinbo were old acquaintances. The copyright he granted to Shinbo was also very special. It was not a regular copyright license, but rather he sold the entire copyright to Shinbo in a package deal. Shinbo and Wan Gu shared the Ultraman copyright.

Therefore, Sinbot repeatedly sold the copyright at reduced prices, which had a very negative impact.

Considering Wan Guo'ao's consistent behavior, Gu Ming could easily guess that Xin Bo Te had acquired the copyright at a price Wan Guo'ao cherished most, rather than simply because the two were old acquaintances. How much money ended up in Wan Guo'ao's pocket, and how much in Wan Gu's hands, only heaven knows.

While Shinbot's work in Thailand certainly has its merits, that cannot outweigh the immense damage he caused.

(End of this chapter)