Japanese Entertainment: From special effects actor to action superstar

Chapter 635 So, let's become the dragon among men!
In fact, Gu Ming has a wish list, which records the wishes he intends to fulfill, or the wishes he intends to help others fulfill, in order to achieve that happy ending.

This book records several things, such as Hideaki Anno's strong desire to see Tokirou Dan, and Tetsuo Kinjo's survival despite being drunk.

Not long ago, Gu Ming introduced a disciple to Tetsuo Kinjo, named 'Konaka Chiaki'.

If no one interfered, Chiaki Konaka should have been given a common name: Tetsuo Kinjo of the Heisei era.

This time, he doesn't have to be anyone else; he is simply himself.

Now, Gu Ming has two last things to do.

First, like a dragon.

Second, the person in charge of the second department needs to be released from prison.

Both things are actually quite simple.

A new emperor always grants a general amnesty upon ascending the throne. The Showa era has passed, and the Heisei era is a completely new one.

Now that it's the 1990s and even the Japanese Communist Party has been completely marginalized, there's no need to continue placing certain people under house arrest.

Even doers need a conducive environment to get things done; if they ignore their environment and act blindly, the end result will most likely be the same as Che Guevara's fate.

According to information Gu Ming recently gathered, key figures in Department B are very likely to be released soon.

Therefore, Gu Ming is currently more focused on the first thing.

Yakuza is a Japanese game series with tens of millions of sales, telling a series of akuza stories with Kazuma Kiryu as the protagonist.

Of course, Kiryu Kazuma is either in jail or on his way to jail. Or he's getting into a fight and coming back to jail. He's practically living a life of imprisonment in Japan.

There is a classic poster for Yakuza.

A man is holding a baseball bat and leading a little girl. In front of him is a huge crowd of people. The caption reads: "Do you want to be a coward for the rest of your life, or a hero for just a few minutes?"
In 2005, when Yakuza first appeared, this statement was quite provocative.

The premise is that you don't watch the later parts of Yakuza.

—The little girl's name is Sawamura Haruka. In the game, after she grows up, she is respectfully called "Haruka Bitch" by the players, and her status is basically equivalent to that of Gouhou.

This very name reveals just how bizarre the subsequent plot of Yakuza has become.

"So, we can't go through that kind of ending again this time. Sawamura Haruka can have other lives, but why the hell did she have to drag Kiryu down with her!"

A cough suddenly broke the silence, interrupting Gu Ming's slightly distracted thoughts.

"Furutani-kun, are you listening?" Tetsuo Kinjo cleared his throat. "I'm sixty years old now, and I can't think as quickly as I used to."

"You're not sixty years old, are you? Are you trying to take advantage of me because I'm not well-educated?" Gu Ming clicked his tongue. "You're only in your fifties."

Gu Ming snapped out of his daze and looked at the two people in front of him.

One is old and the other is young; the old one is Tetsuo Kinjo, and the young one is Chiaki Konaka.

Chiaki Konaka has long hair; he's a true 'long-haired man.' When he wears glasses, he doesn't look like a good person at all.

This is probably some kind of magical Japanese characteristic.

People like Takeshi Kitano and Yutaka Matsushige don't seem like good people.

—Of course, Takeshi Kitano is indeed not a good person.

"The planning department has already produced a rough draft of the first version of the Yakuza script," said Tetsuo Kinjo. "If you don't mind, let Konaka-kun continue to elaborate on the rest of the story."

“I have no objection.” Gu Ming looked at Konaka Chiaki.

Chiaki Konaka quickly gave a brief overview of the script in his hand. In 1995, Kazuma Kiryu, a member of the Japanese Yakuza organization "Dojima-gumi" and known as the "Dragon of Dojima," met his good friend "Akira Nishikiyama" in a bar, where the two displayed their different personalities.

Kazuma Kiryu believes that this is no longer the era of extorting ordinary people, and that the reputation of the Yakuza as a group of "benevolent and righteous" should be restored. Akira Nishikiyama tells Kazuma Kiryu that what is needed in this era is manne, and that no one cares about the things you talk about.

Then, the story unfolds. Akira Nishikiyama shoots and kills Chief Dojima for his sister. Kazuma Kiryu asks Akira Nishikiyama to take his sister away first, while he picks up a pistol, fakes the crime scene, and voluntarily goes to jail.

Ten years have passed in the blink of an eye.

Akira Nishikiyama became the head of a group, and at the same time, 10 billion yen belonging to the Nishikiyama Group's superior, the Tojo Clan, was mysteriously stolen from a bank.

The entire story of Yakuza 1 unfolds from here.

Because it was the first game, many characters died in the story, so when the sequel was released, these characters had to have more screen time added.

Then a very strange problem will arise.

Characters who once dominated the scene were killed off in just a few words in Yakuza 1; all sorts of imposing bosses died more easily than roadside weeds.

Since there was a plan to make it into a series, then of course this problem needs to be corrected. Some people who shouldn't have died can stay alive, and some characters who should be kept should have their names changed.

Gu Ming nodded slightly after reading the script.

"Well written. This script was probably written following the previous process."

Gu Mingyi had long adopted a Hollywood-style assembly line approach, where specific people write specific plots, and then the planning department takes overall control and filters the storylines. This assembly line method allows for the rapid completion of a script, incorporating the personal characteristics of the lead screenwriter.

A script created in this way is not suitable for making art films, but it is absolutely suitable for commercial films.

Whether it's a TV series or a movie.

In the 1990s, after the bursting of the bubble economy, Japan's film industry declined. While films were generally considered more prestigious than television dramas worldwide, Japan's television drama industry was rare and held a higher status than Japanese films.

Therefore, Yakuza will naturally be adapted into a TV series, which will be broadcast on Saturday nights at 10 p.m.

Late-night dramas during this time slot are typically adult productions, filled with sex and violence.

"So..." Chiaki Konaka hesitated, "Is Furuya-senpai planning to act in it himself?"

"No, I can't act." Gu Ming waved his hand.

His prime years for playing Yakuza have passed. He might have been suitable in the 1980s, but given his current status, he can no longer play roles like Yakuza.

To put it bluntly, he can't play a Yakuza right now.

Even someone like Kazuma Kiryu, who fits the Japanese definition of a kind and benevolent Yakuza, wouldn't do.

This situation is easy to understand. For example, Tang Guoqiang could not play a warlord. This has nothing to do with loyalty or righteousness. It's just that based on the roles he has played and his acting career, the roles he plays can only be high-status, not low-status.

Zhuge Liang can have the same face as the Jade Emperor, but Zhang Zuolin cannot be played by the same actor as Zhuge Liang.

Gu Ming falls into this category.

Seeing the slightly surprised looks in the eyes of the two people in front of him, Gu Ming smiled quite easily.

“I did say I would personally oversee this production, but I can’t act in it, so I’ll do it in another way.”

Gu Ming leaned forward slightly, crossed his arms, and although he wasn't wearing glasses, he still exuded a certain oppressive aura as if he were wearing them.

"What do you think would happen if I were a director?"

The two of them gasped for breath.

This is a bit too strange!
(End of this chapter)