Japanese Entertainment: From special effects actor to action superstar

Chapter 647 Epilogue, with Sanada Maru

Mysterious Island, 2025.

Ah Wei was lying in bed reading comics.

As a YouTuber, Awei actually has a lot of collectibles, such as comics, videotapes, DVDs, classic movies and TV shows...

'Hana no Keiji', a manga by Tetsuo Hara.

This manga artist is known for his meticulous brushstrokes and lack of storytelling skills, but his manga is very popular in Japan and surrounding areas. This manga about 'Maeda Keiji' has made the character famous as well.

Before the release of Hana no Keiji, the character Maeda Keiji was ranked in the middle among Japanese historical games.

After the manga was released, it became one of the must-have generals in the later stages of the game.

But Ah Wei had always wanted to say it.

Why does Maeda Keiji look like a young Akira Furuya?

"I had heard before that Tetsuo Hara could only draw one face, and it turns out it's true."

Ah Wei casually put Hana no Keiji back on the bookshelf, his gaze sweeping across the shelf before finally landing on a set of comic books.

"JoJo's Bizarre Adventure"

Published by Weekly Shonen Magazine and reprinted by Kadokawa Shoten, this is not the original manga from the last century, but it is still a rare collectible.

For some reason, many people believe that the male protagonist of the first movie, Jonathan Joestar, looks very similar to a young Akira Furuya.

Although the accuracy of the reproduction was not very high because Hirohiko Araki's drawing skills were not good enough at the time, the outline was still very clear and recognizable.

"So you and Tetsuo Hara came from the same company, right?"

Ah Wei couldn't help but complain, looking at the other rows of comics.

There are many comics here.

City Hunter, Cat's Eye...

Tsukasa Hojo was another famous manga artist from Japan's golden age.

The lead actor doesn't look like Akira Furuya, but Ah Wei has seen the TV series adapted from the same work. Both works were broadcast on TBS and were very popular during TBS's heyday in the last century, with Akira Furuya as the lead actor in both.

"So you also came from the same company as Tetsuo Hara and Hirohiko Araki, right?"

Ah Wei couldn't help but want to mutter complaints to himself.

Where did they find so many cartoonists?! And they're all so talented!
I heard that Kadokawa Shoten recently reprinted a set of Hunter x Hunter manga. Yoshihiro Togashi, the manga artist who had stopped updating for several years, resumed updating the series, and the quantity and quality were both high, practically weekly updates.

It was so heartbreaking to hear that it brought tears to the eyes of everyone who listened. Even Naoko Takeuchi cried when she heard it.

someone said……

It is said that Akira Furuya discovered that his manga had not been updated again, so he led a group of people to beat him up and then threw him into Tokyo Bay. Now, the one drawing Hunter x Hunter is a creature called 'AI Yoshihiro Togashi'.

This was obviously a joke, but what Awei can confirm is that Yoshihiro Togashi resumed updating after he and Akira Furuya participated in the same interview program.

It seems that getting beaten up often helps cartoonists update their work.

"Let's talk about comics in this episode."

When Ah Wei had a sudden inspiration, he went to the computer and started typing the script for the next episode.

Analyzing the relationship between Akira Furuya and cartoonists of the last century.

Just as he wrote two words, Ah Wei received a call from Brother Jie.

"Ah Wei, long time no see! I'm back from my business trip to France. Let's go see a movie, Donnie Yen's new film, 'The Long Sword'!"

Ah Wei took a deep breath of the pineapple beer and the mini cream puff.

The sword is unsheathed!

This is a series of films led by Jennifer Tse, similar to the foreign "Expendables". It brings together various action actors from the last century to the beginning of this century. The style is also imitating action films from the last century, with straightforward violent fighting as the main focus, combined with various scene destruction and modern special effects. Jennifer Tse is the lead actress, with other second-tier actors as supporting roles, and other more famous action actors will also make cameo appearances.

"Speaking of which, I heard that a mystery actor will be making a cameo appearance in 'Long Sword 7.' Could it be Jackie Chan? Jackie Chan hasn't acted in a movie for several years..."

The last time Ah Wei saw Jackie Chan on the big screen was in "The Foreigner". Jackie Chan has not appeared on the big screen for eight years. He only occasionally mentors younger actors and participates in their films. Most of the time, he focuses on investing in and making films.

Now his reputation is incredibly good; everyone says that Jackie Chan neither makes nor acts in bad movies.

Aside from her private life being slightly... well, you know, she's practically flawless.

just.

Ah Wei touched his butt.

I don't want to watch a movie with Jay! I don't know why, but every time I meet Jay and we drink pineapple beer, my butt hurts.

Hoping he might see Jackie Chan, Ah Wei put on his coat and went out.

Upon arriving at the designated location, I didn't see Brother Jie for a while, but instead saw a tall woman with a cool short haircut.

"Huh?!" Awei exclaimed in surprise. "You, you're Brother Jie?"

"Otherwise what?" 'Brother Jie' rolled his eyes and tossed his hair.

There was not a single moment of mourning for Brother Jie.

The one who has arrived at the scene is actually her childhood sweetheart, the tomboyish Sister Jie!

"Then, then..." Ah Wei felt incredulous: "Then why does my butt hurt every time I drink pineapple beer at your house!"

"Isn't it you who always falls off the sofa when you're drunk, and you just fall on your own?"

Ah Wei slapped his forehead and let out a long sigh.

I never would have guessed that Brother Jay is actually Sister Jay!
Poor Ah Wei was completely manipulated by Sister Jie.

Ah Wei followed them into the movie theater in a daze, and he was still feeling dizzy even when the movie started.

Like the past, the movie tells a simple and down-to-earth story: an ordinary person is suddenly entrusted with an important task, so Zhen Zidan urgently gathers her old brothers, shouts "We are family", and everyone assembles to get started.

To say this film is exceptionally outstanding wouldn't be an exaggeration, but for fans of action films from the last century, it was definitely a visual feast.

"But where is the promised mystery guest?"

Ah Wei glanced at his luminous watch; an hour and a half had already passed since the show started.

As the battle raged on, the group ascended to the mastermind's high-rise building. At the top of the hundreds-of-story skyscraper, they finally encountered the character who had always been shrouded in shadow and never revealed his true face.

He turned around, revealing a rugged face. Although he was now older, he was still very recognizable, with the distinctive features of an actor from the last century, characterized by a tough and masculine appearance.

Ah Wei took a deep breath of the mini cream puff.

Furuya Akira!
"It's him! It seems he hasn't made many films since winning the Oscar in 2007!"

Nearly twenty years have passed in the blink of an eye. Apart from the '91VIDEO' cinemas that are ubiquitous in shopping malls across Asia and Saizeriya's ever-present spokesperson, I haven't seen him in a long time.

Okay, if I had to mention it, there's also emoji.

Edo's influence has extended to many industries, such as games, movies, TV series, and anime. Among them is a "movable figure movie" that is comparable to the Lego Movie and is exclusively for the Japanese market.

As is well known, Akira Furuya owns shares in Endai... although not the largest shareholder, he was one of the major shareholders in the early days.

Therefore, seeing Enyo is equivalent to seeing Akira Furuya.

Ah Wei touched the back of his head, feeling somewhat sentimental.

It felt as if all the films and television dramas I had watched over the past thirty years, from 1976 to 2006, were flashing before my eyes.

"He must be over seventy, right? He looks pretty healthy... Holy crap! It's a real fight! He didn't even use any special effects!"

Ah Wei almost jumped out of his seat.

By 2025, audiences will be much more discerning; they'll be able to easily tell whether an action scene was performed by a stunt double, a stunt double, or a real fight.

He's seventy years old, and he can still fight on screen.

So awesome.

But then again.

Actors like Zhen Zidan are actually in their fifties or sixties.

So much so that Awei couldn't help but sigh.

Action films are dying out! It seems that Zhen Zidan and his group of actors, including Zhen Zidan and Zhao Wenzhuo, represent the last glimmer of action films.

Watching the fight scene on the screen, Awei raised his hand to wipe the corner of his eye.

What else is there to say!

A group of old men, whose combined age is over a thousand, are sweating profusely on the screen and actually fighting.

How can you not give a five-star review?

……

……

Los Angeles, USA.

The roadshow for Fast & Furious 11.

Paul Walker performed "See You Again" with his fan group at the event.

During the filming of Fast & Furious 7, Vin Diesel, one of the male leads, was involved in a drunk driving accident and collided with an uninsured cement mixer truck. Ten tons of cement poured onto Vin Diesel, merging him and the sports car into one, and they were eventually sent to an industrial incinerator to have their ashes removed.

Fans are deeply saddened and still use the song "See You Again" to commemorate the late Vin Diesel.

Paul Walker's sadness was palpable in front of the camera.

"I am ashamed that we lost our loved ones that year, Vin Diesel, a respectable partner... This year, the AI-generated character 'Dom' will appear in the film, and I will continue to star in 'Fast & Furious,' honing my driving skills and facing disaster with a smile." These words caused another uproar among fans.

I never expected to see an AI-generated Vin Diesel! This is the right way to use AI!

As the song "See You Again" played, Keanu Reeves walked into a bar.

He had long hair, a beard, wore ripped jeans, and had a melancholy expression, looking very much like a homeless person.

Keanu Reeves is certainly not a homeless person.

He rose to fame in the last century with his role as Ralph, the American karate master, in the "Dragon Kid" series. In the 1990s, he made the influential "Matrix" series, which also brought Donnie Yen and her action choreography team to the United States. Donnie Yen also made a cameo appearance as Seraph, the Oracle's bodyguard in "The Matrix".

In 2025, Keanu Reeves quit smoking, failed to quit drinking, but did quit his leaf tobacco addiction.

Keanu Reeves, who hasn't developed a sex addiction, has improved his skills considerably. Although he's still not great, he's considered one of the better action actors in the US.

The John Wick series remains highly anticipated.

Keanu Reeves had just had a few drinks when a similarly melancholic man sat down next to him, his dark circles under his eyes resembling smoky makeup, and his overall appearance disheveled and downcast.

Johnny Depp recently divorced his ex-wife.

The two have always been good friends, and Keanu Reeves often goes to Depp's bar to drown his sorrows—the kind where he doesn't have to pay. Their relationship is incredibly close.

Depp greeted him with a "Hi".

Keanu Reeves responded, "Yeah."

Depp held the cold glass of wine, his eyes fixed on the ice cubes inside.

Divorce is really painful, especially since he lost 70% of his assets. Fortunately, he and his ex-wife Heard didn't have any children, otherwise he would have had to pay high child support payments regularly.

The two drank together for a while before Depp finally spoke.

"Keanu, you used to... you know... how did you quit?"

Keanu Reeves glanced sideways, his face expressionless, but he was actually very shocked.

"Why did you suddenly want to quit?"

"Because I need money! I need money more than Nicolas Cage! No film company is interested in me right now! Even Disney isn't making 'Pirates of the Caribbean' anymore!"

Depp was getting a little frantic.

70% of the assets! That's a ruthless move by his ex-wife!

In particular, he owns many businesses and needs to pay a lot of taxes every year, and his agent has been stealing his money.

Upon hearing this, Keanu Reeves was no longer sleepy. He suddenly stood up and performed a Tai Chi cloud hand gesture.

"You should practice kung fu. Learning kung fu can eliminate the distractions in your body, allowing you to achieve inner peace and become a new person. You should do what I do: meditate, inhale, breathe, relax. I've advised you to do this before."

Depp frowned: "Like those movies you made before? The one you made with that Asian guy named Dennis, 'Man of Tai Chi,' which made $5.6 million at the box office?"

"Don't say that, the kung fu is real!" Keanu Reeves said confidently. "You don't believe me because you've never seen real kung fu. Once you learn kung fu, everything will be fine. How about this, you don't need to drink, I'll take you to see a kung fu master."

Depp was somewhat tempted: "That Dennis?"

"No, he's Dennis's master, and also my master, Akira Furuya!"

……

……

Japan, Tokyo.

The new head of the broadcasting department at TBS is named Kinoshita Yoshi, and his father is the former head of the department, Kinoshita Danjiro, who wishes to remain anonymous.

It wasn't that Kinoshita Yoshi didn't want to be a department head, but since department heads also have sons, he could only be a section chief.

Who would have thought that Kinoshita Yoshi, now 52, ​​was just a 7-year-old child 45 years ago?

On his first day as section chief, Kinoshita Yoshi saw a young man standing in front of him.

He's not exactly young, thirty years old, born in the 1990s. He's both literate and martial, and very handsome. His surname is Furuya, and his given name is 'Taku'.

Although he never said who his parents were, but...

Everyone knows.

Kinoshita asked the question in a very tactful way.

"How is your father's health?"

“Great.” Taku Furuya shrugged. “He can eat, drink, run, jump, and act. He can even chase me from Tokyo to Yokohama in one go. He’s incredibly fast. But let’s not talk about him. Let’s talk about me.”

Kinoshita Yoshi couldn't help but scratch his head.

At fifty-two, he is no longer the little monkey he once was. Now, like his father, he suffers from male pattern baldness and is considered an old monkey.

“Since it’s Wan Gu’s new drama, TBS can certainly air it, but I have only one question… Did your father really agree to you acting in it?”

Furuya Taku clicked his tongue.

"Of course they agreed! They said it was decided that it would be me, and that I would star in the 'Ultraman Zero' episode, playing Ultraman Zero's human form. Even President Masahiro Ooka Shinichi said so."

Kinoshita clicked his tongue.

Really?! I don't believe it!
He immediately took out his phone and called Shinichi Ooka.

Seeing that things were not going well, Furuya Taku turned and ran, but as soon as he stepped out the door, he was grabbed by two burly men on either side and forcibly dragged away.

Tanaka walked over and bowed.

"I'm very sorry, Section Chief Kinoshita, for causing you trouble. We will take this child back and discipline him properly."

Kinoshita Yoshi finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"I knew it! Why would a TV series that hasn't even been officially approved suddenly come to me for broadcasting plans? But what was he thinking?"

Tanaka looked up, his gaze unusually complex.

"This kid plans to get you approved for the broadcasting project first, then use the broadcasting project to inform Mangoku so that Mangoku can approve the filming project. Next, he'll use the filming and broadcasting to ask Endai for investment, and finally use Endai's investment to ask Mangoku to allow him to star in the film. Kogoku-san is completely unaware of all this; he's currently on vacation in Shanghai!"

Kinoshita Yoshiki leaned back instantly.

Nest.

Heroes have always emerged from youth!

Although this young man is actually thirty years old.

The faint wails of Taku Furuya could still be heard outside the door.

"Why?! My dad is the owner of Japan's third-largest cinema chain after Toho and Toei, a major shareholder of Endai, chairman of Mangaya, an Oscar winner for Best Actor, a double award winner at the Cannes and Venice Film Festivals, chairman of the Tokyo International Film Festival, a special guest award presenter at the Shanghai International Film Festival, president of the Japan Killer Association, the only person in Japan to achieve '10 billion yen in box office revenue,' and a Musou player who has played both Lu Bu and Honda Tadakatsu. He plays Seven, so why can't I play Zero?! I want to play Zero!!!"

Kinoshita Yoshi raised an eyebrow.

Tanaka bowed deeply and said, "I'm very sorry to have troubled you."

"Wait a minute," Kinoshita Yoshi suddenly said, "Actually, I think that although this plan is fake, it's not impossible to make it real."

Seeing Tanaka stop, Kinoshita Yoshihide spread his hands.

Why can't we take pictures?
When that happens, Mangaya will film his work, the work will be broadcast on TBS, the toys will be sold by the distributor, and Furuya will play the role. Everyone will get what they want.

Why can't we take pictures!

……

……

Zhou State, Shanghai.

Although he is over seventy years old, Gu Ming is well-maintained and does not look old; he appears to be only around forty.

In a Japanese izakaya, Gu Ming looked at the man in front of him with a headache: "I told you, I won't act. I haven't acted in a long time, and there's no need for me to. This isn't about money."

This is an NHK producer who traveled from Japan to Shanghai.

The producer insisted on bowing, saying, "Furuya-kun, only you can play this role."

Gu Ming sighed, "I'm not the only actor in Japan."

"But only you can play this role. We... hope to start with the middle-aged character during the Battle of Sekigahara and continue until the Summer Siege of Osaka, filming the turbulent second half of Sanada Yukimura's life! The tentative title is 'Sanada Maru'!"

Gu Ming remained silent for a while, then suddenly raised his hand: "Waiter, bring me a string of lanterns."

In the blink of an eye, two strings of lanterns were presented to Gu Ming.

Gu Ming lowered his head, speechless for a moment.

"Is one skewer two skewers here?"

"That's right." The waiter bowed and said, "Mr. Akira Furuya, the manager said that he grew up watching your works and he is a fan of yours. In our Zhou Kingdom, we believe that good things come in pairs, so this string of lanterns is a complimentary gift."

Gu Ming sighed and turned to the NHK producer in front of him.

"It's not that I've wronged you, it's just a matter of fate. How about this? You eat both of these lanterns, and I'll go play Sanada Yukimura!"

The producer looked down at the two strings of bursting lanterns.

What else can we do?

Eat it!

For Sanada Maru!
(End of the article)

(End of this chapter)