Japanese Entertainment: From special effects actor to action superstar

Chapter 194: Watanabe's Zen Enlightenment, Furuya Meets a Friend

Early in the morning, Gu Ming entered Watanabe Ryosuke's office and handed a document to Watanabe Ryosuke.

Watanabe Ryosuke didn't look at it, but just flipped through the envelope briefly, then raised his head to look at Gu Ming.

"So this is the toy dealer that Furuya-kun found."

"Yes, I found the toy manufacturer, and this is the cooperation condition they can offer."

Gu Ming spread his hands and said, "Their factory isn't doing well, so you can just lower the price."

It is a bit difficult for Ryosuke Watanabe to comment on this matter.

It’s not that he doesn’t trust Furuya Ming, but that he doesn’t trust the company found by others. He still wants to do this matter himself.

Gu Ming handed the box in his hand over again.

"This is a gift from them. It's some toys they produced in the past."

"Oh?"

Watanabe Ryosuke became interested and opened a box casually.

"Oh my! Astro Boy! Looks like this is a really great company."

Although Astro Boy was condemned by the Japanese animation industry at the time, it did not affect Astro Boy's becoming a classic of the generation.

When making the anime, Osamu Tezuka simplified Astro Boy to an extreme degree, completely lacking the smooth hand-drawn features of Japanese anime at the time. This also became the source of Tezuka's criticism.

Of course, facts have proved that Osamu Tezuka was right. The industrial assembly line-style animation production can achieve the effect of speed, quality and economy, while the meticulously crafted anime that many people admire cannot produce a single work in several years.

Watanabe Ryosuke was thinking about Astro Boy and happily opened the box. Then, his smile froze in an instant.

Is this Astro Boy?!

If Gu Ming hadn't told him it was Astro Boy, he would have thought it was Ikki wearing a wig!

"Gugu-kun, is this company really capable of cooperating with us? Looking at this, I really can't believe in their ability to make belts!"

In fact, Gu Ming didn't believe it either.

After seeing this Astro Boy toy that looked nothing like Astro Boy, Gu Ming once doubted whether Endai had that ability.

How can you have the nerve to say that you are selling toys when the toys are made like this!

Children will have nightmares if they see this kind of Astro Boy!

But yesterday he visited Endai's factory, where he saw production equipment, workers, and even stacked and squeezed soft-gel toys.

In the end, Gu Ming determined that even if Endai was not the Bandai he knew, it might still have a place.

The main reason is that Wangu's toys are sold in large quantities. The cost of making soft-gel toys is so high, and the selling price is also increased accordingly, which leads to product squeeze.

In the past, people said that the toys authorized by Wangu had stolen colors because of the sales volume.

Using one less coat of paint can also reduce costs a lot!

The quality of Wangu's films and Wangu-authorized toys is inversely proportional to each other.

The higher the quality of the film, the worse the toys.

But the Knight's Belt is different.

Knight belts are expensive!
So you can produce as much as you want without worrying about the cost being higher than the selling price!

Watanabe Ryosuke looked at the ugly Astro Boy in front of him, and his expression became more and more complicated.

"Perhaps it is. Then I will have someone investigate this matter."

Gu Ming bowed slightly, said no more, left the toy behind and left.

Watanabe Ryosuke wanted to stop it, but after thinking it over, he decided not to.

Look at the ugly Astro Boy toy in front of you. Although it is ugly, it actually has a unique charm after looking at it for a long time.

As the saying goes, we should not judge people by their appearance!
This is called Zen!

……

……

Let’s not talk about Watanabe Ryotoku’s Zen meditation and enlightenment.

Gu Ming was in a good mood now that his affairs were settled.

Even if Bandai may not be the Bandai he is familiar with, it doesn’t matter, industry is always good.

Gu Ming has no intention of interfering with Endai's production and operations. As long as no one interferes, Yamashina Naoji will be able to handle this kind of thing on his own.

Find authorization, act as a middleman, take commissions, send accountants to conduct financial audits regularly, and don't take care of anything else.

Gu Ming only needs to consider finding authorization, but Yamashina Naoji has to consider a lot more when thinking about how to manage the agency.

"If Kamen Rider becomes profitable, Toei's management won't cancel it, right? I can then focus on researching the killing formation designs for Journey to the West! And I can also get Endai's dividends!"

Gu Ming was secretly happy and hummed a little tune.

"I just subdued a few demons, hehe, and captured a few more monsters... Erjiaben!!! Why are you following me instead of going to perform?"

Before Gu Ming sat down, he saw Nijiamoto Tatsumi behind him, which really scared Gu Ming.

Nijiamoto Tatsumi touched his head, a little embarrassed: "Is that so, President? Actually, I brought some friends with me."

Gu Ming said, "What friend, Yakuza?"

"No, they're all decent people, absolutely good ones!" Nijiamoto Tatsumi patted his chest. "You know I've learned a lot of martial arts before, and I've made friends with a lot of martial arts enthusiasts. I've been thinking about becoming an action actor, so this time I just want to meet some people who might be able to help. They've heard about you and have admired you for a long time. If it's convenient, I can bring them over to meet you anytime."

Gu Ming looked at him.

Is there such a thing?

"It's good to meet once. Actors are needed right now!"

Compared with JAC, Extreme Agency is still far behind in foundation, mainly because there are too few people. Now, including those recruited along the way and non-staff members like Yuan Qiu and Wan Gujie, there are only about 20 people, and there are only two people who can really take on the important tasks.

Yuan Qiu was borrowed, and Gu Ming couldn't stop her if she wanted to go back.

Seeing that Gu Ming agreed, Erjia Ben Chenmi was a little happy. He agreed on a meeting time and then left.

In a blink of an eye, today's shooting was over, and the two got into the office's small van and prepared to meet at the agreed place.

Nijiamoto Tatsumi was concentrating on driving, while Gu Ming lay in the back seat with his eyes closed and asked casually, "So you haven't told me who these people are yet."

"They are all good people, members of the 'Sword Friends Association'."

Gu Ming couldn't help but let out a cry of "oh".

X Friends Association, this is a Japanese term, generally many non-governmental organizations are called X Friends Association.

For example, Yaowanzi’s father is a member of the Buddhist home practice organization, Lingyouhui.

For example, there was a game later where a macho man picked up branches, and that’s how the words “Team Friends” came about.

As the name suggests, the Sword Friends Association is a folk association formed by people who yearn for kendo and martial arts.

Considering the experience of Niemoto Tatsumi, Gu Ming was not surprised at all.

When Gu Ming asked how he joined the Sword Friends Club, Nikemoto Tatsumi smiled and said, "It's not complicated. The Sword Friends Club owed money to the Okayama Group, and I went to collect on their behalf. We had a fight, and it was like we became friends after the fight. Later, they agreed to pay the money back, and we became a little friends. Recently, they've been encouraged and are thinking about trying to qualify for the film and television industry."

As he spoke, Niemoto Tatsumi slowed down and the van gradually stopped in front of a low house.

"We're here! This is the 'Ono Sword Friends Association'!"

(End of this chapter)