Japanese Entertainment: From special effects actor to action superstar

Chapter 638 New Style of Movements, Integrating Modern Martial Arts

The people Gu Mingxuan selected all had their reasons.

As a game character, Kiryu Kazuma has been the subject of some speculation regarding his prototype.

After much discussion, the widely circulated theory is that Kazuma Kiryu was created by combining a character played by Ken Takakura with the physical appearance of Hiroshi Abe.

Ken Takakura did indeed play many roles in yakuza films, making him a very common character on screen.

As for Mitsushima Hikari, this girl isn't famous yet, and certainly won't be in the future...

However, he is indeed a representative of outstanding acting skills among Japanese actors of the 1980s. Basically, his professional skills are much better than those of Nagasawa and Aragaki.

—But he's still far less famous than those two, which is unavoidable. For actors, first impressions are very important; some people are incredibly talented but never become famous, while others have average abilities but are very popular with audiences.

For example, Yifei's acting skills are generally considered to be terrible, but thanks to her early roles such as Zhao Ling'er, she is still widely loved by audiences to this day.

Therefore, audience appeal is something that cannot be clearly explained.

A few days later, Gu Ming met Hiroshi Abe at the agency. Hiroshi Abe was not a professional actor yet; he mainly worked as a model and entertainer, and had a few acting credits.

Gu Ming pondered for a moment and realized that if he kept the same beard as Kazuma Kiryu, Hiroshi Abe's image would still have a certain appeal.

"Abe-kun, please have a seat. There are a few other main characters who will be appearing in the story later, so you can say hello to them first."

"Yes."

Hiroshi Abe sat down opposite him with a slightly reserved demeanor. It was impossible for him not to be nervous in this situation, after all, he was about to face one of the most unique actors in Japan in recent years.

Actually, she's no longer just an actress; she's moving more behind the scenes.

From behind the scenes to the forefront, and then back to behind the scenes, only now his identity has changed from stuntman to investor and producer.

The changes are truly remarkable.

A short while later, Zhen Zidan walked in.

He just returned from Hong Kong and had a cameo role in a movie.

"Brother Gu!" Zhen Zidan raised her hand in greeting.

At twenty-seven or twenty-eight, Zhen Zidan has become noticeably more composed, but her facial features still lean towards femininity and handsomeness, making her unable to carry the image of a leading man.

"Dennis, please have a seat. This is Hiroshi Abe, who will play the protagonist, Kazuma Kiryu, in this drama. Abe-kun, this is Dennis, from Hong Kong. He will play your good brother, Akira Nishikiyama."

Gu Ming spread his hands and explained the scene to the two of them: "You two are inseparable brothers. You should have seen the chivalrous films from twenty years ago, right? That's the feeling. You are brothers in the same group, fighting together to build an empire. Later, you went to jail because of him, and he will be waiting for you silently outside the prison."

Hiroshi Abe nodded.

Oh! So you're brothers! Then he understood.

Regardless of what happens off-screen, there must be enough intimate eye contact on screen.

Zhen Zidan didn't care, since they weren't close anyway.

Gu Ming suddenly spoke again.

“Dennis, you and I will work together as the martial arts choreographer for this film.”

"Gah?!"

Zhen Zidan exclaimed in surprise, "I'm a martial arts choreographer? Really?!"

Seeing Gu Ming roll up his sleeves, he immediately changed his mind: "No problem! But, can I?"

“You can do it. Action film performances are different now than they were a few years ago. Hong Kong is both a glorious moment and an end. We need to use a new approach. I'll tell you the specifics when filming starts. This way, the ending will be more perfect.”

After all, to carry on the past and usher in the future, there must be a suitable successor.

Gu Ming didn't say much. He answered the phone on the table and spoke a few words before saying, "There will be a third actress soon. This actress is very special, so you may need to take good care of her." Both Abe Hiroshi and Zhen Zidan noticed the 'her'.

In Japanese, the pronunciation of "he" for men and women is different!
The office door opened, and the two looked up at the same time, only to see Tetsuo Kinjo and Takashi Miike enter together, with eight-year-old Hikari Mitsushima by their side.

Mitsushima Hikari glanced at the group and immediately spotted Gu Ming.

She wasn't afraid, but she stood there very politely, a few steps away from Gu Ming, and bowed to each of them.

"Hello Mr. Furuya, hello Dennis, hello uncle."

Abe Hiroshi:?

He couldn't help but stroke the beard on his chin.

Okay, this was the agency's requirement, a look specifically created for Hiroshi Abe. He does look a bit older.

Celebrities have a carefully crafted image; some people intentionally create a sophisticated yet mature look.

For example, Xiubo from the Chinese entertainment industry.

Although he is gone, it must be admitted that he cultivated a very good image, and before the incident, many people had a very good impression of him.

More than those things, Hiroshi Abe and Zhen Zidan were concerned about something else.

The actor playing opposite this child is so young!
"Don't underestimate her just because she's young. This role absolutely has to be played by her. The character is called 'Haruka Sawamura,' a child who is only a few years old. In the story, she will be involved in the clues to the theft of 10 billion yen. Abe-kun, you are the one who is responsible for protecting her in the story. The story will revolve around the two of you."

Hiroshi Abe straightened his back instantly.

Whoa whoa!

My blood was pumping instantly!
He glanced at Zhen Zidan beside him.

A true brother who would die for his brother!
A fragile girl who needs protection!

He seemed to already know what kind of role he was playing.

Of course, we must do our best to put on a good performance!
Gu Ming tilted his head slightly.

Just like Kurosawa Akira's actions back then, Taniguchi Akira actually lied to people.

Akira Nishikiyama is a good brother, but he's the one who betrays you.

Sawamura Haruka is indeed very weak, but in a few years she will have Kiryu Kazuma completely ruined.

Although that kind of content won't appear in this storyline, both characters have actually been kept in the dark by Gu Ming about some key information.

If Hiroshi Abe approaches the performance with the mindset of "this is my brother," then it would be quite interesting when Akira Nishikiyama turns around and stabs him in the back in the story.

The emotional shifts from trust to the shock of betrayal, and finally to the fury of revenge—even the least skilled actor could convey some degree of anger in such a performance.

Kiryu Kazuma must be furious.

If he weren't angry, he wouldn't be Kazuma Kiryu.

"Alright, that's settled then. Now let's announce the special and unique martial arts choreography for this film."

Gu Ming clapped his hands.

"This time, we will incorporate modern fighting techniques! After all, Kiryu Kazuma is a modern person, and it's impossible for him to use all sorts of moves like an ancient swordsman. So for this film, we need to incorporate modern fighting techniques, including boxing and jiu-jitsu, to create a short and fierce fight!"

Gu Ming focused his attention on Zhen Zidan.

This style of play is precisely the kind of design that Zhen Zidan excels at.

This is also a specialty of the Donnie Yen Stunt Team.

(End of this chapter)