Japanese Entertainment: From special effects actor to action superstar

Chapter 298 But We Can’t Use People from Guanxi
Today is a yin-yang day.

The weather was half sunny and half cloudy, and at first glance it seemed that it would rain at any time. A layer of gloomy gray clouds pressed down overhead, making people feel depressed.

After greeting Katsu Shintaro, Gu Ming started to work again.

This is the great director Akira Kurosawa. There are tens of thousands of actors participating in the audition, and it is definitely not possible to finish them in a day or two. There are reporters waiting outside every day. Every time a role is decided, even if it is just a role for a few shots, it will be widely publicized.

Even though people nowadays don't have the concept of traffic, there is no doubt that Kurosawa Akira is a first-class traffic star.

"Well... next we need a child. This is really troublesome. Where can I find a child?"

Gu Ming scratched his head, confused.

It’s not easy to find a child, and the one who plays the role is Takeda Shingen’s grandson, Takemaru.

There were some parents who brought their children to perform, but they were either too old or not old enough to follow orders.

Gu Ming was also troubled.

"How about I give birth to one right here? I think there should be enough time!"

The assistant sighed.

How can there be such a joke!

"Okay, let's start the audition."

Gu Ming restrained his expression and concentrated on the performance.

But most of the time it was the assistant who was watching, and Gu Ming only glanced at it occasionally.

It’s not really the kids’ fault, it’s mainly because their performance skills are really average.

Gu Ming was thinking about this when he saw another child walking into the room with his parents.

As soon as the parents spoke, the assistant frowned and showed a strange expression.

Kansai accent.

"Um... I'm so sorry, I'm from Osaka. I heard it was a film by Akira Kurosawa. I've loved acting since I was little, so I thought I'd give it a try..."

The assistant didn't give any hope and just handed the script to the child to take a look at first.

Takeda Shingen was born in Kai, which belongs to "Tokaido", so with Kurosawa's strict requirements, it was impossible to find someone with a Kansai accent to play this role.

Gu Ming raised his head slightly and looked closer.

As for the Kansai dialect, it also varies from place to place.

Places like Osaka speak the authentic Kansai dialect, while places like Nara and Kyoto speak the Kansai dialect that combines ancient Japanese words, which is what Japan calls the "archaic style."

"So, I should still be considered a handsome man in the ancient style in the future?"

Gu Ming couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"Ahem, um, sorry, you guys continue."

Gu Ming held his chin and watched for a moment.

The kid has put in some effort, but his acting is just average, making him dispensable.

The main issue is the accent. If you have a Kansai accent, you can't play the role of "Takemaru" no matter what.

Gu Ming wanted to refuse, but when he saw the child with thick eyebrows, big eyes and regular features, he felt inexplicably familiar.

"Little friend." Gu Ming greeted: "What's your name?"

The child looked up at Gu Ming and didn't find him scary. He immediately responded in a crisp voice, "Koji! My name is Koji."

"Yeah, that's good. Since your family lives in Osaka, it must be difficult to travel so far for the audition, right?"

This time, it was Koji's father who answered, "Because my son loves performing, I came to Tokyo with the idea of giving it a try, no matter what. Of course, I also considered the possibility that it might not be satisfactory. In that case, taking my son around Tokyo would be a rare memory."

"Ha! You're quite open-minded."

Gu Ming laughed and circled the name.

If he didn't have an Osaka accent, he would actually still be able to play the role. If there is a more suitable role in the future, Gu Ming will turn it down.

"Okay, let's leave it like this for now... By the way, what's your name?" "Yano Ken, just call me Yano."

Gu Ming asked a few more questions before letting them go.

"The child's acting skills are quite good, and he's not stage-frightened. His age is also acceptable, at nine years old, so he can play the role of Takemaru. It's a pity that he shouldn't use a Kansai accent."

The assistant looked at Gu Ming.

You are from Kansai too!
Gu Ming flipped through it and suddenly remembered something.

"Generally speaking, children should have the same surname as their father."

assistant:……?
How could he respond?

After hesitating for a moment, the assistant whispered, "Generally speaking, yes, but there are also cases where the family has the same surname as the grandfather or mother for other reasons. The grandfather may also be a son-in-law, in which case the surname will be different. So this is only a theoretical possibility."

"You don't have to be so careful." Gu Ming repeated it.

The father's name is Yano and the child's name is Koji.

That is, Koji Yano?

Gu Ming hissed and stood up instantly.

The assistant beside him was really surprised. He didn't expect that the Nara boy suddenly stood at attention.

"Kuroya-kun, is there something wrong?"

"No, nothing. I was just thinking that kid might have some shining points that none of us could have imagined! Is there his contact information here? I'll call them later."

Gu Ming sat down again without saying anything.

Koji Yano, many people may not know this name.

However, if you talk about the roles he played, many people must know them.

Koji Yano has played various Japanese officers in Zhou Guo for many years, such as in "Railway Guerrillas" and "Little Soldier Zhang Ga", and he also served as a host in "Day Day Up" for a period of time.

It's amazing that he played a Japanese in Zhou Guo, a Zhou Guo person in Japan, and once played an old devil in the Meiji era.

Later, Koji Yano settled in Zhou State, married a woman from Chongqing, and changed his name to "Haoge".

I'm from Osaka, so my last name and first name match perfectly.

Gu Ming sighed secretly.

It’s all life!

"Unfortunately, this character cannot have a Kansai accent." Gu Ming drew a line secretly.

Let's just report this person first. If Kurosawa thinks it's not possible, then that's his best effort. We can contact the family later.

Gu Ming still has a good impression of the actor Koji Yano.

After another round of auditions, there were a few promising candidates, but Gu Ming had a preconceived notion and felt that they were not as good as Koji Yano, so he just circled them one by one and left them for later.

After finishing the work here, everyone went their separate ways. After sorting out the files, Gu Ming took them and prepared to meet Kurosawa Akira.

He can only be considered a preliminary candidate, and the final choice will be made by Kurosawa Akira and the Kurosawa team.

At this time, Kurosawa should be rehearsing in the studio.

Gu Ming looked all the way over and saw a large group of people gathered outside the studio.

Just as I got a few inches closer, I heard Kurosawa's iconic roar.

"Get out! You have no business acting in my drama!"

Gu Ming hissed and asked a nearby staff member.

"Who are you angry with again?"

"Who else could it be? Of course it's the lead actor." The staff member sighed secretly, "It's Mr. Katsu Shintaro!"

(End of this chapter)