Chapter 424 Stupid
Japan.
Lu Yanhe had always wanted to find an opportunity to visit Japan. As a child, he watched a lot of Japanese animation, from Doraemon to Digimon, from My Neighbor Totoro to Castle in the Sky. Back then, there was a Hunan TV Golden Eagle Cartoon Channel, and through that small television set, he built a fantastical world of memories in his childhood.
Sitting on the plane, looking out the window at the island nation in the blue ocean below, he imagined a scene similar to "Castle in the Sky".
However, when the plane landed and he walked out with everyone, there were relatively few fans in front of them. If it weren't for the scene at the Korean airport before, Lu Yanhe would definitely have thought that having a dozen or so fans come to greet him was already a lot.
This is how people's expectations are raised.
Fortunately, after checking into the hotel, they went to a ramen shop that had been open for more than 80 years, and the ramen with mashed yam filled their mouths with a rich flavor.
Compared to Korean cuisine, Japanese food is more suited to Chinese tastes and is more acceptable to Chinese people.
In Japan, Zhong Benshuo stopped arranging for anyone to dine with Lu Yanhe. It was clear that he wasn't doing as well in Japan as he did in his own country.
Of course, this is also related to the different entertainment environments in different countries. Jong Bon-seok's approach of cultivating relationships and building connections might not be as effective in Japan as it is in South Korea.
On the one hand, although the status of South Korean artists is not as high as that of artists in Europe, America, and China, the top artists are still very powerful and influential. On the other hand, Japanese artists are even less powerful, and are basically controlled by television stations and agencies (which are essentially management companies). This is their overall environment.
On the other hand, Japan's film and television industry is relatively closed. While some top directors do shoot films in Europe and America, almost none of them are permanently based overseas; they remain primarily based in Japan. Streaming media like Maxine, although popular in Japan with a large user base, doesn't suffer the same fate as South Korea, where domestic film and television production has almost completely collapsed, with top talent being snapped up by streaming services. Japanese television stations and traditional film and television companies still dominate the market.
The drastically different environment brought Lu Yanhe a completely different feeling.
What Lu Yanhe saw most on the streets of Japan wasn't advertisements featuring celebrities, but rather all sorts of anime characters. It truly lives up to its reputation as a country where anime reigns supreme.
Lu Yanhe also had a fashion magazine photoshoot here, which was also paid for by Math, who bought the cover for him.
Chen Ziyan said, "Math's treatment of you is truly exceptional."
Because he didn't have Zhong Benshuo's arrangements, Lu Yanhe's itinerary in Japan was relatively relaxed. He had time to go sightseeing with Zou Dong and Wang Biao. As a result, they went to the famous Akihabara.
Upon arrival, he discovered that this place was actually a hub for electronic and digital products, not the animation hub that Lu Yanhe had imagined. He didn't know where his memory had gone wrong, making him think of this place as a kind of anime paradise.
However, at the fan meeting in Japan, Lu Yanhe saw quite a few fans dressed in Lolita fashion or cosplaying as anime characters.
In the audience, Lu Yanhe was surprised to see Yongshan Hesan, a Japanese film critic who had criticized director Wang Zhong at the media exchange meeting for "Sanshan" at the Xituer Film Festival.
Yongshanhe noticed that Lu Yanhe's gaze lingered on him for a moment, and he even took off his hat to greet him.
He was dressed like a gentleman who had stepped out of an old-fashioned castle, with a tall top hat, a crisp black tuxedo, white gloves, and a cane. It looked rather flamboyant, but in this setting with Lolita and other cosplayers, his appearance wasn't so eye-catching.
Now that Lu Yanhe was on stage, he naturally couldn't go back down to remind Chen Ziyan that he might encounter some trouble when interacting with the audience later.
After all, he didn't think that Yongshan Hesan was here because he liked him or was his fan.
Previously at the Situ Film Festival, he had cleverly thwarted Yong Shanhe San's deliberate obstruction of Director Wang Zhong. It's likely that Yong Shanhe San harbored resentment towards him from that moment on. Lu Yanhe didn't believe that Yong Shanhe San's obstruction of Director Wang Zhong was merely a matter of fact or a difference in aesthetic taste. He already knew that Yong Shanhe San and Director Wang Zhong had a personal grudge.
Sure enough, when it came to the fan interaction segment, Yongshan Hesan raised his hand very enthusiastically.
At this moment, Lu Yanhe really couldn't interrupt the host and say in a grand manner, "Don't call that man in the top hat."
He could only prepare himself mentally.
As expected, Yongshanhe San was spotted by the host and stood up.
"Yan Hejun, it's been a long time. We meet again. I wonder if you still remember me?" He greeted Lu Yanhe politely.
His demeanor surprised everyone present; they seemed not to have expected that he would know Lu Yanhe.
Everyone was also curious about his identity and who he was.
Seeing his expression, Lu Yanhe smiled and said, "Hello, Mr. Yongshanhe, it's been a long time."
Lu Yanhe's response caused a murmur of surprise from the audience.
It turns out that Lu Yanhe really did know this person.
Yong Shanhe himself hadn't expected that Lu Yanhe would actually still remember him.
"Yanhe-kun has a really good memory." Yongshan Hesan smiled slightly. "It's great to see you in Japan. In the past few years, I've only seen you at overseas film festivals. If I'm not mistaken, this should be your first time in Japan? I wonder what your impressions of Japan are?"
Lu Yanhe didn't know why Yongshanhe San was asking such a question.
He answered truthfully: "I watched a lot of Japanese animation when I was a child, and in fact, I still watch it now. As a pure viewer, I can see the creators' concern for peace, freedom, family, friendship and love through their works. It is because of these works that I am really looking forward to coming here and meeting everyone."
Yongshanhe San said: "You are a very outstanding young actor, and you are receiving a lot of attention, but as a film media worker and a film critic, please allow me to say that I am very disappointed with your behavior of making so many TV series. Why make works like 'Friends' and 'The Seventeenth Floor' that have no artistic value? They were very popular, but they are destined not to be able to transcend time and give people an inner shock like a work of art, are they? Did you make these works in pursuit of fame?"
The loudest uproar since the start of the fan meeting erupted at the scene.
On the other side of the platform, after hearing the translator's words, Wang Biao frowned and said angrily, "How can this person have such prejudice?!"
Chen Ziyan placed one hand on Wang Biao's shoulder and said, "Trust Yan He. This kind of thing is a piece of cake for him. He will handle it well."
Wang Biao: "I know that Brother Lu will be able to respond well, but this kind of person is just deliberately looking for trouble. Sister Ziyan, we can't just back down like this. Otherwise, others will follow suit and deliberately ask Brother Lu some explosive questions in a blatant manner. How annoying would that be for Brother Lu?"
Chen Ziyan: "Now that this has happened here, it won't be forgotten. Yongshan Hesan will inevitably receive the criticism he deserves. Of course, he himself may not care. He's already a person with a bad reputation."
-
Lu Yanhe's lips tightened, the smile in his eyes disappeared, and his gaze met Yong Shanhe's in mid-air.
Seeing this, the host tried to smooth things over by omitting the question so that Lu Yanhe wouldn't have to answer.
However, Yongshan Hesan immediately followed up with another question: "Is this question difficult to answer?"
Lu Yanhe smiled.
He nodded to the host, indicating that he could answer.
The host then hurriedly put down the microphone.
Lu Yanhe: "Mr. Yongshanhe is still as arrogant and prejudiced as ever."
He spoke with a teasing, joking tone and a smile.
Moreover, he used English.
Because most of the people watching the live stream were foreigners.
Lu Yanhe's words did not cause any change in Yong Shanhe's expression.
His skin was as thick as a city wall.
Lu Yanhe said, "It's really a pity. While some creators are using their works and attitudes to win reputation and goodwill for their country, others are sparing no effort to make people regretfully think about why such people exist in this country. Mr. Nagayama Kawaizo must have forgotten that he asked me what my impression of Japan was before. Oh, no, no wonder Mr. Nagayama Kawaizo asked me what my impression of Japan was before asking me such a prejudiced and deliberately provocative question."
He shrugged, adopting an indifferent attitude.
"Of course, I believe many people have already answered this question. The concepts of film, television series, art, and commodities don't need my explanation." Lu Yanhe looked at the others in the audience. "But today I stand here, in Japan, not because of film, but precisely because of the two series, *Friends* and *The Seventeenth Floor*, which aired on Maxine, making me known to many Japanese viewers. Without these two series, perhaps Mr. Nagayama Kazuzo wouldn't have had the opportunity to ask me this question in person. So, why do we make works that aren't so artistic?"
"First of all, who gets to judge whether something is artistic or not? Mr. Yongshanhe San, is that you?" After asking the question, Lu Yanhe made a gesture, indicating that Yongshanhe San did not need to answer. "You don't need to answer. Everyone except you has a standard answer to this question."
Lu Yanhe's seemingly polite yet forceful interruption gesture finally made Yong Shanhe's expression turn somewhat unpleasant.
Lu Yanhe continued, "Secondly, art is art, but isn't life also life? Film and television can be a refinement of art, but who says it can't be an extension of life? I made 'Friends' because I know that in this world, many people cannot have such an ordinary yet rare period of friendship in real life. I made 'The Seventeenth Floor' because my story, through putting a group of people in an extreme and dangerous environment that many people in real life would never encounter, allows everyone to feel the emotion and shock of fighting with all their might to survive."
“For me, I want to act in any type of play as long as it moves me. I don’t think ‘Late Spring’ is superior to ‘Friends’, nor do I think ‘The Seventeen Floors’ is any worse than ‘Three Mountains’,” Lu Yanhe said. “Different plays have different evaluation criteria. If you can’t establish such an aesthetic view, you will be very limited as an actor and it will be easy to have no roles to play.”
Lu Yanhe looked at Yongshanhe San.
"Of course, Mr. Yongshanhe can continue to view me with prejudice, but I will remain unmoved and follow my own path as an actor," Lu Yanhe said. "Thank you to everyone present for giving me the confidence to walk the path I want to walk."
-
“Look.”
Chen Ziyan said to Wang Biao, "I told you, Yan He can handle these kinds of situations better than many public relations companies that prepare for them."
"Brother Lu's skills are far superior to those of people in public relations companies."
“People should read more books.” Chen Ziyan glanced at Wang Biao. “You are young now, full of ideas and drive, but as you rise to higher levels, you will find that you regret not having read enough when you need to use your knowledge.”
Wang Biao's smile turned bitter.
"Sister Ziyan, but I really can't concentrate on my studies, what should I do?"
"If you want to go further and climb higher in the future, you have to force yourself to keep reading. It's not that you have to sit in a classroom and attend those classes, but you can't let your cognitive level and knowledge system stay at the same level forever. Learning is endless." Chen Ziyan emphasized, "Wang Biao, you are very smart, and you are also very lucky to be able to follow Yan He. Your future development can be said to be limitless, so seize the opportunity and strive for every learning opportunity."
Wang Biao had been working alongside Lu Yanhe for some time.
He already knew clearly that Chen Ziyan was actually a person who, despite her seemingly serious demeanor, had a very upright heart and was a very decent person. He knew that Chen Ziyan was telling him this for his own good.
Wang Biao nodded, "Okay, I understand, Sister Ziyan, I will."
-
The fan meetings in South Korea and Japan have successfully concluded.
Nagayama Kazuzo's question and Riku Yankawa's answer have sparked considerable discussion in both China and Japan.
There's no need to elaborate on the public opinion surrounding this in China.
Even several Japanese media outlets have spoken out, saying that Nagayama Kazuzo, a well-known film critic who frequently represents Japanese media at international film festivals, brought shame to Japan by asking such a question when Riku Yanhe came to Japan for a fan meeting.
But Yongshan Hesan seemed to go his own way, completely ignoring these criticisms, and updated his opinion on another movie the next day.
He doesn't even care about the opinions of his own country's media, let alone the Chinese media. Even though he's been relentlessly attacked online in China, he doesn't take it to heart at all—in fact, he doesn't even know most of the content.
-
Upon returning to China, Lu Yanhe was immediately approached by a reporter at the airport: "Yanhe, you've held fan meetings in South Korea and Japan. Would you consider holding one in China?"
Lu Yanhe said, "Actually, it wasn't a fan meeting. It was organized by Maxine. It was mainly a kind of after-sales service after the popularity of the dramas 'Friends' and 'The Seventeenth Floor.' I can usually see them quite easily in China, but it's rare in Korea and Japan, so we specially organized this fan meeting. Is it still necessary in China?"
The reporter immediately nodded and said, "Of course it's necessary! Don't you know how many fans want to meet you?"
Lu Yanhe smiled and waved his hand, saying, "There will be plenty of opportunities in the future. You've been out for a while and are a bit tired, so you should go back and rest too."
Reporters asked, "What would you like to say about Yongshanhe No. 3?"
"I have nothing to say." Lu Yanhe thought for a moment, then smiled. "The Japanese have a term called 'ichi-go ichi-e,' but I can't have a 'ichi-go ichi-e' with him anyway."
The reporters burst into laughter, which attracted the attention of those around them.
Lu Yanhe: "I'm leaving now."
He waved to everyone.
One reporter said, "Yan He, you'd better work hard and show these prejudiced people how outdated their ideas are!"
Lu Yanhe smiled at him but didn't say anything.
-
However, no one expected that Yongshanhe San would not settle down.
Two days later, Yongshan Hesan suddenly joined forces with several other film critics—film critics from different countries—in the film magazine "Behind the Screen," which he contributed to, to select the world's top ten most promising new film stars.
Among them, ten rising stars were selected from ten different countries, and the one from China was an actor named Huai Qian.
Every year, various lists and rankings are released. However, the fact that Yongshanhe San suddenly joined forces with other film critics to create such a list at this time, coupled with his previous conflict with Lu Yanhe, inevitably makes people feel that he is targeting Lu Yanhe.
Yongshan Hesan, along with several other film critics, does indeed have some reputation in the film criticism world. After all, they appear at international film festivals every year, are invited to attend preview screenings or premieres of major films, and write the first wave of film reviews, becoming a reference for audiences when choosing films.
In addition, he has always been a very controversial film critic, often gaining attention and discussion with his sharp reviews.
Therefore, even if many film media outlets do not necessarily agree with this list, they will still report on it.
The actor, Huaiqian, immediately posted a series of "?" on his social media.
Yongshan Hesan and other film critics wrote a reason for each nominee's selection. For Huaiqian, the reason was:
Since his debut, he has always persisted in the film industry. In three years, he has acted in five films, two of which were nominated for the four major international film festivals. Although the films are not well-known or influential, his acting skills in the films have shown extraordinary potential. His persistence in making films in this era of streaming media explosion deserves such encouragement and recognition.
Five minutes later, Huaiqian sent another message: "Can anyone help me pass on a message to him? I don't want this kind of recognition. Am I being used as a pawn? Right? Right?"
His comment section:
—Isn't this just as unpleasant as suddenly stepping in dog poop while walking?
—Damn it, you're such a good actor, and you've been picked out by a complete idiot and used as cannon fodder. I feel so sorry for you.
...
(End of this chapter)
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