Chinese fans mourn Takakura's death

What they say

Sina Weibo user Mom of student Han: I just read the news on Takakura's death and am deeply saddened. He was my idol and was there throughout my adolescence. I don't know how many times I watched his film Manhunt. I still remember some of the lines.

Sina Weibo user Orangeliji: Times may have taken Takakura's age and health away, but could not take away a master's magnanimity.

Sina Weibo user Jiayanshanxing7795: The hard-boiled tough guy image of Ken Takakura will forever be in the memories of a generation. R.I.P.

"I was deeply shocked and distressed to learn of the passing away of my friend Ken Takakura. We knew each other for more than 10 years. His voice and appearance still vividly emerge in front of my eyes. Although it is hard to accept such news, my friend has indeed gone. To mourn for the loss of my beloved friend, I wish him joy and happiness in paradise," said Zhang Yimou, China's famous film director.

"Mr Ken Takakura's film Zhuibu in Chinese (Manhunt) created quite a stir in China at the time and soon made him an idol for a generation of people. Later, his tough guy image portrayed in the film The Yellow Handkerchief of Happiness and A Distant Cry from Spring also left an unforgettable impression on Chinese audiences," said Liuxiaolingtong, a Chinese actor, "I wish him all the best!"

"Mr Ken Takakura was especially admired by the group of Chinese women in the 1970s and 1980s. He was cool for them," said Dong Lu, a Chinese television presenter.

"Takakura's tough-guy persona, always brooding and speaking little dialogue, became an antithesis to the schmaltzy tradition then prevalent in Chinese cinema. It subverted the all-smiling Twinkie archetype and injected a big dose of masculinity into the creation of movie heroes. At its heyday, when Chinese exposure to world cinema was quite limited, Takakura's influence was such that it even molded the female perception of the ideal man. Several Chinese leading men, including TangGuoqiang, fell out of public favor partly because they were seen as the opposite of Takakura-style cool," said Raymond Zhou, a Chinese film critic.

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