With his warm smile and shy demeanor, actor Hirotaka Tsukagoshi doesn't look like a villain.

But as he gets into character, lowering his voice to a demonic growl and arching his eyebrows into a cinematic expression of cruelty, you begin to see hints of the man who has raped, murdered and pillaged his way through almost 30 Chinese movies and television shows.

The 36-year-old is one of about a dozen Japanese actors who make their living in the country's entertainment industry as "Japanese devils," China's slur of choice for WWII-era invaders.