Entertainment: You're asked to make a graduation project, but you're asked to film Ultrama

Chapter 110 Old Tang's Supplementary Article: A Slap in the Face and a Poisonous Prediction

Jinghai City, Lao Tang's live broadcast room.

The screen was filled with gift effects that were almost blinding, and the popularity value directly broke through the platform's ceiling.

Not long ago, Gu Nan personally announced the next work of Light Chaser Animation Studios at the Bilibili Top 100 UP Masters Awards Ceremony.

At the same time, Light Chaser Animation's official account went "crazy," uploading a full 49 episodes of AI-restored, high-definition remastered "Ultraman Seven TV Series (Chinese Subtitles)" to Bilibili.

According to Gu Nan's official statement: "In order to help everyone better understand the background of the Seven: Origin Project, we are releasing the old version of the complete TV series of Ultraman Seven for all viewers who believe in the light to watch for free."

This move completely stunned the entire internet.

That old scoundrel Gu, before releasing his new film, throws out a 49-episode TV series as "preview material" for you?

What kind of godlike move is this?

Of course, the viewers in the live stream were more concerned about something else at that moment.

"Cough cough..."

Old Tang cleared his throat, put down his beer, and looked at the camera with a look of grim determination.

"Um... brothers, before we talk about the new Ultraman, I, Old Tang, have something important to do first."

He took a deep breath, suddenly put his hands together, and bowed deeply to the camera.

"I'm sorry! I was wrong! I, Old Tang, was blind!"

"When I was explaining the episode 'Life Forever,' I made a prediction. I said that episode was the pinnacle of tokusatsu dramas, and that 'Ultraman Tiga' would never surpass that level. I also said that if Gu Nan could surpass it, I would eat my keyboard."

Old Tang looked up, his face full of embarrassment, but his eyes revealed undisguised excitement and admiration.

"Now, I declare that my face has been swollen by that old scoundrel Gu. It's really swollen, like a steamed bun."

"The grand finale of the 'To Those Who Shine' trilogy isn't just superior to 'Life Forever,' it's practically on a whole new level!"

"From exploring life, to exploring civilization, to exploring the relationship between man and God, and finally returning to the hymn of 'man' itself."

"I, Old Tang, have never admired anyone in my life, but Gu Nan, I truly admire him. That was a good slap in the face! It felt great! I'm willing to be slapped!"

The live stream chat exploded instantly, filled with "hahaha" and "that feels so good".

[That's right! Old Tang, your jinx has finally failed!]

Hahaha, I love seeing Old Tang's naive and unconvinced look.

Honestly, who would have thought a tokusatsu series could reach this level? I cried my eyes out in my dorm the day of the finale; the girls in the next dorm thought I'd broken up with my boyfriend.

[Waaaaah, my Miss Annu...]

[Stop the nonsense, Lao Tang, let's talk about Seven! What exactly is this new trick of Gu Laozei's?]

[Yes, yes, yes! I just glanced at those 49 episodes of the TV series, and the art style is completely different from Ultraman Tiga!]

Old Tang glanced at the comments, wiped his face, and immediately got into the zone.

"So, as for Gu Nan's new work... I won't make any predictions!"

"Otherwise, it would be embarrassing to be proven wrong again!"

Before any threats could even be made in the live chat, Lao Tang skipped over the whole thing.

"Alright! Since everyone's eager to see our new waifu... I mean, new Ultraman, let's have an all-night cultivation session tonight!"

"Didn't Gu Nan release a 49-episode TV series? Many people said it was too long to finish watching. No problem, I just used the 'Quantum Wave Speed ​​Reading Method' to go through the setting and core plot of 'Ultraman Seven' for everyone."

Old Tang clicked on screen sharing, and a red Ultraman costume photo appeared on the screen.

Although he was an old man, people in Xia Country, where Tsuburaya Productions had long since declined, were unaware of this.

Unlike Tiga's streamlined body with its purple, red, and silver colors, it also doesn't possess the obvious "divinity" and "grace" of Tiga.

The giant on the screen was entirely crimson, with thick silver armor on his chest. The iconic color timer on his head was gone, replaced by a beam of emerald green light on his forehead.

What's most eye-catching is the incredibly sharp-looking "head dart" on his head.

"Brothers, what was your first impression of Seven?"

Old Tang pointed at the screen and asked.

[It's so popular!]

[He seems more muscular than Ultraman Tiga?]

Seven doesn't have a timer!

[He's not as handsome as Ultraman Tiga, but he looks fierce and like he could fight.]

Is that head-mounted dart a weapon? It looks a bit like the knife my mom uses to cut vegetables.

Old Tang slapped his thigh: "That's it! That's the difference!"

"If Ultraman Tiga is a 'god,' a giant of light from ancient times, possessing a compassionate divinity, then Seven gives me the impression of being—a soldier!"

"A battle-hardened, decisive warrior in red!"

Old Tang pulled up a battle clip from the original work.

In the scene, Ultraman Seven is facing an alien monster, and their punches are practically landing squarely.

Once the monster loses its ability to resist.

Seven pulled the ice axe off his head and swung it down.

"Whoosh—!"

The monster's body parts were cut off.

Another cut.

Head separation.

It was decisive, efficient, and even carried a chilling ruthlessness.

The live stream went silent for a second, then the chat exploded with comments.

Holy crap! That's fierce?!

[Tiga purified you with light, this guy is physically exorcising you!]

[That dart is so cool! Telekinesis? A boomerang?]

I love this kind of hot-tempered guy! He'd rather fight than talk nonsense!

Old Tang pointed excitedly at the screen: "See that? That's the brilliance of that old scoundrel Gu! He didn't copy Ultraman Tiga's successful model; he just changed the style!"

"Tiga is 'light,' and Seven is the combination of 'power' and 'intelligence.'"

"Furthermore, I've studied the lore, and the worldview of Seven and his fellow Ultraman is quite interesting."

Old Tang opened a document. "In Seven's setting, he came from the Land of Light in the M78 Nebula. He was originally a star observer, that is, a map drawer. But when he came to Earth, he found that the humans on Earth were too troublesome. There were waves of alien invaders. He had no choice but to be forced to change his job to 'Earth bodyguard'."

"What's the most outrageous thing? He also has three helpers—capsule monsters!"

Old Tang showed pictures of Uyndam, Mikras, and Akira.

"This thing is usually kept in a capsule, and when you throw it out, it grows bigger to help fight monsters. I'm asking you, doesn't this concept resemble that… cough cough, anyway, it's just like a summoner!"

After explaining the basic settings, Lao Tang's expression suddenly turned serious.

He also changed the background music in the live stream to a slightly depressing and eerie piece of music.

"However, brothers, if you think 'Seven' is just a 'red-clad tough guy slaying monsters' action movie, then you're underestimating Gu Nan."

Old Tang's voice lowered, and his eyes revealed a complex emotion.

"While I was quickly browsing through the 49 episodes of the TV series, I came across a story. A story that still sends chills down my spine and even shatters my worldview."

"I also think it's very likely that this is the core foreshadowing story of Gu Nan's next 'Origin Project'."

The viewers in the live stream felt uneasy because of Lao Tang's tone.

Don't scare me, Lao Tang! How scary can a tokusatsu film be?

[Exactly, I even got through the Cthulhu-esque vibes of Ultraman Tiga and Gatanothor.]

Speak your mind!

Old Tang took a deep breath and slowly said, "This episode is called 'The Messenger of Nonmarte'."

"The story begins simply. A mysterious boy named Shinichi always warns the Earth Defense Force that the ocean cannot be developed, that the sea is the home of the Nummart people, and that if humans invade the sea, they will be punished."

"At first, everyone thought this kid was just being delusional, and nobody believed him. Until... a monster really did appear in the ocean, and the Earth Defense Force's submarine was destroyed."

"The Ultra Guard, you can think of them as the 'Victory Team' from Seven. They began their investigation. They discovered that a civilization called the Nonmarts did indeed exist, living underwater."

Old Tang paused, his eyes sharpening.

"Then, the most terrifying part came."

"During the investigation, Dan Moroboshi, Seven's human form, encountered the mysterious boy. The boy told Dan: 'You humans are the invaders! Earth originally belonged to the Nummarts! It was humans who invaded Earth a long, long time ago, driving the Nummarts to the bottom of the sea. Now you're even going to invade the bottom of the sea?'"

The live stream chat instantly stopped.

A few seconds later, it suddenly erupted.

[Holy crap???]

Wait, this plot... are humans the invaders?

Is this some kind of tokusatsu (special effects) film?

Good grief, that's incredibly bold! This is clearly an allusion!

[Gu Laozei, are you out of your mind? You dare to publish this kind of setting?]

What are we afraid of? It's those countries that are being ridiculed that should be afraid!

Looking at the reactions in the live chat, Old Tang gave a bitter smile: "Not only that. What's even more despairing is the ending."

"According to the usual pattern, this should be a time for human reflection, or for both sides to reconcile, right?"

But Gu Nan refused.

"In the series, the Earth Defense Force discovered the underwater city of the Nummart people. The commander immediately ordered—destroy it."

"Dan Moroboshi hesitated. As an alien, faced with this situation, whose side should he help? Logically speaking, the Nonmalts are the original inhabitants of Earth, while humans are the descendants of alien invaders. If Seven upholds justice, shouldn't he help the Nonmalts drive out the humans?"

"However, Seven made his choice in the end."

Old Tang's voice trembled slightly, as if he were recounting a cruel moment in history.

"Because he deeply loves humanity as it is now, and he deeply loves the companions he has met on Earth."

"So, he chose to continue down the wrong path."

"Seven made his move. He killed the Nummart monster. And the Ultra Guard used missiles to completely destroy the defenseless Nummart underwater city."

"That mysterious boy stood on the beach, cursing humanity in despair, and then disappeared."

"At the end of the series, the narrator said something that sent chills down my spine: 'This matter must remain a secret forever. For the sake of human peace, everything about the Nonmalt people has been erased from history.'"

After Lao Tang finished speaking, the entire live stream fell into a long, deathly silence.

This deathly silence was completely different from the emotion I felt when I talked about the ending of Ultraman Tiga.

This is a feeling of shock and confusion after one's values ​​have been challenged.

It turns out that so-called justice is not absolute.

It turns out that Ultraman, who always protects humanity, also gets his hands dirty with the blood of innocents for the sake of humanity.

I...I can't quite accept it.

This is too dark. Seven, to protect us, bore the sin of wiping out an entire race?

What kind of bizarre plot is this?

But surprisingly, I found it really exciting!

[No wonder Seven doesn't have a color timer; has his heart stopped beating because of the burden of his sins? Is this over-interpretation...?]

Old Tang slammed his hand on the table after seeing the reactions in the live chat.

"Wake up, guys! This is Gu Nan!"

"He never makes simple monster-fighting movies!"

"Ultraman Tiga is about 'human determination conquering nature,' it's about 'light.' But Seven, judging from its momentum, is about 'sin and punishment,' it's about 'the loneliness of being a stranger in a foreign land!'"

Old Tang switched the camera back to the poster for "Ultraman Seven: Project Origin".

On the poster, Seven stands alone amidst the ruins, his back view desolate, the setting sun casting a long, long shadow of him.

"Everyone, please take a look at the title of the new film that Gu Nan announced—'Project Origin'."

What is the origin?

"I'm going to make a bold prediction!"

Old Tang pushed up his glasses, his eyes gleaming with "wisdom".

"This 'origin' doesn't refer to Seven's birth, but rather—the origin of atonement!"

"Given the foundation laid by the extremely profound original series 'Nuumalte,' this 'Project Origin' will definitely revolve around this core conflict!"

What will happen when humanity learns the truth? Seven carries the guilt of wiping out the indigenous people; how will he face his own conscience?

"I even suspect that this new film will explore much deeper themes!"

Old Tang became more and more excited as he spoke, as if he could already see that masterpiece that was already a hit before it even aired.

"Didn't that old scoundrel Gu say at the awards ceremony that he invited some senior figures from Tsuburaya Productions?"

"I bet he can capture the feel of Seven's original work!"

"This is an Ultraman series for adults!"

"If Ultraman Tiga represents the ultimate fairy tale, then Seven represents the cruelty of reality!"

"Brothers, get your tissues ready. But this isn't for wiping away tears, it's for wiping away cold sweat."

"That old bastard Gu is trying to weld the concept of 'tokusatsu' directly to the floor of the art world this time!"

The live stream was buzzing with excitement once again.

Countless donations poured in like a torrential rain.

After hearing Lao Tang's analysis, I'm even more eager to watch it!

[Project Origin! Hurry up! I'd trade ten years of Old Tang's single life for a release tomorrow!]

[Even though I feel like I'm going to get hurt, I just can't resist!]

[Gu Nan, my God! Bring it up quickly!]

Looking at the screen full of anticipation, Old Tang smiled smugly.

Although I was disappointed by Ultraman Tiga before, as a veteran tokusatsu fan, what does it matter if I'm a little embarrassed to see such a work come to fruition?

After downing a mouthful of ice-cold beer, Old Tang let out a loud burp.

"Alright, that's all for today's 'Seven Preview'. I need to catch up on my sleep now. Tomorrow I'm going to stake out the entrance of Light Chaser Studios to see if I can get any footage of the so-called 'Origin Project' filming location."

"See you later, brothers!"

……

After turning off the live stream, Lao Tang slumped into his chair and let out a long sigh.

The room fell silent, save for the hum of the computer tower cooling its system.

He turned his head and looked at the red giant on the screen, his eyes somewhat dazed.

"The Nonmalts...invaders..."

Old Tang muttered to himself.

As the first people to come into contact with tokusatsu in this parallel world, and also among the most deeply addicted.

He knew better than anyone how devastating Gu Nan's premise was.

This is not just about telling a story; it's about challenging the audience's moral bottom line and questioning the essence of human nature.

"Gu Nan, Gu Nan, what's going on in your head?"

"Are you really capable of filming this kind of thing well?"

Old Tang lit a cigarette. As the smoke swirled around him, his brow furrowed slightly, but then relaxed again.

"However... since it's you, since it's you who created the Tiga miracle, Gu Nan."

"I'll believe you this time."

"We must... give this world another shock."

……