pjbooks Chapter 113 Old Tang's Sharp Commentary on the Competition Article: Overseas Influence
Chapter 113 Old Tang's Sharp Commentary on the Competition Article: Overseas Influence
Inside Lao Tang's apartment in Jinghai City.
"Cough cough... Brothers, Old Tang is back alive."
The familiar man appeared in the center of the screen.
Just a few hours ago, Lao Tang binged the first two episodes of "Ultraman Seven: Project Origin" in one go.
Compared to the 30 minutes or less per episode of Ultraman Tiga, Seven OV is now much longer and more satisfying.
One episode is a whole hour long!
If it were a regular drama, he would have already shut down filming and rested.
But this is Gu Nan's new work.
It is the new battlefield for the man who created the Ultraman Tiga myth.
Shouldn't we start the investigation thoroughly?
The video title retains Lao Tang's style.
[Old Tang's Sharp Commentary: Gu Nan's "Ambition" Goes Beyond Humanity. In-depth Analysis of the Premiere of Ultraman Seven.]
After the video was released, the data on Bilibili's backend continued to climb rapidly, but the comments section was surprisingly consistent, with everyone waiting for the insightful opinions of this "sharp-tongued" content creator.
"This time, I'm not going to yell and scream like before. Because after watching these two episodes, what I felt wasn't 'satisfaction,' but rather a kind of... goosebump-inducing shock."
In the video, Lao Tang didn't rush to reveal any spoilers, but instead slowly pressed the pause button.
The scene freezes on the moment in the first episode, "Solar Operation," when Dan Moroboshi takes off his sunglasses for the first time, revealing his rugged, resolute, and angular face.
"Brothers, take a good look at this face."
Old Tang gently tapped his finger on the face of "Dan Moroboshi" on the screen.
"Many people's first reaction might be: This actor is really well chosen. He looks almost exactly like the old Showa-era actor, only about ten years older and has a bit of a weathered face. Or they might be amazed at where Director Gu found such a divine actor who can portray a character like this."
"But that's precisely what makes Gu Nan so terrifying."
His tone became unusually serious, devoid of his usual playfulness.
"This isn't a character actor. According to the reliable information I have, this is the real Mr. Moritsugu. Gu Nan used an almost 'showy' approach to demonstrate his industrial prowess."
The screen began to display a comparison image created by Old Tang. On the left was the elderly Koji Moritsugu in real life, and on the right was the middle-aged Dan Moroboshi in the drama, who could be described as being in his prime.
"This utilizes top-tier AI modeling and real-time overlay, combined with Hollywood-level facial capture and redrawing technology."
"It's not just simple skin smoothing and whitening; it's true 'visual restoration.' Every sway of a strand of hair, every muscle movement in a micro-expression, and even the unique clarity in the eyes that belongs to young people, are all 'reconstructed' frame by frame through massive computing power."
"Gu Nan is using technology to tell us that as long as it's for artistic effect, he can transcend the dimension of time."
In the live chat, the audience's reaction changed from joking to amazement.
[Is this really a seventy-year-old man? I can't believe it... it's too real.]
[Looks like it's at most forty.]
Is this the power of technology? There's absolutely no trace of special effects.
Director Gu really went all out this time.
Old Tang glanced at the comments and nodded slightly.
"This technological shock is only just beginning."
Screen switch.
This time, it's the scene in the second episode, "The Land of the Earthlings," where the Metron aliens grow to gigantic size and create a junkyard.
"Everyone, please pay attention to the moment the road surface cracks."
Old Tang slowed down the video by about ten times.
"See that? The rusty steel rebar sticking out from that flying concrete fragment. And the water pipes sticking out at the crack in this collapsed building, even the electrical wiring typical of old-style apartment buildings..."
"This is more than just special effects."
Old Tang took a deep breath, seemingly trying to calm himself down.
"This is high-precision industrial-grade 3D printing, and it's also detailed printing of individual parts."
"Gu Nan wasn't just building sets; he was 'building buildings.' He replicated the internal structure of every building and then destroyed it right in front of you."
"The cost and effort involved in creating just a few seconds of destruction footage is unimaginable."
"This is what is called 'craftsmanship'. In this fast-paced era, this almost obsessive pursuit of detail is truly admirable."
I initially thought it was just realistic, but I didn't realize the details were this meticulous.
If you didn't tell me, I would have really thought it was a real explosion.
[You spend money like that as soon as you get it, Hakiko, you bastard!]
"Now that we've talked about the 'form,' let's discuss the 'meaning,' which is the action scenes."
Old Tang picked up his water glass, took a sip to moisten his throat, and his expression became even more serious.
"Everyone should be able to sense that Seven's fighting style is fundamentally different from Tiga's."
The screen begins playing a montage of the first episode's Seven vs. Eleking battle.
There was no dazzling light reflecting off the waves, only the dull thud of punches landing squarely.
Seven riding on Eleking's back, with his savage, primal, and powerful chokehold, over-the-shoulder throw, and that breathtaking "roundhouse kick."
"This is 'hyper-slow-motion photography'."
Old Tang pointed it out incisively.
"Using an ultra-high frame rate camera to capture every moment of exertion, and then adjusting the frame rate in post-production. Gu Nan abandoned fancy lighting effects and instead pursued a sense of heaviness and oppression in the struggle of huge creatures."
"A full six minutes of long take of the fight."
Old Tang gave a thumbs up, and although he didn't say anything, his eyes were full of admiration.
"No nonsense, no posing, just pure, exhilarating combat! Honestly, this hardcore style gave me a mental orgasm."
At this point, Old Tang paused, his tone becoming somewhat complex, carrying a hint of deep thought.
"But... brothers."
"Although Seven has reached the pinnacle of technical skill, at its core, I sensed something deeper that Gu Nan wanted to express, a kind of 'loneliness' different from that of Tiga."
The screen went black, leaving only Old Tang's serious face.
"Tiga is a story of 'humans becoming light.' Daigo had his moments of confusion and his choices; he is very close to us."
"But Seven is different."
"Seven is 'inhuman'."
"He came from the M78 Nebula; he was a true alien. The way he looked at humans wasn't eye-to-eye, but rather... a gaze that contained compassion and responsibility."
Old Tang released the ending clip of the second episode, "The Land of the Earthlings".
That was a scene of Seven struggling in a desperate situation because the smoke from the explosion of the Metron aliens' missiles blocked out the sun, causing him to run out of energy.
However, at that very moment...
Captain Furuhashi ordered the "scattering cloud bombs" to be fired.
Humanity used its technology to dispel the dark clouds, allowing the golden sunlight to shine once again on Seven's red body.
"To be honest, this scene really touched me."
Old Tang pointed to the scene in the screen where Seven stood up again, bathed in sunlight, his voice low and deep.
"In this episode, although humanity is mocked by the Metron aliens, and although we have many unbearable circumstances, Seven never hesitates."
"Tiga might ask, 'Are humans worth protecting?' He might even reflect on it... but Seven won't."
"His love is unconditional. Even though humanity is not perfect, he still stands in front of us like a stern and profound elder."
"This kind of love is too profound."
"It even makes me feel that... Seven is living a somewhat 'hard' life."
Old Tang let out a soft sigh.
"If Tiga is about making us believe that 'we can become light,' then Seven is about telling us that 'the light has always been silently protecting us.'"
"This distinction might make some viewers feel a bit alienated. But in my opinion, that's precisely what makes Seven's show so sophisticated."
"He is a lonely watcher."
Therefore, in conclusion...
Old Tang's tone returned to its usual calm.
"While I personally find it easier to empathize with Tiga's growth, and feel that Seven's perfection is a bit distant... but!"
"Just for the impeccable technique, the hard-hitting action scenes, and Gu Nan's sentiment of bringing two seventy-year-old gentlemen back to the screen."
"I give 'Ultraman Seven: Project Origin' a 9.5 out of 10!"
"As for the 0.5 points deducted..."
Old Tang gave a wry smile and pointed to the empty frame behind him.
"Director Gu, I know you want to go global, but why do overseas versions have physical discs and limited edition USB drives, while we only have streaming media in China? As a collector, looking at those limited edition numbers, I'm really... itching to get one."
The video ended with Lao Tang's helpless sigh.
……
At the same time.
Across the ocean, in Japan, in Akihabara.
While domestic fans are still celebrating in the comments section of Bilibili, overseas tokusatsu fans are currently in a state of "madness".
Since Light Chaser Animation announced that Ultraman Seven: Project Origin would be released overseas using a "physical media + regional limited" model, the anime and manga culture concentration in Akihabara has exploded.
The queue outside the well-known chain store "Yodobashi Camera" stretched for three blocks.
"Baka! Stop pushing! The last Blu-ray is mine!"
A fat man dressed in sardines, sweating profusely, waved banknotes, trying to break through the wall of people in front of him.
"Yours? Dream on! I pitched my tent here last night!"
Ahead of him in line was a middle-aged man with a full beard, holding a sign made of cardboard that read: [Seeking Seven! Double the price!] (in Japanese)
This is Gu Nan's "open conspiracy".
in the country, in order to quickly expand the market, he chose free streaming media.
However, in overseas markets where copyright awareness is extremely high and there is a strong "collecting culture," he directly unleashed the powerful weapon of "hunger marketing."
Every Blu-ray disc and every encrypted USB drive containing 4K high-definition content comes with a unique global serial number.
Moreover, Gu Nan cunningly added an "anti-piracy mechanism" to it.
The USB drive will automatically lock if unauthorized copying or uploading of streaming media is detected.
This has led to the fact that "Seven" is now not only a TV series overseas, but also a kind of "financial product".
"Hey! Did you hear? Just now, someone on eBay sold a Seven limited edition USB drive, serial number 007, for five thousand US dollars!"
"Five thousand US dollars? Are you crazy? That's just a tokusatsu drama!"
"You know nothing! That's 'Project Origin'! I heard that Koji Moritsugu himself played Seven! And the picture quality is a million times better than Tsuburaya Productions' original! It's a work of art!"
In the crowd, several scalpers were frantically making phone calls to find more people.
"Moshi moshi? Boss! Send someone over quickly! This place is full of fat sheep! We can't possibly sell them all!"
And at the end of the line.
Several international students from the United States were holding their phones, staring at the constantly spinning cache icon on the screen with expressions of despair.
They are trying to bypass the Great Firewall to watch "raw" videos on Bilibili.
Recently, the Ultraman Seven that has been attracting attention from those around them has also successfully piqued their curiosity.
Although, when it comes to Japanese tokusatsu, these Europeans and Americans still have a better understanding of super team-themed films and TV series.
The giant heroes only came to their attention because of the recent popularity of "Ultraman Tiga".
but……
"Oh shit! Why is China's Great Firewall so thick? My VPN is down again!"
The boy named Mike was frantically grabbing his hair.
"Stop complaining, Mike."
Jack, standing next to him, also looked distressed, holding a thick Chinese-Japanese dictionary. "Even if we connect, so what? We can't understand Chinese! Bilibili's AI subtitles are a disaster. It translated 'Eleking' as 'Electric King' and 'Moroboshi Dan' as 'Star Cluster Regiment'... Who the hell can understand that?!"
"I'm not reconciled!"
Mike looked at the Japanese otaku in the distance who had bought the CD and was kissing the cover with a smug expression, and his eyes turned red with envy.
"In the past, we were the ones selling Hollywood blockbusters to them, leaving them to watch raw, unedited films and beg for resources. Why is it the other way around now?"
"Why do we have to sneak around learning Chinese, bypassing internet restrictions, and buying overpriced scalped DVDs just to watch Ultraman?"
Jack sighed, closed the dictionary, and looked at the red giant standing in the sunset on the poster with a complicated expression.
"Perhaps... this is what those Xia people call 'cultural export'."
"I have to admit, the stuff this guy makes... is fucking awesome."
Jack had just finished watching Ultraman Tiga not long ago.
The kind of emotion that comes from "light" cannot be diminished by crossing national borders, races, or cultures.
At this moment, he is also a believer in "light"!
Therefore, he had no choice but to appreciate this sequel to "Light"!
"Stop talking nonsense!"
Mike gritted his teeth, pulled a wad of yen from his pocket, and said, "Let's go! To that alley! I heard there are gangsters selling secondhand stuff there! No matter the price, I have to see that giant vs. monster battle tonight!"
The two figures disappeared into the crowded streets of Akihabara.
This scene is playing out in Chinatowns, record stores, and even dark web forums around the world.
With just two episodes of "Seven," Gu Nan not only shocked the domestic tokusatsu (special effects) industry, but also gave foreigners who were used to "cultural surplus" a harsh lesson.
What does "a dish that is hard to find" mean?
What is meant by "mysterious power from the East"?
……