pjbooks Chapter 79 The Political Metaphor Behind the Mirage
Chapter 79 The Political Metaphor Behind the Mirage
During the filming of "Ultraman Tiga" in this parallel world, Gu Nan's idea for this episode was to preserve the flavor of the original world as much as possible: if you're going to film it, film it in its original form.
But sometimes, "authenticity" also requires a bit of luck.
On set, the early summer sun was a bit too bright.
The actor who plays Daigo seems to be in a bad state today. His nose is red, his voice is nasal, and he is clutching a box of tissues tightly in his hand.
"Director, how about... I take a break?"
Su Zhe sniffed, looking embarrassed. "It's summer now, and there's so much poplar and willow fluff flying around, plus pollen... My allergic rhinitis has flared up, and my nose just won't stop running. I'm worried it might affect Da Gu's image as a brilliant and heroic team member."
Just as Chen Bo was about to cut this scene out as a behind-the-scenes clip and put it in the scrap archive, Gu Nan's eyes lit up, and he immediately called out, "It's okay, this is fine!"
"Huh?" The entire crew was stunned.
Gu Nan simply explained, "Our Ultraman Tiga, the GUTS team, is meant to be realistic. After all, even normal people can't be completely free of illness, right? That wouldn't be in line with reality. At worst, we'll just change the script! We'll change it so Daigo gets rhinitis!"
Actually, Gu Nan was also a little surprised.
Could Su Zhe really be a parallel universe counterpart of Nagano Hiroshi?
In episode 38 of the original Ultraman Tiga, which is in the original timeline, Hiroya Nagano, who plays Daigo, happened to contract hay fever during the filming of this episode. Director Gota Kawasaki had a brilliant idea and directly wrote this physiological reaction into the script, which in turn created a rare "cute and silly" scene of Daigo.
Gu Nan also decided to follow suit.
"This...this is so down-to-earth! Even the Heir of Light gets rhinitis?"
"Of course! Daigo is human too!"
Gu Nan chuckled, "Besides, the atmosphere in this episode is too oppressive and heavy. If we don't add some of this kind of down-to-earth humor, the audience's hearts won't be able to take it."
Indeed, this episode, "The Monster of the Mirage," is a highly significant one in the original Ultraman Tiga series. It no longer simply explores the monster, but instead cuts into the inner workings of TPC, into the human heart and politics.
The next major scene to be filmed was the confrontation between Staff Officer Tatemura and Captain Iruma.
To prepare for his role as the village advisor, Gu Nan specifically sought out a veteran actor with an air of "gloomy aristocracy".
"I want that feeling."
Gu Nan explained the scene to the veteran actor, "It's about that kind of arrogance of elite politicians. You don't need to yell or shout; you just need to look at the Victory Team with the eyes of someone looking down on ants, thinking they're a bunch of brutes who don't understand politics and only know how to be passionate. Your lines should be elegant, but every word should be like a knife."
The veteran actor gave an OK sign.
The camera is powered on.
The dimly lit staff office was filled with a sense of oppression.
Staff Officer Tachimura, parachuted in from Japan, wore a faint, mocking smile—an absolute disdain for the intelligence of the general public. Meanwhile, the anger and helplessness in Captain Kijima Megumi's eyes were particularly glaring in the dim light.
"Cut! Perfect!"
Gu Nan looked at the screen on the monitor and nodded in satisfaction.
After this episode airs, the village advisor of the small country will probably receive a lot of hate mail from viewers, but that's exactly the effect he wanted.
……
Weeks later, the official Bilibili account for Gu Nan released the latest episode.
Title: Ultraman Tiga Episode 38 - The Monster of the Mirage.
As soon as the video was released, the number of online viewers instantly exceeded 100,000.
Although, Ultraman Tiga has now started airing on some TV stations.
However, the main contributor to the number of views is still Bilibili, the same old platform.
The screen was densely covered with bullet comments.
[Front row! Finally an update!]
Even the donkeys in the production team dare not rest like this!
[That old rascal Gu tricked me into crying last episode, he better be nicer to me this time!]
The title "Mirage" sounds like a phantom monster.
The story begins on a beautiful, sunny day.
There was no direct footage of monsters destroying the city; instead, citizens witnessed a monster, but it vanished like a mirage.
"A monster? Really? Where is it? I can't see it."
As the narration and the citizens' discussions unfold, a strange sense of suspense arises.
The scene shifts to the TPC base.
Daigo was carrying a box of tissues, blowing his nose as he walked, complaining that the pollen in the summer seemed a bit too pervasive.
[Hahaha! What's wrong with Daigo?]
[Hilarious! So even Ultraman's human form can be knocked out by hay fever.]
【Mayumi! ! Hiss! ! 】
However, the relaxed atmosphere only lasted a few seconds.
In the corridor, a man in a staff officer's uniform with a cold look brushed past Daigo.
He looked at Daigo's retreating figure with disdain in his eyes.
Staff Officer Tachimura, Head of TPC Intelligence Bureau.
The moment he opened his mouth, his condescending attitude radiated from the screen: "I think the GUTS team relies too much on that mysterious Ultraman Tiga, which is simply not going to work. TPC and the GUTS team are incredibly unprofessional as a military organization."
The live chat exploded instantly.
Holy crap, who is this guy? He's so arrogant!
[Besides Director Yoshioka, another hawk has emerged?]
No, Director Ji Gang has a bad temper but a good heart; this guy looks like a cunning old fox.
"Military organization"? Isn't TPC a peace organization in this worldview? This definition is quite sharp.
As the plot unfolds, it becomes clear that the strategist, Tatemura, is not just making empty promises.
He summoned Captain Kei to that dark and oppressive office.
"I think you've heard about it, right? A monster has appeared," Staff Officer Tachimura asked casually.
Intermediary Hui nodded.
Staff Officer Tachimura sneered, "You've heard about it too. I didn't just hear about it; we're the ones who started this rumor."
This line resonated like a thunderclap in the audience's ears.
【？？？？？】
[What?! The rumor was spread by TPC themselves?]
[Entrapment?]
The plot suddenly becomes much deeper!
The lighting in this scene really highlights the characters' situations. Captain Gijō is in the light, which clearly indicates that he and Tatemura are not on the same side.
Why does the person who comes during their period have such a gloomy feeling?
In the dimly lit office.
Staff Officer Tatemura continued to promote his "elite theory".
He mentioned a previous monster battle, believing that the panic among the people led to low combat efficiency.
"The chaotic public is the main reason why the monsters are not being defeated."
Staff Officer Tachimura stood in the shadows, his voice icy, "So I plan to spread rumors to gauge public reaction and then analyze it."
Megumi Kijima immediately retorted, "Are you trying to control the masses by force? That's blatant dictatorship!"
"TPC and our Victory Team must never go down the path of authoritarianism!"
However, Staff Officer Tachimura didn't care at all. He even gave a direct order: "To make this rumor seem more believable, the Victory Team should investigate. Also, don't tell your team members about this; it's top secret."
"To deceive the enemy, you must first deceive your own people."
Viewers in front of their screens felt a chill. This wasn't the fear brought by monsters, but rather the scheming from within humanity itself, from within the system.
[What the hell? You treat the people like enemies? I knew you were up to no good!]
[This is too dark! It's way too dark!]
Is this really a tokusatsu drama? It looks more like a political thriller!
This is what's called "the arrogance of those in power"—treating the people like monkeys in the name of efficiency.
Is this person out of their mind? If they really think the public is in a state of panic, shouldn't they conduct more emergency evacuation drills?
[My heart aches for the captain. Being forced to lie to his teammates must be so agonizing.]
The following plot is filled with oppressive tension.
The entire GUTS team is mobilized, desperately investigating this non-existent "monster" without their knowledge.
Horii complained that such a search would only cause panic, and although Vice Captain Munakata had doubts, he still chose to unconditionally trust his captain.
Seeing the serious expressions on Daigo, Shinjo, and Rena's faces, and then seeing Captain Megumi's silent and pained expression in the command room, the audience was fully immersed in the story, and the comments section was filled with voices cheering for the captain.
Being a team captain is tough.
I really want to punch that village advisor!
Don't rush, as is typical, these kinds of attempts to stir up trouble will inevitably backfire in the end.
However, an ironic scene unfolded.
Just as Li Cun was feeling smug and preparing to intensify the spread of rumors, an unexpected incident occurred.
During his patrol, Daigo actually saw a monster.
"What's wrong? Is there a monster?"
Daigo believes this is not an illusion.
Captain Megumi rushed into the command room, looked at the alarm on the screen, and completely broke down.
"It must be an illusion... No, even if it is an illusion, there must be something behind it that causes this illusion..."
She tried to convince herself using the logic of establishing a village.
But reality slapped her in the face.
"This monster has started destroying the city!" Nori reported in a panic.
The monster—Faldon—has really appeared!
Holy crap! There really is a monster?!
[666, they even gave a close-up of Daigo's rearview mirror, and you still think it's fake?]
[That's not necessarily true. Maybe the monster is just a manifestation of negative energy generated by public panic.]
Is this "Murphy's Law"? What you fear most is what happens?
I think this monster might have been attracted by rumors and panic, a manifestation of negative energy? Like the rumors we see now, they start out faintly, but as they spread, they become the truth.
[How ironic! Tatemura wanted to create a hypothetical enemy, but a real enemy has arrived!]
However, the public is still too easily fooled; this time, it just turned out to be real.
The reason you think the masses are easily fooled is because you only see a portion of what's being said online; the silent majority is the true masses.
The Victory Team was dispatched immediately.
Gu Nan arranged a very exciting air combat scene here, while also interspersing that farcical plot twist.
Vice-Captain Munakata fired at the monster phantom, but the beam of light passed through the monster and set the mountain behind it ablaze.
Thus, it was confirmed.
The monster Falton possesses the ability to switch between reality and illusion.
All attacks from the Victory Swallow were ineffective.
Moreover, the intense light emitted by Falton caused temporary blindness to everyone present.
Daigo and Shinjo's planes were (unsurprisingly) shot down.
Amidst the chaos, a light shone.
Ultraman Tiga makes his debut!
[Every time Daigo crashes his Flying Swallow, Ultraman Tiga appears, so Ultraman Tiga is the Flying Swallow.]
[When Daigo's plane crashed, Tiga arrived. So who is Tiga?]
[Daigo: Even though I have hay fever, I can still transform!]
[It's Shinjo and Daigo again, those two again?]
However, even Ultraman Tiga struggled against this "Mirage Monster".
In the early stages, the composite form of Tiga successfully suppressed the unsuspecting Falton.
However, Falton soon realized that this reddish-purple giant was his enemy.
At this moment, the monster's physical form and its phantom form alternated continuously.
Tiga threw a punch that pierced through the illusion, causing him to lose his balance. He was then knocked to the ground by the monster's physical form.
Tiga switches to his aerial form, attempting to break through with speed, but in the frame-skipping shots, Tiga misses again and again, while the monster takes the opportunity to wreak havoc on the city.
This monster is disgusting!
Is this the monster created by the human heart? Unable to even capture light?
Even Tiga wouldn't dare to fire his beams carelessly; what if he missed and destroyed the city?
The background music became somber and oppressive.
The monster's deep roar echoed over the city.
Captain Megumi watched Ultraman Tiga struggling on the screen, and her guilt reached its peak.
"Because I betrayed everyone's trust in me..."
She made a surprising decision.
Megumi Kijima, who usually stayed behind to oversee things, resolutely piloted the Victory Flying Swallow to the battlefield.
"Captain? What are you going to do?" Zongfang exclaimed in surprise.
"This is too dangerous, Captain!"
In the scene, Megumi's fighter jet did not slow down at all and rushed straight towards the monster.
She wants to use her own plane to test which one is the real entity!
[I'm so moved! Captain!!]
This is the captain of the Victory Team! She's going to win back their trust!
This is an act of atonement with one's life!
[When the background music stopped, my heart almost stopped too!]
The plane roared past, piercing through the monster's phantom.
In that instant, the monster's physical form appeared on the other side.
"Tiga! That's a real one!" Megumi shouted.
Tiga seized this critical opportunity, and the Lampard Beam was launched instantly, hitting the monster's body precisely.
boom--!
With the monster's explosion, the oppressive gloom that had lasted for twenty minutes finally dissipated.
The battle is over.
But the story doesn't end there.
Two days later, in the director's office.
Megumi Kijima submitted her resignation: "I cannot approve it. Director, please, I have lost their trust."
Director Sawai stood with his hands behind his back, looking out the window, his voice gentle yet firm: "You have to trust the team you built from scratch. I believe the GUTS team won't let this incident ruin their mutual trust."
At this moment, background music begins to play.
That's Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons: Spring".
The light and bright violin music instantly dispelled all the previous political conspiracies and the darkness of human nature.
What's this background music? It sounds pretty good.
[It's actually "The Four Seasons: Spring"? The contrast is amazing!]
This is hope!
Director Sawai turned around, smiled, and stated the core message of this episode: "I received a very interesting report. The report says that in the area where Tatemura spread the false information, the rumors hardly spread. His plan has failed."
"In fact, the general public is not so easily fooled by rumors. This incident clearly illustrates this point."
"That's a good result, isn't it?"
Megumi Kijima was stunned, then smiled with relief.
Finally, when Megumi walked out of her office, she ran into Staff Officer Tachimura, who was about to be transferred from headquarters, in the corridor.
Staff Officer Tachimura remained defiant: "This time, because of the monster's coincidental appearance, my plan has..."
"Is this a coincidence?"
Megumi interrupted him, "Don't you think the monster was triggered from someone's heart? Not a specific person, but the fragility of human nature."
Staff Officer Tachimura was silent for a moment, then gave a wry smile: "If that's the case, then this war will have to go on indefinitely. This is really a headache."
This line perfectly encapsulates the helplessness of reality.
As long as there is a dark side to human nature, monsters will continue to emerge.
Kijimi returned to the command room.
The automatic door opened, revealing a chaotic scene inside, with everyone busy at work.
"Captain, you're finally back!"
"This place is like a wet market."
"I'm back."
The team members looked up, their faces beaming with bright smiles, showing no blame, only trust.
The image freezes on these smiling faces.
This episode has ended.
Long comments flooded the Bilibili comment section.
[@Wang Pangzi Who Loves Curry: This episode flowed so smoothly. The more oppressive the beginning, the more moving it became when we heard "Four Seasons: Spring" at the end. Tatemura represents arrogant power; he thinks the people are a flock of ignorant sheep that can be driven away at will. But Director Sawai tells us to trust the people; they are stronger than we imagine.]
[@Land of Light's Earth Office: Director Gu Nan's interpretation is at the atmospheric level. Monsters aren't scary; what's scary are those who use monsters to establish authoritarianism. But what's even more touching is that even under such a conspiracy, the GUTS team still maintains the brilliance of humanity.]
[@The Man Who Wants to Become Light: Actually, Tachimura wasn't entirely wrong; panic can indeed bring disaster. But if we try to eliminate panic by stripping away the truth, then we're putting the cart before the horse. Ultraman Tiga isn't just fighting monsters; he's also waking us numb souls up.]
[@TigaDreamGirl: Am I the only one who noticed that last detail? Although the village failed, his final words, "The war must continue," suggest he didn't completely admit his mistakes, or perhaps he and the captain simply had different ideologies. It's hard to imagine that even a minor villain who only appears in one episode isn't stereotypical; every character is actually quite fleshed out.]
[@Bilibili user uid_223333: The dialogue scenes in this episode were a million times better than the action scenes! Especially the moment the captain charged towards the monster, I cried so much. This is what a true female lead is like!]