sinovels Chapter 13 Ultraman is Violence? Counterattack!
Chapter 13 Ultraman is Violence? Counterattack!
The old machinery factory in the western suburbs of Jinghai City.
With the arrival of the signing bonus from Bilibili, the 100,000 yuan reward from "Successor of Light 001", and the injection of funds from other users' donations, the entire production team seemed to have been given a shot in the arm.
The filming of the fourth episode, "Goodbye, Earth," is progressing at an astonishing pace.
Moreover, with the support of the signing party's full-platform promotion, the popularity of "Ultraman Tiga" has begun to spread beyond Bilibili and reach a wider range of short video platforms.
On platforms such as Douyin and Kuaishou, a large number of derivative videos have begun to appear.
[Transformation Challenge! The moment you pull out your Spark Lens...]
[Explosive! This is the romance of men! Ultraman Tiga battle montage!]
[Tearful! Monsters have feelings too? A look back at those heartbreaking moments.]
In particular, Su Zhe (Daigo)'s incredibly handsome face, coupled with the timing of his transformation in the Chinese version of "Take Me Higher" adapted by Light Chaser Studio, directly won over a large number of "face fans".
Even female college students who are not the target audience for tokusatsu (special effects) videos will find themselves stopping to watch them a few more times when they come across this video.
……
[Inside the recording studio]
At this moment, Gu Nan was working with a few people in a professional recording studio in Jinghai City, "dawdling" at the time.
With more funding, the team has become increasingly professional. Their old, rudimentary recording methods have been phased out, and they have now partnered with professional recording studios.
"Stop, stop, stop!"
Gu Nan took off his headphones and gestured to the orchestra conductor on the other side of the glass to pause the performance.
"Teacher Li, the French horn is coming in too fast."
Gu Nan pointed to a measure on the sheet music, "This is the 'Love Theme from Tiga.' This section is meant for the scene where Dr. Jiang Qi's soul flies into space. The emotion should be 'reluctance,' 'gentleness,' not 'charge.'"
On the other side of the glass, a gray-haired music professor nodded: "I understand. It needs that... plaintive, tearful feeling?"
"Yes, we want the audience to want to cry when they hear this music."
In this parallel world, although the visuals are there, the original's god-tier background music is missing.
Gu Nan knew that the soul of a tokusatsu drama lay half in the costume and half in the music.
For example, the original theme song of Ultraman Tiga can also become a classic through its variations.
In this world, it was Gu Nan who started adapting it into a Chinese version.
Right now, this song is playing in his headphones:
The dawn quietly carried the morning glow.
It brushed across the mottled cheeks of the earth♪
Dawn melts at the end of the sky ♫
Time and space interweave past and future♪
The fleeting moments of repeated lingering in the cycle of reincarnation♫
Everyone is struggling with countless scars♪
Bravely facing the howling sandstorm ♫
There was not a trace of fear in his eyes.
If I could protect your smile ♫
They wouldn't care about the cost♪
Wanna take you baby take me higher♫
Hold on tight to love and never let go♪
Gonna TIGA take me take me higher♫
Courage makes each other stronger♪
Wanna take you baby take me higher♪
The radiant light will surely reach you♪
Gonna TIGA take me take me higher♪
Did you hear that passionate answer? ♫
Not just the theme song.
In his previous life, the soundtracks composed by the great Tatsumi Yano were so powerful that they could elevate tokusatsu dramas to an epic level.
Whether it's the rousing "The Resurrected Giant," the slightly melancholic "Call from Afar," or the tender "Love Theme," they are all classics among classics.
To recreate these musical pieces, Gu Nan spent a lot of money to hire a chamber orchestra from the music academy to record them live.
Reject synthesizers, reject electronic sounds.
As long as it's a real musical instrument.
"Brother Nan, this money was well spent."
Lin Xuan sat to the side, listening to the re-recorded demo, his eyes a little red.
"When that cello music played just now, I got goosebumps. With this background music, even a simple scene of eating feels like we're having the Last Supper."
"This is the feel of industrial design."
Gu Nan took a sip of water, his eyes resolute. "Our competitor, the Celestial Venerable of the Immortals, is still using those cheap MIDI sound sources from twenty years ago. Those electronic keyboards may be cheap, but they lack quality. We'll use symphonic music to completely overwhelm their aesthetic sensibilities."
The discussion about the music has come to an end.
Just then, Chen Bo suddenly pushed open the door and rushed in.
"Brother Nan! Something's happened!"
Chen Bo's face was grim, and he gripped his phone tightly in his hand. "Look at the trending topics on Weibo."
Gu Nan frowned slightly and took the phone.
The eighteenth trending topic was a glaringly obvious one:
#College student-produced drama suspected of promoting violence#
Clicking through, you'll find a long article posted by "Baomashuo," a parenting influencer with five million followers:
I watched the recently popular "Ultraman Tiga." I must say, the production quality is excellent, and the visuals are stunning. However! As a mother, I feel deeply worried.
The show is filled with scenes of buildings being blown up and brawls. While there's no blood in the scenes of monsters being destroyed, the violence is very obvious. Furthermore, the main characters in the show resort to fighting whenever they encounter a problem; what kind of values will this instill in children?
Does this mean we should teach our children to solve problems with their fists? Parents are advised to be cautious about allowing their children to watch such content, and relevant platforms should strengthen their review processes to prevent this kind of attention-grabbing "violent aesthetics" from poisoning the minds of teenagers.
This article appears objective, praising first and then criticizing, but in reality, it is full of deadly accusations.
It avoided the major flaw of "production quality" and instead stood directly on the "moral high ground".
Moreover, the comments section was buzzing with excitement.
Indeed, I watched one episode, and the scene where the monster crushed the car was terrifying. My child had nightmares after watching it.
[College students these days will do anything to become famous; they even dare to film something like this?]
[While the special effects of the one called "Kyo Genshin Impact" were a bit lacking, at least it promoted the idea of good triumphing over evil, and the visuals were more upbeat. This Ultraman Tiga is too dark.]
"That's a sophisticated form of satire."
Gu Nan put down his phone and sneered, "First you admit you've created a carefully crafted 'rational and objective' persona, then you turn around and slap a big label of 'promoting violence' on us. This tactic is much more sophisticated than just calling us trash."
"It must have been done by the Celestial Master Qi'ao!"
Chen Bo gritted his teeth in anger, "I checked, and these influential figures who reposted this all used to endorse Guoqi Ao Tianzun's toy GG! They're trying to ruin us!"
"What do we do now?" Lin Xuan asked, somewhat panicked. "Once this public opinion takes hold, many parents who don't know the truth will follow suit and report us. At that point, Bilibili might not be able to withstand the pressure and might actually restrict traffic."
The atmosphere in the recording studio froze instantly.
For a tokusatsu drama, the "not suitable for children" label is practically a death sentence.
"Don't panic."
Gu Nan told them to be quiet.
He was thinking.
If you rush up and argue with these parents now, or send them a lawyer's letter, you'll fall into their trap.
That would only make them seem guilty and would provoke the resentment of passersby.
"They say we're violent?" Gu Nan asked rhetorically.
"right."
"They say we're setting a bad example for children?"
"Yes."
"it is good."
Gu Nan's lips curled into a playful smile. "Then let's show them what's behind this so-called 'violence'."
"Chen Bo, what about all those unusable clips we filmed before? And all those videos from when we were resting? Do you still have them?"
"They're all on the hard drive."
"Editing team, stop what you're doing now." Gu Nan stood up, his eyes sharp as knives. "Even if you don't sleep tonight, you have to get me one clip."
"The title is... 'On Violence: What We Want to Show Children Is Not Just Fists, But Love.'"
……
The next day, at 10:00 AM.
Public opinion is still fermenting, and some marketing accounts have even started to spread rumors that "Chasing Light Studio" illegally used gunpowder.
At that moment, the Light Chaser Studio's accounts on Bilibili, Weibo, and Douyin all simultaneously updated with a video.
There was no intense background music, only a soothing piano piece—the "Love Theme" that was just recorded yesterday.
[Scene 1]
The camera focuses on the ferocious and terrifying monster "Jakuma" that appears in the main film.
But in the behind-the-scenes footage, the actor in the suit took off his headgear, revealing a youthful face.
He was sitting on a small stool, holding a sausage in his hand, feeding a stray kitten.
The huge, spiked monster claw gently stroked the kitten's head.
Subtitle: [This is the "cruel" monster.]
[Scene 2]
It's the set for filming an explosion scene.
Gu Nan, holding a megaphone, was shouting like an old woman:
"Everyone back ten meters! Safety officer in position! Fire extinguishers ready?"
The camera zoomed in on the so-called "bomb."
In front of the camera, staff poured bags of white powder into an air pump.
Subtitle: [Real footage, but with a greater emphasis on safety]
Immediately afterwards, a red-headed document was posted online – “Receipt for Filing of Special Effects for Large-Scale Events and Film and Television Productions by Jinghai City Public Security Bureau”.
Subtitle: [Every "explosion" is under the supervision of the law. Safety is our bottom line.]
[Scene 3]
This is the most devastating and psychologically damaging part.
The camera focused on a few children who had come to visit the set in a corner (they were family members brought by actor Li Guoqiang).
Several children surrounded Ultraman Tiga (Zhang Zhao), curiously touching his suit.
Although Zhang Zhao was sweating profusely from exhaustion, he still squatted down and gently shook hands with a little girl.
Voiceover interview with the little girl:
"Do you think Ultraman Tiga is fighting?"
The little girl answered in her childish voice:
"No, it's not that. The monster was being disobedient, and Tiga was stopping it from doing bad things. Mom said that we shouldn't hit people, but if bad people bully children, we should stand up bravely like Tiga."
The camera cuts back to Zhang Zhao.
He gave the camera a bright, sweaty smile:
"Violence cannot solve problems, but courage can."
[At the end of the video]
On a black background with white text, a passage personally written by Gu Nan appeared:
"The essence of tokusatsu is not destruction, but protection."
"We show darkness so that children can understand why light is precious."
"We showcase the fighting to show everyone that peace is hard-won."
"If protecting the weak is considered violence, then we are willing to be believers in this violence."
……
The moment the video was released, public opinion shifted dramatically.
This is not just a debunking video, but also an output of values.
The scene where the monster feeds the cat and Tiga shakes hands with the little girl, in particular, is so adorably contrasting that it broke through the defenses of countless netizens.
[I cried so much. The background music was just too much!]
[What the hell is this about promoting violence?! They used starch! And they even showed the registration details. Don't those who spread rumors about using gunpowder feel any shame?]
"Violence can't solve problems, but courage can." This is so true! This is the kind of Ultraman we should show our children!
Where's that parenting blogger? Come out and show your face! That monster actor is much gentler when feeding cats than you are!
In the Bilibili comment section, rational voices have once again taken over.
User [Spring Blossoms]:
"As a teacher, I support Ultraman Tiga. Children today don't lack sheltered environments; what they lack is this kind of education about courage and responsibility. I've also seen Ultraman Tiga and other similar shows, but what's the point besides selling toys? Ultraman Tiga, on the other hand, explores humanity and society in every episode, which is true edutainment."
User [Zhang San, the Outlaw]:
"That filing receipt is really hardcore. It shows that this team has a very strong sense of legality. Those marketing accounts that wanted to smear them from the perspective of 'violation' have really messed up."
Of course, there's never a shortage of trolls online.
There are still some people who are unaware of the facts, or who have been paid, who are stubbornly denying it:
No matter what, fighting is wrong!
[An explanation is just a cover-up; I simply won't let my kids see it.]
But these voices, faced with a flood of positive reviews and rational opinions, have lost their impact.
……
Qi Ao Tianzun, CEO's office.
"Bang!"
Zhao Rui slammed the teacup to the ground.
"Useless! All of you are useless!"
Zhao Rui pointed at the PR manager's nose and yelled, "We spent 500,000 yuan on a marketing account, and this is it? It got ruined by someone's few-minute behind-the-scenes video?"
Although there is still some tension on other platforms.
However, having lost on Bilibili, its most important battleground, it's difficult for public opinion elsewhere to suppress Ultraman Tiga, which is on the rise.
The PR manager, head bowed, was sweating profusely. "Mr. Zhao, this...this isn't our fault. These college students are too cunning. They even made the filing flawless, and that copy...it was far too inflammatory."
"and……"
The manager hesitated for a moment, "The online sentiment has changed. Because of our attack, it actually brought them a huge surge in traffic. Many people who didn't know about Ultraman Tiga before saw it trending and started watching..."
"That's enough!"
Zhao Rui took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.
As a seasoned investor, he knew he had underestimated his opponent this time.
He thought the other party was just a group of tech-savvy college students, but he didn't expect them to be so impeccable in terms of "political correctness" and "legal compliance".
In particular, the value of "protection" stands on the moral high ground, which vividly highlights the money-grubbing nature of the "toy seller" of the Celestial Venerable.
"Okay, very good."
Zhao Rui narrowed his eyes, a ruthless glint flashing in them.
"Since the underhanded methods aren't working, let's try the open ones."
"Aren't they going to film a spaceship in the next episode? Are they going to make it feel futuristic?"
"Pass on my message: have our production department bring out that long-awaited 'Iron Warrior: Star Wars'."
"Since they want to compete on production quality, let's just bury them in money."
"Buy out all prime-time slots on all children's channels and plaster GG signs all over subway stations."
"I want everyone who turns on the TV or walks down the street to see our armor, not that Ultraman Tiga."
Zhao Rui straightened his tie and resumed his aloof demeanor.
"College students are still just college students. Trying to outspend me? I'll outdo you."
……
at the same time.
The old machinery factory in the western suburbs of Jinghai.
"We won!"
Looking at the public opinion monitoring data in the backend, Chen Bo breathed a sigh of relief. "Brother Nan, those big V's who stirred up trouble have deleted their posts! Our follower count has not decreased but increased, directly jumping to 500,000!"
"As expected."
Gu Nan didn't feel much joy; he simply turned off his phone calmly.
He knew this was just the first round of probing.
The colossal beast, Qi'ao Tianzun, was merely tickled and had not yet truly revealed its fangs.
"Don't let your guard down."
Gu Nan turned around and looked at the "energy center" scene behind him, which had been completed and was full of metallic texture.
The massive cockpit of Jeep No. 3 gleamed coldly under the lights.
"We've won the war of public opinion. Now, we'll let our work speak for itself."
Episode 4, "Goodbye, Earth".
"This is also our first time tackling the core of 'tragedy'."
Gu Nan looked at "Dr. Jiang," who was already made up and wearing a spacesuit, and the other two guest actors.
"Are you ready for the crying scene?"
Dr. Jiang nodded, his eyes filled with a deep sorrow.
"Ready."
"it is good."
Gu Nan walked in front of the camera and took a deep breath.
"Let those who question our violence see this."