studiobondurri Chapter 104 The Waves Caused by the End of Ultraman Tiga
Chapter 104 The Waves Caused by the End of Ultraman Tiga
On this parallel world's network, discussions about the ending of "Ultraman Tiga" did not stop with the end of the series.
On the contrary, Lao Tang's live broadcast has been pushed to a new philosophical level.
Countless in-depth analysis articles appeared overnight on various forums, online communities, and Weibo.
On the Dissolution of Divinity and the Return of Humanity
The Shattering of the Spark Lens: A Grand Existential Metaphor
Gu Nan: A Realist Poet Wrapped in a Special Effects Suit
On Zhihu, there's that famous question: "How would you rate the finale of 'Ultraman Tiga' directed by Gu Nan?"
Within just half an hour, the number of answers exceeded five thousand and the number of views exceeded five million.
The most upvoted answer came from a famous film critic.
Thanks for the invitation.
I just finished watching it, and I'm still feeling unsettled.
To be honest, when Gu Nan first said he wanted to film a tokusatsu movie, I was skeptical and ready to laugh at him.
After all, in this world, tokusatsu (special effects) had long been synonymous with "childish" and "poorly made" by the now-defunct Qi Ao Tian Zun. However, Gu Nan, with his 52 episodes and textbook-like narrative, thoroughly slapped everyone in the face.
Today's episode, number 52, is truly a masterpiece.
What makes it good?
Fortunately, it did not fall into the cliché of "deus ex machina".
In a typical wish-fulfillment story, Ultraman Tiga might suddenly unleash his full power, or other Ultramen might come to his aid.
But Gu Nan did not.
He sent the villain Zheng Jingwu to try to save the world through science, and he failed; he sent the Dolphin, humanity's most advanced technology, to try, and that also failed. All avenues were blocked.
In the depths of despair, he offered the only answer—his heart.
Is it idealism?
Yes, it's very idealistic.
But in tokusatsu, idealism is the strongest power!
Those converging lights weren't special effects; they were the faith of millions of viewers in front of the screen!
That moment, the interaction that broke the fourth wall, gave me the creeps.
In the end, Daigo lost his Spark Lens and returned to being an ordinary human.
This did not diminish the protagonist's aura; on the contrary, it elevated the theme to a higher level.
"Everyone can become light." This statement wasn't just for Lina, but for all of us.
Life is tough, reality is exhausting, and perhaps we don't have a magic wand to transform into giants tens of meters tall.
But when facing difficulties, as long as we still have that light in our hearts, we are our own heroes.
Finally, I'd like to talk about the social significance of this drama, and the deepest metaphor that Gu Nan planted.
Did you know that in our real world, although society is developing, it also faces all sorts of problems?
Especially in recent years, with the economic downturn, young people are feeling lost and generally have a sense of powerlessness.
We live in a world like TPC.
TPC symbolizes rationality, technology, and progress.
We believed that technology could solve everything, and that as long as we had more advanced weapons (such as the Magnum Propulsion System), we could overcome all difficulties.
However, in the finale, the TPC's prized Atdis proved utterly useless against Gatanothor.
This is "An Open Ending Reflection on Progressivism"! I would call it "The Paradox of TPC".
Gu Nan criticizes the limitations of "technocentrism".
Faced with a spiritual crisis, faced with absolute despair, cold, impersonal technology may truly be powerless.
What is powerful?
It is the heart.
It is the connection between people.
Honestly, the birth of Ultraman Tiga in this era is actually an encouragement to society during a period of stagnation.
Although Xia Guo is currently experiencing an economic downturn in the post-mask era, no matter how much pressure life is putting on them, no matter how powerless individuals feel... but!
The individual's sense of powerlessness can be transformed into hope through collective connection!
The concept of ordinary people transforming into light is a love letter written to us in this era.
It tells us: Don't wait for heroes, don't wait for saviors. As long as each of us has good intentions, as long as we choose to believe in hope even in despair, we ourselves are that light!
Full marks.
I hereby declare that *Ultraman Tiga* is an insurmountable milestone in the history of entertainment in China!
The comment section below this answer was also filled with tears.
"The answerer wrote this so well!"
"That year, I became light. I will remember those words for the rest of my life."
"Although that old scoundrel Gu usually loves selling toys, this time, I'm willing to be fleeced by him!"
Even some literary critics who usually consider themselves aloof have had to put aside their airs and begin to seriously examine this tokusatsu drama that they once thought was "too commercialized".
They were surprised to discover that this seemingly simple monster-fighting movie contained such a complete worldview and such profound humanistic concern.
This applies not only domestically.
Even in many countries within the East Asian cultural sphere, Ultraman Tiga has caused a sensation.
This storm, named "Light," did not stop after the series ended; instead, it swept across the globe in an even more terrifying manner.
Not only the Xia Kingdom, but several neighboring countries have also gone completely mad.
Gu Nan's "Chasing Light Pictures" is extremely efficient, or rather, Gu Nan had long anticipated this day.
A week after the finale aired, Light Chaser Animation's official Weibo and Twitter accounts simultaneously released major news:
The complete 52 episodes of both seasons of "Ultraman Tiga" (including official Japanese dubbing, Thai dubbing, English dubbing, etc.) have been officially released on major overseas streaming platforms!
Many people also exclaimed:
Great news! Foreigners are in luck! They no longer have to rely on unsubtitled videos from amateur groups; they now have an official pairing!
Japan, Tokyo.
Because of the official introduction of Ultraman Tiga, there was commercial promotion.
At the Shibuya intersection, a giant GG screen was playing a music video of a popular idol when the image suddenly flickered.
In the darkness, a beam of light appeared.
That red and purple face filled the entire screen, followed by that classic line spoken in standard Japanese dubbing:
「TIGA——！」
Pedestrians on the road stopped to watch.
"What?! This is that tokusatsu drama from China? And it's a spin-off of an old Japanese IP?!"
"I heard the finale made everyone cry, is that true?"
"Never mind, just for the visual quality and fight effects, I'm going to see it!"
In Akihabara, the main display stands of major figure stores removed other models overnight and placed Ultraman Tiga's soft vinyl and Sparkler models in the most prominent positions.
Even some hardcore otaku who usually only pay attention to two-dimensional characters have started to discuss Daigo and Rena's romantic relationship on the forum.
What's even more interesting is that in Japan, because of Ultraman Tiga, the character "Daigo" was directly voted the number one "most desirable male character in film and television to marry" of the year, surpassing countless popular male stars.
Some unreliable education experts have even suggested introducing "Ultraman Tiga" into elementary school students' moral education courses as teaching material about "courage and love".
No one expected that a tokusatsu drama would cause such a major earthquake in the cultural world.
……
And what is the mastermind behind all this, the "God of Tokusatsu" Gu Nan, who is worshipped by countless people, doing at this very moment?
After the finale, the entire Light Chaser Animation Studio was given a holiday…
Gu Nan sat alone on the company's rooftop, a can of beer in his hand, gazing at the still-glittering city lights in the distance.
The wind blew through his hair.
His phone kept vibrating beside him, filled with congratulatory text messages and calls. From investors, TV stations, and even some high-ranking government officials.
But he didn't accept any of them.
He simply gazed quietly at the night sky.
In this world without Ultraman, he sowed the seeds of light.
"Mission accomplished, Brother Nan."
Su Zhe suddenly walked over as well.
Su Zhe raised the beer can and tapped it against the void, as if an invisible red and purple giant stood there.
Gu Nan smiled slightly and also saluted "Ultraman"...
"Even though Daigo doesn't have the Spark Lens anymore, the children in that world (the world in the Ultraman Tiga storyline) shouldn't be afraid of the dark anymore, right?"
Gu Nan and Su Zhe exchanged a smile and then downed their beers.
Just then, the sound of high heels clicking on the ground came from behind.
"Brother Nan... no, Director Gu, the whole world is looking for you, and you're hiding here drinking?"
Xia Youwei and Chen Bo walked over together, each carrying a thick document.
"What? You two didn't go to rest either?"
Gu Nan turned around, his eyes clear.
"Brother Nan, sometimes I really admire you. It feels like the story of Ultraman Tiga... wasn't even made up by you."
"Oh, don't get me wrong, I'm not saying your script is plagiarized!"
"I mean, it's a bit too real... as if that giant of light... Daigo... and the others really existed."
Gu Nan smiled slightly at the three of them and took a sip of wine…
"I wonder if you've ever considered this..."
"Actually, Tiga... or rather, the other Ultramen, they should have existed long ago..."
"Actually, I just... brought Ultraman Tiga back into this world..."
"Sometimes I wonder if I'm not qualified... if Ultraman Tiga actually deserves someone better, someone more outstanding to direct it?"
"Brother Nan! What are you saying?"
"Tonight, let's drink until we drop, my old buddies!!"