studiobondurri Chapter 135 Malice in the Box
Chapter 135 Malice in the Box
Time flies, and although online discussions about the first few episodes of "Ultraman Dyna" remain high, viewers have discerning tastes.
After the initial novelty and visual impact of the "robust" style, some discerning viewers began to scrutinize the show for its flaws.
After all, the original Ultraman Tiga was a masterpiece. Its heights were so high that any subsequent work that showed even the slightest sign of fatigue would be labeled a "dog's tail following a sable coat".
In this era where traffic is king, there are countless self-media bloggers who started their careers by "complaining" and "sharp comments".
Kanpianwang is one of them.
As a content creator on Bilibili known for his sharp tongue in the film and television section, Kanpianwang is famous for his "uncompromising" remarks.
His video style is characterized by "You can criticize this too?", but it is precisely because he dares to speak his mind that he has gained more than 800,000 fans in this parallel world where bad movies are rampant.
Friday evening at 7:30 pm.
Kanpianwang sat in front of his computer, adjusting his microphone, preparing to start tonight's live broadcast—"Judgment" of Ultraman Dyna Episode 7.
"Brothers, although I admit that Director Gu Nan is quite something, the special effects in the first few episodes were truly amazing."
The film critic gestured towards the camera, but his tone already revealed a professional criticalness.
"But! We have to be reasonable. Special effects alone aren't enough. From what I've watched these two episodes, the plot is clearly geared towards children. That Shin Asuka is all hot-bloodedness and impulsiveness. Compared to Daigo's composure, he's practically a hothead."
The live stream chat was instantly flooded with comments.
Sigh, it feels like I've gone back to the Showa era, the Taro period.
Indeed, Asuka is too mischievous; sometimes I just want to punch him.
[Old Wang, are you going to start criticizing again? Be careful, or you'll get wrecked by Director Gu's fans.]
To be fair, Dyna's action scenes are exhilarating, but I haven't really seen any depth in them yet. Hopefully, he'll have a storyline that sends chills down your spine like in Seven.
The commentator, watching the live chat, smirked: "Depth? Difficult. It's hard to maintain a high standard in every episode of this episodic format. What's the name of today's seventh episode again? 'Friends in the Box'?"
"It's a bit like the naming style of the early Showa era. Just hearing this name, you can tell it's the kind of heartwarming and healing formula. It's probably about picking up a little monster as a pet, and then the monster dies and they force a sentimental story. I could write that kind of script with my eyes closed."
As soon as he finished speaking, the time on the TV screen jumped to eight o'clock.
As the familiar opening theme song "Ultraman Dyna" began to play, the rousing melody instantly livened up the atmosphere in the live stream.
The film critic also dropped his playful grin, leaned back slightly, and adopted a "scrutinizing" posture: "Come on, let me see what tricks Director Gu can pull today."
The story begins.
In the depths of space, a strangely shaped alien spaceship passes through Jupiter's orbit.
Suddenly, the spaceship exploded, and two glowing spheres escaped from the spaceship, followed closely by an orange-red sphere.
"The special effects are still top-notch."
The film critic commented, "The lighting effects in this chase scene are just as good as those sci-fi blockbusters with budgets of hundreds of millions."
The scene shifts to a forest somewhere on Earth.
The orange-red light dissipated, and an alien emerged.
Upon seeing this alien, the film critic couldn't help but burst out laughing: "Holy crap, this look... did the makeup artist have a grudge against this actor?"
The alien appearing on the screen is the Des alien, the protagonist of this episode.
He wore extremely exaggerated black eyeshadow, his face was deathly pale, and his unkempt, straw-like hair, combined with his ferocious expression, made him look like a psychopathic killer or the lead singer of a black metal band.
The Des alien looked at the positioning device on his wrist and found a glowing glass box in the grass.
The camera zooms in, revealing a strangely shaped miniature creature inside the box.
Before the audience could even get a good look at the creature, the Des alien pulled out a strangely shaped gun and fired a beam at the box without saying a word.
"Sizzle—!"
The creature inside the box vanished instantly.
Even the movie critic was taken aback.
Seriously? Such a cute creature was wiped out in a single encounter?!
"See that, guys! See that, right? This is the quintessential stereotypical villain! Ugly, ruthless, and he starts killing small animals right away. The screenwriter's intention is so obvious: to make you hate this alien."
The comments section also echoed this sentiment:
[That's too cruel! They killed him without saying a word!]
This alien definitely doesn't look like a good person.
[As expected, he's a villain. Case closed.]
[It doesn't seem like it; maybe a plot twist is coming.]
The plot continues to unfold.
The next day, at the beach.
A little girl named Yuka accidentally found another lost glass box while taking a walk.
The creature inside the box revealed its true form.
It was a little creature with big ears, a furry body, and big, watery eyes, and it had a soft, sweet voice.
Wow! So cute!
What kind of magical creature is this? I want to find one too!
Are there any related merchandise items made from this? If so, they'll sell like hotcakes.
The live stream chat instantly shifted, with everyone completely charmed by the creature named "Gabishu".
In the footage, the Super Victory Team, having received an alarm, arrives at the scene.
He came to investigate with Gong Liang, but this guy ended up playing with a group of kids.
Ryo noticed the girl sitting alone under the tree, spending time with Gabishu.
It turns out that Yuka's family all lost their lives because of the appearance of the monster, and now she is all alone in the world. The orphanage in front of her has become her only home.
Because of this painful accident, Yuka has changed from a little girl who loved life to someone who is now unwilling to communicate with others.
Gong Liang also saw the box in the girl's hand.
Inside is an adorable little blue animal.
At first, Liang didn't take it to heart, because the little animal in front of him did look harmless.
But who would have thought that it was once a cosmic monster that claimed the lives of many people on other planets...
However, tense background music suddenly started playing.
The menacing-looking Alien Des has caught up with us.
Holding that strange gun, he charged menacingly toward Yuka, who was alone, his target the box in her hand.
The girl screamed in fright.
The Des alien completely ignored the GUTS team's warnings. He raised his gun, the dark muzzle pointed at Yuka, who was holding the box.
"Oh no, the villain is about to go on a killing spree."
The movie critic shook his head. "The next second will definitely be when Asuka shoots to save people."
However, what happened on the screen stunned everyone.
The face that was originally ferocious and menacing suddenly froze the moment it saw Yuka's appearance.
The Desman's cheeks twitched, his lips parted slightly, and the hand holding the gun began to tremble violently.
He looked at Yuka, and the murderous intent in his eyes vanished instantly, replaced by an incredulous shock and sorrow.
He hesitated to pull the trigger.
"What's going on?"
The film critic was taken aback. "It's stuck?"
While the Des aliens were momentarily stunned, Miyako seized the opportunity.
Instead of firing a gun, she grabbed a chair from the side, rushed forward, and unleashed a "Ultra Slam" that slammed into the Des Alien's back.
"Bang!"
The alien Des collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
"It collapsed already?"
The movie critic was speechless. "This villain is too weak, isn't he? And why didn't he shoot just now? That look in his eyes was off too. Is there something else going on?"
The scene shifts to the Des aliens being taken back to the TPC base and imprisoned.
In his comatose nightmare, the Des alien recalled painful memories: a giant blue monster was ravaging his homeland, and he witnessed his daughter being brutally killed by the monster.
The Des alien, who had just been startled awake, was covered in sweat.
He trembled as he pulled a pendant from his pocket, opened the cover, and a holographic projection appeared showing a smiling girl's face.
Aside from her unique, heavy eyeshadow makeup, this alien girl's appearance is exactly the same as that of Yuka, a little girl on Earth!
At this point, the chat in the live stream paused for a moment.
Good grief! I knew there would be a plot twist.
Holy crap, that little girl looks like his daughter?
No wonder they didn't fire earlier...
So, this alien is actually quite pitiful?
The film critic's smile faded, and he stroked his chin: "Interesting. So he mistook an Earth girl for his daughter. But that doesn't excuse his indiscriminate killing of living beings, does it?"
The story continues.
Using their teleportation ability, the Des alien escaped from the cell and stormed into the laboratory where "Little Cutie" Gabishu was kept.
He raised his gun again and aimed it at the creature inside the glass box.
"Stop! Don't hurt it!"
The little girl, Yuka, ran in at some point, spread her arms, and stood firmly in front of the box.
"It's my friend! You can't kill it!"
The Des alien stared at the face that so closely resembled the deceased woman and roared in anguish, "That's a demon! It will kill you! Get out of the way!"
"I don't believe it! It's so cute!" Yuka cried out.
Just as the two were locked in a stalemate, the Super GUTS team arrived and pointed their guns at Alien Des—
A sudden change occurred.
Gabishu, the "cute little thing" who had been huddled in the box with innocent eyes and trembling, suddenly stopped trembling.
The camera gave a close-up shot.
A chilling, insidious glint flashed in its once large, watery eyes.
Then, the corners of its mouth turned up slightly, revealing an extremely eerie smile.
"Holy crap?!"
Even the movie critic was taken aback.
Before the audience could react, Gabishu inside the box suddenly let out a sharp shriek and shattered the glass box instantly!
Gabishu's eyes emitted a blinding light, and she vanished instantly with Yuka in tow...
After that.
Through a language translator, the Des aliens were finally able to explain their identity and Gabishu's brutal nature to the GUTS team.
At the TPC base, the Des aliens instructed Mai to magnify the monster's eyes.
As the camera zoomed in, everyone discovered that Yuka was indeed trapped inside.
As the Des aliens said, taking hostages is Gabishu's usual tactic.
The only way to resolve this difficult situation is to get close to Gabishu's eyes and use teleportation to enter them, rescuing Yuka.
However, given Earth's gravity, a distance that is too great is not feasible.
So, the crew piloted the Victory Eagle, with the Alpha and Gamma providing cover, while the Beta was responsible for transport.
Under the cover of the Victory Eagle, the Des aliens successfully infiltrated the monster's body and rescued Yuka.
Even so, the innocent and kind-hearted Yuka still wanted to stop Gabishu.
However, the girl was met with a fierce roar and a beam of light.
To protect the girl who resembled his daughter, he unhesitatingly shielded Gabishu from her deadly attack with his own body, paying the ultimate price.
"roar--!!!"
The monster Gabishu let out a mocking roar.
Only at this moment did everyone understand the meaning of the Des alien's words, "That is a demon."
"mean!"
"That's outrageous!"
The audience in the live stream was in a frenzy. Those who had been shouting "protect the little cutie" earlier now felt like they had been slapped in the face.
The Des alien fell heavily into the ruins, his green blood staining the ground red.
But he kept his eyes fixed on the direction of the monster, clutching the pendant tightly in his hand.
Xin Feibiao rushed to his side and helped the dying alien to his feet.
The alien, Des, trembled as he placed the pendant into the bird's hand, his voice so weak it was almost inaudible: "When that child... wakes up... give this to her. Tell her... she must live on strongly..."
At this moment, the eyes of the Des alien seemed to look through the void at his long-dead daughter, and also at Yuka.
"She looks just like my daughter...so much so..."
With a final murmur, the Des alien's hand fell limply to its side, and its body transformed into countless particles of light, dissipating in the wind.
Xin Feibiao was stunned.
He looked at the pendant in his hand, still warm from the light, and at the spot where the light particles had dissipated.
Just minutes before, he had regarded this father as an utterly wicked person and had even hit him hard with a chair.
This father sacrificed his life to protect a complete stranger from Earth who simply resembled his daughter.
An indescribable anger and guilt filled the bird's chest.
There are no lines in this scene because Asuka is extremely angry.
His clenched fist trembled slightly as he suddenly drew his flash sword and raised it high!
A beam of light shot into the sky.
Ultraman Dyna makes his appearance!
This time, Dyna didn't strike his signature cool pose; instead, he charged forward and delivered a powerful punch filled with rage.
Every punch he threw seemed to carry his father's last wish.
The movie critic stared intently at the screen, his pupils trembling.
All the previous doubts have been resolved, leaving only grief and anger.
A chill ran down my spine, accompanied by a deep sense of shame.
It turns out that the fierce-looking Des alien, whom everyone regarded as a villain, was actually a lonely avenger and a great father.
And what about humans?
Because he was ugly, and because Gabishu was cute, they indiscriminately hindered him, and even indirectly caused his death.
"This is fucking..."
The film critic felt like he'd been slapped repeatedly in the face, the stinging pain echoing. "This plot... Gu Nan, are you a devil?!"
This is the trap that Gu Nan set for all the viewers.
By taking advantage of the human tendency to judge by appearance, they delivered a resounding slap in the face to everyone!
On the screen, Dyna's fighting was exceptionally fierce.
Faced with the cunning Gabishu, Dyna formed a cross with his hands, but instead of firing a beam of light, he condensed a rapidly spinning halo from his hands.
"This is……"
The veteran tokusatsu fan, Kanpianwang, narrowed his eyes.
Eight-tenths of a halo?!
No, it's a similar skill—Dyna Cut!
The light wheel shot out with a whoosh, precisely severing Gabishu's deadly tail!
But it's not over yet.
In this episode, Gu Nan clearly doesn't want Dyna to end the battle with the conventional "Solgent Ray".
Because of this battle, we bear too much burden.
On the screen, Dyna slowly straightened up.
He didn't strike that pose of putting his hands in front of his chest in preparation for a fight.
But...
His hands drew an arc along his sides, then crossed over each other, but that starting stance...
The movie critic suddenly stood up, overturning his chair in the process: "Holy crap! That starting stance! That hand gesture! This is...!"
Within the blue band of light, energy rays composed of countless white particles erupted forth.
This is not the Solgent ray.
This is the Specium Ray!
It is that original giant, that red and silver legend—the signature move of the original Ultraman!
[Oh my god! It's a Specium Ray!]
[My youth is back! Dyna actually knows this move!]
[A tribute! This is a blatant tribute!]
Under this light, which was filled with the meaning of "divinity" and "judgment", the cute-looking but ugly monster Gavishu was blasted into dust and burned to ashes before it could even scream.
The battle is over.
Under the setting sun, Dyna's massive body stands amidst the city ruins.
But he didn't give a thumbs up as usual, nor did he fly into the sky to receive cheers.
He stood quietly for a while, as if paying tribute to his deceased father, before turning into light and disappearing.
The camera cuts back to the ground.
seaside.
Shin Asuka and the little girl Yuka stood together.
Yuka lowered her head, clutching the pendant left behind by the Alien Des, tears streaming down her face. "Brother Asuka... that uncle told me to be strong and live on..."
The bird remained silent for a long time.
The sea breeze tousled his hair and stirred the hearts of all the viewers in front of the screen.
"yes."
The bird crouched down, looked at the sea, and said in a low voice, "The Desians said that as long as you live on strongly..."
"It's okay if she's alone. If Yuka is alone, so many sad things won't happen."
Yuka sobbed.
"Yuka, you're mistaken."
Asuka turned her head and looked at her seriously. "Actually, Ultraman Dyna wasn't fighting alone. He was able to keep fighting because of everyone's support. He was almost defeated at that time, but it was because of Yuka and everyone's perseverance that he was able to defeat that monster."
Asuka extended her little finger and gave a warm smile: "So from now on, you'll make friends with lots of people. It's a promise, pinky swear."
"You look like you've grown a lot, little Asuka."
Koda's voice came from behind.
Gong Liang also laughed and teased, "That's right, you're making yourself sound like Ultraman Dyna, huh?"
Chung-shima rolled his eyes at him: "Well, before saying these things to Yuka, Asuka-kun should say the same things to himself first."
"Oh, please stop! I finally came up with such great lines!"
Everyone burst into laughter.
The setting sun cast their shadows long, long.
But within that laughter lay a bittersweet sense of relief.
The screen gradually dimmed, and the end credits song began to play.
In the live stream, the "King of Talking Movies" remained silent for a long time.
Until the end credits finished playing, his somewhat complex face was reflected on the black screen.
He took a deep breath and then slowly exhaled.
"Some people say that Ultraman is childish and unrealistic, a tokusatsu show for children. Admittedly, it does have a large audience of children. However, this work, which is looked down upon by so-called 'adults,' often conveys many truths that even we adults don't understand, or deliberately pretend not to understand."
"Just like Gabishu in this episode, who has a cute appearance but is actually a vicious monster; just like that Alien Des, who looks like a demon but is a dutiful law enforcer and a great father."
How many times have we seen a screenshot or a video clip cut out from the internet and immediately started calling for someone's life or death? How many times have we labeled someone as a "bad person" or a "good person" based on their appearance or clothing?
Kanpianwang gave a wry smile, pulled up a screenshot of his expression during the live stream, and posted it on the public screen.
"Look at this face, isn't that me just now? Seeing an alien as ugly, I call it a villain; seeing a monster as cute, I call it a good guy. What's the difference between me and those stupid humans in the show who attacked the Desians?"
The initial clamor in the live chat turned into deep contemplation.
That really hurts, bro.
I'm reminded of that cyberbullying incident from last time, which later turned around. I also criticized that good person back then...
[The concept behind this episode is absolutely brilliant. Dyna isn't just a simple feel-good story; Gu Nan is still Gu Nan.]
Is this the charm of tokusatsu? I love it!
That night, clips from Kanpianwang's live stream were widely shared.
The title is simple, yet eye-catching enough: "Sorry, I was tricked by a monster and also educated by Gu Nan."
However, the rating for "Ultraman Dyna" actually rose after this episode aired.
Although it didn't spark a nationwide philosophical debate like "Seven," the simple yet profound truth of "don't judge a book by its cover" was deeply ingrained in the hearts of every viewer through the medium of tokusatsu.
Especially the parents.
Many people originally watched it with their children, thinking it was just a fun movie about fighting monsters.
But after watching this episode, many parents fell silent.
A living room in Jinghai City.
A father, watching his son playing with Dyna toys, suddenly asked, "Son, if you see someone who is very ugly and dressed in rags in the future, will you think he is a bad person?"
The son blinked his big eyes, thought about the plot of the TV show he had just watched, and shook his head vigorously: "No way! Brother Asuka said we can't judge a book by its cover! Maybe he's a hero like the Alien Des!"
The father smiled and ruffled his son's hair: "That's right, you can't judge a book by its cover."