PDLP Chapter 21, the Divine Chapter of Ultraman Tiga! It sparked deep reflection across the internet!
Chapter 21, the Divine Chapter of Ultraman Tiga! It sparked deep reflection across the internet!
Saturday, 10:00 AM.
The discussion about episode 8 of Ultraman Tiga, "Halloween Night," has evolved overnight from being "scary" to being "in-depth analysis."
"Poison Tongue Lao Tang," a well-known content creator in the Bilibili film and television section, known for his sharp eye and incisive comments, has updated his latest video on time.
The title is simple, yet it is full of provocation:
Don't think you understand Ultraman Tiga: Episode 8, a social allegory wrapped in sugar.
The video garnered over 100,000 views within ten minutes of its release.
Gu Nan sat in his studio and opened the video.
"Hello everyone, I'm Lao Tang, who specializes in criticizing bad movies and occasionally praises masterpieces."
In the video, Lao Tang is wearing his signature sunglasses and speaks in a serious tone.
"I watched the latest episode of Ultraman Tiga that aired last night. To be honest, after watching it, I had goosebumps all night."
"Many people say this episode scared them so much they developed psychological trauma; it's a horror movie. Yes, it is scary. But if you only see the scary parts, then you're underestimating the college students at 'Chasing the Light Studio'."
"Today, Lao Tang will take you under a microscope to examine the chilling details in this episode."
Screen switch.
Old Tang paused the video and zoomed in on the scene where the children were walking towards the spaceship.
"Everyone, please pay attention to the way these children walk."
Old Tang circled the children's leg movements with a red circle.
"Did you notice? That eerie floating sensation, that unnatural twisting of the joints... this is definitely not an acted zombie walk."
"If I'm not mistaken, the director used a very old but extremely effective technique for shooting horror films—reverse playback."
"Have the actors walk backwards, and then play it forwards in post-production. This reverses all physical inertia, and this kind of scene that goes against instinct will directly trigger the 'uncanny valley' effect deep in the human cerebral cortex."
The comments section erupted in a moment of sudden realization.
[Holy crap! So that's how it is!]
No wonder something felt off when I watched it; it was playing in reverse!
How could they even think of such an old trick?
Immediately afterwards, Lao Tang released a close-up shot of the "pupil reflection".
"Look here again."
"This is probably a close-up shot that lasts only about a second."
"In the pupils of the controlled children, the image reflected is not the giant of light who came to save them, but the witch who represents desire and control."
"What does this mean?"
Old Tang's voice turned low, "This means that when a person's heart is filled with desire and controlled by external temptations, he cannot see the light. Even if Ultraman Tiga is right in front of him, he cannot see it."
"This isn't a movie about monsters; it's clearly a movie about us, addicted to mindless entertainment, controlled by algorithms, and devoid of independent thinking!"
Then, Lao Tang continued his explanation:
"Also, listen to what the witch said: 'I've taken all his dreams. Children don't need dreams. Until they grow up, they just need to be manipulated like dolls and toys!'"
"Kirambo may seem like an alien, but he actually understands what children want better than most adults."
He disdains adults' dreams because, in the process of growing up, dreams may be corrupted by the pressures of reality and lose their original purity and beauty.
"If we set aside the special effects filter, this episode elevates the story's message to a new level. Kiranbo's appearance seems to remind us adults that protecting children's untainted dreams is far more important!"
[Before growing up, I was manipulated by others. It seems that this is indeed the case. I took the college entrance examination step by step, and spent nine years doing only this one thing.]
How ironic!
This episode felt incredibly artistic, both poetic and bizarre.
But what do children know... They can only follow the instructions of adults step by step...
Therefore, change must begin with our generation!
At the end of the video, Old Tang played the witch's line about "adult dreams".
"This is the real bombshell of this episode."
"Adults' dreams have long since stagnated."
"Friends, ask yourselves honestly, what are your dreams right now? Is it to make money? To buy a house? Or, like when you were a child, do you simply want to become a scientist or a painter?"
"The Kiranbo Witch is not just a monster that eats children. She is the embodiment of 'social pressure,' the 'system' that alienates our dreams into desires."
"And Tiga's final 'Timer Flash' didn't use a violent beam technique, but rather pure light."
What does this mean?
"This shows that fighting this kind of inner demon is useless with fists; it can only be done through inner awakening."
As he spoke, Old Tang reviewed the entire episode.
"Looking back at this episode, the alien Kiranbo feeds on dreams, but he is very picky about the ingredients."
"He likes children's dreams because they are often innocent, selfless, and full of endless possibilities."
"On the other hand, adults' dreams are far too murky."
"There are multiple reasons why adults' dreams become distorted. As we grow older, the pressures of life and social rules cause many adults to abandon their initial pure dreams. This also reminds us adults that we sometimes need to examine ourselves and whether we gave up those pure dreams too early in the process of growing up, or whether we let our dreams become tarnished..."
"I would rate this episode, 'Halloween Night,' as a perfect masterpiece. It elevates tokusatsu dramas from 'monster fighting' to the level of 'humanistic concern.'"
"Director Gu Nan, please accept my deepest respect."
The video ends.
The comment section exploded.
[A single conversation with you is worth more than ten years of study. Old Tang is awesome!]
Yes, often it's the villains who say the most insightful things!
I cried. I thought it was just a horror movie, but I never expected it to have such a profound meaning.
What are those people at Light Chaser Studio thinking? The depth of this script blows current domestic workplace dramas out of the water!
Suddenly, that witch doesn't seem so scary anymore; in fact, she's kind of pitiful. She's a reflection of the adult world.
Inside the studio.
"Amazing!"
Chen Bo stared at the video, his mouth agape. "Is Old Tang some kind of mind reader? He saw right through us! The reverse playback, the subtle pupil references—he noticed it all!"
"That's what professionalism is all about."
Gu Nan smiled and turned off the video. "Some things, the director can't say them himself; he has to let the audience 'discover' them. It's more sophisticated to have a big influencer say them."
"Brother Nan, the online sentiment has completely changed now."
Holding his phone, Su Zhe said excitedly, "Some parents wanted to report it before because it was scary, but now that they've watched Lao Tang's video, they're all saying that this episode is educational and they want to watch it again with their kids for some kind of 'anti-addiction education'."
"Haha, that's what you call a word-of-mouth reversal."
Gu Nan stood up and walked to the whiteboard.
"Now that everyone's emotions have reached this point, we should strike while the iron is hot."
"Strike while the iron is hot?"
Wang Kai pointed to the pile of newly arrived boxes in the corner, "Brother Nan, you're not really going to sell that...?"
"certainly."
Gu Nan picked up an exquisitely crafted pumpkin lantern.
This is a scaled-down version of the pumpkin head from the Kiranbow witch's design.
With a clap of hands, the pumpkin lantern will emit a faint purple light and make its signature "hee hee hee" laugh.
"Chen Bo, put it on the shelves."
A businessman's glint gleamed in Gu Nan's eyes. "The product name will be—【Girambo's Warning: Voice-Controlled Pumpkin Lantern】."
"How do you write copy?" Chen Bo asked.
"Just write: 'Place this pumpkin lantern by your bedside. Whenever you feel like giving up on your dreams or indulging in desires, pat it. Listen to the laughter, and ask yourself: Has your dream gone rotten?'"
"puff--"
Lin Xuan, who was drinking water, immediately spat it out. "Brother Nan, you're really attacking my moral compass! Who can sleep with this on their bedside table?"
"Young people today are all about 'self-torture-style self-discipline'."
Gu Nan said confidently, "Believe it or not, all 10,000 of them will be sold out tonight."
As it turns out, Gu Nan had a firm grasp on the psychology of this generation of young people.
That evening, the Kieranbo pumpkin lanterns were put on the shelves.
In less than half an hour, all 10,000 units in stock were snapped up.
The buyer reviews in the comments section were even more bizarre:
[I bought it! I put it on my desk while studying for my postgraduate entrance exam. Whenever I feel like playing on my phone, I take a picture, and hearing that laughter instantly wakes me up, making my studying incredibly efficient!]
This isn't a toy, it's my mental alarm clock!
This laughter is so soothing (and sometimes depressing), I love it!
Looking at the surge in cash flow in the backend, Gu Nan knew that this wave was in the bag.
"Halloween Night" not only won critical acclaim, but also opened up a new world for "tokusatsu merchandise"—it turns out that not only can sparklers be sold, but monsters can also be sold, as long as you give them enough stories and emotions.