Entertainment: You're asked to make a graduation project, but you're asked to film Ultrama

Chapter 2: Picking Up a Bargain at Tsuburaya, A High-Stakes Gamble Two Years Ago

Xia Kingdom, Jinghai City, Jinghai Drama Academy.

Later.

The headquarters of "Chasing the Light Studio".

It's a studio they rented.

The air was filled with a strange smell, a mixture of paint thinner, latex, and instant noodles.

There are no luxurious floor-to-ceiling windows here, only walls covered with sound-absorbing foam and a few humming rendering machines.

"Seven hundred thousand? Wow, I feel like it could break a million."

Wang Kai stared at the computer screen, pushed up his thick glasses, and said, "Brother Nan, the view count has surpassed 700,000! There are quite a few comments too!"

"Only 700,000?"

Sitting in the director's chair, Gu Nan rubbed his temples, his voice revealing little emotion. "How many daily active users does Bilibili have now? Tens of millions. Seven hundred thousand views is just barely enough to get on the edge of trending."

"Oh dear, this is only the first episode! And it's for a 'three-no' product like ours!"

Wang Kai seemed very excited, "Look at the comments section, the approval rate is 99%! Except for a few trolls who said they didn't understand the suit, the rest are all saying it's awesome."

Gu Nan didn't speak, but just quietly looked at the backend data.

Indeed, it didn't have the kind of "overpowered protagonist storyline that explodes across the internet and dominates the trending topics" that one might imagine.

Reality is cold.

For a new account with virtually no followers, without any promotion or paid traffic, it's already a "miracle" that it could naturally generate 700,000 views within a few hours based solely on its cover and title.

This is thanks to the unintentional traffic generated by the content creator "Poison Tongue Old Tang", as well as the excellent quality of "Ultraman Tiga" itself.

But he knew that these things alone were not enough.

In this parallel world, a wasteland of tokusatsu culture, to reinfuse the name "Ultraman" into people's DNA requires not only technology but also a legitimate "identity."

Gu Nan looked at the background data on his phone screen, at the red "+99" private message notification.

The previously tense corners of my mouth finally relaxed.

"At least, the first step is secure."

He threw his phone onto the sofa, sank into it, closed his eyes, and a semi-transparent interface that only he could see appeared in his mind.

That was a "cell phone" built into his brain.

Or to be more precise, it is a search engine connected to the Internet of Things in its previous life.

This is Gu Nan's biggest trump card.

Twenty-two years ago, he was reborn into this parallel world with his memories intact.

From his earliest days as a baby crying to his current status as a soon-to-be graduate of the Directing Department at Jinghai Drama Academy, he has spent a full twenty-two years adapting to this world.

This world is very similar to my previous life, but there are subtle differences.

The biggest deviation lies in the cultural industry.

In the 1990s, Japan's bubble economy burst more thoroughly than in its predecessors. That massive economic tsunami not only destroyed the real estate market but also directly crippled Japan's cultural and entertainment industry.

There was no so-called "golden age of anime," nor was there a peak period for Japanese dramas.

In this world, there is no passion of "Slam Dunk", no stream of consciousness of "EVA", and no glamorous transformation of the Heisei Riders.

Of course, there was also no glorious Heisei era that belonged to the "Giant of Light".

Memories return to two years ago.

During his sophomore summer vacation, Gu Nan made a decision that went against his ancestors' wishes—he refused the financial internship arranged by his family and flew to Japan alone.

That was the beginning of his scheme.

My memories involuntarily drifted back to two years ago.

……

Two years ago.

Setagaya Ward, Tokyo, Japan.

It was a gloomy afternoon.

In a cheap apartment almost entirely filled with garbage, Gu Nan met the dejected middle-aged man—Kazuo Tsuburaya.

He is a direct descendant of Eiji Tsuburaya, the "God of Tokusatsu".

In the original world, he was the one who led the production of 18 tokusatsu works, including "Ultraman Tiga" and "Ultraman Dyna".

In other words, he ushered in the golden age of the Heisei Three Heroes.

However, at this moment, he was just an alcoholic burdened with the debts of his family's bankruptcy.

"Hmm...you want to buy the copyright?"

Kazuo Tsuburaya looked at the young Chinese student in front of him.

"Young man, you're too late. Decades ago, my foolish grandfather and father squandered all our wealth."

Gu Nan sat calmly on the tatami mat: "I know. I'm referring to the rest."

"The rest? Ha!"

Kazuo Tsuburaya smiled, his emotions unreadable, and stood up unsteadily, pulling a photocopy from a pile of old newspapers.

"Yes, I found it. Look, this is the 1976 Agreement."

Gu Nan looked down.

This document is the biggest scar in the history of tokusatsu (special effects) worldwide.

In this timeline, after finishing filming "Ultraman 80," Tsuburaya Productions, facing extreme financial difficulties, signed a top-secret agreement with Thailand's Chaiyo Company.

The agreement stipulates that Tsuburaya Productions will permanently transfer the exclusive global rights to "Ultra Q" and nine early works, from "Ultraman" to "Ultraman Taro," outside of Japan to Shinbo.

"That Thai man took this agreement and sold it to UM Company in Japan. Later, UM Company licensed it to you... Xia Country... uh, that 'Qiao Tianzun'... that's the name."

Kazuo Tsuburaya sat on the ground. "Right now, in your country, as long as it's Ultraman, whether it's red or silver, as long as it looks like him, Ultraman claims it as theirs. A decade or so ago, when the name Ultraman was still in people's minds, they took the copyrights to the original Ultraman, Seven, Jack, Ace, and Taro, and sold those cheap plastic toys and made those low-IQ comedy films!"

"What can I sell you? I have nothing left! Even the trademark for the words 'Ultraman' has been registered overseas by these robbers!"

Gu Nan listened quietly until the other person finished venting.

He then slowly opened his mouth and said in fluent Japanese:

No, you still have some.

Gu Nan took out another pre-prepared contract from his briefcase and pushed it over.

"The 1976 Agreement did indeed take away the overseas copyrights of the Showa Six Brothers. However, the list of works listed in the agreement was not fixed."

Gu Nan's eyes were sharp.

"What's not mentioned in the agreement belongs to the future."

Kazuo Tsuburaya was stunned: "The future?"

"What I want to buy are all the scrapped projects you have that weren't covered by the '1976 Agreement,' the authentic 'special effects technology' heritage of the Tsuburaya family, and..."

Gu Nan paused, then said, slowly and deliberately, "What we want is the production rights to all future Ultraman series."

"Since the old people of the Showa era have already been sold into slavery, then we will create new gods."

"In my hometown, there is a saying: 'No destruction, no construction.'"

……

At last.

That afternoon, Gu Nan used 50 million yen (approximately 2.5 million yuan), almost emptying all the funds he could mobilize at the time, to buy a pile of "worthless paper" that seemed worthless at the time.

This included a scrapped project draft titled "Ancient Titans".

It's a "youngest child" whose character design couldn't even be created.

It never came into being on the original timeline.

But in Gu Nan's hands, it will become the key to unlocking the Heisei era's golden age—Ultraman Tiga.

As for the Celestial Venerable Qi'ao?

That company that runs rampant in China by relying on "legal authorization," using the classic Ultraman Six Brothers to endorse toilets and low-quality web games?

Gu Nan is difficult to evaluate.

After all these years, the other party at least left some impression on Ultraman, who should have been buried in history long ago, in some places.

Perhaps, when the light of Ultraman Tiga illuminates the world, the audience will naturally know who the real Ultraman is.

Who is the true "light"?

……

Let's return to the present.

"Hey! Brother Nan? What are you thinking about? Your smile is so creepy."

A large hand waved in front of Gu Nan's eyes.

It's Zhang Zhao.

This tough guy, a Sanda major from the sports academy, is currently grimacing as he applies plasters to his body.

He had some bruises on his shoulders and knees.

He was the suit actor for Ultraman Tiga.

Yes, in a world without a professional special effects industry chain, Gu Nan couldn't find actors willing to wear heavy suits weighing over ten kilograms and perform difficult fighting moves in an airtight environment.

Ordinary extras find it too tiring, while professional stuntmen complain about the low pay and the fact that they don't get to show their faces.

Only Zhang Zhao, the good brother whom Gu Nan had lured in with the idea of ​​"for the sake of men's romance," shouldered this heavy responsibility.

"Old Zhang, you've worked hard."

Looking at his injuries, Gu Nan felt a little guilty. "The first episode received a good response, and the comments are full of praise for the hardcore action scenes."

"Absolutely!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Zhao's back pain vanished, and he patted his chest, saying, "You have no idea, that suit had such a narrow field of vision. Yesterday, when we were filming that last flying kick, I almost kicked the camera. But honestly, wearing that suit felt really different. It was like... I could really save the world."

"Alright, stop being so cocky."

In the corner, a boy with messy hair and dark circles under his eyes that were even darker than a panda's turned around.

He is Lin Xuan, a literary prodigy and also the studio's screenwriter.

"Brother Nan, I've finished polishing the script for the second episode."

Lin Xuan handed over the printed A4 paper. "According to your outline, the tone of this episode... is a bit heavy."

Gu Nan took the script.

Title: The Myth of Stone.

This is another classic series.

Gakuma, the monster that fed on stones but was considered a threat by humans and was tragically wiped out.

"Heavy is just right."

Gu Nan flipped through the script, his eyes focused. "Special effects isn't just about fighting monsters. If it's just about fighting, what's the difference between us and the toy movies that Qio Tianzun sells?"

"The story we're going to tell is the story of 'human beings'."

"But……"

Lin Xuan was somewhat worried, "Will the audience accept it? People find even short videos too long these days. Won't this kind of storyline exploring the conflict between humanity and nature be too preachy?"

"Don't underestimate the audience," Gu Nan said confidently. "Sincere things will always find an audience."

Just then, the studio door was pushed open.

Several boys from the neighboring dorm rooms peeked inside.

"Hey Gu Nan, I heard that the Ultraman Tiga series on Bilibili was made by you guys?"

"I watched it too! Holy crap, you played Zhang Zhao? That roundhouse kick move looked just like yours!"

"Awesome, guys! It's all over our department's group chat. They're saying our school has a phenomenal film crew that actually created a monster!"

Gradually, the studio became lively.

There were no talent scouts from big companies, nor were there investors with million-dollar checks.

Only the curiosity and excitement shining in the eyes of this group of equally young and passionate college students made Gu Nan feel more at ease than any capital's favor.

This is where word-of-mouth begins.

A single spark can start a prairie fire.

Gu Nan checked the time on his phone; it was 10 PM.

The first episode has quietly climbed to 900,000 views.

Although the increase wasn't astonishing, every new comment discussed the plot, the special effects, and the identity of the giant of light.

Some people have even started explaining in the comments what "miniature models" and "tokusatsu suits" are.

This means that the seeds have been planted.

"Everyone."

Gu Nan clapped his hands, interrupting everyone's chatter.

Although he was still a senior in college, at this moment, the aura he exuded was like that of a battle-hardened commander.

"The excitement's over, time to get back to work."

Gu Nan pointed to the whiteboard behind him, which was covered with storyboard sketches for the second episode.

"I only have 500,000 yuan left. That's the last bit of my family's savings, the start-up capital my dad gave me."

At this point, Gu Nan gave a self-deprecating laugh.

Two years ago, he made a solemn pledge to his father, receiving five million yuan, promising to return home and inherit a fortune of hundreds of millions if he failed to make a name for himself within two years.

In the past two years, he spent more than two million yuan on copyrights and materials, and the remaining one million yuan was all invested in equipment, renting venues, making suits and building models for the first episode.

It's fair to say that the first episode was entirely produced by burning through money.

"For the second episode, we'll be filming on location at a real quarry."

Gu Nan's eyes were fixed intently. "We've saved money on building the set, but when it comes to the explosions, I'm going to go big."

The explosion in the first episode was a mix of CG and physical models.

However, he wanted to replicate the awe-inspiring feeling of the original Ultraman Tiga.

"Fatty Wang, is the suit for Gakuma ready?"

"Alright, Brother Nan! As you requested, we've enhanced the rocky texture and shortened the legs a bit to better suit its reptile characteristics."

Wang Kai quickly replied.

"Old Zhang, you'll be playing two roles this episode. One is Ultraman Tiga, and the other is... the miner who gets turned to stone."

"Huh? That's pretty hard..."

"No problem! I'm better at acting!"

Zhang Zhao twisted his neck.

"Lin Xuan, polish the lines again, and those narrations as well."

"receive."

In this studio, looking at his group of energetic colleagues, Gu Nan felt a warm current well up in his heart.

Even though the Ultraman market outside is monopolized by "Qiao Tianzun".

Even if the general public does not yet know the meaning of "light".

But starting today, starting from this studio.

The era that belonged to the Heisei Three Heroes, the era that belonged to light, is about to begin in this parallel world.