novelslam Chapter 99 The entire internet is in an uproar! This is a dead end!
Chapter 99 The entire internet is in an uproar! This is a dead end!
The live stream screen seemed to freeze.
Old Tang sat in his gaming chair, the cigarette in his hand half-burned. A long ash fell onto his thigh with a "thud," scalding him and bringing him back to his senses from the suffocating ending he had just witnessed.
"grass!"
Normally, the live stream would have been flooded with comments like "Old Tang is scared to death" and "What do you say about this?"
But not today.
The comments scrolling across the screen were sparse, each one conveying a sense of utter despair.
Did they really lose?
Ultraman Tiga turned to stone and sank into the sea. What's the point of playing anymore?
I shut down my computer, sat on the balcony, and smoked three cigarettes, but I still couldn't figure out how to solve this problem.
Is this old scoundrel Gu taking revenge on society? Why is he pulling this stunt?
Old Tang took a deep breath, stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray, and rubbed his stiff cheeks vigorously.
As the top streamer in Bilibili's tokusatsu section and the "leader" of all Ultraman Tiga fans, he can't afford to break down at this time.
If even he loses hope, then the "light" of these brothers will truly be extinguished.
"Brothers, stop howling!"
Old Tang's voice was a little hoarse, but he forced himself to take a breath and brought the microphone closer.
"Listen to me, everyone! This isn't the end yet! We've watched that old scoundrel Gu Nan film for a year, don't you know his tricks? He uses a technique of building suspense before revealing the truth! This is the ultimate form of understatement!"
"If Tiga were still alive and kicking, how would we convey the exhilarating feeling of a comeback from a desperate situation?"
As Lao Tang spoke, he quickly opened a WPS document, which was his "tactical whiteboard" used for live broadcast debriefing.
"Come on, let's analyze this rationally. Although the situation seems hopeless right now, as a ten-year... oh no, one-year longtime fan, I think Gu Laozei definitely has a backup plan. Let's discuss how Ultraman Tiga will win!"
The live stream's popularity began to recover, and everyone stared intently at Lao Tang's analysis as if they were drowning people grasping at straws.
"First, the first possibility!"
Old Tang typed a few large characters on the document: "[Borrowing Power from Light]".
"Brothers, do you remember episode 25, 'The Devil's Trial'?"
"Back then, Tiga was also beaten so badly that all the lights went out. In the end, what made him win? It was the light of humanity! Everyone held flashlights and car headlights, giving Tiga light and reviving him!"
The comments section reacted instantly.
[Yeah! I cried watching that episode!]
Is this another instance of all humanity giving light?
That makes sense; it fits Ultraman Tiga's theme perfectly.
But Old Tang frowned, then shook his head and added a question mark after the line of text.
"That's a possibility, but... there's a huge bug."
Old Tang pointed to the screenshot he had just taken on the screen—the dark and desolate Pacific Ocean.
"Last time it was in the city center, late at night, and everyone could see Tiga with their lights on. But this time? Tiga sank into the sea! He sank into the ruins of R'lyeh!"
"That's thousands of meters deep in the ocean, that's Gatanothor's lair! The black fog blots out the sun; physically, ordinary light can't penetrate it at all!"
"Furthermore, look at Gatanothor's defense. While the Kirieloids were strong, they were still considered 'monsters.' This giant conch shell... it's a god! Can ordinary light energy really revive Tiga and break through that shell?"
The live stream fell silent again.
Yes, we've tried the combined type, the powerful type, and even the high-frequency cutting of the aerial type of Shining Hatchling, but it didn't leave a single mark.
Even if it revives, what's the use if it can't break through the defenses?
"Then the second possibility!"
Old Tang typed the second line: "[Friendly support/Earth monsters awaken]".
"Don't we have a lot of unresolved plot points? Like Obik, who wanted to go home. Although he's dead, could there be other supernatural powers at play? And what about Georzak? Wasn't that created by humans, or some other native Earth monster? After all, Gatanothor is going to destroy the world. When the nest is overturned, no egg remains unbroken. Could Earth's monsters come out to help?"
At this point, some viewers started discussing the topic in the live chat.
[Yeah, who knows, maybe humanity will send some Zentradi technology to help us? Aren't there lots of aliens on this world?]
"...Human technology...a technological explosion? Kallen from episode 42, what if that kind of artificial intelligence were reused?"
Before Lao Tang could finish speaking, someone in the live chat refuted him.
[Old Tang, stop jinxing us. Earth's monsters are just easy prey for Gatanothor.]
[The demon bird Zoga is flying everywhere; ordinary monsters are simply ganged up on and killed.]
[A technological explosion is unrealistic. Humanity's most powerful warship, the Atlas, struggled to defeat Goblin before; now it can't even fight an evil god?]
Old Tang sighed and crossed out this line.
He also felt it was unreliable, as the size difference was too great.
That giant conch shell is over 200 meters long just above the water, and its main body plus tentacles is probably over 1,000 meters long. How can we fight it?
"That leaves the third possibility, which I also think is quite profound."
Old Tang's expression turned serious, and he typed the third line of text: "[Humanity kills gods]".
"Brothers, do you remember what happened in episode 49, 'Ultraman Planet'?"
[It's only been two weeks, how could I forget!]
[Exactly! That was a divine episode!]
[Could it be that Old Tang means... the First Generation?]
"No, no, no, I didn't mean the original series is coming back. That would be overshadowing the main story. This is Ultraman Tiga, not the original series."
Old Tang quickly refuted the speculation in the comments.
"Episode 49 is a tribute to the original Ultraman. But in the finale of the original Ultraman series, who ultimately defeated the invincible space dinosaur Zetton?"
The screen instantly flooded with comments: 【Soccer Team!】
"That's right! It's a human!"
Old Tang slammed his hand on the table. "Director Gu Nan has been emphasizing the brilliance of 'humanity' all along. Daigo also said that he is both light and humanity. If Ultraman's 'godly' side loses, shouldn't it be 'humanity's' turn to step up?"
"TPC still has trump cards up its sleeve! The Atdis! The Megas Cannon! Since Ultraman's beams can't break through, can't we use humanity's most advanced physical destruction weapon to blow up the R'lyeh Ruins?"
"That makes perfect sense! To emphasize the idea that 'humans don't need gods to protect the Earth,' they had Tiga turn into a stone statue to protect humanity, then humanity awakens, uses technology to defeat Gatanothor, and rescues Daigo. The plot... while a bit tragic, has a very high message!"
In the live stream, many viewers were convinced.
Holy crap, this actually works!
[Human finishing off an opponent? That's so exciting!]
If that's the case, then Daigo doesn't have to die?
[But I always feel... that's Gatanothor, after all. Are human cannons really effective? Even Shining Tiga's ultimate attack was ineffective.]
Looking at the comments, Lao Tang wasn't really sure himself.
The oppressive aura emanating from Gatanothor transcends the material realm.
This isn't the kind of oppressive feeling you get from monsters like Zetton!
That black mist can directly interfere with electronic devices and can even petrify giants of light.
Can human technology truly reach the realm of God?
"There's a fourth possibility..."
Old Tang's voice lowered as he typed a few words: "[Escape/Bad Ending]".
"Have we all forgotten episode 45, 'Life Forever'? That episode with Zigera actually explored what to do if Earth couldn't be saved. With current technology, TPC is capable of building spaceships."
"If... I mean if, Gu Nan really wanted to make a masterpiece of realism, would the ending be: Tiga sacrifices himself, sealing Gatanothor with his final stone statue body, or at least buying time. Then the surviving humans escape Earth aboard the Atdis to find a new home?"
"Like 'The Wandering Earth'? Or like 'The Three-Body Problem'?"
The live stream chat exploded instantly.
Shut up! Old Tang, shut up!
I won't listen! I don't want to be a homeless person!
[No, no, no! I don't want this ending! If that old scoundrel Gu dares to film it like this, I'll bomb his studio tomorrow!]
Although my rational mind tells me this is realistic, I can't accept it emotionally!
[Daigo and Rena aren't married yet! Why are you running away?!]
Old Tang gave a wry smile and lit a second cigarette.
"I can't accept it either. But brothers, facing such a mountain of despair, what else can we do but run away? I can't think of anything. Even if we used the strongest Magus cannon in human history, even if we threw all of humanity's nuclear missiles at it, I think it would only scratch Gatanothor's surface."
"Unless... unless there really is a miracle in this world."
Old Tang leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling, muttering to himself, "But, after all that harsh reality we've been built up to, will Gu Nan really give us a fairytale miracle in the end?"
"I think it's unlikely. There's also the possibility of a sealing ending. Tiga falls asleep, sealing Gatanothor away, the darkness recedes, and humanity rebuilds their homes on the ruins, awaiting the next awakening of light. That would be the best ending."
……
Old Tang's live stream was just a microcosm of the storm sweeping the internet.
That night, all major social media platforms were completely paralyzed.
The top ten trending topics on Weibo are all about Ultraman Tiga.
#Tiga's defeat#
#Daigo turned into a stone statue#
#GatanjeorDespair#
#GuNanHasNoHeart#
#Who can save Ultraman Tiga?#
On Zhihu, an elite forum known for its "average annual salary of one million yuan," discussions about the finale of Ultraman Tiga have gone wild.
A question surged to the top of the trending list within just two hours, garnering over 100 million views:
How would you rate episode 51 of Ultraman Tiga, "The Dark Ruler"? Given Tiga's defeat and the sinking of his statue, how will the story unfold?
The top-rated answer comes from a hardcore answerer in the tokusatsu (special effects) section with the ID "Light Saw Man," and has over 10 likes:
[Thanks for the invitation. I'm currently at TPC Far East Headquarters, and I just moved to the Atlas (just kidding).]
I just finished watching episodes 51 and 52, and my hands are shaking so badly I can't type.
In conclusion: This is the most desperate, most depressing, yet also the most legendary episode in the history of Chinese film and television dramas.
Director Gu Nan's audiovisual language and the creation of a sense of despair in this episode have completely transcended the scope of tokusatsu films; it's practically a Cthulhu-style disaster blockbuster.
Returning to the original question, how do we win?
I paused and analyzed every frame of these two episodes, and the data I obtained was devastating.
Defensive Analysis: Tiga's Composite Zepellion Ray (set temperature hundreds of thousands of degrees), Aerial Lampard Bullet (high explosive), Powerful Delasium Beam (ultra-high density thermal energy), and even the final "Powerful Zepellion Ray," which combined the power of the Powerful and the starting technique of the Composite, only caused slight charring on Gatanothor's carapace, which instantly healed. This means that conventional energy attacks are ineffective against it. Physical defense = ∞, Magic resistance = ∞.
Attack Power Analysis: The black mist is corrosive, disruptive, and suffocating. That purple piercing beam of light instantly sent Tiga flying back to his stone statue. This weapon that steals light is a weapon of causality. Anyone who gets touched by it will die.
Environmental Analysis: The battlefield is in the Ruins of R'lyeh, in the deep sea. This is Gatanothor's home turf. Ultraman Tiga's underwater combat is already limited, and after turning into a stone statue, he is completely suppressed.
In conclusion, from the perspective of power level inconsistency, Tiga has no chance of turning the tide. Even his so-called new form with golden light emanating from his body is only good for clearing out mobs; it's completely ineffective against bosses.
So, how would Gu Nan write it?
Since we can't win in terms of combat power, we can only resort to the "idealistic" route or the "plot kill".
I speculate that there are several possibilities:
Option A (Tragic Hero Line).
This is also the most mainstream theory at present. Although Daigo's consciousness has disappeared, the stone statue remains.
After all, the conditions for Tiga's revival were mentioned in the first season finale.
Therefore, TPC may somehow inject enormous energy into the statue, detonating it and destroying it along with Gatanothor.
This is the most tragic ending: Daigo dies, darkness vanishes, and humanity survives to remember the hero. This fits Gu Nan's style as someone who likes "knife" characters.
Option B (Civilization Ascension Line):
As Yuzare previously stated, the reason the Ancient Titans left was because it was humanity's own choice.
So now, is it necessary for humanity to make some kind of "right choice"?
Or should all of humanity escape? Or take another route to preserve the flame?
This is actually the most realistic and feasible route.
Option C (Deus Ex):
Suddenly a new Ultraman appears, or the Land of Light on Ultraman Star sends reinforcements.
According to the established lore, if dozens of Ultramen ganged up on Gatanothor, they could indeed win. However, this would weaken the independence and tragic beauty of the Tiga series, making it less likely.
Therefore, I personally prefer option A. Gu Nan is a ruthless person. Since he dared to let Daigo transform in front of Rena and dared to petrify Tiga, he dared to give an imperfect ending.
Everyone, prepare yourselves. Next Friday might be the day we have to say goodbye to Daigo.
……
The comments section below this answer was a complete mess.
"Shut up, OP! Option A is absolutely unacceptable! I'd rather die than live like Daigo!"
"I think Option B is pretty good. Isn't the point of tokusatsu (special effects) to have a fairytale-like quality?"
"If that old scoundrel Gu dares to kill off Daigo, I'll never watch his shows again!"
Immediately afterwards, another highly-rated answer appeared. This answer didn't involve much data analysis; it was all about emotion.
Answerer ID: "Eternal Victory Team Member":
I disagree with any of the analyses above!
You're all calculating data, calculating attack power, calculating defense power.
What do you take Ultraman Tiga for? A weapon? A data packet?
Have you forgotten what Daigo said when he turned into light?
"Daigo, you are both light and humanity!"
Have you forgotten what Lina shouted in episode 50?
"Does Ultraman have an obligation to shoulder the responsibility of protecting the Earth all by himself?"
Director Gu used a full 50 episodes to tell a story: Tiga is not a god, Tiga is a human being, and everyone has light in their heart.
Now, Tiga has fallen, Daigo has fallen.
What does this mean? It means the protection of "God" has ended.
Next, it's our turn!
I don't know how Gu Nan will film it, but I firmly believe that the final victory will not rely on any alien reinforcements, nor on any self-destruction or mutual destruction.
It must be us! It's humanity itself!
Just like in the Kirieloid episode, we once gave Tiga light.
This time, even if he is in the deep sea, even if he is in hell, I believe that as long as our voices are loud enough, the light will surely reach him!
Don't forget, what were the opening and ending themes called before?
Love Theme from TIGA!
What's the name of the new opening theme song?
Miracles Reappear!
Love and miracles—that's the core of Ultraman Tiga!
Daigo didn't die! He was just waiting for us!
Let's go wake him up!
I'll be watching this on Friday.
Even if the whole world is shrouded in darkness, I will still believe in the light!
The comments section for this answer is completely different.
"I cried, bro."
"That's right! We must believe in the light!"
"That year, I became light. Was that just empty talk?"
"No matter how it ends, Ultraman Tiga is already a masterpiece in my heart."
"As long as we believe, the light will never disappear!"
……
The online uproar continued late into the night.
In the western suburbs of Jinghai City, Gu Nan's studio is still brightly lit.
Outside the window, the night was pitch black. In this parallel world without Tiga, the night sky seemed particularly oppressive, with hardly any stars in sight.
On the computer screen in front of Gu Nan, a series of shocking trending search terms were displayed.
Su Zhe, Xia Youwei, Zhang Zhao, and a group of core members of the studio were all gathered around Gu Nan.
Everyone looked very serious, and some of the more emotional female editors even had red eyes.
"Brother Nan..."
Chen Bo swallowed hard, his voice trembling slightly. "Isn't this commotion... a bit too much? I just glanced at it, and they've even labeled you a 'depressing director.' Some people are even saying they're going to organize a group to throw paint at our studio entrance..."
"and,"
He looked at the data report and said, "Although the popularity is explosive, the negative sentiment index has also reached its peak. The audience is too desperate right now. If the finale cannot perfectly release this emotion, we... may suffer the most severe backlash in history."
This is the truth.
The more forceful the suppression, the more satisfying the subsequent praise.
But if the suppression goes too far, or the praise isn't high enough, then it's a disaster, a failed project, or a fraud.
Right now, tens of millions, even hundreds of millions, of viewers across the internet are being held captive by Gu Nan.
If he can't catch his breath next week, then Gu Nan's reputation will be ruined.
Xia Youwei looked at Gu Nan, her eyes filled with worry: "Director Gu, will that ending really satisfy everyone? After all, even I think Gatanothor is too strong, so strong that it makes people despair."
She only participated in the entire performance of the role of Lina, and has not yet seen the final version of "Ultraman Tiga".
Therefore, it is normal to have worries.
As the actress playing Lina, she was completely immersed in the role.
During the filming of the ending, those heart-wrenching screams were a genuine expression of her emotions.
Gu Nan put down his coffee cup, turned around, and looked at his partners who had fought alongside him for a year.
His face showed no sign of panic, but rather a hint of...excitement.
Yes, I'm excited.
This is exactly the effect he wanted.
If there were no darkness covering the sky, how could the light pierce the heavens the moment it bursts forth?
If it weren't for the despair felt across the entire internet, how could we be moved to tears when the song "Ultraman Forever" played again and when that golden light illuminated the whole world?
Don't worry.
Gu Nan stood up, walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, and looked at the scattered lights of the city in the distance.
"All you see is despair."
"But what I saw was dry wood igniting a raging fire."
"The audience today is like a pile of firewood that has dried up to its limit. Their despair, their resentment, and their tears are the best fuel for combustion."
Gu Nan turned around, his eyes flashing with a deep blue light like the Ultraman Tiga timer.
"Next week."
"We don't need to do anything."
"Those who argue on Zhihu, those who curse me on Weibo, those children who secretly cry in bed..."
"They will become light on their own."
Episode 52, "To Those Who Shine".
"This is not the ending I wrote for them."
"This is the ending they wrote for themselves."
……
This night is destined to be sleepless.
Countless people wait in the darkness.
Waiting for that ray of light to return.
Gu Nan knew that the legend of "that year, I also became light" was about to be reenacted in this parallel world.