AWB Chapter 75 The Sleeping Girl and the Thorny Flower
Chapter 75 The Sleeping Girl and the Thorny Flower
(Because the plot is being sped up, the author of a relatively low-profile series needs to write a two-part story, which requires adjusting the order of the original episodes. This chapter is from episodes 35 and 37.)
Jinghai City, Chasing Light Film and Television Base.
Inside Studio 3, the atmosphere was so cold it felt as if one were truly atop Kunlun Mountain.
"Dry ice machine! Maximum power!"
Gu Nan held the walkie-talkie, his eyes fixed on the monitor. "I want that chilling feeling, even the eyebrows should have a frosty texture!"
The film currently being shot is episode 35 of "Ultraman Tiga" - "The Sleeping Girl".
In Gu Nan's original world, this episode's script was a slightly terrifying story; the appearance of the Desis Galaxy's incarnations in the underworld was a childhood nightmare for many.
In the center of the field, Youwei, who plays Lina, is wearing a thin team uniform and is suspended in mid-air by wires.
Opposite her was an alien in an extremely bizarre costume—a Desis alien.
"Sleeping Beauty" was his code name.
However, unlike its name, this alien had a thin body, a head that was half the size of its body, and huge almond-shaped eyes.
"Okay, Youwei, watch your expression!"
Gu Nan shouted loudly.
"You're no longer that gentle member of the GUTS team. Your body houses an alien soul betrayed and abandoned by humanity for 24 years! I want to see that resentment in your eyes, and that arrogant indifference!"
Youwei took a deep breath and nodded.
"Action!"
As the clapperboard sounded, "Lina," whose eyes were originally lively, instantly changed her demeanor.
She tilted her head slightly, a stiff and eerie smile curving her lips, her voice becoming sharp and ethereal: "Humans... only hinder the progress of the Earth... the existence of humans will only cause this Earth to rot..."
Behind the monitor, Su Zhe rubbed the goosebumps on his arms.
"Tsk tsk tsk, Youwei usually looks like a gentle girl, but right now she looks like she's been possessed."
Gu Nan smiled slightly: "That's the contrast. The audience is used to seeing Lina as the 'female lead' and so sweet. In this episode, I want them to see the resilience of the 'female warrior,' and... the impact of when something beautiful is destroyed."
The core of this episode is not just about fighting monsters, but also a reflection on the Cold War mentality of that particular era.
……
On Friday night, episode 35 of "Ultraman Tiga," which is also the tenth episode of season two, titled "The Sleeping Girl," was released on Bilibili.
When the scenes for this episode unfolded, the comment section exploded again.
The story begins with a sense of suspense.
This episode begins with a recap of the previous episode.
The true mastermind behind the biological weapons attack on the Crimson Isles will be revealed...
The plot unfolds gradually.
The idea of establishing Victory Team organizations in various branches of TPC, which Sawai mentioned in the previous episode, is also being rapidly promoted, and TPC Europe is currently organizing its teams.
Operational forces comparable to the Victory Team, and performance tests comparable to the Victory Flying Swallow, have begun.
"Our current equipment is far from sufficient. In order to deal with the invasion of alien planets, we must improve our defense and counterattack system as soon as possible!"
But faced with the rapid armament progress of various branches around the world and the reactions of high-ranking officials in various countries, Captain Intermediate finally expressed her concerns.
"Excuse me, but I have to interject... We can't go back any further!"
One sentence silenced everyone in the meeting.
"We can never go back to the old days when nations were frantically arming themselves! Why are aliens now eyeing our Earth with such hostility...?"
"Furthermore, why are ancient monsters like dinosaurs, which were thought to have been caused by external factors, now resurrected?"
"The arms race-like upgrade of weapons is endless..."
As the captain of the GUTS team, it's hard for Megumi not to be wary of aliens eyeing Earth.
Because the powerful energy of the Max Propulsion System shines brightly on this earth, it must have served as a warning signal...
When questioned about the true reason for the resurgence of the ancient monsters, Giji subconsciously recalled Yuzare, who had told them about it...
However, Yuzare did not provide any information on this matter...
The representatives from each branch displayed subtle expressions as the meeting concluded with them logging off one by one…
Given a foreseeable external enemy, uniting as a supranational actor (TPC) is normal. However, abandoning military preparedness seems extremely bizarre. Shouldn't the normal approach be to unite and strengthen military capabilities together? Consider humanity's united effort to build a space fleet in *The Three-Body Problem*. This idea of abandoning military preparedness and simply lying low is completely incomprehensible…
[Because there's no guarantee that after the weaponry is upgraded, the guns will be pointed at someone, right?]
[It's likely that the technology is being shelved. However, many technologies have both military and civilian applications. That explains why the Flying Swallow could be transformed into an attack fighter so quickly in the first episode. Again, the fault lies not with the knife, but with the person. Aircraft carriers can also be used for transport. Transport ships can also be used as weapons depots.]
So, is Roswell real...?
……
Then, as the plot progresses...
A storyline capable of creating countless childhood traumas has emerged...
Lina has been targeted by the Desis alien codenamed "Sleeping Beauty"...
On the screen, the scene where the alien possessed Lina and gave Daigo a cold laugh immediately created a terrifying atmosphere.
[Holy crap! Lina, what's wrong with you?!]
[That look in his eyes is terrifying! Is this what acting is all about?]
I used to think Lina was just there for the beauty, but she turned completely evil in this episode!
Am I the only one paying attention to the plot? This alien seems like a pitiful character too, having been imprisoned for 24 years...
Those who are not of our kind must have different hearts.
It turns out that back in the old defense force era, humans had already captured this alien life form and conducted secret research on it for more than 20 years.
In the scene, Lina, who is possessed, reveals a sinister smile in a steam-filled laboratory.
"Give Lina back her body! Why did you pick on Lina?" Daigo roared angrily.
Lina simply tossed her hair aside, her eyes full of mockery: "Haha, isn't my body in good shape now? Hero of Light."
She even approached Daigo, using that face he knew so well, and uttered the cruelest words: "Humans will only hinder the progress of the Earth; the existence of humans will only cause this Earth to rot. Humans will only repeat what they have done before."
After saying that, "Lina" boarded a small Daisymania and headed towards the Kunlun Mountains...
However, before it left, it left behind a sentence that seemed to have only a superficial meaning:
"Ha... even when the previous era faced annihilation, they were unable to avert its inevitable demise..."
……
Then, under the subconscious call of Rena while she was asleep, Daigo, whose resolve was strengthened, transformed into Ultraman Tiga.
However, Tiga's instantaneous teleportation to the Kunlun Mountains consumed a large amount of energy, and his red light flashed as soon as he appeared.
They even had to block the Texas cannons from the Flying Swallow II to avoid hurting Lina.
That anxious feeling of "not daring to harm the innocent" kept the audience on the edge of their seats.
Ultraman Tiga was extremely frustrated.
Because Lina is located on the monster's head, every attack could potentially harm her.
The monster attacked furiously, and Tiga could only withstand the attacks with his body.
The red light flashed, and Tiga knelt on the ground, his huge body looking so helpless.
"Attack! Daigo, you idiot! That's a monster!"
[Shut upstairs! That's Lina! Are you going to pay for it if you break it?]
[These aliens are so cunning, using Lina as a hostage!]
In the original version, Rena was rescued by Tiga seizing an opportunity and directly cutting open the monster's head.
However, Gu Nan added a detail here: at the moment Tiga cut open the Space Steel Dragon Guva's wooden body, Lina, who was trapped inside, was not completely unconscious.
After all, in the original work, it was Rena's timeless call that guided Daigo to save her.
In this moment of despair, Tiga used telepathy to call out to Rena.
Inside the monster, Lina, bound by mental chains, seemed to hear that familiar voice.
She did not wait for rescue.
In her mental world, she suddenly opened her eyes!
"Never underestimate... the will of humanity!"
In reality, Lina, the monster's head, managed to regain control of her body momentarily through her own will, successfully influencing Guwamu!
This roar shattered the aliens' control and ignited Tiga's last fighting spirit.
The palm-shaped light blade sliced through in an instant!
Daigo forced the alien's soul out of Rena's body.
Once freed from his hostage status, Guwamu is nothing but a target in front of Ultraman Tiga!
Without any restraints, Tiga still displayed astonishing fighting power even in red light mode.
The monster was defeated.
The moment the monster fell
As the sun set, Lina woke up in Daigo's arms. Looking at Daigo, her eyes were no longer cold, but filled with tenderness.
"It feels like I had a very long dream..."
This line instantly silenced the previously clamoring and fighting comment section.
Although neither of them said it explicitly, the eye contact they exchanged at that moment made countless CP fans scream in front of their screens after it went online.
So sweet!!!
Can you imagine what it feels like to watch this episode of Ultraman Tiga alone at home at night...? It's a psychological trauma...
Is it possible that Lina has been possessed, and that the characters in the later part of the story are actually that alien?
[Huh? The poet upstairs is holding hands.]
[Lina's acting in this episode was phenomenal! The transition from a cold-blooded alien to her restored gaze at the end was incredibly smooth.]
……
A week passed in the blink of an eye.
If episode 35 was a cold realism, then the 37th episode of the original work that Gu Nan is about to film is a complete Eastern romanticism.
Here, Gu Nan made a slight adjustment to the order, swapping episodes 36 and 37 of the original work.
Chasing light movie.
Gu Nan looked at a set of concept images on his phone in his mind.
He needs to remove all the Japanese elements.
In the original script, this episode was called "Flowers," and the setting was cherry blossom viewing, that kind of Japanese aesthetic of mono no aware (the pathos of things)...
This is a parallel world, this is Kyoto, not Tokyo.
We need to capture the essence of the Xia Dynasty, the atmosphere that belongs to us.
Gu Nan's modifications added peach blossoms and crabapple blossoms to the cherry blossoms.
The setting cannot be a Japanese garden; instead, a Chinese garden should be built.
It needs the dreamlike quality of "The Peach Blossom Spring" and the eerie atmosphere of "Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio".
Gu Nan knew very well that the original episode 37, "Flower," was a work with a very "stream of consciousness" style, telling the story of the Manon aliens using the flower viewing party to attack TPC.
The original version is full of rich Japanese elements such as Kabuki, Noh, sake, and cherry blossoms.
If we were to copy this approach verbatim, it would certainly not be well-suited to the world, especially this country.
Therefore, Gu Nan decided to make sweeping changes!
"I hope the clothes will be more sophisticated."
Gu Nan looked at the costume designer and said, "That Manong alien, design me as an ancient scholar or alchemist, holding a folding fan, speaking in a refined and scholarly manner, with a sinister and 'refined' air about me."
"As for the captain..."
Gu Nan narrowed his eyes, the aura of the actress who played Captain Kijima surfacing in his mind.
"Prepare a set of modernized Hanfu-style casual wear for her, something that is gentle and elegant, yet capable and efficient when she's working."
……
On set.
Shed No. 1 has been transformed into a magnificent "peach blossom forest".
Tens of thousands of highly realistic silk flowers hang from the branches, creating a dreamlike atmosphere of falling petals, combined with blowers and lights.
"This episode is the captain's solo show."
Gu Nan said to the actress playing the captain, "In previous episodes, you mostly sat in the command room strategizing. But this time, I want you to show the power of 'Ju-chan' as a female leader. Faced with the aliens' coercion and enticement, it's not Tiga who saves you, but you who stand up and fight back."
"Understood." The actress smiled slightly, a hint of heroism in her eyes. "I've been wanting to stretch my muscles for a while now."
……
It's Friday again.
Episode 37 of Ultraman Tiga, titled "Flower," has arrived as promised.
As soon as the video was opened, the viewers were stunned by the beauty of the scene before them.
It is no longer a technologically advanced base, nor a city of steel and concrete.
The scene depicts a traditional Chinese garden shrouded in mist. Peach blossoms are in full bloom, their petals falling in profusion.
The members of the Victory Team, unusually dressed in casual clothes, held a team-building flower viewing party here.
The background music was no longer a stirring symphony, but a melodious and gentle flute tune, conveying a sense of "stealing half a day of leisure from a busy life".
Wow! What a sudden change in art style! So beautiful!
Where is this? Is there really such a magical place in Jinghai?
Having grown accustomed to violence and bloodshed, this sudden shift to a pastoral style feels quite jarring.
This is the calm before the storm; I know Gu Laozei's tricks.
In the storyline, the team members are happily eating, drinking, and having fun, but only Daigo and the captain notice something is amiss.
A strange fragrance filled the air, and the surroundings were eerily quiet.
The plaintive and melodious Kunqu opera singing style is interspersed with a hint of eerie suona sound.
"Such a beautiful day, such a lovely scene, yet what a pity! Whose courtyard enjoys such delightful pleasures..."
The sound seemed to come from near and far, carrying a sinister, ghostly aura.
Just then, a strange man wearing a long robe and waving a folding fan appeared.
He recited obscure and difficult-to-understand ancient poems as he walked step by step toward the lone captain.
In this segment, Gu Nan deliberately used a lot of "stream of consciousness" editing.
On that bizarre stage, the Manong aliens revealed their true colors—two actors with strangely painted faces.
"The Earth is so beautiful, yet humanity doesn't know how to cherish it. Why not leave it to us?"
The camera rapidly switches between swaying flower branches, the strange man's pale masked face, and the captain's wary eyes, creating a dreamlike yet perilous sense of displacement.
"The woman from Earth... your captain, I'm taking her with me."
The strange man—the Manonian—has shed his disguise.
The once elegant peach blossom grove was instantly transformed into a battlefield fraught with danger.
At this time, apart from Daigo, who was not unconscious due to his "special constitution", all the other team members were knocked unconscious by pollen.
But the Manonians didn't take Daigo seriously; they only had one target—Captain Kijima.
In their logic, the organization would collapse as long as the leader was controlled.
"Too naive."
Viewers watching on screen could only sigh that this alien simply didn't understand the strength of human women, especially this Iron Lady.
The climax is here.
Faced with two superpowered Manonians, Captain Kei did not scream for help like the heroines in traditional dramas.
Her eyes narrowed, and she pulled out a specially made Victory Hyper gun from under her long dress.
"Bang! Bang!"
Two shots rang out, precise and swift.
What followed was a spectacular close-quarters combat scene.
Although the actress playing the captain is a woman, she is just as agile as any man.
With an over-the-shoulder throw followed by a spinning kick, she sent an alien disguised as a maid flying.
Those movements were fluid and graceful, displaying remarkable skill and elegance!
She stood amidst the falling crabapple blossoms, her gaze piercing, and her action of drawing her gun was swift and decisive.
"Flowers bloom and fade, their own time is predetermined. The beauty of this land lies precisely in the fact that it has witnessed our joys and sorrows. It has no need for outsiders like you to point fingers!"
The live chat exploded instantly.
Holy crap! The captain's so cool!
[That's so cool! I declare myself a traitor! I don't like Lina anymore, I'm going to be the captain's dog!]
Who says women are inferior to men? This fighting power is far stronger than that plane crash king from Xincheng!
[New City: Are you being polite?]
[These lines, this atmosphere... Gu Nan, are you preparing for graduate school?]
[Is this the captain of the GUTS team? I love him!]
The Manonians clearly hadn't expected this Earth woman to be so difficult. Enraged, they grew to gigantic size.
On the ground, the captain's hair was disheveled and his mouth was bloody, but his eyes remained as firm as iron.
She watched as Tiga appeared in the sky and calmly ordered into the communicator, "Everyone wake up! Support Tiga! We can't let this monster who destroys everything run rampant!"
In this episode, Gu Nan also handled the battle scenes of Ultraman Tiga with great aesthetic appeal.
Amidst the rain of peach blossoms, the duel between Ultraman Tiga and the Manon aliens is less like a fight and more like a dance of violent aesthetics.
Ultraman Tiga and the Manon aliens engage in a fierce battle in a garden at sunset.
The enormous size did not detract from the classical beauty; on the contrary, it evoked a sense of awe, as if a giant had descended to earth.
Gu Nan deliberately used a slow-motion technique.
Every punch Tiga throws is accompanied by a flurry of flower petals.
The background music wasn't a stirring battle anthem, but rather a poignant and passionate pipa solo. The urgent feeling of "large and small pearls falling onto a jade plate" perfectly matched the rhythm of the battle.
When Ultraman Tiga's final beam shattered the Manon aliens, a shower of flowers fell from the sky, as if it were a grand farewell.
Especially the final blow, when Tiga's beam pierced through the rain of flowers and shattered the Manon aliens, the scene froze into a stunning ink painting.
……
For two consecutive weeks, female characters have been in the spotlight.
The online discussion has once again reached a fever pitch.
This time, the focus of the discussion was no longer just on Ultraman Tiga, but on the two female characters from the GUTS team.
On Weibo's trending topics list, the hashtags #Lina'sActingStunning# and #CaptainJuJianHuiIsATrueQueen# have already appeared.
A well-known film and television influencer posted a comment:
"Gu Nan isn't just filming tokusatsu; he's creating an ensemble cast. These two episodes completely shatter the stereotype that female characters in tokusatsu dramas are merely 'decorative figures' or 'those who need saving.'"
"In episode 10, Lina shows the struggle and pain of being swept up by fate; in episode 11, Kijima shows the wisdom and strength of a leader. They are independent, strong, and flesh-and-blood."
"Gu Nan uses these two episodes to tell us: In TPC, there is no distinction between genders, only warriors."
"The thrill of male-oriented content lies in leveling up and defeating monsters; but the thrill for all ages lies in the charm of the characters. When audiences of all ages and genders begin to fall in love with every supporting character, 'Ultraman Tiga' has already succeeded."
(This episode is too stream-of-consciousness. The author admits that he didn't understand it himself and had to adapt it for the local audience. Some parts had to be blurred. The artistry of this episode is too high. As for how high... it's as high as three or four stories.)