SWDnovel Chapter 134, aired in two episodes: One Ball to the Soul and Utter Despair.
Chapter 134, aired in two episodes: One Ball to the Soul and Utter Despair.
With the conclusion of the fourth episode, "Battle! Underground City," the powerful Dyna's violently aesthetic physique is deeply etched in the minds of every viewer.
A week later, the new series arrived as scheduled.
For the series "Ultraman Dyna", Gu Nan's ambition is obviously not limited to creating the growth story of a hot-blooded fool. He wants to expand the narrative boundaries of the Ultraman series through each episode.
The next two weeks will feature episode 5, "A Victorious Strike," and episode 6, "The Biggest Monster on Earth."
A male dormitory at a university in Jinghai City.
"Here it comes!"
As a seasoned tokusatsu fan, Lao Zhang had already prepared a small stool. Behind him, several of his roommates, who originally only watched ball games, had also become fans of the "strong type" and gathered around to watch.
Starting from the fifth episode, the art style suddenly changed.
Instead of a tense monster invasion right away, the scene shifts to the rest area of the TPC base.
The Super Victory team members were sitting around the television, which was showing a news report about a professional baseball pitcher named Yuichi Himuro.
This talented pitcher, who once joined the American league, won fifteen games, and was known as "The Magician," has now quietly returned to his home country.
The news anchor lamented that this player, who enjoys the reputation of "Rookie of the Year" in the United States, has not won a single game recently.
"baseball?"
Old Zhang's roommate was stunned for a moment, "Is this episode going to be about sports?"
Baseball isn't very popular in China, and most people don't even know much about the rules.
Old Zhang waved his hand: "Don't rush, Director Gu's scripts never have any nonsense."
Sure enough, the plot moved forward quickly.
Shin Asuka has an extraordinary affection for this "Ice Senior".
It turns out that during his high school years, Asuka was also a pitcher in the school's baseball club, and Hyoyuu was his teammate and senior.
In Asuka's subsequent recollection, everyone learns that although both are baseball pitchers, Asuka excels at straight pitches that rely on speed, while Yuu is more adept at varied and skillful pitching techniques, such as underspin pitches.
"Don't think you can win just by throwing a straight shot, Asuka. Your enemy isn't your opponent, it's yourself!"
This is the creed that Bingyong once taught Feibiao.
However, when Asuka found Bingyong today with high hopes, she discovered that the once spirited man had become a coward who drowned his sorrows in alcohol and was even afraid to throw the ball again because of his fear of failure.
"Even you've changed...?"
The disappointment in the bird's eyes almost overflowed the screen.
Just then, the monster appeared.
This time, the mutated insect monster, Hiltonon, is making its appearance.
This monster had an extremely peculiar appearance; its head and arms were covered in hard carapaces, resembling a hybrid of some deep-sea crustacean and insect. It wreaked havoc in the city, and the attacks from the Super GUTS team were all blocked by its arms!
[Holy crap, this monster has an AT field?]
[666, Ultra Instinct. Automatic Defense]
Is this monster Leo's apprentice?
It turns out that the green light on its head can sense energy. With this ability, it can easily find energy storage tanks that serve as food, and it can also sense attacks in advance.
Furthermore, the monster's pincers are extremely hard, and even the Gamma Ray's destructive beam cannot penetrate them.
In light of this, Captain Hibi once again ordered the Super GUTS team to find a way to get behind the monster and attack.
Asuka obeyed and piloted the Alpha to circle around behind the monster.
Ryo and Asuka, working together, piloted the Gamma to a position ninety degrees to the right of the monster.
They prepared to split up and fire simultaneously.
The two then coordinated perfectly.
However, Hiltonon's perception was exceptionally strong, and he easily deflected and deflected shots coming from both directions.
Asuka's Alpha was shot down by the reflected beam of light.
He then took the beam gun and left the fighter jet, intending to sneak under the monster to attack.
To his surprise, he discovered that Bing Yong was also nearby.
Bingyong said he wanted to watch Feibiao fight and asked Feibiao what he planned to do.
However, after learning of Asuka's idea, he advised Asuka not to go, because it was very dangerous.
Asuka said that although the chances were slim, they should still give it a try!
This statement stunned Bingyong.
It turns out that the person who said those words on the court back then was himself...
"The chances are indeed slim, but we should still give it a try..."
"What's the use of being so frustrated? I'll definitely hit a home run in the next round and turn the tide!"
"The chances are indeed slim, but we should still give it a try!"
In that instant, Himuro gripped the baseball tightly in his hand.
He didn't know why he felt so lost...
Meanwhile, thanks to Asuka's efforts, the beam gun successfully hit the monster's weak spot on its abdomen.
However, the beam gun's attack had no effect on the giant Hiltonon. After stomping on it, the monster continued to move towards the energy transmission pipe.
Dust filled the air, and dirt flew everywhere.
Having narrowly escaped the monster's feet, Asuka pulled out her transformation device and shone brightly once more!
A flash of light, and Ultraman Dyna appears!
However, the battle reached a stalemate.
Hiltonon not only has amazing defensive capabilities, but its huge pincers are also incredibly powerful.
Dyna tried to attack with a beam of light, but was shocked to find that the monster could predict the trajectory of the light beam and close the armor on its arms in advance to defend itself!
All the light attacks were perfectly blocked!
[How am I supposed to fight this? High physical defense is one thing, but it also has magic immunity?]
[This monster's dynamic vision is amazing!]
[Observation Haki!]
[This isn't an insect; maybe it's a spider's sense of touch!]
Well, it seems like this monster only has this one advantage...
Just as Dyna was struggling in the battle, on the ground, Ice Warrior, who had been running away, was deeply moved when he saw the giant who kept getting up from the brink of death.
Asuka's words echoed in his ears: "If you're a true ace, you'll never run away!"
At the same time, Dyna seemed to have realized something as well.
Since a straight-line attack will be blocked, let's use that one!
The viewers in front of the screen stared wide-eyed as Ultraman Dyna suddenly struck a perfectly standard baseball pitching pose!
It's a backspin ball!
He gathered all his energy in his right palm, but instead of releasing it directly, he compressed it into an energy ball that shone with a blue-white light.
[666! Ultraman throws the ball?]
[Master Dai! Try to gank his mid lane!]
[Actually, you could just get stronger and brute force your way through the monsters, but the plot requires it...]
Dyna stared intently at the monster, like a pitcher staring at the batter on home plate.
The first goal!
Dyna swung his arm sharply, and a light bullet shot out!
The monster Hilton immediately raised its arms in defense.
However, this was just a feint by Dyna!
Just as the light bullet was about to hit the monster, it flew past the monster's body like a bad ball in baseball!
The monster was stunned, seemingly unable to comprehend why the giant had made a mistake.
It's now!
"Good shot! The next shot will decide the winner!"
Himuro should be able to recognize Asuka from his pitching motion, right?
[Referring to a forked ball, this type of ball deflects downwards slightly after being thrown.]
Dyna charged up again, and this time, his gaze was more determined than ever.
The second goal!
The light bullet flew out of his hand, accompanied by a swirling airflow.
The monster instinctively tried to defend again, but the light bullet drew a strange arc in the air—a backspin ball!
The light bullet bypassed the monster's hard armor and struck its unprotected abdomen directly!
Boom—!
A massive explosion resounded through the sky, and Hiltonon was reduced to countless fragments by this decisive "straight through the net" attack.
[666, Ultraman backspin!]
[Pretty cool! He treats fighting like baseball.]
This is Dyna—full of boundless imagination and possibilities!
[Uh, since this monster is so fragile, why doesn't it transform into its red form...?]
The battle is over, and the baseball field is bathed in the setting sun.
Having regained his confidence, Hyoyuu once again stood on the pitcher's mound, and his opponent was none other than Shin Asuka.
With a high-speed backspin shot, the crisp sound of the glove announcing the return of the "Magician".
This episode, "Victory Strike," while lacking the earth-shattering special effects battles, cleverly blends sportsmanship with tokusatsu action in a remarkable way.
……
Then, in the second week, episode six, "The Biggest Monster on Earth," began.
If episode five was a high-energy sports anime, then episode six saw Gu Nan reveal his true intentions, elevating the tone to the level of a horror film.
It started with a critical hit.
The building's security guards patrol late at night, the lights are dim, and there's an eerie background music.
The computer screen suddenly lit up, and a mysterious email arrived silently. The email contained only one image with the words "Farewell, Humanity" spelled out in crooked pinyin.
"Damn, this atmosphere is weird..."
Old Zhang rubbed the goosebumps on his arms.
Then, the scene changes.
In TPC.
At this moment, Shin Asuka was being scolded by Captain Hibiki Goraku for speeding in his fighter jet and threatened with dismissal, but in reality, he was being suspended from duty to reflect on his actions, and he was feeling depressed all by himself.
He was alone in the hall, gazing at the sky.
He hoped that his father, who had vanished into the light, could give him some guidance.
He remembered his father saying that there is something in the human heart that is wider than the universe.
Everyone has unlimited potential.
While investigating in Koizumi City, he encountered a mushroom-shaped monster dressed in a black suit.
This strange entity calls itself Fogas. It is not an individual, but a gigantic mycelium extending ten kilometers in all directions from the center of Ancient Spring City. It possesses extremely high intelligence and has hacked into TPC's system via the network.
"Stop associating with these inferior humans and pledge allegiance to me." Fogas mocked humans as inferior beings and declared that he could control the world by utilizing the network created by humans.
The entire city seemed to be engulfed in a nightmare.
Countless enormous, blood vessel-like hyphae burst forth from the ground, spreading silently, climbing over skyscrapers, and entangled cars on the streets.
This isn't a monster, it's a fungus!
The mycelium monster—Forgas.
In the original world, although the concept of the sixth episode of "Dyna" was good, it was limited by the special effects technology and the size of the suit at that time. The so-called "largest monster" was just a giant mushroom, and it did not reach the ultimate in visual presentation.
Those Fogas looked rather comical, like a person wearing a mushroom suit wandering around a model building.
This has always been a major regret of the original version.
But in this world, Gu Nan possesses CG technology far exceeding that of the 90s, as well as the "free" special effects budget of Light Chaser Animation.
He wanted to make up for this regret.
On the screen, the audience witnessed a breathtaking scene.
It was no longer just a few plastic-looking tentacles, but a true biological catastrophe that blotted out the sky.
The enormous network of mycelium seemed to have a life of its own, wriggling and growing wildly among the city buildings.
Those mycelia are not simple models, but each one is full of details, and the surface is even secreting mucus and spore mist.
The once magnificent skyscrapers appear as tiny as toys in the face of these wildly growing mycelia.
A real, colossal monster, large enough to cover an entire city block, is slowly rising from the city center!
This is like Resident Evil, isn't it?
[How disgusting, but how shocking!]
[This sense of oppression is incredible; it feels like humanity is truly doomed...]
Wow! These mushrooms are so productive!
The atmosphere in the Super Victory Team's command room was extremely tense.
Sweating profusely, the Zhongdao team member typed furiously on the keyboard: "No! These mycelia aren't just living things; they're infiltrating our network system! That email was their declaration of war!"
Fogas is not only physically enormous, but also possesses an exceptionally high level of intelligence.
Each of its hyphae is its brain, and the place where it spreads is its territory.
It claims to be a highly evolved being far superior to humans. It despises humans, considering them to be inferior and filthy beings that should be cleansed.
Then, the crisis erupted.
Foggas took control of the TPC European branch's systems and launched three intercontinental ballistic missiles, targeting the TPC Far East headquarters!
Faced with a desperate situation, Captain Hibiki calmly gave the order.
The mobile fortress Kurak intercepted two missiles in space, but one escaped and is speeding toward the base.
At this moment, the Gamma, piloted by Miyako, became the last hope.
But at the critical moment, the curse "Goodbye Humanity" appeared on the computer screen of the Gamma, the system was hacked and the fire control failed.
"Damn it! I still can't trust computers!"
Gong Liang gritted his teeth and directly cut off all external communication with the fighter jet, switching to the most primitive "manual operation mode".
"I'll handle this myself!"
Manual aiming, without any assistance.
With his top-notch piloting skills, Gong Liang pressed the launch button at the last second when the missile was about to hit the base.
boom!
The missile was detonated in mid-air, and the crisis was averted.
……
At the same time, Fogas on the ground finally revealed his true form.
Since we can't rule the Earth together with Ultraman Dyna, we'll have to eliminate Dyna first.
Faced with such an almost insurmountable despair, Shin Asuka displayed unprecedented anger.
"Don't joke around! Humans aren't as despicable as you make them out to be!"
The birds flew into the mycelium thicket.
In this episode, Gu Nan delicately portrays the three psychological stages of Fei Niao.
The first stage is "blind anger and instinctive belief".
Asuka launched his attack rashly, not only because of his passion, but also because he remembered the words of his missing father, Shinichima.
"Human beings possess infinite possibilities."
This line appears repeatedly throughout the series.
The bird becomes light because it believes in the potential of humanity more than anyone else…
The second stage is the "clash of beliefs".
Ultraman Dyna has appeared.
But even a giant over fifty meters tall looked rather frail in front of Phogas, whose body was as large as a mountain.
Fogas let out a mocking sound, and huge mycelial tentacles surged toward Dyna like a tsunami.
It despises humans, while Dyna, who believes in them, is like two extremes of light and darkness.
Dyna was entangled by the mycelium, and the immense force nearly broke his bones.
Just then, Super Victory Team's reinforcements arrived.
The usually calm and rational deputy captain, Gong Liang, piloted the Gamma and immediately deactivated the automatic lock of the fire control system, switching to manual mode.
"Don't underestimate humans!"
Gong Liang roared, his fingers flying across the joystick.
The Gamma missile weaved through the gaps in the mycelium, manually aimed, and the missiles precisely struck the mycelial nodes that bound the Dyna.
This scene is like a response to the bird's conviction.
Human beings may be small and imperfect, but in times of crisis, the courage and wisdom they display can create miracles!
Dyna, now free, has a changed look in his eyes.
This is the third stage – "steadfast protection".
He was no longer confused, no longer believing only because of his father's words, but because he witnessed his teammates' fighting spirit firsthand, which truly confirmed his belief.
Dyna crossed his hands in front of his forehead, radiating light.
Miracle type!
[Great! It's a super soldier! We're saved!]
Come, let us see the miracle you have created!
[It's here! It's a miracle type that can cure any kind of defiance!]
The blue figure left a trail of afterimages in the air.
Faced with the enormous size of Fogas, Miracle Dyna did not choose to confront him head-on.
He soared into the sky, his hands gathering golden light in front of his chest.
Libo Rium Light Wave - Reverse Version!
Unlike typical black hole attacks, this time, Dyna intends to completely disintegrate this enormous creature!
Meanwhile, to complement this "epic" massive battle, Gu Nan used a lot of low-angle shots and miniature model explosions in this battle scene.
The mushroom monster, as large as a city, let out a shrill scream under the bombardment of light.
Then, the smaller entity hidden inside the giant mushroom fled frantically.
However, this could not escape Dyna's Ultra Eye!
After firing a Solgent Ray, the original body was completely destroyed.
The mycelium that covered the entire block began to wither and disintegrate rapidly.
The enormous body dissipated into countless golden particles under the setting sun, and the visual impact made all the viewers in front of the screen hold their breath.
This is so shocking...
[Special effects are free...]
The battle is over.
There was no celebratory celebration of surviving a disaster, but rather a gentle, warm atmosphere.
Asuka and his teammates stood together, looking at the city that had returned to peace. He uttered those words once more: "Humanity possesses infinite possibilities."
This time, his tone was no longer the initial self-hypnosis, but a relaxed, heartfelt conviction.
The camera zooms out and focuses on Asuka's face, which is sporting a roguish smile.
The two-episode run has ended.
Old Zhang breathed a sigh of relief and found that his palms were sweaty.
"Awesome! That's so awesome!"
"The fifth episode is about execution, and the sixth episode is about scale and theme. Director Gu's pacing is simply divine."
……
In the real world, online.
With the airing of these two episodes, the ratings for "Ultraman Dyna" have surged once again.
If the first four episodes were still allowing the audience to get used to the style of this new Ultraman, then these two episodes have completely solidified Dyna's position.
On the forum, discussion threads about "Giant Battle" completely dominated the page.
We have to rave about the special effects in episode six! Those were truly gigantic monsters!
[I thought Gatanothor was already huge, but seeing Fawkes made me realize what despair truly means. Did director Gu Nan kowtow to the special effects team? How much money did this cost?]
[Upstairs, is it possible that the special effects team is Director Gu's own?]
Am I the only one who's noticed Asuka's growth? From the naive newbie in the first episode to his unwavering conviction now, this character is becoming more and more captivating.
Among these praises, there were also some insightful analyses from those who appreciate detail.
"Farewell to humanity" email from Fogas is like the embodiment of malice from the internet in today's highly developed internet society. It's really relatable."
"I want to emphasize the sheer size of the sixth episode. You might not know that filming such gigantic monsters is actually very difficult. Because if the proportions of the reference points are not right, it will look very fake."
"But look at this episode, when Dyna stands in front of Foggas, the upward-looking shot, and the contrast between the vehicles and the monsters on the ground, perfectly convey the oppressive feeling of 'invincibility.' That's the level of production from Industrial Light & Magic!"