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

"Those familiar with the history of the Ultraman IP know that before Light Chaser took over, there was a classic Showa Ultraman universe during the Tsuburaya Productions era at the end of the last century."

"That's a very well-developed worldview!"

"That's the birthplace of the Ultraman series, home to great predecessors like the original Ultraman, Seven, Jack, Ace, Taro, and Leo."

As soon as Gu Nan finished speaking, the live chat exploded.

[Holy crap! Back to the old Showa era universe?!]

[Oh my god! It's the Land of Light! Is the setting of the Land of Light being reset?!]

[Haha, I knew it! You could tell from Fighting Evolution Rebirth that the old thief wanted to reshape the Showa era!]

Are we finally going to return to that star-studded universe?

Will the seniors make an appearance?!

So, who is stronger, Ultraman King or Ultraman Legend?

Gu Nan looked at the real-time comments on the tablet, smiled slightly, and confirmed everyone's guess.

"That's right, Mebius is the continuation of that classic universe."

"In the setting, he is a young warrior from the Land of Light in the M78 Nebula, and a descendant of the legendary Ultra Brothers."

Old Tang gasped:

"That's a landmark commemorative work!"

"Putting new heroes within the worldviews of their predecessors is a lot of pressure."

"Indeed."

Gu Nan nodded in agreement.

"During the planning stage, we established the theme of Ultraman Mebius: friendship and bonds."

"We hope to create an image of Ultraman that will always shine in everyone's hearts by depicting the friendship and bond between humans and Ultraman."

"So, in what specific form will it be presented?"

Old Tang pressed for an answer.

"To put it loosely, it's a youth drama."

Gu Nan gave an unexpected answer.

"A youth drama?"

Old Tang and the viewers in front of the screen were somewhat surprised.

Gu Nan leaned back on the sofa and began to speak slowly:

"Think about the templates we often see in youth dramas."

"A declining club, a frustrated senior, one day encounter a vibrant transfer student."

"They started traveling around, recruiting all sorts of new members with very different personalities."

"In the early stages, there may be friction and conflict, but as we face difficulties together, our feelings deepen, and we eventually overcome all the crises."

"This is the story framework of the early defense team in Mebius."

"In Ultraman Mebius, the Earth Defense Force is called GUYS."

"Unlike previous defense teams, this team will face a devastating blow at the outset."

Only one senior team member remained.

"Mebius's human form will be an enthusiastic but somewhat naive alien who will search for new team members among ordinary people on Earth and rebuild the team."

[The real body?! Just like Seven!]

[This premise is intriguing! A complete wipeout and regrouping at the start?]

Recruiting defense team members from ordinary people? That's so down-to-earth!

[So aliens are teaching Earthlings what friendship is, huh? Haha.]

[Feels like a youthful, high-energy anime!]

"Furthermore, rebooting Tsuburaya's original Ootengu world has always been a long-held obsession of mine!"

"Those familiar with Light Chaser Animation should know that we previously created a project called 'Seven: Project Origin', which was an extension of Seven's story."

"But to be honest, the response was far less than that of 'Ultraman Tiga' and 'Dyna'..."

"The main problem was that at that time, people weren't very familiar with the original Oscar, and suddenly releasing a sequel would have been too hasty!"

"This time, we're using a new-to-old approach, introducing and connecting the stories of the older Ultraman from the Tsuburaya Productions era through a story of a new Ultraman character, presented in a spotlight-like style!"

"Director Gu, since Mebius is a newcomer to the Land of Light, what kind of existence were the previous Ultra Brothers in this world?"

Gu Nan's expression became very solemn:

"In this world, it has been twenty or thirty years since Ultraman last left Earth."

"The Ultra Brothers are legendary and great predecessors on Earth, beings that are celebrated and revered."

"Mebius underwent rigorous training in the Land of Light, and he always admired these legendary predecessors and this irreplaceable planet that they had risked their lives to protect."

At this point, Gu Nan paused deliberately, emphasizing his words:

"Furthermore, I can assure all fans of the classic universe of one thing."

"The Ultra Brothers will definitely appear in the Ultraman Mebius storyline."

"However, we will absolutely not weaken the strength of our predecessors just to highlight the new hero Mebius!"

"It's absolutely impossible for a senior to become a stepping stone for a junior, or for a new Ultraman to beat up a veteran—such a betrayal of the fans is unthinkable!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the comment section was immediately flooded with exclamation marks.

【good!!!】

I'm definitely going to follow Ultraman Mebius!

[Reject the practice of belittling one to praise another! A senior is a senior!]

[Gundam Series: Children (Mamba Face)]

So, is Ultraman Mebius aimed at fans? Can people who haven't watched previous Ultraman series watch it?

Actually, the previous Ultraman universe settings were quite fragmented. In my opinion, you only need to know the main characters to watch it.

Indeed, but it's hard to imagine someone like Yamanaka appearing in the defense force...

Old Tang couldn't help but give a thumbs up:

"Director Gu is so domineering!"

"This reassurance is so comforting."

"And what about the monsters?"

"Now that we're back in the old universe, shouldn't we bring out all those classic monsters for a spin?"

Gu Nan smiled and shook his head:

"This is another key point we need to discuss."

"Since it's a continuation, there must be an old monster resurrected."

"However, in addition to the well-known Gomora, Red King who loves hamburgers, Zetton, and Eleking, we also need to add some relatively obscure monsters from the past."

"Therefore, in previous works and collaborations, the monsters from the original series and Seven have appeared very frequently."

"If in another three to five years, the only monsters that appear are Gomora and Red King, the audience will eventually get tired of them."

"They think we're just rehashing old ideas. This is very detrimental to the long-term development of the Ultraman series."

"The Ultraman monster encyclopedia still contains many cute and classic monsters that have gradually faded from people's memories."

"It's such a shame that they've been relegated to the sidelines."

"Therefore, the premise of Ultraman Mebius is that it is connected to the past worldview. We will take this opportunity to fully revive the monsters of the second season after Ultraman Jack!"

"For example, Bemstar, Gudun, the Twin-Tailed Monster, Ace's Super Beast series, and even Leo's Disc Creatures." (These monsters are indeed niche in this world.)

"Give them a chance to have a second spring!"

"And everyone doesn't need to worry about whether Old Monster's style will be outdated!"

"This time, we won't be using the old suits. Instead, we'll be completely remodeling and optimizing the old suits using 3D scanning to create brand new ones!"

"We guarantee that the designs will be contemporary and the details will withstand close scrutiny!"

"On this point, Old Obama and Old Monster are of one mind!"

[So that's how it is! This decision was incredibly bold!]

[Support the revival of obscure monsters!]

It's time for Jack and Ace's super monsters to make their appearance!

[By the way, will they resurrect a bunch of Showa-era monsters with special mechanics? Like the Light Mage Pritzmer, Morroa, and the like?]

[Mebius: Are you even letting me live?]

After listening, Old Tang nodded with deep feeling:

"So, whether it's the construction of the plot framework, the respect for the previous Ultraman, or the rediscovery of obscure monsters, it's all about this."

"The work 'Ultraman Mebius' truly lives up to its subtitle."

Gu Nan picked up the conversation, looking directly at the camera, and said sincerely:

"Yes, this is not only a commemorative work, but also a tribute from Light Chaser Animation to all the predecessors who participated in the production of the Ultraman series."

"A love letter to today's children, and to those adults who were once children themselves."

"A love letter to Ultraman".

"Living up to the Infinity Inscription!"

As soon as these words were uttered, the entire video's comment section was instantly flooded with messages like "tears welling up" and "tribute."

Even through the screen, viewers could feel the deep-seated love and reverence that Gu Nan and Light Chaser Pictures had for this IP.

Just as the audience was immersed in this touching moment, the video suddenly took a turn.

Old Tang chuckled, rubbed his hands together, and a slightly mysterious expression appeared on his face:

"Alright, we've pretty much covered the core details of Mebius's character design."

"Next, I have a very important personal announcement to make!"

Gu Nan, standing to the side, made a gesture that said, "Please begin your performance."

With a transition effect, Old Tang changed into a new uniform!

It was a defense team uniform with a bright orange and gray-white color scheme, a very slim fit, and a futuristic and capable feel.

On the left chest, there is a prominently printed symbol of a soaring flame, along with the four English letters – GUYS!

In the video, Old Tang stood up, gave a proper military salute to the camera, and loudly announced:

"Brothers! It's me, Old Tang!"

"I'm not going to play a minor role, nor am I going to visit the set!"

"It wasn't a cameo! Nor was it a backdoor appointment!"

"I passed the audition properly and will soon be a full-fledged member of the GUYS Defense Force!"

"Participating in the filming of the TV series 'Ultraman Mebius'!"

"You guys keep criticizing my 'Gauss Commentary Series' for being low-output, calling me a slacker! Sigh! For the past six months, I haven't been able to refute you!"

"Now I can say it! I wasn't slacking off!"

"Master went to perform in Xin'ao!"

"Brother Tang, aren't I awesome?! You think you can't beat me?!"

For a brief moment, the comments section paused, then erupted with ten times more intense criticism and exclamations than before.

【? ? ? ? ? ? 】

[Holy crap! Old Tang, you went and acted in a defense force movie?!]

[Director Gu! Are you out of your mind?! How could you have recruited this guy into the team?!]

[Oh no, this defense force is doomed!]

What kind of connections do they have?!

[Old Tang, even you with your thick eyebrows and big eyes have betrayed the revolution, turning from commentator into an actor?]

Hahaha, Old Tang actually looks pretty handsome in this outfit, to be honest.

What role is Lao Tang playing? Is he the surviving senior actor?

Faced with a screen full of teasing comments, Old Tang sat back on the sofa smugly and patted his chest:

"Hehe, I'm sorry to disappoint you all, I'm not the surviving senior."

"The character I play is a team member named 'Tang Zheping'."

"As for the specific details, I can't reveal too much, but I can tell you all that this role was practically tailor-made for me!"

"Playing myself!"

The video ends with a freeze-frame of Lao Tang and Gu Nan laughing together. Then, the screen fades to black, and several lines of white text slowly appear:

"See you next time we meet by fate."

……

Although the video has ended, the online discussion has only just begun to explode.

Meanwhile, Lao Tang, who had just finished his live stream interaction, was lying on the sofa in his apartment.

Looking at the frenzied private messages from fans on his phone, he grinned from ear to ear.

Recalling the moment he was chosen for the role six months ago, Lao Tang still feels like he's dreaming.

That was when Gauss had just started airing.

Old Tang was burning the midnight oil at home writing a plot analysis of Gauss's work when his phone suddenly rang.

The caller ID clearly showed internal contact information from Light Chaser Animation Studios.

After the call was connected, Lao Tang was dumbfounded.

It's probably an audition invitation from Xin'ao.

Old Tang was completely stunned at the time.

Audition?

Why would a content creator like him, who made his name by analyzing videos, audition for any kind of role?

He wondered to himself, could it be that Director Gu saw how hard he was working on the analysis and was planning to reward him with some data points?

Is he planning to give himself a minor role in the next movie, where he gets trampled to death by a monster, as a perk for himself?

With a mix of trepidation and anticipation, Lao Tang arrived at the Light Chaser Films building early the next day.

When he was led into the spacious audition room by the staff, he realized that the setup was a bit too elaborate.

Sitting across the long table were not only Gu Nan, but also several executive directors and screenwriters from Light Chaser Animation Studios.

Old Tang was so nervous that his palms were sweating, and he stammered through his self-introduction.

Gu Nan looked at him and handed him a few thin pages of script specifications.

"Old Tang, take a look at this character."

"His name is Zheping."

Old Tang took the script with both hands and began to read it carefully. Once he started reading, he was completely absorbed.

Teppei is one of the members of the newly formed GUYS team in Ultraman Mebius.

In the story, he is a medical student whose family runs a sizable hospital in the area.

As the only son in the family, his mother had high hopes for him and paved the way for him from a young age to inherit the family business and become a respected doctor.

However, Teppei doesn't have an absolute passion for medicine. He has a "crazy" hobby that only he knows about—he is an extremely hardcore Showa-era monster fan!

He knows the monster files left by the past defense forces like the back of his hand.

Teppei could recite the monsters' sizes, weaknesses, eras of appearance, habits, and attack methods by heart.

In his room, he even collected countless monster models and newspaper clippings.

Joining GUYS was not only a rebellion for Teppei, a way to escape his mother's high-pressure control, but also the only way for him to realize his dream of getting closer to the things he loved.

His role in the team is not that of a soldier charging into battle, but rather a "super brain" who strategizes in the operations room, providing frontline members with weakness analysis and tactical guidance through his extensive knowledge of monsters.

As he read these words, Old Tang's breathing became rapid.

This doesn't look like a script.

This is clearly a description of Old Tang himself!

Although he only went back to learn about the Showa series after the Ultraman Tiga fire, that doesn't stop him from being a true fan of old Showa tokusatsu.

Aside from the "rich second-generation medical student" setting, Teppei's obsession with monsters, and the fervor in his eyes when he sees files on obscure monsters.

This is a perfect reflection of Lao Tang, a veteran tokusatsu fan, in real life!

Gu Nan, observing Old Tang's changing expression, smiled and said:

"Ultraman Mebius is a commemorative work, and we want to recreate a large number of classic monsters in the series."

"But we can't just introduce them through dry narration."

"We need a character, someone who understands monsters, loves monsters, and can represent the voice of all the hardcore fans sitting in front of the TV."

"This character must have genuine emotions; when he encounters monsters from the past, he must be able to naturally exude that kind of excitement as if he knows them by heart."

"After auditioning many professional actors, we found that their portrayal of 'passion' always fell short of something."

"It's too superficial, it's too much like reciting lines."

Gu Nan stood up, walked over to Lao Tang, and patted him on the shoulder.

"Then, I thought of you."

Old Tang is one of the few people who can actually be more relaxed and express himself more freely in front of the camera.

To become a top-tier content creator who gets to show their face on camera, one must at least have decent acting skills.

"Every time I watch your analysis videos, even when you're dealing with monsters in suits without any lines, you can analyze the stories and metaphors behind them."

"Your love for tokusatsu (special effects) can't be faked."

"No one understands Tsuburaya Productions' old monster better than you!"

"After watching your video, the entire production team unanimously agreed that your pure excitement for monsters and heroes is the perfect image of Teppei in our hearts."

"How's it going, Lao Tang?"

Gu Nan looked directly into his eyes.

"Are you interested in transforming from a commentator off-screen into a true defender fighting alongside the Warriors of Light?"

"In GUYS, will you use your knowledge to help Mebius?"

Old Tang's hand holding the script was trembling slightly.

A massive surge in traffic!

Which boy didn't dream of wearing a defense team uniform, holding a laser gun, and fighting monsters alongside Ultraman during his childhood?

He looked up at Gu Nan, then at the director and screenwriters who were full of encouragement.

He knew, of course, that it was just an audition, but it was an opportunity, and whether he could seize it depended on himself.

He didn't say any of those high-sounding pleasantries; he simply took a deep breath, nodded vigorously, and answered loudly:

"Director Gu, I can act!"

"I wouldn't accept anyone else playing this role but me!"

"I have to act even if I stop updating the videos!"

"As long as you don't die, act like you're going to die!"

A burst of good-natured laughter erupted in the conference room.

Gu Nan smiled and nodded:

"Alright. Starting tomorrow, join the crew for basic physical training and performance intensive training."

"As a member of GUYS, although Teppei is mainly responsible for intelligence, on set, he will not miss any of the ruins or the dirt that needs to be eaten."

"Understood! Mission accomplished!"

Old Tang straightened his back and responded loudly.

That day, as Lao Tang walked out of the Zhuiguang Building, he looked at the azure sky above and felt that the sunlight was particularly dazzling, yet incredibly warm.

He knew he was about to embark on a dreamlike journey.

During that journey, he was no longer just an observer; he would be in this world called Mebius.

He wrote his own love letter to Ultraman in his own way.