chsdbacks Chapter 163 preview released! A Hollywood-level tokusatsu extravaganza!
Chapter 163 preview released! A Hollywood-level tokusatsu extravaganza!
The next day at 11:55 a.m.
There are only five minutes left until the release of the "big surprise" that Light Chaser Animation Studios teased last night.
The entire tokusatsu (special effects) community on the internet is waiting.
The activity levels of various tokusatsu groups, forums, and online communities have reached an unprecedented peak.
All eyes were fixed on Light Chaser Animation's official website and Bilibili's official account updates.
In Lao Tang's live stream, the popularity has already exceeded an astonishing one million! At the same time, the number of viewers watching online has also reached over ten thousand.
This is an incredible miracle for a time slot that is not prime time.
"Guys, only three minutes left! My palms are already sweating!"
Old Tang sat in front of the computer, frantically rubbing his hands together while staring at the time in the lower right corner of the screen. "Kids, I know you're anxious, but hold on, I also want to know what the surprise is!"
The live stream chat was flooded with comments like a waterfall, dazzling the viewer.
[Don't jinx it! What if it's just that old rascal Gu backing out on some new project again?]
[Could it be a new Ultraman? Dyna just finished its first season, it's too fast for a new Ultraman to be coming out now.]
Who cares, a new project is the best!
Stop guessing, there's only one minute left! My F5 key is practically sparking from all the pressing!
11 points.
"Time's almost up! Guys, let's refresh the page together!"
Old Tang roared and frantically clicked the browser's refresh button.
However, at the very moment the time jumped to 12:00...
The browser screen in front of Lao Tang suddenly went white, and then a glaring "502 Bad Gateway" appeared in the center of the screen.
"Holy crap? It's frozen?!" Old Tang jerked closer to the screen, his eyes wide. "Light Chaser Animation's website crashed?!"
The live chat exploded instantly:
[Hahaha! I'm dying of laughter, that old rascal Gu's server is so lame!]
Goodness, how many people flooded in at the same time? They practically caused a DDoS attack and crashed the official website!
[My Bilibili feed is also lagging! Videos just won't load, it keeps spinning!]
[Urgent! What did they post? Let me see it!]
Countless tokusatsu fans experienced firsthand what it meant to be on the edge of their seats at that moment. Light Chaser Animation's servers clearly underestimated the fans' enthusiasm, and were instantly overwhelmed by the massive influx of traffic.
I waited for a full three minutes, which was 12:03.
The browser page in Lao Tang's live stream finally loaded the HTML framework slowly and haltingly, like a dying old man taking a deep breath.
As the background image gradually appeared, a huge poster with a strong visual impact suddenly dominated the homepage of the entire Light Chaser Animation website!
The background of the poster is a vast and deep cosmic starry sky.
In the very center of the screen is Ultraman Dyna, dressed in red, blue, and silver, facing the endless darkness alone.
However, at the edge of the poster, a faint yet pure golden light was quietly piercing through the gloom.
In the very center of the poster, several large, gold-plated characters seem to be bursting into flames:
The Heirs of Light: A Miracle in Desperate Circumstances!
— Promotional PV for Light Chaser Animation's first tokusatsu web movie, "Star Warrior"!
"boom!"
Old Tang felt a "buzz" in his head, his scalp tingled instantly, and goosebumps erupted all over his body at that moment!
"Holy crap! Guys! A feature film?! It's a web movie!!!"
Old Tang was so excited that he shouted it out.
However, he quickly calmed down.
To be honest, at first glance, I really thought it was a big-budget movie going to be released in theaters, until I looked closer and realized it was a web movie.
However, that's something to look forward to!
There wasn't even a hint of it beforehand!
There was a brief vacuum in the live stream chat for a moment, followed by a tsunami of comments like a nuclear explosion:
Ah! A movie!
[This poster? It really is a movie poster! Gu Laozei, I misunderstood you, you're my eternal god!]
[Click it! Old Tang, stop standing there, hurry up and open the PV!]
"Yes, yes, yes! It's a PV! Watch the trailer!"
Old Tang hurriedly sat down again and, with trembling hands, pressed the play button in the center of the poster.
The video begins.
Without any unnecessary words, the opening is immediately accompanied by an extremely depressing and somber background music.
The image shows a miniature city engulfed in flames and thick smoke.
Skyscrapers collapsed in the violent explosion, flames shot into the sky, and thick smoke billowed.
The realistic sense of physical destruction doesn't even feel like a model explosion; it's more like the Pacific Rim, where real physical buildings crumble bit by bit, and you can almost smell the scorched earth through the screen.
"This is... a completely new monster?!"
Old Tang stared intently at the screen.
Amidst the thick smoke, a colossal, suffocating warship—the Prometheus—was slowly descending from the sky.
Then, amidst the sea of fire on the ground, countless mechanical transmission devices creaked and groaned.
A cold, ruthless behemoth, its entire body exuding a heavy mechanical feel, is slowly approaching the desperate crowd.
That was the computer demon god in human form—Desfasa!
Immediately afterwards, the screen flashed by.
The Super Victory team is facing an unprecedentedly tough battle.
Captain Hibiki was covered in dust, Jonjima was frantically typing on his keyboard, and Koda and Kariya were driving a Seret patrol car...
Countless tanks and armored vehicles of the defense forces were also hit by the firepower of Desfasa on the ground, and the people and vehicles were blown up and overturned in the ruins, their fate unknown.
Mai, in the medical room, looked at the unconscious wounded soldier and covered her mouth, sobbing uncontrollably.
Gong Liang, on the other hand, looked at the sky with a face full of anxiety and despair.
The camera then cuts to Shin Asuka.
Amidst the ruins, Shin Asuka, covered in wounds, knelt on the ground, panting heavily.
His eyes were filled with confusion, fear, and even a hint of hesitation.
"Did Dyna... really win...?"
In the voice-over, Shin Asuka's weak and desperate voice can be heard.
"It's impossible, we can't possibly beat that monster..." Asuka clutched her head in anguish.
Seeing this, Old Tang frowned deeply: "Something's wrong. Has Asuka lost her composure? In the TV series, Asuka, though impulsive, has never been this afraid of fighting. Just how strong is this Desfaza that he could leave Asuka with such psychological trauma?"
The comments section also became tense:
[What's wrong with Asuka? This isn't the hot-blooded idiot I know!]
[This pressure is too intense; even the Super GUTS team was completely wiped out?]
[Gu Laozei's knife is at it again. Is the tone of this big movie really that heavy?]
The music in the PV reached its most oppressive low at this moment.
However, at that moment...
In the scene, a little boy stands up from the ruins. He clutches a soft vinyl Ultraman toy tightly in his hand, and despite his tear-streaked face, he stubbornly shouts to the sky, "Ultraman! Stand up!"
Immediately afterwards, more and more people stood up.
Instead of fleeing, they turned their gaze to the battlefield, and in their eyes, a glimmer of hope was rekindled.
"Light……"
The music suddenly erupted from its low point, and the stirring symphony resounded like war drums!
Shin Asuka raised his head and looked at the crowd around him. Fear gradually faded from his eyes, replaced by a resolute determination.
"I can't fall here! Because I am... Dyna!!!"
With a roar, a dazzling light shot into the sky!
The PV ends here.
The screen only displayed a release date: Bilibili will premiere exclusively on the entire network in 30 days!
"call--"
Old Tang let out a long breath and slumped into the chair as if he had collapsed from exhaustion.
But his eyes were frighteningly bright.
"Brothers...that was so exciting. I even forgot to breathe just now," Old Tang muttered to himself.
The chat in the live stream went completely crazy, with the crazy gift effects almost causing the screen to freeze and drop frames.
[Holy crap, holy crap, holy crap, holy crap!]
To be honest, Dyna's portrayal of passion and energy is incredibly powerful!
Dyna will still create miracles!
[I want to see it! Hurry up and bring it up! Hehehe!]
"Wait a minute, everyone calm down. Let's not get too excited, let's review the details of this PV."
After all, Lao Tang is a professional content creator. After a brief moment of excitement, his keen professional instincts began to kick in.
He dragged the progress bar back to the very beginning, showing Desfasa destroying the city.
"Brothers, look closely."
Old Tang zoomed in on the image, pointing to the debris from the explosion and the collapsed building. "In the TV series before 'Chasing the Light,' Gu Nan always insisted on using miniature models and actual explosions. But look here, the dust kicked up when the building collapsed, and the cold, hard sheen reflecting off Desfasa's body."
"And here's the scene of Dyna dogfighting with the warships in the air. The sense of volume in the clouds, the airflow distortion on the warships' surfaces caused by high-speed friction!"
Old Tang gasped, "This is definitely not just simple physical special effects! The amount of special effects here is terrifyingly massive! Gu Nan has absolutely combined top-tier CG technology with traditional special effects! And the rendering level of this CG is ridiculously high!"
There were also quite a few knowledgeable viewers in the live chat:
Indeed, the quality of the lighting and shadows is something that web series simply cannot achieve.
This is truly theatrical film quality; can online movies even break even?
[The texture of Desfasana is so realistic; it's almost like there's a mecha tens of meters tall standing there.]
[This budget is burning through cash! Where did that old scoundrel Gu go and how much investment did he get?]
Old Tang didn't say anything. He scrolled down the webpage and glanced at the list of production staff below the PV.
When his gaze fell on the logos in the "Special Effects Cooperation" and "Technical Support" sections, Lao Tang's voice suddenly caught in his throat.
"I...I didn't see wrong, did I?"
Old Tang rubbed his eyes violently, almost pressing his face against the screen. "Brothers, tell me, am I seeing things?"
He drew several circles on the screen with the mouse.
"Industrial Light & Magic?! Weta Digital?!" Old Tang's voice had turned into an incredulous scream.
In the live stream, viewers who recognized these companies were instantly taken aback.
[Holy crap?! Really?! How can such a monster-level CG company be on the list?!]
[For those who don't know, let me explain: Industrial Light & Magic was created by George Lucas, and Weta Digital by Peter Jackson. These two are the pinnacle of Hollywood special effects! Marvel and Lord of the Rings were both made by them!]
[Holy crap, chasing lights is expensive!]
Good heavens, if this movie even breaks even, we'll be incredibly lucky!
[You're letting us have such a lavish meal right after the New Year! Hagigu, you bastard!]
Everyone was stunned by this astonishing move.
Using Hollywood's top-tier Industrial Light & Magic and Weta Digital to make a tokusatsu film that was originally thought to be just "rubber suits fighting"? To shoot miniature models?
This is absolutely insane! This is truly burning money without regard to cost!
"No wonder..."
Old Tang muttered to himself, "No wonder the trailer's production quality was so good. This isn't just a matter of lowering the bar; it's elevating the industrial standards of tokusatsu to the level of Hollywood blockbusters!"
At this moment, some observant viewers noticed a button at the very bottom of the webpage.
[Hey Tang! There's a button down there; it looks like you can pre-order!]
Old Tang immediately scrolled to the bottom. Sure enough, below a prominent countdown timer for ticket purchase, it read: "The online movie 'Star Warriors' is available for pre-booking. Price: 6 yuan."
6 yuan.
On a typical video streaming website, you probably couldn't even buy a two-week membership.
For an epic film like this, which cost an astronomical sum, employed a top Hollywood special effects team, and was even shot entirely in IMAX, this price is practically a freebie.
"That old scoundrel Gu..."
Old Tang's eyes suddenly reddened when he saw the price.
He knew that Gu Nan could set the price at 18 yuan or even 30 yuan, and the fans would buy it without hesitation.
But he didn't. He just wanted more people to see this masterpiece, to see the true giant of light.
"Brothers, I'm not saying anything more."
Old Tang simply took out his phone, scanned the code, and paid—all in one smooth motion.
A message popped up on the screen saying "Purchase successful".
"With these six dollars, I, Old Tang, have bought more than just a movie."
Old Tang took a deep breath and solemnly said to the screen, "What I bought is my respect for this man who, even in the harsh winter of tokusatsu, still spared no expense to light up this ray of light for us!"
The comments in the live stream were remarkably unanimous at that moment.
[Bought it! Six yuan for a movie of this caliber? I feel like I'm robbing Light Chaser Animation!]
[It should have started charging a long time ago! This old scoundrel Gu is burning through money like crazy; I'm really afraid he'll go bankrupt one day, even losing his underwear!]
[I've already bought the ticket! Even if I don't watch the movie, I'd still pay those six yuan just for the last background music and the view of his back!]
[30 days... a whole month to go! How am I supposed to get through this?!]
Within just ten minutes of the website being fixed.
The number of pre-orders for "Star Warriors" exploded in the background at a terrifying geometric rate.
One million... three million... five million...
In this parallel world where people don't believe in light, countless people are holding their phones and pressing the payment button without hesitation.
They were waiting, waiting for that miraculous light to tear through the darkness of this world a month from now!