allendalepharm Chapter 153 The Castle of Dreams, The Roar of the Deep-Sea Dragon
Chapter 153 The Castle of Dreams, The Roar of the Deep-Sea Dragon
(Thanks to the two gift kings from Lanqian! Thank you to the great book king from DianDian for the certification! Thank you all, I love you! I really haven't had time to update extra chapters these past few days because of the Chinese New Year (╥_╥), so I can only incorporate the extra chapters into my daily word count from now on, and try my best to maintain 10,000 words a day.)
Let's turn our attention back a few months.
On set, Gu Nan stood beside a huge set of pools, holding a microphone and looking focused.
This was his first time filming underwater combat scenes, so he naturally had to be a little more serious.
The underwater base model in this episode covers nearly 50 square meters and is so exquisitely detailed that it is breathtaking.
Every dome and every porthole has been meticulously crafted and is now quietly submerged at the bottom of a pool of clear water less than a meter deep.
"Alright, underwater camera ready!"
Gu Nanchong's technical team made a gesture.
The most crucial aspect of filming the underwater battle between Dyna and the Deep Sea Dragon is to capture the unique slow-motion texture characteristic of underwater scenes.
However, the entire set wasn't actually flooded with water—that would have been impractical and would have put the costumed actors in danger.
The real secret lies in the specially made glass tank in front of the camera.
This was inspired by the Showa era tokusatsu techniques used by the props team at Chase Light Films.
A glass water tank, about two meters long and precisely thick, was placed in front of the camera. The tank was filled with water, and the camera filmed the suit actors fighting through this "water curtain".
Combined with blue smoke, floating tiny bubbles, and carefully adjusted lighting, the image displayed on the monitor has the unique hazy and resistant feel of the deep sea.
Not only the underwater set design, but also the battle scenes need to be innovated accordingly.
"Suit preparation - Strong type Dynamite, the movements need to be larger, but slower!"
Gu Nan shouted.
To simulate slow-motion underwater action, the suit actors need to deliberately slow down every movement.
The speed of the punch is compressed to one-third of the normal speed, and when turning around, it should be as if you are really enveloped by seawater, bringing out a muddy and watery texture.
This wasn't a post-production special effect; it was a genuine live performance.
Meanwhile, two stagehands squatted on either side of the pool, gently stirring the water with thin poles to create the sensation of an undercurrent.
The other team controlled the hair-thin wires that held the deep-sea dragon suit down from the ceiling.
The operators manipulated the deep-sea dragon like a marionette, making it perform a series of actions such as wrapping, twisting, and releasing "electric current" in the water.
"Great! Let's do one more take of the tangled scene—pay attention to the light reflection, capture the sheen of the leather case in the water!"
On the monitor, the strong Dyna was tightly entangled by the deep-sea dragon. The suit actor, in coordination with the pulling of the wires, slowly lost his strength and finally "fell" into the blue underwater set.
"Card!"
Gu Nan nodded in satisfaction.
In one corner of the film set, technicians are adjusting the parameters for post-production compositing.
The amazing deep-sea lighting effects, the monster's red laser, and the light when Dyna transforms will all be superimposed onto this set using a frame-by-frame compositing method.
Several young staff members huddled in front of the monitor to review the footage they had just shot, and couldn't help but whisper among themselves.
"Even though it was filmed in such a shallow pool, it really looks like it's taken thousands of meters deep in the ocean..."
Gu Nan heard this, but just smiled and turned to walk to the next camera position.
Isn't this the kind of dream castle that's built brick by brick?
……
The first Friday after the New Year.
The faint sound of festive firecrackers could be heard outside the window, but this did not dampen the enthusiasm of tokusatsu fans who stayed in front of their screens.
When the time came, episode 23 of "Ultraman Dyna," titled "The Castle of Dreams," was updated on time.
The opening shot, accompanied by grand background music, slowly pulls from outer space into the deep ocean.
Just as the narrator somberly recounts, the ocean, like the universe, is a world surrounded by mysteries and wonders.
As an important part of the new field development plan, the TPC Marine Development Centre has built the Triton J2 seabed research base on the continental shelf of the Pacific Ocean.
The name is taken from the sea messenger in ancient Greek mythology.
The scene shifts to the interior of a futuristic underwater base.
Koda Masashi of Super Victory Team, dressed in casual clothes, came to visit and see his friend Fujikura.
Fujikura leaned on a cane; although he had difficulty walking, his face was filled with pride and joy.
This "dream castle" that transcends reality, Triton J2, was designed by Fujikura himself.
The two strolled through the base, chatting happily.
Time always flies. Before returning to headquarters, Koda smiled and patted his friend on the shoulder, bidding farewell with a phrase that Fujikura often used to say.
"As long as you have the will to fight tenaciously, right?"
Fujikura nodded firmly: "Yes, as long as you have the tenacity to give it your all, your dreams can come true."
At this point, the comments section was still peaceful:
Wow, the underwater base looks amazing! Light Chaser Animation's special effects have improved again!
[Koda's friend is so inspiring, so determined despite his disability!]
Are there any amazing sea snails on the seabed?
[You should ask if they have Krabby Patties!]
……
However, Gu Nan's knife always came unexpectedly.
The next scene: urgent alarms blared throughout TPC headquarters.
Extremely bad news has arrived...
Koda, who had just returned to the command room, froze instantly with a smile.
He couldn't believe that the underwater base he had just visited had been destroyed by a monster!
The atmosphere in the command room was extremely heavy.
Captain Hibiki solemnly confirmed this tragic news.
The staff officer added that only one of the three dome buildings at the base has been destroyed, but unfortunately, most of the staff lived inside that dome at the time.
Koda's voice was trembling as he hurriedly inquired about Fujikura's condition.
But the next second, relying on his professionalism as a Super Victory team member, he forcibly suppressed his personal grief and immediately changed his question to ask if there were any survivors.
Mai sat in front of the computer, but the feedback she received was disheartening.
"Only two survivors remain trapped in the control room of the underwater base..."
Neither of the two survivors was someone Koda knew...
Fujikura... has unfortunately perished.
The viewers in front of the screen immediately went wild.
[Holy crap? My good buddy, who only appeared for less than three minutes, is gone just like that?!]
[Not a buddy? This inspirational character is actually just an extra?]
【You old scoundrel Gu, are you trying to throw out knives during the New Year?!】
[Koda was just chatting and laughing with him a moment ago! This turn of events is too cruel!]
……
The situation in the drama has reached an extremely urgent point.
The base's pressure barrier failed due to the violent shaking, and the base, unable to withstand the pressure of deep sea water, could only hold on for a few more hours.
Captain Hibiki made a decisive decision to use the Victory Eagle to connect with the Victory submarine and send it into the depths of the Pacific Ocean for rescue.
Koda volunteered to participate in the rescue.
Viewers could feel, even through the screen, the immense grief and anger he was suppressing upon learning of his friend's death.
The captain paired Asuka with Koda...
In the captain's words, when one of them gets emotional, the other becomes unusually calm.
With the usually impulsive Asuka around, Koda is less likely to act impulsively.
Soon, Kariya piloted his fighter jet and sent the Victory submarine to the bottom of the sea.
When it sank to a depth of about 500 meters, the Shengli submarine activated its pressure barrier.
However, this barrier, the same type used as the one at the underwater base Terry, becomes a fatal foreshadowing in this episode's plot...
[Regarding the impulsive nature of birds, they rank first among all human beings.]
[Regarding emotional complementarity~]
[If I go all out first, my teammates won't dare to go all out, right?]
[Let me guess what happens next: after Asuka calms down, Koda acts impulsively, right?]
……
At the same moment the barrier opened, deep in the ocean, a giant creature awoke as if sensing a signal and quickly swam toward the submarine.
Inside the submarine, Asuka, in an attempt to break the dull atmosphere, took the initiative to strike up a conversation with Koda.
Koda was lost in memories of his friend.
Originally, Fujikura's dream was to travel the world's oceans as a submarine pilot, but an accident during a rugby match injured his leg, forcing him to rely on crutches to move around, thus ending his dream.
But in the scene he recalled, Fujikura did not give up. He shouted to Koda, "Hey! Don't look so sad! I haven't given up yet! As long as you have the will to fight tenaciously, your dream will definitely come true!"
He truly succeeded, becoming the designer of the underwater base. But he remained forever in the dream castle he built with his own hands.
This emotional buildup brought tears to the eyes of countless viewers.
What a pity, such a good person...
[This actor is so handsome!]
The giant sea monsters are like the hardships and trials on the road to pursuing dreams, easily shattering human efforts...
……
Before the sorrow could spread, the crisis was already upon us.
Deep Sea Dragon - Diplus has appeared!
This enormous, serpentine monster is in front of the submarine!
Just as the captain had predicted, Koda, who should have been excited to see his enemy, calmed down instead of acting impulsively when Asuka was about to open fire.
He proposed changing the waterway.
After all, the primary goal now is not to kill the monster, but to rescue the survivors.
But Depras did not give them a chance.
This deep-sea dragon can actually absorb the blue laser beams shot from the front!
Its counterattack struck the side of the submarine, damaging the internal stabilization system and causing the hull, which had lost a significant amount of buoyancy, to shake violently.
Koda managed to stabilize the submarine after a series of emergency repairs.
After all this trouble, the submarine had sunk to a depth of more than 6200 meters, and the damage to its buoyancy device made its ascent speed pitifully slow.
If they run out of fuel, they will be crushed into meat patties by the terrifying water pressure.
When they were isolated and helpless, Dipras struck again.
With the help of flares, the audience was finally able to see the full appearance of this deep-sea behemoth.
It is extremely agile in the water, with small, glowing lantern-like horns on its head like those of a deep-sea fish, and even patterns on its body similar to those of an orca, making it appear exceptionally ferocious.
Even after all the lights and sonar were turned off, the monster continued its relentless pursuit.
The two finally realized that the culprit that attracted the monster was a common feature used by both the underwater base and the Victory submarine—the pressure barrier!
In order to escape the crisis, Koda made an extremely bold decision: to have Asuka pilot the submarine down to a depth of only ten meters from the seabed and move horizontally close to the ground.
This deep-sea chase scene was filmed with extreme tension and excitement.
With the combination of live-action filming and special effects, the thrill and excitement of the entire scene far surpasses the atmosphere and texture of the original world.
To be honest, this chase scene was incredibly well-made, and the sense of tension was just too much.
[Oh my god, my thalassophobia is acting up! A huge creature chasing you on the seabed, it's giving me the creeps!]
Wow, this giant sea serpent is so realistic! Its movements are so smooth! Is it really a suit?
A dragon that's agile in the water doesn't seem as nimble as a dog in the mountains (just kidding).
The audience's questions may only be answered after the behind-the-scenes footage of this episode is released.
It's worth noting that the original giant sea dragon was entirely a model, suspended by wires and moved using a technique similar to that of a marionette.
However, the interior of this sea dragon is not entirely filled with ordinary cotton or other materials.
There's a snake-shaped robot installed inside!
This was custom-made by Gu Nan at a high price; it uses a robot skeleton that is somewhat similar to a snake-shaped search and rescue robot.
The reason why this sea dragon's swimming posture is so smooth and realistic is precisely because of this.
The seabed is pitch black, the rock walls are undulating, and a giant beast is closing in from behind.
"Ten meters to go! Five meters! Get ready to aim at the rock face! Fire all missiles!"
Koda roared as he issued the order.
The submarine fired shells that shattered the rock face, using the falling rocks to temporarily bury the Diplasma.
After escaping the monster, the two finally arrived at the dilapidated underwater base, blew open the door with a miniature bomb, and successfully rescued the two weakened survivors.
But the crisis was not over. In order to refuel the submarine, they had to wait for rescue and, moments later, restarted the base's pressure barrier.
This moment triggered the Plexus, which broke free of the rubble!
The monster charged straight at the base, frantically ramming against the already fragile protective shield.
To protect everyone, Koda decides to pilot the submarine alone to lure the monster away.
However, Asuka couldn't watch her teammates die!
At this critical moment, Asuka delivered a powerful punch, knocking Koda down in one blow.
I'm sorry!
Finally, Asuka piloted the submarine herself and rushed out!
Meanwhile, Ryo arrived in another Victory submarine and successfully transferred the survivors and Koda.
However, Asuka's submarine was struck by the red lightning of the Diplas and exploded violently in the deep sea!
"Flying bird!!!"
Koda let out a desperate scream into the communicator.
Just when his teammates thought Asuka was about to die, a dazzling light burst forth in the deep sea!
Ultraman Dyna makes a dazzling appearance!
The environment of deep-sea operations made Dyna's movements slightly sluggish.
With its environmental advantages, the Depras has demonstrated formidable fighting power.
Faced with Dyna's attack, Deplas not only absorbed the energy but also transferred it to the tentacles on its head to fire lasers in retaliation.
Immediately afterwards, the deep-sea dragon used its enormous, python-like body to tightly coil around Dyna.
To deal with the sea dragon that was entangled around him, Dyna switched to his Strong form and tried to break free.
However, keenly sensing the change in its prey, the sea dragon immediately released a powerful electric current!
This combo, which is equivalent to being hard-controlled while simultaneously applying weakness and paralysis, was so powerful that even the strong Dyna, known for his strength, couldn't break free.
Under the anxious gaze of the audience, the strong-type Dyna lost his fighting spirit and collapsed in the deep sea!
This is the first time that Dyna Strong has suffered a defeat in a direct confrontation!
[Let's pay tribute to Nasus, the cosmic dragon from Seven.]
[Seven: This junior has also gotten into bondage play!]
……
After defeating the Giant of Light, Diplus turned and attacked the rescue submarine and underwater base where Koda was located.
At that moment, seeing the monster closing in step by step, the crumbling base, and the birds whose fates were unknown, Koda's long-suppressed anger and grief finally erupted.
"The monster is moving this way! Its target is Triton!"
"Asuka... Fujikura... Triton Base... just how much are you going to take from me?!"
"Defeat that guy! Protect Triton Base!"
Liang anxiously tried to dissuade him, saying, "What nonsense are you talking about? Our priority is rescue!"
However, without the bird to balance his emotions, Koda completely turned into a brute!
Its eyes were bloodshot as it roared hysterically, "Because! That's the castle of our dreams!! We will never allow...our dreams to be destroyed!!!"
Even though he knew that ordinary weapons were ineffective against monsters, Koda still launched an attack like a madman.
At this moment, he was even more frantic than a bird in flight.
"Die! Die!"
Ammunition was used up one by one until only one round remained.
Koda stared intently at the monster's tentacles as they absorbed energy.
"This is the last Break Shark shell... Die!!!"
boom!
With a deafening roar, the cannonball, carrying Koda's anger and determination to protect his dreams, struck the tentacles of Diplus with perfect accuracy, shattering them completely!
Deplas, having lost its tentacles, fell into brief chaos.
At this critical moment, Dyna stood up again, crossed his arms, and unleashed a powerful Solget Ray, completely annihilating the unsuspecting deep-sea behemoth at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean!
The battle is over.
Koda, who was originally grieving, was stunned when faced with the birds that climbed onto the submarine from the sea.
"Are you immortal?!"
The bird mocked:
"I wouldn't be as impulsive as you!"
It seems he has forgotten how impulsive he was before...
Night falls, and the stars twinkle.
The sea breeze caressed the coastline, and Asuka and Koda stood side by side, gazing up at the starry sky.
Asuka sighed, "I used to look up at the stars like this all the time... I almost forgot that I'm still on my own journey to realize my dreams."
Koda smiled slightly, his gaze profound: "That's true. The so-called new era is merely the beginning of our journey into space. So we must give it our all... As long as we have the unwavering will to fight with all our might, our dreams will surely come true."
The scene freezes on the two figures gazing at the starry sky from behind, as the soothing end credits music begins to play.
Online comment sections and forums also began discussions after the series ended.
[The new episode is still top-notch! Kids, Dyna Season 1 is still great! I feel like if the finale has another amazing episode, it could easily be in the top three of the Ultraman series!]
Don't open the champagne halfway through! Although this episode was indeed quite good.
This episode truly captured the romance and dedication to dreams of men to the fullest! Koda's line, "This is the castle of our dreams," brought me to tears!
To be fair, the character of Koda is becoming increasingly well-developed. From his usual composed older brother persona, to his restraint after losing his friend, and finally his complete outburst to protect his friend's dreams, Light Chaser Animation really knows how to write characters!
[Yes, who would have thought that Koda, who was always responsible for keeping Asuka in check, would be even more reckless than Asuka when he goes crazy? But it's precisely because of this 'irrationality' that the deep bond between him and Fujikura is highlighted.]
[The strong-type Dyna actually suffered a setback?! The value of this Deep Sea Dragon is still rising! Entangling and electric shocks, hard control and paralysis—this is simply a cheating tactic in the sea!]
[Gu Laoze, the master of detail! The slow-motion drag of the underwater battle, and the despair of a submarine struggling against deep-sea pressure after losing buoyancy, are all filmed with incredible intensity!]
Even though he lost the chance to pursue his dreams, he would still persevere to the end for the sake of his convictions. Fujikura may have sacrificed his life, but his spirit truly shines like light.
The giant sea monsters are like the hardships and trials on the road to pursuing dreams, repeatedly shattering our confidence. But with unwavering will, dreams can come true. Watching this episode during the Chinese New Year really gave me motivation for the new year!
The audience's reaction was genuine and enthusiastic.
Although Fujikura's sacrifice was regrettable, under that starry sky, Koda and Asuka's passing on of their dreams truly gave everyone a warm and uplifting force.
A new year, a new journey.
The Dyna craze did not subside during the Spring Festival; on the contrary, as word-of-mouth spread, it attracted more and more young viewers who did not originally watch tokusatsu to become fans.
Chasing Light Pictures has once again delivered a perfect performance in the new year.