msmithbooks Chapter 114 The Public Opinion Storm and Official Stance Caused by Environmental Protection
Chapter 114 The Public Opinion Storm and Official Stance Caused by Environmental Protection
The first two episodes of "Ultraman Seven: Project Origin" caused quite a stir, and as time went on, this surge in popularity did not subside even after the series ended.
Instead, the emergence of commentary videos on various platforms has sparked an unprecedented intellectual storm.
If Lao Tang's video was highly praised from the perspectives of technology and sentiment, then another group of people emerging on the internet keenly sensed the tension surrounding the issues of "environmental protection" and "energy."
The tree catches the wind.
Especially when Gu Nan did not choose a family-friendly opening like "Ultraman Tiga", but instead chose such a hardcore, even somewhat cold and realistic subject matter, controversy inevitably arose.
Saturday morning.
A popular content creator on Bilibili, known as "Elephant Meeting" and a UP (uploader) with over a million followers in the lifestyle and science sections, suddenly released a 40-minute video.
The headline is extremely sensational—
[The Warning from "Ultraman Seven": Are Humans the Cancer Cell of Earth? In-depth Analysis of the "Reflection" and "Atonement" Behind Gu Nan's New Drama.]
The title immediately attracted hundreds of thousands of clicks.
The account "Elephant Conference" has always prided itself on "independent thinking" and "in-depth popular science".
However, netizens who know a little about it know that this account is operated by an MCN agency that received sponsorship from an unknown overseas fund.
His favorite thing to do on a daily basis is to use the guise of popular science to smuggle in his own agenda, advocating that "Xia Kingdom should slow down its development" and "wait for Western civilization."
However, nowadays it's being kept as an electronic pet...
In the video, a man wearing black-rimmed glasses and with a somewhat effeminate appearance talks eloquently to the camera.
"Hello everyone, I'm Elephant. I watched Director Gu Nan's new series 'Ultraman Seven' yesterday."
To be honest, I was pleasantly surprised.
Why? Because in this tokusatsu drama, I saw director Gu Nan's profound reflection on the endless expansion of our nation and even human civilization as a whole.
The video then cuts to a scene from the first episode, "Solar Operation," where the doctor's "Super Solar System" explodes, engulfing the building in flames.
"Look at this scene, everyone. Humanity thought it had mastered 'absolutely clean' solar energy, but what happened? The system went out of control and caught fire. Isn't this director Gu Nan's metaphor? He's telling us that excessive pursuit of technology only brings disaster. Our current industrial development is too fast, so fast that we haven't 'respected the Earth' as Captain Guqiao said."
He then switched to the second episode, "The Land of the Earthlings".
The scene shows a conversation between Professor Lizer and the Metron aliens, with a key excerpt being the part where the Metron aliens say that humans are "bacteria that destroy the environment."
"Elephant" pushed up his glasses, his tone turning pained: "Listen to this line—'Kill humans like bacteria.' Although it's a villain's line, think about it carefully, doesn't it make sense? We're creating garbage like crazy, turning the Earth into a garbage dump. The Metronians' 'self-circulating city,' which converts energy entirely from garbage without pollution, isn't that the ultimate form we should be pursuing?"
"But what did the humans in the show do? They rejected the suggestions of a more advanced civilization simply because the other party was also an alien. What arrogance and xenophobia!"
At the end of the video, "Elephant" made a summary, revealing the true intentions behind the scenes.
"I think the Ultraman Seven series is actually a 'letter of repentance' from director Gu Nan."
Through Seven's words, he is telling us: Xia's industrialization is progressing too rapidly, causing excessive carbon emissions. We should stop, reflect on ourselves, and even embrace a more environmentally friendly lifestyle, like Professor Lizer did, even if it means sacrificing some economic development.
Otherwise, we are the virus of the Earth.
The comment section was instantly flooded with comments after the video was released.
Because "Elephant Conference" has a large following, and with the help of online trolls, the top comments are all supportive.
"The elephant is absolutely right! I also think that humans are parasites on Earth."
"Gu Nan's critique this time is really insightful; he's criticizing the current situation in China where there's a blind pursuit of GDP."
"I support this! We should reduce industrial emissions, even if it means not using electricity, to protect the environment!"
"I almost cried watching this. Humans are so ugly. Was it really worth it for Seven to protect humanity?"
This strange wind quickly spread across the entire internet.
Within just a few hours, hashtags such as "Seven metaphorically represents humanity as a virus," "Gu Nan uses the drama to reflect on the industrialization of Xia Kingdom," and "Environmental protection is justice" surged to the top of the trending searches, fueled by a certain number of online trolls.
This led to many casual viewers who hadn't actually watched the show, or who were just watching for entertainment, being misled.
"Oh? So that's what Gu Nan meant? Then I don't want to watch anymore. Isn't this just insulting ourselves?"
"What the hell? So all our hard work in developing and building this planet has turned it into a virus?"
"Is this show biased? Is it promoting extreme environmentalism?"
Even worse, some "extreme rabbit friends" started to label Gu Nan.
"Gu Nan is a 'white leftist'! He's using foreign money to brainwash us!"
"This plot is disgusting. Sacrificing development for environmental protection? Are they trying to take us back to the Stone Age?"
"I don't understand Gu Nan's actions. Ultraman Tiga is much better; it's full of positive energy."
This book, *Seven*, is too depressing; it's filled with that pretentious, artsy vibe.
Under the guidance of certain individuals, the online discourse began to shift from "plot discussion" to "ideological trial."
……
Chasing Light Studio.
Seeing the online public opinion, Chen Bo was so anxious that he broke out in a cold sweat and rushed into Gu Nan's office.
"Brother Nan! Something's not right with the public opinion here; someone's stirring up trouble!"
Chen Bo slapped the tablet in front of Gu Nan, and the screen showed the video of the "Elephant Meeting".
"These bastards are taking things out of context!"
The explosion in the first episode was caused by the Pitt aliens, but the Metron aliens were supposed to kill all of humanity in the second episode!
How could they interpret this as "Gu Nan supporting the cessation of development"?
Gu Nan was sitting in a chair drinking tea when he saw the video. Instead of getting angry, he chuckled.
"The Elephant Conference? Ha, what a apt name, 'blind men touching an elephant'."
After watching the video, he roughly understood what kind of person the other party was.
"Brother Nan, how can you still laugh! Now many people online are cursing you for '50,' saying that you took dirty money from abroad to brainwash domestic audiences and promote extreme environmentalism."
Some people even used Ultraman Tiga to criticize Ultraman Seven, saying that Ultraman Seven was biased.
Chen Bo was also getting anxious.
After all, these sensitive things, if labeled, can cause a lot of trouble.
There are no extreme environmental organizations in China.
However, it's best to avoid getting involved with these things if possible.
"Should we issue a statement to clarify?"
"Clarify what? Clarify that I'm not a liberal?"
"Or are you clarifying that I didn't receive the 50?"
Gu Nan put down his teacup, a cold glint in his eyes. "The more you explain to someone who deliberately misinterprets things, the more excited they become, and the more they think you're guilty."
"What can we do? Just watch them throw dirty water?"
"Don't rush, the bullets will fly for a while longer."
Gu Nan pointed to the screen, "The audience isn't stupid."
Such extreme remarks may deceive people for a while, but they cannot withstand scrutiny. And haven't you noticed?
This controversy, ironically, propelled Seven's popularity beyond its core audience.
Gu Nan is right.
Less than two hours after the video of the "Elephant Meeting" was released, the counterattack came.
A Bilibili content creator specializing in anime and manga, known by the ID "Leisai Thirty Minutes," has launched his first campaign.
He responded with a video at lightning speed.
The title is straightforward and blunt: [Refuting the "Elephant Conference": Stop using your extreme environmentalism to disgust *Seven*! What exactly is Gu Nan talking about?]
At the beginning of the video, an indignant content creator appears on camera, extremely angry.
"I just finished watching a video by a certain 'animal' content creator, and I was so angry I threw up my breakfast. These days, are people really willing to lose all sense of shame just to make easy money?"
Lei Sai took a deep breath and began to refute each point one by one.
"First, about the first episode, 'Solar Operation'."
A content creator on YouTube said, "System crashes are a disaster brought about by technology."
Are you blind or just blind in your heart?
The plot clearly explains that the Pitt aliens forcibly overloaded the system in order to power up Eleking!
Furthermore, what was Dr. Nanjo's original intention in developing the super solar energy system?
It's to provide humanity with clean, free energy!
This is humanity's effort to protect the Earth!
"Let's watch the second episode. A certain content creator is actually trying to whitewash the Metaron aliens? Saying that the 'self-circulating city' is the ultimate form?"
"Leise" sneered and released the climax of the second episode.
It was Professor Lize's resounding roar.
Things without a heart are trash! Isn't that right?
"Listen! Listen!"
Lei Sai slammed his fist on the table in excitement. "Director Gu Nan, through Professor Lize's words, has already thrown the answer right in your faces! The Metaron aliens' 'environmental protection' is based on 'exterminating humanity.' This is fascist environmental protection! This is anti-humanity!"
"And why did Professor Rize finally realize this? Because Dan Moroboshi told him, 'We are children of Earth.' Children may make mistakes and act out, but as long as we have a heart, as long as we know how to be grateful, and as long as we know how to correct our mistakes, we still have the right to live on this earth!"
"What Gu Nan wanted to express was never 'stop developing,' but 'responsible development!' What did the little boy group say at the end of the first episode? He said, 'If we humans used solar energy like Ultraman Seven, wouldn't the Earth become more beautiful?' That's the core message!"
"What do you call this? This is called 'Technology for Good'! This is called 'A New Energy Vision'! What the hell is this 'Reflection and Atonement'?!"
"Finally, a word to those who stir up trouble: Don't apply your Western leftist 'atonement' theory to our work. Ultraman Seven is great because, as an alien, he saw through humanity's flaws, yet still loved them. He believed that humanity had the ability to create a future of harmonious coexistence with nature!"
"Leise's" video is logically clear and well-supported by solid evidence, instantly igniting the passion of ordinary viewers.
The comments section naturally began to retaliate.
"Holy crap! You got it! I almost got tangled up in that elephant's trap!"
"Exactly! In the first episode, it was clearly aliens causing trouble, so how did it become the fault of human technology?"
"I support Leisai! That elephant meeting was clearly a case of the husband being biased and siding with the enemy."
"Damn, I went back and watched episode two again. The professor's line, 'Things without hearts are trash,' was a stroke of genius! Isn't that exactly what he's saying about people like elephants?"
"Gu Nan's move is on a whole new level! He actually anticipated this kind of 'extreme environmentalism' rhetoric, so he specifically arranged for the Metaron aliens to be the villains and slap them in the face!"
As the "Lei Sai" video spread, public opinion began to polarize.
One side consists of the "reflectionist" group led by the "Elephant Conference," who insist that Seven is criticizing human industrial civilization and demand that everyone "bow down and admit their sins."
On the other hand, there is the "rational faction," mainly composed of "Rayce" fans and a large number of tokusatsu enthusiasts, who insist that Seven explores "sustainable development" and "the relationship between humans and nature," and is a hopeful hard science fiction.
……
The two sides engaged in fierce online battles on various forums, Weibo, and Tieba.
The argument that "Seven is not as good as Ultraman Tiga" has been repeatedly brought up and criticized.
"Admit it, Seven is too dark, he doesn't have the bright sense of hope that Tiga has."
"Darkness? That's reality! And wasn't the scene where Seven stood up in the sunset at the end just as exciting as Tiga's transformation?"
"Gu Nanjiang has run out of ideas and can only rely on controversial topics to attract attention."
"Trying to grab attention? Your attention-grabbing scheme can make the suit look like a living organism? And you can throw all that high-end technology and budget into the action scenes?"
The online argument was raging, and it even seemed to escalate into personal attacks against Gu Nan.
……
Saturday afternoon at 3 pm.
Things took a turn for the better.
An unexpected "ultimate tycoon" has entered the scene.
On Weibo, a verified account with a blue V suddenly posted a long article.
Account ID: [Xia Kingdom National Energy Bureau].
Following this, official accounts such as the Ministry of Ecology and Environment and the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League of China reposted the message.
The entire internet went silent instantly.
All the onlookers stared wide-eyed, unable to believe what they were seeing.
How could a tokusatsu drama have alarmed a national agency of this caliber?
Everyone clicked on the article with trembling hands.
The title is simple, yet every word carries immense weight: "Looking at the Path to Future Energy Security and Harmonious Coexistence Between Humanity and Nature Through Ultraman Seven."
The article sets its tone right from the very beginning:
"Recently, the tokusatsu series 'Ultraman Seven: Project Origin,' created by young Chinese director Gu Nan, has become a hit, sparking widespread discussion across society on issues such as energy and environmental protection. This is not only an excellent film and television work, but also a popular science masterpiece with a profound sense of social responsibility."
Upon seeing the words "a masterpiece of popular science," the team behind the "Elephant Conference" felt a chill run down their spines.
The article continues:
"In the first episode of the series, 'Solar Operation,' the creators explored the risks and countermeasures of the 'Super Solar System' when it suffers external damage, with a forward-thinking perspective. The clean energy that Dr. Nanjo is dedicated to developing in the series is a microcosm of our country's current vigorous promotion of the new energy strategy."
"Although the plot shows the system exploding, its core message is not to deny the technology, but to emphasize the importance of 'energy security'—we must master core technologies to prevent them from being destroyed by forces with 'ulterior motives' (such as the Pitt aliens in the show)."
"In the second episode, 'The Land of the Earthlings,' the extreme argument of 'eliminating humanity to protect the Earth' put forward by the villainous Alien Metron is actually a powerful rebuttal to some of the current Western 'extreme environmentalism.'"
"Professor Lize's awakening in the play, and his line 'Things without a heart are garbage,' profoundly reveal the essence of environmental protection: environmental protection is for the better survival of mankind, not for the elimination of mankind's right to development."
"As Dan Moroboshi says in the show: 'We are children of the Earth.' Children may make mistakes, but as long as we are grateful, work hard to correct our mistakes, and use the power of technology to improve the environment, we can live in harmony with Mother Earth."
The article concludes by saying:
"Literary and artistic works should be like 'Ultraman Seven,' not avoiding contradictions or whitewashing the truth, but always based on the principle of 'people-oriented,' guiding the audience to engage in constructive thinking."
"We look forward to more creators like director Gu Nan who have passion and vision to tell the story of the Xia Kingdom and spread the correct view of ecological civilization."
……
This article has become a "stabilizing force"!
This is what we call "official approval"!
Those previously boisterous "public intellectuals" and "reflective freaks" suddenly became like ducks with their necks choked, unable to utter a sound.
They never imagined that such a powerful entity would be backing up a small company like Chasing Light Cinema.
Meanwhile, Gu Nan's fans were absolutely ecstatic.
"Holy crap!! What an impressive display! What kind of display is this?!"
"The National Energy Administration personally reviewing the show? Is this the kind of treatment you'd expect from a tokusatsu drama?"
"Hahahaha! This is hilarious! 'A force with ulterior motives'—this official commentary is so sharp! They're directly naming those 'Pitt aliens,' right?"
"Where's the Elephant Conference? Come out and show yourselves! The official stance is that it's 'refuting extreme environmentalism,' and you're still here reflecting on it?"
"I'm kneeling before Gu Nan! His vision is simply divine!"
"Now who dares to say that Seven is inferior to Ultraman Tiga? The level of its conception is off the charts!"
Inside the Light Chaser Studio.
Chen Bo was stunned when he saw the Weibo post that had been reposted by major official media outlets.
He was still holding a prepared PR document in his hand, but now it seemed like a piece of waste paper.
"Nan...Brother Nan..."
Chen Bo swallowed hard, looking at Gu Nan who remained calm and collected in the boss's chair. "You...you knew all along?"
Gu Nan put down his pen, a slight smile playing on his lips.
He certainly didn't know the official statement would be released.
However, not long ago, he received a phone call from his father...
Moreover, he knew that in this parallel world, the country provided strong support for the cultural industry and placed great importance on guiding correct values.
Although "Ultraman Seven" is disguised as a tokusatsu series, its core message, whether it's the vision for new energy sources or the critique of extreme environmentalism, perfectly aligns with the current national strategy.
As long as the plot is logically consistent and the theme is not misguided, the official team has no reason not to support it.
"I have no idea."
Gu Nan said calmly, "But I believe that no matter which world's Ultraman they are from, 'protecting humanity' will always be their core mission. As long as we grasp this point, we will always stand on the side of justice."
At this moment, Bilibili.
The video of the "Elephant Meeting" has been deleted.
Furthermore, his account profile displayed "This account has been banned for violating community rules."
The video titled "Thirty Minutes of Lei Sai" has already surpassed five million views, with the screen filled with comments like "Were they recruited by the authorities?" and "The light of righteousness."
What made Gu Nan even more gratified was that, with the official stance, the discussion about "Ultraman Seven" finally returned to the plot itself.
Everyone started frantically digging into the details of the first two episodes.
"Brothers, I watched it again and found that Captain Furuhashi's line in the first episode, 'This guy loves Earth more than Earthlings,' combined with the official interpretation, really brought tears to my eyes."
"Yes, Seven wasn't blindly protecting us; he was like a father, believing that we could get better."
"Is this the meaning of the 'Origin Project'? Returning to the origin of our original intentions and reflecting on the relationship between humanity and the Earth."
"And have you noticed that the official statement specifically mentioned 'energy security'? This shows that our country's solar energy technology is really making great strides!"
"Gu Laozei not only won in terms of reputation, but also in terms of political integrity. He's simply invincible."
……
A rented room in Jinghai City.
Old Tang looked at the online reversal and exhaled a long smoke ring.
"Gu Nan, oh Gu Nan..."
Old Tang shook his head, a bitter smile appearing on his face.
"I originally thought you were on the fifth level, but I didn't expect you to be in the atmosphere. Even the official authorities have been alarmed by you. Now, Seven's status is probably truly going to be elevated to godhood."
He glanced at the computer screen, where the ending theme of "Ultraman Seven" was playing.
Under the setting sun, Seven's red figure stood firm.
"However, this is for the best."
Old Tang muttered to himself, "At least let those who think tokusatsu is just for kids see what 'a man's romance' and 'a great power's responsibility' really mean."
"Come on! Bring on episode three!"
……