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

Chapter 65: The Fanfiction Controversy Caused by the Divine Chapter Obik

Three days after the airing of the second episode of the second season of "Ultraman Tiga", titled "I Saw Obik".

The hype didn't fade over time; instead, it continued to generate attention on the internet in this parallel world.

Meanwhile, a video went viral on Douyin (TikTok) and topped the charts on Bilibili...

The video's title was simple, yet it soared to the top of the site's charts within just a few hours—"The Village Is Back—Obik's Monologue."

Views: 2000 million.

Number of bullet comments: 2.

Number of coins: 80.

This data was generated in just three days.

The screen was initially completely black, with no visuals, only the whistling sound of wind blowing through the mountains and forests, and the familiar, aged, and slightly hoarse monologue of "Shadow Grandpa" Obik.

The sound, after being processed by the uploader, sounds even more ethereal and distant, as if it comes from a bygone era.

The background music is Jay Chou's "Said Goodbye" in pure piano version.

The village is back...

The old village is back...

[I'm back...I'm back...]

As the soft music played and these murmurs sang, a light mist gradually appeared on the screen.

That was the atmosphere that Gu Nan deliberately created in the drama, and the uploader used it perfectly in the editing.

When the fog dissipates, what appears is not a colorful modern city, but a scene processed into black and white, with a yellowed, old photographic texture.

That was once a village on the outskirts of Shanghai, a village with a lookout tower, a clear stream, and a lotus pond.

Haha, has the old village really returned?

People who dwell on the past are not weak; they are simply kind-hearted.

The background music was not any of the original music from the drama, but a poignant erhu solo, as if weeping and lamenting.

The scene cuts to the wrinkled face of "Grandpa Shadow".

My name is Obik.

Some call me Grandpa Shadow, others call me Shadow Demon.

However, those titles are from hundreds of years ago... Now, the years have long since erased my former grandeur as a great demon; all that remains is a decaying body.

As the narration begins, the editing pace picks up.

The scene rapidly switches between ancient scrolls and modern neon lights, creating a strong sense of visual dissonance.

On one side is a dilapidated noodle stall cart adorned with a banner for buckwheat noodles, and on the other side is a down-on-his-luck old man who seems out of place on the bustling asphalt road.

If you smell the aroma of buckwheat noodles in Yanye Street late at night, you might just see my copper pot gleaming bluish-green under the streetlights.

However, the streets are now so brightly lit that they can no longer reflect my complete shadow...

In this particular segment of the video, the uploader specifically chose the scene where Obik dodges car headlights. His panicked movements, coupled with that line, instantly resonated with everyone present.

The screen was flooded with comments at that moment:

[Waaaaah, the light pollution is too bright, it doesn't even cast shadows... This lyric is absolutely brilliant!]

[I'm moved to tears. The city lights are so bright they've blinded the stars and scared away the monsters.]

[UP, you really understand Obik!]

Seeing this, countless viewers couldn't help but feel touched.

This content creator has exceptional copywriting skills and completely grasped the core of the character Obik.

The video continues.

Obik's monologue continued:

Of course, even if you see me, you don't need to be afraid, because I won't harm the people in this village.

I just want to see what the village used to look like. I'm just having trouble accepting that I've been left behind by this rapidly developing era.

Why does everything seem to be forcing me to let go of the past? Is this time's cruelest punishment for those who dwell on the past?

The scene shifts to the moment when the Victory Team is deployed.

The originally tense and exciting arrest operation was given a slightly ironic yet poignant tone in this video.

The Xincheng team members screamed in fright, while the well-digging team members looked bewildered, holding the detector.

For some reason, these younger colleagues acted as if they'd seen a ghost when they saw me; they were terrified.

After several nights of revelry, my legend once again resounded throughout the village.

My name has reappeared in the public eye. Word is spreading that the terrifying monster has returned.

But in reality... I've just been forgotten for too long and want to get your attention.

Those so-called pranks and frightening methods were nothing more than a lonely old man seeking attention like a child.

What he feared was not death, but being completely forgotten.

The video's pace suddenly shifted at this moment, becoming rapid.

The roar of excavators, the noise of the construction site, and the wailing of police sirens mingled together, assaulting the audience's eardrums.

In the video, Obik stands on the hill behind the house, looking at the sign that construction is about to begin; his back view is desolate.

It is said that this area was once a vast lotus pond and a comfortable, peaceful village.

But things are different now... a health and wellness park will soon be built on this mountain.

Construction is starting tomorrow...it's going to be a big event then.

Goodbye.

With a "Goodbye," the video entered its climax—the final celebration.

In the video, a giant Obik appears on the hillside outside the village.

He spewed flames wildly, yet carefully avoided the crowd.

[The clever Daigo guessed my intentions. I wanted to create panic in the village to interfere with its modernization efforts.]

But my efforts seem to have yielded nothing, not even the slightest change.

The camera cuts to the moment Daigo transforms into Ultraman Tiga.

A radiant light shines, and a giant stands tall.

But this time, the giants did not attack.

Obik looked at Tiga, at that light, and let out his final shout.

Look! That's what a village night used to be like!

Our village is back! Our old village is back!

The content creator made an amazing edit here.

He used special effects to soften the cold, steel jungle of reality and superimpose it onto the beautiful, smoke-filled village that Obik imagined in the show.

However, the next second, Xincheng's voice mercilessly pierced through the illusion:

"That's not a village!"

"In that darkness, the village is no longer there!"

"The old village has long since disappeared!"

With these words, the illusion in the picture shattered like glass.

Obik's eyes instantly went from hope to despair.

Just as I was still immersed in my own beautiful fantasy, Daigo's words struck me like a bolt from the blue.

Yes... the village of the past is long gone. What I cherish is nothing but myself, a complete and utter self-deception, a dream.

Now I think it's time to wake up from this dream.

The music reached its climax, both tragic and grand.

Obik abandoned his defense, spread his arms, and faced Tiga's Zepelion Ray.

Since that's the case...

We can't destroy this town. You know, the old village will never come back...

In a daze, I saw the village from before again.

[Subconsciously, I relaxed my body, which allowed me to withstand Tiga's beam of light without any warning.]

But it doesn't matter anymore. Life and death make no difference to me now.

The moment the light penetrated the body, the video screen turned pure white.

All the noise disappeared.

All that remained was Obik's final, relieved smile and that soul-stirring concluding remark:

Perhaps I really am tired.

I deliberately faced Ultraman Tiga's attack, allowing myself to dissipate in that light.

It is both an indictment of modern development and an ultimate resistance against irreconcilable self-destruction.

My acts of destruction are not out of evil, but a desperate attempt to preserve a vanished civilization.

But in the end, I discovered that the hometown I remembered could never be recreated.

Since that's the case, and I'm unwilling to accept the new era, I have no choice but to disappear along with the old village.

The video ends with a freeze-frame displaying a line of white text on a black background:

Please remember me, I am a stubborn monster—Obik.

The video ends.

"This script...this editing...it's practically extracted the essence of this episode, even elevating it."

"Indeed, it gave me goosebumps."

"When we were filming, I just thought Teacher Wei acted well, but now, with this caption, I feel like the character Obik has come to life."

The comments section was filled with sighs, immersed in that sentimental feeling.

……

Gu Nan naturally wouldn't ignore the video's renewed popularity.

A discussion began in the Tracking Light studio.

"Mr. Gu, have you considered this...?"

The speaker was Sun Ze, the legal director placed by Gu Nan's father, Gu Zhenhai, who was usually most concerned about the company's copyright and business issues.

His brow was slightly furrowed.

"The video was really well made, and I was very moved. But..."

Sun Ze paused, then pointed to the view count on the screen and said, "This video is incredibly popular, and a lot of the footage is directly taken from our main video. It might sound a bit disappointing, but this level of derivative work actually constitutes copyright infringement under the law."

The atmosphere in the meeting room instantly turned cold.

All eyes were on him.

Sun Ze didn't back down and continued his analysis from a business perspective: "Mr. Gu, you see, although this content creator hasn't activated the charging plan, such high traffic will definitely bring other revenue. Moreover, if this sets a precedent, everyone can freely edit our videos, or even maliciously interpret or commercially use them, then our copyright barriers will be broken. This is a potentially huge risk to the 'Tiga IP' we are building."

Sun Ze's words are not without reason.

In this parallel world, while copyright awareness is stronger than on Earth, the boundaries regarding fan fiction and derivative works remain blurred.

To protect their intellectual property, many large companies typically employ a "strongest legal department" strategy, cracking down on any form of derivative work, preferring to punish a thousand innocent people rather than let one guilty person go free.

"Therefore, from the perspective of the original creator, I think we should contact Bilibili and request that the video be taken down. Or at least, require the uploader to indicate the copyright ownership and restrict their subsequent commercial activities," Sun Ze suggested.

The air seemed to freeze.

Everyone looked at Gu Nan.

Gu Nan remained leaning back in his chair throughout, his face revealing neither joy nor anger. After listening to Sun Ze's words, he gently tapped the table, making a "tap-tap" sound.

"Hey Attorney Sun, you've been in the legal profession for so long, your thinking is getting a bit rigid."

Gu Nan finally spoke.

"Mr. Gu, I'm doing this for the company's benefit..."

Sun Ze explained.

Gu Nan waved his hand, interrupting him: "I know you're doing this for the company's good. But I need to remind you what the original intention of 'Ultraman Tiga' was."

Gu Nan stood up.

"Tiga is light. Light cannot be grasped or locked away."

He turned around, his eyes shining as he looked intently at everyone in the conference room: "We made 'Ultraman Tiga' not to lock it away in a safe as a family heirloom. We made it so that more people would believe in light and believe in dreams."

"This content creator, and countless others like her, edit videos, write fan fiction, and draw fan art. What does that show? It shows they truly love this work, that they are moved by our stories. Isn't that the greatest honor for us as creators?"

Gu Nan's voice wasn't loud, but it was firm and resolute.

"If we suppress these heartfelt fan creations simply because of copyright concerns, what do we become? Do we become the ruthless bulldozer that demolishes villages and erases memories?"

"But……"

Sun Ze wanted to say something more.

"No buts."

Gu Nan stated unequivocally, "What we need is dissemination and resonance, not building high walls. Every fan-made video is a seed that can allow Ultraman Tiga's light to shine even further."

Gu Nan walked up to Chen Bo and patted him on the shoulder: "Attorney Sun, broaden your perspective. As long as it's not malicious rumor-mongering, defamation, or used for illegitimate commercial profit (like selling pirated resources), why should we restrict it? On the contrary, we not only won't restrict it, we'll encourage it!"

After speaking, Gu Nan directly gave Sun Ze an order:

"Attorney Sun, draft a notice and send it out using the official account."

"To sum up the content: Light Chaser Animation thanks all viewers for their love of Ultraman Tiga. We are deeply honored and moved by such excellent fan-made works. As the official team, we formally declare: We support all fan-made works based on love and respect! Whether it's editing, narration, drawing, or writing a novel, as long as it doesn't involve malicious defamation or violate laws and regulations, feel free to create! This ocean of light belongs to us, and even more so to each and every one of you who believes in the light!"

This is Gu Nan's confidence.

He holds more than just Ultraman Tiga in his hands!

The future Ultraman series, the Heisei Three, and even the new generation will only appear in his hands.

He believes that an IP that can become a nationwide sensation in its original world can also shine even brighter in this world.

"in addition,"

Gu Nan pointed to the video on the screen, "Give this video a like, comment, and share. And let the official account comment: 'The old village is gone forever, but Ultraman Tiga will always be with you. Thank you for your interpretation; it made me cry.'"

There was a moment of silence in the conference room, followed by applause.

Chen Bo became excited: "This is the kind of spirit that Light Chaser Animation should have!"

Other employees also cheered.

They are also creators, and they know the joy of being understood and supported.

Sun Ze was stunned for a moment, then gave a helpless bitter smile, but a hint of admiration also appeared in his eyes.

Perhaps this is why Gu Nan was able to direct "Ultraman Tiga," while he could only do operations.

This young man always has a longer-term vision than others.

Ten minutes later.

The official announcement from Light Chaser Animation Studios and the comments under that viral fan-made video were released simultaneously.

This move instantly went viral online.

Netizens who were initially worried about receiving copyright warnings for the videos were thrilled to see the official account personally "liking" and strongly supporting fan-made content.

Holy crap! The official response is amazing!

[A once-in-a-lifetime event! This is the first time I've seen an official account so devoted to its fans!]

[I'm going to edit the video right now! Director Gu, I love you!]

[I was initially hesitant to post this because I was worried about copyright infringement, but now that the official channels have spoken, brothers, let's go! Let Ultraman Tiga sweep Bilibili!]

[That's real vision! Light Chaser Animation deserves to make money!]