Chapter 234: Matou Shinji's Cunning Plan
Shinji orchestrated this scene—one not present in the original film—to bring the first action sequence forward.
In a standard tokusatsu film like the original Super 8 (Superior Ultraman 8 Brothers), such an arrangement wouldn't be a problem. After all, the original Super 8 was merely a nostalgic tribute.
However, Shinji, with much greater ambitions, couldn't follow that approach. He needed to immediately capture the audience's attention and immerse them in the breathtaking 3D special effects of the film.
For online novels, the most critical part is the first three chapters. For movies, the most crucial moment is the opening ten minutes.
Almost all excellent action-packed special effects films feature a spectacular action sequence within the first five to ten minutes. While this scene may not be the grandest or most exciting in the entire movie, it is undoubtedly the most pivotal.
This sequence determines the audience's first impression of the film.
In fact, the opening two scenes perfectly encapsulate the core theme of Shinji's Super 8—nostalgia and grand-scale special effects.
To ensure the audience could truly feel the immense scale of a battle between gigantic creatures, Shinji drew heavy inspiration from Pacific Rim and Godzilla: King of the Monsters, setting the battle in a rainy, nighttime environment.
Despite frequent criticism of rainy night scenes as a cost-cutting trick in CGI-heavy films, when used effectively with proper lighting and rain effects, they can create an unparalleled immersive experience for the audience.
'The rain effect is insanely realistic! It feels like it's about to pour out of the screen!'
The scene of rain splashing onto the camera lens, combined with the 3D effect, became even more vivid, completely stunning Li Ri'ang.
Though he had seen plenty of tokusatsu and CGI-heavy films—including the test footage of Super 8—this was the first time he had ever witnessed such a powerful sense of visual realism.
With the IMAX screen's superior resolution and depth-of-field effects, Li Ri'ang could clearly perceive the depth and layering of the imagery.
He realized that this was precisely the groundbreaking 3D effect the Super 8 production team had been tirelessly promoting.
'I thought the test footage was already the peak of this film's potential, but the final version's visuals are even more refined!'
'It feels like I'm being sucked into the screen without even realizing it. Is this what they meant at the beginning when they said, 'Be part of it'?'
As his fascination with the film deepened, Li Ri'ang felt all his previous work and life stresses melt away.
If Li Ri'ang's excitement was merely internal, then the children's enthusiasm was expressed through their actions.
"Whoa, this is awesome! So freaking cool!!"
Li Ri'ang's young nephew, biting his finger and drooling, let out a loud exclamation.
"This Ultraman and the monster feel even stronger than Tiga!"
Kids often judge by visual impact alone, and seeing Mebius' stylish battle sequences instantly turned this little rascal from a devoted Tiga fan into an unwavering Mebius supporter.
"Uncle, what's the name of that fish-like monster? It looks super strong! Why have I never seen it before?"
"Of course, you wouldn't know it, you little brat. You never watch Showa-era stuff."
Li Ri'ang casually responded, completely immersed in the film and unwilling to be distracted by a child.
Educating a kid about old-school kaiju? That doesn't even come close to the thrill of watching a movie!
Then, Li Ri'ang felt a kick from the annoyed little brat.
"You punk, are you trying to start a rebellion?!"
Li Ri'ang flicked his nephew on the forehead and, with slight impatience, explained:
"That monster is from Ultraman Jack, but its story is a bit complicated. You'd better not watch it."
Just thinking about the The Monster User and the Boy storyline left Li Ri'ang with mixed emotions, slightly dampening his excitement from the stunning visuals.
'Is the director deliberately trying to depress the old fans?'
Crossing his arms, Li Ri'ang muttered,
"Could this be the director's twisted sense of humor?"
Of course, this wasn't just Shinji's twisted sense of humor—it was an intentional choice by Shinji himself.
Shinji arranged for Muruchi's appearance as a tribute to three of his favorite Showa era "problematic episodes." The enemies from these three episodes had all been recreated in some form during the Heisei era.
Jamila had a Westernized remake in Ultraman Powered.
Nonmalt reappeared in the Ultraseven OVA, continuing its original storyline.
But Muruchi never got a chance to appear in the Heisei era—after all, the episode where it was supposed to return had been cut by Shinji himself.
To make up for this, and to satisfy his own personal nostalgia, Shinji decided to feature Muruchi as the opening kaiju of Super 8.
To fully commit to the homage, he even filmed an extended one-shot fight sequence between Mebius and Muruchi, paying tribute to the iconic battle from the Showa episode.
Of course, this was purely a visual tribute—none of the original storyline was included.
With the limited runtime of a film, adding The Monster User and the Boy would be overwhelming for the audience.
So, after several minutes of intense combat that showcased the full potential of 3D special effects, Mebius finished the fight with a precise throw, launching Muruchi away before obliterating it with a Mebium Ray.
Just as Mebius was about to follow the standard Ultraman exit routine—soaring into the sky in a graceful arc—a girl in a white dress and red shoes appeared on a nearby rooftop, locking eyes with him.
"Who are you?"
"A world has been targeted by invaders."
"What?"
"Please hurry. That world has no Ultraman."
As the girl's figure gradually faded, she left one final cryptic message:
"Join forces with the other seven heroes and defeat the invaders."
Suddenly, a rift in time appeared beneath Mebius, engulfing his entire body—or rather, his entire Ultraman form.
As Mebius vanished, the entire IMAX screen went dark.
Then, a solemn narrator's voice echoed alongside a majestic musical score.
"Do you remember them? The heroes who once protected our Earth?"
On-screen, an image of the original Ultraman appeared, followed by an animated sequence of classic scenes from his TV series.
This character introduction was directly inspired by Mega Monster Battle Ultra Galaxy: The Movie.
Even the scene of Mebius defeating a monster and being transported through time was lifted straight from Ultra Galaxy.
However, since Super 8 only featured eight Ultramen, and the Heisei Ultraman Trio (Ultraman Tiga, Dyna, Gaia) weren't from the Land of Light, Shinji adjusted the introductions to focus more on the individual heroes rather than providing a comprehensive overview like Ultra Galaxy did.
As the final Ultraman, Gaia, was introduced, the screen began to brighten.
"Now, a brand-new story will unfold in a world without Ultraman—a world where they never became heroes."
The film's title appeared on the screen:
"Great Battle! Superior Ultraman 8 Brothers"
The story had officially begun.
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"That fight was incredible!"
"Is this the peak of modern visual effects?"
"SUGOI! I never imagined Ultraman—no, a movie—could have such mind-blowing effects!"
As the movie transitioned into a brief slice-of-life segment, the audience erupted in excited discussions, eager to relive the exhilarating battle sequence they had just witnessed.
Casual viewers were dazzled by the spectacle, but industry professionals were left even more shaken.
Because even they had no idea how this was filmed!
Film critic Kawachi Ippei turned to the reviewer sitting beside him. Their eyes met for a brief moment, silently exchanging the same thought:
All those so-called special effects films before—like Fate/Stay Night and its kind—were just child's play.
This… this is what a true visual effects masterpiece looks like!
It wasn't surprising that they felt this way.
Even though they didn't like Matou Shinji, they could at least recognize the fundamental aspects of filmmaking—whether a movie had grand visuals and whether the special effects were well-executed.
Critics had always accused Matou Shinji of excessive reliance on CGI and shallow storytelling, but they had never criticized the quality of his special effects.
The reason was simple: Matou Shinji's VFX work was undeniably top-tier within the industry. Even the harshest "Shinji-haters" wouldn't deny that.
Many had assumed that after the success of Fate/Zero, Shinji would rest on his laurels and stop pushing the boundaries of visual effects.
But after watching Super 8 (Superior Ultraman 8 Brothers), Kawachi Ippei realized with absolute clarity—Matou Shinji had left every other filmmaker far behind.
'This… this isn't good at all…'
He stroked his beard, his face filled with concern.
If Shinji kept chasing after the pinnacle of CGI, his dominance over the VFX industry would only grow, and with it, his influence.
And what was most important to film critics? Influence.
'No— We have to stop this kid. If we don't, our standing in the industry will become increasingly unstable.'
Kawachi clenched his fists, his thoughts now completely removed from the movie itself.
<+>
"That young man, Matou Shinji, certainly isn't holding back."
Johnny Kitagawa sighed lightly, his voice tinged with admiration.
For the first time, he truly felt his age.
Johnny & Associates didn't directly produce films, but over the years, countless movie projects had passed through their hands.
And yet, he had never seen a film as grand and ambitious as Super 8.
Leaving everything else aside, just in terms of sheer scale, Matou Shinji had surpassed the entire Japanese film industry!
"Investing this much money into a single film… and even developing new VFX technologies specifically for it. That's a bold move, no doubt. But…"
Mary Kitagawa trailed off, hesitating to finish her sentence.
Despite being utterly impressed by the film, she couldn't ignore the financial reports she had seen regarding its production and technology development costs.
The numbers were staggering—most of the budget had gone into R&D rather than the actual filming.
Shinji might not be worried about the expenses, but she felt anxious on his behalf.
If that amount of money had been handed over to Johnny & Associates, they could have spread it across multiple films, assigning different projects to their idol actors.
Not only would this approach reduce financial risk compared to pouring everything into a single film, but it would also yield far greater returns.
Yes, Super 8 was breathtaking. But to recoup the massive costs of developing new technology, several more movies would need to be made.
Mary Kitagawa understood that Shinji intended to use Super 8 as a launchpad for his new VFX innovations.
But what if this film flopped at the box office? That would completely backfire.
What she didn't know, however, was that Shinji had deliberately inflated the official research funding reports to disguise the existence of magecraft.
In reality, even including technology R&D costs, the total budget for Super 8 was only slightly higher than Fate/Zero.
The real money sink had been the distribution and theater equipment upgrades, but if that expense were factored in, the numbers would never end.
<+>
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