Chapter 245: Thank You, Daigo
"Damn it! Seven's still chasing me!"
This line comes from episode 44 of Ultraman 80. Originally, it was just a plain and unremarkable line. However, because the voice actor Gong Ming delivered it with such crisp pronunciation and perfect articulation, even the vulgar expression became hilariously iconic.
In fact, the older generation of voice actors not only enunciated clearly but also poured rich emotion into their performances. Although the translated lines occasionally carried an awkward "translation tone," their deliveries left a lasting impression—sometimes even surpassing the original versions.
Unlike the emotionless, chant-like dubbing that came later.
However, because their performances were often too emotional—and translation practices back then weren't shy about including profanity—many timelessly classic swearing lines were born.
Lines like:
"Babar, you damn mutt!"
"Brothers, the situation is urgent, let's kill the traitor Aslat!"
"Damn it! Seven's still chasing me!"
These are all iconic moments where just seeing the image is enough to hear the voice in your head.
That's why, although Li Ri'ang only vaguely felt the voice of the Alien Hipporit sounded familiar at first, the moment he heard that line, his memory came flooding back.
Still, even after remembering where it came from, Li Ri'ang just found it amusing.
What he didn't know was that the film's director, Shinji Matou, went out of his way to preserve the original flavor of that line by specifically inviting "King of Zhuzi Nation," Gong Ming, to voice the Alien Hipporit.
And it wasn't just Gong Ming. When it came to casting, Shinji essentially gathered every old-school voice actor he could find.
For example, though the character was voiced by the actor known for the Apolon aliens, the most famous line came from Shen Xiushu's VA—She Chenguang from Ultraman Ace—and Cheng Yuzhu, who voiced both Kyosuke from Ultraman and Zhu Bajie from Journey to the West. There were also Fu Chong, Zheng Yuzhi, He Yan... and many others. After researching the Shanghai Film Dubbing Studio's cast, Shinji pretty much contacted everyone he could.
These veteran actors were genuinely surprised that Tsuburaya Productions would invite them back to do dubbing. For them, being remembered and having their past work acknowledged was the best gift they could receive.
As a bonus, getting back together with old colleagues for another project was like a joyful senior reunion.
In this way, Shinji's efforts were almost like a tribute—reuniting the legendary voices of the past.
You could say that although the guy acts like a beast of a director, he really went all out to fulfill his childhood dream.
And of course, the final product delivered.
When the eight Ultramen appeared on the big screen and used their signature beam attacks to take down the Five King, Zepandon, and the Alien Hipporit, audiences of all ages felt a deep, satisfying thrill.
But just as humanity was once again cheering in victory, darkness descended once more.
The Black Silhouette, still unwilling to give up, suddenly appeared in giant form before the eight Ultramen and humanity.
"We shall not vanish! We can summon endless powerful monsters! We will shroud humanity's hearts in despair and darkness, and wipe out all Ultramen from the multiverse! Wahahaha~~"
With the Black Silhouette's maniacal laughter, black fog began to envelop the Earth. His massive figure cast shadows that affected all parts of the world, triggering disasters everywhere.
Tsunamis, earthquakes, typhoons, volcanic eruptions, torrential rains, cold waves—
The Earth, under attack from all sides, once again looked like it was on the brink of the apocalypse.
But this time, humanity was very different from before.
Because humanity had Ultraman.
"Stop underestimating the human spirit—you're the one who needs to be destroyed!"
As the undeniable central figure among the eight warriors, he shouted down the Black Silhouette's arrogance and pride.
"Save your breath! No matter how deep the despair, the light in humanity's heart will never fade!"
"And the ones who guide that light of belief in people's hearts are the Ultramen!"
Cheers and applause erupted from the theater speakers as people inside the cinema cheered for their heroes of light.
And outside the screen, the real-world audience burst into even louder applause and shouts, as if trying to make sure everyone could feel their excitement.
Ultramen may be aliens, but they are miracles born of humanity!
Empowered by the strength shared by human hearts, the eight Ultramen simultaneously transformed into their Shining Forms.
Yes, that legendary "Shining Form" of Tiga—often spoken of as a god-tier transformation.
From Shinji's perspective, though, he preferred to call this form a kind of "divine descent via machinery."
While hardcore Tiga fans might put the Shining Form on a pedestal, in truth, it's better understood as the Ultramen's symbolic response to humanity's light.
You couldn't call the form "trash," of course. With its lore rooted in human willpower, the Shining Form carries deep symbolic meaning—when it appears, victory is a given.
Unlike other so-called "ultimate forms," which often lose their shine after a while, this one doesn't really get nerfed. It's consistent, and because of that, it's meaningful.
That said, it's not especially flashy in terms of design—basically, just a burst of golden light across the Ultraman's body. No new suit, no redesign, just a glow-up.
Still, Shinji's version of Super 8 did give the Shining Forms a bit of flair—he gave the Ultramen a full-on golden aura buff. At the very least, it looked pretty awesome.
But was the Shining Form really that unique? Not really.
Theoretically, any Ultraman can attain it.
And no, this wasn't some fanon nonsense Shinji made up on his own.
According to Tsuburaya's own canon, in the original Super 8 Brothers movie, the Ultramen did defeat the Black Silhouette in their Shining Forms.
And it didn't stop there—in the later Ultraman Ginga S The Movie: Showdown! The 10 Ultra Warriors!, there was an all-out Shining Form showcase, where all 10 Ultramen transformed together.
To Shinji, the Shining Form was kind of like Aidi-sensei's theme music—once it kicks in, it's time for the monsters to die.
That said, whatever else you might say about Shinji's movie, it definitely had style.
Once the eight Ultramen transformed into their Shining Forms, they used their golden light to dispel the darkness, then fired beams to annihilate the giant Black Silhouette.
With the full IMAX widescreen format amplifying the visual effects, the golden glow surrounding each Ultraman, paired with the sunrise breaking through the gloom, created an absolutely stunning, breathtaking scene.
Compared to these "Buddha-mode" Ultramen radiating divine light, the Black Silhouette was downright pitiful.
Technically, he was supposed to be the final boss of Super 8, which should've made him a really big deal.
Not saying he needed to be on the same tier as Zetton or Alien Empera, but at least he should've been in the same league as the ultimate judge Gillvalis.
Unfortunately, due to his ultra-cowardly personality, the Black Silhouette's presence in the movie ended up being weaker than even the Alien Hipporit.
At least that guy's deadpan expression left a lasting impression.
But you? All you ever did was call for backup… and then call for more backup. Even with that hood over your head, you brought nothing but minions.
At least when other villains play their cards, they go for some wild hairstyle to assert dominance. But the Black Silhouette? With his bland getup, you'd be forgiven for mistaking him for a generic Death Eater minion skin.
Unfortunately, even though Shinji reworked a lot of the story elements, he didn't change the Black Silhouette's design.
To Shinji, this guy was always meant to be just a background prop—a shadow whose only job was to make the Ultramen's light shine even brighter.
Kind of like the aliens in Independence Day: sure, they were the main threat, but it was the massive alien mothership that left a real impression, not the generic grey extraterrestrials.
Still, the Black Silhouette's appearance wasn't entirely meaningless. At the very least, he gave the bystanders—those people who'd spent the whole movie cheering from the sidelines—a sense of involvement.
"I have become light!"
That line may sound like a simple slogan, but depending on who says it, it carries vastly different meanings.
It's like the term "folk hero"—it could refer to the wild, unruly Black Whirlwind Li Kui, or to the noble White Knight Xu Xian.
So, in this movie:
To the Emperor, "I have become light" is nothing more than his dying words;
To the civilians in Super 8, it represents their innermost yearning—a tribute to the Ultramen they revere;
And to the kids in the theater watching, the phrase brings back memories of Tiga, their Ultraman, a core part of their childhood.
At last, the long battle ends, and a new dawn arrives.
Eight Ultramen stand side-by-side on the beach, gazing out at the rising sun.
Soon, they return to their human forms and walk slowly toward the crowd coming to greet them, carrying victory with them.
Then, in a nice touch of closure, Asuka, Gamu, and Daigo each confess their feelings to Ryo, Atsuko, and Rena, respectively—resolving the lingering regrets from their original TV series arcs.
After all, not everyone had seen the various movie versions, and back when Ultraman Tiga: The Final Odyssey hadn't yet become widely available, many mainland Chinese fans only knew Tiga's ending as that iconic group photo.
As for Hibino Mirai, having completed his mission, he bids farewell to Daigo and disappears into the light.
The battle gave Daigo, Asuka, and Gamu the courage to reclaim the dreams they once gave up.
Originally, the movie ended with all of them boarding a spaceship to the Land of Light, but Shinji scrapped that ending.
Why? Because if this was going to be a true all-ages movie, a fairy-tale-style finale just wouldn't cut it.
But Shinji wasn't about to go full grimdark either. He didn't want to show Daigo and the others still stuck in loser mode.
Instead, Asuka finally got a chance to become a pro baseball player; Gamu, thanks to the recognition his parallel world theory received during the incident, was welcomed back to the research institute; And as for our main protagonist Daigo…
It's another ordinary morning. A man named Daigo, briefcase in hand, is on his way to work.
A girl in red shoes stands in the middle of the street, smiling at him.
"Daigo," she calls out.
Daigo waves, smiling a little sadly. "Are you leaving?"
The girl nods.
"There's something I've always wanted to ask," Daigo says. "Why did you choose me to carry your message?"
She smiles again.
"Because, on that day… you were the first one to notice me."
"Huh?"
"Daigo, you protected this world. You kept your promise. Really… thank you so much."
Bathed in a soft, warm light, the girl's form slowly fades away before Daigo's eyes.
"Goodbye…"
Just as Daigo turns to leave, he notices a large poster in the window of a nearby newsstand:
[Apply now for space station civilian life trials—You could be the next astronaut!]
"Maybe I should give it a shot?"
Scratching his head with a grin, Daigo takes a step toward a brand-new future.
And so, the story of the Great Battle! Super 8 (Superior Ultraman 8 Brothers) comes to an end.
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