Tokyo: My obsession with China led me to become the king of Japanese entertainment.

Chapter 78 What is Ultraman Tiga (Part 1)

What is Ultraman Tiga?

What is Tsuburaya Productions trying to do? Are they going to give so many people a whole new lesson on who Ultraman Tiga is and what his glorious achievements are?

The moment the first title appeared, it completely baffled the viewers in the live stream.

But before they could even type a question mark in the comments, the screen suddenly lit up:

A handsome face, slightly childlike but extremely good-looking, and very familiar to some core fans, appeared in front of the public for the first time with full makeup.

Even his longtime fans who frequented his livestreams were momentarily stunned when they saw his meticulously groomed and even more perfect appearance:

Wow, Run-ge is this handsome? No wonder idol agencies are scrambling to get him!

At the same time, Jun Sakurada's clear and pure voice, speaking fluent Mandarin, rang out in the live stream: "I'm a Japanese streamer active on the Chinese internet. Recently, I've encountered a small problem—"

The scene shifts to a small room filled with live-streaming equipment. Sakurada Jun, looking much younger with his new look thanks to special makeup, speaks to a small Chinese live-streaming room with only a few viewers, saying in Japanese: "That's all for today's live stream, time to take a break and fight!" His only sentence in Chinese carries a strong Colonel's accent.

But just as he was about to end the live stream and take a break, a comment written in Chinese appeared in the chat: "Streamer, what do you Japanese people think of Ultraman Tiga?"

"Tiga? What is Tiga?" Completely baffled, "Newly Broadcast Version Sakurada Jun" had no idea what the audience was talking about before the live stream ended.

A minor incident caught the attention of Jun Sakurada, who was completely ignorant of Chinese culture at the time. He painstakingly pulled out his dictionary and bit his finger to look up what "Tiga" that the fans were talking about actually meant.

After searching for ages, Sakurada Jun finally managed to type "Tiga" into the Chinese input method with great difficulty. The answer slowly unfolded before his eyes, and the boy breathed a long sigh of relief: "Ultrasanda! (So it's Ultraman.)"

Seeing this, many viewers suddenly realized that the short video at the beginning was actually a recap of how the Japanese side noticed China's enthusiasm for Ultraman Tiga, which led to this grand event.

Who would have thought that it was actually a young man who was a live streamer who was behind it?

The scene continues, and the question of what Tiga is has been resolved, but new questions are emerging one after another: Why are Chinese fans so attached to a tokusatsu film from more than 20 years ago?

Just because it's excellent doesn't necessarily mean so. There have been countless excellent tokusatsu shows over the years, with Okusha alone producing three masterpieces in a row during those few years.

Why did it have to be Ultraman Tiga?

With this question in mind, Jun Sakurada posted a message to his Chinese fans in the live stream the next day, receiving an overwhelming response: "Because Ultraman Tiga was our first hero in our childhood!"

"Because he still owes us a debt of gratitude!"

"Because Daigo is really handsome!"

Seeing the barrage of comments suddenly surge many times over, Jun Sakurada blinked, feeling helpless yet shocked that this somewhat ancient hero could have such a high level of support in a foreign land.

The viewers' lively comments gradually built up a beautiful story:

In an era before entertainment options were plentiful, an entire generation of children spent their childhood watching Ultraman Tiga on television and DVDs, growing into kind and brave individuals.

Flashbacks show children gathered in front of the television, parents waiting with feather dusters, lively discussions and role-playing games during recess, and that signature Zepelion beam gesture—

Jun Sakurada seemed "somewhat confused," yet also as if he had grasped something. After the broadcast ended, he found the original complete series of Ultraman Tiga and stayed up all night watching it.

From initial curiosity to gradual fascination, it perfectly matches the mindset of every Ultraman Tiga viewer.

Off-screen, viewers found it both amusing to watch Jun Sakurada awkwardly trying to understand the story of Ultraman Tiga and the Chinese children, and it also felt as if they were being gradually transported back to their own childhood.

After all, each of them was a part of this story, either as the protagonist or a supporting character.

The atmosphere grew increasingly lively, the live stream's popularity soared, and distractions were replaced by focused attention, allowing people from all over the world to experience a brief moment of shared emotion.

The hype is getting increasingly terrifying.

The next scene is a fast-paced sequence of images, with Sakurada Jun's clothing and livestream environment rapidly changing until he gradually transforms into the same person he was at the beginning of the short film: "Eh? Tiga-san? Quite a few people have been talking about him lately (in Japanese) ————"

"Chicken Way! Chicken Way, you guys like Tiga (Colonel)!"

"Can I watch Ultraman Tiga live? Sorry, I didn't report it today, so I probably won't be able to watch it (Chinese gradually becoming more standard) ————"

Although these scenes were filmed by Jun Sakurada later, they are all highly consistent with his usual live broadcast style and are at a level that can bring a knowing smile to longtime viewers.

As these fragments flash back, the trajectory of a boy who was originally quite unfamiliar with Chinese culture and the preferences of Chinese audiences gradually growing into a China expert takes shape little by little in the minds of ordinary viewers who do not know Jun Sakurada.

This is where Jun Sakurada's brilliance lies: he wants to ride on Ultraman Tiga's popularity, but he can't appear too eager or deliberate in doing so.

Therefore, he must hold fast to his identity and position:

A bridge for communication and exchange, a spokesperson and mouthpiece for Chinese fans.

After the flashback, Jun Sakurada finally appeared on screen, looking exactly like he did at the beginning. At this point, his behavior was completely unlike that of a Japanese person, and he even spoke with a thick Beijing accent: "Hey new guys, you want to ask about Ultraman Tiga's situation? Well, sorry, the anchor doesn't know much about that kind of thing either."

"You have to understand, Hiroshi Nagano, who plays Ultraman Tiga, is a debut idol from Johnny & Associates. Whether he can return and appear in the show is entirely up to the agency. Who do I think I am?"

"What? You're saying I'm good-looking enough to try studying at Johnny's? Are you kidding me? Why would I go to Johnny's?"

The words were abruptly cut off before they could be finished, and the scene suddenly brightened.

It was still Jun Sakurada, standing blankly in front of a brown-gray building, staring blankly at the sign not far away.

That logo was also on the interview invitation he had:

Johnny & Associates.

At this moment, the boy's blank stare looked particularly comical under the close-up shot.

"No, you're really coming?"

After a long pause, Sakurada Jun gritted his teeth and strode inside: "Since I'm already here, it'd be a shame not to ask!"

Then, the camera shifted again, and Shiki Nakamoto, who had caused many Japanese girls in the live stream to scream upon his appearance, asked a question similar to that of Sakurada Jun before:

"Tiga? Who?"

"Bang!" The sound of slamming a table in a conference room broke the deathly silence.

"Takizawa—you really dare!" Fujishima Keiko gritted her teeth as she stared at Takizawa Hideaki, who had brazenly appeared on the screen, and was so angry that she almost went crazy.

Although her abilities were just so-so, she had been working as an idol for decades, so Fujishima Keiko could certainly see that the core purpose of this opening short film, besides hyping up the atmosphere, was to promote Sakurada Jun.

This is understandable, after all, mentoring newcomers is the norm at Johnny's, and Jun Sakurada played a crucial role in this planning.

It's the cake he deserves to eat.

But what's with Takizawa Hideaki's appearance?

"Is she trying to use this opportunity to rebuild her image as a kind and understanding leader, so as to gain the upper hand in public opinion? What a ruthless tactic!" Fujishima Keiko almost ground her teeth to powder.

Hideaki Takizawa is one of Johnny's top idols, with popularity spanning multiple eras.

However, he has stepped back from the spotlight in recent years, and this part of the hype has gradually subsided.

Now, he has actually taken this opportunity to reappear in the public eye. Although he has not returned to his idol career, he has certainly established a persona for himself.

If Johnny's engages in factional infighting again in the future, how much of an advantage will he be able to gain in public opinion?

Moreover, despite the rampant rumors surrounding Takizawa Hideaki's absence, the Tiga comeback livestream can still be considered a success made by the "Johnny's Entertainment" as a whole.

Even if Fujishima Keiko doesn't get much credit, she can still benefit from it to some extent.

Now that Hideaki Takizawa has personally taken all the cake, what will Fujishima and the Empress's faction have left?

All that's left is the bad reputation of meddling and causing trouble.

Hideaki Takizawa, how cruel you are!

Hideaki Takizawa in the picture had no idea that he was such a ruthless person; at this moment, he was just as bewildered as Jun Sakurada.

With Jun Sakurada's help, he also went through the process of going from unfamiliar to familiar to amazed. The two handsome guys had no idol baggage at all and just kept fiddling with a computer.

After all that trouble, Takizawa Hideaki nodded vigorously: "Searched thoroughly! Got it!"

"Well—how about we let them meet?" Jun Sakurada tentatively suggested.

Takizawa paused for two seconds: "Then—shall we give it a try?"

I wonder how many people secretly cheered the moment those words were uttered.

But don't rush, there's more to come that they'll be cheering for.

Having set the course, Hideaki Takizawa began working on the plan on the spot, while Jun Sakurada cautiously made his way to the door of a practice room.

The sign on the door reads: V6.

At that moment, countless viewers instinctively held their breath as they realized what was happening.

-

Is it coming?

"Come in!" A familiar yet unfamiliar voice. Jun Sakurada pushed open the door and entered, followed by a long shot:

As the screen pans across the screen, one after another, figures who were once famous throughout the world come into view.

Ken Miyake, Junichi Okada, Tsuyoshi Morita, Yoshihiko Inohara, Masayuki Sakamoto————

Finally, it slowly stopped on a familiar yet unfamiliar figure.

His handsome features instantly transport you back to childhood. What has changed are the slight marks left by more than twenty years of weathering on his face, but what remains unchanged is his unwavering gentleness and steadfastness.

He slowly raised his head, looked at the camera, and his eyes showed both doubt and surprise.

Since Ultraman Tiga was officially translated and introduced to China in 2004, fifteen years have passed. Starting with "Ultraman 8 Brothers," eleven years have passed. The children of that time have finally seen their childhood idol again through official channels.

Hiroshi Nagano is officially back!