Chapter 136: Every Imported Ultraman Series Bears the Blood and Sweat of Director Shinji
It's not just Japan; in other key East Asian markets, both Type-Moon and Tsuburaya Productions are promoting Ultraman Mebius.
Now that there are no copyright restrictions, Tsuburaya and Type-Moon are leveraging Times Group's channels to dominate various East Asian countries.
They've managed to get the classic Showa Ultraman series and the Heisei trilogy aired on TV across different countries, and are also promoting Mebius during prime time in these regions.
Especially in countries and regions where there's no requirement for a full review after the series finishes airing, Tsuburaya has managed to broadcast Mebius almost simultaneously.
Even in North America, though a bit reluctantly, Times Group has been airing Mebius outside of prime time.
Unlike Tsuburaya's straightforward approach, Shinji cleverly had Times Group categorize Mebius as a youth drama, bypassing many of the restrictions around violence.
While this might cause some confusion about the target audience, at least the advertisements are out there.
For Shinji and Tsuburaya, it's not so much about how many people watch Mebius, but more about re-establishing the Ultraman IP on American soil.
However, no matter how well Mebius is promoted in North America, it's still just a bonus to Shinji's goal of promoting naked-eye 3D technology.
The region Shinji really has his sights set on is the neighboring Rabbit market (a playful term for China).
But unlike in other regions where Mebius is the main push, Shinji prioritizes promoting the Heisei trilogy in this most important market.
There's no other choice.
For various reasons, Ultraman's promotion in China had been out of sync with other places for an entire era.
While kids in other countries were watching the Heisei trilogy on TV, Chinese kids were just being introduced to the seven classic Showa Ultraman series (from the original Ultraman to Ultraman 80).
It wasn't until 2004 that the first Heisei series, Ultraman Tiga, was officially introduced to the Chinese market.
Tsuburaya's thinking at the time was to bring in one series and gauge the response.
If it was well-received, they'd consider introducing the rest of the Heisei Ultraman series.
There's no denying that Tiga is an outstanding work.
Although it was an eight-year-old series, it still held up exceptionally well in 2004, both in terms of plot and special effects.
It hardly felt like a product of the last century.
Naturally, Tiga replaced the Showa Ultraman as the new hero of light for the children of mainland China.
However, just as Tsuburaya was preparing to build on Tiga's success and launch Ultraman Dyna in China, a policy change threw their plans into disarray.
According to new TV import regulations in China in 2005, Japanese animation was banned from being imported into the country.
Not only was 2D animation banned, but tokusatsu (special effects) shows like Ultraman and Kamen Rider were also classified as animation and thus prohibited.
And that was that.
Shinji recalls that it wasn't until he finished his college entrance exams and had free access to the internet that he learned about the other Heisei series besides Tiga.
By that time, even the Mega Monster Battle: Ultra Galaxy Legends movie, featuring Ultraman Zero, had already been released.
In this world, Tsuburaya has an advantage that it lacks in other parallel worlds—they have the genius director Matou Shinji.
Although Shinji's last movie, Fate/Zero, didn't take the top spot in the 2004 box office (ranking third with 130 million RMB), it's worth noting that Fate/Zero was a foreign film with only a one-month screening window.
The two films with higher box office numbers were both domestic films with screening times at least twice as long as Fate/Zero.
Additionally, Fate/Stay Night, which was delayed nearly two years before its release, also achieved a respectable 60 million RMB at the box office.
These solid numbers have undoubtedly elevated Shinji's standing with the relevant departments in China.
In fact, Fate/Stay Night could have done even better at the box office, but most of the audience had already watched pirated versions and weren't interested in seeing it again on the big screen.
This situation underscores the importance of promoting 3D films in China.
Since copyright enforcement is not very strict, filmmakers must offer an advantage that home viewing cannot match if they want audiences to buy tickets and go to theaters.
Shinji's plan isn't unreasonable.
Riding the wave of success from the Fate films, he's looking for a way to smoothly introduce the other two Heisei Ultraman series.
Having only Tiga isn't enough to support the promotion of the Ultra Galaxy Legends movie.
Shinji also knows that once this film project is over, there's a high chance he'll fall out with Johnny's, and Nagano Hiroshi (who played Ultraman Tiga) will become a legend on the Chinese internet.
Before that happens, he wants to bring Dyna and Gaia to China, so that Asuka Shin and Takayama Gamu can join Daigo Madoka as childhood heroes for this generation of kids.
This way, future promotions for Tsuburaya will be much easier.
After all, Matou Kariya and Yoshioka Takeshi are much easier to invite (and cheaper) than Daigo Madoka.
Especially Kariya, who Tsuburaya might even be able to get to appear for free.
That said, Shinji still isn't sure if Dyna and Gaia will ultimately be able to enter the Chinese market.
The thoughts of the higher-ups were beyond Shinji's comprehension, even after living a lifetime.
To prevent the worst-case scenario, Shinji made alternative plans.
If it was confirmed that Ultraman Dyna and Ultraman Gaia couldn't be imported, Shinji would have Tsuburaya negotiate directly with local TV stations.
The idea was to have them produce a program titled "Introduction to Excellent Foreign Tokusatsu Shows" and air Dyna and Gaia under the guise of an introduction, bypassing the review process entirely.
Of course, such a loophole would eventually be shut down, but by then, the first wave of promotion would be complete, and the critical Ultra Galaxy Legends movie would be close to release.
At that point, it wouldn't matter if the shows were banned or not.
As for what came next, the omnipotent internet would help Shinji handle most of the promotional issues.
In the end, to make the Ultraman IP explode in the Chinese market, Shinji had racked his brain, coming up with both legitimate and not-so-legitimate methods.
His goal was to reduce the difficulty of promoting Ultra Galaxy Legends next year.
By August, the filming of Ultra Galaxy Legends was nearing its end. Shinji took the entire crew to a Western-style bar in Fuyuki City to film the final scene—the new human hosts gathering for a meal.
This scene was saved for last because it was the one where the most cast members, aside from the final battle, would be together, making it a memorable moment.
Plus, once the set was arranged, they wouldn't have to clean up afterward since it could directly serve as the wrap party venue.
"Onii-sama, I'm not sure if you're the greatest director in the world, but you're definitely the stingiest one."
In the bar, Sakura, checking the set decorations behind Shinji, couldn't help but complain.
"This is called being economical. If you want to talk about stingy, go out the door and turn left to Toei."
Shinji replied nonchalantly.
Turning a corner, he pointed to the "delicious dishes" being placed on the table by staff and said, "If I were stingy, would I have made these special dishes?"
Sakura snorted coldly, "They're all fake food, and you don't call that stingy?"
Shinji rolled his eyes at the ceiling, "The set has been arranged for so long that if we used real food, the colors would be off by now. I did it so the filming looks better."
"But it's still fake." Sakura poked at a plate of "fried chicken" in mock disdain.
Shinji pinched her cheek. "You're not Arturia, so why are you so obsessed with food?"
Still, Shinji added, "If you really want to eat, don't worry. Once filming is over, the real food will be served."
"I'm sure Arturia would enjoy that," Sakura muttered, her eyes already drifting toward the kitchen, curious about what delicious things might be coming.
Shinji shook his head, stroking her hair gently. "Sakura, are you interested in a cameo?"
"Cameo?" Sakura raised her eyebrows in excitement, "What kind of cameo? Will I have lines?"
"Here's the deal," Shinji gestured around the bar, "Since this is the last scene, aside from the necessary actors, I want the entire crew to join in. Everyone from props, set design, and other departments will be extras. You're listed as an intern on the crew—want to join in?"
Hearing Shinji's explanation, Sakura, who had been enthusiastic, now looked less thrilled. "So you just want me as a human prop?"
"Exactly."
"No lines, no close-up shots, just blending into the crowd, totally unrecognizable?"
"You shouldn't be completely unrecognizable. My dear Emoplot, you still stand out in a crowd." Shinji gave her a quick once-over.
Sakura glanced down at herself, troubled. "Yeah, I guess I developed too fast."
"You should tone it down a bit, Sakura," Shinji gently suggested.
Piling all the fat into the chest and hips was something only someone like Arturia Lancer could do as a heroic spirit.
As a regular human, Sakura was already pushing her limits.
"I let my guard down." Sakura slapped her face lightly, "I've been eating with Arturia and Rider without realizing they don't gain weight no matter what they eat, being heroic spirits."
"Onii-sama, do you have any magecraft to help with weight loss?" Sakura asked with hopeful eyes.
Shinji gave her a light chop on the head. "There's no such convenient magecraft! You need to exercise properly!"
"Onii-sama is bullying me!" Sakura playfully punched him with her small fists before grabbing Arturia and Medusa, seemingly heading off for a run.
"Boss," Shinji's secretary quietly remarked, "Isn't there a technique that burns fat using magecraft? Why didn't you tell Miss Sakura?"
"It wouldn't have the same educational value," Shinji smiled. "As her older brother, it's my duty to guide her towards the right worldview. That's how I show my love."
"And your real reason, Shinji?" Shirou asked softly.
"Obviously, I'm messing with my sister for always sneaking money out of my wallet."
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