Chapter 26: Tetsuo Kinjo (Please Recommend)

The conversation between the two caught the attention of Eiji Tsuburaya, who stood nearby. With every new thing, Eiji Tsuburaya approached it with a childlike curiosity and eagerness to explore. It was this very attitude that allowed his special effects films to repeatedly transcend people’s imaginations.

“What’s your name?” He walked over, sizing up Xie Jing. “I heard you’re a friend of Nagano?”

“Director Eiji Tsuburaya, hello. My name is Yuta Fujii!”

“Oh? Did you come to see how movies are made?” Eiji Tsuburaya leaned closer to Xie Jing, scrutinizing the trench coat he wore.

“My, your outfit is striking! It has a real sci-fi flair. And this emblem—such a lovely design!”

“This is the uniform of the Victory Team!”

“Victory Team?” Since even the first Ultraman had not yet been filmed, the old master Tsuburaya naturally didn’t understand the term.

“Yes, GUTS—the Victory Team! It’s a special operations squad under the United Earth Defense Organization, formed to protect humanity and fight monsters!”

“Oh?” Eiji Tsuburaya’s eyes widened, curiosity burning bright.

“As I recall, there’s no such organization in Japan.”

“There isn’t—not yet!” Xie Jing smiled. “I come from a different time and place, Director Tsuburaya.”

“In my world, monster disasters have become commonplace, so the Victory Team was established to curb their destruction.”

Eiji Tsuburaya chuckled, patting Xie Jing’s arm. “You, young man, have the makings of a great screenwriter. And you have the look too. Ever thought of bringing this script to me?”

He doesn’t believe me? Honestly, if someone suddenly claimed to be a superhero from the future, you wouldn’t believe them either.

Since he didn’t believe it, so be it.

Switching gears, Xie Jing put on a cheerful face. “Really? I’ve been mulling over this story for a long time, but I haven’t written it down—it's all in my head!”

“That’s fantastic!” Eiji Tsuburaya rubbed his hands together in excitement. “Come with me, I’ll call Kinjo-kun over—he’s our best writer. I’m sure you two will have plenty to talk about!”

Eiji Tsuburaya never wanted to let a good idea slip by. The company had been running at a loss for quite some time, and their new special effects films were nowhere near as popular as before. Something had to change.

Moreover, Eiji Tsuburaya had always wanted to film a story about a giant superhero, but the setting, the plot, the transformation sequences—all needed to be fleshed out.

Xie Jing’s Victory Team concept matched perfectly with the kind of story Tsuburaya had in mind. Recently, Kinjo Tetsuo hadn’t been at his best either, and the quality of his scripts had declined. The old master wanted him to hear another’s story and maybe spark some inspiration.

This never happened in the original version. Up to now, Xie Jing hadn’t sensed Charliega’s presence, which meant that absurd monster was probably still wandering around, asking people if they’d like to buy a monster.

The sky outside had grown dim. Xie Jing followed the director to a tavern in the town and took a seat.

He had barely settled in when Kinjo Tetsuo, looking unkempt and greasy, hurried in. He’d spent days hunched over his writing desk, racking his brain for ideas and neglecting his appearance.

When he heard that Eiji Tsuburaya was looking for him, Kinjo Tetsuo had only taken a moment to wipe his face before rushing over to the tavern.

“Two beers and a glass of water, thank you!”

As soon as he entered, Kinjo Tetsuo saw the director he admired chatting happily with a young man in a strange coat.

“Let me introduce you—this is our company’s best writer, Kinjo Tetsuo. And this is…”

Xie Jing quickly grasped Kinjo Tetsuo’s hand, modestly saying, “My name is Yuta Fujii. I’ve heard so much about you, Mr. Kinjo!”

As one of the early contributors to Tsuburaya Productions, this young man at only twenty-eight would pen the script for Ultraman this very year, ushering in a brilliant era for the company. He would also go on to write Ultraseven.

But now, with Tsuburaya Productions in dire straits, Kinjo Tetsuo was still an unknown figure, so he took Xie Jing’s words as mere politeness.

The three sat down. Eiji Tsuburaya, pointing at Xie Jing, said to Kinjo, “This young man is the most interesting person I’ve met today. Look at his outfit; it’s the uniform of the United Earth Peace Organization—Victory Team!”

“Is that so!” Kinjo Tetsuo examined Xie Jing’s coat with interest, even reaching out to touch it. “The material is excellent. Oh, and you even made a model gun?”

“Oh, you mean the Victory Hyper Gun!” Xie Jing drew the gun from his holster and set it on the table. “Just don’t point it at anyone—it packs quite a punch.”

“Does it really shoot lasers?” Kinjo Tetsuo fiddled with the Victory Hyper Gun, laughing. “It looks the part, but you didn’t even make a slot for the magazine—could use a bit more detail.”

It wasn’t Kinjo Tetsuo’s fault for not knowing—the Victory Hyper Gun’s energy cartridge was inserted diagonally in the body of the gun, quite unlike a standard pistol.

After a bit of tinkering, Kinjo didn’t try to fire it. Xie Jing silently put the gun away, then turned to Eiji Tsuburaya. “Director Tsuburaya, is the company not doing well these days?”

“That’s right.” Eiji Tsuburaya took a sip of water and sighed. “We’re barely hanging on. If the next film flops, we’ll have to close our doors for good.”

Kinjo Tetsuo lowered his head, muttering, “It’s all my fault. I haven’t been able to write a good script. My mind’s a mess these days. I just can’t come up with anything new.”

“Don’t lose heart, Kinjo!” Eiji Tsuburaya patted his arm reassuringly, his voice kind. “I’ve always believed in your talent. But sometimes, your imagination gets stuck in the mold of old special effects films. If you don’t break free, you won’t write anything better.”

After listening for a while, Xie Jing spoke up. “Actually, I have an idea. I’ve only worked out the general story, but maybe you’d like to hear it.”

“Absolutely! Let’s hear a fresh idea from a young man!” The old master beamed, ready to listen intently.

“The story I want to tell begins in the distant M78 Nebula…” Xie Jing searched his mind for the settings of Ultraman, recounting them to the two, who were growing ever more engrossed.

“Ultraman are giants fifty or sixty meters tall, who fight monsters to keep peace on earth. Each Ultraman has a human host, but due to environmental constraints, they can only remain on earth for three minutes…”

As he spoke, Xie Jing asked the server for pen and paper and began sketching the general outline of the Ultra Brothers.

“This is the original Ultraman, who comes to earth from afar…”

“This is Ultraseven. He wears a crest on his head that can easily sever a monster’s body…”