429: Chapter 429 Explosive Reputation

... A work directed by Lin Chuyan!

After watching the entire film and seeing those seven words again, everyone's feelings were completely different.

"Holy crap, I knew you were going to make an animated short, but I didn't think you were this awesome!"

Everyone could see that using the situation of the Little Pig Demon was a metaphor for the plight of the working class.

But that final plot twist was truly breathtaking.

Just like the top comments in the section below the film—

"I knew it, my Great Sage couldn't be the villain!!!"

"I love this kind of clean, traditional domestic 2D animation that hasn't been influenced by Japanese or American styles!"

"I wanted to cry the moment I heard Brother Monkey's voice, wuwuwu!"

"Little Pig Demon, did you know? The Great Sage didn't want to be a corporate slave back in the day either."

"It's the Great Sage, I'm crying my eyes out! Lin Chuyan gets me: It's not just our childhoods that need the Great Sage, we corporate slaves need him even more!"

Some people even started 'shipping' them—

"Lin Chuyan, you're clearly Erlang Shen, why do you understand the monkey so well? As expected, Yang Jian and the monkey are real!"

Some people even started to deeply analyze the film, coming up with dark interpretations—

"Didn't you guys notice? Actually, the film ended when the screen went black as the Great Sage swung his staff at the Little Pig Demon; everything after that was just a fantasy."

"I think so too. Or maybe Lin Chuyan thought the first ending was too dark, so he added a heartwarming one?"

"The person above is right! This knife hits the mark perfectly: the scraps of society, the pillars of the family, three generations to raise a tool, and yet like dust in front of the big shots."

Of course, more people disagreed—

"If he really killed the Little Pig Demon, the quality of the story would drop, okay? The audience identifies with the Little Pig Demon; that would be like smashing the audience's hope with a single blow. Also, do you understand the gold standard of the Great Sage's image? He is light, he is justice, he is the great hero in the hearts of all our people. A truly dark ending would be ruining a classic and ruining the IP!"

However, those who insisted on the dark interpretation had something to say—

"Heh, who doesn't know the Great Sage is a hero? But, what is the hero we expect, really? Has the hero ever really cared about us? Hmm, let me just put it this way: reality is cruel. Besides your own mother, no one cares about us."

Everyone had their own point of view.

Too many people were discussing it, too many people were praising the film, and too many people were praising Lin Chuyan.

"summer of the little monsters" had indeed become a hit.

In his past life, it was a normal hit that broke into the mainstream.

In this life, man, this was the debut work of a top-tier male celebrity who could reach the trending list just by saying a word, now turned director.

Not to mention this guy is the best at stirring up trouble; before it aired, he even bet his career on it, so the traffic was basically maxed out.

Before it aired, countless people were supporting him, and countless people were waiting to scold him, just like with "hunting blue star" back in the day, wanting to trample him underfoot and mock him.

Fans were actually nervous; although their idol had always been awesome, who could guarantee he would be awesome every single time? What if? What if he really messed up, then...

After it aired, it was awesome. "summer of the little monsters" was even better than the fans imagined, much better. Their brother was as steady as always, their brother was a god! Damn it, after worrying for so long, they could finally brag!

"Lin Chuyan is awesome! Director Lin is awesome! 'summer of the little monsters' is awesome!"

"I'm announcing in advance that this is the best animated film I've watched this year!"

"Who could have thought Lin Chuyan could deliver such a good work? No one! But this is Lin Chuyan, he always gives you surprises!"

"Congratulations to Director Lin, although it's just an animated short, the story is brilliant, with both laughs and tears, showing his skill!"

"Congratulations to my brother on his new identity as a director, I'm waiting for the score for 'summer of the little monsters' to open now."

"I cried watching it, how does Lin Chuyan understand what Chinese people like deep in their bones so well?"

Passersby were also recommending it everywhere.

Whether it was directed by Lin Chuyan didn't really matter to them, who cares about that? If it's a good film, they recommend it; if it's a bad film, they scold it a bit.

"Recommend 'summer of the little monsters', a short film, only 20 minutes, those with a Bilibili membership can check it out."

"'summer of the little monsters' is really good. The awesome part is, it turns out the 'journey to the west' IP can be adapted like this?!"

"Really, a brand new perspective, not writing about immortals or the master and his three disciples, but focusing on a tiny monster, and yet it can be filmed so brilliantly? Awesome!"

As for the Haters, some of them had defected.

"Lin Chuyan is indeed awesome, can't hate on him anymore, brothers."

"He filmed my favorite Great Sage, he wrote the Great Sage so well with just a light touch..."

"I am the Little Pig Demon, I am a corporate slave. Thank you Lin Chuyan for filming such a story."

"A former hater, now preparing to make fan works in the super topic."

Another part of them had a breakdown.

"Can Lin Chuyan control his fans?"

"Isn't it just a 20-minute short film? Is it really that big of a deal?"

"Calling it a legendary episode, as long as the Bilibili kids are happy."

The rest of them would just hate on it no matter what.

"It's that corporate slave and workplace stuff again, aren't you tired of this theme? Can't you come up with anything else besides this?"

"The funniest part is that in the end, they still had to use a 'deus ex machina' with the Great Sage; it's clear they can't tell a good story anymore."

"Purely moaning without an illness, really just forcing a connection to the 'journey to the west' IP, take it away."

Some even started picking fights, in an inexplicable way.

"As expected of Lin Chuyan, as expected of you 'male treasures'."

It aired at 12:00, finished at 12:20, and by 12:30 it was already on the Weibo trending list.

#summer of the little monsters is good#

Of course, everyone didn't forget Director Deng either; the trolls had already gone to Director Deng Yu's Weibo to start mocking him.

"Ginger is still spicy when old; Director Deng can't make movies, but his vision is top-notch. He knew long ago that he would lose the bet, awesome."

"Congratulations to Director Deng for not having to retire from the industry!"

"Actually, Director Deng is setting an example for us, telling us to stay away from gambling and drugs."

"Director Deng, give us a review of 'summer of the little monsters'! We want to hear it."

"Don't rush him, Director Deng already said it, this is hard to evaluate."

"Hard to evaluate? Then don't evaluate it!"

"Some young directors make me see the backbone of domestic animation, while looking at some others, tsk tsk."

"Director Deng, stop pretending, I see you're online."

Director Deng Yu was indeed online. Just after logging into Weibo, he found he was on the trending list again.

Netizens had already pushed another trending topic up.

#Director Deng Yu escaped a disaster#

Director Deng Yu: ???

"The hell! Escaped a disaster?"

From beginning to end, the betting, the random stakes, retiring if he lost... that was all the other guy talking, okay? What does it have to do with him!

It really is that whether he bets or not, as long as the other guy makes something, he's going to be mocked, right?

"Producer Zhang Nuo! Producer Zhang Nuo!"

"Stop yelling, I heard you."

"Do we still have to keep enduring this?"

"Nonsense! Haven't you seen the reputation of the film he made? Go look online yourself."

Others respected him as a great director, and they acted like a loving couple in public, but in private, Producer Zhang Nuo didn't coddle her old man.

However, Director Deng Yu really couldn't swallow his anger: "No, this kid, is there really no one who can suppress him?"

Thinking of the short film the other guy made, Director Deng Yu shook his head: The Monkey King still had to be suppressed under the Five Finger Mountain, just wait, wait for a one-hit kill.

Unfortunately, Director Deng forgot that the other guy wasn't the Monkey King, and he wasn't the Buddha.