Chapter 1522: NO. 137: The Flavor of the Test Version

NO. 137: The Flavor of the Test Version

In fact, during the initial operation period of the Gu Lan Ji Nie Er Ju Yuan, Sigmund Freud co-wrote the first psychoanalytic treatise, Studies on Hysteria, which received enthusiastic response from academia, and later published The Interpretation of Dreams, even receiving praise from outsiders; it was precisely that time when literary and artistic creation formally entered the Freud era.

The characteristic of this era is the basic principle of Freudianism: psychic determinism.

That is—

It holds that everything occurring in nature and society has a cause, and all human behavior is determined by mental factors such as wishes, motives, and intentions, while mental processes are often unconscious, and conscious mentation is merely some isolated, adjunct processes; thus the focus of this theory lies in psychoanalysis and unconscious psychology, also called psychiatry and depth psychology.

The reason for this sequence is that Freud himself was a physician, and this theory is precisely the result of his using it to study and treat mental illnesses including hysteria.

However, in the literary and artistic era named after Freud, many artists' creative ideas directly pointed to Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytic method, placing the research mindset of psychiatry into literary and artistic creation—thus naturalism also arose accordingly.

This school disregards the shaping of typical characters, does not pursue dramatic twists and turns, but instead provides audiences with a record of life, pursuing the temperament traits of characters and their psychology under abnormal mentality.

Although this at the time had a hint of chasing clout, the school basically means 'light plot, heavy characters; light fantasy, heavy life' shaping—so-called naturalism is precisely the natural and appropriate meaning.

Such a style may be somewhat weak on paper, but when placed in visual performance media like paintings and drama, it actually has some merit.

—especially this kind of horror drama at the Gu Lan Ji Nie Er Ju Yuan; you should know, the most embarrassing aspect of naturalism is the lack of dramatic twists, but in horror drama, with the filling of gore and terror, that lack ceases to be important.

The viewers' brains are being fiercely bombarded by strong sensory stimulation; who still has the energy to ponder the thinness and absurdity of the plot? This can be said to easily radiate a terrifying brilliance far surpassing most contemporaries, just like the prototype of today's plasma B-grade films.

It has become an indispensable concept in the history of horror literary creation, bound with the grand puppet theater.

【Psychoanalysis + Natural Horror Drama】

It sounds impressive, but actually it is simply the result of applying that psychoanalytic method—used for 'studying and treating mental illnesses including hysteria'—to drama; in other words, it is shaping a group of lifelike mentally ill characters.

That tendency to easily deviate from and even overturn conventions, readily giving people a sense of madness and frenzy, is precisely the core hallmark of the 'Gu Lan Ji Nie Er Ju Yuan'.

"So, so we can encounter many mentally ill people here?"

Clearly unwilling to participate, merely wanting to play with his phone outside and wait for the result, Nishizaki Yutaka gazes at the bustling, even extraordinarily crowded theater, his face bearing the look of one who has lost all will to live.

Such people in horror films are usually hard to kill, or if they die, it happens relatively late.

But it's not to exclude that some directors intend to break conventions… Aomo, having turned such thoughts in his mind, nonetheless answered honestly:

"Several, or maybe one."

"Contemporary theaters, in order to innovate in expressiveness, almost all have begun in the domain of 'strong interaction,' which is precisely this virtual-reality-like image before us."

After all, it was he who initially gave that explanation when briefing Sirius and others; having started it, he might as well see it through to the end.

Otherwise, what else could be done?

Whether it is the Freudian school's psychoanalytic method or naturalistic drama, these people have no familiarity with it, rendering his initial reminder useless, reduced to the pitiful state of having to explain the punchline after telling a cold joke.

Even Rudolf, who usually loves to tell cold jokes and play puns in his free time, has never sunk this low; now his heart is equally weary, leaving only a sigh.

"In this type of drama classification, the audience's sensory immersion is sufficient, so the personnel responsible for creating fear can naturally be greatly reduced."

"Isn't that just… what was it called again? Escape room?"

If it were Bi Ze here, he would likely complain about how escape rooms have become a 'back-in-the-day' kind of outdated label, but real-world mystery-solving shows like this are indeed an entertainment category long past its prime in the Federation.

Even if borrowing virtual-reality construction technology, it has long become a memory for many middle-aged and elderly people, and is more often inherited in the form of uneven-quality electronic games.

"Indeed there is a considerable connection, but every industry is developing, and the provision of stimulation has long ceased to be limited to escape rooms."

"Escape is still retained, right?" Nishizaki Yutaka seized the point.

"Violence and slaughter are after all the most universal displays of fear; this assault case being able to be urgently made into a performance is largely also due to the inspiration from that extreme violence."

"Rumor has it no one died, but many bio-puppets were ruined." Federico said calmly.

He evidently did some homework, perhaps because it concerns his cousin.

"Those puppets' minds have suffered severe damage, and they also frightened many staff members."

"Frightened the staff? Due to loss of control?"

"According to Arturo's statement at the time, the visuals were probably an important factor."

"The visuals?"

"The bio-puppets also imitated flesh and blood, right?" Aomo said lightly.

This earned Federico a slight nod.

This individual, like Aomo, possesses the same black wings and a silver halo tinged with black; as a handsome angel, he ought to stand out due to his appearance and the specially tailored combat-ready uniform.

Coupled with the 'should have won the Canaan Cup championship yesterday,' and lacking any disguise of the Sirius symbol in the present, it is only natural that many would notice and even surround him.

But now the crowded throng here pays no attention to the four of them, thus giving them the leeway to stand aside and mutter as a small group.

"Is that the so-called opening protection?" Some, unwilling to imagine the truth Aomo proposed, Nishizaki Yutaka turned his head to pay attention to the present.

Although life is very fulfilling, and he also has experience entering high-end social venues, this training officer prince is indeed visiting such a place for the first time; after all, times have changed—formerly it was the middle and upper classes who most enjoyed the provocative theater, but now it does not appeal to the upper class; the largest audience group now consists of those leading dull lives, unable to find long-term goals, seeking only present stimulation.

These groups are fairly evenly distributed across the classes; even Aomo would struggle to discern layers at a glance, and usually only the theater's own operational user statistics can provide a clear demographic profile.

However, it is clear that someone like Nishizaki Yutaka, whose life is fulfilling and happy, would normally not come here.

But now this is exactly such an accident.

This accident not only led Nishizaki Yutaka to a place he would hardly visit in half a lifetime, but also involved him in this program's internal test, an opportunity available to only a small fraction of enthusiasts.

But evidently, the parties involved are not pleased about this, nor do they have much enthusiasm.

He holds his phone, wanting to contact a horse girl to chat about the present, yet he sees that the communication signal is blocked by strong interference, holding back all the messages he just sent.

"Will this show cut off the audience network?" He turned his head and asked the training junior who seems to know everything.

"Usually not."

Actually just an information hoarder who makes good use of search engines, upon hearing this likewise glanced at his terminal screen that stays on indefinitely, merely switching to privacy mode for secrecy and concealment.

"Once this situation occurs, one can only wait for the message reminder three minutes later."

"What if there isn't?" Nishizaki Yutaka looks at his phone time; however you look, it's already past three minutes.

"A minor issue needing technical adjustment, perhaps foreshadowing larger problems."

"? The latter half shouldn't be optimistic reassurance, should it?"

"I am not an optimistic person."