As of my last update I had watched over 360 hours of Ultraman series. Only a fool would have stopped, so let’s catch up with what I’ve seen since then…
Ultraman Z (2020, 25 episodes, 12.5 hours)
This one has a fantastic cast with likable guys, lovable girls and the brilliant inclusion of ex-villian Jugglus Juggler as the captain of the defense force. It started very strong, but kept getting better and better until the very end. I loved the many cameos (Geed, Zero and Ace), the fact Z got the Beliarok sword, and that robot versions of famous kaiju were used as Earth defense vehicles. In addition to great characters and story, the special effects are great and the final ‘Zestium Beam’ in episode 25 may be the best ever in Ultra-history! The opening theme is great as well. This is one of my all-time favourite Ultra series.
Ultra Galaxy Fight: The Absolute Conspiracy (2020, 2 hours)
This is a short web series (on YouTube) that introduces ‘The Absolutians’ led by the incredible powerful ‘Absolute Tartarus’; a sort of evil version of Ultramen with incredible visual design. The story is about Ultras investigating the universal threat of the Absolutians. In truth, this series is just an excuse for lots of over-the-top and CGI-heavy fights, and the plot is bonkers madness. Tartarus is super cool, and it was cool to see Belial and Tregear before they turned evil, but the highlight for me was the splash screens introducing every Ultra when they appeared. It was lovely to see 80 again! Overall a fun watch.
Ultraman Trigger (2021, 25 episodes, 12.5 hours)
This was a heavily hyped series, since it’s the spiritual successor of Ultraman Tiga which remains one of the highest rated Ultra series of all time. Overall I enjoyed it, but not as much as Z. The plot is heavily based around the history of Trigger himself, who has a dark side (‘Trigger Dark’) and an evil ex-girlfriend! It was all a little weird but the cast is good and the chemistry between them – especially the flamboyant intergalactic thief character – was strong. The effects in this series evolved from ‘great’ to ‘extremely good’, and I think this was the first series where some of the CGI was essentially seamless to the live action. I liked the ending, but it was somewhat unsatisfying since there’s currently no translated way to watch the sequel film. Worth watching.
Ultra Galaxy Fight: The Destined Crossroad (2022, 2 hours)
This is the sequel to the previous year’s Ultra Galaxy Fight series (and is also on YouTube) and the story continues on directly with the Absolutian threat. One notable element is the addition of a brand new ultra – named Regulos – who is held capture by the Absolutians and is a bit of a mystery. I wonder if we’ll find out who he is…? Plot aside, this is another endless series of high-powered fights between Ultras and all sorts of foes and since it includes dozens and dozens of Ultras it’s obviously red meat for a fan like me 🙂
Ultraman Decker (2022, 25 episodes, 12.5 hours)
Tsuburaya have been knocking them out of the park for a few years now, and this series from 2022 continued the high production values of Trigger and Z with a – once again – great cast with wonderful chemistry. The leader seems stilted at first but isn’t at all, the robot (Hane2) is fun but the girl (Kirino) is mesmerizingly cute and – for me – stole every scene she was in! There were a lot of nostalgic episodes in this one that gave me the feels, and more than once this story resonated with my past experiences visiting Japan. The future storyline segments involving the ‘original’ decker were especially good science fiction, and I’d love to see a series based around the human Decker from the future. I loved that I’ve got a bunch of the cards Decker uses to transform since they’re the same ones used by the Ultraman arcade game at that time (that I got addicted to in a couple of Japan trips). This is another wonderful Ultra series.
Ultraman Regulos (2019, 6 episodes, 1.5 hours)
This is a YouTube series about a mysterious Ultra who trains to become the grandmaster of ‘Cosmo Beast Style’ martial arts. It’s an unusual introduction to a new Ultra, and making him a martial artist is cool but it’s also a bit weird. This of course explains the character that was introduced in The Destined Crossroads, and it was clever that it’s also a backstory for Absolut Diavolo. Oh, and it’s bonkers as well.
Ultraman Blazar (2023, 25 episodes, 12.5 hours)
This was the first post-Shin Ultraman series and it shows. For starters Blazar’s host is an adult with a wife and child, and the series is divorced from previous lore, with all-new kaiju and no crossovers at all. The team is much more believable and human than in any previous show, and they question events in the same way the characters of Shin did. The story is full of mystery, and slow-burning under the monster-of-the-week episodes is an unfolding conspiracy unlike anything in previous Ultra-series. Blazar himself is a very unusual Ultra, and if I have any criticism of the show it’s that we don’t learn enough about him. The special effects are extremely good, especially some of Blazar’s attacks. One of my all-time favourite Ultra series, and this will be my recommendation for a starting point for older viewers.
Ultraman Regulos: First Mission (2022, 20 minutes)
A short YouTube special where Regulos (and Ultraman Ribut) team up to defeat a threat. Basically an excuse for Regulos to show us his ‘Cosmo Beast’ powers, it’s silly fun and as with the others in this series heavy on lore and Ultra history.
Ultraman Rising (2024, 2 hours)
This Netflix Ultraman animated film just came out, and it tells a story of a young baseball hero who unwillingly inherited the mantle of Ultraman. The kid-friendly story involves a baby kaiju and occasionally gets a bit too cute, but the show is loaded with references to Ultra-history and is a labor of love by those who made it. The visuals are beautiful, and special mention must be given to ILM for the special attack effects which are breathtaking. I enjoyed this one much more than I thought I would, and very much hope we get the teased sequel.
While I was watching the above main series, I also made the Bandai model kit for each Ultra! These were inexpensive, easy and fun to assemble, and all of them look great. I hope Bandai makes similar kits for older Ultramen.
That’s 420 hours of Ultraman so far! Am I done? Of course not! I’m currently watching Ultraman Max, have three other old series on DVD to watch, and the brand new series Ultraman Arc begins (on YouTube) this weekend! Guess who’ll be watching it on day one? 🙂