“It wasn’t a dream; at least that’s what I believe. The thing is I felt hurt and plenty sad, and there were times when I thought I couldn’t go on. But I know I’m not the only one suffering. I want to protect everyone’s future. I need to keep pushing forward. I feel that more every day.”
Ultraman is a huge part of Japanese culture and pretty much has been since the original live-action show in 1966. Perhaps Godzilla started the ball rolling, but Ultraman brought us these monsters on a regular basis. In Japan, Ultraman is like our Superman. He’s an iconic hero and a huge part of the pop culture. Since the 60’s he has appeared in many forms, most of them animated. But it is this 1966 series that made a ton of us kids fall in love with him and an entire genre. Yes, there were many from the era: Space Giants featured a giant fighting robot who fought monsters and sometimes converted into a spaceship (yes, before transformers were ever thought of); Johnny Socko had his giant robot; and the list goes on. But it was Ultraman who started it. Eiji Tsuburaya, who created the original Godzilla, formed a new company outside of Toho Pictures. Ultraman was pretty much the first thing out of the new shop.
It started with a series called Ultra Q. It was a popular series in Japan. There was no Ultraman here, but some of the elements of what would be the Science Patrol started there. When it was finished, the staff was approached to create a new show, and fast. But this one needed more action and also something that could be sold to the American markets. That was Ultraman. In some form or another, the character has been around for over 60 years and is still plugging.
Ultraman was a space being who was chasing an escaped monster. When his spacecraft collided with that of Science Patrol Officer Hayata, he inadvertently killed the young man. To make up for his mistake and also offer Earth a way to fight the endless row of monsters unleashed, he merged his life with Hayata. Now, whenever a monster threatens, Hayata uses his “beta capsule” and morphs into Ultraman. Complete with martial arts moves and an array of ray weapons, Ultraman fights these creatures in hand-to-hand combat. The downside is that Ultraman’s solar energy diminishes rapidly in Earth’s atmosphere. As he weakens, a light on his chest flashes. A narrator reminds us each time that if it stops, Ultraman will die.
Enter Ultraman Arc. The full season of 25 episodes is out on Blu-ray from Mill Creek Entertainment. You get all 26 episodes spread over four discs. You also get the television feature film Ultraman Arc: The Clash Of Night And Evil.
“Yuma. You and I are one and the same. Your thoughts are my power. Now is the time. The duration I can fight in this world is limited. Unleash your imagination.”
Yuma (Totsuka) is a young man who was camping with his parents 16 years ago when an event called K-Day hit. It was the appearance of the first kaiju. His parents were killed, and he was saved by a giant light being who fought off the monster. Jump to the present, and he has joined an organization called SKIP (Scientific Kaiju Investigation and Prevention). They are very much like the original show’s Science Patrol but less military in form and function. They man a kaiju hotline and investigate from their offices in Hoshimoto City, where kaiju activity has spiked. His boss, the Chief, is Hiroshi Ban (Nishi), and he’s a geology expert. There’s also Rin Natsumi (Mizutani). She’s the mechanical engineer and computer expert. They are joined by Shu Ishido (Kaneta), who is from the Global Defense Department and has an obsession with coffee. Yuma is quite stricken by this guy and hero-worships him quite a bit. They form a rather close bond by the end of the series. There is also a robot once again. This time it’s called Youpi (Hirose). It’s the size of a hefty person and is actually two robots in one. It can separate its head, and both the head and body can function as individual robots. The head has jets, which allow it to move by flying.
This season is less about one event or story than Decker D had been. There are some threads that do take over, primarily in the second half of the season. It turns out that Ultraman’s world is about to be destroyed by a growing sun. There is an evil faction on the planet that have created a wormhole that siphons off the excess solar radiation, but the exhaust point happens to be Earth. So Ultraman Arc, who is named from the rainbow of glitter he leaves behind after every battle, arrives on Earth to save it from the plan. The wormhole is why so many kaiju arrive and are also awakened on Earth since K-day.
We get the first indication that Ultraman is working from a multiverse angle much as the comic universes of both DC and Marvel have been for some time now. There is no history of other Ultramen here, and all of this is proven out when a rift in the multiverse appears and we get to visit with Ultraman Blazer, which was from the previous show. It helps explain the many different versions of the character and without having to line up continuity with each new show. The Ultraman franchise has taken the road of starting a fresh series every year, and they tend to run 25-26 episodes with variations on both the character and the world in which each show operates. The supporting characters also change, and that may be the secret to the show’s longevity. There’s a bit of a Dr. Who thing at work here.
Some things never change. I’m so happy to see that Ultraman himself and the kaiju he battles are still men in suits. It’s painfully obvious and often more than a little cheesy. But that’s part of the charm and allure of the show. We love watching these giant beings battle, and I’m so glad that hasn’t changed since the 1960’s when I was a very young Ultraman fan. Today there is CGI enhancement going on. Most of the weapon f/x are CGI, where the used to be hand-drawn animation. There’s obviously some CGI reinforcement in the movements and backgrounds, while the use of model buildings and other objects remain so that our men in suits can stomp at will.
There is no card game mixed in with the action this time. Power-ups are now cubes that remind me of ammo boxes in the Ratchet And Clank video games. A cube is placed in a diamond-shaped device that Yuma manipulates to turn into Ultraman Arc. We also can hear them communicate with each other as Ultraman encourages Yuma to unleash his imagination. The basic designs remain. As Ultraman weakens, the light in his chest begins to blink. When I was young, we would hear the admonition that “The power Ultraman gets from the sun diminishes rapidly in Earth’s atmosphere. Should it (the blinking light) stop completely, it will mean Ultraman shall never rise again”. They don’t tell you this any more. I suspect everyone knows, and this year the above quote fills us in a bit. I would always be waiting for the blinking and the narrator’s warning in dramatic fashion.
There is another new element to this release. You have the option of an English-dubbed audio presentation. I like that, because it allows me to spend more time taking in the image presentation. If you keep the subtitles on, it’s kind of fun to see where the dialog is not quite the same. I guess some things really are lost in translation.
The bonus movie is not a sequel this time. It takes place between episodes 21 and 22. A being comes to Yuma to test him to make sure he can be trusted with Ultraman’s power. It becomes episodic as Yuma faces three tests, and the day repeats in a mix of Groundhog Day and A Christmas Carol.
There are also three bonus recap episodes on the same disc as the feature film. You get a color booklet and another Ultraman card. It doesn’t tie in with the show this time, but I would guess the game is still popular, at least in Japan. I really love getting these shows. There’s a great bit of nostalgia at work for me and I suspect for many of the show’s adult fans. I hope to continue to bring you news of the franchise going forward. “I was thinking we can do this together.”
