Tsuburaya Productions Archives

Between Duty and Obligation, Ultraman Rising Delivers DreamWorks Style Quality To This Japanese IP

The beauty that’s found in Ultraman Rising is that it’ll appeal to anyone who doesn’t know a thing about this franchise.

Ultraman Rising Poster Coming to Netflix Nov 14, 2024

Just how many Ultramen exist depends on who you ask. With Netflix hosting its own series simply titled after this hero (which feels like a rehash of Iron Man Armoured Adventures) and also Ultraman Rising, the count has unofficially increased by two. Back in 2013, Tsuburaya Productions acknowledged thirty-six heroes existed since Ultra Q’s debut in 1966. As for how many more have existed since then, I believe at least eight have been added

Here, Ken Sato (Yuki Yamada) is an all American baseball star by day, and a Japanese hero by night. The only reason he’s pulling double duty is that his father, who was the previous incarnation, suffered an injury. Someone said it’s best for him to come home.

Even though everybody in Japan loves Ultraman, not everyone agrees. There are other folks who see him as a vigilante. Dr. Onda (Fumihiko Tachiki) is kind of like Harvey Bullock in the Batman universe; he’s a staunch opponent, although both protect Japan from monsters. This scientist leads the Kaiju Defence Force whereas the sports personality is solo. And that attitude won’t get him far in a sport dependent on teamwork.

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The Fight is Real! Shin Ultraman Brings on the Nostalgia, and What’s Next After Fantasia 2022?

I suspect the eventual sequels (if they get greenlit) will look at the fallout from the events that we’ve seen in Shin Ultraman.

Next Fantasia 2022 Screening on July 30, 12:00 PM at the Auditorium des diplômés de la SGWU (Théâtre Hall)

When Hideaki Anno was offered a chance to update Toho’s most beloved kaiju, not everyone knew what he would do until Shin Gojira played at movie theatres. Some fans hailed it as a masterpiece, while others said it was too talky. This talent behind the writing of Neon Genesis Evangelion even rebuilt that series. But as for Shin Ultraman, a reboot to the classic series, I thought, “As long as he delivers some classic moments from the series, it’ll be good.”

He was tasked by Tsuburaya Productions to create a pitch for a trilogy of films, and what I’m seeing in this movie’s North American debut is a beloved throwback to the old 80s style of filmmaking. Shinji Higuchi was in charge of directing, and Anno got to play the titular character! It was a childhood dream of his come true! And instead of digitising and realising these big kaiju sized fights on the computer, it’s done with miniature sets and rubber suits! That is, they’re more like motion capture suits these days, but to have the animation department recreate that look has me thrilled.

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