FIF#86-ULTRAMAN

 It has been decades since Shin Hayata joined with the Giant of Light to defend the Earth from monstrous giants known as Kaiju.  Today, the hero known as Ultraman is a long remembered legend in a world at peace.  However, a new enemy has emerged, wishing to bring a new kind of chaos to the planet.  But Humanity is ready.  Though Hayata long since retired, the Scientific Special Search Party has been preparing for the day Ultraman would be needed again and that day has come.  Now, the future of Mankind falls to a new chosen one: Shinjiro Hayata, who has inherited his fathers powers.  New suit, new enemies, new Ultraman, the legend continues.

I start off this First Impression with a sad confession: outside of the name and the concept and super suit associated with it, I don’t know much about Ultraman.  I never knew he was part of a special science team and had to keep his identity secret from his comrades.  Don’t know much about his powers beyond getting big to fight Kaiju either.  Fortunately, you don’t really have to be a long time veteran of the franchise to enjoy this new continuation of the Ultraman story.  And if the first two episodes are any proof, the creative team in charge has things well in hand and are ready to offer something new and exciting for old and new fans alike.

What surprised me about this new Ultraman was that it was a sequel to the original.  I was

expecting a full blown reboot or a retelling of the original with a new animation style.  Instead, the new series transitions seamlessly into the next era while also letting viewers know that this world and this hero have a history and it’s important.  It’s not surprising to see Ultraman’s legend so fondly remembered in a museum (hell im sure there are a couple dedicated to him in Japan in real life.).  We even get adequate time to spend with both generations of the titular hero.  Shin Hayata has aged and while he still has his old powers, you can tell time has taken a toll on him.  He can still kick ass but he’s def not the Ultraman he used to be.  As for Shinjiro, he takes the surprising reveal that he has powers pretty well.  Even before he dawns the new bad ass Ultraman/Iron Man hybrid suit, he’s testing out his power in his free time and having a ball.  But Shinjiro also wants to do some good with his powers, even if part of that good might be to impress a girl.  Point is, the kids got heart and seems like a worthy successor to his old man, especially when he fairs well in his first foray as Ultraman.

Anime done in Ultraman’s artstyle of CG heaviness can be more miss than hit with the community, just look at the Berserk continuation.  This style of Anime seems to suit Ultraman nicely, however.  It doesn’t hurt that there are a couple of CG Anime experts co-directing this project.  Shinji Aramaki is best known for his work on the Appleseed Movie Trilogy and the recent Space Pirate Captain Harlock Movie, both done in an even more detailed kind of theatrical CG Anime.  And then there’s Kenji Kamiyama, the director and godfather of the Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex franchise.  The talents of these two seem to go hand in hand on Ultraman, keeping the human drama at the center of proceedings while still making the action look so freaking cool.  Considering these two directors are partnering up for a new future chapter of Stand Alone Complex, I cant wait for that even more now that ive seen Ultraman’s opening episodes.

Considering there are dozens of Ultraman series out there, im not shocked a new iteration can be squeezed in like this (Hell Gundam’s been doing it for years).  This project doesn’t just look like it’s trying to stand out from the rest because of its artstyle.  Ultraman’s newest chapter acknowledges its long history while bringing in fresh blood to carry on the legend.  This might be one I continue on with just to see if the goodness of the debut episodes can be maintained throughout its short season.  And who knows, maybe if I watch more, I’ll want to go back and find more older Ultraman series and movies to check out.  At the end of the day, I cant think of a higher accomplishment for a newcomer in a long running franchise to pull off.