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TokuNation
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- Tokusatsu Show Discussion
(https://www.tokunation.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=20)
- - Ultraman Discussion Thread
(https://www.tokunation.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5929)
Finished all 12 episodes of Ginga. I enjoyed it, but I can see where the fans have problems with. It felt like a story that had potential to be good but couldn't. It's so low budget it couldn't afford buildings, vehicles or new monsters, plus the extremely low episode number. The Spark Doll gimmick is blatant toy advertising but it didn't do much with it. Taro was hopeless and all that buildup for his return was wasted, and the story was extremely rushed the final villain came out with little to no buildup.
With that said, I really liked the cast. Everyone worked so well with each other and none of them deemed annoying or useless. Even the extras they brought up to be the bad guys were likeable until the end. Ginga brought up a new life and formula that I honestly wish it went a bit further. I wouldn't have minded if this was the series in 52 episode format if it was given the chance to fully develop everything. Sadly with Ginga S it appears we're back to the old formula. |
I don't love Ginga. I'm not sure it's possible to love Ginga. I do find something innately charming about its "no budget" approach to doing an Ultraman show, though, and I have to appreciate that it did well enough to create both the revenue and demand that would lead to the rest of the New Generation era.
Don't write Ginga S off before you watch it, though. It has a good amount of its own twists on the classic formula, especially when it comes to the villains. |
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Yes, hello, you have summoned me, person who loves Ginga a lot. Tbh, while Ginga has the budget of a ham sandwich (affectionate), it makes up for it in a lot of heart and I feel like that's the most important factor of an Ultraman show at the end of the day. And while Ginga S does have a bigger budget... it definitely feels like it's missing the same sort of spark Ginga had. That being said it has real good episodes don't get me wrong, but I still prefer Ginga over Ginga S. |
Fair enough. It's definitely a show that has its charms.
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I love Ginga! Hikaru is one of my favorite Ultra Hosts!
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Ginga honestly isn't a great show, but it has a lot of heart. I'm always happy to see Ginga and Victory show up in other stuff.
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Having to do a public "what to do during a Kaiju attack" is something you'd expect from a Showa Attack Team or one of the goofier Heisei Attack Teams, but it's hilarious having to see SKaRD pull it off...especially with Emi being the best actor and Yasunobu really getting into it. I love how he had to emphasize the "lowercase A."
So we're not getting the second verse version of the OP? I thought they were saving it for the debut of the Firdran armor. You demanded it, so here it is! A Teruaki-focused episode! With the classic plot of the Attack Team member getting dragged back home and all that entails! Although this time the mom is dead so it's just Teruaki having to work through his relationship with his dad who is worried about him! And of course a Kaiju is involved! I was not expecting the human-sized Zuguguan's. With how much they committed to the cosplay, I really have to see how this all comes together. Preschooler Anri? Old Lady Emi? Cook Gento? It looked amazing. "Retroactive approval" - Gento is learning to work through the bureucracy! At least until they punish them by making them do the show in every prefecture. Earth Garon shooting Zugugan's in a barrel! Though then he gets caught in mucus when the Kaiju-sized Zugugan finally shows up. Them's the breaks. I was so proud of Anri working through her fear of bugs and Teruaki getting his moment where he discovered their weakness, which helped SkaRD and Blazar defeat them. I also like how Teruaki apologized for having to blow them all up, it's not their fault the thing they crave puts them at odds with humanity. You lose an arm and get an arrow to the chest! Next week: The return of Deltandal and Earth Garon Mark 3! He flies now! |
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On the topic of Ginga: I too am a Ginga Enjoyer. It makes up for its budget with heart which I always liked about it. That and it was one of my first forays into Ultraman, so it holds a special place in my heart. Now for Blazar's current Episode: Italian Chef Gento, Mama Emi, kindergartener Anri, and superhero Yasnobu. Starting off strong. Ha ha. More of Teruaki's farm home along with getting to see his dad and brother. I can see how being part of a small business/ farming community shapes him up to be very loyal and dedicated to his work. Really enjoy how they worked on the cast. And having another army of small Kaiju terrorizing a small village reminds me of Rodan (which ironically featured bugs), which is nice to see especially if it means the members of SKaRD get to fight them head-on. I can also continue to appreciate Blazar's Firdan Armor in how it fits onto the plain right side complementing the more decorated left and head with adding protrusions to somewhat match it. Next Episode: Deltandel is back and faster than ever. But so is Earth Garon! |
I feel like the B plot is something that should've been done in earlier episodes rather than this late and Kaiju attacks became more frequent.
And yes, I'd be as pissed off as Teruaki if someone pulled an awful lie like that just to make me answer for a trivial matter. |
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Back for Ginga a bit, have the specials "Friends Left Behind" and "Hero Battle Royale" received any English translation?
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Anyone else besides me want to see the SKaRD skit in full lol?
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I watched Ultraman Zearth and its sequel!
Before I dig into the films proper I want to share the fact these Ultraman movies were apparently part of some kind of cross promotion with a gasoline company. Absolutely ridiculous sentence I just had to type, but it does explain how in the world they came up with the gas station setting at least. The first film is absolutely ridiculous, to the point where it might just be too irreverent and hammy, but I think it managed to cross the line twice so it was just entertainingly surreal. I think I would have hated something like this as a show, but as a short film it doesn't overstay its welcome. I can enjoy a brief delve into the gas station attendant defenders of the Earth who have to shout all their dialogue and gesticulate wildly. Zearth 2 was more more normal. In fact, it's pretty much a standard sort of film for the tokusatsu genre. I feel like this makes it better, but nowhere near as entertaining. Very strange duo of movies. |
That reminds me of something that annoyed me with the last series of Absolute Whatever. I like R/B. It took me two tries to get into it, but it ended up being close to the top of my favorites list for New Generation shows. As part of that, I also like Grigio as our first modern Ultrawoman. I found it really disappointing that she got teamed up with Zearth, Nice, and Boy for the block of episodes she was in. It felt like Tsubaraya was saying “here, Grigio, these are your peers: joke characters and commercial mascots.”
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In fact, it's funny that they STILL have yet to finish going through all the prefectures. I love the idea of retrofitting Deltandel into a bomber, just a strange yet also interesting concept. And seeing our boy, Yasunobu, train to be with his baby Earth-Kun was touching, though it's going to take some getting used to without Retsu being present even before he got ousted. I don't know, it just feels weird. Next Episode: Kaiju Battle! And a non SKaRD focused episode? |
You're not a fully-fledged Mecha unless you can fly! And it also saves on the budget they generally don't have for jets!
The brass are really getting much more involved with SKaRD and dictating/ordering them around more. And it seems like they're trying to weaponize/upgrade whatever they have available before the invasion they think is happening because of the Space Kaiju. Also who was that lady in the white outfit? She stood out next to all the military guys. It sucks when you're the engineer/mechanic guy and you don't have the physicality to pull off your beloved machine, but Anri will toughen him up! I'm sure SKaRD is happy a Kaiju saved them from having to do another children's show, but the world was denied more Chef Gento. Actually the fact that Emi was already dressed up was likely her cosplayer side showing. Deltandal: The Sequel! And just like a sequel, it's bigger and more dangerous! I also find it funny how Teruaki was like "you could call it Deltandal B" and that's exactly what the subs did. Although I know they're not Space Kaiju but it feels oddly deliberate how the two Deltandal's feel reminiscent of actual military aircraft, and this one deliberately targeted government bases. Even if it's only because they woke him up first. There's a kind of funny irony how everyone pointed out Anri's poor marksmanship skills (I think they also brought it up a lot in the last Deltandal episode) and she misses the shot she took. I actually forgot Earth Garon had a mouth beam. Red tape strikes again! But so does using official loopholes! Okay, now, ordinarily Teruaki would totally have noticed Gento just up and left without saying anything. Or maybe he was so focused on the fight Gento made it back in time before he turned around. Nice combination between Blazar and Earth Garon in this episode! It was a real team effort to defeat Deltandal! Does that count as a Blazar Fly Off at the end? I feel like it should because he, well, flew off and also because I don't think we've seen one in a while. That scene at the end really made SKaRD feel like a team and a bit like a family. Next week: Red King and Guigass return as an insurance agent turns hero! |
FYI: Gigabash is free on the Epic Games Store this week. You still have to pay for the Ultraman (and Godzilla) DLC though.
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Really looking forward to this one, I did some digging and apparently the original script wasn't an Ultraman story, is was "inspired" by Ultraman, so all about a similar giant alien hero who finds a baby Kaiju. But when Netflix picked it up they had the connections to Tsuburaya thanks to the anime adaption of the Ultraman manga, and Netflix gave them the script which they liked so much that the team was granted access to the IP. Think about that, making a story based on the things you love and then you get the chance to tell it with the big name hero that inspired you in the first place. |
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It's Guigass vs Red King II! The eternal rivalry! And Red King throws a rock at 'em to cement his superiority!!!
Kaiju insurance? I'm surprised they've never done an episode focused on that before. You'd think it would be ubiquitous in any Ultra show! Also, props to the in-universe Kaiju suit, that was pretty solid. Even SKaRD has more monotonous paperwork they have to deal with. Also Yasunobu talks about prepping Earth Garon for space, which you KNOW is going to happen at some point. Oh hey, OG Red King! Is anyone else catching some...vibes between Anri and Yasunobu? They seem to be interacting the most among the team and hanging out more. Maybe it's because they're close in age, but it felt noticeable. A tale as old as time...a salesman with no real prospects in his life and his job, but he meets a kindly old widow and they start to form a bond and find meaning in their lives in talking with and hanging out with each other. Heck they only really pass by the main cast and form the emotional core of the episode. I love Earth Garon just carrying the van with him. Kind of a little dark here with Michiko being okay with being crushed by a Kaiju if it means seeing her husband again. That shot of Tetsuo running with Michiko while the fight was engaging in the background was masterfully shot, especially when the car landed in front of them and blew up. Of course the insurance agent would complain about SKaRD, trying to save lives from a monster attack, forcing them to spend money through insurance. At least it was nice to see that Aikawa guy squirm. Feeling a little chilly? Summon the Firdran armor and heat up! And Blazar even plays matador! Though I kind of felt bad for Guigass getting bullied into charging at Blazar. Blazar didn't have to free Earth Garon so they could finish the Kaiju together, but he did! Got to help your co-workers when you can! It was sweet in a sad way how Red King and Guigass held each other when they realized they were about to die. In the end, sincerity and earnest hard work is rewarded and surface-level care is not! Next week: V99 acts up? The return of several Kaiju? Gento in physical trouble? The Final Boss!? |
That was a nice wholesome episode. And it had a good life lesson. While other people might be hitting big goals that is them and you are you. Sometimes life is about the small goals.
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Well out of the 10 episodes of Blazar I’ve seen, I’m not sure what it says that the two I liked the best (15 and 22) barely featured the main cast.
And with Red King and Gigass having come and gone, that’s me done with Blazar. I probably won’t revisit, unless there’s a crossover episode/movie for a later instalment. |
Man, how have I never thought of Kaiju Insurance before? It's so obvious! But what a delightful episode.
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Just finished Ginga S. A series that had its moments... but in my honest opinion a big step down from Ginga.
Ginga had its limitations, but these limitations helped in creating a rather unique setting with plenty of heart and soul behind it. Ginga S on the other hand despite the higher production quality feels like it was made by studio mandates and in turn took away the unique identity of Ginga and turned it to another run of the mill Ultra Series repeating the same cliches and characters the others were known to do like bringing back the attack force, the secret identity, the rival Ultra, the military higher-ups being dicks calling the attack force and Ultraman useless, etc. I wish I could say the writing was good, but it's hard to tell when the characters make things worse by their stupid actions or inaction by making things vague on purpose and invoking it as some bullshit wisdom and their endless "Figure it out yourself" instead of making things clear for them. This is also the start of the Ultra Fusions and for what it is it's okay. Not as fancy as the fusions of the later entries. |
Newest Blazar was good but lacking IMO.
I thought the episode was the kind which is completely disconnected from the main cast, as in they appear in a distance but are never the focus. I was a bit disappointed to see that it wasn't the case. Also the ending is a bit lackluster. Like, there is something to be had here, but "Good guy now does good at work and bad guy was a douche all along" doesn't quite cut it. Quote:
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Next year’s Ultra Chronicle is a second round of New Generation Stars, but instead of the Ultras using their associated cards, it’s the human support casts using Hyper Keys based on the attack teams.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GBrnqDMaAAAICsD.jpg |
Now there's two of them! Both Deltandal and Taganular!
Blazar, was there a better way to get Gento checked out than punching him in the face? Well, the sentiment is appreciated, though now Gento is feeling the rigors of being an Ultra Host, making it questionable how long he can keep transforming. That was a nice moment with Gento and Teruaki. I also liked that scene of Gento being proud of how on-top of things his team is. I can't believe we're calling the Final Boss Michi-27. I honestly just want to them to keep that for the rest of the show, the thing's name is now Michi-27. Dang, these Taganular's are tougher! Blazar needed to use the Firdran Armor just to get an edge over one! I honestly didn't put much stock in Taganular's sky beam but now it turns out they're not the bad Kaiju per se, they're just reacting to the Space Kaiju about to invade. Earthy is one step ahead of SKaRD! That's one way to get a message to Ultraman! So is Gento stuck de-transformed in America? Is Retsu even employed enough to take full responsibility? Well, he's definitely out of a job now, just because the CCP can't abide with any interference, even if it was well-intentioned and purposeful. They managed to divert Michi-27 (and save themselves the problem of dealing with the Tanagular's) but now it's on the moon, and will probably jump to Earth next. Is this Space Kaiju truly the Final Boss, though? |
Nice to see Yuka and Ignis return. And to quickly summarize my thoughts on last week's episode of Blazar: I liked it. These one-offs may not amount to much, but they still have some heart to them, and seeing Red King and Gigas' dynamic was fun.
This week, boy oh boy... This was fun. Getting to see the final boss for Blazar was neat and the callback to the Taganular Episode was great and the resolution was a nice way to set up the final battle. And hey! Retsu's back! Also, wow, seeing the repercussions of Blazar affecting Gento was more serious than I thought. While I don't mind recaps, I kind of wish we didn't get them right before the big fight, then again, it IS also New Year's, so it makes sense. Next Week: I wonder what Kaiju will guest star with the funny professor... |
I'm slowly but surely catching up on the last several episodes of Ultraman Blazar. Hopefully, I will be all caught up before next Friday which, of course, leads into one of the show's final two episodes.
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The Ultraman Ginga S movie wasn't good. The main plot lost me the moment it started and turned previous villains to level boss jobbers.
Ultra Fight Victory was okay but I was expecting a solo Victory story. I also watched the two Upin & Ipin episodes that featured Ultraman Ribut and for what they did it was a solid adaptation for the series. Or at least the first episode anyway. Second episode made things a bit confusing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2lij3HObuM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QCnvYJKHaM |
I finished Ultraman Tiga! When I first started the show, I wasn't too impressed by it, the general vibe seemed like too much of a Showa-era throwback and I wasn't a fan of the choreography. Yet, the more I watched the more I realized just how dang insidiously good the show was. Before I praise it, I will say I generally didn't like the action choreography much (I kept zoning out in the middle of fights like the show was Kamen Rider Wizard or something) and I'm also starting to think I don't like Keiichi Hasegawa much as a writer since I generally found his episodes sub-par. That being said, on to the torrent of praise... There's such an effortless camaraderie between the members of GUTS and everyone has their own specialties and personalities that get built up naturally over time. Plus, GUTS is very helpful to Tiga! Small plot elements that seem like they will just be a one-off or background detail often come up over and over again, enriching the setting as these small elements add up (I was losing it by the time the third Clitter episode happened). Many of the episodic plots are wildly creative, like disposing or a kaiju corpse or the surreal flower viewing episode. It's a very classical and simple show in a lot of ways, but I think it just does it really well and had a good dose of uniqueness to its episodes to make it a joy to watch. Even in terms of tone I liked it, Tiga is a show that is on the more positive side of things and wants to explore the strength of humanity and the good that is in everyone, but it doesn't turn a blind eye to the darkness in humanity either, which prevents it from feeling too artificially cheery. The ending is also incredibly satisfying, with so many characters and story elements from across the show coming together for truly satisfying conclusion. I'm really happy this wasn't one of those shows that is more "historically interesting" than enjoyable to me. I'm really excited to try more Heisei Ultra shows now, though before that I'm planning to backtrack a little bit and check out The Ultraman. Hopefully that show can hold its own!
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Congratulations to Masashi Taniguchi aka Future Decker from Ultraman Decker on his marriage with voice actor Aya Hirano.
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