I wasn't familiar with that one, but I do hear the similarities. I am generally not a fan of dance music, so I really only know the songs that break through into some form of mainstream success.

Trying to pick back Ultraman R/B after I sort of trailed off in the middle of last year, with episode 9.
https://scontent-lht6-1.xx.fbcdn.net...ce&oe=5F393DD7

It wasn't bad! The brother's teamwork is neat, Makoto is a fun villain, and his plan isn't especially complicated or evil, but it works to throw the hero's bond and heroic values into relief. I especially like, how, despite this being a new-form-introduction, they almost defeat him *without* the new form! Like, Water Rosso and Flame Blu had him on the ropes! There are still a few sticking points - I have no clue what an "Ultraman Orb" is, so Aizen using all that goes way over my head. Same with Ultraman Victory, he sure does have a V on his head. But, mostly, it doesn't matter, the plot is solid enough that I don't really care that much?

Ultraman Orb Dark Noir Black Schwarz is one of my favorite things about R/B :lol

He is certainly a highlight. The name alone is amazing.

Also, this is my current understanding of why the original Ultrman doesn't get a fancy name beyond Ultraman.

https://scontent-lhr8-1.xx.fbcdn.net...74&oe=5F3668C2

I'm 10 episodes into Geed -- don't have many meaningful thoughts to give at the moment, my brain tends to start thinking of stuff a little after I've finished (well, I can give the meaningful thought of IT'S FUCKING GREAT), I just wanted to drop by to say that the name of Episode 11 is really funny to me


https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachmen...62/unknown.png

So... the Ultra Z Riser has sounds for every Geed form if you use the corresponding medals as substitutes for the original capsules. That's insane.

This toy has: Original fusion sounds for the characters from the show + finishing move sounds for each. Then, the transformation sounds for every single Ultraman if you scan only their medal. Finishers for them too. And now fully functional fusions for Geed as well? Holy shit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lz6cuIFECPs&t=221s

I remember the Orb Ring and the Geed Riser having similar functionality.

I never looked too closely into them but it makes sense.

I like how much unique sounds you can trigger even with your basic medals, you're not just stuck with what you see and hear in the show like with most Rider belts.

Yeah, I remember seeing videos about the Orb Ring/Geed Riser being able to do that. The Orb Ring could recognize things like Victory's Ultrans and Taro Ultra Overlapping, and the Geed Riser could do Orb's main fusions (even said Fusion Up instead of FusionRise).

What amazes me most about the Z riser though is that it has clips of Riku's voice shouting the names of his finishers. I think the other devices just had it do the finishers in its own voice.

So I watched some Ultraseven on Tsuburaya’s YouTube channel because Windom was in the thumbnail so why not?

I wanted to see Ultraseven, the legendary master of space martial arts in action and needless to say, that is exactly what I got.

Behold!

https://i.imgur.com/z8pYSnP.gif

That's nothing compared to Ultraman's epic battle with Skydon!

https://64.media.tumblr.com/02b479c6...3fd5ae1a4.gifv

Which subgroups have done R/B and Taiga? Any batch links?

I thought for sure Genmcorp had completed both R/B and Taiga by now, but apparently they only got up to like, right before the twenties mark of both series? It's especially weird because I distinctly remember downloading subbed episodes of all of R/B onto my phone a long time ago via nyaa, but I'm not actually seeing any such thing there anymore...

Can't speak for R/B, but Genm did the whole series of Taiga.

I think TV-Nihon has been working on some late R/B subs, too. Not sure if those are still up since it got licensed, though.

Color Timer Subs did do all of R/B, but they took down all their subs to help support Tsupro recent international push for Ultra.
You can read about it here
https://color-timer.tumblr.com/post/...h-has-happened

Which is super commendable on their part, but man, the official release of R/B has a high bar to clear for shirt pun translations. It takes a special kind of courage to see you have to translate a picture of a cat, a cup of tea, and a paw print in a way that still somehow keeps its original meaning, and not just immediately give up.

Speaking of R/B, R/B Episodes 11-12

So we're about halfway through the series, and this feels like a natural climax. The end of an arc, so to speak. Aizen is beaten, Katsu and Isa have proven their worth as Ultramen, and city is all good. Pretty standard stuff for a pretty standard (but still immensely likeable!) show. My favourite small detail was how the Minami's never even discussed Makoto's offer to go abroad seriously. Like, they make one joke about it, and that's it. Many other shows would probably press that a lot harder, have one sibling want to take it and the other want to stay, break them up. But their bond is stronger, and as clumsy and inept as they are at it, and almost unknowingly, they've become proper heroes.

But not quite. Because while 11 is the climax of the Makoto stuff, it dovetails almost instantly, no break, into 12, where the series seems to pick up a notch. I'm gonna miss Aizen (although he's not as dead as I first thought!), but new villain is certainly a lot more enigmatic. And also really old and/or a time traveller and/or a liar, if she really did know Oscar Wilde. Fun fact, I've had pizza in a room named after him. Anyway, hopefully this reduction in villain personality will allow development of out other new, absolutely massive plot development. Asahi. I never really got her place in all this, since as much a part of the family as she is, she never quite played into things fully. This time, though, she gets in on the secret, and you really get to see her bond with her brothers develop, and hey, maybe it's just me as an elder sibling who hasn't seen their family for the longest itme in ever, but it struck a nice chord with me.

Not that it matters, since as the end of the episode reveals, she's some form of cuckoo child, which... what a twist, but yeah, great last few parts!

I was rather bummed out that Aizen left the show, but the next antagonist is enjoyable too. Especially the relationship she builds to the cast, one member in particular.

The scenes featuring these two were some of my favorites from R/B.

If you are ever feeling down, just visualise Zero showing you how to dance to Ultraman no Uta.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9HnF-Pxh8s

Z and Geed did it too but that's not as funny.

The next two Ultra Medal sets have been officially revealed

https://mobile.twitter.com/4thdocact...241921/photo/1

https://mobile.twitter.com/4thdocact...241921/photo/2

Ultraman Geed rerelease
 

Geed is released again by Tsupro on their youtube with official English subs this time. Time to get over now and get over pain again. :D :D :D

GEEEEEEEEEED!

https://youtu.be/64IfLWpg5K4

Actually they put that up solely because Skull Gomora was featured in the latest episode of Z. ...Which is pretty redundant since the first three episodes of all the New Generation shows are already on the channel. I would have gone with episode 5 for Thunder Killer, or episode 12 for when Magnificent fought Pedanium Zetton.

Will be buying Ultra Man in 2021 on DVD.

What series would be good to start with in 2021 after I buy the Toei shows Zyu (Beast) Ranger - current?

Given with what's currently I'd say start with the original Ultraman we go from there.

https://scontent-lht6-1.xx.fbcdn.net...cb&oe=5F527884
Why does Bellial look like he's about to perform the torture dance?
(Also, yes, I can know recognise Bellial! Thanks, Ultraman Z! THe other one... OG Ultraman?)

But yeah, R/B Episode 14. Katsu and Isa decide it's time for "plot mandated agrument" just as they walk right into a trap planted by Asahi's newest best friend and main villain, Tsurugi. It's a solid enough episode - the Asahi stuff is definitely more interesting than the brother's stuff, but both work decently. Katsu and Isa are definitely different enough that you can see how this argument might just happen, and there's no malice behind it, it's just a disagreement that happened to come at an awful time.

Also, Makoto is here! Doing a two minute long sequence that I'm guessing is an Orb reference? It works funny enough on it's own because it's just Aizen goofing around, and we already know he likes Orb enough to design his OC after it, but argh past Ultra I'm allergic to past Ultra!

At least Aizen constantly going on about how some past Ultra you've never heard of before is so much better than Rossa and Blu should give you the exact same feelings as the Minato brothers!

Don't worry. Eventually you'll get to the point where you can tell the difference between Ultraman, Zoffy and Jack and feel sad for it; just like me!

Guys, come on, this is elementary. Zoffy is OG Man with studs, Jack is OG Man with pinstripes, and OG Man is OG Man after getting into bodybuilding.

To be completely honest for a second, I do remember taking a while to get a handle on all these nearly interchangeable red and silver guys with the same face. I probably still can't correctly identify Powered, Great, and Neos.

I don’t bother trying with anyone that didn’t have their own series. I also need to have all three 90s Ultras side by side to clearly differentiate Gaia and Dyna.

What's the difference between OG, Zoffy, and Jack from Ribut?

Ribut is OG after he ate Ginga, duh!

All I know is: Zoffy has stud medals, everyone else is identical. Ultra-powerful knowledge!

Before I noticed the pinstripes I figured out Jack wore the short pants

For me it’s that the U on his boobs is at much more of an angle

See? There's all kinds of great ways to tell Jack apart from his predecessors! :p

Anyway, while I'm hanging around for Z to start, I happened to notice Tsuburaya is apparently doing some kind of new "Watch with Zero" gimmick as an excuse to upload more old episodes? I don't really know what that's about, but the important thing here is that it's a perfect excuse for everyone to watch (or watch again) the masterpiece that is "Gan-Q's Tears", subtitled and everything! Yay!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wK23BazjZcY

Zoffy got a movie in '84 (which formally gave Jack his name)!?

P.S.: Sorry about the bad rotation with the photo!

I believe this is a mistaken reference to Ultraman Story, the 1984 movie largely starring Taro, and most definitely not Zoffy. Seems like it's just a typo.

Are you sure?

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...nster_Army.jpg

Nope! And now I feel like an idiot for not actually bothering to look this up before! :lol

There's a whole ton of Ultra trivia I just plain am not aware of, and this is definitely one of them. Apparently '84 was a good year for Ultraman movies!