For me it works because it's still the main trio just vibing even if now they're more directly investigating Kaiju now.

I'm hoping I like it more as the show settles into the new format, but it wasn't a strong start I think, even if I'm always quite fond of the main trio. Probably not helping things were my very pertinent real life frustrations with my job not giving me adequate training and throwing me into something. Hitting too close to home Omega!

I started Ultraman 80 on a whim and was immediately hooked on the "Ultraman as a human teacher"-premise. Only to be told that they drop the school setting by episode 12 or so. Dang…

But I like it enough to keep going. Episode 4, "From the sky with love" is just fantastic Ultraman-nonsense. "Parent and child monster are fighting! Okay, I just beat them both up so they have to team up!", and of course it works :lol

Then episode 5, "The Phantom Town", our protagonist gets kidnapped into another dimension via the last late night train, which was honestly pretty creepy and eerie. Loved it.

Honestly I get why people disliked it but I found UGM to be a solid Attack Team so I didn't end up minding it that much.

I watched a tiny little chunk of 80 way back when... like, somewhere around when X and Orb and Geed were being simulcast on Crunchyroll and I think 80 was randomly one of the first earlier shows to get picked up? If I'm even remembering that right? Kind of a while ago, at this point, apparently, but even now, I can still remember with certainty that this was the episode that left the biggest impression on me. Very strong atmosphere throughout, as I recall.

(Also, funnily enough, despite dropping the show because I didn't like the idea of it ditching its unique premise either, I think it was also the first episode to not involve the school stuff in any way? So clearly 80 *can* work without it, I guess!)

Speaking of 80, the upcoming Wave 14 of Ultraman Converge Motion which will be out in Japan on March of 2026 will include Ultraman 80 in his Dynamite Ball form. :lolol

https://www.bandai.co.jp/candy/produ...926365000.html

Also, this form of 80 is available as a soft vinyl toy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqQYOAm-Z3k

I like UGM so far so I'm definitely interested to see how the show changes!

But I'm getting so into the school setting, all the kids have cute nicknames like "Professor" or "Fashion" and they all seem like a big family now. Sucks that it won’t last.

It had school stuff, Ultraman 80 / Yamato misses the train because he was at school grading papers until late, his disappearance once kidnapped into another dimension sparks outrage at the school and the students are looking for him, and it's their cries for him that help to find a way out.

It is the first episode were the central plot isn't related to school or a singular student’s problem though.

Fantastic. I haven’t seen this attack (I assume it is one) yet though, but this is fun merchandise!

Dang, the episode's probably even better than I remembered then! Those all sound like really cute plot points! :lol

It's just a great piece of television all around.

If you have the time to spare, this is a perfect single episode to enjoy (again) :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SdV5...2sq4Q&index=26

I'm watching Blazer with Kyoryuger rn. Blazer has been fun