Really liked Decker's first episode. I intentionally avoided all of the preview material, so I didn't go in knowing much about the premise and characters. I feel like I have a good sense of who the characters are, though, certainly more than I did one episode into Trigger. I'm definitely interested to see where we go with this invasion/planetary barrier angle.

Like me, I'm happy about this!

I mean, it would be a lot to end a whole alien invasion the very same day he first transforms...and the color timer was beeping...

I'm kind of curious how they'll develop the Sphere because it seems like the new GUTS-Select has a direct mission of not only stopping the Sphere attacks but also breaking through the blockade they have on Earth.

It's Ultraman day!!!1

You can also watch Decker on Ultraman Connection without the ads. But I dunno, I like seeing the goofy ads for Ultraman stuff.

But anyway we have a new Ultraman show! Hooray! Like others have said, I thought it was a good episode that didn't break new ground but it also didn't do anything bad. Kanata makes a really good first impression. He seems cool.

When Kanata gets swallowed, he starts losing his memory? What does it mean?? I wonder what the Sphere are actually doing.

Spheresaurus is an incredibly cool monster that didn't get to do a whole lot but is still pretty damn memorable. I'm sure we'll see it again though.

I've seen speculation that the Sphere were de-materializing and absorbing the humans they grabbed.

Happy Ultraman Day!

Attachment 62028

Ultraman Gaia is now available on Tubi.

So it great to see Gaia on Tubi and I checked it out but what up with it being called "Toku stiched version"?

https://i.ibb.co/W6D7P2j/Screenshot-...81731-Tubi.jpg

Just finished the first disc of the Ultraman Mebius DVD set and already started on the second.

This might be an indication of what we heard awhile ago regarding "Take Me Higher" and how they couldn't secure the rights to the song. They might have had to do some strategic editing. The "Toku Stitched" might just indicate how Gaia had its streaming debut on TokuSHOUTsu.

Decker Episode 2 is out

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DUH3ay...ature=youtu.be

Very impressed with episode 2 of Decker! Makes me feel pretty bad for saying the premiere didn't put much of a spin on things, because they handily made up for it here. I really love the idea that Kanata was Ultraman for a day, and then spent an entire year pursuing the usual Ultra status quo without anything exciting happening to remind him he's the protagonist of a TV show.

Like, I'm not even sure I'm describing it that well, but that one year gap is emblematic of how the show took way more time out than usual to really build up a part of an Ultraman show that would ordinarily get glossed over. (Nexus is the only other one I can think of that made a point to dramatize basic training like this?) Decker's storytelling so far has been rock solid in its foundations, and I think this week painted a really great picture of our main trio. Definitely even more excited to see where this show goes from here now.

It's not often you see the actual training that goes into being a member of a Defense Team. Usually we jump into in media res with the whole team or the Host basically gets roped into joining them immediately. I mean, what training did Kengo actually have? He just got throw in there because he was Trigger.

Theme song subs!

I also thought it was interesting that immediately into the second episode Kanata isn't able to readily recall how to transform or the D-Flasher.

Man, Kanata's energy is infectious. Meanwhile Ryumon is too serious for his own good. And Ichika is the good balance between the two. Also she calls Ryumon with -kun but Kanata without an honorific...

I keep feeling like there's some kind of tension between Murahoshi and Ultraman. Was he part of GUTS-Select back during the Trigger era? It seems like he's flown a GUTS Falcon before.

That rascally Deathdrago...I'm actually kind of curious what the narrative balance will be between the Sphere and the normal rampaging Kaiju in the show.

That was probably the best showing for the GUTS-Falcon in its entire existence. And it still got thrashed.

Decker Rise Sequence!

So Decker can summon Seven's Capsule Monsters for backup for...reasons. Well, it's good help to have. Miclas!

Nothing sells your potential quite like caring for the people. Welcome to the new GUTS-Select, complete with HANE2, AKA New Gen Hanejiro!

I'm late and also a stressful day, but Episode 2!

It's interesting how they have a time skip, a whole year dedicated to training. Now, I was looking forward to a whole training episode, but they went the extra mile to make the protagonist actually spend time training rather than just get recruited on the spot, it's a nice change of pace. And the fact that Ultraman hasn't shown up since his debut in that timeframe is also a neat spin.

Heck, we even get the motivations (or at least what little they can show us now) of the other cast, which I enjoyed, seeing these characters grow together looks to be interesting. Also, interesting how Sphere hasn't done anything after setting up their barrier, as if they already know they won, which I honestly think is neat!

Deathdrago returns (still a cool Kaiju), and unless I'm nuts, the mountain they were ascending was the same one from Ghidorah the Three Headed Monster, which is such a nostalgia run for me. And then there's Decker's Rise Sequence, which I love. Just the changing of the pose as he rises, kind of like X, is just really cool to see.

I'm really looking forward to how Decker progresses, because it's already looks as though they've already got a good season established here.

Next Episode: Welcome to your first flying lesson!

Really was surprised at the 1 Year time skip!

I also really like this captain, him being super proactive and competent in the Falcon was really cool and the Falcon got trashed in a believable way!

Also I like how the entirety of this fight was a big team effort with the Falcon, Hawk, Miclas and Decker all pitching in for the victory.

Wow, second episode and we're already doing a time skip. Interesting.

Decker still doesn’t wow me much, but I'm beginning to see a foundation that could work out. Like for example, way less characters than last year, which hopefully means stronger focus on the secondary characters.

I am quickly falling in love with this show

Almost done with the second disc of Ultraman Mebius and I’m really liking what I’m seeing with the series so far.

I really like the cast so far. They all feel much more fleshed out already than most of Trigger's cast did by that show's halfway mark. Not going to lie, though, I was a little disappointed that the captain took the GUTS Falcon out without yelling "FALCON-CHAAAAAAN!!!"

It definitely feels different having actual pilots again.

Given the Falcon was like, probably at it's best when Kengo manually piloted it that one time, I feel like Guts Select definitely made the right call in making the Falcon a manual control unit.

I have to question the logic in solving the “electric disabling enemy” problem by putting a dude in the vehicle. Since not only does that NOT solve the problem (it’s still electric and still likely to crash), but it just essentially signs some poor sod’s death warrant.

Also looks like we’re back to the “nobody knows who Ultraman is” cliche after avoiding it for the last few years. Oh joy.

Because Kengo had 2-3 people who knew? Although Yuna didn't find out until the midpoint and Captain Tatsumi only had suspicious until Kengo outright told everybody in the end.

I don't know. I feel like the hidden identity works. The only time I feel like everyone knowing about it in series really worked was one series in particular where they built up the team and had them find out at the mid-point. Don't wanna name names because, spoilers but if you've seen enough Ultraman you know.

Also I'd wanna say the last time most people knew right away and kept adding more was Geed. R/B might've been like that kinda, I forget. I'm pretty sure no one in Taiga knew Hiroyuki was one until the end, maybe? Also like, only Juggler knew in Z for the entirety of the series and I feel like that shouldn't count because... it's Juggler, of course he's going to know!

Trigger... it really doesn't feel like much changes aside from Kengo getting to have lore dump conversations with the people in the know.

But like, I don't think we've been that long on the no secret identity thing like you're claiming Androzani.

It hasn’t, though, apart from Trigger. Nobody knew that Haruki was Taiga and only Juggler knew that Hiroyuki was Z.* Asahi learned about her brothers halfway through the show, but their dad didn’t find out until the end. Most of the shows’ characters don’t know who the Ultra’s host is. And, honestly, that makes sense to me: if you see a giant suddenly appear out of nowhere to fight a kaiju, you probably wouldn’t assume that it’s really one of your coworkers.

Still, I wonder if Kirino may figure it out. I’m pretty sure she noticed that Decker had the same leg injury.

*I may have those names reversed. Having them back-to-back always confuses me.

The electric energy was specifically about remote control. It's a pretty specific power the Spheres have which is kind of funny and definitely relies on sci-fi nonsense but it's basically just saying that these vehicles *need* pilots now, which is a good way to establish the clear themes of the season right away

A part of me is suspicious enough of Murahoshi to think it's probably a good idea he doesn't know Kanata is Decker...speaking of which, they still haven't established that name for him with the public yet.

Actually, with Taiga, everyone figured it out right away, due to a) him acting suspicious, b) he fact he kept disappearing during monster attacks without explanation and c) most of them were aliens, so they could sense that he was one.

And in honestly, I find the ?secret ID? in Ultraman a tired cliche because a) it robs any meaningful or interesting developments for the supporting cast b) it gets dragged out for the whole show without anyone remotely getting wise, which just really makes the crew look like blind idiots and c) most of the characters who don?t know tend to be fairly boring or stereotypical

Oh right.... right... I think I remember Taiga's now. I remember laughing a lot at the time since I think they did the reveal at the very end so like, I didn't count it in my head because really, why would you pull that kind of subversion? lol

It literally adds nothing and you might as well have had them just say they didn't know and they might as well have not known.

It changes nothing, to be more accurate. And because of that, I would argue what it adds is pretty deeply poignant for the themes Taiga put at its center. Nobody at EGIS cares that you're different. Having even Hiroyuki himself be no exception to that in the end was perfect for that show, I think.

Ah there we go, when you put it like that, changes is probably the word I'm looking for.

I've actually not seen Taiga, mostly because we never ever got official subs for it and R/B so me watching those shows fell by the wayside. Need to watch R/B but it'd be nice if Tsuburaya could give us some official Taiga Blu-Ray. It was kind of a shame that wasn't part of their original deal.

To be honest I thought the EGIS crew figured out Hiroyuki was Taiga during that sequence where they had to save him when Tregear turned Taiga evil.

We've also only had 2 episodes, so for all we know this /could/ be a season where they secretly know the whole time or they find out halfway through.

This show is kind of giving me back to basics vibe so I don't think they'll all immediately find out...I get shady vibes from Murahoshi when it comes to Ultraman.

Ignore this everyone sorry about that

As of now, I am officially halfway through Ultraman Mebius and I’m seriously loving this series more and more. I even watched the Ultraman Mebius and the Ultra Brothers movie before jumping into episode 24 and will most likely watch the Ultraman Hikari Saga side story before eventually going into episode 35.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=MkUA3E...ature=youtu.be

I know the real reason why Asumi revealed his identity to HANE2 is because Asuka revealed it to Hanejiro in Dyna. But I can't help but feel that it also a Gaia reference with HANE2 filling a similar role to PAL as the onboard AI who keeps the jet flying when our hero transform. I maybe reaching though.

But that debut for Strong Type is definitly a Gaia reference though.
https://i.ibb.co/4s56WBf/Screenshot-20220722-200255.jpg
https://i.ibb.co/C7yPThX/Screenshot-20220722-200359.jpg

Well you're not the only one, a friend of mine who watched Gaia also mentioned that when it came up. So I'd like to say it's intentional.

Overall though really good episode, it was nice to see we still had a bit more of establishment for our new GUTS Select team to keep the pacing. Next time it looks like we're getting a standard mission with everyone introduced and their bonds forged.

That being said, really enjoyed Strong Types debut! It felt pretty powerful and I continue to love how effective this GUTS Select is when it comes to fighting Kaiju and fighting alongside Ultraman.

I think my favorite things about Decker is how its early episodes are skin to a training arc, which I feel really gives the characters and story some perspective.

H.A.N.E.2. or Hanejiro, is already a fun addition, I knew I was going to like him, but now I love him. Something about a robot with sass is just amusing to me, paired with his voice, being more of an intellectual voice rather than a cute one, and his weird design and how he switches units is neat to me.

Now, Sphere Gomor, while just another spin on Gomora, I like it. It's got a charming asymmetry and mutated look that I enjoy. Then we got Decker Strong Type, which is, like most red/power forms, a great design. Nothing too mind blowing this episode, but still enjoyable nonetheless.

And now the robot's in on the Ultraman secret, which means the Navi segments make even more sense now, and honestly makes them funnier.

Next Episode: When you find a giant strange object, it usually has a Kaiju inside it.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BEPkOJNtNnM

Are new Voice Drama it Ignis/Trigger Dark based. No subs though :(