Well I finally did it. I finally watched my first "proper" Ultra show with Ultraman Nexus. (Spoilers below!)

And I now kinda get why some of you warned me about it being my intro into the franchise way back when I asked about it.

Even as someone not super well versed in all things Ultra, I could tell that Nexus was a rather unique beast of a show, and one that I could easily see as one that'd potentially alienate alot of fans of the franchise.

That being said... I still rather liked it for the most part! It's by no means perfect, but I came out of the experience liking it more than disliking it. It's a show I feel that, while it doesn't execute alot of its ideas in the best way, always swung for the fences and was made with passion by alot of the people involved.

I also went ahead and read into the production history of the show, and while its troubles do help to explain the reason as to why certain aspects were handled the way that they were, there are alot of decisions the show still made that I felt weren't for the best. The biggest example being the very clear divide between the first and second half of the show as a whole.

Apparently it was always planned for Nexus to have a big swing a new direction once the second half of it hit, and I really gotta question why, as the result was that alot of stuff from the first half just kinda gets jettisoned away without much of a care. I still liked the second half for what it was, and in some ways it was better than the first half when it came to handling certain things, but I wasn't too keen on losing alot of what made me really like the first half.

For example, the first half's' overarching theme about how memories make people who they are and shape the reality in which people live, which in turn also influences other people's' perception of reality and how that affects the concept we know as the truth made for some rather fascinating stuff, and combined with some killer directing lead to some of my favorite episodes. The result was a toku combined with a psychological thriller and I was absolutely all for that. Then the second half just kinda... gets rid of it, without much fanfare.

The cutting down of the show did still hurt though. The Director's Cut of 29 is vastly superior to the TV cut, and Episode EX I feel is absolutely mandatory viewing, as otherwise Shiori never gets an arc(like alot of characters in Nexus, more on that in a sec), and it serves as one of the better arcs in the show, I felt. Heck, that's another thing that Nexus fell short with; It wanted to do these big dramatic swings with alot of its characters, yet never really gives the audience time to breathe and warm up to the idea of these characters. Nexus is very much a show where if you're not digging the leads, you don't have much else to cling onto.

Nexus is also a show that's a rather slow burn; You don't get many answers on much of anything until late into the show, and I could easily see people losing patience with it, especially if they're not especially loving its mystery aspect. Heck, you don't get any answers on certain things regardless. For example, why did Yu order the Night Raiders to shoot Ultraman at the start of the show, despite it being framed as though it were part of some grand plan? Never explained. It's at one point hinted that he's an alien who can see the future, but that plot point goes nowhere in favor of the Prometheus' Children plot.

I also felt that the big plot twist at the end, with Ishibori being the Unknown Hand was also handled pretty weakly. It's not that it comes completely out of nowhere or anything, it's more that the show waits until its last stretch of episodes to even try and make Ishibori a character. Dude pretty much doesn't even exist up until that point. If he had any sort of screen presence at all before that point, it would've worked alot better. Heck, had alot of the ways the second half handles its characters been intermixed with the first half, I think Nexus in general would've been a fantastic story. Rather than two distinct halves, making it one long show that alternates or mixes the two. Then you could have the character development of the second half with the plot of the first.

If at this point it sounds like I've just been hating on Nexus, don't worry, because again, I found alot of it to be made of stuff I rather like! The biggest and possibly most obvious one for those who know my tastes is that I really dug Nexus' heavy and mysterious atmosphere that it kept going through the entire show. Even the second half, while lighter on it than the first, never fully gave that atmosphere up and I really appreciated that. I also really dug our lead characters in Komon, Himeya, and Ren. All three of them are very distinct and very likable protagonists who very much carried the show for me. And to bring up the show being cut down again, it wasn't all bad. One of the arcs that got cut, apparently involving time travel, is one that I felt would've seriously clashed with the show's' overall style and tone.

In addition to that, I felt that, given the circumstances, the ending was probably the best one that Nexus could've ever asked for. Does it answer and resolve absolutely everything? No, but it does have a big emotionally payoff for pretty much every character involved, especially Komon, who absolutely earned his spot as the lead. Even on the surface level though, Nexus never disappointed. The kaiju designs were all very creative, the fight scenes were entertaining(some fights going into straight up DBZ territory), and the musical score is some of the best I remember hearing in tokusatsu as a whole. I think where the show most shined in all of its positive aspects was the Faust arc, which I felt perfectly blended character arc, drama, atmosphere, and psychological thriller/horror into an intense and cohesive package that I hope to not soon forget. The Mephisto stuff was almost a disappointment in comparison.

I don't know if I'll end up making an Ultra playlist like I've been doing for Rider, but for Nexus, the perfect song came to my mind almost immediately. That being "Everything You Feel" by YULA, which I think sums up the first half especially perfectly. In the end, Ultraman Nexus is a show that even if I ended up not liking it, I still think I'd have alot of respect for it, as it was clear alot of passion and care was going into it. It's not a show I'd call one of my all time favorite toku, and it's not only I especially loved, but it's one that I felt made for a good experience watching and one I ultimately ended up liking a good amount. And this was all despite the very lackluster sub quality. I actually compared both the CrunchyRoll and TV-N subs, and both are pretty mediocre overall. Really wish a different sub group would come along and do a proper scrub so the show can get some more positive attention. But now I'm just rambling. In the end, I give Ultraman Nexus a 4/6. Good, but not incredible.

I managed to finish watching Ultraman Max last night and I even managed to continue right where I left off on Ultraman Taro. I also watched the fourth episode of Blazar in both languages and I also watched several more episodes of Ultraman Trigger including a pretty enjoyable pair of episodes that served as a crossover between Trigger and Z for the last few days. 10 episodes down, 15 to go plus one post-series movie until I can really continue right where I left off on Decker considering that series had a two-part crossover with Trigger later on.

I did something similar with Ultraman Z. I watched up until the crossover with Geed, then went back to watch Geed, realized I needed to watch the zero movies, realized I needed to watch Ultra Galaxy Mega Monster Battle seasons, etc. eventually I made it back to Zett after watching a ton of movies and tv series, haha.

It?s fun to go down the rabbit hole

Watching the Super 8 Ultra Brothers is depressing in hindsight when you know all the mess behind the scenes coming later to the Heisei actors. This is truly a movie that's never going to happen again.

We're going to be firing a frikkin' railgun at Kaiju!?

Anri back home is the perfect opportunity for more of the team to open up! Teruaki is from a family of farmers! His hometown is known for grapes!

So is part of the reason Anri comes off awkward and stilted sometimes is because she's trying to hide her accent? She comes off really differently when she's talking to childhood friend Mizuho.

Ha! It's funny how the kid versions were wearing the exact same colors/similar outfits to when they were adults.

I guess Mizuho is our first indication of people with supernatural abilities.

If I had a nickel for every time a problem with an ancient Kaiju could've been avoided if they just didn't disturb the land they're resting on...well, I'd have a bunch of nickels, actually.

Look out, it's New Generation Torterra! Actually Dorgo's whole deal kind of reminded me of Gomora. He even had his own Super Oscillation Wave.

I'm glad Emi could skype in and confirm the best way to subdue Dorgo without killing him.

"I'll go" - the team is starting to steal Gento's catchphrase!

Man, the railgun screwed them over twice, first when it woke Dorgo up early and the second time when it just automatically targeted Blazar. It was protecting Dorgo and he probably had no idea what those things on his back even were!

Oh snap! Earth Garon has some moves! Oh snap! Blazar can split and dual wield the Spiral Burrade! Oh snap! Dorgo is the first Kaiju they took down non-lethally!

I love how Anri makes shoving the statue into a martial arts move. Blazar kind of did the same thing when pushing Dorgo back into his new sleeping ground.

This time it's Earth Garon flying off!

Looks like we're getting our first recap episode next week, but at least they're being creative about it and bringing in the classic Ultra trope...reporters!

Not the most spectacular episode, but still a fun one.

Blazar snapping his Spiral Bolide was certainly a good one. I love this Ultraman, and Dorgo was also a fun Kaiju. Wakes up, takes out Earth Garon (give my robot some justice!), drinks water, sleeps again.

On another note, just so that I have something more to say, the transitions in the ending theme with the words reads "the spiral of rose and violet strikes through the universe" a line from the very first teaser of Ultraman Blazar.

Recap next week!

Currently watching the English dubbed version (already watched the original Japanese version beforehand) of the fifth episode of Ultraman Blazar myself and it looks like I'm probably not going to be missing much next week since I'll be on vacation at that time. On a related note, I also managed to finish Ultraman Taro today so that's another series I can officially cross off on my Toku watchlist. It is a very enjoyable series. Kotaro Higashi might just be my favorite Ultra human host within the Showa era and I find ZAT to be a vastly underrated defense team.

"All the mess"?

One actor is held hostage by his agency, and another actor is hated by China.

Shin Ultraman won the 2023 Seiun Award for best media.

https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/new...awards/.201019

Ultraman now holds 4 Seiun awards for Tiga, Z, Ultraman F, and Shin Ultraman.

Well first of all, this week's Blazar was super fun! Love the monster, how it accidentally ends up with super weapons strapped to its back, and Blazar himself was wonderful as always. Snapping his beam spear in half and then propelling the halves with the most extra windup ever is so awesome.

However - this was the first episode that left me wondering if something was missing. This was supposed to be an Anri-focus episode, right? Then, what exactly did they focus? The episode beigns with her being a bit flustered about her home town, it ends with her saying "No place like home".

But, what exactly happened in between to show this transformation? Or rather, what conflict did she have that needed resolving? Like, her childhood friend isn't it. They were always friends, Anri always believed and supported her. She only pushes her to the side once to fulfill her duty, and then apologizes immediately after. That's pretty much it. It lacks any kind of character development because there was nothing going on.

If, let's say, the village shunned the girl that hears the voices, and Anri was her friend, but ultimately gave in to the peer pressure and left her friend too, that would've worked. It would give her a reason to dislike her town, because they made her do something she deeply regrets, and reconnecting with her past friend and dealing with these issues head on and resolving them could clear everything up.

But nothing of the sorts was in this episode, so I kind of have to ask myself what even the point of it all was. Still, good episode, just lacking a bit in potential.

Also, the big one! I have finally, finally watched "Shin Ultraman"! The replacement disk came in today. To clear that mess up first: The subtitles are still horrible. Because they are not in fact simply just dubtitles. They are terribly done dubtitles. Like, the point of these is for people with hearing issues, right? So they can read the sounds that happen on the screen when there's no visible clue to what's happening? They don't do that here. They subtitle sounds like 4 times. Throughout the entire thing. And they don't consistently label the dialogue with the names of who's talking either, it's so random. It's like they threw a dice for every segment and then decided on that specific number to take proper dubtitle-action. One time they even label Ultraman with his real name, before Zoffy appears and informs the viewer about this, so that's super confusing.

So yeah, complete trash release sadly. Just bad. I don't watch English dubs so I can't judge their quality, I hope that one can at least help some viewers out.

As for the movie, I liked it. Had fun watching. I would say it's the weakest of the three "Shin"-movies for me though. I definitely see the issues people have with this, it's painfully episodic. Surprise, here's Zarab (literally)! Cue the Zarab-stuff. Zarab's gone? Here's Mefilas. Shin Kamen Rider fairs similarly, but it works better IMO because they set up a basic frame very early on: This is Shocker, they have agents that need to be stopped! So moving on from one agent to another makes sense. But Shin Ultraman is so abrupt and random, which is probably due to the very reactive nature of the original show: Can't take action without a threat.

And it moves very, very fast. I had trouble reading the subtitles in time at a few occasions, and that happens fairly rarely to me, I would say that I can usually read fast. But they talk so fast and the camera cuts very quickly so sometimes another character starts speaking but I haven't processed the previous sentence.

So, fast and choppy story, but: The theme of Ultraman and his nature of alien and human was beautifully adapted and expanded upon, I love that so much. Plus, the SSSP is fantastic, I love these guys. Strange how they chose to compose it of completely new characters that fill similar archetypes, instead of straight up adapting the original ones. Not bad though, I like them.

Effect work was really good though I think. Shin Godzilla and Shin Kamen Rider both had a few wonky CG effect moments, Shin Ultraman worked 100% for me. Maybe it helps that Ultraman was always very "creative" when it came to visual effects so I was never taken out of the moment.

It may only take third place, but it's not because I disliked it, it's simply my third favorite of the bunch :)

I think the idea was that reconnecting with her childhood friend, recognizing that sometimes you just need to believe in the people who you're closest too, and helping save the guardian deity of her hometown lead her to find a new appreciation for it.

I think it fits the kind of stoic and serious woman she is, only to find a little of that spark she had as a kid with Mizuho.

Continuing on through the Showa Ultra shows, I've now finished Ultraman Ace. That... sure was a 70s toku.

The Good

• The basic concept of "Hokuto and Minami are Ultraman Ace together" is really ahead of it's time, not only is having a woman as half of the protagonist duo but also the fusion idea is like Kamen Rider W but yearssss earlier. Definitely the most unique part of the series.

The Bad

• Minami is interesting... or at least while she lasted. Like most of her Henshin Heroine peers from the 70s she gets the boot eventually, even if she doesn't die like most of them. I think Bijinda from Kikaida 01 is still the best effort I've personally seen for a Henshin Heroine from this decade, which is ridiculous because Kikaida 01 isn't a good show at all.
• I think this show had a lot of aspects that were just kind of boring! I wasn't too invested in anyone on the team and I often found myself zoning out during the fights because nothing was interesting about them!.
• I feel like the Ace suit was literally falling to pieces a lot of the time. Really felt like they didn't keep up on the repairs too well in this show. If *I* notice it you know they must be doing a bad job.

The Other

• This isn't really the show's fault but I kept wanting to compare it to Return of Ultraman since Ace is its immediate successor. I think Ace pays a lot of homage to Return's ideas, but it's all surface level stuff that doesn't really understand what made Return such an utterly compelling show. Return has this tragic undercurrent below its lighthearted surface. Gou is flawed, MAT is constantly getting harassed by civilians for their failures, characters aren't always saved. Ace has some similar ideas and you see things like moments where TAC gets some flak from people but it never really dwelt upon or comes up consistently. I keep thinking about how both shows had an episode where the protagonist meets up with an old childhood friend who has pursued their career down a dark path. Ace's episode ends with said friend getting an awkwardly done redemption while Return's ends with said friend dying from the results of his actions. Really kinda emblematic of how different the two shows are.

I wouldn't say I hated this show, but it honestly it was by and large just super by-the-books. Feels like the kind of thing I'll forget most of the details of in a few years.

Watched a few more episodes of Ultraman Trigger today. 17 episodes down, 8 to go.

Yeah I think that's it. She forgot about praying to the guardian deity as child entirely, she forgot a part of herself. She was uncomfortable sharing thoughts about her upbringing because to her it wasn't worth talking about.

But remembering her past, seeing the legends being true and learning to appreciate who she was leads her to feel acceptance and a bit of pride.

Finished the main Mebius series. Now watching the Gaiden episodes and then I'll be done with the Heisei era.

And I'm finally finished the Mebius and the Heisei Era run of the Ultra series. Compared to Max, Mebius is a far better executed series, but this is why, no matter the hype around them, I can't just watch Gokaiger or Kamen Rider Decade. Part of the experience is knowing the full legacy in this legacy series and because I spent the last few years going through the entire established history I've gained the knowledge and appreciation to the past eras as they were happening in front of me. Having the characters recapping them or explain the characters in one sentence doesn't carry the same effect.

Heisei era in general was heavily experimental as Tsuburaya was trying to get back to their previous glory and I think that what makes it stands out compared to Showa and New Generation. Each installment felt like they were trying new ideas. Some of them didn't work like Dyna being a repeat of Tiga but with more comedy, others works very well like Cosmos being a healer-type warrior. It's also the era that took many risks like Project N that sadly didn't go as planned, the international collaborations, and recently with Mebious being a legacy series set in the original timeline that did work beyond expectations for a series that was meant to end the franchise.

Next stop: Ultra Galaxy era.
https://www.tokunation.com/forums/at...1&d=1691609613

Aaaaaaannnnnnnnddddddd, I have officially just powered through the first season of Mega Monster Battle in just a few days

Reporters aren't strangers to the Ultra Franchise, though I feel like it would've been nice if they had built up this trio or Reiko more in prior episodes so it meant more when we saw them here. With no real attachment to anybody it was hard to really invest in them recapping everything. Made for a dry watch even by recap episode standards. Decker had so many but they were more fun.

I wonder if they'll do anything more with this group or if they'll just be for the recap shows?

I feel like geeking out over Earth Garon is more Mecha Otaku than Military Otaku.

Reiko thinking Leviera was cute was something.

I wonder who the best person in SKaRD to interview would be. Gento? Teruaki? Anri for comedy? Emi probably wouldn't put her face on TV.

All that build up and emotional moments and Sabu doesn't even get his special. And Reiko straight up bails. Ah well.

Next week: Bando focused episode and our first Alien of the season!

Currently watching episode 18 of Ultraman Trigger and I thought the show, from what I have seen so far, is just okay at best. Sadly, Trigger really did have a lot going against it, both as a would-be successor to Ultraman Tiga due to being a then-25th anniversary of that particular series at the time and as a series/season that took place after Ultraman Z. The show did have a very enjoyable crossover with the latter series though. Anyway, I honestly liked the idea of the Dark Giant trio serving as the central villains for the show and the overall lore having a bigger emphasis on the narrative as a whole especially in comparison how this sort of story was utilized for Tiga: The Final Odyssey movie and I actually liked that film. In theory, these concepts for a pseudo-remake of Tiga are great, the execution, on the other hand, is basically hit or miss and the show itself feels like it really needed a higher episode count just to do the story and the characters justice. Also, I can really make do without the whole, “Smile, smile!” thing that crops up in almost every episode. At least Saki/Go-On Yellow from Go-Onger had an actual backstory that deals with why she often said this as her catchphrase in one of the episodes of that show.

I have managed to finish the second and final season of Mega Monster Battle not too long ago and I even watched the Ultra Galaxy Legends movie that took place after the events of that series which also serves as the first official appearances of Belial and Ultraman Zero which I really enjoyed. And with those out of the way, I can finally start watching the movies and specials starring Ultraman Zero through that Blu-Ray set I got from Amazon five months ago as well as the Ultra Zero Fight mini-series via online somewhere and finally my Blu-Ray copy of the Ultraman Geed series set which I also got from Amazon at that time and possibly Ultraman Orb either through Tubi or my order of the Blu-Ray series set I'm still waiting on from Amazon. Leaning towards the former is becoming more and more likely everyday.

It's tough being the reliable mechanic of the team. Everyone wants you to fix their stuff and do the paperwork! Even Gento kind of takes advantage of Yasunobu! It's not often you have the Vice-Captain lecturing the Captain, but Teruaki brought some apples from his family's farm so he's going to bring this team together by hook or by crook.

I love how Gento is bonded to a space caveman from a distant galaxy but talking to a mechanical dryer like it's an actual person is too much for him. And then he ends up sweet talking it too! Cururu Best Girl.

Herbie seems like a pleasant Alien Cannan at first glance up until you realize she (?) is pulling a machine liberation movement for the sake of conquering Earth. Yikes. I mean, machines can have feelings but maybe that's taking it a step too far...

They really wasted no time getting Yasunobu shirtless, huh? Those abs!

Who needs Kaiju when we can get rogue New Gen MechaGodzilla?

Oh hey, they made a miniature of the SKaRD van! Bet Gento is regretting taking the tomatoes with him then.

Were the Alien Cannan actually there? It seemed like the one that Yasunobu hit digitized out of existence like it was a hologram or something.

"Make me your target! So I can conveniently run away and transform where no one can see me!"

I guess there's nothing that can compare to the bond between a mechanic and his giant dinosaur Mecha.

I didn't expect Blazar to twist around enough to make Mr. Fantastic blush, but dang is he flexible for his finishers!

Next week: the first two-parter!

Briefly going off the recap: I kind of enjoyed the commonfolk (or at least, outside of SKaRD) reacted to Blazar so far, and even gives us a little insight to how some events got resolved and the aftermath of the incidents. Not bad.

This week's episode, however, was the most Showa Ultraman kind of plot, and I enjoyed it. I love how Tsuburaya have been giving us some very retro aliens lately (some returning, but overall, I like the charm), and the whole plot, while silly and cheesy, is full of heart, which is pretty much what makes episodes like these fun. Also, the Alien is named Herbie. That's funny to me.

But of course, getting to see a duel between Blazar and Earth Garon was neat (along with the Berserk Kiryu moment), and if the Dorgo Episode didn't convince me Blazar broke all laws of physics for himself, this episode where he corkscrews himself to propel the Spiral Bolide certainly confirms that. My gosh, what a bizarre Ultraman (which isn't a bad thing).

Next Episode: A TWO PARTER! And a cool looking Kaiju to boot.

My main takeaway from episode 6 of Blazar (other than astonishment at how shredded Yasunobu is, I mean) is how much I enjoy the dynamic the members of SKaRD have with one another? I don't think I can peg the difference down perfectly, but despite being the usual elite military squad, they really feel like coworkers, first and foremost, in a way I haven't seen in any other Ultraman show. It's all very wholesome and relatable and provides so much charm to the series. I think I said this about the second episode as well, but I'm still just as impressed by how much humor Blazar has so far considering how relatively little outright comedy there is? If that word choice conveys the nuance properly? It keeps a light tone without ever dwelling on a joke for more than a moment.

Nooooo, the Tomatoes! I think this is my favourite episode so far, I definitely noticed the Showa/sort-of-Jissoji vibes.

Jesus Yasunobu is ripped.

Jesus Blazar is flexible.

They feel a lot less stiff around each other than GUTS-Select did in Decker.
I wonder if they'll get a chance to show off Anri's abs...

Episode 6 be like "Remember kids! A mechanical engineer requires brains, muscles, and talking to washing machines in a Kansai dialect!". Seriously Yasunobu is yoked. And I love how Gento slowly backed away after seeing what he saw. :lolol
But aside from that, 6 episodes in, I think this is my new favorite Ultraman show since Z. And that man with the glasses who backed away after seeing Yasunobu's abs, it's Kiyotaka Taguchi, right? The director?

Sorry double posted by accident. My apologies.

I can't get enough of Black Star. It's the best New Generation song since Promise For The Future
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHxD5ya9pjM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCwyWxES3AU

I was thinking the same thing! That guy looks very familiar...

Unfortunately, I don't know either.

It is! It's a good cameo!

I really like how awkward Blazar is around other Ultras.

Yeah, Blazar really is fast becoming a very good and solid show. I really hope they keep it up to the very end. Anyway, I am finished with my copy of the Ultraman Zero Movie Collection on Blu-Ray not too long ago on which I really enjoyed especially The Revenge of Belial and I even watched the Ultra Zero Fight mini-series in its entirety. I am currently trying to decide what to watch next between Geed and Orb. I am also planning to watch Dyna, Gaia, and Cosmos at some point.

I will also be able to finish up on Trigger by the end of this week since I just started the episode where Darrgon makes his final appearance in the series and I already watched the previous one where Hudram meets his end.

Ginga: Yo Z, what's up with this dude? He's super stiff.

Nice. :rock:
Cause I remember seeing him on some interview clip on youtube and then realized it was him in that scene.


It's a legit good song. Seriously, they should pick MindaRyn for NHK's Kohaku show at the end of this year and have her sing it live. :rock:

Kaiju research is a very valuable field in the world of any Ultraman, and one personal for Gento. Teruaki acting like a fanboy is pretty funny though.

It's cute how Gento kind of falls back into being a student again when he and Kazunori reunite. Though for a second there I genuinely thought he'd made him eat Kaiju meat during research/fishing trips together...

Nijikagachi! The Armored Snake Colossus! Another ancient Kaiju worshipped as a deity, though when you see the control Nijikagachi holds over the weather, you can kind of see why. Though there is a human hand in these events.

Ah, so Kazunori is one of those...people who feel the Earth belonged to the Kaiju and it's humans' fault for breaking the bond they had and upsetting nature, to the point of being willing to upend everything to set the world back to square one as the right course of action. What a nutjob. I wasn't expecting the arm blast though.

It's interesting seeing a battle with more personal stakes for Gento. You can tell he's taking it even more serious than usual, which says a lot.

A rainbow ray beam!? Someone call Ace!

Is Nijikagachi basically New Gen Gomora? Kind of from a design perspective they're similar, introduced in a two-parter, has a beam coming out of his forehead, hits Ultraman with his tail, and is the first opponent Ultraman has to basically retreat from.

Next week: Earth Garon Mk 2! And possibly an upgrade for Blazar?

Kaiju with Rainbow powers? Barugon? Is that you?

I'm not sure why, but I'm reminded of the Jirass Episode from the Original Ultraman with this episode's premise. Maybe it's the cooky scientist summoning a Kaiju, maybe there's something in Nijikadachi's design, I don't know.

Still, an enjoyable episode, and an interesting Kaiju attached to it. I like how it's setting up some background for Gento, and mythology Kaiju are always fun to play around with.

Still funny how Earth Garon gets an upgrade before Blazar, but I'm fine without any, since Blazar already looks perfect, though I'm sure he'll get one later down the line, but if not, I'm enjoying this back-to-basics approach with him.

Next Episode: Earth Garon's gets some brand new guns!

I have just finished Ultraman Trigger and outside of the Episode Z movie that takes place after the events of the series, I can finally continue right where I left off on Ultraman Decker on which that show is already off to a pretty good start for me. I have also watched the seventh episode of Blazar, in both languages, of course.

As of now, I am watching Ultraman Decker and much to my surprise, I am really enjoying this show far more than I have any right to considering it's a sequel/followup to Trigger which, like I said, is just okay at best. Oh, and keep in mind, I haven't even watched, let alone started, on Ultraman Dyna yet since Decker also just happened to be the then-25th anniversary of that series at the time. It also helps that I already liked the show's main cast. Currently up to its 10th episode with only few episodes away until I am at the show's halfway point.

Oh snap! Is Blazar trying to communicate with Gento? Though we don't have much time to wrap our head around that as Nijikagachi is about to set society back to square one with the biggest typhoon in human history.

It's do or die time, so perfect opportunity to take some new Earth Garon tech out for a spin and also consider if killing one man to save many is the right call.

Teruaki hasn't gotten a focus episode yet, so he may as well step up now and be the one to handle Yokomine. He is a massive fanboy, after all. And while there's a bit of tension between captain and vice-captain, it might be for the best that someone with less personal history with Yokomine confronts him.

Yokomine is about to reset humanity back to square one and possibly take who knows how many lives...and he's just sitting back and fishing. Well, he's consistent, I'll give him that.

Earth Garon Mod 2 with the epic entrance! And shoulder rifle and rail gun! Too bad the rail gun's aim is a little finicky, especially with Nijikagachi's mask.

Teruaki makes a good point. It's one thing that humans have harmed nature, but Nijikagachi risks harming nature and everything in it, plants, animals, insects, etc. and not just humans if left unchecked. But the only way to truly decide who is right is to leave it up to the fates...although so much for the plan of breaking the bracelets, it just makes Nijikagachi more powerful.

Blazar vs Nijikagachi round 2! Always watch out for the tail! Although I thought Blazar would hold it down long enough for Yasunobu to get his shot in but instead Nijikagachi just kind of looks at Earth Garon and sets himself up.

Blazar gains rainbow powers! First time Blazar has absorbed a monsters' power in a new medal, first "transformation field" moment, and Blazar's first Ultra Slash! And it's a giant Rainbow Slash of death!!!

I'm glad it seems like Gento and Teruaki have become closer over this, to the point of both of them working at Teruaki's family farm and going fishing together.

I guess it's hard to make charges stick when a guy summons a weather god Kaiju that defies human comprehension. Though it seems like Nijikagachi isn't quite dead either.

Next week: Anri! Music! Pigmon! I mean...Garamon! Never thought I'd type that again.

It's genuinely quite disappointing to see a usual New Generation "cockpit" shot of Gento jamming a new toy into his toy when this show seemed to be making it a point to avoid that kind of thing entirely so far (and for what it's worth, it's like a weird first-person thing here, keeping some level of uniqueness), but that being the biggest gripe I have with this two-parter also kinda underscores how good it was. I loved the back half especially, between the constant tension and how this seemingly Gento-centric story smoothly slides into being a stealth Teruaki spotlight episode.