[Mesnick]

I watched Heisei Ultraseven 1999. As with the previous episode, it's a direct sequel in the same format, but again with some changes. This time, the ecological theme is abandoned, instead switching to historical and political issues. Earthlings are advancing into space, establishing their bases and preemptively destroying any potential threat. And all this is the initiative of the new staff officer, Kaji. This initiative leads to the emergence of new enemies and the activation of old ones, discord within the TDF, and doubts within Ultraseven himself. Kazamori is also appointed permanently by Ultraseven, which leads to his dramatic revelation in the final episode.
It's funny how the show clearly took inspiration from the original Ultraman, even though it ignores its presence.
I also remembered the members of the Ultra Garrison, mostly because they received dramatic episodes focused on them. Sometimes even overly dramatic. Also, Rumi, who had previously been a passive participant, became a much more active member and the team's comic relief.
I also want to praise the cinematography. All the effects with shadows, silhouettes, images, and effects are simply magnificent. The plots are also good, although at times the show goes too far, mostly in the drama. But overall, I liked it, perhaps even more than the first episodes. I recommend it.

[Sunred]

Something that piqued my interest recently is the fact that the voice behind Ultraman Zero and Ultraman Z are Mario and Luigi, respectively, in the Mario animated films. And Glenfire is Toadstool. Now I wanna see the movies in Japanese.

[Mesnick]

I watched Ultraseven Evolution from 2002. It's a direct sequel to Heisei Ultraseven, but it also contradicts it. According to the plot, after the previous show, the aliens made peace with Earthlings, and five whole years passed without a single attempt at invasion. But then the aliens secretly infiltrated the TDF, which later led to scenes where aliens with Earthling weapons fight Earthlings with blasters.
Incidentally, gunfights are the main type of action in this show. Kaiju fights are rare, and Ultraseven is also rare. Dan is gone, so the role completely fell to Kazamori, who transformed from a funny klutz into a reflective professional, trying to combine his Earthling and alien parts.

He's not the only one whose character has changed dramatically. Ultra Garrison added a new member, Yuki. Her character can be described as a more realistic and better-written Renge from Kabuto (a character who, I feel, received far more attention from viewers than in the show). No rice-eating, just childhood domestic abuse and difficulties with social interaction. And, since two aggressive female characters on the team is too much, Satomi has transformed into a caring and understanding storyteller. Which is her undoing.
I liked the show for its ideas, but therein lies the problem.
Because the previous one already established that humans in this world are alien invaders, so their evolutionary tree in the planet's memory is meaningless. Furthermore, Heisei Ultraseven ends with the conclusion: "Humans are guilty, they have no excuse, but please give them a chance." And Evolution shows that this chance was neglected, repeating the same attempts at genocide of intelligent natives and hushing up the inconvenient truth.
Therefore, although I really like the plot itself, with other intelligent life originating on Earth, I think it should be a standalone story, not part of a franchise. Especially since Ultraseven is scarce and really seems superfluous in the plot.
P.S. The Ultra Garrison Pointers also look like they were on Pimp My Ride. I did complain about the Heisei Ultraseven being too dark, but customizing the cars' paint jobs isn't the best way to fix that.
And the flip phones with antennas looked very nostalgic.