[GrandComplete]

So hey everybody! It's everyone's favorite procrastinator, GrandComplete. Now this might come as a surprise because of my name, header, and signature, but I'm a big Ultraman fan. And to me, one of the best series in this franchise has got to be Ultraman Gaia, and to celebrate the 25th anniversary of this show and clearly since Tsuburaya ain't doing anything, Here is a rewatch thread inspired by Fish Sandwich Kamen Rider Kuuga rewatch thread. Here is my own take on this 25-year-old show, and because I am an absolute nerd and want to both savor the experience and want newcomers to have at least a week as a buffer to catch up, each and every episode post will take place on the exact same day it originally aired this year.

Being honest, this whole thing is really just an excuse for me to gush about something I've loved and to highlight the creatives involved with making this show a reality. I hope you get as much out of this as I am learning and researching the people who created this incredible show with me over the course of a year and beyond.

A huge thank you to Ultra Blog DX for their amazing Gaia Production post. It is an amazing resource for English Ultraman fans. as well as the Japanese Wiki and DIC Pixiv for their various sources and compilations of information.

So laying out some simple ground rules

There will be no future episode spoilers.But I'll allude to events for framing and production notes.

Generally, try not to spoil other shows. (Though I will off-handedly mention other shows occasionally.) Or just put out warnings or spoiler tags.

And above all else, let's respect each other's opinions. And just have fun with this.

I can't wait for the start of it all this week, on September 5th, with Episode 1: "Seize The Light!"

(Technically it already September 5th in Japan which is why this is going up now. But obviously I don't live in Japan so the first episode will go up tomorrow)

[GrandComplete]

Episode 1 "Seize The Light!"
So imagine yourself working in Tsuburaya in late 1997 or early 1998. Ultraman has finally entered a new golden age. One that hasn't been seen since the 1970s, to be honest. So there was apprehension among the creatives; no one knew where to take Ultraman after Dyna.Enter Chiaki J. Konaka, a prolific writer in the 90s and early 2000s (you may have heard of him lately, but we are not here to discuss that!).

He was already involved with the production of Ultraman Tiga and brought forth many of the elements that made Tiga successful, such as the larger, more modernized world and the aesthetic towards the unknowable of Lovecraft, which created a world filled to the brim with mystery and kept viewers on the edge of their seats wondering what just might appear. In spite of the trepidation felt over the direction of the Ultra Series' future, Konaka and the other writers were not given any overt demands by Tsuburaya, Bandai, or TBS over what the next show was going to be. All Konaka was given was to make a good show; this is an incredible amount of creative freedom rarely seen in the industry. The writers were given free reign over story, characters, and themes, and in an inverse way, it was the writer who dictated the flow of things for once rather than the investors. Konaka didn't want to simply put on a good show; he wanted to leave a mark, so to speak, not wanting to be stagnant. And to shake things up, this new show would be a singular serialized story planned from beginning to end. However, other writers were more hesitant because of how Ultraman had been written before, as it was up to the individual to tell the story of the week. As a result, a compromise was reached in which Konaka pitched and ironed out the overall grand story of the show, but the individual stories of each writer were preserved.This method would actually become how Ultraman shows would be written from now on. Gaia has already had an impact on the franchise since pre-production.And thus the show known as "Ultraman Gaia" was born!

Of course, no show is complete without the opening, which is what we'll be looking at first, though I'm going to have to start with something that has irritated me with some of Ultraman's official releases: the lack of subtitles on the credits.This show was subbed by Crunchyroll, and this was before subbing music was commonplace. Now you might be wondering why certain shows you watch may not translate the OP and ED of a show or movie, and that is because of music rights. The rights to translate the music are not included with the rest of the show, leaving many anime and dramas to just skip it to avoid the hassle. The reason I bring this up is in relation to Mill Creek's release of the Ultra Series and how often they will default to preexisting subs if they're there regardless of quality or, in this case, consistency, as going from Tiga and Dyna, which subbed the music (including inserts! ), to the final part of this 90's TDG Trilogy and skipping all of it is, to say the least, jarring.This isn't the last time I'll be talking about the subs. I may not be as thorough as Fish Sandwich, but I try in hopes of helping you understand better. But back to the OP, simply titled "Ultraman Gaia!" and sung by Masayuki Tanaka (Rider fans would recognize him from singing Kuuga OP) and Kazuya Daimon (who also did the arrangement), with lyrics written by Yasushi Chinka, a second-generation Korean songwriter living in Japan, and composed by Miki Matsubara, a prolific songwriter, composer, and singer.
(Insert custom collage image here)
The song is catchy, upbeat, and heroic, encompassing the feel of Toshihiko Sahashi's score for this show. (Don't worry, I will talk about him and his contribution to the show soon!) and unlike Crunchyroll, I'm going to provide y'all with the lyrics to the song.

“Fight on until the very end!
Hold on until the very end!
When the danger, the danger
The danger won’t end
That’s when we need our Ultraman!

If you believe in your power and take that step
You’ll find the light of courage within you
So don’t be deceived by their vile machinations
Just fight with every drop of strength you have
And stand resolute before them!

Fight on until the very end!
Hold on until the very end!
When there’s nothing, nothing, not a thing we can do
That’s when we need our Ultraman!

These monsters have never known what love is
Perhaps their roars are how they show their pain
But they won’t give up on their vile machinations
So if we are to protect the ones we love
Then we must stand resolute for them!

Fight on until the very end!
Hold on until the very end!
When we’re in trouble, in a panic
The danger won’t end
That’s when we need our Ultraman!
Ultraman Gaia!

Fight on until the very end! [Come on Come on Gaia]
Hold on until the very end! [Fight on Gaia]

Fight on until the very end! [Come on Come on Gaia]
Hold on until the very end! [Fight Fight Gaia]
When there’s nothing, nothing
Not a thing we can do
That’s when we need our Ultraman!
Ultraman Gaia!”
(Thank you Aesir fansubs for this translation)

The lyrics here do an absolutely killer job of condensing down what Ultraman represents and how they're not there to just make humanity's jobs easier. We will have to try our very best, and when all options are exhausted and fear strikes in the most desperate of times, that is when we need Ultraman! And the visuals for the OP are fantastic, starting with the incredible swirls done in the Gaia style. The amazing miniatures that capture the absolute scale of this world and the defense team, as well as the fantastic artwork for this show's sponsor page (which we will discuss,
the artist and designer soon enough, I promise).

So the first thing you’ll notice about this show from the beginning is its greater emphasis on the sci-fi elements thanks to Konaka's involvement. Words such as "photoelectronic" and "quantum physics' ' are thrown around casually. The second thing you might notice is that Gamu's acting is really bad. It is comparable to Troy from Power Rangers (Super) Megaforce (I want you to know that I realize comparing this show to that one is not doing this show or myself any favors and that I mentally hate myself for even thinking this, but it’s the truth). Now, like a certain tiki head, there is a simple explanation for that. …. Are you ready for it? Here we go! Main actor Takeshi Yoshioka was chosen not for his acting abilities but rather for his physical build. Takeshi Tsuruno, who played Ultraman Dyna in the previous show, was so unathletic that after Dyna, Tsuburaya added a clause requiring the main actor to be physically fit for every project since then. As this was the first time Tsuburaya did this, they overcompensated and hired an actor who was all brawn (which is the polar opposite of the character). Now the crew immediately noticed his (lack of) skills in acting, and over the course of the first quarter of the show, they helped Yoshioka adjust to the role. In particular, one of the actors, the now deceased Hiroyuki Watanabe, who played the commander Akio Ishimuro, took a vested interest and became a mentor to the inexperienced Yoshioka.

What I’m trying to say is to please stick with this show, and the main lead will get better over time. I swear the cast and crew care about the show, and this is merely just growing pains as of right now.

Back to the show: Gamu is presented as a very different type of protagonist, being an absolute nerd. revealed later on in this episode to have been the one who invented the jets used by our defense team. a unique setting as a young adult genius in college with his own clique of friends and in a role that screams supporting character in this franchise. But we also see shades of a protagonist, not just because he’s an ultraman but because he hacks into video feeds and tells the others that they're not flying his ship properly. Both this and his willingness to be the guinea pig for the experiment show that he has what it takes to be the hero of this story.

The late Hirochika Muraishi, a relative hot shot at the time whose Ultraman episodes always managed to emphasize the terror that invading forces can instill, directed the episode's set design and overwhelming feel, and in this first episode, he manages the impending change to this world with this new force invasion.

Add to that Ultraman Gaia's iconic ground stomp, which lets you feel the visceral weight of the giant of light himself.

(Stomp of the week)



Stomp Counter:1

And of course, we can’t forget the heroes and villains of this story too. Ultraman Gaia and the kaijus from "Vision Dragon," in particular, with "C.O.V." standing for "Cosmic/Cybernetic Organism Vanguard."

The designer of this season is none other than Hiroshi Maruyama, who was the main character and monster designer for the entire Heisei Ultraman series!

If you needed any more proof of this man's incredible talent, he also designed the Phantom from Kamen Rider Wizard!


Gaia, our titular hero, is decked out in a nice mix of modern (the 90's Ultra aesthetic) and Showa Ultras, such as the Original Ultraman and Ace.The use of gold on top of his head is a striking touch that completes the look. It's a good design, but there was something off about it. But I can’t put my finger on it, hmmm? Oh well, nothing worth talking about.


We don't spend much time with the Vision Dragon, who serves as a tutorial boss in a RPG, but I like its sepertaine-esque figure, which lends to a distinct body type and immediately demonstrates some variety in creature design for this show.

Sadly, there were more plans for this Kaiju that got scrapped, but we will talk about that at a later date. The final verdict from me, based on just what was given, is that it’s alright but nothing really special.


Now C.O.V. is a great first boss; he has a nice bipedal design with an angular head sculpt that reminds me of Dyna, and who doesn't love scythe hands?

Overall, a solid first monster, which is always appreciated, especially with modern shows where the first Kaiju is oftentimes the only original Kaiju we get for most of the show.

Now, open your ears as we listen to some sound effects. The Ultraman Gaia grunts are all done by Gamu’s actor, but the initial grunts seen in the very beginning are intentionally edited to be deeper than Yoshioka's normal pitch so that Gaia is different from once he merged with Gamu, which is a nice detail. I give these deeper grunts a 5/5. Making the effort to change the standard grunts to match the context of the scene is an effort I appreciate.
C.O.V. is surprisingly mechanical for a Kaiju roar; it's not what I expected, but it's not bad either; 3/5, an average score for the grunts.
Now, due to a lack of screen time, I’m going to give it 3/5 because the sounds it makes have a unique tingling sound mixed with a higher-pitched guttural growl, but it doesn't have enough time to grow on me.
(link here)
The ED of Gaia Loving You Loving Me by all female idol group B.B. Waves is an alright ending—not my personal favorite—but it has catchy tunes and will make some memorable scenes down the line. Much like the opening, it’s not subbed, so I’ll do you the favor of providing a translation for you guys.

“Lovin' you, continuing to run because all answers will surely
Be here in my chest
Lovin' me, not giving up to find the shine
Let's step by myself

A rift in the clouds passing through the wind and endless blue sky
Every time the future is floated, the same amount of anxiety is encountered

If only I could be more strong...never cry, make my wishes come true

Lovin' you, continuing to run because all answers will surely
Be here in my chest
Lovin' me, not giving up to find the shine
Let's step by myself

On days when rain envelops the sky I look up and
I've got a shinin' heart to the sky
The sun will surely bring a rainbow,
Someday we'll take a chance to be there

Even if it's the longer way around ev'ry smile, ev'ry tears
I want to convey

Lovin' you, spreading the wings of the chest
If the doors of the future would open, surely it will become visible
Lovin' me, until I had captured the history that I had believed
Let's step by myself

Someday I'll encounter more gentle smiles where I can envelop
My trembling emotions
Close to you, I want to go beyond the yet unseen tomorrow without losing my way
Just believe in your eyes

Lovin' you, continuing to run because all answers will surely
Be here in my chest
Lovin' me, not giving up to find the shine
Let's step by myself”

The lyrics, I think, are meant to be from Gamu, but something about the wording doesn’t sound like the character's voice, imo. It sounds like Gamu wants a better future, but it is too flowery, if that makes any sense. I dunno, I could be talking out of my ass with this one. Feel free to tell me how this ED fits or doesn't fit with the rest of the show music.

But now it’s time for my favorite part—the one I was most excited to talk about when starting all of this. And, in my opinion, Ultraman Gaia has one of the best scores in all of Ultraman, if not all of Tokusatsu.I've got to give the credit to Toshihiko Sahashi.

You may have heard his name thanks either to his extensive track record in both toku and anime or to Fish Sandwich raving about this man, and now it’s my turn to give you the pleasure of hearing his work. So every post will be finished off by one track from this show, and to start it off, of course, it has to be this track, "Quantum Stream Reversal."

Can you feel it? The raw surge of utter heroism that comes from this piece rightly rivals John Williams' Superman theme as a suitable grand yet heroic theme that tells you everything is going to be alright now that Ultraman Gaia is here! This tune, I think, single-handedly represents Ultra as a force for good, from the trumpets to the strings; it just shines through its simple melody.

Thank you for sticking with me through this epically long premiere. I’ll see you all on the 12th next week for episode 2, "A Hero Appears."

(Also gotta love the previews each episodes having their own little catchphrase and so much to this whole show)

[Androzani84]

Well if anyone’s interested, I’m here to discuss where else you may have seen members of the cast or the featured monsters. I’ll skip the latter part due to spoilers, but I’ve got a lot to the first one this time, being the premiere.

The aforementioned Hiroyuki Watanabe was also in all three 90s Gamera movies, Taiga Saejima in Garo and Gaoh in Kamen Rider Den-O’s movie. He also was one of the actors considered for the lead in Kamen Rider Super-1.

Sei Hirazumi (Chiba) was also a regular in Fireman (one of several Ultraman clones produced by Tsuburaya in the 70s), guest roles in Ultraman Leo and Ultraman R/B and a supporting role in Ultraman Zero: The Revenge of Belial.

Takashi Ukaji (the Captain) was later Kougami in Kamen Rider OOO.

Ai Hashimoto (Atsuko) previously appeared in Ninja Sentai Kakuranger as the kid of the week’s older sister in episode 41.

Maria Theresa Gow (Georgie) was also in Kamen Roder W’s finale episodes as Neon Usland, the Foindation X lady. She also did a cover of Gaia’s OP on her YouTube channel a few years back.

Hiroshi Tsuburaya (Tabata) was previosuly the leading actor in Uchuu Keiji Shaider, and the regular role of Miyata in the immediate previous show, Ultraman Dyna. He also played his own father Hajime in Ultraman Tiga.

Eisuke Tsunoda (Inoue) had guest spots in Ultraman Tiga and Ultraman Cosmos, along with the role of Ippei in the 2004 Ultraman movie (the one that leads into Nexus)

Shunsuke Gondo (Koyama) was the suit actor for the main Ultra during this period.

And from the guest cast, Yuji Machi (the announcer) was previously the narrator for Denkou Chojin Gridman and Ultraman Dyna, in addition to voicing the title character in Ultraman Tiga.

[GrandComplete]

I look forward to your contributions to this thread as you've done in so many others.

[Fish Sandwich]

Quote:

Originally Posted by GrandComplete

You may have heard his name thanks either to his extensive track record in both toku and anime or to Fish Sandwich raving about this man, and now it?s my turn to give you the pleasure of hearing his work. So every post will be finished off by one track from this show, and to start it off, of course, it has to be this track, "Quantum Stream Reversal."

...

Can you feel it? The raw surge of utter heroism that comes from this piece rightly rivals John Williams' Superman theme as a suitable grand yet heroic theme that tells you everything is going to be alright now that Ultraman Gaia is here! This tune, I think, single-handedly represents Ultra as a force for good, from the trumpets to the strings; it just shines through its simple melody.

Yeah, I'm not sure I've ever specifically talked about his work on Gaia on here, but needless to say, hearing the theme Sahashi came up with for the character was a huge factor in me starting to hold him in the incredibly high regard I do.

Anyways, I won't really be able to follow along seeing as I've still yet to watch any of the whole TDG trilogy, despite those being the shows I was most excited to dig into when I started getting into Ultraman (Gaia in particular, even!), but I wish this thread the best all the same. Gaia is one of those series you can just sorta tell is awesome even from a distance, so it's nice to think somebody is on here giving it the love it no doubt deserves.

I have seen this premiere a handful of times though, and I've always been immensely impressed by it. I especially love how it gives you so many different perspectives on what's happening, rather than having every character with dialogue be part of the usual elite military style squad. Even in just one episode, you're seeing how people react to giant monster stuff from not only up in the sky in cool sci-fi jets, but all the way down to the ordinary people on the ground, and that speaks a lot about this show's stylistic goals upfront.

[GrandComplete]

Yeah Gaia's as a show is well huge from the the literal kaiju fights to the very large cast of characters introduced. The show still look and feel modern despite being 25 years old. It has a timeless quality to it that I'm excited to share.

[GrandComplete]

Episode 2 "A Hero Appears"
Picking up where things left off is Gaia's debut battle against C.O.V., in which every step of the initial struggle causes dust and soil to burst forth, showing the absolute size of Ultraman in this show. It’s here that we see Gaia’s signature finisher, the Photon Edge. A charged energy whip shot from Gaia’s head. What a funky finisher! The animation of the beam and how flexible it is are so unique to this show. It’s almost as amazing as this real monster explosion. something that has been mostly lost in modern shows.
Afterwards, we get a full look at the aerial base, and I've got to say this is one of my favorite bases in Ultraman; this behemoth makes you feel the scale of XIG. To me, the entire model and set piece is peak Ultraman; it's awe-inspiring and sparks the imagination. Fun fact: the model used in the show and in the opening are two different props. Thanks to u/ChiefCmdr010 on Reddit for pointing that out.
In general, this episode is great for Gamu. We are shown a lot of his personality: his excitement, his slight childishness from treating the simulator as a game, and his getting pressed when Atsuko dismissed him, but tempered by his desire to join XIG to fight on the front lines not just as Ultraman but as Gamu himself.
One of Gaia’s greatest strengths (and weaknesses, admittedly) is in how huge the XIG is, as they were already introduced to Team Lighting in the last episode as our main squad of fighters led by Kajio. a secondary set, "Team Falcon," and even name-dropping a third squad, "Team Crow." And in the latter half of the ground division, with Team Hercules—such a wide group of characters—you get the sense of each of their groups' position within this organization and how they contribute overall to XIG.
We saw how Konaka's more unified teamwork among writers manifested itself as the Radical Destruction Bringer (who I will now refer to as the RDB because typing that name every time is going to get annoying), whose true goal for C.O.V. was to awaken an Earth kaiju in order to destroy the planet.Serialized storytelling is best used to call back and expand on aspects of previous episodes, layering them with questions and answers and how the story reacts to them. and already shown in just the second episode.

So, let's talk about the episode's kaiju, Geel, a subterranean kaiju.

The bipedal nature corresponds to its earth-appropriate, magma-themed abilities. I love the red core in its belly that opens up. The grunts it makes have a screechy quality to me with a reverb effect that sounds really unique to me (4/5).

Who can forget the electrophoton capsule storing Gaia’s light? I love it. What a great homage to the OG beta capsule right here!


Another thing I’m excited to talk about is that despite the ED song playing, the episode still continues. This is something you'll notice a lot in Gaia. It just shows how much story is being packed into an episode. It reminds me of that stretch of Ex-Aid episodes where the OP was skipped and the song played near the end of an episode to make room for more content.

This week's track has to be the Aerial Base theme. One part military & one part wonder this absolute behemoth of headquarters is represented well with the music with the soaring score mixed in with the beating drums.

[Androzani84]

One thing I find intriguing about Gaia is that he’s the one Ultra who has to create his own transformation item, whereas every other one is either given one from someone else, or magically grows it as part of the process of becoming an z ultra. It definitely makes Gaia even more unique.

And as for other appearances, our monster this week gets a name drop in Ultraman Z, wherein a Geel that was slumbering in Siberia is said to have been awoken by Yenegarg’s impact with the Earth.

[GrandComplete]

Yeah it really sets Gamu apart from nost Ultra Protagnist tbat he's the tech guy that created most of the show weaponary.

And considering in Z how Genegarg arrival started a chain reaction of kaiju appearing more often I totally see that as a Gaia reference too.

[GrandComplete]

Episode 3 "His Name is Gaia"

Right away, there is a lot going on in this episode, giving more context to the Alchemy Stars and a bit more on Gamu in general. This episode gives you Gamu's personality so well in three distinct scenes that all happen in just the first 10 minutes. Gamu watches a recording of himself and acts it out, showing off how much he wants to be active on the field rather than just be supported. Explaining to Atsuko that in this continuity, Ultraman is not an alien protecting the earth, but the earth itself protecting itself, and finally the creation of the Esplender, his proper transformation device, and naming it because of its association with light, it's all great showing his knowledge but also his youth, zeal, and childishness that make him such a well-rounded protagonist three episodes in.

The Esplender is such a cool design that you wouldn’t expect something that looks like a knuckle duster from someone like Gamu, but there is a certain elegance to it. The blue crystal center and the gold rims make it pop, color-wise.

The Esplender was actually supposed to have a feature where it would become the color timer, or in this case the life gauge, and rather than blink, the gauge would actually start narrowing like it was winding down, but this concept was scrapped.

So, despite being in episode one, let's talk about the KGB. I haven't brought them until now. And really, it’s because Gaia is such a massive show! And the post for Episode One was long enough as it is; would you really want another paragraph for that? But interspersed throughout the episode are news segments of people all over Japan giving their honest thoughts about the events of the show. giving a glimpse of the average Joe's POV in such a massive series. as well as the investigation into Gamu and the Alchemy Stars, which all tie into another person showing up. There are like two distinct stories going on right now, and it seems like things will connect later on, but it’s great to see so many points being pushed and pulled into one another. It will be exciting when or if these characters interact.

And man, I’m going to keep repeating myself, but this show has such an impeccable budget. Gaia is a massive show with numerous characters, stories, and locations. After the first two episodes, we got our first change in director. Everyone give your attention to Toshiyuki Takano, whose only experience with mainline Ultraman before this episode was the Dyna 45th episode.
(Side note: I can't find a single photo of this guy on the internet. He's a ghost really. If anyone has one I would be grateful).
He has done some Gridman, The Hyper Agent, and Heisei Ultraseven, and he’s good at conveying how big events are even in a show that is so deeply rooted on Earth. The charm of interaction between groups of characters that Toshiyuki cultivated will go on to be a staying power of Ultraman for the Heisei Era, but even early on, he’s shown a level of scale needed for such a big franchise as Ultraman.

And what a setting for our battle in the desert!It’s exciting, it’s vast, and I love how the suits can get dirty; it gives the entire area of dusty, windy sand, heat vapors, and wide spaces an almost ethereal look for his appearance.

And speaking of fights, the kaiju of the week, Apatee, is really cool. I'm always a sucker for things that are supposed to be a foil or reflection of our heroes.

From the knight motif to its vaguely robotic nature and even having a color timer and mimicking Gaia's stance, this is meant to be a foil for Gaia sent from space, and it almost even beat him in this fight. I don't know why he has an elephant-sounding roar, but I’ve always had a soft spot for elephant roars because of Ultraman Tiga, so I’m biased for this guy. Alright, 5/5 Kaiju and roars from me.

Finally, the theme of the episode is "Esplender," played when Gamu completes the Esplender. Sahashi specializes in leitmotifs; in this case, the melody of the Gaia battle theme, and this soothing, calmer version using softer instruments, much like Gamu inserting Gaia's light into Esplender, makes this track feel like Gaia's power and heroism turned into an embrace.