Official "Return of Ultraman" Thread

For the discussion of any Ultraman related shows, movies, comics, video games, etc.
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Lecontinentperdu
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Re: Mill Creek releasing ULTRA SERIES on Bluray!!

Post by Lecontinentperdu »

Still on RoU, and it grows on me.
Definitely the "same old" vibe, with some storylines almost entirely ripped off existing stuff (from the three first shows), but I like the mix of the various experiences that were Q, Ultraman and Seven.
It's not as polished as Q, not as wild as Seven, and takes most of its spirit from Ultraman. I'm 17 episodes in, so not to the point where the shows got connected: it's still 90% MOTW fare, even though the idea of a (kinda) family adds some flesh to the characters.
Learning to love Goofy Go, he is still better than Bland Hayata, but I love Serious Dan the most (Seven's team also had the coolest suits / weapons). On the monster side, it's a little random, but cool nonetheless.

I'm really digging this stuff: Arty, B and Commercial tv altogether. And the early 70's, the groovy feeling: all this seems fresh. Before the "desert sets and recycled formulas" of the 80's tokusatsu.

When I watch a modern Ultra show on YT it feels... cheap, outadated and uninspired. But I wish I might be able to love-it-all at the end!

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Re: Mill Creek releasing ULTRA SERIES on Bluray!!

Post by MechaGoji Bro7503 »

Lecontinentperdu wrote: Tue Jan 12, 2021 7:04 am Still on RoU, and it grows on me.
Definitely the "same old" vibe, with some storylines almost entirely ripped off existing stuff (from the three first shows), but I like the mix of the various experiences that were Q, Ultraman and Seven.
It's not as polished as Q, not as wild as Seven, and takes most of its spirit from Ultraman. I'm 17 episodes in, so not to the point where the shows got connected: it's still 90% MOTW fare, even though the idea of a (kinda) family adds some flesh to the characters.
Learning to love Goofy Go, he is still better than Bland Hayata, but I love Serious Dan the most (Seven's team also had the coolest suits / weapons). On the monster side, it's a little random, but cool nonetheless.

I'm really digging this stuff: Arty, B and Commercial tv altogether. And the early 70's, the groovy feeling: all this seems fresh. Before the "desert sets and recycled formulas" of the 80's tokusatsu.

When I watch a modern Ultra show on YT it feels... cheap, outadated and uninspired. But I wish I might be able to love-it-all at the end!
Return picks up closer to the middle, when I'd say it really starts crafting it's own identity. Wait till you get to the Nackle two-parter, it's a bit later in the show.

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Re: Official "Return of Ultraman" Thread

Post by Mac Daddy MM »

I personally prefer Return over Ultraseven. I especially love the fact the series went back to a mixture of monsters and aliens, opposed to every episode being another invasion plot like Seven's.


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Re: Official "Return of Ultraman" Thread

Post by Kaltes-Herzeleid »

Currently watching the show and reached up to episode eighteen. Really loving it so far. Of the classic series I've only watched Ultraman so far and it's delight to see how far they've come since then. Feels much more refined and while some of the episodes are definitely quasi-remakes of other episodes, I enjoy the contrast. Like seeing how being an Ultra effects Go and his personal life and his abilities as a person. Beautiful miniatures and cool fights to top it all off.

Also, design wise, I really like Ultraman Jack. I think he looks much more aesthetic compared to the classic Ultraman, though I'm not entirely sure as to why since they look very much alike. Maybe it's the placement of the red and silver combined with a more streamlined build? Dunno, but he's cool to look at.
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Re: Official "Return of Ultraman" Thread

Post by Lecontinentperdu »

Well, the Nackle two-part is over. Kinda strange. I know the REAL reasons behind it (besides, it's obvious), but it still kinda creeps me out.
But i'm more invested in it than ever. The sfx are really good for the most part, that counterbalance the lack of "real" army.
It's Ultraman's style with Untraseven's SFX, so it can be real good.
And Go lost his stupid face of the earlier episodes, he is wiser and hardened.

No, I have not watched Z. I have watched nothing but the first four Showa series by Millcreek.
I'm a newbie. But those shiny overcolored cgi-ed things i come across on these boards or Youtube, I don't dig. And I get lost by all the spin-off / reedited stuff.
I'll try the Ginga set when I'll finish Leo. It will be judgment day!

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Re: Official "Return of Ultraman" Thread

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Lecontinentperdu wrote: Mon Feb 15, 2021 5:52 amI'll try the Ginga set when I'll finish Leo. It will be judgment day!
I'd be careful with using Ginga to determine whether or not you wish to watch the New Generation shows, as its budget is much lower (Ginga and the monsters fight exclusively on one large school yard) and the show is inarguably more child-oriented than the subsequent shows. It's follow-up Ginga S is undeniably stronger and you can definitely see the seeds planted for greatness, but its still got problems. I think X is probably the best place to start if you want to see if the New Gen shows are for you or not.
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Re: Official "Return of Ultraman" Thread

Post by Lecontinentperdu »

Thanks for the tip!

I'm conflicted: do as you say (and that seems wise) or fall into my chronological mania trap?

;)

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Re: Official "Return of Ultraman" Thread

Post by Angilasman »

If not for the last quarter of the series being a bit weaker and, I think, a large creative misfire in the Knackle/Black King two-parter (probably mind blowing to kids back on the day, comes across as mean-spirited and thematically not in keeping with the rest of the series to my eyes today)... if not for those two things I would absolutely say that Return of Ultraman is my favorite Ultra series. The span of episodes starting with episode #1 all the way through, like, the Prizuma episode? Magnificent.

First of all - just as a kaiju fan: terrific monsters and traditional tokusatsu miniature effects. There are episodes, especially earlier in the series, that visually match the best of Toho's classic films. The emphasis to frame the monsters and Ultraman from the perspective of interesting foreground miniatures to create dynamic compositions is breathtaking. It wouldn't be until the Gamera trilogy where this much emphasis would be placed on making every single kaiju effects shot look this cool. Adding weather like fog or wind or sunsets to spice up the miniature effects sequences so it's not just night and day backdrops? Unparalleled!

Go is a fantastic innovation: the template for most Ultra protagonists going forward, and, while the members of MAT don't get a lot of development, between Go, the two captains, and the Sakatas (Go has a life beyond the defense team!) there's a great main cast. In addition: great guest characters!

Incredible monster designs! Kickin' theme tune! Pitch perfect cliffhangers in the two-parters! And even though I'm a bit down on the later episodes they cap off with a terrific finale (one of the several Ishiro Honda directed).

It's been less than a year, but now I'm itchin' for a rewatch.

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Re: Official "Return of Ultraman" Thread

Post by Lecontinentperdu »

I Heard of a new booklet of RoU given (you need a purchase proof) by MillCeeek in replacement of the original one. Do you know what's wrong with it ?

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Re: Official "Return of Ultraman" Thread

Post by StreamOfKaijuness »

Although UltraSeven is my favorite Ultra series that I’ve seen, Return of Ultraman ranks a very close second place.

Watching these classic shows for the first time since Mill Creek started releasing them, it’s been fascinating to witness the creative flow from one series to the next, the way their ideas grew and shifted over time. Ultraman established the most basic concepts for this franchise and then UltraSeven made those core concepts part of an even broader premise, set in a future age of interstellar warfare in which humanity is pushing deeper into the cosmos and a vast array of aliens have their sights on Earth. It also changed a key element of Ultraman’s core concept by having Seven disguise himself as a human and join the Earth defense team, rather than merging his life force with a human who is already on the team.

Instead of expanding on UltraSeven’s approach, Return of Ultraman mostly goes back to the original Ultraman’s core concepts and builds on them in a much different way. There are still more aliens in this series than there were in Ultraman but the premise of Return is decidedly centered around giant monsters, with the defense team actually called the Monster Attack Team this time. This is old-fashioned kaiju storytelling with a healthy dose of 1970s weirdness, generally more zany than TPC’s prior shows or Toho’s ‘50s & ‘60s films but not fully plunging into bizarre the way that Ultraman Ace and subsequent shows would. It’s fitting that this is the centerpiece of Mill Creek’s BRD spine mural, between the first three shows in the late ‘60s that represented the crescendo of Eiji Tsuburaya’s career and the next three series of the mid ‘70s with which Tsuburaya’s family carried on his legacy. Return of Ultraman is an ideal middle ground, a show bursting with creativity from a time when the Japanese TV industry had already upended the film industry and was then teetering on the edge of its own economic downturn. With ambitious special effects, beautiful cinematography and a dynamite cast of characters, this is a fantastic series packed with eminently rewatchable episodes.

Jiro Dan as Hideki Go is one of the coolest leads on any of these shows. It’s great to see Shin Kishida as Go’s best friend Ken Sakata after knowing him as Interpol Agent Nanbara in Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla for so long. While the 1966 Ultraman was set in 1993 and UltraSeven was also set in a scientastic future, this series seems to unapologetically depict its characters living in the Japan of 1971-1972. That’s something it has in common with the original Kamen Rider, which began airing on the very same weekend in April 1971. That may have been a cost-saving measure but the glorious result is that Return of Ultraman just exudes early-‘70s aesthetics off the screen, from the characters’ hairstyles and clothing to the location footage and the show’s groovy theme song.

It’s hard to even pick out which episodes are the best because this series is so good from beginning to end. The various two-parters are certainly standouts, especially episodes 5 & 6 with Gudon and Twintail, and episodes 13 & 14 with Seamons and Seagorath. Some of my other favorites are episodes 7 (Operation Monster Rainbow), 22 (Leave This Monster to Me), 27 (Go to Hell With This Blow!), 33 (The Monster Tamer and the Boy), and 47 (The Marked Woman).

Ishiro Honda directed five episodes of this series, including the first two, the 7th and 9th episodes, and the finale. His style is a great fit with how the show depicts Go’s life apart from MAT.

Shue Matsubayashi (Submarine I-57 Will Not Surrender, Storm Over the Pacific, The Last War) also directed episodes 49 and 50 of this show.

After writing or co-writing two episodes apiece for Ultra Q and Ultraman and then 12 episodes of UltraSeven, Shozo Uehara was promoted to head writer for Return of Ultraman. The first seven episodes were all written by Uehara followed by 13 more through the rest of the series, including all of the two-parters and the final episode, and he was the sole credited writer for all of his scripts. Uehara and the show’s other most prominent writers went on to provide most of the scripts for Ultraman Ace.

Toshiro Ishido wrote for nine episodes of Return, while six episodes were written by Shinichi Ichikawa and another six were written by Shigemitsu Taguchi, the latter of whom went on to be the head writer for both Ultraman Taro and Ultraman Leo.

Former head writer Tetsuo Kinjo did provide the script for Return ep.11 (Poison Gas Monster Appears), his last writing contribution to the Ultra franchise. It’s a great episode, very much in the same vein as UltraSeven.

The writer of the two Ultraman episodes that featured Alien Baltan, Toshihiro Iijima (pen name Kitao Senzoku), who would go on to write the Ultraman Max two-parter with Alien Baltan decades later, also wrote one episode of Return but, surprisingly, it was ep.32 (Duel Under the Setting Sun) and not ep.41 (The Revenge of Alien Baltan Jr.).

Shinichiro Kobayashi co-wrote ep.34 (Life Unforgiven), which is filled with elements that he reused 15 years later in his contest-winning story treatment for Godzilla vs. Biollante.

The head writer on Kamen Rider, Masaru Igami, who had also previously written for Toei’s Giant Robo, actually wrote two scripts for Return of Ultraman, with ep.9 (Monster Island SOS) directed by Honda and ep.49 (MAT is the Name of Space Warriors) directed by Matsubayashi.

This show retroactively ropes both Ultraman and UltraSeven into one shared continuity, although it seems like they were still figuring that out as the series went on, and there are very few episodes with any character crossovers. The title Return of Ultraman seems to imply from the very first episode that this is meant to be the original Ultraman returning to Earth and merging his life force with a different person this time. Despite TPC’s 1980s rebranding of this character as Ultraman Jack, he is only ever referred to as Ultraman in this show. Even the first crossover in ep.18 (Here Comes UltraSeven!) only features this Ultraman meeting up with Seven onscreen, which would be expected if this was meant to be the original Ultraman. It isn’t until ep.38 (When the Star of Ultra Shines) that this show finally depicts its new Ultraman onscreen with the first Ultraman and establishes them as two separate characters alongside Seven. Susumu Kurobe and Koji Moritsugu even briefly appear in fun cameos to reprise their roles as Hayata and Dan, with no narrative explanation offered for why Hayata merged with the first Ultraman again or why Seven would transform into Dan away from Earth. After that, the only character appearances linking Return to the prior shows are Alien Baltan Jr. in ep.41 and the return of Zetton as the final opponent. That last episode also has Alien Bat describe his Ultraman Annihilation Project as “a plan to slaughter the traitor Ultra Brothers” including Zoffy, the first Ultraman and Seven, which is the first time any of them are referred to as brothers. Before that, the narrator in ep.38 said that Ultraman was supported by the “friendship” of the first Ultraman and Seven, and the final episode of the original Ultraman featured Zoffy introducing himself to Ultraman as though they had never met before. It makes sense that TPC would have landed on the concept of the Ultra Brothers by the time they made the last episode of Return, as the first episode of Ace premiered just a week later and presented all of them together as the Ultra Brothers, but I get the impression that TPC hadn’t decided on that even as late as when they made Return ep.38.

Not only is ep.18 the first crossover, it’s also when UltraSeven gives Ultraman a special new weapon, the Ultra Bracelet, which he uses heavily for the rest of the series. It can be thrown as a cutting boomerang much like Seven’s Eye Slugger, or it can transform into a shield, or it can shoot rays that immobilize a monster, or it can make things explode, or it can enable Ultraman’s body to reassemble himself unharmed even after he’s been completely dismembered by a monster and had his severed limbs tossed around in the snow. It's an all-purpose and absolutely shameless deus ex machina.
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Re: Official "Return of Ultraman" Thread

Post by Major sssspielberg! »

I think Return of Ultraman might be my favorite Ultra series so far. It's hard to say that because I *love* '66 and Ultraseven. I love Mebius. I love Z. But RoU just hits different somehow!
Goh is kind of a loveable doofus (the doofus aspect is definitely played up as the series progresses)
The fact the series (mostly) focuses on kaiju over seijin definitely appeals to me too. I mean, the series opens with a kaiju fight! That's the kind of entertainment that keeps me coming back.
I could go on and on and on about why Return is closest to my heart.
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Re: Official "Return of Ultraman" Thread

Post by Tyrant_Lizard_King »

Return has definitely had some of the best and most cinematic episodes of the Showa era. The Seamons/Seagorath episodes especially stood out to me. The tsunami & storm effects were pretty impressive for a TV series budget.
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Re: Official "Return of Ultraman" Thread

Post by daveblackeye15 »

Yeah there's something just really real about Goh that I like. I don't quite get that feeling from Minami and Goh having a life outside of the attack team gave him something unique that Hayato and Dan didn't have.
Also already got my replacement book!

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Re: Official "Return of Ultraman" Thread

Post by Angilasman »

Tyrant_Lizard_King wrote: Mon Mar 08, 2021 7:14 pm Return has definitely had some of the best and most cinematic episodes of the Showa era. The Seamons/Seagorath episodes especially stood out to me. The tsunami & storm effects were pretty impressive for a TV series budget.
I think RoU regular matches (and occasionally exceeds) classic Toho effects - at least in the first half of the series.

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Re: Official "Return of Ultraman" Thread

Post by Cryptid_Liker »

Return of Ultraman is now 50 years old!

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Re: Official "Return of Ultraman" Thread

Post by LegendZilla »

Why do you think that OG Ultraman and Seven didn’t bother to help Jack out in his fight against Black King and Knuckle-Seijin? Budgetary reasons?

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Re: Official "Return of Ultraman" Thread

Post by Angilasman »

^ I feels like in the Showa series there's a general rule that the lead Ultraman has some sort of jurisdiction over thr Earth, so a special guest Ultra usually just provides some support like reviving them or giving them a special weapon or some such.

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Re: Official "Return of Ultraman" Thread

Post by eabaker »

LegendZilla wrote: Wed Apr 07, 2021 8:14 pm Why do you think that OG Ultraman and Seven didn’t bother to help Jack out in his fight against Black King and Knuckle-Seijin? Budgetary reasons?
At the time of RoU, bringing back the earlier Ultras was just a stunt, and the writers hadn't yet started really thinking about the story potential of having them really interact as characters. All that bringing them back more often would have accomplished at that stage in the series' development would have been to decrease the stakes/tension of the stories.
Last edited by eabaker on Thu Apr 08, 2021 9:16 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Official "Return of Ultraman" Thread

Post by o.supreme »

I think more involved crossovers could have worked, but probably for the best that they didn't in RoU. It's odd because in the 90's, I had this incorrect notion (mostly from pictures in magazines and books in japanese) that there were several crossover films in the 70's and 80's, when in reality it was just a few episodes of Ace and Taro, and one REALLY REALLY bad movie by Chaiyo. It wasn't until 2006's Ultraman Mebius & Ultraman Brothers that an actual movie was made that matched what I imagine existed many years earlier.
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Re: Official "Return of Ultraman" Thread

Post by daveblackeye15 »

Yeah seems like Ace started to have the guest appearances a bit more.

Also re-watched some episodes and totally forgot about that moment during the Gudon/Twin-tails episode where Goh swears he saw a little girl out running during an attack and refused to fire. I always took it as just an ambiguous moment that Go really did see someone there but no one else did. Or maybe it was a plot threat that got forgotten between drafts and episodes? I figured it was the former.

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