Ultraman Max (2005-2006)

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OrnithopodaistheBest
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Ultraman Max (2005-2006)

Post by OrnithopodaistheBest »

MAX! MAX! MAX!!! URUTORAMAAAAN MAAAAX!!!

After the dark and gritty Nexus, Max took a more "back to basics" approach, with a simpler storyline, a decidedly brighter tone with a certain emphasis on comedy much like Dyna before it, and most of all, plenty of returning and beloved fan-favorite classic monsters and aliens which set the standards for the following productions. What are your thoughts on this entry? I think it's fairly good, amusing, and can be a serviceable starting point for newcomers to the franchise.
Last edited by OrnithopodaistheBest on Sat Jul 10, 2021 7:47 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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LSD Jellyfish
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Re: Ultraman Max (2005-2006)

Post by LSD Jellyfish »

Underrated series. It has one of my favorite Ultraman Episodes of all time: Miracle from the Third Planet with the monster IF.

It reuses old monsters in interesting, if not slightly underwhelming ways. I like the Monster Island two parter, and when Baltan Seijin comes back. The finale is great too, if not for the fact the finisher is a little anti-climactic. I think it's a good entry in the series, just vastly overshadowed by it's successor Ultraman Mebius.
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eabaker
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Re: Ultraman Max (2005-2006)

Post by eabaker »

I enjoyed the overall approach/tone of Max, and the more anthology approach allowed for a lot of individually really strong episodes, but there were also a lot of potentially strong stories that just felt too half-baked for me. I think it serves as a nice breather between the more arc-driven Nexus and Mebius, and paired with Mebius make for a strong joint celebration of all of the classic elements of the Showa-era Ultra series.
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LegendZilla
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Re: Ultraman Max (2005-2006)

Post by LegendZilla »

This series pretty much came to dictate every Ultra show that came after it.

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o.supreme
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Re: Ultraman Max (2005-2006)

Post by o.supreme »

So... I just finished Ultraman Max (The last standard Release from Mill Creek for the time being). I had started to watch Max about a decade ago and only got about 1/2 way. It just seemed boring to me. But I definitely appreciate it a LOT more now, that I fully understand some of the behind the scenes elements.

Mebius is still by far my favorite modern Ultraman Series, but a lot of what worked well in Mebius, I can see now, was tested in Max.

1. Returning actors from previous Ultra Series
2. Classic Kaiju making a comeback
3. Max is said to be from M78 (although its not specifically set in the showa continuity)

All this was basically testing to see if nostalgia was strong enough to support an entire series. Basically it seemed to be successful and Mebius leaned fully into it. Returning to the original Showa timeline, with a mix of classic and new Kaiju, and the return of the Ultra Brothers.

There were a couple of weird episodes of Max, but overall pretty good. I really dont blame MC, but promotional material made Xenon seems like he'd be more involved, basically he was to Max what Zoffy was to the original Ultraman (only appeared once to assist indirectly). Oh well, Xenon got more screen time in UGF at least.

I'm not sure how often I'll rewatch Max. Unlike series like the Original Ultraman, RoU, Tiga , and Mebius that I can revisit any time. Max will probably be less often but that dosen't make it a bad show, just another in the long line of Ultra Series.
Last edited by o.supreme on Tue Feb 07, 2023 6:58 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Angilasman
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Re: Ultraman Max (2005-2006)

Post by Angilasman »

I think Max is a pretty decent nostalgic Ultra show, but it's elevated by some truly excellent episodes where they let special guest directors run wild.

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gvamp
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Re: Ultraman Max (2005-2006)

Post by gvamp »

I just finished Ultraman Max off yesterday and thought it was a great show. I love how it has nods to past Ultra series including the original, Ultra Q and Ultraseven. This is easily in my top 10 Ultra shows now.

One thing that confuses me is that if you look online it says the show consists of 40 episodes but the complete series is only 39. I can't seem to find any information on the 40th episode. Is it like a clip show episode or something? One more question is the Antlar episode directed Kaneko? Throughout that episode I saw tons of nods to him and his past works, including to kids playing with a Gamera 3 and GMK Godzilla figure as well as a sign that said Kaneko Gasoline.
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Re: Ultraman Max (2005-2006)

Post by UltramanGoji »

gvamp wrote: Fri May 26, 2023 4:56 pm One thing that confuses me is that if you look online it says the show consists of 40 episodes but the complete series is only 39. I can't seem to find any information on the 40th episode. Is it like a clip show episode or something?
"Episode 40" is in actuality just an 8-minute special released to DVD. Pretty much exactly what you thought it was: a clip show with some minor new footage.
https://ultra.fandom.com/wiki/Ultraman_ ... le_Special
One more question is the Antlar episode directed Kaneko? Throughout that episode I saw tons of nods to him and his past works, including to kids playing with a Gamera 3 and GMK Godzilla figure as well as a sign that said Kaneko Gasoline.
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