#SKaRD Special Kaiju Reaction Detachment

[chernobog13]

As we approach the end of the series, here's a shot of the SKaRD crew in a less serious moment.

[astoundingbeyondbelief]

Kaiju Week in Review (November 19-25)

Monarch: Legacy of Monsters remains must-see kaiju TV with its third episode. The flashbacks revisit the U.S. attempt to kill Godzilla with an H-bomb in 1954, making a few retcons to the 2014 film that I think are largely for the better. This might be the Monsterverse Godzilla work that best understands it's adapting a Japanese story. There's also a delightful new critter who shows up at the end of the main story and will surely continue to be a threat in the next installment. On the human side of things, we're starting to see how Monarch became more and more obsessive about secrecy over the decades, paralleled with the infidelity at the heart of the story.

Justice League vs. Godzilla vs. Kong #2 delivers the Superman/Godzilla fight that's probably what people most wanted out of this crossover. I was surprised at how well Godzilla did, although it wasn't quite a clean victory. Camazotz's duel with the Bat-Family in Gotham City was more interesting, as bizarre as it is to see some of the most famous superheroes in the world taking on a Titan who's never even been in a movie before. Meanwhile, Scylla's in Central City and Behemoth's closing in on Themyscira. Odd choices considering Scylla's Greek name, but then I can't see her doing well against Wonder Woman.

As is New Generation Ultra Series tradition, Ultraman Blazar will be quickly followed by a movie (Tokyo Kaiju Showdown) released early next year (February 23). Most of these things are pretty forgettable, but director Kiyotaka Taguchi was also behind the Ultraman X movie, which I thought was one of the best ones. The plot:

A wave of kaiju emerges from an industrial zone, prompting Capitan Gento and the Special Kaiju Reaction Detachment (SKaRD) to engage in the relentless battle. Yet despite their efforts, the endless kaiju attack continues. Suspecting a link to Necromass Co., an advanced chemical company that researches kaiju corcasses and owns factories in the industrial zone, SKaRD rushes to the company’s CEO and renowned chemist, Dr. Mabuse. At Necromass Co.’s research facility, Dr. Mabuse explains the development of the damudoxin, a substance on the brink of achieving immortality. Meanwhile, Alien Damuno, who claims themselves as the “ruler of the universe” appears! Chaos ensues when damudoxin leaks from the destroyed tanks, consuming samples of kaiju carcasses and giving rise to the giant Gongilgan, the Demonic Carcass. Set in Tokyo, the capital of Japan, Ultraman Blazar and SKaRD clash in a showdown against the giant kaiju!

This year's Ultraman Decker movie was available to rent on Tsuburaya Imagination the same day it released in Japanese theaters, so I'd expect the same from the Blazar movie.

I'm typing this hours before I see Godzilla Minus One in IMAX. The date crept up on me, but I can feel every atom in my body vibrating right now, so yeah, almost time for the new Godzilla movie. High hopes with the reviews it's getting!

[tsunflowers]

I mean, would they bring skard in otherwise? it is the special KAIJU reaction detachment

they don't really do this bc it's ultraman and it's about kaiju but I would love to see a defense team with mechas like storage or skard get called to use them to aid with a construction project or something. imagine windom and sevenger holding a dam in place so it doesn't blow and then it turned out the crack in the dam came from an aquatic kaiju anyway

[crimson-ace-reviews]

Ultraman Blazar: Initial Thoughts

So as of this post, the first eight episodes of Ultraman Blazar have aired, so I thought I'd give my initial thoughts on it like I did with Ohsama Sentai King-Ohger. Of course, this means another plot summary.

One night, a leader of a military platoon named Gento (Played by Tomoya Warabino) is nearly killed by a giant monster, but unlike earlier Ultraman shows, the titular Ultraman Blazar already resides in him. After awakening his Ultraman powers and defeating the monster, Gento is recruited by Chief Retsu Haruno (Played by Masaya Kato) to lead a new military organization, the Special Kaiju Reaction Detachment, or SKaRD. Gento's team consists of Vice-Captain Teruaki Nagura (Played by Yuki Ito), a disciplined analyst who serves as mission control, Emi Aobe (Played by Himena Tsukimiya), a master of disguise who serves as the team's intelligence officer, Yasunobu Bando (Played by Hayate Kajihara), a skilled mechanic who created the giant robot designed to fight Monsters, Earth Garon, and Anri Minami (Played by Konomi Naito), one of Earth Garon's pilots who struggles to adapt to the less strict environment SKaRD operates under.

THE STORY

The writing for this season was meant to deviate from the usual style associated with the past few Ultraman seasons. For one thing, the titular Ultraman Blazar is shown to be more aggressive than past Ultras, not only forcing Gento to transform in Episode 1, but shouting and growling during a fight, almost like an animal. He still gets the job done and fights monsters, but there's an underlying mystery as to who he really is, making him even more of an enigma than the Ultras who also had mysteries surrounding their past, like Ginga, X, or Decker.

As for the episodes, while they're the usual monster of the week stories, but they're still enjoyable in their own ways. Episode 1 is dark and foreboding, Episodes 2 and 3 are more lighthearted and set up SKaRD as a team, Episode 4 has Emi go undercover at a chemical company almost like in a cop show, Episode 5 is back to the lighthearted antics involving a monster who accidentally had a pair of cannons installed on its back, Episode 6 is a serious story involving an alien who hijacks Earth Garon, and Episode 7 is the first of a two-parter exploring humanity's impact on the planet. There's genuinely a lot of variety with the writing here.

THE CHARACTERS

SKaRD is a pretty well-rounded cast, all things considered.

Gento being the team's leader is a first in the franchise, and it leads to a lot of interesting plotlines. He's shown to be someone who cares for his team, and wants things to be less formal than most military operations, but at the same time, you can see how good of a leader he is. He's also shown to be married and has a kid too, which also adds a little more to make him relatable to the audience. As for Blazar himself, while we don't know much right now, there are still moments that highlight how different of a fighter he is from past Ultras, coming across as a hunter than a hero.

Emi is easily my favorite character in the show. While not the actual second-in-command, she works as a foil for Gento, and the two have great chemistry together. You can genuinely buy their friendship the most out of the entire cast. I also love how good at espionage she is, showing she's more of a spy than a straight up fighter.

Anri is also a really solid character. I like how she struggles the most to adjust to being part of a team as informal as SKaRD, and genuinely lets her weaknesses show more often than not, like her social awkwardness or her disgust towards bugs.

Yatsunobu is a nice take on one of the franchise's character archetypes, the mechanic. While socially awkward at times to the point of talking with a washing machine (which he even named Cururu), he's not the bombastic or quirky mad scientist in the way characters like Ide, Doigaki, or Yuka are. He's a humble man who just loves working with machines.

Teruaki and Retsu are... kind of just there, for the most part. So far, neither of them have really gotten a focus episode, and don't have a lot in terms of personality. Other than that, it's a pretty solid cast of characters.

We also have tons of original monsters in this show, with only a single returning alien so far. The monsters are all pretty cool too. They have a very Showa-esque charm to them with their behavior, like Gedos trying to eat a bunch of processed fish, or Dorgo being a peaceful monster who just wants to sleep. They have their own memorable quirks that make them more than just things for Blazar to punch.

Overall, while I don't have a lot to say, I'm really interested in seeing where Blazar goes in the future.

[cultfaction]

Preview: Ultraman Blazar Ep. 2: The Man who Created SKaRD

In Ultraman Blazar Ep. 2: The Man who Created SKaRD, Gento, with Bazanga’s defeat under his belt, is appointed by GGF Command’s Chief of Staff Retsu as the captain of the newly established SKaRD (Special Kaiju Reaction Detachment). Gento goes to meet the members of his team. The members he meet, Emi, Teruaki, Anri, are all one of a kind. That’s when news about the emergence of Gedos comes in.…

[redsnerdden]

Ultraman Blazar Gets An Action Packed Trailer Ahead of July Premiere

Ultraman Blazar Gets An Action Packed Trailer Ahead of July Premiere #Tokusatsu #Ultraman #UltramanBlazar #ウルトラマンブレーザー #ウルトラマン

We are a month away from the premiere of the next chapter in the Ultraman Television Series, Ultraman Blazar! And recently, a new trailer premiered on the Official Ultraman YouTube Channel. In the latest trailer, we got a first look at our new protagonist, Gento Hiruma (Tomoya Warabino), and the Special Kaiju Reaction Detachment (SKaRD), which was established by the Global Guardian Force (GGF)…

[chernobog13]

Sean Nichols (DASH member Sean White from Ultraman Max) stops by to visit Ultraman Blazar and the SKaRD crew.

[chernobog13]

Ultraman Blazar and his human host, Captain Gento Hiruma, with their mecha pal, Earth Garon, hanging out behind them.

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Anri and Emi just guest-starred on an episode of Pimp My Ride.

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Happy Friday! Anri and Emi are heading out for the weekend with their new SKaRD swag!

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It's the Friday after the end of their series, and Anri 's and Emi's job is done. They're going home for the weekend, and taking their toys, too!

[chernobog13]

It's Friday night and Emi and Anri wish everyone a great weekend!

[chernobog13]

The newest Ultra, Ultraman Blazar, posing with his human host, Captain Gento Hiruma (Tomoya Warabino).

I wish Blazar’s costume was just a tiny bit more colorful.  His color scheme reminds me of Ultraman Nexus’ Anphan's form.  But I won’t worry too much; I’m sure Tsuburaya will have him changing into another, more colorful form by the third episode.

Captain Hiruma seems a little older than previous hosts, and thankfully he seems to know how to comb his hair.  I like the twist that the leader of the special anti-kaiju unit SKaRD (Special Kaiju Reaction Detachment) is the one who transforms into Ultraman this time.  From what little I’ve read, it also seems that Hiruma-san is not aware - at least initially - that he is Ultraman Blazar’s host.