#kota fukihara

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Ultraman Z, Ep 14: Four-Dimensional Capriccio

Writer: Kota Fukihara

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Those Within Reach - Ultraman Z 14 Analysis |GU 20

Those Within Reach - Ultraman Z 14 Analysis |GU 20 Did adult Haruki meeting Mr. Natsukawa help inspire his dad to sacrifice himself to help inspire little Haruki? #Tokusatsu #Ultraman #UltramanZ

COMING SOON Subscribe: iTunes, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, RSS Talk to me on MeWe Episode 14 Four-Dimensional Capriccio September 26, 2020 Writer: Kota Fukihara Director: Kiyotaka Taguchi With the sudden appearance of the Four-Dimensional Monster Bullton, the STORAGE base is thrown into chaos! Time and space become warped and twisted, transforming the STORAGE base into a dimensional…

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TD: Ultraman Z Writer Passes Away

Hey, TokuDragon fans. Today, we have a NEW episode of TokuStation. In this clip, Matt talks a writer from Ultraman Z, named Kota Fukihara, passing away.

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Revisa nuestro nuevo post en http://www.skgcl.com/news/yowamushi-pedal-segunda-temporada-del-live-action/

Yowamushi Pedal: Segunda temporada del live-action

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37-year-old also wrote Otomen, I''s, Tensai Bakubon live-action series

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Ultraman Z Ep. 23: “Prelude to a Nightmare” (TV Review)

(Original Air Date: December 5, 2020, Director: Koichi Sakamoto, Writer: Kota Fukihara)

“Prelude to a Nightmare” is a title making a promise the latest episode of Ultraman Z manages to keep and then some.

The final three episodes of the season begin as the GAF debuts SAAG and their new signature weapon, Ultroid Zero, to the public. A perfect opportunity to demonstrate the weapon’s strength appearing in the form of five simultaneous giant monsters arising across the country at once to be dealt with by the machine and Ultraman Z.

[Full Review Under the Cut]

With everyone but Hebikura and Bako still working for the GAF in some capacity, this episode gives a further sense of what I discussed last time with regards to the dynamic Team STORAGE had. They’re all well suited to their positions; Haruki in security, Yuka in Monster Research, and Yoko piloting Ultroid Zero, but the spark they had as a unit is gone. Haruki and Yoko reflect on this as they share lunch together, each describing their current situation as boring even as they acknowledge the importance of them. Haruki’s spent his time pondering the words Hebikura left him with about “proving them wrong”, whether he can do that in his current position.  Not difficult to sympathize when it’s clear they’ve all been reduced to pure function within the GAF sans the sense of community at their jobs they had before.

There’s another level of discomfort all of them have with STORAGE being replaced by SAAG and its militarized approach to dealing with monsters. A foreboding sense permeates the cold open of the episode as it details the GAF’s press conference covering Ultroid Zero’s public reveal. The new robot’s positioned as humanity’s true hope and chance to surpass the Ultras that have visited Earth throughout the series, with Geed, Zero, and Ace cameoing as pictures during the press conference. Concerns about Ultroid Zero being equipped with the D4 Ray after the incident two episodes ago getting brushed aside by the assurance that this artificial Ultra can use it safely. Though safety is less of a priority for the members of the GAF pushing Ultroid than using it as a symbol of might. Insistence that Earth must be protected by humanity’s own strength at any cost gets brought up, an idea present in the series since episode 3 when the GAF Board witnessed STORAGE in action.

Though Yuka, watching the conference on livestream, comments that their real concern is only humanity’s well-being rather than Earth as a whole, especially with a weapon like D4 being shown to cause massive collateral to the environment. Her concerns prove correct as the activation of Ultroid Zero awakens five monsters at once that arrive to fight the threat to their existence. Like the D4 test before it, Ultroid Zero invites the escalation the GAF claims to be preparing the world against.

For as much as Ultroid Zero represents every wrong move the GAF (and by proxy humanity) are making in a chase for escalating strength, I do love how it looks. The shifting armor and steam vents remind me of Ultraman Geed’s Solid Burning form, one of my favorite Ultra suit designs ever. The rigidness of that armor in turn reflecting Ultroid’s artificial nature. It’s clearly a capable machine when we see it in action, especially with a pilot as capable as Yoko at the helm. Ultroid’s arsenal directly mimicking that of the Ultras, from forcefields to beams to sluggers.

D4 is the main thing unique to Ultroid Zero and allows the machine to do what the STORAGE robots rarely could, defeat the monsters of the week, even three against one. While there is clearly still some backfire as the D4 drains Ultroid Zero of all energy and collapses to the ground with an unconscious Yoko trapped inside, the GAF still celebrates creating a weapon to surpass Metal Gear, err… Ultraman. Especially pleased are Mai Yuki and the Celebro-possessed Director Kuriyama, muttering the alien parasite’s signature phrase “Karekareta” as whatever his plans appear to be going smoothly.

While the episode focuses more on Yoko and the suspect machinations of the GAF/Celebro, Haruki and Zett still get some solid contributions to the episode’s action to call their own as things ramp up. The feral monster threat awakened by Ultroid Zero’s presence starts off more spread out, so they go off to confront the two attacking the city docks. However, the monsters going full berserker under these circumstances leads to Zett being overwhelmed (same for Yoko in Ultroid Zero during her fight.) They manage to make it to the mountain-range where Yoko’s fighting the other monsters, further outnumbering the new robot. Ultraman Z eventually flying over to her location and stylishly dual wielding blades against the two monsters he was fighting. The fight draws to a standstill when whatever spell had come over the monsters wears off and they go back where they came, a relatively peaceful contrast to how Yoko’s fight ended on being forced to use the D4 Ray to disintegrate the other three monsters.

With all the monsters eliminated and Ultroid Zero inactive in the aftermath of using the D4, a figure who’s been lurking in the shadows with his own agenda finally makes himself known to Haruki and Zett. Jugglus Juggler revealing himself as Hebikura to our main hero, calling back all the way to episode two when he told Haruki to not just rely on his eyes.

One thing holds this back from being a perfect episode in my mind, Yoko explaining her backstory. The fact we’re only getting it three episodes from the end is frustrating enough, but what it does to her as a character is head tilting at best. She gives Haruki an explanation for why she demands to arm wrestle all the guy’s she knows, which is that her father, a former GAF officer himself, told her to “never marry a man weaker than you.” Which does potentially mean that Yoko’s resolution in the overarching story of the season will be in regard to whether she ends up in a relationship. It’s also pretty weak in comparison to the backstories we’ve been provided for Haruki and Yuka.

Between the massive cliffhanger and the conflict with the monsters trying to destroy Ultroid Zero before it can threaten them, we’ve taken more enthralling steps along this final leg of Ultraman Z’s storyline. With two episodes left, we’ll see what the crew behind the show has in store for Haruki now that his world’s been turned upside down by one of the people he trusted most.

If you like what you’ve read here, please like/reblog or share elsewhere online, follow me on Twitter (@WC_WIT), and consider throwing some support my way at either Ko-Fi.com or Patreon.com at the extension “/witswriting”

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Ultraman Z Ep. 14: “Four-Dimensional Capriccio” (TV Review)

(Original Air Date: September 25, 2020, Director: Kiyotaka Taguchi, Writer: Kota Fukihara)

While STORAGE celebrate the advancements made with King Joe and the retirement of Sevenger, things start getting twisted about their headquarters. The culprit behind the space/time bending coming from Shinya Kaburagi, still possessed by Celebro, releasing the extradimensional monster Bullton against them.

[Full Review Under the Cut]

This episode centering the four-dimensional alien Bullton was a major point in its favor from the start. The monster had a brief role way back in episode one as the being that separated Zett from Zero but seeing it in action more directly is a blast. During my recent marathon of the original 1966 Ultraman series; Bullton’s debut, “Passport to Infinity”, was easily among my favorites from that show. (For anyone curious the official Ultraman YouTube channel, at time of writing, has also made that classic available with captions after this episode of Ultraman Z aired.) Its design as a living MC Escher painting reflected in its power to fold space/time in on themselves, using radio antennae and eggbeater looking extensions to more actively deal with anyone who tries to stop it. Bullton’s fun in a way that demands creative execution when bringing it into play.

The more general chaos Bullton causes during STORAGE’s celebration once released by Celebro leads to a litany of comedic beats that keep the episode’s tone breezy. Starting in minor ways like making most of the STORAGE staff float off the ground as they watch Bako do card tricks. Bako’s nonplussed reaction to the situation as everyone else flails about being an exemplary moment from the senior engineer. He gets a lot of fun moments in the episode, like when the engineering staff think he’ll spoil their party when he unexpectedly comes back early from his vacation, but instead he shows off a giant tuna he caught and offers it as the party’s main course. His chill vibes shine this episode between how he handles Bullton’s arrival and responding to questions about his fishing ability and magic tricks as “just something I picked up.”

Meanwhile, Juggler goes off in monster in monster form to talk to Celebro about interrupting their party. A strong scene between the former and current villains. Juggler lets Celebro know that he’s been aware of him for a while, even saying he’s “rooting for him” to get Celebro to back off of his “little pranks” this once. Though Celebro relishes the fact he executed his scheme at the perfect time. The joy he takes in that is the first distinct personality the show’s given to Celebro, who has otherwise seemed like a dispassionate figure only concerned with his experiments. The best visual gag in the episode comes when the confrontation between Juggler and Celebro ends on the alien parasite using Bullton’s power to teleport Juggler into a bathroom, exactly where Hebikura always excuses himself to disappear and be Juggler. Him reacting with a shrug and deciding he may as well take a leak while he’s there topping it off.

STORAGE’s confrontation with Bullton isn’t all antics and shenanigans, as Haruki and Yoko’s internal dilemmas get spotlighted throughout this episode in mostly small ways that get externalized as the episode goes along. While everyone at STORAGE is celebrating the success and prestige King Joe has brought them, Yoko confides in Haruki that the implications of a weapon like Joe brings with it and how it might not belong in anyone’s hands, even the “right” ones. It’s an especially stark contrast to how Yuka, being the one we see kicking off the party, celebrates “having her genius recognized” by the world at large requesting access to their giant robot technology. When they figure out the way Bullton alters the environment is connected to their subconscious desires, Yuka tells Yoko the 4D-space loop she’s caught in comes from her deep down not wanting to use Joe at all. Her having issues with King Joe as a weapon are minor in the scheme of this episode, but it’s a good thread that I hope to see more of in the future.

Meanwhile, Haruki’s thread builds on his guilt from the last couple episodes. His story in this episode seems more in line with the comedic antics going on with everyone else when Bullton first gets released. The fourth dimensional being’s powers sending him through a minor time loop. He keeps getting sent back to right before his first bite of the tuna Bako brought to the party, since he wanted to keep eating it. A nice gag in an episode full of them making what happens next have an even stronger impact. When Yoko’s able to tell Haruki to focus on what he really wants to get out of the time loop, he ends up sent back in time and face to face with Masaru Natsukawa, his father.

The deliberate contrast between the tone of this moment and the rest of the episode hit especially hard during my first viewing, since otherwise this episode continues the comedic streak of last week’s clip show. Brought back to the man he idealized growing up, he gets the impossible opportunity to have a man-to-man, heart-to-heart discussion about what he’s gone through. Keeping it vague by framing it as questions about Masaru’s job as a firefighter, Haruki gets the advice he needs to carry on doing his job without hesitation. His dad tells him about “his justice”, that you can only work to help those within your reach. Reaching everyone will never be possible, so you should never forget about those shortcomings and carry them with you as determination to always do more. The conversation’s capped off with Haruki asking Masaru for a handshake before he leaves, a flash of recognition appearing on his dad’s face as he realizes who he’s been talking to as a final touching note on the episode’s crowning moment.

When the episode gets back to the havoc caused by Bullton once it moves into the city and the actual fight against it begins, the comedic tone comes back among some gorgeous shots of widespread destruction. What else can be expected when the 4D-alien’s powers let it stay mostly still and bend space to deflects its opponents’ attacks right back at them. Though when it’s not teleporting, it does hop and roll around in a fantastically goofy manner. Haruki starts the fight against Bullton by fighting fire with fire, using Gamma Futures own dimensional abilities in a rapid back and forth. Though that apparently even match ends up with Bullton sinking Ultraman Z neck deep in the ground before rolling back and forth over the Ultra’s face. Switching over to the direct, physical abilities of Beta Smash ends up being what it takes to defeat the twisting indirect nature of Bullton as Ultraman Z manages to toss the alien into the air where it explodes.

Though the explosion leaves a lingering effect in the sky above the city, signaling that Bullton’s defeat may have had a greater purpose in Celebro’s plan. Ending the episode on an ominous note.

Between the fourth-dimensional antics that make up most of the episode and the look into deeper themes and character pathos, “Four-Dimensional Capriccio” makes a great addition to the greater arc of Ultraman Z. Outside of the central meat of the episode are some changes to the opening and closing credits’ music. The opening follows recent Ultraman tradition where the second half of a season changes over to the second verse of the song’s full version. The new ending theme, “Promise for the Future”, is an excellent high energy number sung by Tasuku Hatanaka, the voice of Ultraman Z.

Things are set to escalate quickly next time on Ultraman Z as Geed makes another return and Zett attains a new powerful form.

If you like what you’ve read here, please like/reblog or share elsewhere online, follow me on Twitter (@WC_WIT), and consider throwing some support my way at either Ko-Fi.com or Patreon.com at the extension “/witswriting”

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Ultraman Z Ep. 15: “A Warrior’s Duty” (TV Review)

(Original Air Date: October 3, 2020, Director: Kiyotaka Taguchi, Writer: Kota Fukihara)

In the aftermath of Bullton’s destruction in the previous episode, a hole in space has opened and taken the form of the living void known as Greeza. Riku Asakura, aka Ultraman Geed, returns after detecting the threat and teams up with Ultraman Z to deal with the apocalyptic threat. When Geed realizes the threat is too much even for their combined power, he hands over the Geed Medal to Zett before letting himself get absorbed into Greeza to delay the monster’s destruction.

It’s left up to Haruki and Zett to figure out how they can obtain the power necessary to defeat Greeza and save Geed before it’s too late.

[Full Review Under the Cut]

“A Warrior’s Duty” in part feels like a two-parter plot in a one-part package. The first third of the episode especially has the feeling as Geed’s return, Greeza’s initial attack, and the struggle during the first fight that leads to Geed’s potential self-sacrifice feel like the beats of what could be the first part of two. The pace relaxes a bit from that point on, while still reflecting the urgency of the situation. I’m not assigning intent to any of this, as if there was a script for a two-parter that got paired down. But imagining a version of this episode where the events of the first third take a little longer and we cut right to the end credits as Haruki screams out at Geed jumping into Greeza’s void is easy to picture.

The breathless pacing makes this episode manages to stay engaging without feeling like it leaves the audience behind. Helped by the teleplay from Ultraman Z’s late head writer, Kota Fukihara, and presentation from the main series director, Kiyotaka Taguchi. In visuals especially this episode impresses with how it establishes the threat Greeza poses to the world. Its first attack is done with super imposed effects shots as opposed to the usual model work. While that might leave a less tactical sense to the destruction, it also provides an advantage in widening the scale that can be shown of Greeza’s destructive rampage. Best shown off when the monster, while fused with Geed, letting out one of the Ultraman’s “Wrecking Burst” beam attacks against the city. My personal favorite visual flourish of the episode comes from a creative edit during Delta Rise Claw’s initial volley of attacks against Greeza. It goes from a green screened rush attack that takes the fight from one side of the city to the other and seamlessly cuts into Zett pushing Greeza through a building onto the model city set for the rest of the fight.

A lot of cause and effect within the episode’s writing comes from how Juggler reacts to Greeza. We see him use his Dark Z-Riser for the first time since he made it back in episode five. He uses the Monster Medals he took from Celebro back in episode eight to become Tri/Five-King when he sees even Zett and Geed’s combined power won’t stop the terrifying creature. After their defeat and overhearing Haruki and Zett talk about how the power of Belial’s darkness could counteract Greeza’s power, he appears to Haruki in monster form to lead him to Celebro’s hiding place so they can steal the Belial Medal he made earlier in the series. Haruki ends up a more reactive player in comparison, the scene where Juggler gives him directions to drive to Celebro’s hideout working as a metaphor for that aspect of this episode. I do like the touch that Haruki gets the two new Ultra Medals he needs with the help of his mentor figures in his roles as both Ultraman and STORAGE pilot, even if he doesn’t know it in the latter case.

Celebro’s part in the episode speaks to his relatively minor role in the series overall at this point. After a brief shootout sequence when Haruki and Juggler burst into his ramshackle base of operation, he hands over the Belial Medal without much fuss. He doesn’t appear bothered by Greeza showing up as a result of him using Bullton last time, but also didn’t seem to be planning on it (which puts down my theory about it being part of a long term plan.) Celebro also laughs in Jugglers face when he dismisses the experiments with the Monster Medals on Earth as a “game.” While we don’t get much from Celebro this time, there’s more personality on display with him than before between this episode and last. His appearance also serving as the first time he and Haruki have met, though Haruki is mainly left with questions about how Juggler knew about the Belial Medal.

Once the necessary Ultra Medals are gathered, the episode gets into the Delta Rise Claw’s dynamic debut. Before they can attain the new form, Haruki and Zett use their combined effort to insert the Belial Medal into the Z-Riser when it almost rejects the dark power. Which is a nice moment of their relationship feeling more like an active partnership than it has through most of the series. The Ultra Medals for Zero, Geed, and Belial upgrading themselves because of the rivalries between their respective Ultras makes an effective explanation for why this form’s power goes beyond the others we’ve seen. The visuals of the new form’s first full appearance, once Ultraman Z rescues Geed from Greeza’s void, callback to the debut of one the senior Ultra’s forms, Geed Magnificent (which first appeared in a Geed episode directed by Taguchi.) Delta Rise Claw is the brightest looking out of Zett’s forms, contrasting well against the nighttime setting of the fight. The gold and lighter shade of blue standing out most in its color scheme. It’s bright enough that the influence of Belial on its power seems completely absent…

At first.

Throughout the episode, Geed and Zett talk about needing a “needle” to sew shut the hole in space Greeza represents. Part of the reason for Geed’s sacrifice play early in the episode being that the necessary object will have to come from within Greeza’s void. While he’s trapped within that darkness, the Belial Factors within Geed react with Greeza energy and the “needle” is created in the form of the Beliarok, a sword with Belial’s face on the hilt. Since the start of the New Generation set of Ultraman series, each ultimate form usually comes with a unique weapon to augment that form’s abilities (and sell another toy) and the Beliarok serves as that for Delta Rise Claw. It’s also easily the most ridiculous of any of those weapons in the best way because it has a mind of its own. From the second Haruki and Zett pull it out from Greeza’s void, it talks back to them and refuses to fight until they’ve given it a reason (“I’ll slice what I want whenever I want.”) Once Haruki asks politely for the Beliarok to help them shut Greeza’s void, the final phase of the fight against Greeza begins. The action set to the show’s previous ending theme, “Connect the Truth”, as they land the finishing blow.

The episode ends on a touching farewell between Haruki and Geed, who’s going back to traverse the multiverse for whatever Devil Splinters are still out there. The senior Ultraman giving Haruki his Ultra Medals since his original Geed Riser has been repaired. I mentioned it in passing earlier, but this farewell especially highlights “A Warrior’s Duty” as Haruki and Zett’s greatest demonstration of their partnership and fortitude yet. It’s an episode almost too jam-packed for its own good, while still being a truckload of fun.

If you like what you’ve read here, please like/reblog or share elsewhere online, follow me on Twitter (@WC_WIT), and consider throwing some support my way at either Ko-Fi.com or Patreon.com at the extension “/witswriting”

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Ultraman Z Ep. 11: “What Must Be Defended” (TV Review)

(Original Air Date: September 5, 2020, Director: Masayoshi Takesue, Writer: Kota Fukihara)

Last week’s clip show gave me some time between reviews of Ultraman Z, but I’m ready to get back in the swing of things!

Haruki’s hometown comes under attack by two monsters, known as Red Kings, while he’s there to visit his mother on the anniversary of his father’s death. Luckily, him and Ultraman Z will have help to deal with the threat in the form of STORAGE’s newest giant robot, King Joe STORAGE Custom.

Though how lucky that is takes a drastic turn in one of the best episodes of Ultraman Z yet.

[Full Review Under the Cut]

The dive into Haruki’s background and how it informs his behavior in the present, especially during this episode, set this apart from all episodes previous. Haruki has been far from lacking in likability since the first episode, but there haven’t been many glimpses at his internal life. Everything we’ve seen from him has been filtered through how he acts while doing his job at STORAGE. While that’s not a bad thing inherently, it runs the risk of making the character feel flat since his job requires him to be in a reactive role rather than an active one most of the time. Seeing him go home on the anniversary of his father’s death gives us a new look at what drives him to do his job in the first place. It also gives us a new look for him, since Haruki visiting his mother is the first time we’ve seen him in casual wear during the series, rather than his STORAGE uniform or karate gi.

The episode brings the focus on Haruki from the first scene. Opening on him hyping up the specs on King Joe STORAGE Custom, detailing every weapon and mobility modification their crew made to the alien machine. Only to be shut down by Hebikura with “We all know that.” He also shows a bit of frustration as the chief and Yoko tell him he’s unqualified to pilot Joe any time soon. The cold open is a good sequence for Haruki to get this episode, since he otherwise spends the episode separate from the rest of the cast.

The flashbacks we get to young Haruki (Soma Ueno) and his father, Masaru Natsukawa (Norihito Kaneko), are where the heart of the episode and ammunition for the payoff to the conflict against Red King lie. We see in these glimpses of the past how Haruki has been modelling himself on his father this whole time, both in attitude and in his decision to work for STORAGE. The examples go down to something as small as Masaru using the term “’Kay” (“Osu”) during the flashback of the two of them playing catch. Playing a more dramatic role is the flashback detailing the last time Haruki saw his dad alive. As I noted back in my review of the first episode of Ultraman Z, the existence of STORAGE suggested they were needed long before the series began. We see that in the flashback as Masaru hands young Haurki off to his mother during a giant monster attack before running back in to save whatever bystanders are left.

That final act of heroism from his father being imprinted on his memory from a young age deepens every action we’ve seen Haruki take in the series so far; from saving a dog in the first episode to piloting Sevenger into battle in episode five, going against orders so he could save Yoko. How this informs on him goes into the fight against the two Red Kings that show up in Haruki’s hometown.  When Haruki gets word of the monster attack and his mother asks what he’s going to do, he doesn’t hesitate to say, “my job”, going off to help with evacuation.

I’ve gone into the presentation of the fights throughout Ultraman Z multiple times throughout these reviews, especially concerning the direction and thrilling nature of many of them. This fight isn’t even about the debut of King Joe STORAGE Custom the way previous debut fights for the robots and Zett’s forms in the series have been.  Especially since most of Joe’s screen time is about how Yoko has trouble adjusting to the quicker response time on the controls. The fight against the Red Kings ends up being less about the fight itself than what it means for Haruki, especially concerning how it ends.

Most of the fight is presented in a pretty standard way; Haruki transforming to deal with the first Red King to show up, Yoko in Joe soaring in triumphantly to fight alongside him, and the escalation of the threat with the second Red King requiring them to split up. There are even some dynamic moments, like a visual callback to the first episode with Zett and Joe punching the first Red King together the way he did with Sevenger in episode one. Everything shifts when Haruki finally pieces together why the Red Kings have been attacking his hometown after having their rest disturbed. During the fight he notices they keep going back to the cave they came out of whenever it’s under threat and notices something that changes his entire attitude in this fight, an egg. Haruki freezes at the realization that he effectively became the monster that took his dad away from him when he destroyed one of the two Red Kings. Shielding the one that’s left and their egg from King Joe’s next attack. Red King and their egg are left to disappear to a new environment and Haruki’s left with the guilt on his conscience of what he almost let happen.

Leaving the fight and episode on a note that can be described as anything but victory marks a change of pace for Ultraman Z. It’s a turning point for Haruki and how me might approach his job and connection to Zett going forward. We’re even left with the question of whether he made the right choice by Juggler taking an aside to note that the Red Kings being parents won’t necessarily stop them from being threats in the future. Based on the preview for next time, we’ll be getting to see the wider scope of how this has affected Haruki sooner rather than later.

If you like what you’ve read here, please like/reblog or share elsewhere online, follow me on Twitter (@WC_WIT), and consider throwing some support my way at either Ko-Fi.com or Patreon.com at the extension “/witswriting”

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Ultraman Z Ep. 1: “Chant My Name!” (TV Review)

(Original Air Date: June 19, 2020, Director: Kiyotaka Taguchi, Writer: Kota Fukihara)

Tsuburaya Productions (TsuPro for short), have recently been making greater strides to increase their Ultraman franchise’s availability internationally. Most recently that’s been taking the form of blu-ray releases from Mill Creek Entertainment of classic and modern series. As a fan of Japanese tokusatsu (“special effects” features) in general, official releases like that have me excited for the potential of what’s to come for the international availability of the genre in general. This week has started a new step on that path. For the next two weeks, on the official Ultraman Youtube channel, TsuPro has made the first episode of the latest installment in their iconic franchise, Ultraman Z (pronounced “Zett”), available with English captions.

This first episode marks an action-packed introduction to the titular intergalactic hero in-training, Zett (voiced by Tasuku Hanaka), and rookie giant robot pilot for the organization STORAGE, Haruki Natsukawa (Kohshu Hirano). We see them going through reactions to how they’re treated by their respective superiors, deal with the threat of a giant monster and when a near-death experience for both of them requires them to merge their life energy in this efficiently paced introduction to a new story in the Ultraman legacy.

[Full Review Under the Cut]

Keeping the action going through most of the episode’s runtime establishes how the setting for this series will work going forward without slowing down for exposition. The monster attack in the cold open presents this as a world that needed an organization like STORAGE using giant robots to deal with these attacks before the titular Ultraman shows up. Details from that sequence come back later to parallel and re-establish some classic rules of the Ultra franchise, like the shared 3-minute time limit for fighting between STORAGE’s robot Sevenger and Zett himself, signaled by his Z-shaped color timer. Full explanations of how everything in this series is supposed to work will likely come later but keeping the first episode action focused helps draw the audience in and make them want to see more.

In between the action in this episode we get glimpses into the supporting cast that make up the members of STORAGE in how they react during and after monster attacks. As an organization, we get an idea of how they operate to manage the dangers of monster attacks. It’s a professional process of clearing the center of the attack of any bystanders before releasing one of their robots into the area to deal with the threat and mitigate collateral damage. There are brief looks into the interpersonal dynamics of the team, like when we see Haruki getting chewed out by his superiors after him distracting Yoko (Rima Matsuda) during the opening caused greater collateral damage and during the fights where Yuka (Hikari Kiroki) gets excited over how cool the attacking monsters are. They’re set up well as character I look forward to seeing more of, especially since the presence of STORAGE’s robots means they’ll occasionally be entering the fray against monsters alongside Haruki and Zett.

With the series being named after him, it makes sense that this first episode’s focus is in getting to know Ultraman Z and Haruki as individuals before they merge at the end. The monster attack in the opening gives Haruki a literal Save the Cat Dog moment, demonstrating where his priorities lie while doing his job. He’s clearly still new to all of this when we see him processing how his superiors tell him that while his commitment to saving lives no matter what is admirable, it’s not an excuse for reckless behavior.

With the other half of the partnership, we’re introduced to Zett as another rookie desperate to prove himself to the person he’s declared his mentor, Ultraman Zero (voiced by Mamoru Miyano). Though the elder Ultra denies it and declares Zett to be “barely one-third hero”, that doesn’t stop Zett’s determination, especially once Zero’s trapped in another dimension and leaves Zett to deal with the monster on his own. The hero being a massive fanboy seeking to inherit the legacy of his heroes and the way he mixes overly dramatic speech, like saying “I beseech you!” in the subtitles, while also saying he’s “Ultra-shocked” at Zero’s dismissal of him adds a level of comedy to the show that makes Zett amusing from the start. The sequence that officially merges Haruki and Zett, a visual callback to the first episode of the original Ultraman, shows hints at where this dynamic between Ultra and host could go in the future. Their banter, especially during Haruki’s first use of the Ultra Z-Riser, already suggests how their qualities can help them develop together.

One of the best places the two characters come together in this first episode is in the action. I keep coming back to the cold open for this episode not only for how it efficiently sets up the world and character, but for how impressive it is as a technical feat. The mix of digital compositing and suit acting to make Gomess, the first monster we see, and Sevenger appear to be on different scales, while showing them behind the running Haruki is some of the best work I’ve seen in televised tokusatsu in a while. Suit acting between Sevenger and Zett adds a sense of character to the action. Sevenger’s design, a charming look from the Showa-era of the franchise, requires a tackle and grapple style of combat and there’s the bonus of how Sevenger’s eyes switch to an angry expression when it’s time to fight. Haruki using Sevenger to fight alongside Zett lets them quickly develop a trust as Haruki can see that Zett is working to defend the city from the monster Genegar. A notable difference occurs between regular Zett, before merging with Haruki, and afterwards when he’s in Alpha Edge form, calling on the powers of past Ultras. Once Zett and Haruki are accessing those powers the pace of the fight against Genegar speeds up and Zett’s fighting style becomes more martial arts focused and more powers, like energy blasts, coming into play.

“Chant My Name!” kicks off Ultraman Z with a bang, from the characters to the action and effects work, this is the best foot forward I’ve seen an Ultraman series open on since my personal favorite series, Ultraman Geed. It’s also a stellar start for the beginning of greater accessibility to Ultraman as a franchise from TsuPro. Much of what makes this episode so effective, like the music and the cliffhanger introducing the series antagonist, I’ve barely had space to mention. If you’re in the mood for an extra bit of action in your week, checking this episode out while it’s on Youtube is the perfect chance for that.

If you like what you’ve read here, please like/reblog or share elsewhere online, follow me on Twitter (@WC_WIT), and consider throwing some support my way at either Ko-Fi.com or Patreon.com at the extension “/witswriting”

[wits-writing]

Ultraman Z Ep 3: “Live Coverage! The Monster Transport Operation” (TV Review)

(Original Air Date: July 4, 2020, Director: Kiyotaka Taguchi, Writer: Kota Fukihara)

We catch up with STORAGE in this week’s episode of Ultraman Z, “Live Coverage! The Monster Transport Operation” as they set in motion a plan to impress their international financiers to get the funds to develop a new robot and put it to work alongside Sevenger. Taking the showy but simple task of moving the sleeping giant dinosaur Gomora to a new location to demonstrate what they’re capable of with their current resources. When that goes awry, the team scrambles to still find a way to make the screwup impress the board officials and defeat Gomora, with the help of some new powers from Ultraman Z.

[Full Review Under the Cut]

A sense of fun permeates this episode. The central setting of the board meeting where the fate of STORAGE’s funding will be decided ends up serving as a peanut gallery for amusing reactions to the monster battle of the week. I found myself smiling and laughing whenever the episode would cut back to the gathered officials at the meeting hollering in excitement over Sevenger and Ultraman. An added delight comes from the American officials conferring among each other about what they’re seeing in spoken English. Phrasing in that dialogue can be a little clunky, but what’s entertaining about it is how it paints those officials with childlike glee over seeing Sevenger in action, comparing it to robots from “Japanese animations.” The entire set up of the meeting gave the sensation of watching the episode alongside a group of equally excited tokusatsu fans.

STORAGE’s side in this story indulges in the lighthearted side of things from the start as well. The cold open has Haruki’s eagerness to take advantage of Sevenger’s new rocket-fist to defeat the monster Guigass leading him to sadly intone his catchphrase of “’Kay” when the captain points out the collateral damage he caused. There’s also the director panicking in the middle of the meeting as he realizes Haruki’s the one currently piloting Sevenger. The way they try to frame the operation to transport Gomora, with the live press coverage and the efforts of STORAGE to keep Sevenger powered up through hardwiring, shows the lengths the organization went through to make sure this impressed the people in charge of their financial future. However, despite the minister bringing up important points like cost effectiveness, it would seem the group is impressed enough with Sevenger’s mere existence at certain points. Especially when they misinterpret the machine tripping towards Gomora during a fight as a “Kabuki Attack.”

Allergies and sneezing end up as a running gag this episode for Haruki and Gomora alike. Sniffles and sneezes keep Haruki from being at the top of his game during the initial stages of the operation. He’s the first to note how Gomora might have allergies as well, which is funny in how of all possibilities for how the monster might wake up, a pollen allergy is what they didn’t account for. While funny on occasion, like when Gomora sneezes right in Zett’s face, it’s also an unfortunately timed inclusion in the series given the on-going global pandemic. One would be liable to wonder why Haruki isn’t immediately told to maintain proper social distancing.

Zett’s Beta Smash form making its debut is the clear centerpiece of the fight between Ultraman Z and Gomora this episode. The lead-up to Haruki being able to call on this new power makes for the best comedy bit in the episode. When Zett notices Yoko dropping the Ultraman Medal, Haruki and he realize they need to figure out a way to let her know they need it to stop the monster. The proceeding back and forth of hand gestures and shouts of “Shuwatch!” as Yoko can only stare in confusion are delightful.

When she does eventually understand and the pair are able to access the medal’s power, alongside those of Ultraman Ace and Ultraman Taro, we get our first look at the transformation for Beta Smash. During the transformation Haruki, taking the hint to do so from Zett, refers to the three Ultras’ being called on as “big bros” similar to how the three for Alpha Edge are referred to as “masters”, making me wonder what honorifics will be used for any future forms. The suit for Beta Smash is clearly modeled on that on a masked pro-wrestler, with a primarily red color scheme patterned like a wrestler’s tights, and has the fighting style to match, along with a more clearly sculpted musculature than Zett’s base form or Alpha Edge. What really cements the wrestler motif is a hammer in a billboard falling on a facedown Sevenger and ringing like the starting bell for a match. Zett’s voice while calling out attacks in this form is also clearly deeper than usual with a bit of a growl to it. It’s a well-executed debut for the form overall, though I currently prefer Alpha Edges faster martial arts style to the grappling of Beta Smash.

The focus on humor in “Live Coverage! The Monster Transportation Operation” keeps it an engaging watch throughout. Introducing the Beta Smash form and getting more of a sense of what STORAGE’s place in the world’s priorities make for good additions to the overall lore of the series. And despite Sevenger failing to take care of Gomora on its own, we are left with the note that the board was suitably impressed enough to fund the development of the organization’s next robot.

We’ll see how that machine’s debut goes next time.

If you like what you’ve read here, please like/reblog or share elsewhere online, follow me on Twitter (@WC_WIT), and consider throwing some support my way at either Ko-Fi.com or Patreon.com at the extension “/witswriting”

[wits-writing]

Ultraman Z Ep. 2: “A Warrior’s Principle” (TV Review)

(Original Air Date: June 27, 2020, Director: Kiyotaka Taguchi, Writer: Kota Fukihara) 

The second episode of Ultraman Z, “A Warrior’s Principle”, takes some time to familiarize the audience with the setting of STORAGE. The dynamic between Haruki, his co-workers, and Ultraman Z gets elaborated on this time as they deal with the threat of an invisible monster, Neronga, that feeds on electricity. With a new power plant set to provide their city with clean energy, the team, along with Ultraman Z, need to find a way to track and stop the monster before it absorbs the energy from the plant.

[Full Review Under the Cut]

Coming hot off the momentum of the first episode, “A Warrior’s Principle” takes the time to build the audience’s familiarity with the procedural operations of STORAGE and the full story behind Zett’s arrival on Earth. Seeing the operational staff of STORAGE outside of our main cast goes a long way in creating a sense of reality around the idea that they are a fully functioning government team and not just a half dozen quirky characters that happen to own a giant robot. Though there is a stronger impression of who these characters are in the beats between dealing with the threat of Neronga. Early on we get a better glimpse into Yoko’s personality as we see her arm wrestle one of the maintenance workers for the right to date her, winning effortlessly. Yuka also gets a few more beats to establish her tech and monster research focus when she insist she could easily invent something better than the new clean energy power plant in their city.

Haruki’s part in the story and his relationships within STORAGE focused on most this time is with the increasingly enigmatic Captain Shota Hebikura (Takaya Aoyagi). After Haruki’s defeated by the invisible Neronga while piloting Sevenger, the captain finds the rookie practicing his karate and challenges him to a sparring match. Hebikura’s swift moves let him catch Haruki off guard several times before he’s able to hit the captain back and his captain leaves him with the old martial arts movie lesson of relying on more than one’s eyes in battle. The way the captain moves and speaks to Haruki, along with his general demeanor in the previous episode, suggests there’s more to him than he lets on. While the Ultra-fandom has already speculated about that, considering who’s playing the character, I’d prefer to hold off on that until the show itself gives some answers.

We do get some answers on other matters during a conversation between Haruki and Zett. First thing that’s made clear is how the now merged pair can communicate as we Haruki walk into a door of light where he can talk to his new partner in a pocket dimension. This conversation includes insight into why Zett and Zero were chasing Genegarg last time. Zett explains that monsters across the galaxy have become infected with “Devil Splinters”, increasing their power and driving them into mad fits of destruction. His home planet, the Land of Light in the M78 Nebula, developed the Ultra Z-Riser and its medals, infused with the powers of past Ultras, to deal with the threat. Genegarg attacked the planet and ate the medals, so they chased the shark monster until they reached Earth orbit.

Zett theorizes that destroying Genegarg scattered the medals, so gathering them back up needs to be a priority. Haruki’s also told not to worry about the medal-holder he’s wearing on his belt, since it’s made of a material that humans can’t see, which as a way for the writers to cover their tracks for why people don’t immediately see through Haruki as Ultraman Z’s human identity is decent. There’s also a wonderful comedic bit where Zett explains to Haruki that he’s 5000 years old and gets flustered when Haruki decides he needs to be less casual with him now and apologizes for any disprespect. Something I’m less keen on is Zett saying Haruki wasn’t able to transform in his first encounter with Neronga because his spirit wasn’t “heated enough”, which feels more like the writers saying “we need to save the Ultraman fight for the end of the episode.”

That fight goes back to how this episode displays how STORAGE operates as a team. We see them have a meeting beforehand to go over Neronga’s strengths and weaknesses, identify the new power plant as its next most likely target and determine they need to track and stop the monster before it reaches the facility. Yuka developed a weapon that can disperse the electricity that Neronga already absorbed, Haruki and herself make up the ground team to plant a tracking device on the invisible monster, while Yoko uses Sevenger to launch Yuka’s new weapon. Even though they have a rough go of it and Haruki transforms to deal with Neronga directly, the plan still works. It feels like a team effort between Ultraman Z and STORAGE. That sense of teamwork is something I hope to see throughout the battles in the series. There’s even a bit of internal teamwork with Haruki and Zett, as Haruki uses the lesson Hebikura taught him and tries to sense Neronga without relying on sight. Though it does lead to a bit of unintentional humor when Zett’s asked to close his eyes, but since the suit clearly can’t it’s visualized by Ultraman Z looking at the ground.

“A Warrior’s Principle” expanding on the lore of the season and giving us a better idea of how the ensemble of characters work together keeps the energy of the first episode going without needing to be as action focused. The enigmatic nature of Hebikura and Yuka excitedly going off to dissect Neronga at the end of the episode make them the ones I’m most excited to see more from. Yoko’s more of a mixed bag so far, since the show feels the need to balance out her no-nonsense persona with the running gag of her being attracted to older men. Which has a payoff at the end of her developing a crush on Ultraman Z after he saved her during the fight with Neronga. A crush only deepened when Haruki tells her the giant is 5000 years old. Though that does lead to the reminder that Yoko has her hands on the Ultraman medal, vowing to keep it safe for him.

That tease also doubles with the next episode preview showing we’ll soon see the debut of another form for Ultraman Z.

If you like what you’ve read here, please like/reblog or share elsewhere online, follow me on Twitter (@WC_WIT), and consider throwing some support my way at either Ko-Fi.com or Patreon.com at the extension “/witswriting”

[veeranger]

Ultraman Z, Episode 25

Warriors Shining Beyond

Director: Kiyotaka Taguchi

Writer: Kota Fukihara

In Memory of Kota Fukihara

[veeranger]

Ultraman Z, Episode 14

Four-Dimensional Capriccio

Director: Kiyotaka Taguchi

Writer: Kota Fukihara

[veeranger]

these were all of Kota Fukihara’s episodes by the way

[personarider]

Take This! – Ultraman Z 25 Analysis |GU 40

Take This! – Ultraman Z 25 Analysis |GU 40 How did you like Ultraman Z? Where does it rank for you? #Tokusatsu #Ultraman #UltramanZ #review

COMING SOON Subscribe: iTunes, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, RSS Talk to me on MeWe Ultraman Z Episode 25 Warriors Shining Beyond – December 19, 2020 Writer: Kota Fukihara Director: Kiyotaka Taguchi In the face of a brutal assault by the formidable Destrudos, Haruki and Ultraman Z are gravely injured. Meanwhile, STORAGE attempts a desperate, all-out attack in order to rescue Yoko, who…