Directed by Kengo Kanji. Written by Masanao Akahoshi. Airdate August 7 & 14, 2013.
We’re at the halfway point of Ultraman Ginga — the ideal time for an epic two-parter that will rewrite the status quo. Except “epic” isn’t something really within the reach of Ginga’s budget.
Continue reading “Ultraman Ginga Ep. 5 & 6: The Hater of Dreams / The Battle for Dreams”
Directed by Tomoo Haraguchi. Written by Kenichi Araki. Airdate July 24, 2013.
The fourth of the show’s leads, Chigusa Kuno (played by the mononymous Kiara), now gets her own episode to explore her dreams and frustrations. Chigusa wants to be an idol, a type of Japanese popular entertainer. Considering how exploitative and manipulative the Japanese idol system is — it’s basically indentured servitude to a management agency that controls your professional and personal life — this isn’t an ambition I’d wish on anyone. But it’s a dream that makes sense for a teen girl like Chigusa. At several points in the episode, we see her dancing in one of the empty school rooms, practicing and imagining what it might be like to be an idol, and her longing for that lifestyle seems legitimate and heartfelt.
Continue reading “Ultraman Ginga Ep. 4: The Idol Is Ragon”
Directed by Tomoo Haraguchi. Written by Akira Tanizaki. Airdate July 24, 2013.
This is the first episode of Ultraman Ginga that manages to tell an effective story despite the show’s severe production limitations. The creative team appears to have figured out, at least for the moment, how to maneuver around corporate restrictions and demands to create something that works as both a YA drama and an Ultra adventure. The scope is still cramped, there’s a distractingly wrongheaded scene, and the monster suits are all reused, but “The Twin-Headed Flame Beast” offers a blueprint for a creative path forward for the show.
Continue reading “Ultraman Ginga Ep. 3: The Twin-Headed Flame Beast”
Directed by Yuichi Abe. Written by Keiichi Hasegawa. Airdate July 17, 2013.
The second outing for Ultraman Ginga is a minor improvement over the rough first episode. It’s standard for Ultra shows to have stronger second episodes because they need to jam less set-up into a half-hour. “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” gives us more time with our new protagonists, Hikaru and Misuzu, to establish their relationship, and there’s an odd but enjoyable villain. Not a kaiju or alien villain, but a nutball motorcyclist who likes to run people over for committing crimes. Like being too flirtatious.
Continue reading “Ultraman Ginga Ep. 2: A Midsummer Night’s Dream”
Directed by Yuichi Abe. Written by Keiichi Hasegawa. Airdate July 10, 2013.
The New Generations Heroes era boldly begins … with a girl stuck in a runaway baby carriage. It looks like a low-budget 2000s Nickelodeon show. It feels like one too. This is a bad omen for what’s ahead.
Continue reading “Ultraman Ginga Ep. 1: Town of Falling Stars”
The time has come to look at the Third Era of Ultra. Following Showa and Heisei comes the “New Generation Heroes” era. It’s the epoch we’re currently in* — and it’s a divisive one. After a disruptive shift in the ownership and operation of Tsuburaya Productions, the Ultra Series transformed into something more slick, polished, corporate, risk-averse, and very eager to sell toys. Yet the New Gen shows have garnered many new fans, and they can truly be a good time. Occasionally a great time.
How do the first shows of the New Generation Heroes era — Ultraman Ginga and its sequel/second season Ultraman Ginga S — fare?
Continue reading “Ultraman Ginga / Ultraman Ginga S: An Introduction”
The Ultra Project 