Shin Ultraman General Discussion (spoilers!)

[Eel221]

If Gomess followed the original design's philosophy, then does it mean we have seen theoretical "Shin Baragon"'s body?

[LSD Jellyfish]

If Gomess followed the original design's philosophy, then does it mean we have seen theoretical "Shin Baragon"'s body?

Take Neronga/Pagos. Decrease the size of the added ridge of spines on his back. Swap out his antenna for Baragon's signature ears. Paint him brown. Boom, you've got Shin Baragon. We already know what the roars would be too, because the roars are just recycled!

Ironically, we can also reverse engineer a lot of "Shin" monsters:
Jirass
Giant Condor (the giant condor was a modified (Litra/Largeus/Rodan Prop).

[Gigantis]

But notably, some big names are missing. Gomora, Red King, and perhaps the biggest, Alien Baltan.

Baltan's absence isn't all that surprising considering he hasn't shown up in the tv shows proper ever since Max.

[Cryptid_Liker]

Do we know who designed Zetton? It sure isn't Mahiro Maeda, judging by the concept art I've seen.

[king_ghidorah]

But notably, some big names are missing. Gomora, Red King, and perhaps the biggest, Alien Baltan.

Baltan's absence isn't all that surprising considering he hasn't shown up in the tv shows proper ever since Max.

It’s really odd that they’ve kind of forgotten about Baltan. I would add Pigmon/Garamon to that list and I think you’re solid for Shin Ultraman 2.

Regarding Shin Ultraseven. I think the big two I want to see are Eleking and King Joe. The capsule monsters would be great too

[Cryptid_Liker]

Shin Ultraseven's definitely going to be blue, I just know it.

[king_ghidorah]

Shin Ultraseven's definitely going to be blue, I just know it.

Oh wow good call. I’d say at least at one point in the film that’s pretty likely.

[miguelnuva]

Didn't Shin Ultraman die? I'm curious on what they do fkr a sequel if Shin Ultraseven is the third movie.

[LegendZilla]

Didn't Shin Ultraman die? I'm curious on what they do fkr a sequel if Shin Ultraseven is the third movie.

No, but he does

Spoiler:

Force himself and Zetton through an inter-dimensional portal.

[Vandarker]

-Neronga is virtually the same. He can turn invisible, and also fire a stream of electricity from his horns.

-Gabora is much more different. He’s got a drill head, and used it attack. What isn’t shown in the trailers is that his carapace can split into two and he can use them as whips. Likewise, he can use the tendrils to siphon energy from a mountain/other places. Perhaps the biggest thing, is that he can fire a beam that is identical to Shin Godzilla’s beam, except it’s blue.

-I can’t really say about Meflias or Zarab, because I honestly forget how they were in their initial episodes. Zarab is able to make Ultraman’s host form fall asleep, and has this attack that disorients Ultraman. Zarab of course can also turn into imitation Ultraman.

Both of them are way more nimble. Meflias has a beam that’s stronger than Ultraman’s Specium beam. He has a much thinner design. In human form, Meflias is shown to be able to nearly be omnipotent when it comes to technology. He’s able to manifest technology at will, and hack the internet. Meflias is also able to teleport himself and others.

Ultraman never fights Zoffy, but there’s clearly something going on there. After Ultraman blows up Zetton, we cut to Ultraman and Zoffy talking/debating in a void. Zoffy was the one that released Zetton. I think there’s something going on with technology, and aliens, and human lives; the whole thing explores that a lot, but I couldn’t give you any specifics. Ultraman doesn’t fight Zoffy directly.

Whereas Shin Godzilla focused on a problem (Godzilla), Shin Ultraman focused a lot more directly on its characters, and the struggles of its lead hero.

ZOFFY(and the higher-ups in the Land of Light, the home planet of the Ultra race) believes that humanity has the potential to evolve into an Ultra-like race but also likely to get enslaved by a dangerous alien like Mefilas, becoming a potential threat to the Land of Light. They believe that the cosmos cannot afford to take that huge of a risk, thus Zoffy is sent to summon Zetton(a strategic weapon developed by the Ultra race in this continuity) which would destroy Earth and humanity. Zoffy also mentions the existence of a Multiverse and that the extinction of humanity does not matter in the scale of the multiversal cosmos. Ultraman(whose real name is Lifia) is a rogue, an outcast from his home planet, who does not agree with this decision.

But after Ultraman sacrifices himself to destroy Zetton and save humanity, Zoffy seems to be moved by Ultraman's efforts and devotion to humanity. He offers to revive Ultraman, but he is genuinely surprised when Ultraman chooses to save his human host instead of saving himself. The movie's catchphrase is actually Zoffy's line from this scene, “そんなに人間が好きになったのか、ウルトラマン, Do you love humans that much, Ultraman?"

Added in 22 minutes 20 seconds:

Shin Zetton looks like a beast.

Shin Zetton is not really a 'kaiju' in the traditional sense but more like a weapon designed to wipe out entire planetary systems, like the Death Star from the Star Wars films. It doesn't have a mind and it's mostly stationary. It's also gigantic (makes Ultraman look like a human being next to an Ultraman in comparison). It's also completely impervious to Ultraman's attacks so the battle isn't much of a battle, really. When Ultraman tries to fight the thing, it automatically retaliates, shooting him down with a barrage of energy weapons.

The thing's main weapon is a superpowered laser beam, which, according to the theatrical program, is capable of annihilating all life within a radius of two hundred LIGHT YEARS. Zetton transforms itself into cannon mode to fire this weapon, a bit like Ramiel from Evangelion. This attack superheats Zetton up to a trillion degrees, but it's designed to withstand that kind of heat so that it may cool down for a second attack.

Added in 26 minutes 36 seconds:

Ok is this in the same universe as Shin Goji? Some people are claiming different.

Its not explicitly stated but its heavily implied. There are some recurring characters among the human cast and Gomess is literally a smaller version of Shin Godzilla with horns.

I've heard that it's more like in-jokes than an actual continuity connection? Also, probably has similar references to the upcoming Shin Kamen Rider?

According to the artbook, Shin Ultraman "may be" in the same continuity as Shin Godzilla. They couldn't make the connection outright due to the two franchises belonging to different companies, but they tried to give the impression that there is a connection.

Added in 6 minutes 49 seconds:

Shin Ultraman definitely puts the possibility of Shin Godzilla 2 back on the table. Even if it’s up for debate whether this is a sequel or not is irrelevant… it can go both ways it sounds… It depends too how well this does at the box office.

I really think we are getting a big crossover "Shin" event. Wait till we get all the Ultraman and Godzilla references and name drops in March for Shin Kamen Rider.

My mind is going to explode. I've probably watched a total of 5 minutes of Kamen Rider in my lifetime. It would be wild for him to be a product of ShinGoji. Lol there are so many impossibilities, I'm buying a first class ticket on whatever ride Anno and Higuchi are offering.

This may take some time, unfortunately. According to Anno, while he does want to make the sequel to Shin Ultraman, he's planning to take a break from his job after Shin Kamen Rider, since he's 'mentally worn down' after the recent skirmish concerning Evangelion.

[LSD Jellyfish]

@Vandarker:
Thank you very much for all the clarifications.

Yeah, the way the film is framed is why it’s so difficult to say exactly it’s relation to Shin Godzilla. It’s essentially set up in a way in which that if you want to put Shin Godzilla in its continuity, in your own head, you totally can. People were saying that the “statue”/monster is being moved to the arctic, but that can refer to the other monsters frozen in the film. It’s set up like that, and that’s why it’s so hard to directly state it’s relation to shin Godzilla. think people will understand more when it comes out. In any case, it’s definitely a follow up/sequel, but not in a traditional sense.

What’s this Evangelion fiasco? People getting annoying and asking where the sequels are? I do hope Anno gets to take a break.

[Vandarker]

@Vandarker:
Thank you very much for all the clarifications.

Yeah, the way the film is framed is why it’s so difficult to say exactly it’s relation to Shin Godzilla. It’s essentially set up in a way in which that if you want to put Shin Godzilla in its continuity, in your own head, you totally can. People were saying that the “statue”/monster is being moved to the arctic, but that can refer to the other monsters frozen in the film. It’s set up like that, and that’s why it’s so hard to directly state it’s relation to shin Godzilla. think people will understand more when it comes out. In any case, it’s definitely a follow up/sequel, but not in a traditional sense.

What’s this Evangelion fiasco? People getting annoying and asking where the sequels are? I do hope Anno gets to take a break.

The ending of the Rebuild series was not what most fans wanted so there was some discontent among the fandom. Then some reviews made claims that Anno's wife was the inspiration for a characted involved in the controversial ending, which led to personal attacks against his wife on social media.

[miguelnuva]

Anno should leave Eva in the past at this point. Every time he does something it ends up with him in a bad state of mind an ans pissed.

[LSD Jellyfish]

The ending of the Rebuild series was not what most fans wanted so there was some discontent among the fandom. Then some reviews made claims that Anno's wife was the inspiration for a characted involved in the controversial ending, which led to personal attacks against his wife on social media.

Well, while I don’t want to derail this thread, I say “fuck-em” in response to the weirdos making personal attacks. Although me being online, and listening and involving myself in criticism of media figures/creatives, I detest that mentality and monster that the media has created.

I hope Shin Ultraman at least is an overall positive experience for Anno then. I remember he was disillusioned with Shin Godzilla and the supposed constraints that Toho put on him.

It’s kind of funny; for all the people who describe Anno as negative and sort of fetishize what many interpret (wrongfully or rightfully) as mental illness/depression, it’s sort of sad seeing people turn on him when he starts getting involved/creating more optimistic and positive products. Both the ending and overall vibe of both Eva 4 and Shin Ultraman are infinitely more hopeful than the cynicism on display in earlier works.

[Vandarker]

The ending of the Rebuild series was not what most fans wanted so there was some discontent among the fandom. Then some reviews made claims that Anno's wife was the inspiration for a characted involved in the controversial ending, which led to personal attacks against his wife on social media.

Well, while I don’t want to derail this thread, I say “fuck-em” in response to the weirdos making personal attacks. Although me being online, and listening and involving myself in criticism of media figures/creatives, I detest that mentality and monster that the media has created.

I hope Shin Ultraman at least is an overall positive experience for Anno then. I remember he was disillusioned with Shin Godzilla and the supposed constraints that Toho put on him.

It’s kind of funny; for all the people who describe Anno as negative and sort of fetishize what many interpret (wrongfully or rightfully) as mental illness/depression, it’s sort of sad seeing people turn on him when he starts getting involved/creating more optimistic and positive products. Both the ending and overall vibe of both Eva 4 and Shin Ultraman are infinitely more hopeful than the cynicism on display in earlier works.

According to Anno's comments in the artbook, he wasn't very involved during the semi-final stages of the film's production(probably because he was busy with Eva). So he doesn't seem to be all that satisfied with the quality of the 3D CG and some elements of the plot(namely the romance portions and the general worldbuilding) of the movie, but couldn't fix it due to time constraints. He also mentions that he felt that there are fundamental limitations within Japan's film production industry.

But he still wishes to direct the sequel to Shin Ultraman (It was originally planned as a two-part series according to him) and he hopes that Shin Ultraman does well at the box office so that a bigger budget could be allocated to the sequel.

[LSD Jellyfish]

Hmm yeah. I get that. I've alluded to it before, but Shin Ultraman suffers from "Japanese CGI syndrome". Some of the fights and moments feel really anchored and animated well, while others suddenly feel very flat and static. Like, "oh this is happening" without much care or weight to it. I'd compare the action in the film to Godzilla vs. Kong, but somewhat lacking in weight in the key moments. Hard to explain, but I think anyone who has seen the film knows what I mean.

That's also why despite what people are referring to as "plans for a sequel", we really can't confirm or say anything yet.

[Vandarker]

Oh and supposedly there's some info regarding Shin Godzilla 2 in the artbook. According to it, Anno himself actually proposed a sequel to Shin Godzilla to Toho in February 2016. The plan was to make a sequel, aimed for release in 2018, that was lighter("festive") in tone compared to Shin Godzilla, which would supposedly target a wider audience. Anno and Higuchi wrote up a full proposal, some early visuals and a rough plot and submitted them to Toho, but it wasn't approved due to unknown reasons.

My speculation is that it had something to do with Toho's deal with Legendary, but who knows.

[LSD Jellyfish]

Oh and supposedly there's some info regarding Shin Godzilla 2 in the artbook. According to it, Anno himself actually proposed a sequel to Shin Godzilla to Toho in February 2016. The plan was to make a sequel, aimed for release in 2018, that was lighter("festive") in tone compared to Shin Godzilla, which would supposedly target a wider audience. Anno and Higuchi wrote up a full proposal, some early visuals and a rough plot and submitted them to Toho, but it wasn't approved due to unknown reasons.

My speculation is that it had something to do with Toho's deal with Legendary, but who knows.

Well that's a bombshell. I've known about the Shin Ultraman sequels since a few days ago, but not the Shin Godzilla 2 thing. While I'm thankful for the info, just like the Shin Ultraman sequels, let's keep this a bit quiet for now. I'm worried about the forum filling up with dozens of "fake news" threads about Shin Ultraman and Godzilla sequels. I'm just wondering how long it is until some generic pop culture website finds some of this out and creates a bunch of intentionally misleading articles about them.

Still, despite the rather dry response above, I say: GODDAMN BRING ON SHIN GODZILLA 2!

[Gigantis]

Wasn't Shin Godzilla’s dark tone the entire reason it got popular to begin with? Toho probably didn't see much merit in having a sequel that couldn't follow up on its predecessors' fame by being "festive" and thought it wouldn't do all that well, maybe?

I still don't think we even need a Shin Godzilla sequel to begin with, though from what it sounds like, it moght jist happen due to Godzilla barging in on someone else's story.

[Vandarker]

According to Anno, Toho turned the idea down because they thought it was "too early" to be talking about a sequel and for various other reasons as well. Which is understandable since Anno supposedly pitched the film in 2016 Feb, when Shin Godzilla wasn't even released yet. At the time Toho probably didn't feel 100% confident that the film was going to do well, especially since Shin Godzilla was the first Japanese Godzilla film in almost 12 years.

Anno himself found it rather regrettable that his proposal had been turned down, but he respects Toho's decisions.

The film's working title was "Shin Godzilla Raids Again(シン・ゴジラの逆襲)", and Anno describes it as a "festive monster brawl" type of movie, implying that Godzilla was going to fight another monster in this movie.