Official "Ultraseven" Thread

For the discussion of any Ultraman related shows, movies, comics, video games, etc.
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Re: ULTRA-THREAD 2.0

Post by JAGzilla »

Just got done with the first episode of Ultraseven. I'm definitely on board so far! Thoughts:

- The opening theme is much more 'epic' than Ultraman's, and seems to herald a more serious show. I didn't mind the kiddy song of the original, but this is an improvement.

- The Terrestrial Defense Force is a much better name than the Science Special Search Party (or whatever clunky thing it was), and I love that they're a large organization now instead of just six people and the occasional international guest. Their underground base is cool, too.

- The TDF members themselves aren't well established yet, so I don't have much to say about them. It's great that they kept Arashi's actor, though; he was the only one I would've particularly missed.

- The separating jet thing is a good way to avoid a dull retread of the Jet VTOL.

- Ultraseven seems to be a Pokemon trainer? I wasn't at all expecting him to have an allied kaiju in his pocket, so that was an awesome surprise. Very interested to see where that concept goes.
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Re: ULTRA-THREAD 2.0

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JAGzilla wrote:Just got done with the first episode of Ultraseven. I'm definitely on board so far! Thoughts:

- The opening theme is much more 'epic' than Ultraman's, and seems to herald a more serious show. I didn't mind the kiddy song of the original, but this is an improvement.

- The Terrestrial Defense Force is a much better name than the Science Special Search Party (or whatever clunky thing it was), and I love that they're a large organization now instead of just six people and the occasional international guest. Their underground base is cool, too.

- The TDF members themselves aren't well established yet, so I don't have much to say about them. It's great that they kept Arashi's actor, though; he was the only one I would've particularly missed.

- The separating jet thing is a good way to avoid a dull retread of the Jet VTOL.

- Ultraseven seems to be a Pokemon trainer? I wasn't at all expecting him to have an allied kaiju in his pocket, so that was an awesome surprise. Very interested to see where that concept goes.
TDF? What version are you watching?

Also, the capsule monsters were actually a main inspiration for Pokemon.

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Re: ULTRA-THREAD 2.0

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Cryptid_Liker wrote: TDF? What version are you watching?

Also, the capsule monsters were actually a main inspiration for Pokemon.
The new Mill Creek Blu-ray, whatever version that is. Does the Terrestrial Defense Force have some other name in another version?

And yeah, as soon as I saw the capsule monster I figured that was what inspired Pokemon.
Last edited by JAGzilla on Sat Oct 17, 2020 3:58 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: ULTRA-THREAD 2.0

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^ I think the confusion is because there are two names and acronyms to juggle for U7's defense teams. The TDF is the global defense organization which employs the 7-member specialized team, called the Ultra Garrison.

Both English dubbed versions call the Ultra Garrison the "Ultra Squad". In at least Cinar's (TNT) version, Ultra Squad is the name also used for the TDF. I don't recall what the TDF is called in the Hawaiian version or even if it's named in any of the extant episodes.
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Re: ULTRA-THREAD 2.0

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Terasawa wrote:^ I think the confusion is because there are two names and acronyms to juggle for U7's defense teams. The TDF is the global defense organization which employs the 7-member specialized team, called the Ultra Garrison.

Both English dubbed versions call the Ultra Garrison the "Ultra Squad". In at least Cinar's (TNT) version, Ultra Squad is the name also used for the TDF. I don't recall what the TDF is called in the Hawaiian version or even if it's named in any of the extant episodes.
Right, I forgot about the Ultra Garrison. Thanks for the info!
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Re: ULTRA-THREAD 2.0

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I finished rewatching Ultraman Nexus and I've since watched the first 10 episodes of Ultraman Max. I distinctly remember seeing online coverage of this show when it was airing in 2005-2006 but I never sought it out back then. I had just dabbled in Ultraman for the first time with Nexus and I didn't comprehend why the franchise got rebooted every year, and my teenage self certainly didn't find Max's targeted shift toward young kid viewers to be compelling. Watching it now, I can certainly see how influential the early Ultra shows were on Max, with the back-to-basics premise, the inclusion of Susumu Kurobe and Hiroko Sakurai among the cast, the old-fashioned opening credits sequence with the silhouettes and the returning classic kaiju like Eleking, Pigmon and Red King. It's a fun show, although the cheap-looking production design and the corny character antics don't do it any favors. It is cool to see special effects by Kenji Suzuki and episodes directed by Shusuke Kaneko. Looking ahead, I can see that things are about to get interesting with the returns of classic series director Akio Jissoji and writer Shozo Uehara as well as Nexus/U7X director Takeshi Yagi and writer Ai Ota, along with two episodes directed by Takashi Miike!

I'm currently taking a hiatus from watching Kamen Rider after 53 episodes. I'll save the last 45 for later. I've now watched the first 13 episodes of Zone Fighter and I have to take back what I said about Kamen Rider being the trashiest thing I've ever seen from this genre. Zone Fighter is an absolutely shameless knockoff of both Ultraman and Kamen Rider without much in the way of creativity or internal logic. It really is just Tomoyuki Tanaka and Toho jumping into the superheroes-vs-monsters TV ring after the genre had stopped pulling audiences into theaters. I am liking this show more than Kamen Rider so far. Not only does episode 4 guest-star Godzilla but it's directed by Ishiro Honda, it's written by Shozo Uehara and it has special effects by Koichi Kawakita! The first two episodes are written & directed by Jun Fukuda and he also directed the King Ghidorah 2-parter along with the episode pitting Godzilla against Gigan for the third time, all with special effects by Teruyoshi Nakano! Episode 13 is directed by Honda from a script by Fukuda! Zone Fighter may be derivative as hell but it's a fun snapshot of where Toho was at in 1973, a fitting bookend to Godzilla vs. Megalon. Props to the fans who subtitled this show.

Angilasman wrote:
Millenial88 wrote:Yes, it does. I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that they reached out to established genre film directors to handle each episode.

Honestly, there would be a 50/50 chance of me not liking Neo Ultra Q if they stuck with TsuPro’s in-house directing team.
Taguchi's three episodes were great (and the most aesthetically retro) but I get your meaning.

I'm fascinated by the balance this series struck where paranormal events were known enough to be widely accepted but still strange and disruptive enough to be... strange and disruptive. It feels like most fictional universes will push that too far in the other direction and create a world where the supernatural is so commonplace that everyone is too aware and savvy about it.
I've also watched the first seven episodes of Neo Ultra Q and this show is fantastic! Each episode is a dynamic short film unto itself with a variety of styles and concepts. Why in the world is this only 12 episodes!?

JAGzilla wrote:Just got done with the first episode of Ultraseven. I'm definitely on board so far! Thoughts:

- The opening theme is much more 'epic' than Ultraman's, and seems to herald a more serious show. I didn't mind the kiddy song of the original, but this is an improvement.

- The Terrestrial Defense Force is a much better name than the Science Special Search Party (or whatever clunky thing it was), and I love that they're a large organization now instead of just six people and the occasional international guest. Their underground base is cool, too.

- The TDF members themselves aren't well established yet, so I don't have much to say about them. It's great that they kept Arashi's actor, though; he was the only one I would've particularly missed.

- The separating jet thing is a good way to avoid a dull retread of the Jet VTOL.

- Ultraseven seems to be a Pokemon trainer? I wasn't at all expecting him to have an allied kaiju in his pocket, so that was an awesome surprise. Very interested to see where that concept goes.
You’ve got a lot of really great episodes coming up already on that first disc! UltraSeven is my favorite Ultra series that I've seen so far. It has a very cinematic feel and it's definitely geared more toward adult viewers. It refines the core concept of Ultraman into a broader sci-fi premise of which giant monsters are just one component, as it’s very much about the future of humanity in an age of interstellar invasion. I think it represents the crescendo of Eiji Tsuburaya’s career in a lot of ways.

While Ultra Q is like the kaiju/tokusatsu equivalent to The Twilight Zone and Ultraman is like a Japanese counterpart to Adam West's Batman, UltraSeven is like the contemporary Japanese equivalent to Doctor Who. Expect lots of aliens and some heavy themes. Head writer Tetsuo Kinjo really put his heart into this show.

One of the best things about UltraSeven is how it depicts the title character. Rather than bonding with a human host and waiting to swap bodies in the thick of battle, UltraSeven spends his time on Earth disguised as a human under the name of Dan Moroboshi. It really enhances the drama to have Seven participating directly in the proceedings, whether in his human disguise (played by Kohji Moritsugu) or in his natural red-and-silver form.

While Ultraman had only one 2-part story, UltraSeven has a total of three 2-parters and they are all series highlights. Episode 12 is the only one that’s missing from every home media release but you can find it online.

Terasawa wrote:^ I think the confusion is because there are two names and acronyms to juggle for U7's defense teams. The TDF is the global defense organization which employs the 7-member specialized team, called the Ultra Garrison.

Both English dubbed versions call the Ultra Garrison the "Ultra Squad". In at least Cinar's (TNT) version, Ultra Squad is the name also used for the TDF. I don't recall what the TDF is called in the Hawaiian version or even if it's named in any of the extant episodes.
That's interesting. The defense team is called the Ultra Guard in Mill Creek's subtitles.
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Re: ULTRA-THREAD 2.0

Post by Cryptid_Liker »

^Isn't the identity of Seven a spoiler? I've never seen the show but I remember hearing it isn't till a quarter in that he's revealed.

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Re: ULTRA-THREAD 2.0

Post by Terasawa »

StreamOfKaijuness wrote:
Terasawa wrote:^ I think the confusion is because there are two names and acronyms to juggle for U7's defense teams. The TDF is the global defense organization which employs the 7-member specialized team, called the Ultra Garrison.

Both English dubbed versions call the Ultra Garrison the "Ultra Squad". In at least Cinar's (TNT) version, Ultra Squad is the name also used for the TDF. I don't recall what the TDF is called in the Hawaiian version or even if it's named in any of the extant episodes.
That's interesting. The defense team is called the Ultra Guard in Mill Creek's subtitles.
Well that's unfortunate...

Old habits die hard: "Garrison" is the translation I'm familiar with from Absolute Ultraman! (RIP) and the licensed-unlicensed Shout! DVDs. I don't think I was aware there was another translation before your post.
Cryptid_Liker wrote:^Isn't the identity of Seven a spoiler? I've never seen the show but I remember hearing it isn't till a quarter in that he's revealed.
As is typical with the franchise, none of the other characters know Dan is Seven's human form.
Spoiler:
He does finally reveal his identity to Anne in the finale, in one of the franchise's best moments.
Viewers also know Dan and Seven are the same from the first episode, and it's sung in the theme song in every episode. ("We know you by another name, the planet-man Dan...")

There is an episode about 1/4 of the way into the series where we learn how Seven adopted his human form, which is what you're thinking of.
Last edited by Terasawa on Sun Oct 18, 2020 9:50 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: ULTRA-THREAD 2.0

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StreamOfKaijuness wrote: I think it represents the crescendo of Eiji Tsuburaya’s career in a lot of ways.

One of the best things about UltraSeven is how it depicts the title character. Rather than bonding with a human host and waiting to swap bodies in the thick of battle, UltraSeven spends his time on Earth disguised as a human under the name of Dan Moroboshi. It really enhances the drama to have Seven participating directly in the proceedings, whether in his human disguise (played by Kohji Moritsugu) or in his natural red-and-silver form.
Well, that is some high praise. :shock: Eiji Tsuburaya had a heck of a career. I'll definitely need to track down that Master of Monsters book, someday; I don't know as much about him as I probably should.

And yeah, that's already the impression I'm getting. Hayata and Ultraman always felt fairly separate, and Hayata was very bland. Dan Moroboshi seems to have a more interesting personality, and it's obvious from the beginning that he's fully Ultraseven rather than Seven being a separate identity. When the Ultra Guard members ask who he is, he says something to the effect of 'Huh? Oh, right, you can call me Dan Moroboshi." I'm definitely looking forward to seeing what he's like going forward.
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Re: ULTRA-THREAD 2.0

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JAGzilla wrote:Just got done with the first episode of Ultraseven. I'm definitely on board so far! Thoughts:

- The opening theme is much more 'epic' than Ultraman's, and seems to herald a more serious show. I didn't mind the kiddy song of the original, but this is an improvement.

- The Terrestrial Defense Force is a much better name than the Science Special Search Party (or whatever clunky thing it was), and I love that they're a large organization now instead of just six people and the occasional international guest. Their underground base is cool, too.

- The TDF members themselves aren't well established yet, so I don't have much to say about them. It's great that they kept Arashi's actor, though; he was the only one I would've particularly missed.

- The separating jet thing is a good way to avoid a dull retread of the Jet VTOL.

- Ultraseven seems to be a Pokemon trainer? I wasn't at all expecting him to have an allied kaiju in his pocket, so that was an awesome surprise. Very interested to see where that concept goes.
You're in for a hell of a ride! Seven is my favourite Ultra series I've seen thus far, great team of writers & directors. A Marked Town is one of the best episodes ever, Jissouji's episodes are all pretty great.
I hum the theme song at work a lot haha, so catchy. There's this 40th anniversary version of it that's even grander.
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Re: ULTRA-THREAD 2.0

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MechaGoji Bro7503 wrote: I hum the theme song at work a lot haha, so catchy.
Yeah, I've been tempted to do the same thing. :lol: It really gets stuck in your head.

Just watched the second and third episodes. (I don't plan to post thoughts on every episode, by the way, just the first few as I settle in to the show, and maybe the odd standout from there.) The Green Menace was okay, basically just a run-of-the-mill Ultraman episode with better production values. Secret of the Lake was much better, with its unconventional aliens and Eleking. I definitely see why he's one of this franchise's big name monsters; he has a cool design with the rotating ear-things and long, prehensile/electric tail, plus the flashy color scheme. Miclas was great, too, strong and competent for being a jobber meant to prop up the bad guy.

I really like that we get to hear Seven's thoughts, that's already helping to make him a more interesting protagonist than Hayata. We get not only his power, but his knowledge and experience brought to the table.
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Re: Official "Ultraseven" Thread

Post by Cryptid_Liker »

Wait, if there's just going to be threads for every single series, does the Ultra Thread even have a purpose?

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Re: Official "Ultraseven" Thread

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Cryptid_Liker wrote:Wait, if there's just going to be threads for every single series, does the Ultra Thread even have a purpose?
No. At this point, it's largely antiquated, and I'm trying to migrate discussions away from it.
Last edited by eabaker on Tue Oct 20, 2020 3:55 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: ULTRA-THREAD 2.0

Post by StreamOfKaijuness »

JAGzilla wrote:
StreamOfKaijuness wrote: I think it represents the crescendo of Eiji Tsuburaya’s career in a lot of ways.
Well, that is some high praise. :shock: Eiji Tsuburaya had a heck of a career. I'll definitely need to track down that Master of Monsters book, someday; I don't know as much about him as I probably should.
Yes, Eiji Tsuburaya: Master of Monsters (2007) by August Ragone is an excellent biography. It's worth snagging a copy for a decent price if you get the chance. In the meantime, if you don't already have them, Ishiro Honda: A Life in Film from Godzilla to Kurosawa (2017) by Steve Ryfle & Ed Godziszewski is still in print and affordable, and you can also still find some decently priced used copies of Ryfle's Japan's Favorite Mon-Star (1998) and Stuart Galbraith's Monsters Are Attacking Tokyo! (1998). All are highly recommended books for English-speaking fans of the genre!

Terasawa wrote:
StreamOfKaijuness wrote:
Terasawa wrote:^ I think the confusion is because there are two names and acronyms to juggle for U7's defense teams. The TDF is the global defense organization which employs the 7-member specialized team, called the Ultra Garrison.

Both English dubbed versions call the Ultra Garrison the "Ultra Squad". In at least Cinar's (TNT) version, Ultra Squad is the name also used for the TDF. I don't recall what the TDF is called in the Hawaiian version or even if it's named in any of the extant episodes.
That's interesting. The defense team is called the Ultra Guard in Mill Creek's subtitles.
Well that's unfortunate...

Old habits die hard: "Garrison" is the translation I'm familiar with from Absolute Ultraman! (RIP) and the licensed-unlicensed Shout! DVDs. I don't think I was aware there was another translation before your post.
I don't own Shout! Factory's UltraSeven DVD release but what's crazy is there are some variations in how the English episode titles are translated between Mill Creek's on-screen subtitles, their BRD menu screens, their printed booklets and the text on their MovieSpree app's selection screens.

The King Joe 2-parter is either Westward, Ultra Guard (subtitles & menu) or The Ultra Guard Goes West (booklet & MovieSpree). Likewise, Ep.20 is either Defeat Seismic Source X or Destroy Earthquake Epicenter X. Ep.35 is either Lunar Horror or Terror on the Moon. It goes on.

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Re: Official "Ultraseven" Thread

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Ultraseven is my favorite of the Ultra series I've seen, so last year I was pretty jazzed to find out the 16 Heisei era "reunions" (for lack of a better word) had been fansubbed. I checked out the first 1994 TV special, and while it's not without merit, in many ways it's pretty disappointing. I've only just this week given the other episodes a chance. So far I've seen both 1994 specials (for NTV) and just completed the 1998 OV trilogy: I have to say, lackluster first special aside, I really, really dig 'em. The crew absolutely nailed the look and feel of the original series despite the change of format and filmmaking technology. Everyone involved did their homework and it shows. Even the first special doesn't feel so bad now that I know what's to come, although it's definitely the weakest of the five I've seen.
Spoiler:
Dan is nowhere to be seen in the first show, which really diminished my enjoyment. He has a few shining moments in special #2 but the writers still keep him away from the new Ultra Guard/Garrison. I guess Moritsugu proved his worth though because he has a lot more to do in the '98 episodes.
Shame that these are still obscure-ish. Bearing in mind I've only seen 5 of the 16, I think these are totally legitimate as episodes of Ultraseven.
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Re: Official "Ultraseven" Thread

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Ultraseven has always seemed like to Batman to OG Ultraman’s Superman.

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Re: Official "Ultraseven" Thread

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I'm still plunking away at this series, getting close to the end. Some of the early-to-middle episodes started to run together for me and hurt my opinion of the show, but it really has picked up in the second half, and nearly every episode is a memorable winner, now. A Lethal 0.1 Seconds (the title was something like that, anyway :P ) was very well-done, even managing some real tension in Soga's standoffs with his brainwashed friend. The episode with the vehicle-stealing robot was a standout, too, with some relatively ambitious action sequences and Seven pulling a very unconventional stunt to secure the win. It's always nice to see a break from routine like that. And I have another two-parter (The Seven Assassination Plot) coming next, so that should be eventful.
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Re: Official "Ultraseven" Thread

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Re: Official "Ultraseven" Thread

Post by LegendZilla »

Does anyone think it was lazy writing that 2 episodes in a row dealt with Dan loosing his glasses?

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Re: Official "Ultraseven" Thread

Post by mwbworld »

LegendZilla wrote: Fri Sep 24, 2021 3:57 pm Does anyone think it was lazy writing that 2 episodes in a row dealt with Dan loosing his glasses?
Yes. Even more so the episodes where alien trick him into loosing them or getting locked up.

(Kind of like in the some of the older Green Lantern comics where they kept having Hal Jordon hit his head and get knocked out so the villains would have a chance to act without being stopped instantly by him being so overpowered compared to them.)

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