It doesn't really feel like that long ago that Ultraman was celebrating its 55th anniversary, but the last five years have clearly flown by and now the franchise is in the midst of its 60th birthday. And whilst there sadly might not be a big budget movie like Shin Ultraman to commemorate the milestone this time around, that doesn't mean Tsuburaya Productions aren't going to celebrate the occasion. The birthday bash kicks off with the premiere of its latest instalment Ultraman Teo, which once again will be released globally with multi-language subtitles (and once again a simultaneously-released English language dub) thanks to the ULTRAMAN Official YouTube channel. Teo's main writer/series compositor is newcomer to the franchise Shigenori Tanabe, with Takashi Ninomiya and Takanori Tsujimoto as the main director and special effects director respectively.
When the Planet H12 is destroyed in an attack from space kaiju, its sole survivor flees to Earth. There he lives as Ibuki Mitsuishi, a veterinary student at Meishin University. Although he sometimes struggles to adapt to the planet and its people, Ibuki nevertheless tries to live a peaceful life communicating with the animals he loves.
However this peace is shattered when a meteor strike brings with it one of the very same kaiju that attacked H12. Ibuki's first instinct is to run away, but not wanting to see his new home suffer the same fate he transforms into a blue giant of light to defeat the monster. Ultraman Teo has arrived.
As convoluted as it can sometimes seem, continuity (or rather connectivity) has always felt like a big part of the Ultraman franchise - with big crossovers and relationships between the various heroes a much bigger part than it is with any other tokusatsu superhero franchise. Which is why it might come as a bit of a surprise to see the 60th anniversary series following in the footsteps of the last three years of Ultraman rather than embrace that aspect - creating an all-new origin for its hero that's wholly unrelated to that web of continuity. In that respect Ultraman Teo isn't a big anniversary series in the way some viewers might expect a big milestone like this to be celebrated, but ultimately it doesn't need to be. Projects like the forthcoming Ultraman Zero Cosmo Rise have those aspects covered, so instead Ultraman Teo simply has to convey the spirit of Ultraman in a way that's as a palatable to newcomers as it is veteran viewers. And based on this opening episode alone, it's gotten off to a good start.
Much like Ultraman Omega before it, Ultraman Teo kicks off with an impressive CGI opening scene that sets up much of the show's overall premise and mystery. But this time both the context and outcome are very different, as we see Teo's home planet decimated by a ferocious attack. We quite literally see the destruction of Planet H12 through Teo's own eyes, as well as how he flees - quickly transitioning into his new life on Earth as Ibuki. The glimpses of Teo's race fighting for their lives against an onslaught of space kaiju immediately add a sense of tragedy, as well as key emotions for when the same kaiju arrive on Earth later in the episode. The opening visuals of the spaceship looming over H12 also suggest this wasn't some freak accident either, and it'll be interesting to learn more about the events surrounding its destruction as the series progresses.
These opening scenes are quite fleeting however, as the primary focus here is on seeing how Ibuki has adjusted to his new life on Earth. Ultras arriving on Earth and taking a human disguise (as opposed to bonding with a human) are nothing new to the franchise and date back as far as Ultraseven in 1967, but rarely does it seem quite as complicated as it does for Ibuki. He's integrated himself well enough to become a veterinary student, but doesn't understand Earth well enough yet to basic biology like the need to poop. To combat this, he carries around a sizable collection of memos to make sure he blends in. It's a simple yet interesting spin on the concept, and helps highlight Teo's arrival as something made out of necessity rather than choice. Just how he's managed to get so far into the education system the way he is is also something of a mystery. Is Ibuki Mitsuishi simply a construct he's created? Or was there a real Ibuki that he's replaced? These are the questions that will surely be answered as we learn more about the character.
Based on what we do see in this episode though, Ibuki already stands out as a particularly likeable protagonist. The more alien approach to his integration makes him that much more endearing, with moments like his misunderstanding about the differences between handling dog and cow waste proving to be a good source of comedy. But despite his cheery exterior, what this episode does really well is highlight just how isolated he is. While it does briefly introduce the audience to other supporting characters in the series (particularly fellow student Kanna Izumi), the focus feels solely on Ibuki. Every other student thinks he's weird and don't want to associate with him, and there's no indication that he has any other friends at this point. Moments like the cafeteria scene are genuinely quite heart-breaking, with some great visuals to reflect just how alone Ultraman Teo is.
On top of that loneliness, it's clear that Ibuki has trauma from his past experiences. Peppered throughout the episode are flashbacks to the events leading up to H12's destruction, coming to Ibuki as painful reminders. Nevertheless he constantly resolves to do the right thing, first when he receives a mysterious vision from one of the falling meteorites and then again when a second meteor is revealed to be the space kaiju Vialoga. Ibuki's first reaction to the latter is one of fear, begging everyone to run as they stand idly taking pictures of the kaiju on their phones. Only as the monster begins its rampage do they flee, with Ibuki still struggling to find the resolve he needs until he sees an unconscious child and his dog in Vialoga's path. Suddenly he finds the strength to stand against the monster, his Teo Crystar imbued with the power to transform him into his true form. It's a great moment that immediately highlights Teo as a protector rather than a fighter. This also manifests in his body language as he transforms - two hands outstretched as if to say stop, with the pulled back hand nervously turning into a fist. Teo being a primarily blue Ultra is also of course no coincidence, a clear reference to the most famous pacifist Ultra - Ultraman Cosmos.
From there the climax of the episode becomes Teo's first battle against Vialoga, and what a great fight it is. As usual the visuals are on top form, the battle taking place on an impressive miniature cityscape whilst Vialoga itself sports a great suit design. Right away we see Teo's desire to de-escalate a battle, taking it to the skies in what feels like an effort to minimise the damage. When this fails and Vialoga comes crashing back down to Earth, the audience is treated to an array of omnidirectional camera angles that emphasise the giants' size. Teo might not necessarily want to fight, but he certainly can - eventually firing his Teocium Beam after his body glows with yellow energy. It's a strong display of Teo's abilities, and with colour changing set to be a key gimmick to the character it'll be interesting to learn more about the significance behind it in the coming weeks.
One final note of praise also has to go to the show's fantastic end credits sequence, featuring detailing close ups of the miniature city set alongside silhouettes of both Ultraman Teo and Pucchi - the mysterious alien briefly seen at the end of the episode. The show's end credits have been clips from the accompanying episode for so many years now that simply having a dedicated sequence feels significant enough, but Teo's chosen visuals are the kind of Showa era call back that's perfect for the 60th anniversary series. Silhouettes of both Ultras and kaiju have always played a big part in the show's opening visuals (most significantly in the opening titles for the Showa series, but even now with elements like the episode title cards), but the close up shots of the miniature sets also harken back to Ultraman Taro's opening sequence - albeit the cityscape this time around rather than the defence force base. It's a chance to see Tsuburaya's craftsmanship at a much closer level than the show often allows, and I sincerely hope it's something that carries on through to future series as well.
Ultraman Teo delivers a strong opening episode in celebration of the franchise's 60th anniversary, one that continues the "familiar but different" feel of the previous Ultraman series from the last few years. As well as creating plenty of intrigue surrounding the destruction of Planet H12, the episode excels on its focus on Ibuki's trauma and navigation of life on his new home. With this one particularly centred on how isolated he seems, it already feels like one of Teo's core strengths will be watching him forge friendships over the course of the series. Welcome to Earth Ultraman Teo, please enjoy your stay.
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