First Impressions: Ultraman Teo

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.

Series REVIEW: Ultraman Omega

As Ultraman rapidly approaches its 60th anniversary, it's interesting to look back and see just how far the franchise has come in recent years in regards to worldwide availability. Not just in terms of the show being simulcast beyond Asia thanks to the ULTRAMAN OFFICIAL YouTube channel, but also the exposure it has through live shows and convention appearances across the globe. 2025 saw the release of Ultraman Omega, once again available globally with a variety of different language subtitles as well as a full English dub (albeit not released simultaneously this time around). The series compositors were Toshizo Nemoto and Junichiro Ashiki (both of whom have worked across the New Generation era), its main director was Masayoshi Takasue (Ultraman R/B, Ultraman Decker), and chief producer Tsugumi Kitaura.

Series REVIEW: Ultraman Taro

Despite Ultraman Ace proving to be fairly popular throughout its run, the show was not without its problems behind the scenes - so much so that some at broadcaster TBS even suggested putting the franchise on hiatus for a year following its completion. However producer Yoji Hashimoto was able to convince them otherwise, and work began on the next instalment as Tsuburaya Productions approached their tenth anniversary. The initial pitch was "Ultra Jack" - a space-based "neo fairy tale" series which would introduce the sixth Ultra Brother and build upon ideas from Ace. While many of the ideas presented would remain in the final version, the trouble was coming up with a name. Jack was a common name in Western fairy tales, but it was also felt to be too similar to "hijacking" - something which was a global issue at the time. So director Kazuho Mitsuda suggested a more Japanese name which conveyed the same idea - and thus Ultraman Taro was born. The series premiered on April 6th 1973, and ran for a total of 53 episodes.

Movie REVIEW: Ultraman Arc the Movie: The Clash of Light and Evil

As the Ultraman franchise continues to grow in global recognition, it's 2024 entry Ultraman Arc is perhaps the most accessible it has ever been to an international audience - not only was it simulcast on YouTube alongside its initial airing on Japanese television, but it also had a variety of dubs available immediately on release as well. This isn't the only thing that makes Arc unique amongst its contemporaries either, with its subsequent movie outing also bucking the trend when it comes to what fans have come to expect from such things. Rather than act as an epilogue to the series, Ultraman Arc the Movie: The Clash of Light and Evil instead mixes things up by taking place during the main story (specifically episodes 21 and 22). However despite that, the film was not released in Japan until a month after its conclusion - making it best viewed with the whole series in mind.

First Impressions: Ultraman Omega

As the Ultraman franchise enters its sixth year of delivering worldwide simulcasts with multi-language subtitles via its ULTRAMAN Official YouTube Channel, there isn't a shadow of a doubt that Tsuburaya Productions are leading the way when it comes to making their shows available on a global scale. For its 2025 entry, we enter a brave new world with Ultraman Omega. The series compositors are Toshizo Nemoto and Junichiro Ashiki (both veteran writers for the New Generation era), while its main director is Masayoshi Takasue (who previously held the same role for Ultraman R/B and Ultraman Decker). Unfortunately unlike previous entries Ultraman Arc and Ultraman Blazar it seems an English language dub won't be available on the day of release, but is said to be coming at a later date.

Series REVIEW: Ultraman Arc

Although its move towards global takeover has been happening for some time now, 2024 proved a be a particularly big year for the Ultraman franchise. The animated movie Ultraman: Rising arrived on Netflix to critical acclaim, the Marvel Comics series returned in a big way with Ultraman x Avengers and of course a brand new mainline series debuted - once again available worldwide on the ULTRAMAN OFFICIAL YouTube channel with multi-language subtitles and an English dub. Ultraman Arc invites viewers to unleash the power of their imagination, written by Jun Tsugita and directed by Takanori Tsujimoto - both making their debut as head screenwriter and main director respectively though previously contributors to Ultraman throughout the New Generation era. 

Movie REVIEW: Ultraman Blazar the Movie: Tokyo Kaiju Showdown

While the Ultraman franchise has carved out a clear plan for worldwide exposure over the past few years, there were times where it ran the risk of being a little too predictable for longtime fans. Then following a string of series where paying tribute to the past seemed to be a primary factor (whether it be the gimmicks and continuity of the New Generation Heroes or the "reimagining" approach of Trigger and Decker), Ultraman Blazar came along and tore up the playbook - featuring a fresh take on its hero that wasn't quite as tied to the show's history. And though its now firm tradition for an Ultraman series to end with a big screen movie adventure, Ultraman Blazar the Movie: Tokyo Kaiju Showdown is similarly unfazed by its predecessors. Though released in Japan back in February 2024, unlike other recent Ultraman movies this was not made available worldwide through Ultraman Connection - with English-speaking fans having to wait for the recent complete series blu-ray release from Mill Creek Entertainment for it's official subtitled (and dubbed) release.

Toybox REVIEW: Figma Gridman (Universe Fighter)

Release Date: November 2024

RRP: 8900 yen

In 2023 Studio Trigger's continuation of the Gridman the Hyper Agent franchise came to a climax (at least for the time being anyway) with the aptly-titled Gridman Universe, crossing over the casts of SSSS.Gridman and SSSS.Dynazenon for an action-packed finale that naturally introduced a number of new forms and combos. Something that both Bandai and Good Smile Company have taken advantage of with their respective toylines, particularly the latter as they follow up their premium THE GATTAI releases with Max Factory's Figma Gridman (Universe Fighter). This figure is based on the form Gridman takes during the finale of the film as he merges with Yuta once more and breaks free of the confines of the universe itself.

Series REVIEW: Ultraman Ace

With Return of Ultraman proving to be a success, in late 1971 Tsuburaya Productions and TBS began work on a follow-up Ultraman series. When coming up with an initial concept for the series, three screenwriters were tapped to offer their own individual proposals. Shinichi Ichikawa's "Ultra Hunter" would see a man and woman join together to become an Ultraman born beyond gender boundaries, fighting against the invasion of the Andromeda Space Corps. Shozo Uehera's "Ultra Fighter" saw a defence team member inherit the powers of an Ultraman from Nebula M78 battling against monsters created by a mad scientist. Finally Shigemitsu Taguchi's "Ultra V" featured monsters manufactured by an alien force targeting the Earth. Rather that pick just one proposal, all three were amalgamated into what would become the fifth entry in the Ultra Series - Ultraman Ace. Premiering on April 7th 1972, Ultraman Ace ran for a total of 52 episodes and reflected the next evolution in the Ultraman franchise.

First Impressions: Ultraman Arc

2024 looks like it's going to be another big year for the Ultraman franchise! In the last few weeks Ultraman: Rising has dropped on Netflix to largely positive reception, in comics the Giant of Light will be facing off against Earth's Mightiest Heroes starting this August in Ultraman x Avengers and on the main series side of things a brand new instalment in the franchise has just begun! Ultraman Arc invites fans to unleash the power of imagination, once again being distributed worldwide via the ULTRAMAN OFFICIAL YouTube channel complete with a variety of different language subtitles as well as a simultaneously released English dub.

Movie REVIEW: Ultraman: Rising

 

Ultraman's worldwide expansion over the last few years has been a thing of marvel, with the likes of mass market Blu-ray releases, a Marvel comic book series, an anime adaptation of an ongoing manga sequel/spin-off, the cinematic release of Shin Ultraman and YouTube simulcasts of the current airing shows all working in tandem to turn the franchise into a household name across the globe. Now the next step in that bid for world domination comes in the form of Ultraman: Rising - a feature length animated film co-produced by Netflix Animation and Tsuburaya Productions with animation by Industrial Light & Magic. The film is the directorial debut of Shannon Tindle, so co-directed alongside John Aoshima. Tindle also co-wrote the story alongside Marc Haimes, both of whom also were behind the original story for Laika's 2016 film Kubo and the Two Strings. The film stars Christopher Sean (Star Wars Resistance) in the lead role as Ken Sato/Ultraman, with the Japanese voice being provided by Yuki Yamada (Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger's Joe Gibken/Gokai Blue).

Movie REVIEW: Gridman Universe

In addition to the worldwide exposure they've given the Ultraman franchise, one of the best things Tsuburaya Productions have done in the past few years is taken Gridman the Hyper Agent and turned it from a fondly-remembered (but still fairly niche) 90s tokusatsu series and turned it into a fully-fledged franchise. Together with renowned animation studio Trigger they produced both SSSS.Gridman in 2019 and SSSS.Dynazenon in 2021 - each one expanding upon concepts from the original series. After both series were met with resounding praise, the only logical next step was to bring the two together - and what better name for it than the very thing these shows have helped to create? Gridman Universe was released in Japanese cinemas in March 2023, following the release of two recap films to give viewers a refresher (or alternatively bring new ones up to speed) prior to the crossover.

Anime REVIEW: ULTRAMAN Final

ULTRAMAN Final is available in streaming form on Netflix

While the success of Ultraman's recent bid for global recognition is largely attributed towards the main series and Shin Ultraman, it would be remiss not to give some of the credit to Netflix's adaptation of Eiichi Shimuzu and Tomohiro Shimoguchi's ongoing manga series as well. It's a very different kind of Ultraman, but the accessibility of Netflix combined with the exposure its received through merchandising and other means have made it something of a surprise hit in the Ultraman arsenal. All good things must come to an end though, and while the manga is still going strong for now the same cannot be said for the anime version. After a strong first season and a good-yet-troubled sequel, Production I.G. and Sola Digital Arts return for the show's conclusion with the aptly titled ULTRAMAN Final.

Special REVIEW: Ultraman Regulos: First Mission

Following on from his appearances in Ultra Galaxy Fight: The Destined Crossroad and the Ultraman Regulos miniseries, the story of the latest Ultra hero continues in Ultraman Regulos: First Mission! Releasing on both the Tsuburaya Productions YouTube channel and Ultraman Connection only a few weeks after his titular miniseries, this two-part special brings Regulos' story up into the current timeline - charting his trajectory following his release from the Absolutians' capture. As with many of the recent Ultraman projects, it has been released worldwide with an English dub as well as in its original Japanese with multi-language subtitles.

First Impressions: Ultraman Blazar

While the "New Generation Series" era of Ultraman has been pivotal in helping Tsuburaya Productions re-establish the franchise as a major player in both Japan and the rest of the world, there's no denying that it's lost the lustre it once had. While the overall quality of the shows remain high, the look and feel of the shows have become formulaic. Even shows like Ultraman Trigger and Ultraman Decker, both of which were supposed to harken back to Ultraman's return in the 1990s, didn't feel all that removed from their recent predecessors. Clearly TsuPro have recognised this themselves as well, which is why for the 2023 instalment of the franchise they seem to be going back to basics. Ultraman Blazar has arrived, with fans worldwide once again able to watch the series legally via TsuPro's official YouTube channel or the Ultraman Connection website. Additionally for the very first time, the series will be available with an English dub released simultaneously with the original Japanese audio.

Miniseries REVIEW: Ultraman Regulos

Even among the pantheon of lesser-known Ultras brought to the table during Ultra Galaxy Fight: The Destined Crossroad, Tsuburaya Productions still found the time to introduce fans to a brand-new Ultra hero as well – Ultraman Regulos. This martial arts-based Ultra debuted with very little backstory within the web series, but showed clear links to both Ultraman Leo and Astra as well as similarly new villain Absolute Diavolo. With Tsuburaya seemingly taking a break from the Ultras ongoing battle against the Absolutions in 2023, instead they're finally shining some light on this new hero with an Ultraman Regulos miniseries. Running for a total of six episodes, this web-series debuted on both the Tsuburaya YouTube channel and Ultraman Connection with both Japanese and English language audio (as well as a multitude of subtitle languages) – once again showing their dedication to spreading the word of Ultraman across the globe.

Series REVIEW: Ultraman Decker

It's a testament to Ultraman's revival in the 1990s that not only were Tsuburaya Productions able to create a legacy with Ultraman Tiga that still stands 25 years later, but they were also able to follow it up with a series that's proved to be equally beloved. With 2022 celebrating the 25th anniversary of Ultraman Dyna, the latest instalment in the Ultra Series followed in the footsteps of predecessor Ultraman Trigger: New Generation Tiga to reimagine its iconic hero for a new generation. The result was Ultraman Decker - a direct sequel to Trigger that continues its story the same way Dyna did with Tiga two and a half decades prior. True to their pledge to expand the Ultraman fandom across the globe, the series is available outside of Japan via the official Ultraman YouTube channel in a variety of languages. Only this time the episodes haven't just (initially) been made available for a limited time - the whole series is readily available for fans at their leisure.

First Impressions: Ultraman Decker

Ultraman Decker is available to stream on YouTube

Thanks to the revival of the Ultraman franchise as a worldwide brand, Ultraman Day has become an event that isn't just celebrated every July 10th (the day the "Birth of Ultraman" preview event was originally broadcast back in 1966) - it's become a week-long celebration of everything Ultraman. Much like the last few years Tsuburaya Productions have ensured that this celebration coincides with the release of the latest instalment in the franchise, and once again it's marking another big anniversary. Last year saw the 25th anniversary of Ultraman Tiga marked with the release of Ultraman Trigger: New Generation Tiga, and with 2022 marking the same milestone for Tiga sequel Ultraman Dyna the story of Trigger continues in Ultraman Decker! In what has become a staple for the franchise, the series is available to fans worldwide subtitled in a variety of languages - with episodes remaining on Youtube for two weeks after their premiere.

Toybox REVIEW: THE GATTAI DX Gridknight & Goldburn

Release Date: November 2021 

RRP: 8800 yen 

Dynazenon may be a fantastic robot on its own, but as soon as SSSS.Gridman fan favourite Gridknight made an appearance in SSSS.Dynazenon fans immediately knew that a bigger combination was on the cards. Naturally it took a few episodes to happen, but the debut of Kaiser Gridknight in episode nine of the series certainly did not disappoint. And much in the same way – THE GATTAI DX Gattai Ryujin Dynazenon may be a fantastic figure on its own, but why stop there when you can have something even bigger? Enter THE GATTAI DX Gridknight & Goldburn, an add-on set that was released to coincide with the reissue of Dynazenon. Prior to its November release collectors who had previously bought Dynazenon were invited to take part in special lottery, with the prize being the opportunity to purchase and receive the set some months ahead of its official release. Unfortunately said official release wasn't quite as straightforward as Dynazenon's, with the set being made exclusively available through the Good Smile Company online store…plus any middlemen services that chose to carry it of course.

Toybox REVIEW: THE GATTAI Gattai Ryujin DX Dynazenon

Release Date: May 2021, October 2021 (Reissue)

RRP: 22,000 yen

As beloved as SSSS.Gridman was by anime and tokusatsu fans alike, there's one thing that we can agree that wasn't so successful - the toys. Whether it was the price or quality control issues, the anime successor to Hyper Agent Gridman seemed to draw the short straw when it came the perfect version of Full Power Gridman - with the DX offering from Good Smile Company being the most notorious of all. So when sequel series SSSS.Dynazenon was announced by Studio Trigger and Tsuburaya Productions, naturally collectors feared the worst when it come to get a nice big combining figure of this impressive super robot. However it looks as though Good Smile learned from previous mistakes, even teaming up with popular high-end toy company Sentinel (who've released more than their fair share of incredible robot toys) to produce THE GATTAI Gateau Ryujin DX Dynazenon. Though originally announced as a standard DX release, prior to its release Dynazenon was adopted into THE GATTAI - a new range from Good Smile focusing specifically on high-end combining robots. Somewhere both Gridman and Dynazenon would feel right at home.