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Kyodai Hero Shows and Films have been picking up popularity in recent years, especially in North America with surprise appearances. For example, Ultraman appearing at San Diego Comic-Con and Anime Expo. Speaking of Ultraman, the newest review focuses on the newest animated film, Ultraman Rising.
The story begins with a star athlete returning to Japan to take over his duties as Ultraman. Despite being on the verge of winning a championship in America, Kenji Sato has a lot on his plate, shielding Tokyo from Kaiju attacks, his baseball career, and being a dad to a Baby Kaiju?! Yes, you read that right, can our hero balance protecting Tokyo, his baseball career, and raising a Baby Kaiju?
The film was gorgeous and family-friendly, something that didn’t require knowledge of the Ultraman continuity (though, it was also fun for those who were fans of the franchise) and a great access point for curious viewers who want to know what Ultraman is about. Ultraman Rising has a lot of heart, a film that focuses on it’s down-to-earth portrayal of parenting. The film takes a different route from your usual Tokusatsu formula by exploring a different scenario, where the hero endures the growing pains of raising the creature he was meant to fight.
Continuing on the subject, it also explores Kenji’s strained relationship with his estranged father and his mother’s mysterious disappearance. The movie pulls no punches on why their relationship was strained, their bond was strained due to his father’s duty of being a father figure and protector to the world. This sounds crazy on paper, but when you watch the final product on the big screen, it plays out beautifully. Speaking of a beautiful thing, the father/daughter dynamic between Kenji and his newly adopted Kaiju Daughter, Emi. After her mother was killed by the KDF, Ultraman/Ken Sato took her in and began to raise her on his own, finding out first-hand how challenging to raise a fire-breathing baby Gigantron. It displays the challenges that first time parents face in a Science Fiction approach, teaching her how to swim, to hunt for her food like her mother would, and how to have fun by teaching her how to play Baseball. Director Shannon Tindle and co-writer Marc Haimes did a great job on the film’s script and showing the touching parallel stories of father-son and parent-child relationships.
As for the action and visual effects, the animation was remarkable for 3DCG animation. The use of diorama compositions with neon-esque cityscape, combined with anime impact frames gave the film a manga page feel to it, if anything Ultraman Rising could be a contender for Best Animated Film of the Year honestly. The Kaiju fights may have been lackluster to some, but this was more of a hero origin story. The final battle was emotional and action packed, but it brought out what makes the Ultraman series great.
Ultraman Rising is available now on Netflix, and for more things Ultraman, be sure to check out Ultraman Connection and the official Ultraman YouTube Channels (English and International).
Final Grade:
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