Happy Holidays, Kaiju United readers! It’s a wonderful time of year to spend with your family, friends, and community. I thought greatly about what I could do personally to bring some holiday cheer to kaiju fans, as there isn’t really a huge way to celebrate this time of year without just diving into the toys and merchandise. But then, I recalled something great… Ultraman has had a plethora of holiday-themed episodes that all aired pretty close to or exactly on Christmas! In fact, it may be one of the few kaiju franchises to do this wholeheartedly. I don’t really see Godzilla celebrating the holidays when he fights the Smog Monster, just sayin’.
This isn’t a complete list, as there are a few more that got aired on Tsuburaya Productions and Ultraman Connection’s holiday marathon this week, but they’re the ones I picked out to watch and give some thoughts on. I did, however, attempt to put these in release order for you, going from oldest episode to newest.
So, sit back, grab your favorite cup of hot chocolate, comfy sweater, and Ultraman figure! Let’s dive into some episodes, shall we?
Return of Ultraman Ep. 37 – ‘Ultraman Dies at Sunset’ & Ep. 38 – ‘When the Ultra Star Shines!’
Yep, I cheated. This one’s a two-parter!
Ultraman Jack is in complete shambles. Without spoiling too much, the evil Nackle has completely obliterated our hero, both physically and emotionally, and is carrying him off to their planet to await execution. A miracle is needed for our hero to triumph in this critical moment, and it comes in the form of the two previous Ultras.. Ultraman and Ultraseven! The power of their support & friendship brings new energy to Ultraman Jack’s fight, culminating in his triumph and defeat over Nackle in this lovely episode. In terms of production, the cinematography is on point, with close & claustrophobic camerawork as they infiltrate the base, and wide, sweeping scenery shots whenever the heroes are outdoors. Now, how does this tie into Christmas besides obviously airing on Christmas Eve? In a heartwarming finale, Hideki Go, Ultraman Jack’s human host, returns home to celebrate the holiday and finds peace on Christmas Eve despite suffering tremendously at the hands of Nackle. This episode tugs at the heartstrings by culminating with the perfect feelings of being with the ones you love, and even if some of them are no longer with us, we celebrate their lives and the holidays anyway. I cannot recommend this classic episode enough. Needless to say, it’s iconic for a reason.
Ultraman Ace Ep. 38 – ‘Resurrection! The Father of Ultra’
The holidays are in full swing! Opening with a montage of holiday shopping rather than subtle Holiday cheer, our protagonists arrive to deliver presents to a children’s home. I found it particularly interesting that by this series, there are toys and costumes of our hero, Ultraman Ace, that families can purchase in time for the big day. After a fanatical zealot releases a snow beast on Christmas Eve, believing it to be punishment for those who believe in foreign Gods such as Santa Claus, and not traditional Japanese deities, it’s up to Ultraman Ace to save Christmas! But he will not face this battle alone… Santa Claus will join the fray! But the true identity of Santa may be more than meets the eye…
My favorite moment from this episode was the young kid asking Santa Claus, “Are you a good guy or a bad guy?”, with Santa responding, “What do you think?” with a warm and friendly smile that only jolly ol’ Saint Nick could provide you. Of course, the big surprise from this episode has been discussed amongst kaiju fans for years now – the fact that Santa is canonically Father of Ultra – but it’s still a really well done and wholesome reveal for the franchise. Despite being from Nebula M78, the character of Santa Claus is perfectly emulated here: a cheerful, optimistic force of good for all children. Sounds familiar, right?
Ultraman 80 Ep. 38 – ‘The Echoing Voice of Father Ultra’
For a while now, I’ve had the feeling that Ultraman 80 is often overlooked when assessing the entire franchise, so I was personally very excited to throw this on the list. While it is true that this era was arguably at what could be considered Ultraman’s lowest point, I did find some enjoyment from this episode! When a child’s father is hospitalized after getting in a horrific accident and blaming a kaiju, the young boy is pestered by his peers about his father being a filthy liar. Of course, it is revealed to be a monster of the week, but seeing the young boy remark that he will spend Christmas all alone is pretty sad. That being said, the episode ended on a positive and wholesome note, and I thought the kite theme was interesting. I did have a little chuckle though, as there was some instrumental music that sounded just like Barry White’s Love Unlimited Orchestra. Maybe that’s a reference for some of our older readers. Overall, not as bad as I was expecting, has some endearing moments, but seems to be forgotten in the shuffle of greats.
Ultraman Max Ep. 26 – ‘Elly at Christmas’
Why is everyone happy when it’s Christmas? That’s a question I’ve asked myself too. The android Elly is attempting to understand the purpose of Christmas, with her peers remarking that it is to make others happy by giving them gifts or miracles. I found this existential story rather touching, as she attempts to help an old man capture a beast that he has spent his entire life attempting to do. The episode does a great job of setting up the search for the Yunijin, with fun banter between Mr. Swindle (as he’s initially called) and Elly as her team looks for her. A cute and heartwarming episode about what it means to give to others, I thought it was nice to have an episode amongst this batch where Ultraman didn’t have to save the planet from exploding, his family didn’t die, or anything major like that. Ultraman Max simply did everything he could do to save this creature before the effects of it being gone were too much. Ultraman is at its best, in my opinion, when there is not a single moment of combat, but the day is still saved, and the world is at peace. This episode is a true highlight for that reason.
Ultraman Mebius Ep. 37 – ‘Father’s Back’
I was really excited to watch this episode, as I’ve been watching through Ultraman Mebius over the past few months by recommendation of the amazing folks at Ultraman Connection. I’ve been loving the series so far. What a really big downer of an opening, though! Dad’s gotta work on Christmas and is always too busy to spend time with you. Ouch. I’m sure we can all relate to a parent or guardian being “too busy” and “always working” during the holidays. It’s not a fun feeling, but I’m really glad the episode decided to go there, especially with Japan’s work culture. On the side, the Father of Ultra Advent Festival is going on and everyone is hoping Father will appear. Sounds like a real case of absent fathers. Yikes.
Some positives – GREAT villainous monster design. The creature looks cool and scary, and I adored the unique editing when it utilized its freeze powers. Ultraman Mebius can’t face this foe by himself, and Father of Ultra indeed shows up to save the day. I really appreciated, as I’ve been emphasizing in my thoughts, the themes of fatherhood in this episode. Our father figures are here to protect us no matter how busy they may seem or how off planet they may be. Additionally, I love that Father of Ultra let Mebius fight his own battle. An encouraging force watching from the bleachers, if you will. Overall, this episode blew me away. It’s got some of the best fight choreography and tokusatsu I’ve seen in the entire series towards the end, with beautiful, flowing movements from Father of Ultra, and precise, skillful strikes from Ultraman Mebius.
As always, I have a soft spot for stoic heroes that gift us with their wisdom. Father of Ultra is the perfect example of that, especially in this episode, so I leave you with some words from Father himself:
“As long as you don’t give up, there is no defeat.”
I hope you have enjoyed this rundown of holiday-themed Ultraman episodes & my thoughts! Most of these episodes can be viewed officially on the official Ultraman YouTube channel and on the Tubi streaming service. I highly recommend popping in one of these episodes to truly make your Christmas a kaiju one. And don’t forget, no matter how you celebrate, or who you celebrate it with, you are never alone this holiday season. We at Kaiju United hope that it is a wonderful time for you and your loved ones. Be kind to one another, support your communities, and have a phenomenal rest of your year.
