For the better part of three decades, I have been enamored with the King of the Monsters, Godzilla. A giant, atomic-breathing dinosaur destroying landscapes and lambasting other kaiju into the dirt, what’s not to love? Some of my earliest memories are traveling to the local video store with my dad and renting a different Godzilla tape ad nauseum, memories of Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla, Godzilla vs. The Smog Monster, and Godzilla vs. Monster Zero flooded my mind. Kaiju have been an evergreen presence ever since. But only recently have I embraced Japan’s other most popular Kaiju franchise (well, besides Gamera, of course.)
Ultraman was something that was always on my periphery. It was an image that persisted through my life, an unmistakable silhouette that I knew very little about. As a child, like most kids of the 1990’s, I loved Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers. It was one of my earliest obsessions, and I recall rewatching ‘The Movie’ repeatedly. This mysterious silver superhero seemed to combine elements of Power Rangers (or rather what I would later discover was Super Sentai) with Godzilla. Also, was this hero somehow related to Jet Jaguar!? Good lord, little Russ, You didn’t even know half of it.
Despite the comparisons, I still kept Ultraman at arm’s length. I tried many times over the years to get into the franchise. I remember finding a really cheap DVD set of the original series at a Kmart, watching a few episodes (enjoying them even), but quietly moving on to something else. I don’t think I was in the right headspace yet for Ultraman, as bizarre as that sounds. I was already a young adult at this point, so to say I wasn’t mentally ready for a Japanese children’s superhero show is a bit oxymoronic. I couldn’t call myself an Ultraman fan, but that all changed thanks to a gentleman named Matt Frank.
My memory is hazy on how exactly I stumbled across Redman by Matt Frank. I had no prior knowledge of this character, or that it was even connected to Ultraman (other than the obvious resemblance.) I bought Redman Vol. 1 on a whim, and became completely enthralled by the breathtaking art and the creepy aura radiating from its pages. I was already a fan of Matt’s Godzilla art from Godzilla: Rulers of the Earth, but I thought this book sent it through the stratosphere.
Surprisingly vicious Kaiju battles spliced with doses of humor and skin crawling cosmic horror, Redman became one of my favorite comic books of all time. I had to learn more about this character. To my surprise, not only did he bear a resemblance to Ultraman, but he also kind of was one? And also, why does Redman kill a kaiju that was essentially Godzilla mixed with Jurassic Park’s fictional take on the Dilophosaurus (My boy: Jirahs)?
One word: Tsuburaya.
I learned all about Eiji Tsuburaya, a name I had known from Godzilla behind the scenes featurettes. I had NO idea, though, that he also created Ultraman. His production company was so tightly knit with Toho’s famous monster that Tsuburaya was allowed to use Godzilla suits and sound effects on Ultraman. A mind melting revelation to me in the truest form. This explained why Jirahs (and also to a lesser extent: Gomess) looked exactly like Godzilla, but with a frill. This plethora of new information fascinated me, but it still wasn’t quite enough to allow my entrance into the Ultraman fandom.
I flirted with my Ultra destiny once again when Mill Creek began releasing the Ultra shows on Blu-ray. I ended up with Ultra Q, Ultraman, Ultraseven, and Return of Ultraman for Christmas. Much like the earlier DVD release though, I watched a few episodes and then my interest faded into the ether. I thought Ultraman was so COOL, but it wasn’t clicking. It would take something drastic, something powerful.
Something…evil.
Ever since I was a child, I’ve been obsessed with villains. I think because I’m such a goody two shoes in real life, my outlet is villains. From comic book supervillains to dark lords of the Sith, I crave a good villain. Godzilla had given me plenty of badass evildoers; King Ghidorah, Destoroyah, Hedorah, and SpaceGodzilla were among my favorites. However, it would take a really cool villain to finally break through to the Ultra fandom.
Enter Ultraman Belial.
Doomscrolling through social media in the dwindling months of 2024, the world was collapsing. An impending doom lingered, and hope seemed lost. I found solace in Godzilla’s 70th birthday celebration but a chance mention on Bluesky sent me in another direction. A friend of mine, the one I only know as Ed, tagged me in a post. It was photos of an upcoming action figure release, which was the SH FiguArts Darkness Heels Ultraman Belial. My jaw hit the floor. Clad in black and splashed with blood like crimson, I needed to know more about this evil Ultra. Thankfully, Ed provided an entry point: Mega Monster Battle Ultra Galaxy Legends: The Movie.
Now, as someone who only had a vague understanding of Ultraman, I was unprepared for what I bore witness to. My mind was blown, in more ways than one. On one hand, it was information overload. So many things went over my head, so many questions. What the heck IS the Land of Light? Why are all these Ultramen in one spot? Why is THERE ONLY ONE WOMAN? WHY DOES THAT ULTRAMAN HAVE A MUSTACHE?!? But on the other hand? Big, bad Belial kicking a bunch of Ultras’ butt RULED. I was bearing witness to one of the coolest Tokusatsu battles I’d ever seen, putting to shame any Power Rangers scuffle.
When the movie ended, and the credits rolled, I didn’t hinder myself with questions of continuity. I didn’t care about the mustache, or the plot holes, I didn’t allow my brain to overanalyze the intricacies of that film. All it left me with was a burning desire for more. I needed more Ultraman. So I followed the sinister trail of Belial. Ultraman Zero: The Revenge of Belial is pretty much a direct sequel to Mega Monster Battle. Belial was back and more powerful than ever, plus a cool cape. Somehow, the scale grows even larger, with an insane space opera battle of the stars leading to Belial transforming into a kaiju that bears a striking resemblance to my all-time favorite, SpaceGodzilla. My appetite wasn’t sated… I still needed more!
Belial makes his proper return in Ultraman Geed (I did watch Ultra Zero Fight which was cool but Belial is barely in it). Geed was the first Ultra show I watched from start to finish. I became so enamored with the entire cast, not just its badass villain. Riku being a toku fanboy appealed to me, and being a clone of Belial made him even cooler. I adored both female leads, Laiha was a badass who could hold her own while Moa was the comic relief with the heart of gold.
Ultraman Zero gets some much needed character development in this show, too. The brash, overconfident Ultra is force fed some humility and gains a further appreciation for the human race. Zenna, Pega, and the villainous Kei Fukuide all had their place. On top of all that, Belial gets an insane new form called Atrocious and it rips. After finishing this series, I could confidently call myself an Ultraman fan. But, I didn’t stop there.
I moved backward in the Ultra chronology and watched all of Ultraman Orb. Belial doesn’t “really” appear, but I definitely became overwrought with glee when his card came into play. Much like Geed, I was a big fan of the cast but Jugglus Juggler was the highlight, though, and I see why he’s a fan favorite. He’s cool, calm (mostly), has a killer theme, and he’s so hot. Even as a straight man, I know that man is hot.
While I didn’t like Orb as much as Geed, I still enjoyed it thoroughly. I finished off this first “wave” of Ultra fandom by watching the Netflix film Ultraman: Rising. An Ultraman movie in the vein of Into the Spider-Verse or TMNT: Mutant Mayhem? How would this work without suitmation, or as big of a budget as the previously mentioned blockbusters? It works wonderfully! A perfect balance between heart and heroism, Ultraman and Emi made me feel warm and fuzzy inside. Ultraman made me shed a tear.
So, that pretty much brings you up to speed. I watched some of Ultraman Blazar before it mysteriously disappeared from YouTube, and I watched Shin Ultraman, too. My journey thus far. I am anxiously awaiting the premiere of Ultraman Omega so I can watch my first Ultraman show LIVE and concurrently. Do I know everything about Ultraman? No. Am I open to learning and loving everything I can get my hands on? You bet. Oh, and as a final message, because I know there is some tribalism out there. Godzilla and Ultraman fans can co-exist. The will of Tsuburaya lives in both, and they harmonize. You can like one over the other, sure. But don’t yuck each other’s yums.
I often jokingly say to my wife: “Godzilla is my friend”. On the surface, that’s a cute running gag to make my wife and I smile. But in all seriousness, in a way, it’s true. Godzilla has been there for me through life’s greatest triumphs, and also its abysmal losses. With Ultraman, I feel as though I’ve found a new friend. Another fictional barrier to drown out the sorrows and tribulations we face in the world now, and going forward. Where Godzilla can be interpreted as a symbol of destruction towards humankind’s follies, Ultraman is a beacon of hope and the poster child of never surrender. I think we need both of those right now.
So, as I finish this piece, I want to shout out the ones who made me a fan. Thank you Matt Frank. Redman and also the Giganticast (which I miss dearly) planted the seed. And thank you to the one known as Ed, for showing me Belial and causing the seed to grow.
