Anime Review: Ultraman Episode 1

Ultraman

Studio: Production I.G

Genre: Action

Streaming: Netflix

Ultraman is the classic tokusatsu franchise that led to generations of children growing up loving giant robots and aliens. Now, a new generation of fans will be born with Production I.G’s adaptation of Ultraman, which acts a sequel to the original story. Despite being a sequel, this a fun jumping on point for new viewers.

Shin Hayata was the first Ultraman, and now has a teenage boy, Shinjiro. Shinjiro is unaware of his family history and is superpowered thanks to his relationship with Ultraman. He spends his time doing wild things like jumping across rooftops. Before too long, the father and son’s connection to Ultraman collides, leading to a lot of action.

The first episode of the series does a fantastic job at establishing the relationship of the characters and their circumstances. The father and son dynamic is well handled, and despite some cliches, feels fairly natural. Shinjiro isn’t normal, and not understanding who he or his father leads to him struggling with his identity. Everything feels like a standard teenage superhero story, but it is fun to watch.

Shinjiro is an interesting enough character, but it’s hard to call him likable after just one episode. He is a bit standoffish, seems to have a good heart, but doesn’t know how to handle what is happening around him. A scene in which he helps someone in trouble more or less captures his personality. He wants to do good things and isn’t a fan of trouble. He could make for a fine protagonist, and time will tell if he can remain interesting and not be just another stereotypical hero.

The 3D CG animation may take some time to get used to and certainly won’t be enjoyed by everyone. The animation is mostly fine but is held back by some choppy moments with low framerates. The style kind of lends itself well to the genre. The wavy animation appears like the old tokusatsu shows, even if this is unintentional. The style does work for the little bit of action in this episode. The movement feels like it has weight behind it, which isn’t usually present in traditional animation. The action is impressive and a lot of fun to watch. A few frame stutters can’t prevent this from being a good looking show.

The sound design is fantastic. The heroic scenes are accompanied by a great score that reminds me of Western superhero movies. The action sounds great, with nothing feeling out of place. The action feels epic in scale thanks to the cool animation and sound design coming together well. Tokusatsu enthusiasts will find a lot to cheer for in this series if the production values hold up throughout.

Ultraman should be a great series for fans of the medium or even new viewers. I look forward to seeing where the series goes. This is one to check out.