ULTRAMAN

Netflix's ULTRAMAN, based on the manga by Eiichi Shimizu and Tomohiro Shimoguchi, reimagines the classic tokusatsu hero for a new generation. The series, which ran from 2019 to 2023 across three seasons and 31 episodes, blends high school drama with sci-fi action. Ryohei Kimura voices Shinjiro Hayata, the reluctant son of the original Ultraman, while Takuya Eguchi plays Dan Moroboshi, the alien host of Ultraseven. The animation, a mix of 3D CGI and cel-shaded aesthetics, gives the fights a fluid, kinetic energy. With a TV-14 rating, it leans into mature themes of legacy and identity, earning a solid 7.1/10 from viewers.

Produced in collaboration with Tsuburaya Productions, the anime adapts a manga that itself serves as a sequel to the 1966 television series. The score, composed by Kazuma Jinnouchi and Nobuko Toda, adds weight to the action, while the opening theme for season one is Sight Over the Battle by OLDCODEX. The series was directed by Kenji Kamiyama and Shinji Aramaki, with 2D sequences handled by Production I.G and 3D work by Sola Digital Arts.[edit]

Shinjiro Hayata is a high school student in a world where extraterrestrials live secretly among humans. Decades after the original Ultraman disappeared, Shinjiro learns that he has inherited his father's powers. Shin Hayata, now elderly, passes down the Ultraman Suit, a high-tech armored exoskeleton that grants superhuman abilities. Shinjiro reluctantly becomes the new Ultraman, balancing school life with his secret hero duties.

The Science Special Search Party, or SSSP, monitors alien activity as a covert government organization. Dan Moroboshi, an SSSP operative who hosts the alien Ultraseven, becomes a mentor to Shinjiro, though his methods are more ruthless. Together they face rogue aliens, including the terrorist group Dark Star and the powerful entity Bemular. Season one establishes Shinjiro's origin and his struggle to live up to his father's legacy.

Season two introduces the Ultraman Brotherhood: Ace, Zoffy, Jack, and Taro, each with unique suits and abilities. They confront the Alien Invaders, a species that possesses human bodies and manipulates memories. A conspiracy within the SSSP forces Shinjiro to grapple with moral complexities, while Dan's past resurfaces. The season ends with hints of a larger cosmic threat.

Season three sees public opinion turn against the Ultraman warriors due to collateral damage. Shinjiro discovers that the Ultraman Factor within him is erasing his human emotions and memories, threatening to turn him into a machine. Father of Ultra, the ancient leader of the Ultraman race, reveals the true history of their civilization and its connection to Earth. The series builds toward a final confrontation with the Darkness, an anti-life entity that seeks to consume all light. Shinjiro must choose between embracing full Ultraman power or finding a new path that preserves his humanity.[edit]