Shin Ultraman was released in Japan earlier this year after it was delayed due to the covid-19 epidemic. Somewhere like last week's Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas, might be a strange place for a silver-and-red alien warrior who grows to buildingtowering sizes to shoot laser beams at giant monsters. The adult star of the silver screen is not the staple of Japanese children's television.
Shin Ultraman was one of the highlights of Fantastic Fest, balancing its creators' love of Ultraman as a concept with presenting the reality of giant beings battling giant monsters in modern Japan. io9 sat down with the director to learn more about the movie and what he wanted to see for Ultraman and tokusatsu at large. Our full interview can be found below.
Shin Ultraman has been on the film festival circuit for a long time. The international response to the movie is surprising to you.
The best thing about it is that I was unable to go out because of covid. Everything was shut down due to the swine flu. I have been able to see a lot of people from all over the world. The film has been released at international festivals.
Hideaki Anno loves Ultraman and its influence on its work. Before you started working on Shin Ultraman, what was your relationship to the series like?
Ultraman was there when I was a baby. Ultraman was present as far back as I can remember. I started watching the show when I was five. Growing up and having this be a part of my life has always been a close relationship in my life. When I first saw Ultraman, I didn't see him as a hero in the traditional sense, because his body was noodle-ish and he wasn't a hero in the traditional sense.
Ultraman has always been about these explicitly heroic figures and has always been about the monster as a villain. What was it that made it difficult for you to continue the legacy you and Anno-san started?
People have a good idea of what a hero is when they look at one. Spider-Man and Superman have it in their hearts that they need to do good. To make it into a situation where he is easily identifiable as a hero is the biggest challenge that he has.
Ultraman has a vision of bureaucracy that is similar to the Japanese government's response to Godzilla. How did you approach them in a different way than the way the government responded in Shin Godzilla?
When Shin Godzilla came out, it was the first time that they'd ever experienced a kaiju. The first instance of dealing with that situation is the government's response to the kaiju. By the time the movie Shin Ultraman comes out, their departments have evolved to deal with attacks on Japan. The evolution of this department is shown in Shin Ultraman.
You have worked in and out of the movie effects industry for a long time. What lessons did you learn from Shin Ultraman?
At first, I was like, "I really didn't learn anything" I said that I really didn't learn anything. It's a learning process.
There are times in my career where I have to figure out how to solve a problem. It is like, "Oh, we do it this way" It is something that I am used to and that is when the things that could go wrong on set occur frequently. When you have a legacy of pre-existing content that you have to honor, while also coming up with something that is a new and unique perspective on something that has been around for a long time, that was a challenge. There is nothing that stands out in the process of making a film. Part of the process.
Now, Anno-san has directed Shin Kamen Rider. Is there a future for yourself in doing more of these contemporary spins on tokusatsu legends, if not by yourself?
I don't have a lot of interest in doing a revival of an older, legendary kaiju. I would like to do something that is original. I want to come up with my own original idea.
Ultraman's legacy on Japanese TV is huge. In this age of superhero blockbusters, what do you think tokusatsu needs to do to stay relevant?
Toei and Toho were mostly staffed by young staffers when the original tokusatsu were released. They came out with content that was unique and had never been seen before. The ingenuity of young minds is what is needed for new creations to come about. For me, there needs to be younger minds joining the crew to come up with new ideas, like why is it on me? Affirmative.
Ultraman feels like a series that is finally beginning to cultivate a global fan base. Ultraman has been in his homeland for a long time, but now he's found appraisal all over the world.
It isn't like Ultraman is a superhero just because he's strong like Superman. It is different with Ultraman. He is strong He wouldn't be able to get up because he ran out of energy when he was fighting, grabbing the tail of a Kaiju, and getting thrown down. It has been removed from him. Ultraman having to get up made me feel better. It makes you want to jump up and down. It's not about "Oh, he's a superhero because he's strong, or he's always good", it's about the emotional connection, where it's not about "Oh, he's a superhero because he's Strong, or he' He's not flawless. He has weaknesses about him. The audience is so connected to that character because of that.
Shin Ultraman is expected to hit US theaters soon, but no release date has been confirmed.
Do you want to know more about io9. House of the Dragon and Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, as well as what's next for the DC Universe on film and TV, can be found on this page.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
