ULTRAMAN (2004 film)

Ultraman: The Next, released in Japan simply titled ULTRAMAN (ウルトラマンUrutoraman? ), is a 2004 tokusatsu superhero film. It is part of the Ultra Series' experimental Ultra N Project, and features an Ultraman character codenamed "The Next". The movie, produced by Tsuburaya Productions, received its theatrical release in Japan on December 18, 2004, distributed by Shochiku.

Summary
First Lieutenant Shun'ichi Maki of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force is a prestigious F-15 Eaglejet pilot (or "driver" as he is called in the film). A lifelong fan of flying since he was a child, being a pilot is his ultimate dream. Unfortunately, his duties distance himself from his wife, Yoko, who always ends up being neglected, and his son, Tsugumu, who has a congenital blood disease and has a high risk of dying at a young age.

Maki decides to quit the Air Force to devote more time to his family and to spend whatever is left for his son. He takes a part-time job as a commercial tour guide run by a kindly group of people who allow him time to work and to also take care of his family.

However, prior to quitting, Maki and his flight partner Yamashima are alerted to a strange red light streaking towards Japan, and Maki's plane collides with the red light. However, he has suffered no ill effects other than brief flashes of scenes playing out in his mind. He later discovers that the images in his mind are due to telepathic messages from the strange being in the light.

Main Characters

 * Maki Shunichi (真木 舜一) / Ultraman the Next (ウルトラマン・ザ・ネクスト): Played by Bessho Tetsuya (別所 哲也).
 * Mizuhara Sara (水原 沙羅): Played by Tooyama Kyooko (遠山 景織子).
 * Udou Takafumi (有働 貴文) / Beast the One (ビースト・ザ・ワン): Played by Oosumi Kenya (大澄 賢也).

Supporting

 * Yuuki Nae (裕木 奈江)
 * Hirota Ryouhei (広田 亮平)
 * Nagasawa Toshiya (永澤 俊矢)
 * Ryuu Daisuke (隆 大介)
 * Kusakari Masao (草刈 正雄)

Theme Songs

 * OP: "Theme from ULTRAMAN" by TAK MATSUMOTO
 * ED: "NEVER GOOD-BYE" by TMG

Original Soundtrack
The original soundtrack, known simply as ULTRAMAN ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK, was produced by TAK MATSUMOTO (of B'z), under his VERMILLION RECORDS label (which is in turn, a part of the BEING GIZA group). It was released in Japan on July 20, 2005. The catalogue code for the album is BMCV-8015.