User blog:SolZen321/My 10 favorite parts of the Ultra series

So some time ago, I did a blog about the ten things in the franchise that irked me the most. So it's only fair that I do a blog about the ten things I like the most in the series. Now as before, please remember that this is my PERSONAL opinion, completely bias and not to be taken as a means of judging certain aspect of the series (well mostly)

10: When the Ultras get explained
As someone who likes to theorize and theorize how impossible things could somehow work (seriously, go look up Ultraman Orino on Ultra Fan Wiki and see how much world building I've done) I always like when they try to explain things about the Ultras. This could be explanations as how their powers or work, or a look into their society and culture. I'm a fan of world building.

9: The monster mystery (when done right)
Now some may ask, what is the 'monster mystery', well it's the basic premise of many episodes, especially Ultraman. Strange things happen, we the audience know it's a monster (because obviously), and the team has first figure out where and if their is a monster, and when it does appear, how to stop it. Ultimately it's the effort to try and figure out the monster. I find that in most modern shows, the whole mystery aspect is sort of...gone, not there. Oh it does appear sometimes in various forms, but not that often, though I think I understand why.

8: When the Ultra's talk
Let's be honest, Ultras are not really the main stars of their show (shocking, I know). They are mainly someone who appears at the end of the show as a living Deus Ex Machina, to solve the situation...which is often over a hundred feet tall and usually breaths fire or an energy beam. It's always the human host who the real main character, heck sometimes the Ultra serves as a mentor figure...even though, they are the ones fighting. So when Ultras talk, we actually get to see some of their personality...which is often put into the purpose of a mentor figure (It's beginning to sound like I should've put this on the other list), though not always. (X sometimes annoyed me, oftentimes made me laugh, but they actually demonstrated him and Daichi as have an actual relationship beyond 'fight this thing when I call you')

7: Monster Designs
Especially the modern ones, and modern remakes. They are interesting, their cool and imaginative, nuff said (this is an opinion piece what did you expect?)

6: Character Designs
Similar with the previous one. One has to wonder how many different looking Ultras they can make (yes, that was a stab at Jack, come at me bro!). Many look cool, some look cheap (Zoffy and Rutler are excused, but you can sit back down Jack!) but they almost always look unique, (cough, cough Seven type Ultras, cough, cough Ultraman Zero, cough, cough) almost

5: The Mature series
Ultraseven, Ultraseven X, Tiga (just role with it) and Nexus. Especially that last one, these are the series I recommend to people of an older age, when they ask about Ultraman. These series try to be more than kid shows, they try to be accessible for adults years later, and I think that's why I think they are so reverred among the fandom and outside. Characters are deeper, than usual, the stories, more thought provoking and we at times, may even get more than one major story arc.

4: Tiga's backstory
Now, going back to my prior entries on this list, you would know I find the Ultras as the most interesting part of the show. I have to wonder, what are they like, how do they operate, who were they before Episode 1. Let's be fair, we rarely ever got a backstory for any Ultra, at least one that wasn't from a magazine or comic. Taro, Hikari and Leo are the only one's I think off, of the top of my head. So yeah, here's a big reason why Tiga is one of my favorite Ultras... he has a history. From the series we knew he protected Earth in the past, that he and the other Ultras suffered a sort of betrayel/abandonment from mankind, that resulted in a extinction level event ( I know who did it, this is for those who haven't watched it yet, speaking of which, shame on you, go, go and watch it now, it's awesome!). We have a character with a backstory.

Thought for the longest time, we thought it was just original Tiga's backstory, then came Final Oddysey (with its wretched 'Plan F') and we find out that Daigo is Tiga's reincarnation (a spoiler yes, but it's for my point) suddenly Daigo's entire story is just Tiga's story and a story. Name any other hero in this franchise, who started out as a villain. Think about that, we have redeemed villains as secondary characters, Ultras gods in mortal form (Nexus), Giants of Legend and main characters who almost fell to the dark side, but as far as main characters go, no former villains.

Wow Tiga is all kinds of original.

3: Stories
They say good science fiction is social commentary. I'm not to sure who 'they' (because I don't have a perfect memory or the inclanation to go reasearch through the annals of the internet) are but they are obviously very wise. Another wise thing 'the' said Story is king, it's what seperates the best from the standard, and the standard from the below-par. This needs no real explanation, you guys should know what I'm talking about.

2: When the Ultra gets a human form
Many of you probably saw this coming (how could you not, there's a table of contents). I like when we learn about the Ultra's personality, I realize Ultras, aren't really the main character, titular yes, but not the one whose journey we are following, so imagine my glee when an Ultra uses a human form. Suddenly, we are seeing their personality. Dan, Takeshi, Daigo, and Mirai, in these instances, it's not some human, but the actual being who has to fight, being characters. I find they tell some of the best stories, though other more traditional stiuations still work (Nexus, Ultraseven Evolution...and that's all I can remember)

1: The Fights
Let's be honest, most of us didn't get into this series because of its lessons, morals or deep engaging stories and characters. We came to see giant monsters get curb stomped (though I'm sure Earth doesn't have any curbs that big, oh who cares, it's not like the wouldn't try it, especially back in the Showa Era) I am no different, I cared mainly about the fight at the end of the episode. It wasn't until I started writing Ultraman Orion, that I really made a true effort to look at more from the series. Even so, ask anyone on the Fan Fiction Wiki, action scenes are my favorite part of writing. As much as I dislike Zero, overall, yes I enjoy his fight scenes the most (he's still overpowered, over marketed and lacking in a great deal of originality, which oddly enough, makes him the perfect poster boy if you think about all his aspect and the role of 'poster boy' but I digress). My favorite series, have many of my favorite fights, it's true and let's be honest, the fights are going to be an important part of the series, for as long as it goes.