Ultraman Ginga S is a Japanese television series produced by Tsuburaya Productions which continues the previous series' timeline. It aired during the New Ultraman Retsuden programming block on TV Tokyo, with its first half airing from July 15, 2014 to September 2 and its second half airing from November 4 to December 23.[1]
Unlike the previous entry, this series features a defense team, the UPG. It also introduces a new Ultra, Ultraman Victory.
The series can be watched on Shout TV, Roku, and Tubi.
Production[]
The 2013 broadcast of Ultraman Ginga successfully introduced a youthful spirit that was rarely seen in previous Ultraman series and fundamentally resonated with modern audiences in terms of themes. However, even when portraying heroes in fantasy works, it is essential to acknowledge and digest the manner of combat. In Ultraman Ginga, this aspect was not fully depicted, primarily due to the unique format of the series.[2]
During the initial planning of Ultraman Ginga, the show had two levels of format. One was a simple broadcast format, where it was presented as a special program within New Ultraman Retsuden, giving it a sense of being an unorthodox series. The other level was the rules that constituted the series, specifically the unique "Ultlive" system. As a result, Ultraman Ginga focused more on human behavior rather than the battles themselves, as its special status warranted. The setting where humans could become monsters or heroes, especially the concept that monsters could also possess heroism, emphasized the fantasy aspect of the series. Additionally, when the system involved soft vinyl toys, this imagery became even more definitive visually.[2]
This program format established a traditional "Ultraman" that did not rely on combat to convey catharsis, while also presenting a reality that did not depend on fictional elements. This dramatic nature stemmed from changes in the production environment, abandoning the traditional defense team setting, which freed the protagonist from being limited to a defense team member. This allowed for better presentation of the main character's motivations. This characteristic enabled Ultraman Ginga to incorporate a suitable distance between the Hikaru Raido and other main characters, as well as between Ultraman Ginga and the audience, showcasing the impact of "Ultraman" on the protagonist's inner world. However, while this distance worked well as a story extension in a short series, it was challenging to maintain this closeness in a long-term series. As a result, the ordinary human elements in Ultraman Ginga ultimately were not suitable for sustaining the development of a long-term series.[2]
From the inception of the Ultraman Ginga project, the production team was troubled by the inability to deeply portray the character of Ultraman Ginga due to the short series format. This sense of frustration within Tsuburaya Productions became a driving force, leading to the concept of creating a sequel to Ultraman Ginga the following year. The specific planning work, like that of Ultraman Ginga, was handled by the team of Chief Producer Tsugumi Kitaura. However, the direction of the sequel's planning had to align the overall style of Ultraman Ginga more closely with the traditional Ultraman worldview due to the series' accumulated storyline structure.[2]
The main actors of Ultraman Ginga S participated in the production press conference.[3][4][5]
The sequel, Ultraman Ginga S, is set two years after the original series, synchronizing with the audience's timeline. As time passed, the main character Hikaru Raido also matured, and the youthful elements in the worldview gradually faded. In the sequel, aside from Takuya Negishi[6] and Takuya Kusakawa from the original series, the main cast underwent a complete change. The other three regular actors from the original series were scheduled to reappear in the latter half of the series.[7] The newly established defense team UPG became the main setting of the story. To capture the audience's interest in the new series, Hikaru's rival and partner, Sho, and a new Ultraman, Ultraman Victory, were introduced. This time, the defense team was set as an organization still in the process of formation, giving all main characters, including Hikaru and Sho, growth elements, and incorporating an Victorians to introduce Sho's background.
Under the leadership of Koichi Sakamoto, the production team reintroduced the use of miniature model special effects in filming starting from Ultraman Ginga S, aiming to enhance visual effects.[8]
The main production team also underwent significant adjustments. Series composition shifted from Keiichi Hasegawa to Yuji Kobayashi and Takao Nakano, the main director changed from Yuichi Abe to Koichi Sakamoto. Filming was conducted by a single team, with the main story and special effects handled by the same group of staff, and shooting lasted from March 2014 to mid-August. The production scale was expanded compared to the original series, including an increase in miniature effects, on-site surveys, and location shoots. Nissan Motor Company Ltd (the company that sponsored the vehicles from Ultraman Max) sponsored their latest vehicles models in the UPG Vehicles, as well as others throughout the show's filming.[9][10]
In terms of plot development, Ultraman Ginga S more clearly depicted the contrast between good and evil compared to its predecessor, reinforcing the enemies' traps and background foreshadowing. It also introduced characters that helped advance the storyline.[11] The total number of episodes for the season increased to 16. The theatrical version, scheduled for release in March 2015, was strengthened based on the previous work, with filming plans adjusted to follow the end of the TV series.[9]
In terms of plot, visuals, and production system, Ultraman Ginga S became an important stepping stone in propelling the powerful character of Ultraman into a new era, laying the foundation for the "New Generation Heroes" series in the mid-2010s. However, this also meant an expansion of the production system. Consequently, the task of reviving the Ultraman series faced budget constraints.
Synopsis[]
Two years after Dark Lugiel's defeat, a new threat rises again in the form of Alien Chibull Exceller, an alien who steals Victorium, Android One Zero, his android enforcer and his alien minions. Alarmed by the theft of Victorium, the Victorian, a group of ancient civilians that live underground sent Sho to retrieve it and bestow him an ancient relic, Victory Lancer that transforms him into their protector, Ultraman Victory.
At the same time, Hikaru was dragged into the battle again after recruited into UPG (Ultra Party Guardians), a defense team formed after various paranormal sightings. He reunites with Ultraman Ginga and join forces with Sho to take down Exceller and his minions.
Characters[]
Protagonists[]
International Defense Organization[]
UPG[]
Victorians[]
Returning Characters[]
Antagonists[]
Ultras[]
Kaiju[]
- Android One Zero
- Chiburoids
- Shepherdon
- EX Red King
- Eleking
- Alien Guts Vorst
- Inpelaizer
- King Joe Custom
- Sadola
- Gudon
- Yapool
- Vakishim
- Gomora
- Fire Golza
- Gan-Q
- Five King
- Bemular
- Bemstar
- Doragory
- Verokron
- Alien Akumania Muerte
- Alien Metron Jace
- Zoa Muruchi
- Birdon
- Alien Zetton Berume
- Hyper Zetton
- Alien Valky
- Alien Nackle Gray
- Alien Icarus
Cast[]
- Hikaru Raido /Ultraman Ginga : Takuya Negishi
- Sho /Ultraman Victory : Kiyotaka Uji
- Arisa Sugita : Yukari Taki
- Gouki Matsumoto : Takahiro Katou
- Tomoya Ichijouji : Takuya Kusakawa
- Yoshiaki Jinno : Ryuichi Ohura
- Masaki Koyama : Kohki Okada
- Android One Zero : Moga Mogami
- Sakuya : Rina Koike
- Repi : Hinata Yamada
- Kamushin : Yousuke Saito
- Hiyori : Meiku Harukawa
- Kisara : Mirai Yamamoto
Guest Actors[]
- Misuzu Isurugi : Mio Miyatake
- Kenta Watarai : Mizuki Ohno
- Chigusa Kuno : Kirara
- Shiori : Mio Yoneda
- Yoshida : Yasuhi Nakamura
- Satoru : Raiki Komino
- Masaki Koyama : Kohki Okada
Voice Actors[]
- Ultraman Ginga /Dark Lugiel : Tomokazu Sugita
- Ultraman Taro : Hiroya Ishimaru
- Alien Chibull Exceller : Takuya Eguchi
- Alien Guts Vorst : Holly Kaneko
- Yapool : Tessho Genda
- Alien Metron Jace : Kohei Shiotsuka
- Alien Zetton Berume : Yuki Ono
- Alien Nackle Gray : Kunji Hirano
- Alien Valky : Tatsuya Hashimoto
- Alien Icarus : Tomokazu Seki
Staff[]
- Directors: Koichi Sakamoto, Yoshikazu Ishii, Kiyotaka Taguchi, Kazuya Konaka[12]
- Series compositors: Yuji Kobayashi, Takao Nakano[12]
- Screenplay: Yuji Kobayashi, Takao Nakano, Akio Miyoshi, Aya Takei, Hirotoshi Kobayashi, Hisako Kurosawa, Sotaro Hayashi[12]
- Producers: Tsugumi Kitaura, Eiji Kikuchi
- Kaiju and Seijin costume designer: NAKA Ya MURA
- Supervisor: Shinichi Ooka
- Planning: Bandai, Bandai Visual, Dentsu Inc.
- Car stunts: Takahashi Racing
- Action coordination: Hiroyuki Okano
- Technical cooperation: IMAGICA
- Sound Effects: Swara Pro.
- Vehicle cooperation: Nissan Motor Co. Ltd
- Production: Tsuburaya Productions
Music[]
- Opening Theme
- Eiyuu no Uta (Verse 1 in 1-8, verse 2 in 9-16)
- Ending Theme
- Kirameku Mirai ~Yume no Ginga e~ (All episodes)
- Insert Themes
- Ultraman Ginga no Uta (1,3 and 15)
- Ultraman Ginga no Uta ~Chigusa ver.~ (12, 13 and 16)
- Ultraman Victory no Uta (1, 3 and 15)
Home Media[]
Ultraman Ginga S was released on DVD in six volumes and on Blu-ray in two box sets.
Gallery[]
See Also[]
- New Ultraman Retsuden - Airing slot
- Ultraman Ginga - Preceding series and same continuity
- Mega Monster Rush Ultra Frontier - Arcade game series and another Ultraman Series media that paired with Ultraman Ginga S. Ultraman Ginga, Ultraman Victory, and Alien Chibull Exceller are also included among the playable characters, as well as the series' original Kaiju, Five King is also one of the enemy bosses.
External Links[]
- Ultraman Ginga S official website
- Ultraman Ginga S and New Ultraman Retsuden at TV Tokyo (web archive)
- Ultraman Ginga S at Tsuburaya Productions' official website
- Ultraman Ginga S Bandai Toy site
- Ultraman Ginga S section at Nissan's official website (web archive)
References[]
- ↑ https://m-78.jp/news/n-2517
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Ultra Tokusatsu PERFECT MOOK vol. 33: Ultraman Ginga / Ultraman Ginga S, pg 16
- ↑ https://www.oricon.co.jp/news/2038535/full/
- ↑ https://m-78.jp/news/n-2548
- ↑ https://www.cinematoday.jp/gallery/E0005253
- ↑ https://www.talent-databank.co.jp/special/interview/1028/
- ↑ https://m-78.jp/news/n-2792
- ↑ https://v-storage.jp/talk/210488/
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Ultra Tokusatsu PERFECT MOOK vol. 33: Ultraman Ginga / Ultraman Ginga S, pg 17
- ↑ https://response.jp/article/2014/06/10/225093.html
- ↑ https://www.monomagazine.com/76109
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 https://m-78.jp/ginga/2014/intro/