Ultraman Nexus (ウルトラマンネクサス Urutoraman Nekusasu) ran from October 2nd, 2004, to June 25th, 2005, as the 18th entry in the Ultraman Series, and the third and final product of the Ultra N Project. Although known for featuring a more serious, adult, and atmospheric story than its predecessor, Ultraman Cosmos, it was also intended as a re-imagining or reboot of the original Ultraman.
Unfortunately, as the series ran in its early morning timeslot, due to the network believing adults would not wish to be shown Ultraman, it received the lowest ratings (until then) in franchise history. This resulted in it being cut to 37 episodes and the intended sequel film, Ultraman 2: Requiem, being scrapped in favor of Ultraman Mebius & the Ultra Brothers. However, later the series was aired at a 2:00 AM timeslot, to better ratings.
On April 24, 2017, TOKU announced that the series would be broadcast in the United States on its channel beginning May 9, 2017.[1][2]
Contents
Synopsis
The TLT is a covert international anti-monster unit established secretly to combat Space Beasts, mysterious monsters that are out to attack humans in the year 2009. One of the TLT's new recruits, Kazuki Komon, is attacked by one of them prior to reporting for duty. However, he is saved by a silver giant that he names "Ultraman". What no one knows is that the silver giant is an Ultraman — to be precise, Ultraman Nexus, ready to fight the Space Beasts to save the planet Earth.[3]
Characters
Deunamists
- Shunichi Maki (Mentioned Only)
- Jun Himeya
- Ren Senjyu
- Nagi Saijyo
- Kazuki Komon
TLT
Night Raiders
Memory Police
Antagonists
Ultras
- Ultraman Nexus
- Ultraman Noa
- Dark Faust
- Dark Mephisto
- Dark Mephisto (Zwei)
- Dark Zagi (Unknown Hand)
Kaiju
- Pedoleon
- Klein
- GroB
- Fliegen
- Beesectar
- Bugbuzun
- Brood
- Growler
- Galberos
- Lafleya
- Nosferu
- Beast Human
- Arakunia
- Froguros
- Golgolem
- Kutuura
- Grantella
- Banpira
- Lizarias
- Lizarias Growler
- Mega Flash
- Izmael
Cast
- Kazuki Komon (孤門 一輝 Komon Kazuki): Takuji Kawakubo (川久保拓司 Kawakubo Takuji)
- Jun Himeya (姫矢 准 Himeya Jun): Yusuke Kirishima (桐島優介 Kirishima Yusuke)
- Ren Senjyu (千樹 憐 Senjyu Ren): Masato Uchiyama (内山 眞人 Uchiyama Masato)
- Nagi Saijyo (西条 凪 Saijō Nagi): Yasue Sato (さとう やすえ Satō Yasue)
- Wakura Eisuke (英介和倉 Eisuke Wakura): Tamotsu Ishibashi
- Mitsuhiko Ishibori (石堀光彦 Ishibori Mitsuhiko): Kosei Kato
- Shiori Hiraki (平木 詩織 Hiraki Shiori): Keiko Goto
- Yu Kirasawa (吉良沢 優 Kirasawa Yū): Nobuhiko Tanaka
- Riko Saida (斎田リコ Saida Riko): Shion Nakamaru
- Shinya Mizorogi (溝呂木眞也 Mizorogi Shin'ya): Mitsutoshi Shundo
- Mizuo Nonomiya (野々宮 瑞生 Nonomiya Mizuo): Tomomi Miyashita
- Yoichiro Matsunaga (松永 要一郎 Matsunaga Yōichirō): Horiuchi Masami
- Jinzou Negoro: Hiroshi Okouchi
- Saya Shutou: Hitomi Hidaka
- Hayato Kaimoto: Hisataka Kitaoka
- Hiroyuki Misawa (三沢 広之 Misawa Hiroyuki): Yoshito Takeuchi
- Tougou: Kenji Sahara (佐原 健二 Sahara Kenji)
- Sara Mizuhara (水原 沙羅 Mizuhara Sara): Kyoto Tomoya
Music
- Opening Themes
- Eiyuu (英雄lit. "Hero")
- Lyrics, Composition, & Arrangement: Akihito Tokunaga (徳永 暁人 Tokunaga Akihito)
- Artist: doa
- Episodes: 1-25, 37
- Aoi Kajitsu (青い果実lit. "Unripe Fruit"/"Blue Fruit")
- Lyrics: Daiki Yoshimoto
- Composition & Arrangement: Akihito Tokunaga
- Artist: doa
- Episodes: 26-36
- Ending Themes
- Itsumo Kokoro ni Taiyō o (いつも心に太陽をlit. "A Sun is Always in My Heart")
- Lyrics & Composition: U-ka Saegusa
- Arrangement: Masazumi Ozawa (小澤 正澄 Ozawa Masazumi)
- Artist: U-ka Saegusa in dB
- Episodes: 1-13
- Tobitatenai Watashi ni Anata ga Tsubasa wo Kureta (飛び立てない私にあなたが翼をくれたlit. "You Gave Me Wings When I Couldn't Fly")
- Lyrics: U-ka Saegusa
- Composition: Aika Ohno (大野 愛果 Ōno Aika)
- Arrangement: Masazumi Ozawa
- Artist: U-ka Saegusa in dB
- Episodes: 14-25
- Akaku Atsui Kodō (赤く熱い鼓動lit. "Red Burning Pulse")
- Lyrics & Artist: Rina Aiuchi
- Composition: Masaaki Watanuki (綿貫 正顕 Watanuki Masaaki)
- Arrangement: Masazumi Ozawa
- Episodes: 26-36
Video Game
A video game based on the series was produced by Bandai for the PlayStation 2, under the name Ultraman Nexus.
Home Media
Trivia
- At one point in development, Ultraman Nexus was meant to be a show called Ultraman Cross and was conceived as a foil to its predecessor, Ultraman Cosmos.
- As production on the movie that eventually became The Next involved more of the crew from the new show, the decision was made to merge the show into the movie's continuity, and it was renamed Nexus.
- Another suggested title was Ultraman Noa, which comes from the true form of Ultraman Nexus, Ultraman Noa.
- Ultraman Nexus is the first show explicitly made for an older audience; being geared towards teenagers and adults.
- This is the last series to use Ending Credits. The following shows until Ultra Galaxy removed Ending Credits.
- This the first and only Ultraman Series where the Ultraman's host was not the main character.
- It is also the first show with multiple hosts for a single Ultraman.
- Until the release of Ultraman Ginga (and excluding the Ultra Mini Series), this Ultraman Series has the least number of episodes compared to the entire Ultraman Series.
- However, if the Director's Cut of episode 29 counts as 2 episodes and the Special Episode (which is 1 hour long) counts as 2 episodes, the series has a total 40 episodes. This makes it the same length as the Ultraman Max.
