Ultraman Zearth 2: Superhuman Big Battle - Light and Shadow is the second movie starring Ultraman Zearth, released in 1997. It was screened alongside Ultra Nyan: The Mysterious Cat Who Fell from the Starry Sky.
The movie can be watched on Plex.
Production[]
In 1996, following the success of Ultraman Zearth in theaters, and with Idemitsu Kosan continuing its television advertisements, Tsuburaya Productions' planning team confirmed the continuation of the Zearth brand. Therefore, its sequel, Ultraman Zearth 2: Superhuman Big Battle - Light and Shadow, was scheduled for release on April 12, 1997. The film introduced the theme of the mixed martial arts team K-1. The decision not to adopt the whimsical world packaging from the first installment stemmed from the realization after the completion of the initial film that multiple film releases need not be specifically considered, as even feature-length films could attract audiences. Thus, Zearth 2 ran for 66 minutes and was shown only alongside the short anime film Ultra Nyan: The Mysterious Cat Who Fell from the Starry Sky. However, during nighttime screenings aimed at adult audiences, Ultra Nyan was omitted in favor of screening the Dentsu-produced K-1 documentary The Road to the Strongest ~ WELCOME TO THE K zone.[1]
The focus on K-1 in the second film was due to the deep understanding of combat sports by Dentsu's project leader for this project, Takahito Iida. The K-1 boom at the time also became a significant factor in attracting audiences. Such judgments may also have been made with this in mind. With the addition of K-1 elements to the story, the plot naturally became more serious. At the time when the TV series Ultraman Tiga was already in its third season, the first part of Zearth had established its characters, so there was no need to worry too much about differences with Ultraman Tiga. The director for this sequel was Kazuya Konaka. By the time Konaka joined the project, Kazunori Saito had already completed the first draft of the script, and the basic framework had been confirmed. Konaka's impression of the first part unexpectedly matched the style of Ultraman, so continuing in that vein became his primary task.[1]
Saito intentionally crafted the script to resemble a "Ultraman" version of the Hong Kong action comedy film Aces Go Places, while Konaka adjusted the comedic flavor to align more closely with traditional Ultraman, specifically in the style of Toshihiro Iijima. The principle that the hero in the story must embody the martial arts spirit of the righteous dojo was always on Konaka's mind. Therefore, the protagonist, Katsuto Asahi, overcame fear as the main theme, focusing on overcoming oneself and learning spirit rather than technique, a conclusion established during discussions with Chief Kazuyoshi Ishii and the others.[1][2]
Due to scheduling constraints, the "Tunnels" could not be placed at the center of the story. In Zearth 2, the new team captain was portrayed by Kohji Moritsugu, and elements such as capsule monsters and Ultraman robots were introduced. In terms of plot development, the film adopted the style of the "Second Showa Series." Compared to the scattered actions of Mydo members in the first part, this time the main characters demonstrated greater initiative and had clear goals to combat evil actions. At the same time, the protagonist's subjectivity in facing his own weaknesses for victory also became one of the highlights. Additionally, more significant handling was done in the scene where Mydo's Sky Fish and Sky Shark took off, reflecting the film's careful production. The street scenes where the protagonists were placed deliberately depicted a downtown style, highlighting everyday Japanese scenes.[1]
Synopsis[]
After suffering a defeat in battle against Ultraman Shadow, Ultraman Zearth, who is also known as Katsuto Asahi, a member of the Mydo, decides to resign. He submits his resignation to the new captain, Satsuma. In an attempt to regain his courage and confidence, Katsuto starts training at the Seidokan dojo. As part of his training, he is assigned the task of kicking a ball suspended high on a tree branch.
Meanwhile, Lady-Benzene, the Alien Benzene who commands Shadow, seizes the opportunity presented by Zearth' absence to further her agenda of Earth domination. She utilizes mind control over people to solidify her influence. As it becomes evident that neither the capsule monster Miraclon nor the Zetton Ray, developed by Mydo, can combat Shadow effectively, Earth plunges into a state of dire crisis.
Characters[]
Protagonist[]
Mydo[]
Ultras[]
Kaiju[]
Cast[]
- Katsuto Asahi : Masaharu Sekiguchi
- Ban Satsuma : Kohji Moritsugu
- Manabu Kazu : Ichirota Miyagawa
- Tohru Hoshimi : Yuka Takaoka
- Ganta Takemura : Hiromoto Okubo
- Kagemi : Uno Kanda
- Master of Seidokaikan : Kazuyoshi Ishii
- Instructor of Seidokaikan : Nobuaki Kakuda
- Assistant Instructor : Andy Hug
- Yuki Hoshimi : Hiromi Sakimoto
- Ichiro : Yutaro Akashi
- Jiro : Yuichi Koda
- Saburo : Kenji Terada
- Yuji Tokairin : Susumu Kurobe
- Fujiko : Hiroko Sakurai
- Ryuzaburo Arashi : Sandayu Dokumamushi
- Photographer : Masanari Nihei
- Male Spectator : Yasuhiko Saijo
- Female Spectator : Yuriko Hishimi
- News Caster : Jiro Dan
- Shinpei Ohkohchi : Takaaki Ishibashi
- Futsukichi Konakai : Noritake Kinashi
Voice Actors[]
- Midori: Kanako Ito
- Digital Kanegon : Chika Sakamoto
- Alien Benzene : Takeshi Kaga
Suit Actors[]
- Ultraman Zearth: Keiji Hasegawa
- Ultraman Shadow: Hiroshi Kanezuka
- Alien Lady-Benzene: Misato Suzuki
- Alien Benzene, Darklar: Hiroyuki Okano
- Digital Kanegon, Miraclon: Rikako Suzuki
Music[]
- Ending Theme
- Shuwatch! Ultraman Zearth 〜 Ultraman Zearth Theme 〜
- Lyrics: Shinya Jinma
- Composition and Arrangement: James Shimoji
- Artist: Tunnels
Home Media[]
In Japan, the movie was released in a 2-disc set along with the first Zearth film on Blu-Ray on December 22, 2016.[3] Mill Creek released a DVD containing both films with English subtitles on October 11, 2022.[4]
Gallery[]
Videos[]
Trivia[]
- As Akiji Kobayashi passed away before the filming of this movie, a photograph of his character in Ultraman Zearth, a fisherman, was shown in the film.
- An Ultra Hero Series Ultraman Zearth figure is shown being wielded by Lady-Benzene, only to be stomped by her foot.
- A third Ultraman Zearth movie was to be produced, but was turned down in favor of Ultraman Tiga & Ultraman Dyna: Warriors of the Star of Light.
- Hiromi Sakimoto is credited by her previous stage name, 崎元 大海, which is pronounced the same.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Ultra Tokusatsu PERFECT MOOK vol. 37: Ultraman Zearth / Ultraman USA, pg 5
- ↑ https://www.instagram.com/kakuda_nobuaki/p/CHT118AhYoc/
- ↑ https://m-78.jp/news/n-3910
- ↑ https://twitter.com/MillCreekEnt/status/1572967694177308677