Ultraman Season 1 (Netflix)

Ultraman is a new anime adaptation released on Netflix in April of 2019 and production as a co-production by Production I.G and Sola Digital Arts. It is based on the long running Ultraman series in Japan and acts as a direct sequel to the original live action show from 1966. The shows tend to revolve around an alien threat effecting Earth and Ultraman in one way or another being Earths defender.

Ultraman started as a Tokusatsu (Special effects) series in Japan in 1966 and was actually a semi-sequel to another show called Ultra Q which also aired in 1966 and did not include the Ultraman character. The series has since spun off into it's own entity and has enjoyed a long running success in Japan.

Now for me I've never watched a show in the Ultraman series but I am aware of it and the general story of the original show. I have however grown up with series similar to it such as Power Rangers which is the American version of Japans Super Sentai Tokusatsu series and Kamen Rider which America got as Masker Rider back in the 90's.

As a child I always had a huge affinity for Power Rangers until I was around 9 or 10 years old but then it was seen as a bit too childish so I stopped watching it through fear of ridicule. When I was around 15 and getting back into Anime again I discovered that a lot of the series I used to watch such as Power Rangers were actually Japanese in origin, I started to look into this further and found that they were allegedly much more 'adult and violent' than the versions we had in the UK.

I was interested so began to watch Kamen Rider which like Ultraman and Power Rangers had been running on and off for a large number of years. Now personally I don't find it that different to what we got in the UK in terms of violence etc so I think that was just people trying to justify watching a show that was aimed more at kids.  However I did enjoy the series I watched (Kamen Rider Decade, W, Kabuto, Fourze and 000s) because they were goofy, had some decent choreography and plot points and really they took me back to the nostalgia of watching the shows as a kid.

Really they are not that different to watching Marvel or DC movies now just on a much smaller budget so I don't see any shame in it, it's just as cheesy as any MCU movie can be. I haven't watched a series in quite a while though unless the Power Rangers movie from a few years ago counts, so take what I say with a pinch of salt.

I believe Netflix have been doing pretty good with Anime that they have had some hand in releasing, Devilman Crybaby remains one of my favorite anime released in the last few years and Aggretsuko has been a lovely short series to watch. I know there is a meme about their adaptations side of things like the live action Death Note movie (Which I actually enjoyed) being received poorly but I think they've been slowly releasing some gems recently, so how does Ultraman fare?

I found the characters to be generally well written, I really enjoyed the main character Shinjiro just being expected to become Ultraman because he has had the power passed down to him, whether he wanted to or not. It was great to see him be a complete novice to being a Superhero and how he would mess up quite a bit but always take something away from each battle or event and ensure that he did his best not to make the same mistakes again.

It was important for him to see that if he doesn't act or does not improve then people will and do get harmed. I also liked that his superior Moroboshi was much more accustomed to being Ultraman and was happy to not hold back in telling Shinjiro that if he can't or won't do something then he doesn't deserve to be Ultraman. I felt that was a huge catalyst in Shinjiro deciding to use the power he has rather than expect others who don't have the exact power set as him to do it and potentially suffer.

Moroboshi was your typical arrogant counter-character to Shinjiro. Shinjiro was the novice and heroic type whereas Moroboshi is the darker and more serious type. He has no issue with killing an enemy if it means the threat is neutralized and has no time for being nice to Shinjiro. Now at first Moroboshi to me was just the typical dick Anime character who hates the main character because they don't believe they had earnt the right to do X Y Z on their own.

As time progresses though, while we haven't yet seen his background story you can tell he is committed to protecting the Earth from any threat whatever the cost is, even if that means putting himself at risk. He seems to warm up more to Shinjiro over time as Shinjiro begins to get much more serious and I actually feel like they make a great team, Moroboshi actually shows some subtle respect to him which is great.

Hokuto is the third Ultraman in the show who we are introduced to during the seasons twilight episodes. I found him quite annoying and disliked him at first because he follows the typical archetype of an annoying character that would follow the main character around all the time and bother them. However as the show got to it's last few episodes and we saw exactly what his motives were he really grew on me, quickly becoming my favorite character so far.

Now there are other characters I enjoyed a lot but I can't really comment on them much without spoiling some really key plot points. I would like to mention though that this season has not had any interesting female characters... In fact I think there is only one who could be considered part of the main cast and she is not particularly well written. Perhaps that changes later on but it is a bit of a negative point so far.

I really enjoy when Superhero Media deals with the negatives that can come with being a hero. Much like the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the Comics with Civil War there are issues surrounding those that get caught in the crossfire of Superhero battles. Yes they are necessary fights but the argument is, could more not be done to prevent causalities or destruction? Now this is not the only issue of course but it's touched upon in the show a few times.

One characters hatred for Ultraman comes from the original live action series where the hero and monsters used to grow to a giant size and cause so much destruction during their fights and because of that a family member got killed by falling debris.

It's interesting that many members of the public accuse the new Ultramen of just being Cosplayers and not true heroes, the public act in a way that suggests they really don't want the Ultramen around. It's interesting to see the perspectives rather than everyone just cheering them on all the time. I hope that this is explored further with the coming seasons.

I enjoyed the way the story progressed throughout the season but I do have a few issues with the show. I really do not like this new trend of Anime having this 3D animation style. I'm not saying it cannot be done right because examples like the recent Dragonball Movies have proven that it can but I feel that's because they are only really used during certain action scenes.

The problem with Ultraman is that this style is used throughout the entire show, it makes the characters look totally static and like a poor Video game cutscene. It makes a lot of the characters look expressionless and wooden,  personally it does not work for me.

A lot of the monsters they come across look like they are made of rubber or ironically have someone inside the suit operating them but I guess you could argue that is intentional because that's how it would be if it were a live action Tokusatsu.

While I dislike this style generally I will say it works for the actions scenes and the Ultraman suit designs,it actually helps the suits look more like some futuristic armor. Interestingly most of the fights are actually done via motion capture which is not something I really expected to happen for an Anime series, perhaps this is one of the reasons the action scenes look so good, or is that down to both this and the choice in animation style? Perhaps the animation will grow on me in time but If you look at the way the Manga is drawn it feels like a bit of a disservice.

So without talking too much more about the show what do I think about it overall?
I think it's a step in the right direction. It's got me hooked on a decent story in the Tokusatsu genre (Kind of) and has made me want to pick up the Manga. I do wish the animation style was perhaps more traditional but I don't think this is going to change. I would say if you're new to this kind of series this would be a good place to start but feel you could also just start with an actual live action series.

I feel happy that these Japanese heroes are becoming more accessible to viewers in the west and would LOVE Netflix to do a Kamen Rider series in this style if they could refrain from making it all 3D animation. I'm very excited to see what other Anime titles Netflix puts out in the future and hope you are too.

Your experiences with Video Games: Josh Brown

This week I'm back with another interview, this time from my friend Josh. I've known Josh for around 4 or 5 years now but we only really became friends in our second year of university, I can't even remember how really but I know we used to talk about video games a lot with Liam and a few other people, much to the frustration of our friend Jess.

Although we were always talking about Videogames we've never actually played online with each other, other than our go to games Smash Bros and Mario Kart. We all get super competitive around it and find Josh's admiration for Rosalina to be sickening...

Myself and Liam never really kept in contact with anyone from university, more so because it was in our home town and the people we sometimes spoke to have since moved back to their own home towns etc, but I think the reason we keep in contact with Josh almost daily in our group chats and meet up often because he's like the only one from Uni who got our sense of humour and had the same interests as us.

I've been looking forward to interviewing him because, like Liam he is one of my closest friends and he got me in to a lot of series like Samurai Warriors, I'm really interested to see his answers and hear about his experiences as I hope you are too!

What were your first experiences with video games?

Hard to say, as I believe I started playing games when I was 3 years old. My first memory, which was more spurred on by the fact that I saw a photo of it when I was in my teenage years, was me in my older brother's room playing Super Mario 64 and wearing a jumper with Mario on it. Some other ancient memories include playing Cannon Fodder with my Dad and also Command and Conquer: Tiberian Dawn.

When do you feel you got in to video games as a hobby?

I'd say when I got a bit more independent and was liking things for myself more than what my brother would play, so around 6 maybe? Although I'd always still want what my brother had...

What are some of your favourite games and why?

So many to choose from!

·         One of them would have to be World of Warcraft - In my opinion this is one of the best games ever to be made, whether that is pure fanboyism or truth, or the fact that Blizzard managed to turn a niche thing into something that began to spread everywhere, it's hard to say. All I can say is that I've spent countless, so many hours (and so much money, which was worth it, and actually cheap compared to constantly buying new releases) on this game that it has to be one of my favourites. I've played it on my own, with friends and family, I've played it a year at a time, to sometimes only one day in a year. On and off for over a decade this game has provided me with entertainment, and really that is the whole point of a video game, so I think it's safe to say its done a good job. Also, it strikes the nostalgia chord within me and a lot of others hard.

·         The big 3D Mario Games (Super Mario 64, Sunshine and Galaxy 1 and 2) - I find these games to be almost perfect in every way. Gameplay, length, music/sound, narrative, art/graphics and replayability. Anyone can play and enjoy these. Another nostalgia factor too.

·         Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus - This game is purely fantastic. Has one of the most unique gaming experiences and worlds I've ever seen. The soundtrack is fantastic, aswell as the atmosphere. I can always replay this game, it will never get old.

·         Dark Souls/Dark Souls II, Bloodborne and probably soon to be Dark Souls III - These games will still have to stand the test of time unlike the others just mentioned. They are very different and often challenging games, which is the main appeal for me. The atmosphere is almost always top notch, which really helps to separate these games from others. Whether they will start to fade away and become mediocre its hard to say, but the fact that Dark Souls itself is starting to almost become a genre (as cringey as some journalists can be about it) shows that it has had an impact on the gaming community.

I could go on and on but I'm just going to name some titles now that have had a massive impact on me and I would consider favourites:

·         Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty

·         Dawn of War (Plus expansions)

·         Diablo II

·         Command and Conquer Series (Mostly up to and including Generals - Thanks, EA)

·         Stronghold

·         Advance Wars Series (And more recently the Fire Emblem Series)

·         Half-Life 2 (and Episode Two)

And so many more...

What game has the best soundtrack to you and why, do you feel music is important in a game?

This blurs with my favourite games, but World of Warcraft. Its a fully orchestrated soundtrack that can instantly bring pictures in your mind of whatever area you were in when it plays, and that is a powerful thing.

Music is very important to a game, it can make mediocre games memorable as it gives you a sensory memory effectively. Video games are mostly visual, hence video, but when you get a perfect audio response, it makes the game so much more worthwhile. Immersion is a big thing that music helps with.

Most vivid video game memory?

Again, World of Warcraft.

I used to play Runescape, and one day my brother (who was at University at the time) messages me on AIM (I know, right?) telling me, 'Just wait until you see what game I've been playing' and sends me a screenshot of his Night Elf Rogue in a dusty, barren area in the game aptly called 'Desolace'

Upon his return from University, he gets me started with the free trial, and thus the memory commences. Playing my Dwarven Hunter in the Dwarf starting area, the snow-capped mountains of 'Dun Morogh.' The sense of wonder and awe is too great and I wish I could experience it again.

What are you playing currently?

XCOM 2 - This game is kicking my ass, making me feel like the worst Commander in existence as I watch my friends that I created in-game die and die again due to my stupid mistakes and the wrath of RNGesus. Aside from some performance issues, the game is pretty good.

What is the most obscure game or rarest game you own?

Probably Shogo: Mobile Armor Division for PC. I can't even find the disc but I know I have it. Younger me would have never known how heavily influenced by Japanese mecha this game was, but I just liked guns and these mechs had guns. I never finished it and probably never will.

What about video game memorabilia?

I've tended to mostly stay away from collecting video game memorabilia, mainly because I just played the games and shyed away from being seen as a 'nerd' too much (silly I know). Only recently have I started to collect some things, but they're quite tame, such as Nintendo's Amiibo or the Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain collector's edition arm, and it kind of makes me want to get more. This newfound, yet small, love for this probably stems from Lewis, so thanks, I guess.

Are you as in to video games as you once were?

Yes, possibly even more, but the passion is directed towards being part of the community of gaming and keeping involved with everything rather than younger me just playing games and doing nothing else. I do put less hours into most games now, but that is just due to adulthood.

As you switch between consoles and PC often is there one you prefer of the two?

I go through phases. For a recent example, late 2014-late 2015 I was pretty much PS4 only, yet now I've just built a brand new gaming PC and my focus is there. I've only ever been adamantly on one side, and that was on PC back around 2006-ish. I don't care now as each platform has its own strengths and weaknesses. Most of my gaming has been on PC and Nintendo platforms though.

If I absolutely had to pick one over the others, and that choice would lock me out of all the rest, I would choose PC. The longevity and flexibility of PC is something that can't be ignored, it has the most games and often blurs into the other platforms (i.e - cross-platform games and emulation) It would break my heart though as then I would never have Nintendo games again.

And that's why I will play on every platform if I have the opportunity/desire. :)

Favourite game you never beat?

Quite a recent one - Divinity: Original Sin.

The game is fantastic, a really solid combat system with a wacky world. I played about 40-50 hours of it and then just stopped. With the Enhanced Edition out, I have no excuse. I will go back and play through it again, it deserves it.

Physical or digital?

Depends on the platform:

·         Home consoles (PS4, XB1, Wii U) - Mostly physical, and some digital.

·         Mobile consoles (3DS, Vita) - Mostly digital, and some physical.

·         PC - Digital.

Was there ever a genre or series of games you were adamant you would not get in to but ended up enjoying?

Hard to pinpoint and exact genre/series, but I would say more Japanese games, the ones that are less mainstream. Since getting a bit more into some anime/manga (as in literally one or two) I've become more relaxed around the more niche games that Japan provides.

What was the best co-op or online experience you had?

Online - World of Warcraft - no doubt about that.

Co-op - Probably the Gears of War trilogy - played them all through with my brother, which really highlighted the 'Brothers-in-arms' feelings the game gave

If you were to have kids would you want them to be in to video games and what would you have them start with?

Try and look past how sappy this is, but I'd be happy and encourage them in whatever hobby they liked.

If I would have them start with anything though, it would be Mario.

Do you feel you'll always be playing games in some form?

Probably, whatever you do when you were young stays with you in some way or form. Video games will easily, as they are technology, which will always being changing and evolving.

What's a game series you feel is under appreciated?

The Warriors/Musou games (Dynasty Warriors, Samurai Warriors and the like).

Although Koei Tecmo literally poops them out like Activison does with Call of Duty, and Ubisoft with Assassin's Creed, and the DLC they have is ridiculous, they have done it for so long that there is a base standard of quality they always maintain. They are great to just play and play, they are full of content, and there are so many areas of culture that they can encompass - Dynasty/Samurai for historical periods, Hyrule/One Piece for other game series' and anime/manga series - so you may just find one that resonates with you.

For me it is Samurai Warriors. Less known than the juggernaut of its sister, Dynasty Warriors, it is a game I really enjoy. The soundtrack is very good, and the period of history is intriguing. Since the first title, it has become more wacky and anime-ish, but is just fun for me. Maybe others won't understand, but I've sunk over 250 hours into Samurai Warriors 4/4-II  and got the platinum trophy for both.

What is the best Anime related video game you've played?

Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 3/Tenkaichi 3 - without a doubt in my mind these two games are probably the most fun games to ever be made for the Dragon Ball Universe.

Is there an anime series you feel would work as a game that hasnt already been made?

I haven't watched much anime, but one that I have, and an idea that gets thrown around sometimes by people in the community is a Kill la Kill video game. It would be perfect as a hack-and-slash game, akin to Platinum Games and their titles.

Has there ever been a spin off of a series you've enjoyed more than the original series?

Samurai Warriors - I've always preferred it to Dynasty Warriors. Although nowadays it's less of a spin-off. (And I can't think of any other examples at the moment!)

What series are you connected with the most?

The Warcraft Universe. Love the lore and its been with me half of my life.

I'll probably go check out the film too, doesn't look half bad.

What series have you always had an interest in but not had a chance to get in to?

Final Fantasy - I've only really played a bit of Final Fantasy X, and some of Final Fantasy XIV.

With XV coming out and the renewed interest in VII I should get to it!

Are there any areas or stories you wish were explored more in games?

·         Areas:
Space - More Space is always good.
The Mind - Psychonauts did this to a certain extent, was very interesting.

·         Stories:
Tragedy - I really like stories that are just despair and hopelessness. If you've got a story that really shows there are no heroes and potentially no happy endings, it can really make you think about the characters.

What game are you most excited for in 2016?

I'll be cheeky and name the top three:

1.       Fire Emblem: Fates - I'll be buying the special edition (hopefully) with all three sections as I've recently started to love the Fire Emblem franchise.

2.       Deus Ex: Mankind Divided - Deus Ex: Human Revolution was fantastic, and the cyberpunk genre is fantastic.

3.       Dark Souls III - Just read above really.

How do you feel about video games currently?

I'd say at the moment we're having a mini video game renaissance. There are tonnes of new games every quarter, old titles that people thought were dead are getting sequels, games are getting ports so they can be played by more people, companies are starting to listen to feedback (Square Enix, to name one) and the console war has all but evaporated, with companies focussing on their own things.

There are a few negatives that must be addressed though. There are two main things that spring to mind instantly:

1.       Broken games - Games not working on PC, terrible console performance, etc. These aren't just normal bugs and glitches but a reoccurring problem of companies taking the 'Let's see if we can just get them to buy from the hype and not notice the issues. If they do, we'll just patch it later!' approach.

2.     Over-sensitivity to certain content in games - I'm mainly talking about certain groups of people and journalists that want to thrust their opinion onto the world that a game is 'too sexualised,' or, 'too white.' Stop trying to censor and change everything you don't like, there is a reason people have different tastes. You wouldn't go into a book store and start yelling about raunchy romance novels and how they are damaging society, would you?

Apart from that, it's going fairly well. Let's just see what happens.

Where do you feel video games will go in the future?

I feel they'll mostly stay the same as they are now, accepted by society but not massively popular aside from the standard big titles that the mass public are used to.

VR will try to make its way onto the scene, and I really hope it does, as I am very intrigued to see what can come of it, but it may just fail.

All in all, I'll keep playing games until I decide they aren't worth my time anymore, but that doesn't look like that will happen for a while.

Thats it for this week, I think this was super interesting and I discovered a few things about Josh I actually didn't know before, Josh doesnt have twitter or anything but if you wanna find him I'm sure he's starting another Rosalina thread on 4chan....