Ultraman laid to eternal rest

I feel for you, fatalizer, those names you listed are totally unfamiliar to me and I'm from San Francisco and for me it was in the mid 1970s Captain Cosmic (aka the original late night host of Creature Features Bob Wilkins) on KTVU Channel 2 that I saw the Japanese style of Science Fiction featuring the super human being called UltraMan, earth's guardian savior.

The thing about the Japanese style of science fiction is mainly their approach to story that I criticized as a kid by noticing the acting, specifically, to my mind being aware of awkwardly spoken lines (which certainly doesn't help with unintentionally amusing dubbed foreign voice actors) and histrionics which could be attributed to the writers. I kind of think it's the Japanese writers who were either inept at some kind of believable dialogue even in a far fetched story or maybe just concerned with getting the gist of a story and focusing more on the show stopper and eye candy aspect. 2001: a space odyssey was released in the late 60s, right? Yet, Japanese style of designs and effects weren't really progressing. Even with the innovations in Star Wars and Alien, Japanese science fiction live action were still seemingly the same. The only progress seems to have been in the animation (Star Blazers, for one)

Anyway, yeah, it is difficult to see those films for many reasons, but the major one for me is unbelievability with the acting and then the visuals. Well, I don't know if you are aware of this but I think there is supposed to be a live version of Gainax's Neon Genesis Evangelion brought to you by none other than Peter Jackson himself, well....I don't know if he's directing it but WETA is doing the major visual and special effects. Peter Jackson is if anything a very good director who can involve you with the characters. Find out a little bit more about NGE. This may be another potential turning point in the science fiction genre this time with a very proven director and with this particular style of Japanese science fiction. You're kids may yet get a chance to be captivated by the equivalent of the early ideas from 30 years ago but in a contemporary fashion with, at last, the advances in special effects to convey the visuals. If they can have a man in red, blue, and yellow do all of those incredible feats in Superman Returns (which I finally saw today and it's not that bad) they can do the same for this genre....I can practically see it in my mind's eye. Hell, if Godzilla (American version) though poor in conception and story but the fact that it can be done I can see a 60 story tall alien humanoid savior battling an evil adversary in a financial district setting or anywhere.

I believe your kids didn't lay Ultraman to rest, or the dated Ultraman series for that matter. Let's face it, YOU did. It's a common mistake all of us make by holding our childhood memories as the most sacred. You are not your children. You didn't grow up on 1/2 second smash-cut music videos. And how do you fight computer graphics with pure live action karate chops? You don't.

Share another kind of Ultraman with your kids, get them the retelling of the first Ultraman in comic book format--Ultraman The First by Yūzō Takada. Remember Sazan Aizu? Look it up. This is Ultraman done right.

http://www.amazon.co.jp/%E3%82%A6%E3%83%AB%E3%83%88%E3%83%A9%E3%83%9E%E3%83%B3THE-FIRST-1-%E9%AB%98%E7%94%B0-%E8%A3%95%E4%B8%89/dp/4048538276

Sorry, can't find you a scanlation anywhere. Let's hope someone in the States will pick it up. Else you can find it at your nearest Kinokuniya Books.

Or you could try the Ultraman movie that came out not too long ago, the one with all that computer mumbo jumbo. It's a low budget film but it should get the job done. Look for Ultraman The Next (2004). Essentially also a retelling of the first series, kind of. With just a little more credibility. Too bad we can't expect a HK or Hollywood version any time soon, or Ultraman would totally kick ass.