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This began life as a post in the Ultraman Zero Vs. Darclops Zero thread but it kind of spiraled out of control and thought I'd give it its own thread!
Not that anyone asked me but based on my previous statement in the Gaiden's Talk Up! Thread, here are what I consider the top five Tsuburaya Productions of the last five years to be (2006-2010, from top to bottom):
1. Bio-Planet WoO
2. The Super 8 Ultra Brothers
3. Ultraman Zero Vs. Darkclops Zero (at least until I see part two)
4. Ultraseven X
5. Ultra Galaxy Legends
What didn't make it and why:
Ultraman Mebius: It's fun, don't get me wrong, and I won't say you're wrong if you use it to introduce someone to the series. However, after the wild experiment of Nexus and the return to 60s-era creativity in Max, Mebius feels like a return to a Cosmos-esque "safe zone." It's not a bad show at all and I'm not trying to knock it but at the same time it's kind of "same-old, same-old."
Ultraman Mebius & Ultraman Brothers: Like the series, it's fun but kind of lacking, especially compared to the amazing ULTRAMAN THE NEXT and the wonderful Super 8 Ultra Brothers. And U-Killersaurus Neo was terribly realized. And they changed Kelbeam's roar.
Ultraman Mebius Gaiden: Hikari Saga: Saga one was EXCELLENT but Sagas two and three basically used the same superbland set. Did you guys blow all your creative juices on part one or something?
Ultraman Mebius Gaiden: Armored Darkness: Mediocre to the Nth degree. TPC really expected people to pay $40 per stage for this? BOOM, STOCK FOOTAGE, YEAH! WHOA, A TERRIBLE NEW ACTOR, ALL RIGHT! ZOW, LOOK AT THAT BORING AS HELL SET! Seriously, guys? Enpera Seijin was an awesome villain but he's kinda gotten shafted despite being a crucial part of both of Mebius' post-series Gaidens.
Mega-Monster Battle: Ultra Galaxy: We're introduced to a great new cast of characters who are given some fun plot and we see a lot of neat monster action. The problem is how boring and uncreative the show is in terms of cinematography and environments. I own the entire series on R2 DVD and I don't regret that purchase (it was a steal, let me tell you! XD) but the Visual Translation System nonsense REALLY hurt the show given that it had a lot of potential.
Mega-Monster Battle: Ultra Galaxy NEVER ENDING ODYSSEY: Same gripes as the previous Ultra Galaxy series except this time we get a far more entertaining plot and even cooler monster choreography. The visuals show some signs of improvement but it's not really enough at all. That said, it's still a lot of fun - episode 8 is an absolute RIOT - and compared to Kamen Rider Kiva and Go-Onger... Well, I think that's enough said.
Ultraman Mebius Gaiden: Ghost Rebirth: Ghost Rebirth has a lot going for it - an interesting plot concept (Enpera Seijin, yeah!), cool new adversaries/allies (MechaZam and EX Zetton), and some cool CGI-enhanced environments. But the last part is a huge part of its downfall: trying to do the whole thing on the digital backlot the way the then-current Ultra Galaxy movie had been made was one of the worst decisions TPC has made since dabbling with VTS.
I think that's all the important stuff covered. Your mileage may vary!
Not that anyone asked me but based on my previous statement in the Gaiden's Talk Up! Thread, here are what I consider the top five Tsuburaya Productions of the last five years to be (2006-2010, from top to bottom):
1. Bio-Planet WoO
New non-Ultra Hero show from Tsuburaya? Nice! Okay, so it's old now but it's a beauty to behold - some of Tsuburaya Pro's best miniature work... ever. So detailed and well-lit - Mebius ain't got NOTHING on WoO. Seriously though, the characters are so well-realized that there are multiple episodes where no monster action ever occurs and unless you're incredibly shallow you won't care. It's that good. Really.
2. The Super 8 Ultra Brothers
Wonderful plot, gorgeously lit miniature sets. Oh my GOD, the miniature sets in this film are amaaaaaaazing. Also, flying boat. FLYING BOAT.
3. Ultraman Zero Vs. Darkclops Zero (at least until I see part two)
4. Ultraseven X
Great sci-fi storytelling reminiscent of Philip K. Dick, one of my very favorite authors. Very slick, different style than the series to date, which made for a refreshing change of pace. People say it's too dark but honestly? It's got more of a sense of humor than Nexus!
5. Ultra Galaxy Legends
Despite my gripes about the digital backlot, it IS well-done and the film's visuals are pretty breathtaking. It's a great experiment and I think it was probably a kick in the pants for Tsuburaya to really step up their game, resulting in the awesomeness on the new gaiden and (presumably) the new movie.
What didn't make it and why:
Ultraman Mebius: It's fun, don't get me wrong, and I won't say you're wrong if you use it to introduce someone to the series. However, after the wild experiment of Nexus and the return to 60s-era creativity in Max, Mebius feels like a return to a Cosmos-esque "safe zone." It's not a bad show at all and I'm not trying to knock it but at the same time it's kind of "same-old, same-old."
Ultraman Mebius & Ultraman Brothers: Like the series, it's fun but kind of lacking, especially compared to the amazing ULTRAMAN THE NEXT and the wonderful Super 8 Ultra Brothers. And U-Killersaurus Neo was terribly realized. And they changed Kelbeam's roar.
Ultraman Mebius Gaiden: Hikari Saga: Saga one was EXCELLENT but Sagas two and three basically used the same superbland set. Did you guys blow all your creative juices on part one or something?
Ultraman Mebius Gaiden: Armored Darkness: Mediocre to the Nth degree. TPC really expected people to pay $40 per stage for this? BOOM, STOCK FOOTAGE, YEAH! WHOA, A TERRIBLE NEW ACTOR, ALL RIGHT! ZOW, LOOK AT THAT BORING AS HELL SET! Seriously, guys? Enpera Seijin was an awesome villain but he's kinda gotten shafted despite being a crucial part of both of Mebius' post-series Gaidens.
Mega-Monster Battle: Ultra Galaxy: We're introduced to a great new cast of characters who are given some fun plot and we see a lot of neat monster action. The problem is how boring and uncreative the show is in terms of cinematography and environments. I own the entire series on R2 DVD and I don't regret that purchase (it was a steal, let me tell you! XD) but the Visual Translation System nonsense REALLY hurt the show given that it had a lot of potential.
Mega-Monster Battle: Ultra Galaxy NEVER ENDING ODYSSEY: Same gripes as the previous Ultra Galaxy series except this time we get a far more entertaining plot and even cooler monster choreography. The visuals show some signs of improvement but it's not really enough at all. That said, it's still a lot of fun - episode 8 is an absolute RIOT - and compared to Kamen Rider Kiva and Go-Onger... Well, I think that's enough said.
Ultraman Mebius Gaiden: Ghost Rebirth: Ghost Rebirth has a lot going for it - an interesting plot concept (Enpera Seijin, yeah!), cool new adversaries/allies (MechaZam and EX Zetton), and some cool CGI-enhanced environments. But the last part is a huge part of its downfall: trying to do the whole thing on the digital backlot the way the then-current Ultra Galaxy movie had been made was one of the worst decisions TPC has made since dabbling with VTS.
I think that's all the important stuff covered. Your mileage may vary!
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