ULTRAMAN SAGA - Rumors and Pictures

[knightphoenix2]

Congratulations!

Well, as you have doubtless already read elsewhere on HJU, Kamen Rider x Super Sentai: Super Hero War opened at Number 1 at the box office, with a take of $5,043,473.01 in 292 theaters, and with 355,985 viewers.

That means that, this movie made in its first 3 days almost as much as Ultraman Saga did in its first 3 weeks. And this was in spite of critical complaints about storytelling, etc., that Saga had gotten.

Yet, the theaters were packed. The only explanation I can think of is that since both of these franchises have active series, their viewers are coming to the theaters on top of watching on TV.

So, Tsuburaya has got to do something to get Ultraman back on TV, not just in the theaters.

UPDATE: Just saw Box Office Mojo's list for last weekend. It confirms Super Hero Was as the top film this week.

Ultraman Saga is not listed amongst the top 15 films of the week in Japan.

 

[Reimon]

Aw~, that sucks.

 

[Shynilyte]

Hmm, it always had seemed to me that Daigo was a sort of "operator", or guide for Tiga. That is, they were separate entities who could only become Ultraman when merged. But, there have been some ret-cons here, see The Final Odyssey movie.

Well, from what I can tell, it's always Daigo's consciousness that makes Tiga work. Yuzare said that the giant's spirit or whatever left it's body in the pyramid. As for Daigo/Tiga being human, the Gijela episode mentions that Tiga can interfere with that thing because he is a human, and thus is not an outsider meddling with another race. Also, episode 25, during the battle against Kyrieloid II, as Tiga gets back up, there's the "Creation of Adam" painting on the side of a building. But only the "Adam" half is shown, and Tiga stretches out his hand in a manner that evokes the painting. I'm guessing that's supposed to show that he is a human being, and not a god or anything else. Even ignoring Final Odyssey, Tiga is Daigo.

Not exactly; when we first see Shin Asuka, he's a normal, ordinary everyday human soldier going through basic training. He only becomes an Ultraman's host when the Light merged with him in high-Earth orbit after the first Sphere attack.

And, even then, outside of some weird ... "dreams" ..., he had no idea what had happened. Until the Light morphed him on Mars during the second Sphere attack. He had been totally confused and terrified when he was overtaken by the Light - and, moreover, after it had left, leaving him his morpher. And, to top it off, Shin had to ask the morpher how to activate it.

After he accepts the responsibility, it becomes obvious that Shin is, at the very least, influencing Dyna's fighting style, using more physical, human-level combat techniques; learning new stuff from ordinary humans, etc. However, Dyna is still a separate entity from Shin, who, in one episode, communicated telepathically a rescue plan to Yummimura and Kamiya inside the GUTS Beta Wing. And the various aliens who challenged/attacked Shin knew that Shin was a host to the Ultra, not the Ultra himself. However, for the most part, they treated Shin with courtesy and respect, even when challenging him. Unlike his own people ...

But, even though Shin does gain some super-strength and limited invulnerability, he's still quite human and vulnerable. As Gondou so tragically proved ...

Ironically enough, it was Gondou's attack which ended up transforming Shin from an ordinary human, into one who could wield the Light directly. Because, after he dies and ... returns, Shin has to force that morph. And, when he does, for the first time, we see a Dyna who has been enormously weakened, yet is completely re-energized by the donation of a human life. (You may recall from Mega Monster Battle's final episode, where Rei tries to re-energize Ultraman from his self-imposed stasis - and it has no effect. At first ...)

After that, that's when Shin can communicate telepathically with others, but with sound, rather than light. And, also, as it became clear, was actually wielding the power himself, rather than being a host.

Huh, I knew there was that space light that turned him into Dyna, but I didn't know it was sentient.

Well, as you have doubtless already read elsewhere on HJU, Kamen Rider x Super Sentai: Super Hero War opened at Number 1 at the box office, with a take of $5,043,473.01 in 292 theaters, and with 355,985 viewers.

That means that, this movie made in its first 3 days almost as much as Ultraman Saga did in its first 3 weeks. And this was in spite of critical complaints about storytelling, etc., that Saga had gotten.

Yet, the theaters were packed. The only explanation I can think of is that since both of these franchises have active series, their viewers are coming to the theaters on top of watching on TV.

So, Tsuburaya has got to do something to get Ultraman back on TV, not just in the theaters.

UPDATE: Just saw Box Office Mojo's list for last weekend. It confirms Super Hero Was as the top film this week.

Ultraman Saga is not listed amongst the top 15 films of the week in Japan.

Yeah, Kamen Rider tends to beat out Ultra movies in the box office. Rather ridiculously.

 

[knightphoenix2]

Time To Focus On The Man, Not The Ultraman ...

Well, from what I can tell, it's always Daigo's consciousness that makes Tiga work. Yuzare said that the giant's spirit or whatever left it's body in the pyramid. As for Daigo/Tiga being human, the Gijela episode mentions that Tiga can interfere with that thing because he is a human, and thus is not an outsider meddling with another race. ... (snip) ... Even ignoring Final Odyssey, Tiga is Daigo.

Fair enough; if the original giant had just left a body that an appropriate consciousness could use to wield its powers; while it lived elsewhere, that's ok.

It just leaves the very disturbing question of why everyone insists that Tiga is dead, and that there can be no more adventures with him in the future after Daigo's time ...

Huh, I knew there was that space light that turned him into Dyna, but I didn't know it was sentient.

Quite sentient; see Episode #32, "The Time of Resolution", for the sequence where the Ultra talks to SuperGUTS ...

Frankly, I'm very uneasy about the whole thing about what appeared to be Shin going ... elsewhere ..., with his father at the end of the series. I'm beginning to wonder if the whole thing was some sort of enormous con ...

I suppose I'll have to wait until I can see the film, but, at this time, kabuto555 is the only one who knows whether or not that particular plot point was addressed in Saga. Certainly, it appears that the studio definitely had second thoughts about it ...

Yeah, Kamen Rider tends to beat out Ultra movies in the box office. Rather ridiculously.

Well then, it's long past time that Tsuburaya followed Toei's lead, and started making films that concentrate on the humans within the Ultras, like Super 8 did. I just hope that Tsuburaya's toy and DVD sales carry the day.

At least until China can step in ...

 

[Reimon]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNnAGWNquuo"]Thanks for the support - Chapter 1[/ame]

 

[knightphoenix2]

Thanks, Reimon!

Thanks for the support - Chapter 1

Hopefully, even though Saga didn't match Super Hero War's numbers, it did well enough to get a sequel. As kabuto555 hinted at when he revealed Asuka's visit to his old comrades ...

 

[Shynilyte]

Fair enough; if the original giant had just left a body that an appropriate consciousness could use to wield its powers; while it lived elsewhere, that's ok.

It just leaves the very disturbing question of why everyone insists that Tiga is dead, and that there can be no more adventures with him in the future after Daigo's time ...

yeah, even during Warriors of Starlight, Iruma said that Asuka cannot meet Tiga. But maybe that's just to indicate that only a few people knew who Tiga was, and it was still a secret.

Quite sentient; see Episode #32, "The Time of Resolution", for the sequence where the Ultra talks to SuperGUTS ...

Huh, well, near the ending when Dyna says "only you do I wish to protect", that was definitely Asuka. And I think the same goes for when he talks during Ultra Galaxy.

Well then, it's long past time that Tsuburaya followed Toei's lead, and started making films that concentrate on the humans within the Ultras, like Super 8 did. I just hope that Tsuburaya's toy and DVD sales carry the day.

At least until China can step in ...

Hmm, Toei's Rider movies have had Riders be featured as simply heroes, but not people. As in, their role is just to kick ass (see: a majority of everybody in All Rider movies) and anything they say is only them as their super hero identities, and not their citizen selves.

Also, I have a question: is there any particular name for the Zero film series? Or are they just called "Ultraman Zero films"?

 

[Reimon]

Hopefully, even though Saga didn't match Super Hero War's numbers, it did well enough to get a sequel. As kabuto555 hinted at when he revealed Asuka's visit to his old comrades ...

Asuka continues his journey once more.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLJT44zXO2Y"]Thanks for the support - Chapter 2[/ame]

 

[cosmos89]

Asuka continues his journey once more.

Thanks for the support - Chapter 2

Can't watch the video due to country restrictions. So they confirmed Asuka/Tsuruno will be filming another film?

If so, I'm a happy man.

 

[okunohoshimichi]

No.