Ultraman (2004 film)

Ultraman: The Next
Theatrical Poster
Directed by	Kazuya Konaka
Produced by	Kiyoshi Suzuki
Written by	Keiichi Hasegawa
Starring	Tetsuya Bessho Kyoko Toyama Nae Yuuki
Music by	Tak Matsumoto
Distributed by	Shochiku
Release date(s)	December 18, 2004 (2004-12-18)
Running time	97 minutes
Country	Japan
Language	Japanese

Ultraman: The Next, released in Japan simply titled ULTRAMAN (ウルトラマン, Urutoraman), is a 2004 tokusatsu superhero film. It is part of the Ultra Series' experimental Ultra N Project, and features an Ultraman character codenamed "The Next". The movie, produced by Tsuburaya Productions, received its theatrical release in Japan on December 18, 2004, distributed by Shochiku.

Ultra N Project

Tsuburaya Productions started the "Ultra N Project" in 2004, in an attempt to revitalize the Ultra franchise. The project consisted of three parts. The first part involved the unveiling of Ultraman Noa, the second part involved this movie, and the last part involved the airing of the then-new Ultra Series, Ultraman Nexus. Ultraman the Next resembled a life-like insectoid version of Nexus (with insect-like body armor and organic tissue-like skin underneath). This was the first Ultraman ever to possess this sort of characteristic, a departure from the traditional "clean and shiny" look. BEING GIZA artists provided the theme songs for Ultraman the Next and Ultraman Nexus.

Plot

First Lieutenant Shunichi Maki of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force is a prestigious F-15 Eagle jet pilot (or "driver" as he is called in the film). A lifelong fan of flying since he was a child, being a pilot is his ultimate dream. Unfortunately, his duties distance himself from his wife, Yoko, who always ends up being neglected, and his son, Tsugumu, who has a congenital blood disease and has a high risk of dying at a young age.

Maki decides to quit the Air Force to devote more time to his family and to spend whatever is left for his son. He takes a part-time job as a commercial tour guide run by a kindly group of people who allow him time to work and to also take care of his family.

However, prior to quitting, Maki and his flight partner Yamashima are alerted to a strange red light streaking towards Japan, and Maki's plane collides with the red light. However, he has suffered no ill effects other than brief flashes of scenes playing out in his mind. He later discovers that the images in his mind are due to telepathic messages from the strange being in the light.

From Next to Nexus

Eventually, this sets the tone for the TV series, Ultraman Nexus (Urutoraman Nekkusasu, 2004) as Maki's power is passed on to protect humanity from the darkness. Ultraman Nexus is set 5 years after the events of ULTRAMAN, in the year 2009, with Himeya Jun (Junis Red), Senjyu Ren (Junis Blue), and Komon Kazuki (Noa) taking charge as Maki's successors. Sara also returns near the series finale, serving as an advisor to TLT and Night Raider during the final attack.

The events in this movie are referred to as 'A.D. 2004' in the Ultraman Nexus series. In addition, TLT collaborates with an unknown alien force to erase any memory about the incident in the entire human race, in order to 'protect those who experienced trauma' after the violent events in ULTRAMAN.They also cite the cause of extreme damage in the city of Tokyo due to a "violent meteor shower".

Cast

Main Characters

• Maki Shunichi (真木 舜一) / Ultraman the Next (ウルトラマン・ザ・ネクスト): Played by Bessho Tetsuya (別所 哲也).
• Mizuhara Sara (水原 沙羅): Played by Tooyama Kyooko (遠山 景織子).
• Udou Takafumi (有働 貴文) / Beast the One (ビースト・ザ・ワン): Played by Oosumi Kenya (大澄 賢也).

Supporting

• Yuuki Nae (裕木 奈江)
• Hirota Ryouhei (広田 亮平)
• Nagasawa Toshiya (永澤 俊矢)
• Ryuu Daisuke (隆 大介)
• Kusakari Masao (草刈 正雄)

Theme Songs

• OP: "Theme from ULTRAMAN" by TAK MATSUMOTO
• ED: "NEVER GOOD-BYE" by TMG

Original Soundtrack

The original soundtrack, known simply as ULTRAMAN ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK, was produced by TAK MATSUMOTO (of B'z), under his Vermillion Records label (which is in turn, a part of the Being Giza group). It was released in Japan on July 20, 2005. The catalogue code for the album is BMCV-8015.

External links

• ULTRAMAN THE MOVIE - Official Website
• Ultraman at the Internet Movie Database
• Ultraman at AllRovi