Ultraman Max

Ultraman Max
Promotional poster
Genre	Superhero Tokusatsu Science fiction Action/Adventure Kaiju Kyodai Hero
Created by	Kazuo Tsuburaya, Tsuburaya Productions
Developed by	Yuji Kobayashi
Directed by	Shusuke Kaneko
Starring	Sota Aoyama Hitomi Hasebe Kai Shishido Hikari Mitsushima
Composers	Kuniaki Haishima, Toru Fuyuki
Country of origin	Japan
Original language	Japanese
No. of episodes	39
Production
Producer	Takeshi Yagi
Running time	Approx. 24 mins per episode
Original release
Network	Chubu-Nippon Broadcasting Co., Ltd. (Japan) TOKU (U.S.)
Release	July 2, 2005 (2005-07-02) – April 1, 2006 (2006-04-01)

Ultraman Max (ウルトラマンマックス, Urutoraman Makkusu) is a Japanese Tokusatsu series produced by Tsuburaya Productions and Chubu-Nippon Broadcasting Co., Ltd.. Released as the 19th Ultra Series overall, it aired on July 2, 2005 to April 1, 2006. The show aimed to return to the true formula of new monsters every week and being a fast-paced show like previous series with the exception of Ultraman Nexus. On October 10, 2014, Crunchyroll announced that the series would be broadcast on their streaming service starting on October 17, 2014 in the US, Canada, Latin America, UK, Australia, and New Zealand.

On January 27, 2017, the US television channel TOKU announced that the series would be broadcast in the United States on its channel with an English dub beginning February 27, 2017, making it the fifth Ultra Series to air in the United States after Ultraman, Ultra Seven, Ultraman: Towards the Future (originally in English without a Japanese dub) and Ultraman Tiga.

Synopsis

Main article: List of Ultraman Max characters

In the 21st century, multiple mysterious phenomenon began to occur as monsters who were initially thought to be a part of mythology had come to life. These phenomenons had also resulted from human activities that disrupted the nature of the ecosystem.

Touma Kaito dreamed of entering DASH because previously he was a volunteer who often rescued people from natural disasters. However, he failed the entrance test because it was considered too hot-spirited when trying to protect people without thinking and often unconsciously doing excessive actions that endanger his own safety. Kaito has his own reasons and still insists on getting into DASH. One day, when he was still an apprentice, Touma recklessly replaces one of the wounded DASH members to help dispel the monster in order to avoid the heavy casualties. At a critical moment, Touma had bonded with Ultraman Max to save his life and fought the incoming monster on his own.

After being accepted into DASH, Kaito and Max had been teaming up to defend Earth from various monster and alien threats. In the middle of the series, Max was saved from Zetton by Ultraman Xenon, who gives him the Max Galaxy to even the odds and such device was added to his arsenal since then. In the final episode, the underground civilization Delos began their invasion on the surface after years of suffering from the negative effects of their civilization. Max was initially backed away from the fight due to his race's policy in not interfering with civil wars until Kaito's determination changed both the minds of said Ultraman and Delos, the latter of whom begged their doomsday weapon Giga Berserke to be stopped. Max was initially killed in an effort to save Kaito until DASH members revive him with enough sunlight to destroy Giga Berserke.

The Ultraman left Earth as years later, the elderly Kaito and Mizuki watched their grandchildren departing to space as Earth has finally entered a peaceful coexistence with other races.

Episodes

1. Ultraman Max Arrives! (ウルトラマンマックス誕生!, Urutoraman Makkusu Tanjō!)
2. The Girl Who Keeps a Monster (怪獣を飼う女, Kaijū o Kau On'na)
3. Proof of a Brave Man (勇士の証明, Yūshi no Shōmei)
4. Infinite Invaders (無限の侵略者, Mugen no Shinryakusha)
5. Appears, Monster Island! (出現、怪獣島!, Shutsugen, Kaijūtō!)
6. Bombing, 5 Seconds Before (爆撃、５秒前, Bakugeki, Gobyō Mae)
7. Destructor of the Star (星の破壊者, Hoshi no Hakaisha)
8. DASH Annihilated!? (DASH 壊滅!?, Dasshu Kaimetsu!?)
9. Dragon Lover (龍の恋人, Ryū no Koibito)
10. Young DASH (少年DASH, Shōnen Dasshu)
11. Prophecy of Baradhi (バラージの予言, Barāji no Yogen)
12. Pursuit at Supersonic Speed (超音速の追撃, Chō Onsoku no Tsuigeki)
13. Daughter of Zetton (ゼットンの娘, Zetton no Musume)
14. I Love King Joe (恋するキングジョー, Koi Suru Kingu Jō)
15. Miracle of the Third Planet (第三番惑星の奇跡, Dai Sanban Wakusei no Kiseki)
16. Who Am I? (わたしはだあれ?, Watashi wa Daare)
17. Ice Beauty (氷の美女, Kōri no Bijo)
18. Bright World (アカルイセカイ, Akarui Sekai)
19. Person Coming from the Door (扉より来たる者, Tobira yori Kitaru Mono)
20. Drifting Monster (怪獣漂流, Kaijū Hyōryū)
21. Challenge from Underground (地底からの挑戦, Chitei kara no Chōsen)
22. Butterfly Dream (胡蝶の夢, Kochō no Yume)
23. Youth Again (甦れ青春, Yomigaere Seishun)
24. The Untargeted Town (狙われない街, Nerawarenai Machi)
25. A Distant Friend (遥かなる友人, Haruka Naru Yūjin)
26. Elly of Christmas (クリスマスのエリー, Kurisumasu no Erī)
27. The Taken Max Spark (奪われたマックススパーク, Ubawareta Makkusu Supāku)
28. Attack of the Evil (邪悪襲来, Jaaku Shūrai)
29. Why Do Monsters Appear (怪獣は何故現れるのか, Kaijū wa Naze Arawareru Noka)
30. Courage Is from the Heart (勇気を胸に, Yūki o Mune ni)
31. Burn! Earth!! (燃えつきろ! 地球!!, Moe Tsukiro! Chikyū!!)
32. Elly Destruction Directive (エリー破壊指令, Erī Hakai Shirei)
33. Welcome! To the Earth: Part 1: The Science of the Planet Baltan (ようこそ! 地球へ 前篇 バルタン星の科学, Yōkoso! Chikyū e Zenpen Barutan Sei no Kagaku)
34. Welcome! To the Earth: Part 2: Farewell! Alien Baltan (ようこそ! 地球へ 後篇 さらば!バルタン星人, Yōkoso! Chikyū e Kōhen Saraba! Barutan Seijin)
35. Adam and Eve of M32 Nebula (M32星雲のアダムとイブ, Emu Sanjūni Seiun no Adamu to Ibu)
36. Alternate Dimension World (イジゲンセカイ, Ijigen Sekai)
37. Constellation Thief (星座泥棒, Seiza Dorobō)
38. Prelude to Ground Annihilation (地上壊滅の序曲, Chijō Kaimetsu no Jokyoku)
39. Hold On To! Future (つかみとれ! 未来, Tsukami Tore! Mirai)
40. Special Finale -To the Ultra Future- (スペシャルフィナーレ ～ウルトラの未来へ～, Supesharu Fināre -Urutora no Mirai e-)

Super Battle Special

After the broadcast of Ultraman Max, an eight-minute special was released on DVD. This special was a five-minute clip show giving a review of Ultraman Max's back-story and primary attacks up until Ultraman Xenon gives him the Max Galaxy. After the clip show, the monster Red King attacks Max with Zetton shortly joining in. The special ends with Max defeating both of them.

Cast

• Kaito Touma (トウマ・カイト, Tōma Kaito): Sōta Aoyama (青山 草太, Aoyama Sōta)
• Shigeru Hijikata (ヒジカタ・シゲル, Hijikata Shigeru): Kai Shishido (宍戸 開, Shishido Kai)
• Mizuki Koishikawa (コイシカワ・ミズキ, Koishikawa Mizuki): Hitomi Hasebe (長谷部 瞳, Hasebe Hitomi)
• Kenjiro Koba (コバ・ケンジロウ, Koba Kenjirō): Nobuyuki Ogawa (小川 信行, Ogawa Nobuyuki)
• Sean White (ショーン・ホワイト, Shōn Howaito): Sean Nichols (ショーン・ニコルス, Shōn Nikorusu)
• Elly (エリー, Erī): Hikari Mitsushima (満島 ひかり, Mitsushima Hikari)
• Kenzo Tomioka (トミオカ・ケンゾウ, Tomioka Kenzō): Susumu Kurobe (黒部 進, Kurobe Susumu)
• Yukari Yoshinaga (ヨシナガ・ユカリ, Yoshinaga Yukari): Hiroko Sakurai (桜井 浩子, Sakurai Hiroko)
• Ultraman Max (ウルトラマンマックス, Urutoraman Makkusu, Voice): Kazuya Nakai (中井 和哉, Nakai Kazuya)
• Narrator: Shirō Sano (佐野 史郎, Sano Shirō)

Guest cast

• Mitsugu Shindō (進藤 貢, Shindō Mitsugu, 5,6): Yukijirō Hotaru (螢雪次朗, Hotaru Yukijirō)
• Kesam (ケサム, Kesamu, 7): Kenzaburo Kikuchi (菊地 謙三郎, Kikuchi Kenzaburo)
• Natsumi Oda (小田 夏美, Oda Natsumi, 13, 14): Nao Nagasawa (長澤 奈央, Nagasawa Nao)
• Ultraman Xenon (ウルトラマンゼノン, Urutoraman Zenon, 13, 39): Osamu Ryutani (龍谷 修武, Ryūtani Osamu)
• Nina (ニーナ, Nīna, 17): Saki Kamiryo (上良 早紀, Kamiryō Saki)
• Dr. Takeru Ozaki (オザキタケル博士, Ozaki Takeru hakase, 19): Kohji Moritsugu (森次 晃嗣, Moritsugu Kōji)
• Alien Tarla (ターラ星人, Tāra Seijin, 19): Alexander Otsuka (アレクサンダー大塚, Arukezandā Ōtsuka)
• Hatsuki Yamaguchi (山口 初子, Yamaguchi Hatsuko, 20): Miyoko Yoshimoto (芳本美代子, Yoshimoto Miyoko)
• Takeo Yamaguchi (山口 武雄, Yamaguchi Takeo, 20): Joe Onodera (小野寺 丈, Onodera Jō)
• Ikuo Hasunuma (蓮沼 征夫, Hasunuma Ikuo, 22): Renji Ishibashi (石橋 蓮司, Ishibashi Renji)
• Dr. Date (ダテ博士, Date hakase, 23, 31, 34): Masanari Nihei (二瓶 正也, Nihei Masanari)
• Yōjirō Matsunaga (松永 要二郎, Matsunaga Yōjirō, 24): Masami Horiuchi (堀内 正美, Horiuchi Masami)
• Alien Metron (メトロン星人, Metoron Seijin, 24): Minori Terada (寺田 農, Terada Minori)
• Alien Neril "Keef" (ネリル星人キーフ, Neriru Seijin Kīfu, 25): Gamon Kaai (河相 我聞, Kaai Gamon)
• Ririka (リリカ, 28): Mai Saitō (斉藤 麻衣, Saitō Mai)
• Kerus (ケルス, Kerusu, 32): Ryohei (涼平, Ryōhei)
• Unnamed police officer (33, 34): Ryu Manatsu (真夏 竜, Manatsu Ryū)
• Evacuee (36): Hidenori Tokuyama (徳山 秀典, Tokuyama Hidenori, Uncredited)

Songs

Opening theme

• "Ultraman Max" (ウルトラマンマックス, Urutoraman Makkusu)
  • Lyrics: Neko Oikawa (及川 眠子, Oikawa Neko)
  • Composition & Arrangement: Yasuharu Takanashi (高梨 康治, Takanashi Yasuharu)
  • Artist: TEAM DASH with Project DMM

Insert songs

• "NO LIMITED"
  • Lyrics, Composition, & Arrangement: Kazuya Daimon (大門 一也, Daimon Kazuya)
  • Artist: Project DMM
• "Ultra miracle"
  • Lyrics, composition, arrangement: Daimon Kazuya
  • Artist: Project DMM
• "NOT SO BAD"
  • Lyrics and composition: Yoshihiro Takahashi
  • Arrangement: ACTION
  • Artist: BAD SCANNERS (ACTION)
• "Goodbye song"
  • Arrangement: Kuniaki Kuwashima
• "Chocho"
  • Arrangement: Toru Fuyuki
  • Artist: Yukari Oshima
• "Red Dragonfly"
  • Arrangement: Toru Fuyuki
  • Artist: Yukari Oshima
• "TO THE MAX"
  • Artist: Project DMM

Home media

In July 2020, Shout! Factory announced to have struck a multi-year deal with Alliance Entertainment and Mill Creek, with the blessings of Tsuburaya and Indigo, that granted them the exclusive SVOD and AVOD digital rights to the Ultra series and films (1,100 episodes and 20 film) acquired by Mill Creek the previous year. Ultraman Max, amongst other titles, will stream in the United States and Canada through Shout! Factory TV and Tokushoutsu.

External links

• Official site
• Ultraman Max at IMDb
• Crunchyroll page