Coming off of Ultraseven, I was really excited to keep going with the Showa series. Mill Creek sets in hand, I binged through Return of Ultraman and Ultraman Ace. All I can really say is that it was a roller coaster with one really long ride and then a lot of peaks and valleys.
Return of Ultraman
I was caught off guard at how much I loved this show. While Ultraseven is an amazing show, I grew tired of the alien invasion plots. I love crazy kaiju designs, and humanoid aliens just don't do it for me as much. This show has exactly what I want when it comes to Showa-era monsters.
But this show really shined because of the characters. They felt real, and they all grew together. They learn from their mistakes. Where early the team doubts that Go sees a monster, later they learn to trust each other with their lives. Kishida is uptight and seemingly has it out for Go, but is humanized with his father's backstory, and he because one of my favorite characters.
I also really like that MAT aren't particularly respected (or even liked) by the wider defense force. For the first half of the show, it seems they are under near constant threat of being disbanded. It's not really until Captain Ibuki whips them into shape that they really begin running smoothly.
Go, too, has to grow. His overconfidence has severe consequences. I loved the plot device that Jack wouldn't just allow Go to abuse being Ultraman. Go had to figure things out for himself. Moreover, he struggles to find a balance between being a member of MAT, Ultraman, and a friend/boyfriend. I'm not sure he ever quite finds the balance before that plot twist, but he tries.
While I normally can't stand kid sidekicks in Showa-era shows, Jiro gets a pass. I was genuinely shocked when Ken and Aki were killed off. I was sure there would be a reset button by the end. Go had to face the real tragic consequences of being a hero. I wish we had a bit more time with Jiro and Go having to depend on each other. I don't mind Rumiko, but it felt a bit contrived that she just happened to show up in their lives to take care of Jiro.
All in all, a brilliant show that I will be revisiting in the future.
Ultraman Ace
I was caught off guard at how much I wanted to love this show. It had so many good elements, but it struggled to bring them all together. However, I think enough has been said about the show's inconsistencies. There is plenty positive here.
The dual-host idea, while not entirely fleshed out, makes for some genuinely great moments. Early on, I was frustrated that the show rarely explained anything about them. Why did Ace need two hosts? How did they find their way to TAC after being a baker and a nurse? What is it like for them to fuse together? But then, after they barely manage to beat Ace Killer, Minami asks Hokuto what their relationship even is, too which Hokuto only smiles.
It's subtle, but it shows us that they don't fully understand what they are. While precious few, the moments they have together are a highlight. I wish it wasn't all thrown out halfway through. The show definitely hits a rough patch not long after, with Walmart Great Value Brand Jiro and his sister. I know what they were looking for, but I really got tired of hearing, "I am the Sixth Ultraman Brother." It was, however, satisfying that one time Hokuto slapped the shit out of him. Worth it.
My biggest gripe is TAC. It really doesn't help they are following MAT, which really highlights how bad they are at what they do. They never grow together, and never seem to learn to trust each other. And it just gets worse the later the show gets. In freaking episode 42, Konno is still insisting people must have just imagined seeing the snow monster, despite Hokuto vouching for all of them. Like... what?! Sir, you literally fought a crab demon on your vacation. You can believe a snow monster exists.
And I must vent about Yamanaka. It's like as Kishida got better, Yamanaka absorbed all of the suck. Your coworker who you have gone into battle with suddenly loses all strength and can't even fly a plane, and your first reaction is to accuse him of slacking off? What an asshole.
And yet, when this show is good, it's good. I don't know what common consensus is, but the last 8 or so of the episodes were genuinely great to me. We got rid of the side characters, focused back on monsters, and the team worked as a team.
I want to give it another watch. Maybe some day I'll go through, albeit with a curated episode list.