Ultraman Nexus

Ultraman Nexus

English sales flyer
Created by Kazuo Tsuburaya, Tsuburaya Productions
Chubu-Nippon Broadcasting
Written by Keiichi Hasegawa
Kenichi Araki
Masanao Akahoshi
Murai Sadayuki
Ai Ota
Directed by Kazuya Konaka
Miki Nemoto
Tsugumi Kitaura
Yuichi Abe
Takeshi Yagi
Naoki Ohara
Starring Takuji Kawakubo
Yusuke Kirishima
Masato Uchiyama
Yasue Sato
Tamotsu Ishibashi
Kousei Kato
Keiko Goto
Composer(s) Kenji Kawai
Country of origin Japan
Original language(s) Japanese
No. of episodes 37 (plus two DVD specials)
Production
Producer(s) Takeshi Okazaki
Hiroyasu Shibuya
Tahei Yamanishi
Tsuburaya Productions
Chubu-Nippon Broadcasting
Dentsu
Running time Approx. 24 mins per episode
Release
Original network Chubu-Nippon Broadcasting
Tokyo Broadcasting System
Original release October 2, 2004 – June 25, 2005
Chronology
Preceded by Ultra Q: Dark Fantasy
Followed by Ultraman Max
External links
Website

Ultraman Nexus (ウルトラマンネクサス Urutoraman Nekusasu) was produced by Tsuburaya Productions, Chubu-Nippon Broadcasting (CBC), and Dentsu. It was the 20th entry in the Ultra Series. The series aired on Tokyo Broadcasting System, including TBS, CBC, MBS, etc. The show ran from October 2, 2004 until June 25, 2005, with a total of 37 broadcast episodes. Subsequent DVD releases from Bandai Visual saw a brand new 45-minute Episode EX and an extended 45-minute Director's Cut of Episode 29.

History

Ultraman Nexus was part of Tsuburaya Productions' Ultra N Project, an experiment in 2004 to re-invent Ultraman for a new generation of fans. Prior to this, however, Tsuburaya had begun a project called Ultra Collaboration 2 at the end of 2003, which involved a brand new radio-adaptation of Ultra Q called The Ultra Q Club. The project was also due to include a new TV series called Ultraman Noa in early 2004, which is presumably what Ultraman Nexus evolved into. Following the success of the new radio show, Tsuburaya forged ahead with a brand new season, Ultra Q: Dark Fantasy on April 6, 2004, a show which attracted top-rung directors such as Shusuke Kaneko (popular with fans for his work on the Gamera series and Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack).

The first stage of the Ultra N Project was entitled Noa: Nostalgia. The project mascot, Ultraman Noa, was a rather radical change design - an all-silver Ultraman with protruding wings on its back. Ultraman Noa was mainly used for live stage shows and merchandising. The second stage of the project was Next: Evolution. This saw the creation of a new theatrical film, ULTRAMAN. The final stage was Nexus: Trinity - the piece that ties the entire project together. Unlike the previous series Ultraman Cosmos, which was strictly aimed at young children, Ultraman Nexus was the first Ultraman TV series specifically aimed at adults. The show abandons the traditional monster-of-the-week stories in order to be replaced with longer character-based story arcs. Tsuburaya Productions had intended the show to be run during prime time, but the CBC network gave the show a 7:30 AM Saturday morning slot once Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon ended its 49 episode run. The TV series received weak ratings which were attributed to the change in style and not being able to have the target demographic tune in, resulting in the series being cut short from around 50 episodes down to 37.

Three months after its initial run, it was re-run in a new time slot. This time the show aired at 2:30 AM on Tuesday mornings and the ratings met the expectations that were set for the Ultra N Project. Following the ULTRAMAN movie, Tsuburaya ran a teaser trailer for Ultraman 2 Requiem. Due to the performance of Ultraman Nexus the film was canceled, and Tsuburaya moved ahead with a theatrical version of the then-current television series, Ultraman Mebius.

Knowing that the Ultra N Project was intended to reboot the Ultra Series, it is worth noting that this is the third modern adaptation of Eiji Tsuburaya's Ultraman, with Ultraman Neos the second and Ultraman: The Ultimate Hero the first.

Story

The TLT is a covert international anti-monster unit established secretly to combat Space Beasts, mysterious monsters that are out to attack humans in the year 2009. One of the TLT's new recruits, Komon Kazuki, is attacked by one of them prior to reporting for duty. However, he is saved by a silver giant that he names "Ultraman". What no one knows is that the silver giant is an Ultraman—to be precise, Ultraman Nexus, ready to fight the Space Beasts to save the Earth.[1]

Characters

TLT (Terrestrial Liberation Trust)

The Terrestrial Liberation Trust (地球解放機構 Chikyū Kaihō Kikō) or TLT (ティルト Tiruto) is a top secret global, non-government organization set up to investigate, research and defeat the "Space Beast" (スペースビースト Supēsu Bīsuto) threat. Japan’s TLT (TLT-J) branch is hidden under a hydroelectric dam found in the mountainous Kanto region (eastern Japan). The main teams of TLT are the Night Raiders, Memory Police (who erase the memories of civilians involved in any Night Raider missions or witnessing any Space Beast attacks) and White Sweeper, who are involved in clean-up.

Night Raiders

Night Raiders (ナイトレイダー Naito Reidā) is the elite defense team united under TLT. The team responsible in eliminating Space Beasts.

The Dunamists

Dunamists (デュナミスト Dyunamisuto) are humans who can bond with the Light to become Ultraman Nexus, using a wand-like device called the Evoltruster (エボルトラスター Eborutorasutā).

The first Dunamist, First Lieutenant Shunichi Maki of the Japanese Air Force, can be seen in Ultraman theatrical feature and is mentioned a few times during the series run by both Matsunaga and Sara Mizuhara.

The second Dunamist. He is a serious, somewhat brooding individual, not given to trusting institutions such as the Night Raiders. He eventually strikes up some sort of kinship with Komon, rescuing him from danger a few times. Himeya was a photojournalist, specializing in war photos. During one assignment (presumably somewhere in Southeast Asia), he was injured and subsequently treated by an orphan named Sera. tragically, Sera was caught up in armed conflict, and was killed as she rushed towards Himeya. A distraught Himeya returned; ironically, he became famous for the collection of pictures he took. Sometime after, Himeya encountered the Light. Trying to make up for what he was unable to do in the past, Himeya used the power of the Light to protect humanity and battle the Space Beasts, sacrificing everything within battle. During a climactic battle with Dark Mephisto, Himeya is presumed to have died; at the end of the series, the viewer learns that Himeya has survived, very much alive and well.
The third Dunamist, Ren receives the Light after Himeya's disappearance. Outwardly, he is cheerful, optimistic and simple to the point of ditsy — this, however, conceals his past experiences. Ren is not a normal human, but rather a 'son of Prometheus': a human created through genetic engineering under the flag of "Prometheus Project" (an experiment performed in Dallas, Texas in the USA). He has faster reflexes, physical strength and ESP than a normal human. However, Ren suffers from a genetic imbalance of his DNA which cuts his lifespan to only 17-18 years.]. His only hope to prolong his life is a drug known only as 'Raphael'. Running away from the institute in Dallas, Ren comes to Japan hoping to live his last days as a 'normal' human, but instead encounters the Light and becomes Nexus' third Dunamist. After Ren takes on the mantle of Dunamist, Nexus' Junis form is significantly modified to become a faster, sleeker Junis Blue. His primary attacks are the Storm Sword, Arrow Ray Storm and Over Arrow Ray Storm, deadly beams of light fired from his Armed Nexus. By the end of the series, Ren survives and presumably continues to live a normal life in Japan.
The fourth Dunamist, see above and below sections for information.
The fifth and last Dunamist, see above and below sections for information.

The Dark Side

Others

Ultraman Nexus

Notes: Noa later appears in the 2010 feature film Ultraman Zero: The Revenge of Belial as the guardian of the Shield of Baradhi, which he later bestows upon Ultraman Zero. It is also a popular theory among fans that the ancient Ultraman referenced in the seventh episode of the original Ultraman series, "The Blue Stone of Baradhi," is also Noa.

Episodes

  1. Episode.01: Night Raid (夜襲-ナイトレイド- Yashū -Naito Reido-)
  2. Episode.02: Space Beast (異生獣-スペースビースト- Iseijū -Supēsu Bīsuto-)
  3. Episode.03: Ultraman (巨人-ウルトラマン- Kyojin -Urutoraman-)
  4. Episode.04: Meta Field (亜空間-メタフィールド- Akūkan -Meta Fīrudo-)
  5. Episode.05: Dunamist (適能者-デュナミスト- Tekinōsha -Dyunamisuto-)
  6. Episode.06: Relic (遺跡-レリック- Iseki -Rerikku-)
  7. Episode.07: Faust (魔人-ファウスト- Majin -Fausuto-)
  8. Episode.08: Memory Police (M・P-メモリーポリス- Emu Pī -Memorī Porisu-)
  9. Episode.09: Warning (警告-ワーニング- Keikoku -Wāningu-)
  10. Episode.10: Strike Formation (突入-ストライク・フォーメーション- Totsunyū -Sutoraiku Fōmēshon-)
  11. Episode.11: Marionette (人形-マリオネット- Ningyō -Marionetto-)
  12. Episode.12: Lost Soul (別離-ロスト・ソウル- Betsuri -Rosuto Sōru)
  13. Episode.13: Illustrator (予知者-イラストレーター- Yochisha -Irasutorētā)
  14. Episode.14: Mephisto (悪魔-メフィスト- Akuma -Mefisuto-)
  15. Episode.15: Nightmare (悪夢-ナイトメア- Akumu -Naitomea-)
  16. Episode.16: Labyrinth (迷路-ラビリンス- Meiro -Rabirinsu-)
  17. Episode.17: Darkness (闇-ダークネス- Yami -Dākunesu-)
  18. Episode.18: Apocalypse (黙示録-アポカリプス- Mokushiroku -Apokaripusu-)
  19. Episode.19: Cross Phase Trap (要撃戦-クロスフェーズトラップ- Yōgekisen -Kurosu Fēzu Torappu-)
  20. Episode.20: Chrome Chester δ (追撃-クロムチェスターδ- Tsuigeki -Kuromu Chesutā Deruta-)
  21. Episode.21: Sacrifice (受難-サクリファイス- Junan -Sakurifaisu-)
  22. Episode.22: Cure (安息-キュア- Ansoku -Kyua-)
  23. Episode.23: Satisfaction (宿命-サティスファクション- Shukumei -Satisufakushon-)
  24. Episode.24: Hero (英雄-ヒーロー- Eiyū -Hīrō-)
  25. Episode.25: Prophecy (予兆-プロフェシー- Yochō -Purofeshī-)
  26. Episode.26: The Third (憐-ザ・サード- Ren -Za Sādo-)
  27. Episode.27: Prayer (祈り-プレイヤー- Inori -Pureiyā-)
  28. Episode.28: Reunion (再会-リユニオン- Saikai -Riyunion-)
  29. Episode.29: Calling (幽声-コーリング Yūsei -Kōringu-)
    • Episode.29: Calling - Director's Cut (幽声-コーリング-ディレクターズカット Yūsei -Kōringu- Direkutāzu Katto)
  30. Episode.30: Watcher (監視者-ウォッチャー- Kanshisha -Wotchā-)
  31. Episode.31: Bird (鳥―バード- Tori -Bādo-)
    • Episode.EX: Lost Memories (詩織-ロストメモリーズ- Shiori -Rosuto Memorīzu, DVD Volume 9/BCBS-2099)
  32. Episode.32: Unknown Hand (影-アンノウンハンド- Kage -Announ Hando-)
  33. Episode.33: AD 2004 (忘却-A.D.2004- Bōkyaku -Ē Dī Nisen Yon-)
  34. Episode.34: AD 2009 (封鎖-A.D.2009- Fūsa -Ē Dī Nisen Kyū-)
  35. Episode.35: Revolt (反乱-リボルト- Hanran -Riboruto-)
  36. Episode.36: Farewell (決戦-フェアウェル- Kessen -Feaweru-)
  37. Episode.37: Nexus (絆-ネクサス- Kizuna -Nekusasu-)

Cast

Songs

Opening themes
Ending themes

Video game(s)

A video game based on the series was produced by Bandai for the PlayStation 2, under the name Ultraman Nexus.

Media

cameo

Related websites

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "ウルトラマンネクサス". hicbc.com. Retrieved 2013-04-15.
  2. "円谷プロダクション: ULTRA N PROJECT". M-78.jp. Retrieved 2013-04-15.

External links

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