So You Want To / Write the Next "Ultraman"

The Ultra Series is a tokusatsu series created by Eiji Tsuburaya and produced by Tsuburaya Productions. Beginning from 1966 and still going strong to this day, it's the Trope Codifier of the Henshin Hero formula and a big influence in Japanese pop culture.

Necessary Tropes

• The main Ultra is a Henshin Hero who can transform into a 40-meter tall silver giant of light played by People in Rubber Suits. The giant form usually has a time limit and a Critical Annoyance whenever the time limit draws near or the Ultra is severely hurt.
• The series runs on the Monster of the Week formula, though whether the monster in question is a Kaiju, an alien invader or something weirder varies by episode and show.
• Every series has a Badass Crew defending Earth from threats, usually in the form of a Mildly Military Defense Team with a cool acronym for a name. Even in the time period from Ultraman Orb until Ultraman Taiga where their presence is diminished, they are never absent from a series.
• It is tradition for the series to have an Artistic Title; while its presence is toned down in New Generation series, the logo gradually forming itself is never absent from a series' opening credits. See this compilation of opening titles from Ultra Q to Ultraman Z as a reference.

Choices, Choices

• Is the main Ultra a human bonded with an Ultraman, or an Alien Among Us?
• Most Ultras hail from Nebula M78, but Ultras that come from other planets also exist.
• Does the Ultra fight with his bare hands, or does he have a weapon? The weapon can be anything, though a sword is the most common.
• Whilst not strictly necessary, most modern Ultras have Multiform Balance; their base form is a Jack of All Stats, whilst one auxiliary form prioritizes strength and the other one prioritizes either speed or "magical" techniques, with a Super Mode as a Mid-Season Upgrade.
• Most aliens are Humanoid Aliens or at least bipedal, but they can be portrayed by a prop or even have no physical form.
• Is the Monster of the Week a familiar face like Gomora, Red King and Zetton, or an entirely new creature? Most series from Ultraman Max onwards usually have returning kaijus as the majority, but the kaiju of the first episode is almost always an entirely new monster.

Pitfalls

• Avoid having the main Ultra kill a Non-Malicious Monster when a peaceful outcome is possible. Heroic Ultramen are not psychotic killers, and the Kaiju in the franchise are often treated just as sympathetically as the humans.
• As action between the Ultra and the Monster of the Week is a draw, avoid suits that are too fragile or too cumbersome for action.
• While the Ultra Series is no stranger to referencing previous instalments in its long history, when using a Mythology Gag, make sure any newcomers to the franchise can understand what is going on, and avoid simply rehashing a scene older fans have most likely seen before.

Potential Subversions

• Most Ultras maintain their Secret Identity until their end of the show, but what if the Broken Masquerade happens in the very first episode and the rest of the series deals with the fallout of having the main character's identity exposed?
• What if the Defense Team's weaponry and technology was of alien origins, instead of being built by humans alone?
• Most fights are between giants in these series, so any fight that's fought at human size or even as a "Fantastic Voyage" Plot would be an interesting twist.
• As nearly all of the alien races are hostile and seek to invade Earth, an alien who isn't an Ultra, but is similarly heroic is uncommon in the series, making it very special when one does appear.

Writers' Lounge

Suggested Themes and Aesops

• Humans Are Special is the bread and butter of the series, with humans sometimes saving the day instead of the Ultras themselves. However, the alternate view that Humans Are Bastards is also common, with many Well-Intentioned Extremist aliens and some Anti-Hero Ultras endorsing this view.
• Green Aesops are common in the series, with Ultraman: Towards the Future and Ultraman Gaia being prominent examples.
• The Ultra Series often comments on the futility of war and arms races, particularly nuclear warfare.
• Be mindful of the Sliding Scale of Idealism Versus Cynicism; the Ultra Series generally leans toward the Idealism end. While the series doesn't shy away from having dark and intense stories, and can delve into difficult subjects, even the darkest and most serious entries still carry an air of optimism and hopefulness. Individual episodes may have bittersweet or even downer endings, and Earn Your Happy Ending will be very much in effect in heavier stories, but Ultra stories in general are light-hearted with a sense of fun. Feel free to tackle serious or cynical material, but don't veer too far into bleakness; as Eiji Tsuburaya is said to have told his writers, you wouldn't want to "destroy the dreams of children."

Potential Motifs

• Light Is Good is a big thing in the Ultra Series, as the Ultras are often referred to as Giants of Light.
• As Eiji Tsuburaya was a devout Roman Catholic and Ultraman is a Messianic Archetype, the Crucified Hero Shot is very common, particularly when the hero is captured by villains.

Suggested Plots

• The main Ultra losing his Transformation Trinket and being stuck as a powerless human is a common plot for an episode.
• If humans develop a weapon of mass destruction, have it cause a monster to appear, or make the weapon itself the main threat of the plot. Examples include the episode "Super Weapon R-1" from Ultraseven and Deathfacer from Ultraman Dyna, "D4" from Ultraman Z, and Terraphaser (a direct homage to Deathfacer) from Ultraman Decker.

Departments

Set Designer / Location Scout

• The Defense Team usually has an advanced main base of operations. The exact look can vary, from retro-futuristic to looking like an ordinary factory office.
• The elaborate miniature building sets are the most important part of any Ultra series. Most fights take place in the city, but the locations can be varied, such as in the woodlands, underwater or even on the moon.
• For scenes that involve Stuff Blowing Up, filming the explosion in an outdoor set makes things easier.

Props Department

• The main Ultra's Transformation Trinket is a must, though there exist a few Ultras without one. Most devices in the New Generation series from Ultraman Ginga onwards have an additional trinket that slots into the main device to activate the transformation.
• The Defense Team usually fights with Cool Planes and laser guns, so these will need props too.
• The aliens often arrive on Earth in Flying Saucers, which sometimes can transform or combine into a robot. Some Starfish Aliens are themselves portrayed by a prop, such as Alien Chibu from Ultraseven.

Costume Designer

• The main Ultra can have any kind of motif, but the design is usually some variation on the original Ultraman or Ultraseven. The costume is usually coloured red, silver or blue, with black highlights being a popular choice for New Generation Ultras.
• The monsters can look like anything as long as the suit actor or two suit actors can fit inside.
• Whilst not all monsters strictly follow these rules, Tohl Narita's three principles of kaiju design make for a good template to create memorable monsters:
  • Try to avoid simply enlarging an animal. The most famous Ultraman monsters often take traits from different animals; for example, Gubila◊ has the drill horn taken from a narwhal and the body pattern taken from a clown triggerfish.
  • Avoid grotesque designs and Body Horror where possible. Most Ultraman shows are targeted at kids, even the Darker and Edgier shows; Ultraseven had one episode banned because the alien from that episode◊ resembled a nuclear bomb victim, which caused a large amount of controversy from nuclear bomb survivors.
  • Kaijus should not be designed with multiple heads or many limbs like Youkai; some thought must be given into how they would live in the wild. Of course, if your kaiju is a youkai or of other supernatural origins, this rule can be ignored, but a quadruped or bipedal body plan in general allows the suit actor more freedom in movement.

Casting Director

• Try to cast an athletic actor as the main Ultra's human host, even if his character is a Badass Bookworm. This helps greatly when filming stunt scenes involving the human host getting into action.

Stunt Department

• The fight scene between the Ultra and the Monster of the Week is the highlight of the episode, so make sure it counts.
• To give the battles some realism and weight, have at least one building collapse or explode during the fight.

Extra Credit

The Greats

• Ultraman, the original 1966 series and the codifier for the basic Ultra Series formula. Despite being made more than 50 years ago, it's aged surprisingly well aside from some Values Dissonance and provides a good idea of what an Ultraman show should be like.
• Ultraseven for its mature storytelling and complex moral themes.
• Ultraman Tiga brought the franchise back after a long hiatus, and had such good writing that it won a Seiun Award.
• Ultraman Gaia is the perfect example of making a Darker and Edgier show while still being suitable for kids to watch, and is also worth watching for the conflict between Gaia and Agul and whether humans should be eradicated for the sake of Earth's safety.
• Ultraman Mebius, the Ultra Series' 40th anniversary Milestone Celebration, is Continuity Porn incarnate and has perhaps the most well-written Defense Team in the franchise. It also avoids Continuity Lockout quite well despite the numerous Mythology Gags.
• Ultraman Z is a very straightforward and lighthearted show that nonetheless has solid plot-lines that honour past shows and is the second series to win a Seiun Award after Tiga.

The Epic Fails

• Ultraman: The Ultimate Hero is an example of why the fight scene is very important, as its otherwise decent writing is affected by the intense Fight Scene Failure going on in the series due to the fragile suits being totally unsuited for action.
• Ultraman Trigger: New Generation Tiga faces the opposite issues of Ultraman: The Ultimate Hero in that the only things universally praised by fans are its action scenes and special effects. Despite being advertised as the Spiritual Successor of Ultraman Tiga, fans feel it failed to live up to its predecessor's reputation due to mediocre characterisation, inconsistent pacing and lack of world-building, and criticised how many of its plot beats are just directly recycled from Tiga.

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