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Ultraman Omega











Premiering a week ago, the latest installment (35th entry) from Tsuburaya's long running Ultraman franchise has dropped: Ultraman Omega. They release a new episode every Friday on the Tsuburaya YouTube channel. Thus far, we've gotten the first two episodes.













The series begins on an alien planet, where Ultraman Omega is fighting an army of insect-like creatures. After defeating them and blowing up the planet, the blast sends him hurtling into space. He ends up falling to Earth and is struck with amnesia, trying to remember who he was, and also adjusting to life on a foreign planet. He ends up befriending a guy named Kosei Hoshimi, who at first is annoyed by Omega's presence. This changes when Kosei realizes the guy is an alien, when he transforms into the Ultra giant to battle a kaiju that emerges from underground right before his eyes. Kosei ends up naming his new Ultra friend Sorato Okida. They both cross paths with a biologist named Ayumu Ichido, who is investigating the appearance of another subterranean kaiju. It seems that on this Earth, giant monsters are a relatively new thing, so it'll be interesting to see how the series further explores this, as well the bond between the three leads, and what more we may learn about Omega.













I found this series immediately enjoyable. The opening battle on the alien planet was fantastic, and while that sequence was followed by some slapstick comedy when Omega meets Kosei, it wasn't over the top and was able to reel it in so that it didn't become grating. Both of the characters are likable, and together, they have real chemistry. The female character, Ayumu, is also solid. The series seems to be focused on developing the characters and the script, which is always the key to a successful series. Just like Z and Arc, the script keeps things simple and seems to have an idea of where it wants to go, instead of the disorganized mess that was Trigger. The monster action is also really good. There's some impressive special effects and matte shots (like the phenomenal opening), and the kaiju fights are well choreographed. The plot about Omega slowly remembering things and how to use his powers is also well done. I like that Kosei knows Omega's true identity from the get-go, and tries to to educate him on keeping it a secret. If the rest of the series continues the trajectory set by these first 2 episodes, then I am excited at how the rest of this show will progress. There are attempts at fresh ideas here that are much appreciated. So far, I'm liking what I've seen.














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