Netflixs Kaiju Movie Is A Reminder To Check Out An Underrated Animated Series From 5 Years Ago

Netflix’s new kaiju movie Ultraman: Rising is a reminder to check out another animated Ultraman story available on the platform. The 58-year-old franchise recently got a new chapter with Ultraman: Rising, a standalone film following the new Ultraman Ken Sato. One of the dozens of characters to use the Ultraman name, Ken Sato had to learn how to be a father after a baby kaiju was left alone following her mother’s death. Ultraman: Rising was a fun giant monster movie featuring two generations of Ultramen, adding a different twist to a concept the franchise has used before.

Surprisingly, there are not many animated movies or shows based on Tokusatsu franchises like Ultraman. Anime series like Fuuto Pi and movies like Ultraman: Rising are the exception rather than the rule. Considering Ultraman: Rising’s positive reviews, there should hopefully be more animated stories featuring larger-than-life characters like Ultraman and his allies. Whether Ultraman: Rising2 will happen remains to be seen, but there is already another animated Ultraman story available on Netflix.

Ultraman: Rising Is A Reminder To Check Out Netflix’s Ultraman Show

ULTRAMAN is a 3D-animated anime series

Those who are looking for more animated Ultraman content after Ultraman: Rising should check out ULTRAMAN (2019-2023), a three-season anime series released by Netflix. Although the Ultraman anime’s CG animation takes a while to get used to, the series is a fun take on the Ultra universe and delivers a story that can be enjoyed both by long-time fans and new audiences. Set in a world where Ultraman is starting to become a distant memory, the anime talks about legacy and sees the son of this universe’s original Ultraman following in his father’s footsteps.

Interestingly, this is a similar premise to that of 2024’s Ultraman: Rising. Netflix’s Ultraman movie is also a story about legacy and focuses on the relationship between the current Ultraman and his father, who was once the kaiju-fighting superhero. Despite this similarity, ULTRAMAN and Ultraman: Rising follow completely different characters. The Ultraman anime’s protagonist is Shinjiro Hayata, who knew he had powers since he was a child but did not know that his father was Ultraman. In fact, Shin Hayata did not know he was Ultraman either, as he lost part of his memory alongside his powers.

Netflix’s Ultraman Show & Ultraman: Rising Are Not Connected

ULTRAMAN anime series is based on a 2011 manga

While they are both animated Ultraman properties released by Netflix, Ultraman: Rising and 2019’s ULTRAMAN are not connected. The 2024 film is an original story and did not start as an Ultraman movie. Director Shannon Tindle eventually combined the franchise’s lore with his idea for a film about parenthood inspired by his experiences. ULTRAMAN, on the other hand, was based on a 2011 manga of the same name by Eiichi Shimizu and drawn by Tomohiro Shimoguchi. Several characters have been “Ultraman” since 1966, and most of the entries in the franchise are standalone stories.

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  Ultraman: Rising (2024)

  Ultraman: Rising is an action-adventure film and is a new entry in the Ultraman franchise. Directed by Shinji Higuchi, this film returns to the series roots and centers on a new hero, Ken Sato, who takes on the mantle of Ultraman to protect Earth from monstrous threats.

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  Ultraman

  From the production powerhouses of Tsuburaya Productions and Production I.G. comes an anime adaptation of the classic manga series, Ultraman.  Shinjiro Hayata learns that he has inherited the powers of Ultraman from his father, the former guardian of Earth. When a new alien race arrives to lay waste to humanity, Shinjiro will take up the mantle of Ultraman to protect his home.