The trailer for Ultraman: Rising, the brand-new movie produced by Netflix in partnership with Tsuburaya Productions and Industrial Light and Magic, is here! Shannon Tindle and John Aoshima have created an astounding, colorful world that the trailer only shows us a small fraction of — but if you’ve ever been the UC before, you know that even a tiny glimpse is enough to get us theorizing! Let’s take a look!
Now that you’ve seen it yourself, let’s get into what it all means…
Take Them Out… To the Ball Game
The trailer starts with pomp and circumstance, introducing us to Ken Sato, baseball player extraordinaire! We know from earlier messaging about the movie that Ken has just returned to Japan from the United States to play, and judging by the reaction from the stands, he’s clearly very popular, and knows how to work the crowd.
As the trailer goes on, however, it becomes clear that nobody’s going to stay for the seventh inning stretch, as an airship of some sort comes crashing down right nearby, causing a panic. As a plume of smoke rises high over the stadium, we see a flash of green eyes — as the titanic Kaiju that caused the crash looms out, roaring directly in front of Ken.
Larger than Life!
Rather than panic, however, Ken leaps into action, running out, and leaping into the air — and transforming into Ultraman! A very different, more stylized Ultraman than we are used to — and one that doesn’t seem to use any sort of outside tool like the Beta Capsule. And one that SPEAKS?! This Ultraman certainly comes across as different from ones we know — especially because it’s clearly just Ken, who is incensed that this Kaiju has interrupted his game, laying it out with a glowing giant fist! Yeowch.
Outmatched, the Kaiju flees, holding some kind of metallic orb in its claws. Ultraman pursues, but so do a fleet of mysterious jets, dead-set on retrieving “the package.” After the Kaiju is shot down, Ultraman retrieves the orb, only for it to open to reveal an egg… which also immediately hatches to reveal a baby Kaiju!
The Baby
Let’s pause here to take a closer look at the baby, and at the larger Kaiju. The baby is adorable, a big-headed little beaked pink thing with fins and beady little eyes. And she thinks that Ken — or rather, that Ultraman — is her parent.
It needs to be made clear, however — the Kaiju that got shot down is clearly related to this baby Kaiju. The same reddish pink skin, a much longer beak, even the fins are the same shape. Why was this Kaiju attacking? Was it really in the wrong? And who were the jets firing on it, and the sinister voice that commanded them?
Parenting is a BIG Job
Regardless of the mysteries, it’s clear that Ken feels some sort of responsibility for taking care of this odd little monster — one he may not have aptitude for, much less experience. Not to mention that it seems like humanity still sees Ultraman as their guardian against monsters; what does it mean now that this hero seems to be caring for a monster? Will they accept this new status quo? Can Ken keep this new Kaiju from turning against humanity? And what of the larger monster, and the mysterious organization that pursued it?
The only way to find out is to watch Ultraman: Rising, coming next year on Netflix! And as more information comes out, you’ll find it all here on Ultraman Connection!
