Our journey through the history of the New Generation continues this week, with Ultraman New Generation Stars episode 4, “Allies in Battle.” Last week, we got to see the power of the strong bonds between heroes in action, and while the theme of alliances remains present in episode 4, this week we get to focus on some of the more unconventional alliances in Ultra history. “Allies in Battle” gives credit to some of the most epic team-ups between Ultras, defense forces, and Kaiju!
In the Land of Light, Ultraman Z is still trying to get the hang of manifesting enough psychic energy to power the Dimensionizer, but alas, his frustration gets in the way. Ultraman Ginga encourages him to re-center himself, and reminds him that he can’t just be looking to Ultras beyond himself for the answers; he must reflect on his own memories. Of course, our beloved Z is… not quite experienced enough to understand that kind of vulnerability. Then again, such introspection can be found in the most unexpected sources.
Z gives soul-searching a shot for a solid 30 seconds before declaring “the more I try to focus, the more I think of irrelevant stuff,” and promptly gives up.
As a noob, I haven’t had the chance to see many Ultras throw in the towel on anything! Seeing Z give into his distractions and ignore Ginga’s sage advice was surprising, but also weirdly relatable.
Ultras tend to embody an untouchable nature composed of super-human attributes. We often see them practice hyper-awareness, calmness under pressure, and undefeatable strength, especially when in their Ultra forms. Seeing an Ultra strive to live up to their integrity while also grappling with the very human struggle of accessing vulnerability is inspiring.
We can’t all be stoic, unchallengeable powerhouses but we can meet ourselves halfway by trying. Even though Z hasn’t been as introspective as he might need to be, I have a feeling he’ll find his way with the help of his fellow Ultras. Plus, he’s so cute!
Ultraman Z isn’t the only charmer in this episode, though. Right off the bat we get an appearance from fan favorite mecha Sevenger, as Haruki Natsukawa powers him on behalf of STORAGE to battle it out with Gomora. But the Prince of Monsters does not take it easy on them. In order to win the battle, Haruki had to channel the power of his seniors — Zero, Ultraseven, and Ultraman Leo in Alpha Edge, and Ultraman, Ultraman Ace, and Ultraman Taro for Beta Smash.
These forms aren’t just awesome to watch because of their stylish designs and epic power, but instead go much deeper to strike at the heart of what the New Generation stands for. The idea of channeling the energy of those who came before us, to tackle obstacles that are too big for us to handle alone, is a perfect reprise of the concept of “legacy” that frames this whole series, and all of the modern Ultraman series.
Of course, Ultraman Z is not just looking to the Ultras that came before him; he has reliable robot allies as well! We see this in an amazing battle between the STORAGE Special Airborne Armors: Sevenger, Windom, and King Joe STORAGE Custom, and the terrifying Destrudos. In his series, Ultraman Z was overwhelmed by Destrudos’s horrendous power, even with all of the help of his Ultra predecessors, but Sevenger was able to help him pull through!
When Ultraman Decker is brutally challenged by Deathdrago, he perseveres with the help of the Kaiju, Miclas; a beloved friendly monster with a long history of helping heroes, going all the way back to 1967’s Ultraseven! (Which is celebrating its 55th anniversary!)
At the end of the day, Capsule Monsters, Dimension Card Monsters, and Special Airborne Armors have been proven to be loyal allies to the Ultras. To me, this exemplifies that the world around us holds many more potential allies than ones we may consider obvious or familiar. If we can look past the differences between us when trying to work towards a common goal, we can all benefit from those differences, and rise to even greater heights.
Ultraman New Generation Stars episode 4 “Allies in Battle” did a great job of continuing to build on established themes, expanding our perspectives on the role of Kaiju and helping us get to know our Ultra heroes better than ever. We were reminded that embracing our differences can make us even more undefeatable and that it’s ok to figure things out at our own pace.
Don’t forget to check out the Ultraman New Generation Stars series, available now for free on YouTube on the Ultraman Official channel and stay tuned for more updates here on UltramanConnection.com!
