2024 is the tenth anniversary of what many consider to be the the second half of start of the New Generation Ultraman Series, Ultraman Ginga S. The original Ultraman Ginga had been part of the New Ultraman Retsuden program, with the show broken up between segments celebrating the Ultraman Series’ past. Ginga S continued this trend, and across the two seasons, the show added up to 24 incredible episodes. Ginga S, however, is also remembered for introducing a new hero, and a more serious tone than the original Ginga. Read on, viewers, and let’s look back at those heroic days!
Ginga S picks up 2 years after the defeat of Dark Lugiel at the hand of Ultraman Ginga and his host, Hikaru Raido. Since then, Hikaru has grown up and set out on his own, traveling across the world to fulfill his dreams of exploration and new adventures set up in Ginga. His trip to the Yucatan Peninsula specifically, however, is interrupted by the call of a new kind of adventure, when a massive, luminous crystal bursts out of the ground right next to him — and Ultraman Ginga, who has been absent since Lugiel’s defeat, grants Hikaru visions of a new giant.
Ginga’s silent warning draws Hikaru back to the Japanese city of Shimogaoka, just in time to see one of those crystals being ripped from underground due to the efforts of a mysterious android woman, One Zero, serving a sadistic Alien Chibull, Exceller, and the UPG (Ultra Party Guardians), a new defense team, trying to suss out the situation. All THAT chaos is further intensified when a new Kaiju, Shepardon, emerges to follow the crystal, trying to to prevent its theft by One Zero.
If this sounds like a lot to start off a show with, that’s because it is! Koichi Sakamoto, the veteran tokusatsu director who would come to be known for shows like Ultraman Geed and Ultraman Trigger, was the showrunner for Ginga S as well, and played the series in a near-inversion of the original Ginga’s intimate, smaller-scale portrayal of the Ultraman Series. Ginga S is big — too big, in fact, for a single Ultra!
When Hikaru uses a car to distract and trick Shepardon, he inadvertently lets the crystal, a mineral known as Victorium, get stolen, drawing the mysterious Shou over to check on Shepardon and find out what happened. Victorium, the most powerful energy source in the world, is also the lifeblood that keeps the underground civilization of the Victorians alive — and Shou is their guardian.
Hikaru, recognizing Shou from his visions, attempts to befriend Shou, but Shou does not trust the people of the overworld, as the life-giving Victorium the Victorians depend on has been stolen from above, putting his world at risk. His fears are further justified when another Victorium crystal is stolen, and One Zero uses the Live technique that Hikaru once used with Ginga to transform into the Kaiju EX Red King to fight Shepardon, who is attempting to prevent the theft!
Hikaru feels powerless, as Ginga’s power has not returned to him, only for Shou to reveal a mysterious device of his own — the Victory Lancer. Scorning Hikaru’s friendship attempts, Shou raises the Victory Lancer to the sky, and transforms himself into a new Ultraman — Ultraman Victory! Inspired by the sight of Victory, Hikaru begs Ginga to grant him the power to open up the future again, and the Ginga Spark shines — Ultraman Ginga has returned!
The two Ultras battle EX Red King and quickly defeat it, Shou collecting the Spark Doll. However, moments later, he turns on Ginga, using the Spark Doll to “UlTrans” his arm into Red King’s arm and attack!
So begins UItraman Ginga S, a story of two Ultras representing the past and the future making a better present. While it’s been 10 years, we don’t want to spoil any more than that, so go pick up the Ultraman Ginga and Ultraman Ginga S box set by Mill Creek now and get into the action yourself! And for more New Generation Ultraman news and info, stay close to Ultraman Connection!
