The Origin Of Ultraman

If you won’t take the time to try to understand Ultraman, you will never understand modern Japan, and certainly not its cinema. Far from a cultural tangent, this iconic figure, whose primary presence is as part of a children’s TV series, has influenced a generation of creative talent in the country itself and far beyond. Screened at Fantasia 2026, it brings together some of the foremost film directors of our age to discuss their enthusiasm for him, whilst digging down into the history of art and ideas that led to his birth and have given him an unusually long life.

The quality of the line-up here makes an impact from the outset. Palme d’Or winner Hirokazu Kore-eda leads, interviewing Oscar winner Guillermo Del Toro, whilst other voices include author Pat Cadigan, intrigued by the moral courage of the series, and auteur Nicolas Winding Refn, who is all about those rubber suits. Hideaki Anno discusses the influence of the series on the evolution of Neon Genesis Evangelion, and of course his work on 2022’s big screen adaptation Shin Ultraman. We also meet surviving members of the original team, and others who can speak to the legacy of those who are missing. With personal stories going back to the early part of the last century, this helps the scale of the project and its influence to become apparent.

The format is simple. Most of the guests appear simply as talking heads, though some are in interesting settings – at one point we get to see a museum where some of the earliest sketches of Ultraman are on permanent exhibition. Opening with very personal recollections of how the series shaped childhoods on both sides of the Pacific, with an interesting digression from Del Toro on the subject of syncretic religion and how this might explain the figure’s godlike status, it addresses the significance of science fiction to the technological revolution, and the hope that this brought with it.

Ultraman represented a new moral creed, giving children something to aspire to and also making them feel protected, sheltering them from some of the horrors that haunted the preceding generation. The significant difference between him and most of his equivalents in the West is quickly noted. He represents the forces of law or civilisation battling the forces of chaos or nature, as represented by kaiju, in order to restore balance. It’s rare for him to kill a monster. One episode in which that is implied is acknowledged as a mistake.

Tribute is paid, of course, to original Ultraman creator Eiji Tsuburaya. His story is briefly told, with a focus on his innovations, and a brief clip from the influential Princess Kaguya, but other key figures also get their due. There is extensive reflection on the design process and what Ultraman’s enigmatic smile owes to centuries of art history. Special effects come under discussion, as does, naturally, the business of depicting kaiju using rubber costumes. These may often be ridiculed today but at the time they were something completely new. Whilst Hollywood was rooted in the stop motion era, the Japanese approach made it possible to work at much greater speed and turn out a new adventure every week, thrilling young viewers who had no reason to be cynical about what they saw. Del Toro pays affectionate tribute to Pigmon the friendly monster, explaining what it meant to him as a young viewer to see a childlike kaiju with whom he could identify.

Whilst this may seem like a giant celebration of nerdery and nostalgia, viewers unfamiliar with the subject will find it surprisingly easy to get into, and the significance of the subjects under discussion is well supported. The unfussy format suits the clarity and minimalism of the Ultraman design and narratives. Looking back at it afterwards, you’ll be surprised by just how much information it has packed in. Ultraman has long deserved this level of attention, and this is a job well done.

Reviewed on: 22 Jul 2026