Mill Creek Entertainment has released the fifth series in the Ultraman Saga known as Ultraman Ace. The show launched in April of 1972 and ran for a whopping fifty-two episodes. It is one of the most significant in the franchise for numerous reasons.
First off, this series landed in the midst of a Kaiju Boom where there were so many shows of this ilk to choose from, most significantly Kamen Rider, which had launched to great success the year before.
Second, this was the first series in the saga to really embrace and bring a long-term villain in the form of Yapool into the mix. Thirdly, this would be the first time that two characters were used to form Ultraman, which added its own unique flavor to the long-running saga.
The evil being Yapool has made his way to Earth in order to continue with his twisted experiments, “Twisted Monsters.” Once complete, it would take him one step closer to his ultimate goal of total galactic domination. Even though the previous Ultras are on the watch to stop these attacks, a new hero must rise in order to keep this from happening, Ultraman Ace. Ace is unlike his predecessors in one significant way, he needs two hosts in order to be complete.
While Seiji Hokuto (Keiji Takamine) and Yuko Minami (Mitsuko Hoshi) sacrifice themselves to save the lives of others, the elders entrust them with the Ultra Ring that will bring them together as one to battle the evil that threatens to destroy the planet.
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It took me quite a while to work my way through this series, but man, was it fun! Even though the show did have this season-long storyline, it still, at times, felt like it was basically a monster-of-the-week series. Nothing wrong with that, of course, it delivers in the kaiju mayhem, and that’s all that really matters.
Actually, it seemed a bit more violent for the series and other similar shows. While it has always been aimed towards an audience of children, this series has blood and dismemberment. The more, the better for me, but perhaps a bit much for children.
The two lead characters, Seiji and Yuko, are highly likable. How can you not cheer for a man who is willing to fight a giant monster just so he can deliver bread to an orphanage or a nurse willing to risk her life to save the previously mentioned orphans? The two have real chemistry, and watching them work together from episode to episode is quite appealing.
Once again, Mill Creek surprises me with just how great the HD transfer to disc is. Crystal clear picture and, of course, the obligatory vibrance of color, which has become a staple of the saga. The series is presented with the original Japanese sounds, and it’s pretty decent for what it was and when originally recorded. The subtitles are very clear, and the translation feels pretty natural for the most part.
