The Lonely Bird Kaiju, Vermilios
Height: 55 m
Weight: 15,000 t
Abilities: Sharp Wings and Fire Beam
The Mini Kaiju, Pucchi
Height: 1.6 - 60 m
Weight: 80kg - 50,000 t
Abilities (so far): Emotional Link, Transformation, Horn Beams.
I believe it's the death of Sodera.
As a hyper carnivore at the top of the food chain, that can hunt on land, air and underground, most Kaiju will wisely keep a low profile with it around. With it gone many Kaiju now feel confident to come out in the open.
As with Vialoga, it's possible it also acted as a guardian against space kaiju.
Killing off this keystone creature is something Teo may very well come to regret with time.
For context, these images come from the final of the Mazinger Z anime.
In the final episode, after finally defeating his arch nemesis Doctor Hell, Kouji Kabuto is suddenly attacked by two new enemies. The Warrior Beasts of the Mycenae Empire, who will be the monsters of the week for the next series, Great Mazinger.
While details around the fight change depending on adaption, in the anime Mazinger Z has not been repaired since it's last fight while in the manga is was fixed, the result is the new goons absolutely rag dolling the hero to show why they are a greater threat then the last bunch.
The only examples that is somewhat similar to this is from Ultraman Ace, where a kaiju is brutally killed by a choju to prove how much stronger they are.
Please note that what I'm looking exactly are cases were prior heroes get beaten up to make the heroes of the new series look even stronger.
So I'm 30 episodes into the original Kamen Rider and it's a lot of fun so far.
To preface I'm a long time Toku fan and have limited experience with Kamen Rider. I watched the Saban Masked Rider as a kid, Black Sun and sporadically watching episodes of Zeztz but I wanted to watch the franchise at it's very beginning.
Over all it's a fun show so far.
The Kamen Rider 1 arc was my favourite as I found Takeshi a more compelling lead and his angest over becoming a cyborg added a lot of depth to the 70s hero. I especially enjoyed the directions of how his cyborg nature affects his life, such as his strength hurting others if he doesn't maintain control.
That said the current Kamen Rider 2 episodes have their appeal, as Hayato is a fun if more stereotypical hero.
I also like that they bothered to differentiate 1 and 2's abilities somewhat, with 1 having more skill in combat & 2 having more brute strength. It's particularly always chuckle when Hayato just bashes his way through the walls of Shocker bases.
Overall the other cast members are ok to serviceable, with the main stand out being Akiji Kobayashi who I was already familiar with from Godzilla & Ultraman.
As villains Shocker has an odd blend of absurdity and uncanny horror. This kaijin in particular embody this principle. I was very amused by how they decorated their identical control rooms with unique animal motifs.
Action wise what Kamen Rider may lack flash effects it makes up for in fun, energetic choreography. Yes it can get a bit absurd but that is part of the fun with all Toku.
So far I'm glad I gave this show a chance and hopefully, given there's another 60 odd episodes to go, it will keep up the entertainment.
The Tentacle Kaiju
Height: 45 m
Weight: 20'000 t
The third Kaiju of Ultraman Teo, Doshihagachi is subterranean Kaiju that used it's tentacles to collect objects. It's actually a passive kaiju and would rather play then fight.
It's primary abilities are digging and creating tentacles of various sizes.
Something I've been pondering over and I'm not sure if others have discussed it yet.
I don't think the space pod belongs to Pucchi. The technology seems identical to the ship that attacked H12. I think Pucchi was captured by those aliens and they were going to turn it into another Kaiju weapon but somehow Pucchi escaped and landed on earth by pure chance.
Our next Ultraman Teo Kaiju, Subterranean Winged Beast Sodera.
A kaiju native to earth, Sodera is a hyper carnivore that predates on other kaiju. It uses it's forked tongue to track the scent of prey.
Abilities:
Flight: Sodera can flight and can unleash energy from it's drill-like tail for extra speed.
Drill Tail: Sodera's tail is able to rotate at high speed, allowing it to tunnel underground backwards.
Prehensile Tongue: It's forked tongue and extends and grab smaller prey.
Eye Lasers: Sodera can fire blue laser beams from its eyes.
Invisibility: Sodera is able to render itself invisible to the naked eye.
Giant Mouth: Sodera's chest and stomach can open into a giant mouth to consume other kaiju whole in a matter of seconds.
... Our new kaiju bios?
I spent the whole episode waiting for the big text to pop up and was every surprised for that not to happen after so many seasons of it being the norm.
Honestly I rather like it.
The Subterranean Winged Beast, Sodora
Height: 63 m
Weight: 40,000 t
An earth monster that can fire beams of light from it's eyes.it can fly and the translation says it appears from episode 2 onward, so it may be a recurring Kaiju if that's right.
The Tentacle Kaiju, Doshihagach
Height: 45 m
Weight: 20,000 t
An earth Kaiju with many tentacles, it extends them though the ground to steal objects from people who visit it's mountain or wraps them around human directly and constricts them. Appears in episode 4.
Two of my favourite Kaiju from Ultraman Taro, this pair are from a small sub-group unique to this show called Super Ability Monsters. They are even stronger than Yapool's Choju and possess enhanced abilities.
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The Giant Liquid Monster, Cosmo Liquid
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Height: 58 Meters
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Weight: 60,000 Tons
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A merciless man-eating Kaiju , Cosmo Liquid's primary ability is being able to shift it's body from a solid to liquid state at will, allowing the monster to hide perfectly in bodies of water and heal any dame done to it while it's solid. It also possesses a long, prehensile tongue. It's only weaknesses are electricity, which forces it to solidify, and being frozen, which is fatal.
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The Regeneration Monster, Raiveking
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Height: 47 Meters
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Weight: 65,000 Tons
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A strong monster with a childish personality and a diserbingly human laugh, Raiveking possesses incredible regenerative powers that allow him to heal from any damage provided his cells can absorb oxygen. He is strong enough to injure Ultraman Taro, who can punch a 30,000 ton Kaiju into space and is also able to unleash powerful streams of fire from his mouth.
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These to Kaiju appeared at a similar time, with Raiveking swallowing Cosmo Liquid and Ultraman Taro in his human form. After sneezing then out, the two Super Ability Monsters began battling eachother and then Taro after he transformed.
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The pair gave Taro a pretty tough fight he was victorious , thanks in part to the defence force team ZAT. That said Raiveking redirected and began to cause more trouble until the Mother of Ultra assistance Taro in defeating the creature once and for all.
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I was pondering over the concept of an ultra kaiju zoo game and then wondered which Kaiju I'd want.
Here are some made up bios based on kaiju I'd love to have in such a game.
Height: 40 m
Weight: 20,000 t
Preferred Habitat: Jungle/Wasteland
Diet: Omnivore
Bio: A peaceful kaiju, Gomora is a prehistoric kaiju from ancient times. While relatively easy to care for, when angered this kaiju can cause considerable damage. It's Ultra Oscillation Wave can make short work of buildings.
Height: 45 m
Weight: 20,000 t
Preferred Habitat: Wasteland/Mountain
Diet: Carnivore
Bio: An incredibly violent kaiju, Red King always wants to show off it's strength. Without regular combat this kaiju will quickly become bored and even more aggressive. It also loves to throw boulders around.
Height: 40 m
Weight: 15,000 t
Preferred Habitat: Tundra/Mountain
Diet: Carnivore
Bio: A kaiju often found living on the tops of mountains, Guigass can unleash a Freezing Beam from it's mouth. This kaiju is aggressive and not particularly bright. It's one of the few creatures that can tolerate living in proximity to a Red King.
Height: 45 m
Weight: 40,000 t
Preferred Habitat: Urban
Diet: Electrivore
Bio: A kaiju that feeds on electricity, Nerona also has the ability to turn invisible which is very popular with visitors. It is recommended that electric fences not be used as part of it's enclosure.
Height: 40 m
Weight: 20,000 t
Preferred Habitat: Desert
Diet: Metallivore
Bio: A giant beetle like kaiju, Antlar loves to bury itself in sand. It is able to fire a Magnetic Ray from it's pincers that can draw objects towards it. This makes the kaiju a big threat to staff vehicles.
6: Frilled Monster, Jirahs
Height: 45 m
Weight: 20,000 t
Preferred Habitat: Aquatic/Jungle
Diet: Piscivore
Bio: With it's large and distinctive frill, Jirahs is very eye-catching. It is semi-aquatic and can fire an Electric Heat Ray. Park staff and guests alike all agree that there is something very familiar about this kaiju but cannot quite put their fingers on it.
Length: 50 m
Weight: 35,000 t
Preferred Habitat: Aquatic
Diet: Piscivore
Bio: A kaiju most at home in the deep sea, Gubila use it's Die Hard Drill to quickly break through obstacles. Almost every kaiju zoo had a specimen.
Height: 60 m
Weight: 120,000 t
Preferred Habitat: Subterranean/Wasteland
Diet: Carnivore
Bio: Living deep within the earth, Telesdon has a strong aversion to bright light. It is more active at night and needs lots of places to hide from sunlight during the day. When enraged it unleashes it's Lava Heat Ray from it's mouth.
Height: 40 m
Weight: 30,000 t
Preferred Habitat: Space
Diet: ???
Bio: A native inhabitant of the mythical Monster Graveyard, Seabozu desires only to return home. Much about this kaiju's is unknown, making caring for it very difficult.
Height: 40 m
Weight :30,000 t
Preferred Habitat: Wasteland/Urban
Diet: Carnivore
Bio: A leader amongst kaiju, Geronimon is highly aggressive towards humans. It loves destroying buildings and bossing other kaiju about. Even when content it will still sometimes go on a rampage and insight other kaiju to do the same.
Appearing in the 27th episode of the anime Shin Tetsujin 28, King Kong is the star of a travelling circus. His owner claims he's is from the south seas and he performs a wide range of tricks.
In reality the giant ape is actually a robot and It's owner uses it in it's undisguised form to commit robberies. In it's robot form King Kong is also able to release a smokescreen that jams radar, allowing it to escape.
I love every Ultraman series but these are my top 10 favourites of the franchise.
Ultraman Cosmos - No contest for me, I just love it's style, themes and characters.
Ultraman Gaia - While I love Cosmos, Gaia is THE Ultraman show imo. It's never been this good before or since.
Ultraman Leo - My favourite of the Showa era, Leo is a great blend of everything that makes this era what it is, good, bad & bonkers.
Ultraman Arc - of all the Reiwa shows, Arc is the one I always find myself coming back to. It's a great modern attempt at a classic ultra series, with fun battles and likeable characters. It's over all narrative is my favourite of the BAO trilogy.
Ultraman Nexus - A real flawed jem, had it not been for issues outside the series that affected it's production, Nexus would likely be on par with Gaia. Despite it's flaws, and toxic fans, Nexus is still one of the most ambitious series in the franchise and a great example of how more mature story telling doesn't have to be edgy or sacrifice hope.
Return of Ultraman - My second favourite of the Showa era. The show that proved Ultraman had a future and really pushed the development of it's main character.
Ultraman Dyna - Another class and with good reason. Dyna took everything from Tiga and improved upon it. The cast, effect and spectacle are all top notch.
Ultraman X - After the mixed bag that was Ging & Ginga S, X is really when the next Gen era really found it's feet. It might not be the best in many respects but X is a solid show with a lot of stuff I like.
Ultraman Taro - Ultraman at it's most insane and cartoony, Taro was just so much fun.
Ultraman Decker - My very first Ultra show I watched live as it broadcast. It might not be the best but it was a very good show to start out on and a great bounce back from the issues Trigger.
The Mole Kaiju, Mongula (Ultra Q)
Height: 50 meters
Weight: 20,000 tons
Accidentally feeding on bee larva used in a growth experiment, Mongula was a regular mole that grew to titanic proportions. It terrorised Japan until an assault by the military caused it to burrow deep underground, penetrating the earth's crust. It was belived to have been killed by the released magma.
Mongula has most special abilities beyond what a mole would naturally possess.
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The Subterranean Kaiju, Mogedon (Ultraman Dyna)
Height: 55 meters
Weight: 50'000 tons
A mole Kaiju that had accidentally swallowed a powerful alien bomb, Mogedon gave Dyna and the Super GUTS team the runaround until it was finally captured, even resisting an electric net.
The eye spots on its body are fakes, only the red eyes on it's head are real.
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The Underground Kaiju, Mogrudon (Ultraman Cosmos)
Height: 55 meter
Weight: 65'000 tons
A normally peaceful Kaiju, Mogrudon attacked a construction site because of electromagnetic waves it created disturbed the monster.
It uses it's long tail to attack enemies on the surface while it's body remains safe underground. Above ground it used the smiley face like patter on its belly to mesmerise it's enemies.
After being defeated it was moved to Kaburaya Islands where it lived in peace and made friends with other kaiju.
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The Vision Kaiju, Mogusion (Ultraman Blazar)
Height: 54 meters
Weight: 59'000 tons
A highly predatory Kaiju, Mogusion actively preys on humans. It has a long, prehensile tongue that it uses to catch prey, even using it to fish for humans inside buildings like an ant-eater. It's bladed crest can act like a buzzsaw and fire energy slashes, while it's arms can extend to attack enemies.
It's most dangerous ability comes from the organs in the palms of it's hands. They can produce flashes that stimulate the amygdala, cause the victim to see Mogusion as their worst fear. This ability is used to protect it from other kaiju and paralyse it's prey.
On top of all this Mogusion is also very intelligent and skilled fighter, able to immediately react to, understand, and strategize against opponents.
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The Reckless Kaiju, Gedrago (Ultraman Omega)
Height: 56 meters
Weight: 25'000 tons
A pink mole Kaiju that are incredibly sensitive to light, to the point that extended exposure can be lethal, Gedrago almost never comes to the surface except for their mating season.
Male Gedrago have protective horns above their eyes that allow them to be above ground for a time and will periodically do a dance to attract a mate, even when being attacked. They are also very strong and able to build up a powerful electrical charge in their fur, which is then released on contact.
One female was accidentally drawn to the surface by construction work, dying in the process, and a male soon followed, drawn by her scent. With the risk of the male entering a populated area, Ultraman Omega stepped in to stop the monster.
I'm a big Ultraman fan, I've collected the majority of the blu rays, and wanted to try other Toku shows.
Sentai isn't for me and and all the Kamen rider blu rays are geo locked so they won't function even on a multi region player.
I was considering giving Metal Heroes a look in but wanted to know if the Discotek releases have the same issue as the Kamen Rider ones?
I don't wanna waste my money on discs that won't play.
Gamera must protect earth from an invasion by the Evil Life Form, Gudis. To defeat it, Gamera must battle it's army of mutant monsters one by one.
Round 1: Gudis
Round 2: Bogun
Round 3: Gigasaurus
Round 4: Gerukadon
Round 5: Degunja
Round 6: Barrangas
Round 7: Super Gudis
Rules: Gamera starts the gauntlet in his Legion Form. Gamera can only use his Ultimate Plasma once. Afterwards he transformed into his Iris form. He doesn't get to rest but he can recharge by eating fire.
Can Gamera save the earth?