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Editor’s note: The following story contains spoilers for “Dan Da Dan: Evil Eye.”

Season 1 of “Dan Da Dan,” the action comedy adaptation of the manga by Yukinobu Tatsu, ended on a tantalizing cliffhanger, as main characters Momo and Okarun — two oddball teenagers who gain powerful abilities to defend the world against threats both supernatural and extraterrestrial alike — arrive at the home of Momo’s childhood best friend Jiji to help discover the root behind a curse, and only just begin to crack into what’s lurking underneath the house before the credits role. Fans of the show thus had to wait five months for the story to continue.

Now that the show’s back, it’s coming back with style. After Season 1 of “Dan Da Dan” received critical acclaim and healthy viewership, the first three episodes of the second season are premiering in movie theaters as “Dan Da Dan: Evil Eye.

During the 1960s, it was arguable that the greatest cultural export from Japan to the world at large was its kaiju output, obviously spearheaded by “Godzilla” but including numerous attempts to cash in on the series’ success. Whether it be “Gamera: The Super Monster,” the “Daimajin” series, or television shows like “Ultraman,” there was a multitude of giant monsters stomping through Japanese cities for the delight of millions worldwide. Overlooked but not forgotten among this output is the lone kaiju entry from Shochiku Company, Kazui Nihonmatsu‘s “The X from Outer Space.”

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After several space expeditions mysteriously fail, Japan launches Aab Gamma, an internationally manned mission to Mars. The crew includes Captain Sano (Toshiya Wazaki), Lisa (Peggy Neal), Dr. Shioda (Keisuke Sonoi), and Miyamoto (Shinichi Yanagisawa), tasked with investigating the disappearances. As they reach the same orbit where contact was lost with previous missions,...

Roaaaar!! GKids Films has unveiled a brand new teaser trailer for the 4K remastered re-release of the other Japanese Gojira movie recently known as Shin Godzilla. This one originally debuted in 2016, opening in Japan and US the same year, also under the original title Godzilla: Resurgence. It was the first big Japanese reboot of Godzilla in a long time, and it was handed to iconic filmmakers Hideaki Anno & Shinji Higuchi (who later went on to direct Shin Ultraman & Bullet Train Explosion) to re-imagine. So they gave us this strange, new, gilled lizard creature instead of the typical Gojira kaiju – it wasn't exactly a big hit in the US. After the immense success of Godzilla Minus One, GKids got their hands on a new 4K remaster and will give it another shot. With a re-release in US theaters this August. "Something has surfaced in Tokyo Bay..." As the Prime Minister pleads...

Fans of Kaiju No. 8 already knew that their favorite anime series was going to return this summer. They were still missing a specific release date, though, and that finally changed this weekend. The official Kaiju No.8 website and Crunchyroll confirmed that the show locked in a release date for the next month: Season 2 is debuting on July 19. The announcement comes on the heels of the worldwide release of the compilation movie Kaiju No.8: Mission Recon.

This is the release date for the series in Japan, but the Crunchyroll announcement suggests that the anime streaming platform will follow the same release pattern from Season 1, with episodes released simultaneously with the Japanese exhibition. However, the streamer is yet to officially confirm that this will be the case with the new episodes. Additionally, the Kaiju No. 8 website announced that Season 2 will also stream on X/Twitter at the same time that the episodes air in Japan.

Superman, which releases in theaters worldwide on July 11, is expected to be one of, if not The, blockbuster movie of the summer. Writer and director James Gunn took inspiration from a wide variety of comics, TV shows, and movies for the Dcu's first official film. But one of the biggest influences on Superman will definitely surprise you. Obviously, Gunn pulled from the extensive catalog of DC Comics, and even from past Superman movies, like Zack Snyder's Man of Steel. But the director was also inspired by some creature features, including Takashi Yamazaki's Godzilla Minus One. But Gunn didn't look at the 2023 hit because of its kaiju. It was the human characters that James Gunn was interested in.

As part of the growing press tour for Superman, as DC Studios prepares for the film's release next month, James Gunn spoke to Japanese media outlet Cinema Today to promote the movie.

The films of Disney, Pixar, and a cult-classic anthology film were brought up as defining pieces of animation when Gold Derby assembled artists behind three animated programs that are eyeing to score Emmy nominations next month. The types of stories they want to see told through animation and what episodes they might want to submit for Emmy consideration were also topics of discussion for our Meet the Experts: TV Animation panel. The panelists were #1 Happy Family USA cocreator and star Ramy Youssef, Secret Level creator Tim Miller, and Arcane writer Amanda Overton.

Watch the full roundtable panel above. Click each person's name to watch an individual interview.

Overton remembers loving The Little Mermaid when that came out but had a huge revelation when she saw Beauty and the Beast and how the film added 3D elements to its 2D animation style. “When they started doing those, they just felt so...

Square Enix has announced a new original video game IP that will be created in collaboration with a TV show network company. Square Enix, best known for Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts, Dragon Quest, and several other popular game series, currently has four announced in-development projects, in addition to this new team-up project and continuing development on the massively successful Mmo Final Fantasy 14. With this announcement, it seems Square Enix's plate is going to get even fuller.

As reported by Vgc, Square Enixsaid in a press release that the company will be teaming up with TBS Television, best known for airing Ninja Warrior, Ultraman, and Takeshi’s Castle, to create a new video game IP. The two companies will be combining their experiences with interactive media to create this new game, and it will be released both in Japan and internationally. Square Enix said the collaboration was part of its new medium-term...

Chad Stahelski has made it very clear that he deeply appreciates anime. The stuntman-turned-director of one of Hollywood's biggest action franchises has stated before that he'd love to spend more time in the medium of Japanese art and delivering powerful stories through animation. He recently got the chance to embrace his passion, too, working alongside legendary Cowboy Bebop creator Shinichirō Watanabe to plan out the choreography and action sequences for the new original series Lazarus. Even outside of anime, however, he's put the themes and methods of the art form to use, with the John Wick films embracing similar types of over-the-top action and gritty, dramatic storytelling. With the release of the new documentary Wick Is Pain, he's now opening up on the series and creators that most impacted his development of the gun-fu epic.

In an interview with Collider's Aidan Kelley for Wick Is Pain, Stahelski was asked...

This is an excellent week to be an Ultraman fan. The long-running tokusatsu show announced a huge comeback for 2025 with Ultraman Omega, a new entry in the franchise that once again stars the Japanese superhero from the 60s. The best news for fans who are not in Japan, however, is that Ultraman Omega will come with a twist: the series will stream new episodes globally, with the English dub available at launch. A first trailer was unveiled to announce the news, and it revealed that the adventure is set to kick off on July 5.

In the new story, Omega (Shori Kondo) is an alien that accidentally comes to Earth and loses his memory. He quickly realizes that he needs to take a human form and name in order not to stand out and study the new people he meets. However, he is forced into his superhero form when a giant monster suddenly pops up,...

Directed by veteran filmmaker Shinji Higuchi and starring singer-actor Tsuyoshi Kusanagi, Bullet Train Explosion is the latest lively, highly-charged tentpole title on Netflix’s Japanese slate. Higuchi has made some of Japan’s biggest blockbusters, including Shin Godzilla, Shin Ultraman and Attack on Titan.

Bullet Train Explosion follows a ‘shinkansen’ (bullet train) bound for Tokyo, which soon comes under a bomb threat. The bombs on the train will explode if the train slows below 100 kph, leaving the passengers and crew in peril. The film is a reboot of the original 1975 movie The Bullet Train, which inspired the Hollywood blockbuster Speed — with the latter starring Keanu Reeves, Dennis Hopper, and Sandra Bullock.

Amid the high-octane, action-filled sequences, Higuchi’s film also offers up several moral questions about life’s dignity and worth.

“When we make a film, we can do many things,” Higuchi tells Deadline. “We’re like God — we can...

Rumours that Superman will put the Man of Steel against Ultraman have persisted for a while now, with set photos and the movie's trailer seemingly confirming it.

After all, how else do you explain a black-clad villain fighting Superman with a huge "U" on his chest?

Now, an upcoming tie-in book revealed a fresh look at this hulking villain, who is rumoured to have a unique connection to Superman. However, his costume is purple instead of black; either this design is based on outdated concept art, or the plan is to change Ultraman's look in post-production.

The latter seems more likely, and this could even be a second costume the character will don for the final act battle with Superman. We'll have to wait and see, but this is an interesting take on Ultraman (who is typically a Multiversal threat).

Filmmaker James Gunn has been insistent that Lex Luthor is Superman's big bad,...

Out of all the Straw Hat Pirates, the one crew member whom I have loved and admired since the beginning is Roronoa Zoro. Zoro is the swordsman of the crew and the second strongest member of the Straw Hat Pirates in One Piece. He dreams of becoming the strongest swordsman in the One Piece world and is getting close to his dream with each episode.

One Piece fans might not know this, but Zoro’s character is voiced by legendary Japanese voice actor Kazuya Nakai, who has voiced many prominent roles within the anime industry. In fact, he is one of the few voice actors who has been a part of the One Piece franchise since the beginning, as he has voiced Zoro from episode 2 of the anime.

However, what shocked me even more was the fact that Nakai’s voice acting talent is not limited to anime. He has...

"I won't stop the train, even if it kills me." It's Speed on a bullet train! Netflix has launched the full official trailer for the action thriller movie Bullet Train Explosion from Japan, ready to watch later this month streaming worldwide. This is a surprise remake / reboot of the 1975 Japanese action classic Bullet Train, which many action filmmakers have been influenced by (Speed was much later). It's the brand new modern Japanese update like Shin Godzilla, and yep, it's even directed by the same guy who co-directed Shin Godzilla, and made the most recent Shin Ultraman. When panic erupts on a Tokyo-bound bullet train (known as Shinkansen) planted with a bomb that will explode if it slows below 100 km/h, the authorities race against time to save everyone. Starring Tsuyoshi Kusanagi, with Kanata Hosoda, Non, Jun Kaname, Machiko Ono, Hana Toyoshima, and Daisuke Kuroda. Thanks to support from the East Japan Railway Company,...

Last year, Ultraman fans were gifted with a new and exciting 3D-animated installment of the franchise. Ultraman: Rising was a fun ride that made fans hungry for more, but sadly it looks like sequels are not on Netflix plans. However, the streamer hasn't overlooked the talent of one of the movie's directors. John Aoshima has landed another massive gig inside the streamer's projects: he will helm one episode of the upcoming — and highly anticipated — Season 2 of the hit animated series Blue Eye Samurai.

The announcement hails from Deadline, which also revealed that the director will keep himself busy. In addition to the directing gig at Netflix, the filmmaker signed an exclusive multi-year overall development deal with Warner Bros. Animation. This means that Aoshima will be in charge of developing several feature animated projects from the studio, and he will also have the chance of directing projects that he feels inclined to.

Hidetaka Miyazaki has been a huge fan of Berserk since childhood. He used to consume a lot of manga in his teenage years, and during his transition from shonen manga to more mature seinen manga, he stumbled upon Berserk.

Berserk’s influence can be seen throughout his work in almost most of his games, especially Dark Souls, where the inspiration almost always seems to be quite in the face; from character design to posters, it is everywhere.

Berserk has played a huge role in shaping Miyazaki’s influences. Image Credit: Na: Dark Horse comics

He is a master director who knows well how to hide the inspiration behind his work so that it does not appear to be direct. He has paid more of a homage to his favorite mangas than taking direct inspiration from them.

Miyazaki could not stop himself from taking this one thing from Berserk

Dark Souls...

Bandai Namco’s Dark Souls series is either a path to salvation or frustration in your video game journey. The franchise is one of the most critically acclaimed video game series in the world, with a lot of fans still debating over whether Dark Souls 2 is the best or the worst in the series.

While the games are frustratingly fun to play, the director of the series, Hidetaka Miyazaki, also shows his own frustration (how does it feel huh?) when he talks about this one shield in the first installment of the series. Of course, we are talking about the Crystal Ring Shield.

Dark Souls shipped over 37 million copies outside of Japan as of 2024 | Image Credits: Bandai Namco

Let’s delve deeper into what the Crystal Ring Shield is and why it annoys the man who loves integrating poison swamps every two steps into his games.

Miyazaki was inspired by...

Fans of the iconic Japanese superhero Ultraman can now access a huge collection of content through a new, dedicated channel on Prime Video. Mill Creek Entertainment, in collaboration with Tsuburaya Productions, has launched a free ad-supported streaming (Fast) channel centered entirely around the Ultraman universe. Here’s the Lowdown: The newly launched Ultraman Channel on Prime […]

Ultraman Lands on Prime Video with Dedicated Free Fast Channel...

The Showa Era of Godzilla films (1954–1975) is one of the most fascinating and unpredictable periods in the franchise’s history. What began with the haunting and somber Godzilla (1954) quickly morphed into a wild collection of kaiju battles, alien invasions, and inexplicable monster behavior over the course of two decades and 15 films. This evolution led to some bizarre creative decisions — moments that defy logic, physics, and even sanity sometimes.

The Showa Era was always unafraid to embrace the strange. This is a large part of the Showa Era's unerring charm, and its willingness to take creative risks has now become part of Godzilla's legacy. And the fact that fans continue to embrace these oddities decades later proves that the Showa Era's weirdness makes it truly memorable. Most of all, however, no matter how goofy or gruesome each movie has been, there has always remained a profound underlying message about human...

Remow, a global entertainment company specializing in Japanese content, has announced the premiere of Shogun’s Ninja on March 28. The film will be available exclusively to premium members of the “Samurai Vs. Ninja” YouTube channel. Directed by Koichi Sakamoto, known for his work on Power Rangers, Kamen Rider, and Ultraman, the movie is a high-energy […]

Shogun’s Ninja: New Action Film Premieres on YouTube March 28...

What do the Pokémonseries and the Godzilla series have in common? Firstly, they're two of Japan's media juggernauts that are known on a global level and have been for years. Additionally, they are based on unique creatures with interesting designs. In fact, some monsters in both franchises share similarities when it comes to their design.

This isn't surprising for those who are familiar with both universes. Many Pokémon are known to be inspired by kaiju. Satoshi Taijri, Pokémon's creator, has stated that the Godzilla franchise was a major inspiration for his work, alongside Ultraman. It's still interesting to see how this 70-year-old franchise inspired Pokémon.

Updated on March 19, 2025 by Mayra Garcia: Pokémon and Godzilla are two of the most important media franchises in Japan, so it makes sense for them to have a close relationship. This list has been updated to include more Pokémon who look a lot...

Katie Cassidy faced a tough moment in her career when she learned her character, Laurel Lance, also known as Black Canary, would be killed off on the CW show Arrow. She had been part of the series from the start, appearing in its first four seasons. The news came in 2016, catching her off guard just days before the episode was set to film.

She shared her feelings on Michael Rosenbaum’s podcast, Inside of You, saying, “I had to eat some humble pie when they killed me off that show. It was really hard.” Cassidy felt a mix of emotions—sadness, shock, and even anger.

She remembered being on a call with producers Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim, and Andrew Kreisberg, who told her, “Listen, unfortunately I have to tell you you’re the one that’s in the grave.” That moment hit her hard, especially since she loved playing Laurel...

Fans of Ultraman: Rising got disappointing news this week. The 2024 Netflix film won’t be getting a sequel anytime soon. Shannon Tindle, who co-directed and co-wrote the movie, broke the news on Twitter/X.

A fan asked if another Ultraman film was coming. Tindle’s response was clear and blunt: “I’d love to make another, but currently, it’s not in the cards. However, I’ve just started working on something I’m very excited about:) More to come…”

I’d love to make another, but currently, it’s not in the cards. However, I’ve just started working on something I’m very excited about:) More to come… https://t.co/z5aB9AHWEp

— Shannon Tindle (@ShannonTindle_1) March 6, 2025

The update crushed hopes for more adventures with Ken Sato, the baseball star turned superhero from the film. Released in June 2024, Ultraman: Rising followed Sato as he returned to Japan to become Ultraman,...

Back in 2024, the Ultraman franchise got a new and unexpected iteration. Ultraman: Rising told a standalone story that looked like the beginning of a new and exciting adventure... but it looks like it is not moving forward. This week, the movie's co-director and co-writer Shannon Tindle answered a fan who was wondering if we were ever going to see a sequel for Ultraman: Rising. His reply was devastating for Ultraman fans.

Mutant is bringing the scores to a pair of Netflix original movies to vinyl for the very first time.

Both Alan Silvestri’s score for “The Electric State,” which premieres next week on the streaming service, and Scot Stafford’s score for “Ultraman: Rising,” which hit Netflix last summer, are available later today on Mutant’s official site.

Silvestri’s score for “The Electric State” is so wonderful; you will be transported to the first time you watched “Back to the Future” as a kid. It adds so much wonder and magic to the mega-budgeted Russo Brothers film. And “Ultraman: Rising” combines various influences to create a singular, intoxicating score, for the inaugural animated feature based on the classic Japanese pop culture character.

You can check out the full details below:

Mutant/Netflix

The Electric State – Music from the Netflix Original Film

Music by Alan Silvestri

Pressed on 2x 140gm Color Vinyl

$45

Mutant,...

2025 marks 85 years since Lex Luthor first appeared in the pages of 1940's Action Comics #23. To mark the occasion, Superman director James Gunn has shared a new behind-the-scenes photo of Nicholas Hoult as the Dcu's version of the iconic villain.

The British actor and Nosferatu star looks suitably menacing as Lex but it remains to be seen how the upcoming reboot will go about putting a new spin on a villain we've seen in a lot of movies featuring the Man of Tomorrow.

Gunn has previously said this Lex will be more in line with the Golden Age's mad scientist, with the prevailing theory being that he experiments on metahumans (including Metamorpho). If so, Lex is likely the creator of Ultraman, Gunn's rumoured take on Bizarro who, in the Dcu, will be Superman's clone.

We'll see, but Lex won't be the only villain in Superman. As well as Ultraman, it appears...

The Lord of the Rings is undoubtedly one of the most beloved fantasy series ever created. From its humble beginnings in 1954, to Peter Jackson's epic trilogy that inspired a generation of filmmakers, it's crisscrossed the globe to win over the hearts of fans everywhere. For all its acclaim, though, the saga is not without its criticism. Case in point: The Lord of the Rings: The War of Rohirrim, the 2024 animated prequel that divided fans and critics, and has finally set a streaming release date.

Per Max, The War of Rohirrim will hit the streaming service on Feb. 28, 2025, so viewers who missed it in theaters, or were hesitant to pay for it on VOD, will now be able to finally see it with a subscription. It was previously announced that February would be the month the film comes to streaming, but with a date now firmly in place, fans at...

Animation director Shannon Tindle grew up a fan of Ultraman, Eiji Tsuburaya’s giant red-and-silver alien hero who first began defending Tokyo against giant monsters (or kaiju) on the 1966 TV show bearing the character’s name. In the years since, Ultraman appeared in numerous comics, films, and television series, his look, backstory, and ambitions evolving with the decades. Sometimes, the character starred in stories for children; on other occasions, his exploits were designed to appeal to fans of tokusatsu, live-action films that heavily use practical special effects.

As far back as 2001, Tindle had toyed with the idea of making an Ultraman-inspired film that centered the character as a reluctant father to a baby kaiju. After working on such successful animated projects as the Oscar-nominated Coraline, the Emmy-winning Lost Ollie, and the twice Oscar-nominated Kubo and the Two Strings, he finally found his opportunity to...

Red Ranger Becomes an Adventurer in Another Worldis an isekai inspired by series like Super Sentai and Power Rangers. The story revolves around Kizuna Red, a Sentai Ranger who is whisked away to another fantasy world after defeating the big bad of their season's show. In this fantasy world, Red becomes an adventurer and works alongside Idora, a mage who seeks to restore her family's honor and find a way to help Red go back home.

The series has a lot of isekai genre tropes, including gratuitous fanservice, adventurer ranks, and strange fish-out-of-water moments. But the difference that Red Ranger Becomes an Adventurer in Another World loves to show off is that, at the series' core, it is an isekai anime that follows tokusatsu tropes. Tokusatsu is defined as a Japanese term for live-action films or television programs that heavily use practical special effects. This is where franchises like Godzilla or Ultraman thrive.

Toku’s lineup of bigger-than-life storytelling is bound to capture your attention.

I love big action — the kind where heroes face impossible odds and larger-than-life battles come to life in epic detail. If you’re the same, then the paid streaming service, Toku, may be worth a look for fans of adrenaline-fueled entertainment. Toku is packed with anime, tokusatsu, and live-action movies and TV shows, offering everything from iconic Japanese superheroes to epic animated adventures. Even if you’re not familiar with these genres, Toku’s lineup of bigger-than-life storytelling is bound to capture your attention. Here’s everything you need to know about Toku – the streamer for anime, tokusatsu, and Asian programming.

7-Day Free Trial $3.99+ / month via amazon.com Everything you need to know about Toku

What is Toku?

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What is Toku?...

Creator and director Shannon Tindle expected fans to connect with Ken Sato, the charismatic main character of Ultraman: Rising, but social media has taken his reception to another level. The animated film follows the professional baseball star as he returns home to Tokyo to take up the family mantle of being the world-famous, kaiju-fighting hero Ultraman — only to find himself the reluctant father figure to an adorable yet demanding baby kaiju named Emi.

Once the film was released on Netflix, audiences were drawn in by the action and fell in love with the heartwarming father-daughter relationship at its core. But more surprisingly, fans began swooning over Ken as a “hot dad,” creating videos with heart-eye emojis honoring the character. While this wasn’t exactly the reaction Tindle anticipated, it wasn’t entirely unwarranted. Ken’s creator had modeled him after Toshiro Mifune, the star of Akira Kurosawa’s Rashomon and Seven Samurai,...

Netflix’s “Ultraman: Rising” serves as a reinvention and a reintroduction of the classic monster-battling character who first debuted on Japanese television in 1966. In the years since, Ultraman has shifted and changed until he’s now the star of his very own animated feature from writer-director Shannon Tindle.

In this version, our hero, Ken Sato (Christopher Sean), is reluctantly taking over the mantle of Ultraman from his aging father (Gedde Watanabe). And he’s got an even bigger conundrum when he is forced to raise the baby of a fallen kaiju that he had been fighting. “Ultraman: Rising” has some stunning action set pieces, breathlessly animated by Industrial Light & Magic in a style that evokes the original “Ultraman” series, along with classic anime, old tokusatsu movies and beloved manga. But the true magic of the movie lies in its underlying emotion and its themes of responsibility, family and animal rights.

Arrow Video continues its legacy of spotlighting extraordinary cinema with the release of Rampo Noir on Limited Edition Blu-ray. This chilling anthology pays tribute to the enigmatic and unsettling tales of Edogawa Rampo, Japan’s revered master of the macabre. Featuring four distinct shorts, each helmed by directors from vastly different artistic disciplines, Rampo Noir is an electrifying exploration of Rampo’s “erotic grotesque” imagination.

The anthology opens with Mars’s Canal, a surreal and haunting experience crafted by music video director and visual artist Suguru Takeuchi. Set against a barren landscape, this introspective short examines a man’s psyche as it reflects back at him, both literally and figuratively, from a circular pond. Its minimalistic yet potent imagery is a compelling dive into existential dread.

Akio Jissoji, the celebrated New Wave auteur known for his work on Ultraman, directs Mirror Hell. This tale delves into the deranged mind of...

There were two excellent yet very different kaiju movies released in 2024, and while Godzilla x Kong might have attracted the most attention, Netflix's Ultraman: Rising was arguably even better. The movie is an addition to the Ultraman franchise, which focuses on aliens called "ultras". Ultraman: Rising centers on Ken Sato, a professional baseball player who has inherited Ultraman's powers from his father, and would rather play sports than be a superhero. While Ultraman: Rising is a giant monster movie that has nothing to do with Godzilla, it contains a lot of kaiju action.

The Netflix movie sometimes has a similar tone to Son of Godzilla, as the reluctant Ken Sato a.k.a. Ultraman finds himself in charge of a mischievous baby kaiju. The Ultraman franchise has fans of all ages and Ultraman: Rising is a great pick for younger fans. That said, Ultraman: Rising is still the...

One of the few villains who has never made an appearance in a Superman film is Ultraman. With a new Superman movie coming out next year, rumors have been swirling that one of the main antagonists will be Ultraman, marking his first live-action appearance. If this rumor turns out to be true, it could give Superman the greatest live-action fight of his film career.

Because of the shifting nature and history of comic books, there have been plenty of different versions of Ultraman over the years. The first debuted in 1964's Justice League of America #29 by Gardner Fox and Mike Sekowsky. This story explored the history of the very first version of Ultraman, who was markedly different from Superman. Ultraman was sent to Earth-Three from Krypton, for reasons not really explained, considering this version of Krypton never exploded.

Upon landing on Earth-Three, Ultraman slowly gained more and more power as...

So here it is, a Power Rangers-esque episode of Marvel’s What If that draws inspiration from and references multiple mechanical robot IPs like Ultraman, Mobile Suit Gundam, Pacific Rim, and Transformers, to name a few. The first episode of What If season 3 focuses on the return of the Apex, the king of all Gamma Beasts, who launches an invasion some ten years after the first Gamma Wars. At the center of the conflict, we have a version of Sam Wilson, who has a difficult decision to make if he wants to save humanity from the threat of the Gamma monsters. So, let’s explore all the important events of the What If episode 1 and speculate what will eventually happen to Sam and Bruce Banner.

Spoiler Alert

Banner Unleashes A Monster Upon The World

The first episode presented a version of Captain America: The Winter Soldier where instead of Steve Rogers,...

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The trailer for James Gunn's relaunched "Superman" is here, giving fans their first taste before the film soars into theaters this coming July. The trailer debuts David Corenswet as the Man of Steel, who has an adorable crime-fighting partner in Krypto the Superdog and shares a levitating make-out session with Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan). There are several other Justice League headliners featured too, but what about the bad guys?

Nicholas Hoult's Lex Luthor gets a few dedicated shots, and Metropolis is apparently going to suffer a kaiju rampage. But is there anyone else? Well, there's one rumor that might explain the scene of a crowd angrily jeering at Superman. Industry scooper Daniel Richtman claimed in April 2024 that the film will feature the DC Comics villain Ultraman. Speculation about this has been fueled by toy listings for an Ultraman...

Yukinobu Tatsu has a knack for seamlessly blending the eerie and the comedic elements in a single story, and Dandadan is a prominent example of that. This hit series has now become a cult favorite, celebrated for its quirky characters, bizarre monsters, and spine-chilling moments contrasted with laugh-out-loud humor. However, many might not know that Tatsu’s unique storytelling style in Dandadan is fueled by another horror icon: Junji Ito.

Serpos from Dandadan | Credit: Science Saru

Tatsu once revealed his creative inspirations: Junji Ito, the undisputed master of horror, along with Ultraman, the iconic sci-fi hero series. This fascinating combination explains why Dandadan is as unsettling as it is hilarious, offering readers a rollercoaster of emotions with every chapter.

Yukinobu Tatsu’s tribute to Junji Ito through Dandadan

When it comes to horror manga, Junji Ito is a name that commands everyone’s respect. From the grotesque spiral obsession in...

Love it or hate it, Netflix is still a dominating force in the streaming wars. As of 2024, the platform has 282 million paid subscribers worldwide, with roughly 96 million of those coming from North America alone. That means if you recommend a worthwhile Netflix original movie for someone to check out, there's a good chance they already have a subscription lined up to watch it. And recommendations can be so very crucial, as Netflix constantly cycles through movies and TV shows to the degree that it's easy for a real gem to get lost in the mix.

Many Netflix movies don't wind up in theaters at all, with a few noteworthy exceptions. That means there's typically a small window where a film can make an impact and get some buzz going before it's shifted out of the carousel at the top of the homepage. 2024 had a host of great Netflix originals, from...

Yukinobu Tatsu's Dandadan has become a smash hit thanks to its vibrant anime production by studio Science Saru. The shonen details the story of Momo Ayase and Okarun's budding romance among the multiple instances of the supernatural they must confront. Ghosts and aliens alike are dangerous foes that the two and their constantly growing team of allies have to face. While the Yokai enemies are based on modern and ancient urban legends, the aliens have a far different inspiration.

Many aliens draw their influence from a Japanese sci-fi TV show titled: Ultraman. A tokusatsu series involving an alien giant of light fighting against waves of kaiju invaders who seek to destroy humanity and the planet. Owned by Tsubaraya Productions, Ultraman began in 1966 under the title Ultra Q and has become a popular media franchise in Japan, with many creators citing and referencing the series. Some creators have difficulty keeping...

Dandadan Episode 9 has sparked controversy among Western viewers because of a scene in which Okarun appears naked, lying on the floor on top of Momo, who is wearing only her underwear. Even though this sequence was made with a humorous tone instead of fanservice, due to its suggestive nature, many viewers may have expected an international negative response; however, in its country of origin, Dandadan's episode went viral for a very different reason.

Although episode 9 has the most compromising scene of the series out of context, Dandadan’s impact in Japan was caused by a shot of nostalgia starring the alien Dover Demon. Unexpectedly, Dandadan was trending on X in Japan upon its broadcast because of Dover Demon's song and references to other popular franchises.

Dandadan Has Gone Viral Because Dover Demon's Song Revived a Classic Commercial Dover Demon’s Song Is a Great Parody for the Alien’s Power-up...

While Marvel Comics is filled with caped crusaders, mutant freedom fighters, and masters of the magical arts, it severely lacks the presence of Godzilla-like kaiju. That said, there are some hidden gems of gigantic monsters sprinkled across the Marvel multiverse. With the company embracing more franchise crossovers, it’s about time for Marvel to create a proper Godzilla vs. Marvel series.

I’ve been saying for years that Marvel needs to invest more in their more monstrous characters. This last year has been great for more classic movie-monsters through series like Werewolf by Night and Incredible Hulk, but its larger beasts have often been neglected.

Likewise, Marvel has recently invested in more crossover series like Aliens vs. Avengers and Ultraman x The Avengers. In both cases, Marvel has proven there’s a place for the King of the Monsters to clash against its larger creatures. Fortunately, while there aren’t many,...

Ultraman has been a prominent media franchise in Japan since the television series Ultra Q first premiered in 1966. Even from a distance, the character made an impact on a young Shannon Tindle growing up in rural Kentucky, who would go on to become the writer-director of Netflix’s animated Ultraman: Rising. Along with co-director John Aoshima, the pair brought out a new side of the kaiju fighting giant with a focus on caretaking rather than destruction.

The film follows Ken Sato (Christopher Sean), a baseball star who returns to Japan to take the mantle of Ultraman when his father retires. Though his brash and self-centered attitude doesn’t get him many fans, his outlook soon changes when he becomes the caretaker of Emi, a newborn kaiju.

Deadline had the opportunity to sit down with Tindle and Aoshima, as well as VFX supervisor Hayden Jones and composer Scot Stafford at Industrial...

We're approaching the end of 2024, leaving behind many experiences and memories from the past 12 months. However, movie enthusiasts mostly recall some of the best films released over the year, including Dune: Part Two, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, and Deadpool & Wolverine. While it's difficult to bid farewell to another exciting year, some anticipated films are set to hit theaters this December.

Even though several thrilling films have been released in November 2024, including Red One, Gladiator II, Wicked, and Moana 2, December is jam-packed with some of the most highly anticipated films from popular franchises, including The Lord of the Rings and Sony's Spider-Man. So, if you're searching for a great movie to watch next month, look no further.

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim Watch It in Theaters on December 13

Two decades have passed since the original Lord of the Rings trilogy was released,...

The animation team behind Netflix’s “Ultraman: Rising” held a recent press event at Skywalker Sound and Industrial Light & Magic, giving a behind-the-scenes look at the complex work that went into directors Shannon Tindle and John Aoshima‘s film about Ken Sato, a superstar baseball player who returns to Japan to become the latest hero to carry the mantle of Ultraman. Ken’s world gets complicated when he is compelled to raise a newborn kaiju monster, the offspring of his greatest enemy, as his own child.

Visual effects supervisor Hayden Jones and composer Scot Stafford each sat down with Gold Derby to discuss their work on the film. Watch the video interviews above.

Jones won an Emmy for his work on “The Mandalorian” in 2020, and explains how the challenges of VFX in animation are different than live action. “It’s scope and scale,” he says. “You have to build absolutely...

For more than half a century, the character Ultraman has taken many iterations, from a costumed hero on the screen, both big and small, to illustrations in manga and moving designs in anime. With Ultraman: Rising, the character is given a new look that draws upon the past, incorporating elements that use groundbreaking technology from the wizards at Industrial Light and Magic to help bring director Shannon Tindle's concept of the character to the fore for a new generation.

For over two decades, Shannon Tindle, along with his co-director and former schoolmate John Aoshima, have been trying to bring the story that evolved into Ultraman: Rising to the big screen. The two share decades of animation experience, from having shepherded the early development of Kubo and the Two Strings at Laika and other projects at Sony Animation, where this particular project was originally developed. After leaving Sony, the two partnered with Netflix, and what was originally titled Made in Japan evolved to tie the tale into the lore of the legendary Ultraman, the beloved character created by Eiji Tsuburaya and his collaborators that has thrived for half a century in films, live-action tokusatsu programs, manga, and other forms of storytelling.

With Ultraman: Rising,” animator-turned-director Shannon Tindle combined his love of the superhero anime franchise with a parenting drama wrapped around Ilm’s dazzling 2D animated look drawn from manga and anime.

It all comes together in an epic water battle involving Ultraman (Christopher Sean), Ultradad (Gedde Watanabe), and baby Kaiju, Emi. First Ultraman and Emi fight Mecha Gigangtron, only to discover that the real Gigantron (Emi’s mom) is still alive underneath. She then joins Ultradad as part of a foursome to fight Dr. Onda, head of the Kaiju Defense Force, who commands the robotic Destroyer.

Tindle, who participated in a recent press confab at Skywalker Ranch and Ilm in San Francisco, told IndieWire that his choice of water for the climactic battle was purely economical. He couldn’t afford to destroy a city and crowds. “I knew that I could make it on the water, and it would allow...

It took everything I had not to raise my hands in the air as if riding the front car of a rollercoaster as our shuttle bobbed and weaved through the winding stretch of Lucas Valley Road. With each farmhouse and animal enclosure we passed, I felt more and more lightheaded. It could have been the increase in altitude, but likely, we were on our way to one of the most historic retreats in Hollywood, Skywalker Ranch. I could not think of a better place to learn about Ultraman: Rising, an animated film honoring its title character’s legacy and cinematic history.

What is Ultraman: Rising about before we get into the nitty-gritty? The story centers on baseball star Ken Sato, who reluctantly returns home to take on the mantle of Ultraman. But the titanic superhero meets his match when he is forced to adopt a 35-foot-tall, fire-breathing baby Kaiju, Emi.

Godzilla premiered in November of 1954, eight months to the day after the United States set off its first hydrogen bomb. Indebted to but distinct from pioneering giant monster movies like 1925’s The Lost World, 1933’s King Kong, and 1953’s The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, the seminal Japanese kaiju film is more than just another special effects-driven creature feature. Working from a story by Shigeru Kayama, writer-director Ishirō Honda and co-writer Takeo Murata provide an outlet for post-war Japan’s fears.

In the atomic age parable, an ancient, 164-foot creature dubbed Gojira ravages Tokyo after being awakened from its deep-sea hibernation by nuclear testing. Scientist Daisuke Serizawa (Akihiko Hirata), salvage ship captain Hideto Ogata (Akira Takarada), paleontologist Kyohei Yamane, and his daughter Emiko Yamane (Momoko Kōchi) are tasked with fulfilling their social obligations to stop the seemingly indestructible beast.

The decision to use an actor (Haruo Nakajima and Katsumi Tezuka) in a...

Shonen anime isn't a genre, but it might as well be one given the implications of the term. The demographic marketing category is synonymous with major brands such as Dragon Ball, Naruto, One Piece and more. Sadly, there are a few gems in the "genre" that aren't the same level of international hits, despite the history behind them.

The archetypal Kinnikuman is still very popular in Japan, with the franchise beginning many of the shonen tropes that fans of today would recognize. This hasn't translated to global success, however, and the brand is a veritable flop in the West. As a result, it shares this status with another ill-fated franchise, showcasing why it might be time for a Kinnikuman remake.

Kinnikuman Is a Flop Overseas The Wrestling Anime Is Mainly Big In Japan

The original Kinnikuman manga was created by Yoshinori Nakai and Takashi Shimada and launched in 1979. The story...