Ultraman Blazar is so close, we at Ultraman Connection can practically taste the ozone coming off that nifty laser spear the titular hero uses. (It’s called the Spiral Burrade!) This week the world received a 5-minute trailer revealing some of the coolest elements that Blazar has to offer, and as the official global voice of Ultraman, it’s our job to take a discerning eye to that trailer, and point out some of the coolest things you may have missed!
As the trailer starts, we are greeted by our protagonist, Gento Hiruma, captain of SKaRD (Special Kaiju Reaction Department). In just a few words, Gento makes it clear that humanity is under constant threat by an outbreak of Kaiju attacks, over shots of one of those monsters, Bazanga, and its harrowing battle with the mysterious Ultraman Blazar.
Gento goes on to explain how the Kaiju crisis gave rise to the Global Guardian Force (GGF), and how that beget SKaRD, indicating that in a system full of bureaucracy, SKaRD can cut through the red tape as an elite, independent team.
That team, overseen by Chief of Staff Retsu Haruno, a demanding military man, consists of Emi Aobe, intelligence specialist and master of disguise based on the multiple outfits and groups she is seen with, Yasunobu Bando, mechanic and former pilot with a penchant for naming his machines, Teruaki Nagura, vice-captain with a specialty in data analysis and Kaiju biology, and Anri Minami, Earth Garon’s primary pilot and martial arts expert.
What is Earth Garon, you may ask? This bipedal, Kaiju-type robot is SKaRD’s primary asset against all threats, blistering with weaponry, including arm-mounted guns, tail-mounted guided missiles, and its signature “Earth Fire” charged-particle cannon in its mouth. Durable and powerful, there is only one more powerful defender of humanity — and that is Ultraman Blazar.
Even Gento, who becomes Blazar, knows almost nothing about the giant — when his power is needed, the mysterious Blazar Brace appears on Gento’s left arm. He cannot summon it at will, it seems. Retrieving the Blazar Stone he carries on his person at all times, Gento passes his intent through the stone into the brace, allowing him to transform into Blazar.
In so many ways, Blazar differs from Ultras we have seen in the past, not least of which is his signature attack: Rather than a beam, Blazar summons the Spiral Burrade from his left hand, and THROWS it clean through his opponent.
We are fascinated by what are clearly upgrades to the production over recent series. Explosions and beams are highly specific and detailed. The miniature work is cinema quality. Camera placement emphasizes the enormity of Blazar, Earth Garon, and the Kaiju. Dialogue is more mature and authoritative. All of these are welcome developments!
Blazar’s existence contains so many mysteries, to both us viewers, and the humans he defends. All that can truly be known is that he is here to help, against threats like Bazanga, Gedos, and Taganular. Several new Kaiju are here as threats to Earth, and only SKaRD and Blazar stand in their way.
The trailer ends with a question: Who is Ultraman Blazar? And what fate awaits both him and SKaRD, both fighting to defend humanity? The only way to find out is to watch Ultraman Blazar when it premieres on July 8th. And to make sure you find out everything there is to know about Blazar — maybe more than Gento himself — stay close to Ultraman Connection.
