TAMASHII NATIONS Special Streaming Featuring Ultra Galaxy Fight: What Happened?

TAMASHII NATIONS Special Streaming Featuring Ultra Galaxy Fight: What Happened?

One of the coolest parts of being an Ultraman Series fan, be it in Japan or globally, is access to amazing live shows and special streams, be it on the Ultraman Official YouTube Channel or Ultraman Connection. On December 19th, the latest of these special events, the TAMASHII NATION Special Streaming Featuring Ultra Galaxy Fight, streamed on YouTube, granting fans a one-of-a-kind look at amazing upcoming toys, fantastic guests, and a totally unique Battle Stage experience, all in celebration of the special “Tamashii Nation Tokyo 2022” event in Tokyo. Let’s look at what happened together!

Perennial Ultraman Connection Live host and international Ultraman spokesperson Sean Nichols greeted viewers, standing in front of an elaborate display of S.H. Figuarts figurines re-enacting some of the coolest battles in the history of the Ultraman Series. From there, he introduced his guests: Singer and voice actor for Ultraman Regulos Shugo Nakamura, Hiroki Matsumoto, aka Kanata Asumi from Ultraman Decker, Shunya Kaneko, who portrayed Akito Hijiri in Ultraman Trigger: New Generation Tiga and Ultraman Decker, and director Koichi Sakamoto, responsible for countless Ultraman stories, most recently Ultra Galaxy Fight: The Destined Crossroad.

However, Sean was revealed to not be the only host of this event, as out of nowhere, the Saber Tyrant Alien Magma burst onto the scene, claiming to be Sean’s co-host for the event! Dating all the way back to the first episode of Ultraman Leo, we’ve seen Magma many times throughout the franchise. Despite being a truly pernicious villain, the alien was an excellent host, exchanging snappy patter with the guests and honestly being pretty hilarious. We at Ultraman Connection certainly approve.

The first part of the event consisted of an Ultraman Series reflection quiz, aka “Ultra Playback 2022,” with each question being tied to a new S.H. Figuarts product reveal. To keep the pressure on, Alien Magma swore that if any of the questions were answered incorrectly, he would keep the figure for himself! Who knew that aliens could be such toy fanatics?

Matsumoto was the first to show off a figure, revealing the new Ultraman Decker Flash Type, released the day of the stream, after a question about Ultraman Decker. After that, Nakamura got to reveal the currently-up-for-preorder S.H. Figuarts Ultraman Regulos, teaching viewers how to re-enact Regulos’ signature Cosmo Beast Style forms alongside Director Sakamoto and Regulos himself in the process.

Next, Kaneko reminded viewers that he’s one of the foremost Ultraman Series fans around by perfectly recalling several moments and details from hit film Shin Ultraman (American release coming January 11th-12th, 2023), and how they connected to moments from the original Ultraman. For his thoroughness, he was allowed to show off the S.H. Figuarts Ultraman - The First Contact [the original silver Shin Ultraman] figure, featuring the longest beam effect of any S.H. Figuarts release ever!

The final question related to Ultra Galaxy Fight, and together with voice actor Junichi Suwabe, Sean was able to debut for the fans the brand-new S.H. Figuarts Absolute Tartarus figure! Unfortunately for Magma, a full suite of correct answers meant he couldn’t take any of these cool figures for his own, and he stormed off in frustration, leaving the guests and Sean to reveal one more figure: The S.H. Figuarts Shinkocchou Seihou Ultraman Dyna Flash Type, accompanied by a video of original Ultraman Dyna suit actor Shunsuke Gondo introducing the toy!

With that, the toy reveals came to an end, and the second half of the show began: A live Battle Stage canonically tied to the Ultra Galaxy Fight series, directed by Sakamoto and written by the writer of Ultra Galaxy Fight, Junichiro Ashiki!

The story begins in the present day continuity with GUTS-Select member Kanata Asumi being pursued by several new Absolutian Soldiers, and transforming into Ultraman Decker to fight them off. However, the Absolutians are only a herald for their master, Absolute Tartarus, who has returned to Decker’s world after ten years to eliminate another threat to the Kingdom… Decker himself. Tartarus ambushes Decker, and pulls him through time and space using his Narak powers…

Elsewhere, Galaxy Rescue Squad Sora continues to search tirelessly for her missing partner and childhood friend, Ultraman Ribut, lost in the multiverse after the last great battle between the Land of Light and the Absolutian Kingdom. She is visited by Ultraman Regulos, curious about the Galaxy Rescue Force that Ribut, the hero of the Absolutian conflict, is a part of. Sora happily tells him about the GRF’s mission of protecting innocent lives, and the two bond over their shared love of peace.

The two are met by Ultraman Joneus, who has heard of Regulos and his Cosmo Beast Style, asking the Ultra martial artist for a friendly sparring session to test the style’s power. The skills of both combatants are enough for them to earn each other’s respect and esteem, but they are interrupted by a distress signal from the planet of Mirai, where an innocent Pigmon is being chased by an Alien Magma (the same as our previous host?) and his Birdon ally, who seek to conquer the planet.

Sora attempts to defeat the two villains, but her skills lie more in invention and rescue than actual combat, and she is forced back. Thankfully, Regulos and Joneus arrive to help, allowing Sora to evacuate the Pigmon. Unfortunately for them, the whole situation is an Absolutian plot, and the two heroes are bum rushed by Absolutian soldiers!

At that moment, Decker tumbles through a Narak portal, having been sent here by Tartarus to eliminate multiple nuisances at once. Unfortunately for him, Ultras are excellent at working together, and the three heroes immediately join forces to beat back their foes. As the combat comes to an end, Decker properly introduces himself to Regulos, Joneus, and Sora, and in return they explain the situation with the Kingdom, and Ribut; a name that sounds familiar to Decker…

Tartarus himself appears, reviving his pawns and joining the battle himself as the Ultras desperately fight back, including a scene where Shugo Nakamura performs “Fist of Hope,” the Ultraman Regulos theme song, as Regulos and Tartarus clash directly. 

Never one to fight fair, Tartarus summons more allies in the form of Absolute Titan and an enhanced Sphere Red King, his reinforcements rendering the situation bleak for the Ultras. Salvation comes, however, in the form of Ultraman Dyna, who beats the Absolutians back and revives the wounded Decker and Regulos. Now fully powered once again, Decker transforms into his Dynamic Type, and alongside Regulos, forces the Absolutians to retreat and destroys Sphere Red King.

The battle over, the Ultras declare their support for one another and the endurance of their new bonds, and Decker gives Sora one more gift before departing back to his universe: the reveal that Ribut is alive, having fought with Ultraman Trigger ten years in the past of his world! Sora is buoyed by the news that her friend is still out there, and resumes her search, resolve firm.

And that was that! One of the coolest battle stages ever put out, for the whole world to watch; and there was still one more surprise:

As the show wrapped up, Director Sakamoto revealed that starting November 20th, Ultra Galaxy Fight: The Destined Crossroad would finally be released weekly on YouTube! With that, the guests gave their final remarks and goodbyes, and the event came to a close.

Wow, what a stream! How will the next special Ultraman event top it? There’s only one way to find out, and that’s to stay close to Ultraman Connection!