Wow, what a show! Tsuburaya Convention 2021 happened this past weekend on Ultraman Connection, and with it came an absolute cavalcade of massive reveals! Here’s the lowdown on what exactly went on, and what’s next for not just the Ultraman Series, but Tsuburaya Productions as a whole!
Opening
The opening of this year’s TsubuCon came with a silent greeting by the flagship heroes of Tsuburaya across three generations. The welcoming committee consisted of the original Ultraman, celebrating his 55th anniversary, the Ultra-Ancient Hero Ultraman Tiga, celebrating his 25th anniversary, and finally, the latest giant of light to step forward and protect Earth, Ultraman Trigger. Each of the three was heralded by some of their most memorable moments on screen, a portent to the massive events to come.
The Chairman Speaks
Next came a statement by the Chairman of Tsuburaya Productions, Takayuki Tsukagoshi. Tsukagoshi-san graciously thanked the fans across the globe for their support of the Ultraman Series during these tumultuous times, before sharing a number of enormous new projects!
First, Tsukagoshi-san showed the new motion branding for Ultraman projects, a dynamic, explosive short that will preface future entries in the franchise. The bright, order-into-chaos aesthetic of the clip is a perfect fit for the fast-evolving future of these Giants of Light.
Ultraman Original Full-Length CG Animated Movie
Tsukagoshi-San then handed the baton to messages from Shannon Tindal and John Aoshima, the creative minds behind Netflix’s new Ultraman animated feature film. The movie is currently in production at Industrial Light & Magic and while little could be divulged about the project, the two clearly stated their passion for the series and their excitement to be part of the tapestry of the Ultraman cosmology, and fans can be sure that this global effort is going to make a BIG splash soon. Here are their comments from the show:
Next, Tsukagoshi-san reaffirmed Tsuburaya’s dedication to reaching new heights of storytelling within the New Generation era of Ultraman. Presenting a short presentation on the series’ evolution from Ultraman Ginga in 2013 to the currently running Ultraman Trigger: New Generation Tiga and beyond, across multiple forms of media, including stage shows like Ultraman The Live, theatre productions like Darkness Heels, and streaming media shown on platforms like the Official Ultraman Channel on YouTube, and Tsuburaya Imagination in Japan.
Another Gene
Tsukagoshi-san then shared one of the newest productions of the New Generation, Ultraman: Another Gene, an offshoot project building upon the story of Ultraman Geed in the form of a comic drawn by globally recognized artist duo, Gurihiru! Little else was shown about Another Gene at this presentation, but it will be coming to Tsuburaya Imagination in the near future!
Immersive Live Action Project: INTO THE STORY
Next, Tsukagoshi-san presented the first project by Tsuburaya Imagineering, a division of Tsuburaya dedicated to honoring the ingenuity of the company’s founder, “God of Tokusatsu” Eiji Tsuburaya, through new advances in special effects and storytelling. This project, an immersive live attraction known as Into The Story, is still forthcoming, but promises the chance to allow audiences to directly insert themselves into new, fantastical adventures, starting with a story featuring Ultraman Trigger and Ultraman Z!
Finally, Tsukagoshi-san laid out the first notes of a mysterious, ambitious concept the company is working on, known only as The Hero Project. Little was shared, but a key, poignant point that Tsukagoshi-san spoke of was the belief that, “billions of people on Earth, have billions of different heroes.” The reveal was accompanied by a heartwarming video, asking various people who the heroes in their life are and how that heroism manifests. To you, audience: are there any people in your life you would call your hero? Think about that as The Hero Project continues to develop and grow.
With that, Tsukagoshi-san bid a friendly farewell, and the MCs of the evening, Ultraman Connection Live legend Sean Nichols, as well as actor Maki Sawano, took their place on stage, and began the main presentations!
Tsuburaya Original Movie: Ultraman Trigger Episode Z
The first tentpole reveal of the night was a look into the future of Ultraman Trigger: New Generation Tiga and its upcoming new special, Episode Z! News that big deserves its own article, which you can find right here.
Netflix’s Anime ULTRAMAN Returns!
Next, there was a big presentation on the upcoming second season of Netflix’s ULTRAMAN anime! For details on that show, read the special report here.
Gridman X Dynazenon X TsubuCon!
2018 marked the arrival of SSSS.Gridman, the award-winning anime by Studio Trigger and Tsuburaya Productions based on the 1994 tokusatsu. 2021 marked the next entry in the “Gridman Universe,” SSSS.Dynazenon, to similar acclaim. TsubuCon 2021 has upped the ante by bringing these two pillars of the Gridman Universe together by announcing Gridman X Dynazenon, a new animated feature now in production! Director Akira Amemiya attended the event, revealing the new teaser visual for the cinematic event, and was even joined on stage by live-suit versions of the titular heroes, together for the first time! Gridman X Dynazenon won’t be out for a while, but when more information comes, you’ll be able to see it on Ultraman Connection!
New Animation Project: Kaiju Decode
Next, Tsuburaya Producer Masahiro Onda and Toei Animation Producer Koichi Noguchi (wearing a VR headset!) walked on stage to talk about the major new collaboration between the two entertainment giants, the mysterious Kaiju Decode. For those not in the know, Kaiju Decode is a new multi-platform IP, the first preview of which won a number of awards at various animation festivals this last year. Ondo-san and Noguchi-san showed off the Kaiju Decode VR special program available now for VR headsets, allowing multiple character perspectives of the same scene—one sure to make more sense as we approach the series’ debut in the future. A brief digest preview of the special episode aired at festivals left viewers wondering…what exactly is Kaiju Decode? Only time will tell what this new story means…
Shin Ultraman Approaches The Finish Line!
The final major presentation was one audiences worldwide have been waiting patiently for—news on Hideaki Anno and Shinji Higuchi’s Shin Ultraman! Such a big moment deserved its own article, which you can read HERE.
The Next TSUBURAYA CONVENTION is Coming in 2023
The event closed with the announcement that the next TSUBURAYA CONVENTION will be held in 2023. A full recording of this year’s event will be available for free on TSUBURAYA IMAGINATION from December 17th (Friday) 7pm, and an edited version will be released on the official Ultraman YouTube Channel.
ULTRAMAN CONNECTION
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YouTube: Official Ultraman Channel
Ultraman Connection Live fans were left buzzing with excitement in the chat, even though for many it was 5 o’clock in the morning! If you don’t want to miss the biggest news about the Ultraman Series and Tsuburaya Productions’ other huge projects, stick close to Ultraman Connection!
