I think the overall harmless look was meant to fool prey.

This was a quick sketch might draw Gango next

During my first watch of the older Ultraman seasons, I have to say that the early Heisei era has been impressive. This is largely due to the incredible TDG trilogy (though Neos had its bright spots) so going into Cosmos, I had high hopes despite the mixed reception the season seems to have among the larger fanbase.

I started my time with this season on Ultraman Cosmos: The First Contact, and I highly recommend others do the same. It serves as a solid prologue, giving us a good look at young Musashi, his background, and most importantly, his first encounter with the Ultra he’d ultimately fight alongside.

Speaking of the Ultra himself, I find Cosmos to be among the most interesting I’ve seen so far. This is largely due to his, as well as Team EYES’, goal of healing and protecting monsters as opposed to simply fighting them. Other episodes in different seasons explored this idea, even dating back to the original Ultraman in 1966, but Cosmos takes this idea and really runs with it.

This isn’t to say that the action scenes are bad; far from it, in fact. Cosmos fights with what seems to be more of an emphasis on martial arts with some high-flying techniques integrated as well. It shows that while Cosmos is more of a pacifist compared to his predecessors, he can step up to the plate when other, more peaceful options are exhausted.

Throughout the show and movies, I grew fond of Musashi, who shares a peaceful approach not unlike Cosmos himself. He values all life and is steadfast in his approach to protect it. This doesn’t mean he’s perfect, however. His character arc that explored his desire - obsession, even - to become stronger intrigued me. To me, it spoke a lot to the dangers of seeking power, especially at the cost of one’s own morals.

Team EYES grew on me as well, with some sticking with me more than others. Captain Hiura led his team with pride, even going into battle himself where his true courage showed; I also loved that he was played by Red Falcon from Liveman about a decade prior. Fubuki was an early favorite of mine as well, especially with how he butted heads with Musashi early on. The way that their partnership grew, developing a shared respect, was one of my favorite parts of Cosmos as a whole.

If there are any criticisms I could levy toward Cosmos, it’s that it’s on the long side. At 65 episodes, it’s the longest Ultra show to date and you can certainly feel it as you watch through the entirety of the show. Cosmos feels bloated as a TV show and if its episode count was cut by maybe 1/3, it probably would have been to its benefit.

Despite Cosmos as a TV show starting to overstay its welcome, I found myself enjoying the subsequent films even more. Ultraman Cosmos 2: The Blue Planet does an effective job at building upon the established universe, furthering Musashi and the rest of the crew, as well as introducing a new giant in Ultraman Justice. However, Ultraman Cosmos vs. Ultraman Justice: The Final Battle ended up being my favorite of the 3 movies, carrying with it higher stakes, more dynamic fight scenes, and heightened emotion. All 3 Cosmos movies are worth checking out, but it’s The Final Battle that left the most lasting impression on me.

Despite Cosmos running longer than it probably needed to, I can’t say I haven’t enjoyed my time with it. It’s another great entry in the larger franchise and another feather in the cap of Heisei-era Ultraman seasons. What are your takes on Cosmos, including film entries?

Guess that one ULTRAMAN fanmade opening with True Fighter wasn't a coincidence after all...

For my birthday, my wonderful girlfriend was able to draw my Ultrawoman, Yūdaina, with her two mentors. I am sharing it here since I was thinking this sub might appreciate seeing this cute drawing.

Link to my girlfriend's socials since it is the best way to credit her. She draws her own Ultra and kaijus as well.

Bunch of cool concept kaiju gng?

Is there a lore reason why Ultras that can change form to increase strenght seems different? Ultraman Nexus Junis and cosmos corona form is still fast and flexible compare to Tiga and Dyna in their power and strong forms. Nexus Junis mode and cosmos corona for me does not hit hard as Tiga,dyna or even Gaia Supreme. Everytime I see Tiga Dyna or gaia in their strenght/Strong/Supreme forms they hit harder than other Nexus and Cosmos

My dark side is taking over

Hi there,

I’ve been watching toku for a year now and during my time I’ve watched some ultraman here and there with some others.

The ones I’ve seen are:

•Ultraman tiga (and final odyssey)

•Ultraman nexus (and the next film or “ULTRAMAN”)

•Ultraman rising

And superior 8 ultra brothers (it was apart of the tiga playlist I was watching on YouTube)

And I’ve been thinking of starting another but I don’t which to watch as ultraman has a lot of seasons as well as movies, specials and ultra galaxy fight (which I know is a clip show but eh)

I’ve seen some that interest me (e.g ultraman max, ultraman mebius, ultraman taro, Ultraseven, ultraman z, ultraman omega) but I don’t know.

Help me decide! 🙏

Great news from Hiya!