Ginga S Part 1
Sep. 12th, 2018 05:30 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
akinoameI watched the first half of Ultraman Ginga S, episodes 1-8. Right off the bat, it sets a more mature tone than Ginga--it's meant to be an action series. It goes back to the traditional idea of a "science patrol," where Hikaru is almost immediately recruited into an anti-kaiju organization. Gone are most of his supporting cast, other than Tomoya and Taro, and even he is shuffled to the side in favor of new characters Gouki and Sawa Arisa (yes, played by Sawa from Kamen Rider Build. Look, there's an entire directory on the wiki for KR actors who appeared in Ultra, and it's got a LOT of main Ultra actors).
It's a shame losing them, but I can see where they wouldn't work in the new series, while Arisa and Gouki do. Both of them are more action-oriented, and as much as Misuzu, Kenta, and Chigusa were willing to help Hikaru when he was in danger, they were ordinary high school students. Tomoya was the only battle-ready one. But honestly, even though he's on the sidelines more, as the chief scientist at UPG, you can see a lot more how much the events of the first series changed him. He's better with people and lets his guard down more. He smiles. Sure, he isn't super social and he doesn't like having people touching him, but you can see where he and Hikaru have become friends and trust one another--they are no longer rivals, with Tomoya striving to defeat him. He now wants to support Hikaru. And you can tell when Hikaru doesn't tell him who Sho is that it bothers him, but he still trusts Hikaru to know what he's doing. In fact, Hikaru not telling him was helping protect Sho--when Yapool possesses Gouki, he first gets Hikaru out of the way, then tracks down Tomoya and tries to make him give up Sho's identity. But Tomoya points out that Hikaru never told him--something that almost gets Yapool to back off, until he realizes Tomoya's been putting it together on his own, and so he goes after Sho anyway. And when Android One-Zero leaves a bomb in UPG base, Tomoya has to defuse it while Arisa stands very, very still. She's panicking, and admittedly, he's not doing a very good job calming her down, just trying to tell her he's almost done, it'll be okay. And I can kind of sympathize with him in that moment, if only because I know I don't know how to be super-comforting in a crisis. But Arisa notices that he's using his gunpad as a computer, and she asks him what it is. That's when he's finally able to connect with her, smiling and talking about a "friend" that left this with him, and how it symbolizes their bond. And that calms her down enough that he's able to finish defusing it without her panicking.
Then we come to Sho. It's actually kind of easy to miss, based on the very formal way he and Queen Kisara talk to one another, but he's the Prince of the Victorian civilization beneath the earth's surface. He takes his duty as the chosen one very seriously, and he gets into fights all the fricking time. He feels like a Kamen Rider.
But quickly, we see that he's struggling with competing ideals and goals. He doesn't know why the Victorium crystals that his people depend on are being stolen, or by whom. Everyone above the surface may be an enemy, but he's warned not to harm anyone other than the aliens attacking. And Hikaru is so goddamn in his business all the time, giving him chocolate cookies and trying to be his friend.
Spoiler alert: The chocolate works. It always works.
He wants to rely on his own strength, but one of Victory's powers is the ability to utilize other Spark Dolls' powers on his right arm. He can just change his arm into EX Red King's lava fist or King Joe's massive gun or Eleking's tail. But that's also an ethical dilemma for him--he's using the powers of the very monsters that attacked his people. It isn't until Hikaru explains to him that the monsters weren't acting of their own volition, that they wouldn't have targeted the Victorium without Exceller's influence, that he's able to accept that. But he still struggles with being affectionate, even when he's worried about others. Lepi, his younger brother, keeps sneaking to the surface with their friend, Sakuya. He wants to support his big brother, and in one adorable instance, saw how much Sho loved the chocolate that Hikaru gave him and went looking for it. He's strict with him, but it's clear that he's worried about the kid getting hurt in an unfamiliar and frequently dangerous environment. But interacting with Hikaru gives him a better idea of how to handle it. That especially helps when he meets Hiyori, the last member of a banished Victorian clan. He becomes more open and willing to talk with her after seeing that Shepardon, their guardian beast, regards her as a chosen one as well. When Sho and Queen Kisara realize that her clan was stricken from their history and memory, she officially apologizes and welcomes her back home. And Sho does like Hikaru and gives her chocolate because it really is the best way to make friends, I swear. She's guarded, but she ends up giving them useful intel about Exceller and what's going on with the stolen Victorium. It's a shame that not much time is given to her--I really like her, and I would love to see her as another Ultra host.
Taro also returns, and I swear to god, I'm beginning to ship him and Hikaru. Mind you, Hikaru is shippable with at least four different characters in this show so far: Misuzu, Tomoya, Sho, and Taro. But ever since Taro saved him in the final battle of the first series, he and Hikaru have a very special bond. And when Hikaru's power isn't enough for these new enemies, Taro does something that you know has to be hard on him: he willingly sacrifices his autonomy in order to help Hikaru. Taro, who had the running gag of "I want to be big again!" in the first series, who was stuck as a doll, who only retained his sentience because his friends and family sacrificed themselves for him--he's the one who merges with Hikaru and becomes a battlizer device for him--a "watch" that cycles through several different Ultra heroes and can let Hikaru utilize their power. It's like the Omnitrix, if Ben 10 could only access 6 different versions of Way Big. Which is exactly how he'd like it, now that I think about it. Also, when I think about it, Yuri Lowenthal would be a perfect Hikaru voice.
As far as look and feel goes, it's clear from the first episode that Koichi Sakamoto is working on this one. Even the opening theme focuses more on the excitement than even the updated version of the Ginga OP. The opening and show itself have explosions, action sequences, and it all looks like Power Rangers--which I say because Koichi has been with Power Rangers for a long time, even storyboarding the PRiS finale, so there's a very specific look and feel to that franchise because of him that helps distinguish it from its parent source, Super Sentai. Also, Sho's transformation sequence is a merge of Dr. Tommy Oliver's Black Dino Thunder morph and Adam Park's "Once a Ranger" morph into Black MMPR. Sho clearly was snubbed in the "Forever Black" team from the comic. It overall feels more exciting, like the stakes are larger--which in some ways, they are. We've expanded beyond Furuhoshi Elementary School. Now it's an entire town, Shizukugaoka. It's not one ancient enemy who's scheming in the shadows, manipulating people's hearts. This time, it's an interstellar threat who is directly attacking the town to get to the Ultras and keep them too busy fighting to stop them from stealing the Victorium. It's a war against two races. But it doesn't mean that they've forgotten where Hikaru comes from--Exceller is clearly trying to resurrect Dark Lugiel, infusing the Victorium into his remains on the moon.
Episode 9 starts re-introducing the Furuhoshi crew, setting things into a "second season" like the original Ginga had. It honestly reminds me of the Saban II Era Power Rangers model of, for example, Power Rangers Ninja Steel and Power Rangers Super Ninja Steel. It completes a story arc, but it sets up a second one without having to get rid of the full cast or anything. I guess to some degree, Ginga S was meant to be kind of that continuation as well, much like PR was doing at the same time between Megaforce and Super Megaforce, where there was an outright suit change and Orion became the new sixth Ranger after Robo Knight vanished. But Ginga S feels like an entirely new show, just with Hikaru, Tomoya, and Taro carried over to make it easier to transition into. At the same time, it doesn't feel like they're just "carried over" or hanging around in Sho's story, the way Zero kind of felt throughout Geed--older, more experienced partner, but the story wasn't about him anymore. The story is still about Hikaru, but in a very different way, as he starts maturing and teaching Sho without having to be his mentor; rather, his equal. It's a unique dynamic, and I really enjoy it. I just still don't know why it's called Ginga S. I guess maybe like how Sailor Moon S stood for "Super," maybe the S here is for "Strium"? But I think it would make more sense as Ginga V?
Honestly, if that's my only major complaint right now, that's pretty good. I'm really enjoying this one so far.
It's a shame losing them, but I can see where they wouldn't work in the new series, while Arisa and Gouki do. Both of them are more action-oriented, and as much as Misuzu, Kenta, and Chigusa were willing to help Hikaru when he was in danger, they were ordinary high school students. Tomoya was the only battle-ready one. But honestly, even though he's on the sidelines more, as the chief scientist at UPG, you can see a lot more how much the events of the first series changed him. He's better with people and lets his guard down more. He smiles. Sure, he isn't super social and he doesn't like having people touching him, but you can see where he and Hikaru have become friends and trust one another--they are no longer rivals, with Tomoya striving to defeat him. He now wants to support Hikaru. And you can tell when Hikaru doesn't tell him who Sho is that it bothers him, but he still trusts Hikaru to know what he's doing. In fact, Hikaru not telling him was helping protect Sho--when Yapool possesses Gouki, he first gets Hikaru out of the way, then tracks down Tomoya and tries to make him give up Sho's identity. But Tomoya points out that Hikaru never told him--something that almost gets Yapool to back off, until he realizes Tomoya's been putting it together on his own, and so he goes after Sho anyway. And when Android One-Zero leaves a bomb in UPG base, Tomoya has to defuse it while Arisa stands very, very still. She's panicking, and admittedly, he's not doing a very good job calming her down, just trying to tell her he's almost done, it'll be okay. And I can kind of sympathize with him in that moment, if only because I know I don't know how to be super-comforting in a crisis. But Arisa notices that he's using his gunpad as a computer, and she asks him what it is. That's when he's finally able to connect with her, smiling and talking about a "friend" that left this with him, and how it symbolizes their bond. And that calms her down enough that he's able to finish defusing it without her panicking.
Then we come to Sho. It's actually kind of easy to miss, based on the very formal way he and Queen Kisara talk to one another, but he's the Prince of the Victorian civilization beneath the earth's surface. He takes his duty as the chosen one very seriously, and he gets into fights all the fricking time. He feels like a Kamen Rider.
But quickly, we see that he's struggling with competing ideals and goals. He doesn't know why the Victorium crystals that his people depend on are being stolen, or by whom. Everyone above the surface may be an enemy, but he's warned not to harm anyone other than the aliens attacking. And Hikaru is so goddamn in his business all the time, giving him chocolate cookies and trying to be his friend.
Spoiler alert: The chocolate works. It always works.
He wants to rely on his own strength, but one of Victory's powers is the ability to utilize other Spark Dolls' powers on his right arm. He can just change his arm into EX Red King's lava fist or King Joe's massive gun or Eleking's tail. But that's also an ethical dilemma for him--he's using the powers of the very monsters that attacked his people. It isn't until Hikaru explains to him that the monsters weren't acting of their own volition, that they wouldn't have targeted the Victorium without Exceller's influence, that he's able to accept that. But he still struggles with being affectionate, even when he's worried about others. Lepi, his younger brother, keeps sneaking to the surface with their friend, Sakuya. He wants to support his big brother, and in one adorable instance, saw how much Sho loved the chocolate that Hikaru gave him and went looking for it. He's strict with him, but it's clear that he's worried about the kid getting hurt in an unfamiliar and frequently dangerous environment. But interacting with Hikaru gives him a better idea of how to handle it. That especially helps when he meets Hiyori, the last member of a banished Victorian clan. He becomes more open and willing to talk with her after seeing that Shepardon, their guardian beast, regards her as a chosen one as well. When Sho and Queen Kisara realize that her clan was stricken from their history and memory, she officially apologizes and welcomes her back home. And Sho does like Hikaru and gives her chocolate because it really is the best way to make friends, I swear. She's guarded, but she ends up giving them useful intel about Exceller and what's going on with the stolen Victorium. It's a shame that not much time is given to her--I really like her, and I would love to see her as another Ultra host.
Taro also returns, and I swear to god, I'm beginning to ship him and Hikaru. Mind you, Hikaru is shippable with at least four different characters in this show so far: Misuzu, Tomoya, Sho, and Taro. But ever since Taro saved him in the final battle of the first series, he and Hikaru have a very special bond. And when Hikaru's power isn't enough for these new enemies, Taro does something that you know has to be hard on him: he willingly sacrifices his autonomy in order to help Hikaru. Taro, who had the running gag of "I want to be big again!" in the first series, who was stuck as a doll, who only retained his sentience because his friends and family sacrificed themselves for him--he's the one who merges with Hikaru and becomes a battlizer device for him--a "watch" that cycles through several different Ultra heroes and can let Hikaru utilize their power. It's like the Omnitrix, if Ben 10 could only access 6 different versions of Way Big. Which is exactly how he'd like it, now that I think about it. Also, when I think about it, Yuri Lowenthal would be a perfect Hikaru voice.
As far as look and feel goes, it's clear from the first episode that Koichi Sakamoto is working on this one. Even the opening theme focuses more on the excitement than even the updated version of the Ginga OP. The opening and show itself have explosions, action sequences, and it all looks like Power Rangers--which I say because Koichi has been with Power Rangers for a long time, even storyboarding the PRiS finale, so there's a very specific look and feel to that franchise because of him that helps distinguish it from its parent source, Super Sentai. Also, Sho's transformation sequence is a merge of Dr. Tommy Oliver's Black Dino Thunder morph and Adam Park's "Once a Ranger" morph into Black MMPR. Sho clearly was snubbed in the "Forever Black" team from the comic. It overall feels more exciting, like the stakes are larger--which in some ways, they are. We've expanded beyond Furuhoshi Elementary School. Now it's an entire town, Shizukugaoka. It's not one ancient enemy who's scheming in the shadows, manipulating people's hearts. This time, it's an interstellar threat who is directly attacking the town to get to the Ultras and keep them too busy fighting to stop them from stealing the Victorium. It's a war against two races. But it doesn't mean that they've forgotten where Hikaru comes from--Exceller is clearly trying to resurrect Dark Lugiel, infusing the Victorium into his remains on the moon.
Episode 9 starts re-introducing the Furuhoshi crew, setting things into a "second season" like the original Ginga had. It honestly reminds me of the Saban II Era Power Rangers model of, for example, Power Rangers Ninja Steel and Power Rangers Super Ninja Steel. It completes a story arc, but it sets up a second one without having to get rid of the full cast or anything. I guess to some degree, Ginga S was meant to be kind of that continuation as well, much like PR was doing at the same time between Megaforce and Super Megaforce, where there was an outright suit change and Orion became the new sixth Ranger after Robo Knight vanished. But Ginga S feels like an entirely new show, just with Hikaru, Tomoya, and Taro carried over to make it easier to transition into. At the same time, it doesn't feel like they're just "carried over" or hanging around in Sho's story, the way Zero kind of felt throughout Geed--older, more experienced partner, but the story wasn't about him anymore. The story is still about Hikaru, but in a very different way, as he starts maturing and teaching Sho without having to be his mentor; rather, his equal. It's a unique dynamic, and I really enjoy it. I just still don't know why it's called Ginga S. I guess maybe like how Sailor Moon S stood for "Super," maybe the S here is for "Strium"? But I think it would make more sense as Ginga V?
Honestly, if that's my only major complaint right now, that's pretty good. I'm really enjoying this one so far.