Shinji Higuchi’s “Shin Ultraman” (2022) is a critically acclaimed Japanese blockbuster sci-fi, Kaiju/ Superhero film that reimagines the iconic character of ‘Ultraman,’ a giant extraterrestrial humanoid superhero. It ended up becoming one of the biggest hits of the Japanese film industry in 2022, earning roughly 34.4 million dollars worldwide. Written by Hideaki Anno, this ‘Kaiju’ superflick revolves around a giant monster (Kaiju) invasion of Japan. A five-member squad called the SSSP is formed by the Japanese Defense Forces to battle recurring invasions and kill the giant monsters, but when an S-class kaiju named Neronga attacks a local neighborhood, bent on destruction, they are taken by surprise by its terrifying size and insatiable hunger for electricity. Enter Ultraman, an enormous humanoid extraterrestrial who appears out of nowhere and defeats the gargantuan monster. Starring popular Japanese actors like Masami Nagasawa, Takumi Saitoh, Akari Hayami, Daiki Arioka, Hidetoshi Nishijima, and Hideaki Anno himself as Ultraman, this film sure promises to be a thrill ride, filled with legitimate superhero action sequences and reptilian monsters galore.
Spoilers Ahead
‘Shin Ultraman’ Story: A Saviour From Outer Space
During the clash between Ultraman and the Kaiju, Shinji Kaminaga, a member of the SSSP, is gravely injured while trying to rescue a child from the site of the battle. But he surprisingly makes a full recovery and resumes his work at the agency. Hiroko Asami, an analyst, is brought into the SSSP to partner with Kaminaga in investigating the gigantic silver humanoid, and she names it “Ultraman” in her report. Incidentally, a different Kaiju, ‘Gabora,’ attacks Japan and the SSSP is called to task once again. To everyone’s surprise, SSSP Agent Kaminaga transforms into the giant extraterrestrial, but now draped in colors red and silver, and kills Gabora as it was very near attacking a nuclear waste facility. All hell breaks loose when Zarab, a different extraterrestrial with insidious intentions, kidnaps Kaminaga, as he has understood Zarab’s hidden intentions of triggering an all-out global catastrophe by influencing countries to destroy one another. To tarnish Ultraman’s image, Zarab disguises himself as Ultraman and attacks certain areas of Japan while revealing Kaminaga’s identity to the world, painting him as the villain. Hiroko Asami, a fellow SSSP member, receives the “Beta Capsule” used by Kaminaga to transform into Ultraman and keeps it safe from the reaches of Zarab, also freeing Kaminaga from his clutches but being captured by Zarab in the process. But once Kaminaga gets his beta capsule back, he transforms and saves her before exposing Zarab and vanquishing him.
Post the attack of Zarab, another alien by the name of Mefilas kidnaps and transforms Asami into a giant and controls her telepathically, but changes her back to normal while making a deal with the Ministry of Defense to give them the “Beta Box,” a bigger version of the Beta Capsule used by Kaminaga, in exchange for their unconditional allegiance, but Kaminaga intervenes. Along with the SSSP, he tries to halt the transaction and is successful in obtaining the Beta Box before battling Mefilas. However, Mefilas takes a step back, having observed that they were under surveillance by Zoffy, a superior to Ultraman, and leaves Earth with the Beta Box after warning Ultraman of an impending threat.
‘Shin Ultraman’ Ending
The members of the SSSP are targeted by the authorities for having been involved with Ultraman’s actions and are set free only after the Chief of the SSSP provides a compelling argument on their behalf, stating that they were compelled by Ultraman to do so. Zoffy meets with Kaminaga in the forest near where Ultraman first landed, and Kaminaga is gravely injured, and his true identity is finally revealed. It is found that Kaminaga had, in fact, sustained fatal injuries from the shockwaves released by Ultraman’s landing on Earth, and Ultraman, being moved by his dedication to saving a child’s life, had decided to take his ‘human form’ and merge with him, which was against the rules of Ultraman’s planet. Infuriated by Ultraman’s actions, Zoffy insists that he must be held accountable and punished. Hence, he unleashes Zetton, a weapon of mass destruction, to destroy humanity, believing that it would become a threat if humanity was left to harness the power to transform into giant super-beings.
As Kaminaga, now in the form of Ultraman, flies into space to try and stop the attack of Zetton, he is defeated and badly injured, sending Kaminaga to the hospital. As it seems all hope is lost, the government takes the decision not to reveal to the world the oncoming imminent annihilation, to prevent mass panic. In a last-ditch effort, Akihisa Taki, a physicist with the SSSP, examines the flash drive once given to him by Kaminaga and studies the scientific principles behind the workings of the Beta Capsule. As Kaminaga wakes from a coma, Akihisa Taki explains to him the plan that he and a few others had designed to stop Zetton’s destruction. Kaminaga takes the form of Ultraman one last time and generates a black hole from his capsule only a moment prior to Zetton’s shockwave, which almost engulfs both Zetton and Ultraman, but Zoffy intervenes and saves Ultraman just in the nick of time. But as he does, he insists that Ultraman return to his planet, but Ultraman states that he would like to remain on Earth to be its protector, which Zoffy refuses to allow. Having no other choice, Ultraman sacrifices himself to bring Kaminaga back to life, leaving Zoffy astounded. In the end, Zoffy is forced to admire the perseverance of humanity, which according to him, was a race ‘inferior’ to their own, having witnessed firsthand their determination and willpower to defeat an extraterrestrial weapon of mass destruction without any prior knowledge of it.