ULTRAMAN TAIGA: THE COMPLETE SERIES Out Now! Includes Film!
As your resident tokusatsu fanboy, the work that the stewards of the Ultraman brand have been doing in the US has been fantastic. The heroes over at Tokushoutsu and Mill Creek, for sure, have been carrying the torch, making the show easily accessible for western audiences in both digital and physical format. The latest? A blu-ray pack for 2019’s ULTRAMAN TAIGA, featuring not only the complete series, but the accompanying film, NEW GENERATION CLIMAX. Courtesy of Mill Creek, the blu-ray is in hand, so what does the first Ultra of the Reiwa era have to offer?
When I covered this release as it was upcoming, we got a quick breakdown of the contents of the package and a synopsis of the show. In brief, the package was advertised with four blu-ray discs, a printed guide to the show, and a trading card for the new ULTRAMAN CARD GAME, which has recently started to slowly make it’s way into player’s hands. I’m pleased to confirm that this is indeed the case, and the guide and included card both are worthy companions to the blu-rays.
![UltramanTaigaBluRayInside - Film Combat Syndicate An image of a blu-ray disc, and printed visual guide, included in the ULTRAMAN TAIGA complete blu-ray.](https://filmcombatsyndicate.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/452919525_1042466530870247_7054077235448209771_n-e1722458136505.jpg)
![UltramanTaigaBluRayPromoCard - Film Combat Syndicate A photo of the promotional card for the ULTRAMAN CARD GAME. The card features a screenshot from ULTRAMAN RISING, with Ultraman recreating the iconic transformation pose of the original Ultraman.](https://filmcombatsyndicate.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/451947586_832187295674824_307360689992793031_n.jpg)
Each disc features a fantastic render of one of the three Ultras that our protagonist can merge with, as well as Taro, father of the titular Taiga. The fourth disc contains the final episodes as well as the film.
![UltramanTaiga_KEYART - Film Combat Syndicate Key art for the cover of the ULTRAMAN TAIGA COMPLETE SERIES blu-ray by Mill Creek. Taiga is front and center, flanked by a red, and a blue, Ultraman, on viewer's left and right. Above them all is the series' logo.](https://filmcombatsyndicate.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/UltramanTaiga_KEYART-260x300.jpg)
As far as the show itself, while I haven’t completed my viewing of all 25 episodes and the film yet (my screener arrived during a quite busy time!), I’ve gotten through the first disc of episodes (1-7) and I’m having a great time. The action is top notch, and honestly the Ultra series has been on a roll with it’s action scenes as of late. If you’re a toku fan and aren’t watching Ultra, you’re truly missing out.
Ultraman has stood the test of time as an icon of Japanese pop culture, and it’s for good reason. It’s themes, character designs, and it’s use of traditional effects and modern effects technology have made for an experience that transcends generations, and TAIGA seems to be no exception. Truly, the brand’s resurgence has been thrilling, and I’m glad that this means that even more people can experience the legend that is Ultra.
Not convinced? You can watch SO MUCH ULTRA for free, legally, on Tokushoutsu!
Ready to start your collection? ULTRAMAN TAIGA: THE COMPLETE SERIES + MOVIE is available at multiple retailers, including Amazon. The other series are regularly available, also on blu-ray, and I highly recommend checking out a few. Tokushoutsu makes it easy!
Thank you to Mill Creek for providing the screener copy of Taiga for this overview.
Check out Episode 0 of Taiga below!
Dad of best kid, DJ, Tokusatsu Enjoyer, streamer sometimes.