ULTRAMAN: THE NEXT IS BACK! Round Two for This Tsuburaya Pro Feature!

Director/producer/cameraman Kiyoshi Suzuki. Photo by Brett Homenick.

On Saturday night, there was another Ultraman: The Next (2004) event that I just couldn't pass up. I'm very glad I attended. I was particularly interested in meeting the man who was (for me) the guest of honor.

It was my first time to meet Kiyoshi Suzuki, a veteran of Tsuburaya Productions who joined the company in 1964 and worked on Ultra Q (1966) and Ultraman (1966-67) as an assistant cameraman. From there, Suzuki-san also worked on such tokusatsu productions as: Kaiju Booska (1966-67), Ultra Seven (1967-68), Mighty Jack (1968), Return of Ultraman (1971-72), Mirrorman (1971-72), Iron King (1972-73), Ultraman Taro (1973-73), and Ultraman Leo (1974-75). Suzuki-san also worked behind the camera as a director, and in that capacity he shot episodes of Super Robot Red Baron (1973-74), Super Robot Mach Baron (1974-75), and Dinosaur Expedition Born Free (1976-77). In the Heisei era, Suzuki-san has mostly worked as a producer on various Ultraman movies that have been made since the 1990s.

Kazuya Konaka returned to this event, as well. Konaka-san has directed episodes of Ultraman Dyna (1997-98), Ultraman Cosmos (2001-02), Ultraman Nexus (2004-05), Ultraman Mebius (2007-07), Ultraseven X (2007), Ultraman Ginga S (2014), and Ultraman Orb: The Origin Saga (2016-17). Konaka-san also helmd the feature films: Ultraman Zearth 2 (1997), Ultraman Tiga and Ultraman Dyna (1998), Ultraman Gaia: The Battle in Hyperspace (1999), Ultraman: The Next, Mirrorman Reflex (2006), and Ultraman Mebius and Ultra Brothers (2006).

Also on hand was actress Kyoko Toyama, who starred in Ultraman: The Next as Sara Mizuhara and reprised her role in episodes 33 and 34 of Ultraman Nexus.

It was another great evening. Many thanks to all the friendly guests for their kindness.

ULTRAMAN DISCOVERS WHAT'S NEXT! Attending a Special Screening of the Millennium-Era Ultra-Saga!

In between director Kazuya Konaka (left) and screenwriter Keiichi Hasegawa (right).

Today, I braved a typhoon to attend a special screening of Ultraman (a.k.a. Ultraman: The Next, 2004). While this movie was highly praised at the time of its release, I have to admit my view hasn't changed since I first saw it on video seven or eight years ago. I don't think turning Ultraman into a horror movie makes a whole lot of sense. While it was great to see the film in 35mm, I still don't think it succeeds.

One of the main guests was screenwriter Keiichi Hasegawa. Hasegawa-san penned numerous episodes of Ultraman Tiga (1996-97), Ultraman Dyna (1997-98), Ultraman Gaia (1998-99), Ultraman Cosmos (2001-02), Ultraman Nexus (2004-05), Ultraman Mebius (2006-07), Ultraseven X (2007), Ultra Galaxy Mega Monster Battle (2007-08), Ultra Galaxy Mega Monster Battle: Never Ending Odyssey (2008-09), and Ultraman Ginga (2013). Hasegawa-san has also written for Toei programs, such as Kamen Rider W (2009-10), Kamen Rider Fourze (2011-12), Kamen Rider Drive (2014-15), and Kamen Rider Ghost (2015-16). Godzilla fans would know him as the screenwriter for GMK (2001). Hasegawa-san wrote the script for Ultraman.

I've met Hasegawa-san a few times since last year, and he's always a lot of fun to hang out with. I think the above photo speaks for itself on that score.

Kazuya Konaka was the other guests of honor. Konaka-san helmed episodes of Ultraman Dyna, Ultraman Cosmos, Ultraman Nexus, Ultraman Mebius, Ultraseven X, Ultraman Ginga S (2014), and Ultraman Orb: The Origin Saga (2016-17). Konaka-san also directed the feature films: Ultraman Zearth 2 (1997), Ultraman Tiga and Ultraman Dyna (1998), Ultraman Gaia: The Battle in Hyperspace (1999), Mirrorman Reflex (2006), and Ultraman Mebius and Ultra Brothers (2006). Konaka-san, as I'm sure you can guess by now, directed Ultraman.

It was my first time to meet Konaka-san, and I found him to be very kind and friendly.

That's all for now. I'll be back soon with more updates.