If you are not paying attention to what the Japanese are doing in their entertainment, you are missing out on a lot of fun. In 2018, Ultraman R/B, the 30th entry in the Ultra Series, debuted on TV Tokyo as what many would consider a breath of fresh air for the long-running franchise. The series featured many of the hallmarks of a typical Ultraman series; this iteration tackled smaller conflicts from episode to episode while building on a larger overarching plot that would get more and more dense as the season progressed. To accompany this, there were copious amounts of lighthearted moments, mostly stemming from the offbeat relationship between the two brothers at the core of the story. This relationship helped build a thematically resonant storyline that made this particular entry feel more weighty. Themes of friendship and family have always been important to the series at large, but the ways in which R/B tackled them this time out keeps you engaged as an audience member from beginning to end.
Ultraman R/B focuses on the Minato siblings, Katsumi (Yuya Hirata) and Isami (Ryosuke Koike), who are dealing with the 15th anniversary of their mother’s disappearance. The brothers love one another, but they often find themselves at odds due to their very different approach to life. When they find themselves in the middle of a perilous situation, they are rescued by the R/B Gyros that transform them into Ultramen Rosso and Blu. A lot of the fun of the early moments from this series is derived from the fact that these two do not take to the Ultramen position with incredible grace. The issues they face in the real world do not disappear just because they have been granted these new powers. To be frank, these early moments with Rosso and Blu make them seem incredibly clumsy and foolish. For those who have never seen a tokusatsu series, the Ultramen are depicted by guys in elaborate suits fighting other interesting looking creatures in rubbery suits against a miniature depiction of their surroundings. If people were complaining about the body count in Man of Steel, I can only imagine what they would think about these Ultramen falling into countless buildings.
It is the brothers starting at such a deficit that makes their journey to complementary battle partners such a rewarding one. The series features a lot of exciting fights and a fair amount of cheesy humor, but it is the use of interpersonal relationships that makes the story hit home. Not only does Katsumi and Isami go through a whole spectrum of emotions throughout the series, but they also have another notable dynamic with their sister, Asahi (Arisa Sonohara). If you ever start to feel disconnected from the main characters when they are in their Ultraman form, Asahi is usually around to keep you invested as an essential part of the team. This character is just one of many talented members of the ensemble that you meet throughout the series. It would be easy to focus on the weekly adversaries and the fights, but these elements are fleeting compared to these other moments. This series has a special way of implementing mystery concerning the family as well as those they get close to in their corporate-run town. Ultraman R/B is not a revolutionary show, it could be construed as quite silly from an outsider’s perspective, but its lovingly practical special effects and earnestness hits home in just the right manner for its intended audience.
In addition to the surprisingly twisty series, this set also includes the movie Ultraman R/B: The Movie – Select! The Crystal of Bond, which brings a bit of a different feel to this iteration of the franchise – in a good way. The lighthearted tone of the series gets drawn in somewhat and reframed for the more visceral story that is unfolding this time out. More than any other point in this set, this is where things are really going down and the stakes are being established in an intense manner. In your heart, you know nothing truly earth shattering is going to happen, but from moment to moment new revelations crop up that conjure a pleasing thrill in fans. This leans heavy on the action, particularly in the latter part of the film, but everything feels in line with what has been presented up until that point in the series. As a whole, Ultraman R/B is a well-made superhero show with special effects that match what you expect from the Ultraman series. If you are going to jump into the series blind, this particular entry seems like as good of a starting point as any with its satisfying blend of humor, action and poignant family drama.
Video Quality
Ultraman R/B: Series + Movie arrives on Blu-Ray with a pleasing AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.78:1. The levels of detail this presentation is able to eek out is quite striking, as all of the subtle details in the production design and costumes are easily identifiable. One of the most endearing aspects of the series is seeing the textural details of the creature costumes in a way where you feel like you can almost reach out and grab them. Both the series and movie are quite bright and colorful, just like the main characters, and there are some magical instances of beautiful colors popping off the screen. The red and blue of Rosso and Blu always present as quite bold. Black levels are appropriately deep and give way to a nice amount of detail in shadows. The bright whites of the show do not fall victim to any blooming in this presentation. Skin tones appear very natural across the entire cast. There are no egregious instances of aliasing or compression artifacts detectable here. The Blu-Ray presentation should be more than satisfactory to fans of the show.
Audio Quality
Mill Creek Entertainment brings us this new Blu-Ray set with a lossless DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mix in the original Japanese that accurately reproduces the series and film sonically. The dialogue holds up quite nicely, coming though clearly without being stepped on by the score or sound effects. If there are any complaints about this one, it is that the track feels the slightest bit insubstantial in terms of pure power. The release sounds fine, but it does not give you the depth of sound you might want from a fight-heavy show. The film actually sounds a bit more dynamic in comparison to the rest of the series as the stage is filled with powerful action pieces for much of the runtime. There does not appear to be any damage or distortion associated with the audio track. This is a track that functions as a steady workhorse rather than anything too showy. Optional English (SDH) subtitles are provided on this disc.
Special Features
There are no special features included in this set.
Final Thoughts
The Ultraman R/B installment of the long-running franchise is a bright spot for the series as a whole. This storyline offers you everything you typically want from fun fight scenes to loads of laughs and poignant depictions of the importance of family. If you have never seen an Ultraman series, you might be taken aback by the inherent cheesiness of the action, but give it just a bit and you will soon become charmed by what you are provided. Mill Creek Entertainment continues to treat this franchise with the utmost respect by offering a Blu-Ray with a solid A/V presentation and a complete run of the series including the action-packed movie. Fans new and old are in for a real treat with this release.
Ultraman R/B: Series + Movie is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray + Digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Mill Creek Entertainment has supplied a copy of this set free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
