<Shin Ultraman> by Hidieki Anno has been on my mind these last few months, even though it hasn’t yet premiered in my region at the time of recording. This is far from the first time the original science fantasy series had been retold. <The Ultraman> <Ultraman the Ultimate Hero> <Ultraman the First> <Ultraman the Next> <ULTRAMAN> <The Rise of Ultraman>. Each take puts a different spin on the original tokusatsu television. So why not take a shot at writing a fanfiction of the original work.
Hi, I’m Phearcet. Welcome to the Phearcet Process. This is a series about my attempt on putting my own spin on the classic Japanese TV series. So, Spoiler Warning for Every Ultrman Series. The original series is currently on the official YouTube channel. Go watch it if you’re interested. I hereby remind you that this is NOT a writing advice video. I have zero experience writing. So, think of this video like watching an amateur practice piano. A documentation of my thoughts and decisions.
Plot Synopsis:
Shin Hayata, a pilot of SSSP, spots a UFO during a patrol mission. The red orb-shaped entity crashes with his plane. Turns out the red orb inhabits the alien warrior Ultraman who is on a mission to chase down another entity, the Space Monster Bemular. Hayata is saved by Ultraman fusing onto him, granting him the power of becoming the sliver giant. As the other members of the SSSP arrives to investigate the incident. Bemular attacks and Hayata transforms to Ultraman to save the day. And that’s the first episode of the original series.
For my reimagination, it would be around 25 episodes. Two episodes in an arc. Set in the 1960s. There won’t be an <Ultra Q> in this story, so the story begins with the founding of SSSP. I want to approach the first episode focusing more on the characterization of the main cast and building the atmosphere of mystery that the cast would explore.
Opening Ver01
The opening paragraph depicts the two cosmic entities entering the stratosphere. Which is observed by our main character Hayata. Now an astronomy major, he noted down the phenomenon in his observatory. Yes, I know I wrote planetarium there. I noticed it after finishing the scene, so I’ll leave it for now. You may notice this scene seems unfinished. Which it is. As I was brainstorming the technical jargon in this dialogue. I realize it feels in to the same problem I saw in the original episode. Which I set out to FIX in the FIRST PLACE. The original goes straight into the plot. The viewer doesn’t know a lot about Hayata and SSSP. Even though I did not have Hayata encounter the orb in the first scene. This is pretty much a straight dive into the plot. There’s no “a day in a life moment” that establish the status quo of the main characters. We only get a slight hint of their relationship. After this realization, I found it extremely hard to salvage this draft, so I called it and redo the opening again. Good start.
Opening Ver02
I did not linger much on Hayata; instead shift focus to the introduction of Muramatsu and Fuji, his two close friends. I already had an idea of Hayata’s characterization in this story. Furthermore, I want to build it through the absence of his attendance in contrast to the other two. Let’s continue.
Observatory Scene
Now that we’ve established the status quo, Hayata’s reclusive nature, we can begin the plot. The dialogue here are still… quite dry. I found myself in a constant battle between exposition and characterization. On one hand, their mission needs to be explained. But how can I squeeze in more “character” in this dialogue so that they don’t read like two wooden planks speaking. Right now, I have the rough idea of how these characters arc would end. But not the complete image of their characteristics, their personalities, and how they would follow the path I intend for them. I’ve decided to let future me fixes these problems as I do the bare minimum of laying necessary plot points. Now for the mystery, let’s first read the next part.
Road Scene
This is probably the scene that I’m the most unsure of. It’s the introduction to the other two members of SSSP, Ide and Arashi, while serving as a hint of Hayata’s struggle. However, the pace of the story… not that I have a firm grasp on “pacing” … seems to slow down here. And I’m not sure if it’s a good thing. It also seems to be a cuttable scene, as I ponder the possibility of moving this dialogue to other scene for a better “flow”?
Village Scene
Now that we’ve come to the part where they investigate the anomaly. We can talk about Bemular and what I’m planning on doing with him. The original had the titular monster hiding inside the lake after landing on earth. I want to retain that setting, but with some more mystery and horror elements that the original series sprinkles occasionally. Since Bemular’s setting has connection to lake and mountain. I took inspiration from Lake Mashu, a famous lake for the Japanese indigenous people. And build on the idea of the misty mountain being a challenge for the main cast to traverse through. The setting also allows me to explore Hayata individually. Earlier in the story, Hayata is often guided by other characters. This is now his chance to prove himself.
Lake Scene
The challenge of writing this part is finding a way for Hayata to sacrifice himself. In the original, Hayata getting killed by Ultraman was an accident. I want this Hayata to be more active and have more agency. His merge with Ultraman should be a result of him putting himself in danger for his friends. During this whole process of writing the episode, I have this image in my mind. Low Angle shot. Knees deep in lake. The orb illuminates red light over the sky. The contract Ultraman made with Hayata is inspired by Chainsawman. I think having condition for his power would set up a better character arc. For the actual fight scene, let’s see what happens in episode 2.