Netflix’s newly released “Ultraman: Rising” is a sci-fi animated film from the Ultraman franchise that mixes family drama with some classic kaiju action! Directed by Shannon Tindle (“Coraline”), the animated film features voice actors Kairi Ishizuka and Akio Otsuka in lead roles. The story follows Kenji Sato, a baseball player who follows his father’s footsteps to become Ultraman, a giant hero protecting Earth from giant monsters called Kaijus. Ken’s life changes when he comes across a baby Kaiju.
Cast with Characters
- Kenji Sato (Christopher Sean/Yuki Yamada): The protagonist, who initially is a famous baseball player but later inherits the mantle of Ultraman from his father.
- Professor Sato Or Ultradad (Gedde Watanabe/ Fumiyo Kohinata): Kenji’s father and the previous Ultraman.
- Emiko Sato (Tamlyn Tomita/Ayumi Tsunematsu): Kenji’s mother, who is passionate about baseball.
- Mina (Tamlyn Tomita/Ayumi Tsunematsu): The personalised robot assistant in the Sato family, who aids with daily tasks.
- Dr. Onda (Keone Young/Fumihiko Tachiki): The leader of the Kaiju Defense Force (KDF), driven by a personal vendetta against kaiju due to the loss of his wife and daughter in a kaiju attack
- Gigantron (adult): A recurring kaiju antagonist initially fought by Professor Sato, whose offspring becomes a central element in the plot.
- Gigantron Baby: The offspring of the adult Gigantron, protected and raised by Kenji after hatching from its egg
- Ami Wakita (Julia Harriman/Akari Hayami): A journalist who helps Ken when he asks for parental advice
Plot Summary
The story revolves around Kenji Sato, a famous baseball player who returns to Japan to take on the role of Ultraman, a legacy from his father, Professor Sato. Struggling to balance his sports career and superhero duties, Kenji faces numerous challenges. His compassion for a baby Kaiju pits him against the Kaiju Defense Force (KDF), deepening his understanding of his father’s legacy. As he battles Dr. Onda, the vengeful KDF leader, Kenji’s journey transforms him into a true hero. The film teases future adventures with the mysterious fate of his mother, Emiko.
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How Does It All Begin?
“Ultraman: Rising” begins with a heartwarming scene in Odaiba, Japan. It takes place on a normal day when young Ken is playing with his parents, Professor Sato and Emiko. Mina, the family’s personal robot assistant, is cooking, and this contributes to the warm family spirit. Emiko likes the Hanshin Tigers baseball team so much that she watches their game against their arch rivals, the Yomiuri Giants, attentively. Emilo is an ideal mother, while Professor Sato is Ultraman, a superhero tasked with defending Japan from the giant Kaijus. Ken’s parents have different dreams for him. On one hand, Professor Sato wants Ken to become the next Ultraman, defending his legacy of saving humanity from massive threats. Conversely, Emiko wishes her son would become a baseball player.
A peaceful evening turns into chaos when suddenly an alarm goes off warning of a Kaiju invasion. Professor Sato quickly changes into Ultraman, disappearing from sight, leaving Emiko and Ken worried about his safety.
The scene cuts back to 20 years later, when Ken Sato, now a superstar baseball player, comes back to Japan. Right after the scene above, he went to live in the United States with his mother and lived there for most of his life. In the USA, Kenji played excellent baseball that he became very famous for, even in Major League Baseball (MLB). He makes a shocking decision to go back home and join the Yomiuri Giants, which surprises many people—a move that confuses his fans and the sports community. Journalist Ami Wakita asks him about his mother during a Press Conference which he avoids. Later, it is revealed that his mother is presumed dead.
Kenji has returned since his father, who is now old, has retired as Ultraman. As such, Kenji has no other option than being a superhero himself in order to continue keeping the world safe. However, Kenji struggles with this responsibility. He faces challenges on both the baseball field and as Ultraman. Initially, he performs poorly in the baseball games at the start of the season. Likewise, his efforts as Ultraman prove problematic; he is usually egotistical, quick-tempered, and frequently causes big damage during fights against the Kaijus.
The Japanese people are used to an Ultraman who fights off with these villainous life forms but usually does very little damage to the surrounding area. However, Kenji is not as skilled or polished as his father. He still has more attention on his baseball career, and he feels that being an Ultraman puts unnecessary stress on him, so it is better to avoid such pressure. Within all this strife, Kenji sets out on a path that turns a confused and unwilling person into a celebrated hero.
How Did Kenji Find That Baby Kaiju?
In the beginning of his career as Ultraman, Ken encounters the mighty Gigantron, a Kaiju that has been attacking the city countless times. Professor Sato had fought and driven this monster away many times. However, Gigantron appears to be acting differently this time. It seems like it wants to protect something instead of attacking as usual. In the “Ultraman” world, there exists a group called Kaiju Defense Force (KDF). Unlike Ultraman, who is charged with stopping Kaiju attacks, KDF seeks to eliminate them completely. The KDF drones grab an object from Gigantron’s underwater lair and keep it in a protective case. This stolen box prompts the Gigantron to attack the city so that he can get it back, which makes Ken respond fast by leaving behind his baseball game for him to confront the kaiju.
A battle ensues with the Gigatron when KDF fighter planes come into play. They interfere, trying to kill Gigantron, and take back the case containing what they discover later is a Kaiju egg that hatches during that battle. An adorable baby kaiju emerges and is immediately in danger from the KDF. Instinctively, Kenji protects the baby kaiju, taking it back to his base to keep it safe from the KDF. He acts without thinking about what will happen and soon realizes that he now has to raise this baby because it begins seeing him as its mother.
Ken’s routine is disturbed by taking care of the baby Kaiju, which further drags him out of his baseball career. He contacts Ami Wikita and she gives him advice on parenthood as she’s a parent herself. After that, he finds joy in fatherhood, which heals his strained relationship with his dad. Raising the baby Kaiju brings Kenji back together with Professor Sato, who had been avoiding him. Through this experience, he realises the ecological significance of preserving kaiju species as well as how to balance being a superhero and parentage duties. Kenji’s recent epiphany assists him in managing his obligations as Ultraman and also his family responsibilities.
What Are Dr. Onda’s Intentions With The Gigatron Baby?
Dr. Onda, who is the head of the Kaiju Defense Force (KDF), intends to get rid of all Kaiju creatures. However, he wants to capture the Gigantron baby more than anything else. In his plan to steal Gigantron’s egg, Dr. Onda had to first destroy the adult kaiju as well. When the young Kaiju breaks free from Kenji’s safehouse and starts destroying things in town, Dr. Onda heads the operation for its capture because he has an internal, vengeful scheme that includes the Gigantron baby. When he loses both the egg and infant, Onda catches a severely injured Gigantron and places her into an electronic armor system so as to control her, thus turning the superweapon under his command.
The reason behind Dr. Onda’s tragic past is clear: he lost his wife and daughter, who were very dear to him, during one of those attacks by Kaiju in the city center. This personal event ignited an intense feeling of hatred towards every other Kaiju. Ultraman’s inability to save his family causes him to hold a grudge against him as well. He desires to find an elusive island that humans do not know about, where all Kaijus are held. In order to find it, Onda has a plan to use the Gigantron Baby, which will use echolocation. The baby will begin searching for its birthplace instinctively. The baby should lead him there, and then he would kill it so as to remove all the Kaiju creatures once and forever.
“Ultraman: Rising” (2024) Ending Explained: What Happens to Ultraman and the Baby Kaiju?
In the end of “Ultraman: Rising,” Kenji, as Ultraman, confronts Dr. Onda and the KDF. The KDF plans to capture Gigantron’s baby by creating a robot called “Gigantron” in their laboratory. They expect that its mother will attract it and bring it to their side. At the same time, KDF demolished Kenji’s house with his father, Professor Sato, inside, who was presumed dead. However, Professor Sato has returned as Ultradad to rescue his son after all this chaos ensues, which underscores the movie’s theme of parental force defeating evil. While fighting fiercely against each other, the Gigantron mother decides not to be controlled by KDF anymore as she wants to protect her baby.
There is an epic battle during which Dr. Onda converts his airplane into a giant robot to fight. As if defeated already but impelled by hatred against Kaiju, Onda self-destructs his robotic plane in order to destroy as many Kaiju as possible. With great courage, Kenji jumps right into harm’s way to save everyone, fully embracing his role as the hero. Although severely injured, Kenji helps his baseball team, the Giants, win their first title in many years with his strategic advice. Also, Kenji mends fences with Professor Sato, his father. In addition, he has formed a close friendship with Gigantron and its baby. Unexpectedly and touchingly, these Kaiju creatures transport both Kenji and Sato to their abode on the enigmatic Kaiju island. A brief insight into this unknown land is given, establishing its existence as an element of marvel and secrecy.
What Happened to Ken’s mother Emiko?
In “Ultraman: Rising,” Kenji comes back to Japan initially because his mom, Emiko, had gone missing in the US. She vanished without warning and was believed dead. This is why she was mourned by everyone, including her son, Kenji. However, this ending of the film has a mid-credit scene that changes everything. Kenji receives a voice message from his mother on his watch, it is mysterious and crackling with tension. She tells her son that she is still alive but lives under threat from unknown sources. She asks him to save her life and help her return. She reveals that she is in a place called Nebula M78, the home of the Ultraman civilization.
The disclosure probably sets the stage for upcoming films within the Ultraman series, suggesting the possibility of Kenji’s journey to Nebula M78, where he can learn more about himself as an individual and more about his people as well as his culture (Ultraman civilization). To fans, however, the thought of Kenji going back to his real home planet seems even more interesting and exciting since it implies that he hasn’t quite finished his adventure yet in the Ultraman universe.
