General Info About Ultraseven X

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KRendBlade
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General Info About Ultraseven X

Post by KRendBlade »

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Ultraseven X is a modern remake of Ultraseven, one of the most popular installments in the Ultra Series. It is also the first Ultra series to have been created with an adult audience in mind, and has a darker style and plot than most other shows of its kind. It ran from October 5, 2007 to December 21, 2007.

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The show revolves around a young man, who awoke from a strange dream to discover that he has no memory of who he is or what kind of life he had led up to that point. Moments after he awakes, he is approached by a mysterious woman in white. She gives him a bizarre pair of glasses, and asks him to save this strange new world - then pushes him straight into it. After being found and captured by an defense organization named DEUS, this young man, codenamed Jin, investigates and battles against the alien invaders of Earth, as well as his anxieties and doubts about the new world around him.

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From left to right: K (played by Tomohito Wakizaki), Jin (played by Eriku Yoza), Ultraseven X (Suit Actor: Hiromi Shinjou), Lady in White (played by Saki Kagami), S (played by Anri Ban)


Characters:
Jin/Ultraseven X: An agent of DEUS. Due to his memory loss, he does not remember any personal details; even his name is unknown to him. However, he is more concerned with protecting the Earth from those who wish to harm it, whether they be alien or human. He uses a strange pair of glasses called the Ultra Eye to transform into a giant red creature, Ultraseven X, and battles against the enemies of earth - strangely, he is rarely noticed by by-standers, who only pay attention when told to by the constant news broadcasts blaring throughout the city.
K: A fellow agent of DEUS who often executes missions with Jin, and considers himself Jin's ally. He is generally an easygoing guy, but he can become deadly serious under pressure.
Lady in White: The mysterious young lady who gave Jin the Ultra Eye. She appears from seemingly nowhere, and constantly pleads for Jin to "save this planet", using information about his past as a bargaining chip.
S: Another agent of DEUS who acts separately from Jin or K.
Commander of DEUS : He informs agents of their missions through the Video-Corder, or VC, on every agent's wrist.

What's Unique About Ultraseven X:
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Much like other installments in the Ultra Series, the shows' most exciting aspect is the large monster battle that appears in nearly every episode, and Ultraseven X is faithful to that part of the formula.
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However, as a more mature interpretation of the Ultraseven saga, the show has a decidedly darker approach to the idea of global defense.
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Rather than a ragtag group of scientists, the task of defending the earth falls upon the detached government that seems to be everywhere at once, and a man who has no other option but to follow them. The world that is presented seems tense and subdued; it plays the role of a utopia, but only by the smallest of margins.
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The series is composed of 12 episodes. Some have noted that this is an unusually short amount; others have said that it doesn't wear out it's welcome. Whatever the case, it definitely stands out as one of the few experimental entries in the series, and it doesn't take much time to tell whether or not it appeals to you.

Episode List
1 "DREAM" October 5, 2007
2 "CODE NAME "R" October 12, 2007
3 "HOPELESS" October 19, 2007
4 "DIAMOND “S”" October 26, 2007
5 "PEACE MAKER" November 2, 2007
6 "TRAVELER" November 9, 2007
7 "YOUR SONG" November 16, 2007
8 "BLOOD MESSAGE" November 23, 2007
9 "RED MOON" November 30, 2007
10 "MEMORIES" December 7, 2007
11 "AQUA PROJECT" December 14, 2007
12 "NEW WORLD" December 21, 2007

List of Seijin (Aliens)
Spoiler
This information was taken from the Ultraseven X Series Guide, written by James Ballard and hosted on Sci-Fi Japan. The thread for it can be found here.
Episode 1: Galkimes
Episode 3: Alien Markind
Episode 4: Peginera
Episode 5: The Vo-Da, the Orifam*
Episode 6: The "Soul of Light"**
Episode 7: The Vairo, Vadoryudo
Episode 8: Hupnath
Episode 9: The Therianthrope, Jyuujin
Episode 12: Grakyess, Mecha-Grakyess

*The formal name for this species was never mentioned - there were only described as refugees from the Alpha System. This is actually the name of the mineral that these refugees idolize. However, with the way in which the mineral was described - that it was their guardian deity, their everything - it would be fair to use this as a substitute name.

** This Seijin also has no name, but this is the nickname that was given to it by Jun and his friend Takao.
Last edited by KRendBlade on Sat Apr 05, 2008 4:12 pm, edited 3 times in total.
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Re: General Info About Ultraseven X

Post by takenoko »

That's a very good review. I kind of think Nexus was aimed at adults too. The fact that they had toys that were aimed at kids doesn't help my argument though...
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Re: General Info About Ultraseven X

Post by KRendBlade »

Whoops, I had forgotten about Nexus. Yes, that was supposed to cater to an adult audience as well. But then it got moved to that earlier timeslot, and the series length got shortened, and the whole thing went to pot.

I suppose a better way to say it is that Ultraseven X was the first successful adult Ultra series ever made. And considering it's background, it had a lot more going for it than Nexus did. It had the nostalgia factor, since a lot of older viewers had seen the original series; even though the first Ultraman is the poster boy for the series, a lot of hardcore and casual fans believe that Ultraseven was the best of them all. And even the older show had plenty of moral dilemmas, so it's not that much of a stretch.
But the staff that worked on Ultraseven X still took some chances that, in my personal opinion, payed off in a big way.
Last edited by KRendBlade on Thu Mar 27, 2008 8:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: General Info About Ultraseven X

Post by takenoko »

Yeah, I have a lot of trouble categorizing Nexus. The very mature theme that makes it appealing to adults would make me think it's boring or nightmare inducing to children. And yet I've got Nexus toys and it aired with kids shows, so...?
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Re: General Info About Ultraseven X

Post by Pedoleon »

KRendBlade wrote:Ultraseven X was the first successful Ultra series ever made.
What?! :lol:

Even crap like Cosmos was considered successful. You mean first successful adult Ultra series, don't you? :P
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Re: General Info About Ultraseven X

Post by KRendBlade »

Pedoleon wrote:
KRendBlade wrote:Ultraseven X was the first successful Ultra series ever made.
What?! :lol:

Even crap like Cosmos was considered successful. You mean first successful adult Ultra series, don't you? :P
Of course, I was just rushing. Man I'd look stupid if that was what I really thought. Lemme fix that.
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Re: General Info About Ultraseven X

Post by takenoko »

Was Seven X successful? It seems like a niche show to me.
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Re: General Info About Ultraseven X

Post by KRendBlade »

Well, it's not like I've got ratings or anything, but the way I see it is that it was successful in in the sense that it survived. It didn't get edited or shift focus like some of the other series, so that's proof enough for me. And generally, whenever I hear it brought up in conversation outside of the boards, it gets praise.

Man, I sort of wish Jim Ballard would swoop in and provide some rating stats or something.
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Re: General Info About Ultraseven X

Post by takenoko »

It's pretty hard to cancel a 12 episode long show XD
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Re: General Info About Ultraseven X

Post by Phoenix512 »

takenoko wrote:It's pretty hard to cancel a 12 episode long show XD
Unless you live in America.
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Re: General Info About Ultraseven X

Post by Ant Crown »

Am I wrong in that the names of the characters reflect MIB?
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Re: General Info About Ultraseven X

Post by KRendBlade »

Ant Crown wrote:Am I wrong in that the names of the characters reflect MIB?
I'm not sure. But I think they were making a reference to MIB, too. It makes it feel more like a spy show, in my opinion.
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Re: General Info About Ultraseven X

Post by Jim Ballard »

Ant Crown wrote:Am I wrong in that the names of the characters reflect MIB?
Maybe. But, "Jin" and "K" are also respectively the names of the guitarist and vocalist for the band "Pay money To my Pain", who perform the show's closing song "Another day comes".
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Re: General Info About Ultraseven X

Post by Ant Crown »

Jim Ballard wrote:
Ant Crown wrote:Am I wrong in that the names of the characters reflect MIB?
Maybe. But, "Jin" and "K" are also respectively the names of the guitarist and vocalist for the band "Pay money To my Pain", who perform the show's closing song "Another day comes".
So it's more coincedental...cool.
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