The Origin of Ultraman overcomes disappointing production values with an impressive ensemble and plenty of charm.
Special effects director Eiji Tsuburaya first made a name for himself as the suitmation pioneer who helped turn Godzilla into a global icon. But it took him until 1966 to successfully transition his talents to television, where he created the series Ultra Q. The X-Files-esque series followed a reporter and two pilots as they investigated a series of giant monster attacks rocking Japan.
It was shameless in its marketing and merchandising. Even the title Ultra Q was a thinly veiled attempt to capitalize on the success and popularity of the Q-Taro anime and the Ultra C gymnastics technique that had just nabbed Japan’s gold at the 1964 Olympics. But it was fun, charming, and allowed Tsuburaya to reuse (with minor tweaks) kaiju he had designed for other franchises.
There’s a good chance you’ve never heard of Ultra Q. You almost certainly have some sort of familiarity with Ultraman, the spinoff that premiered just two weeks after Ultra Q’s conclusion. Ultra Q wasn’t unsuccessful by any means, but Ultraman was an instant cultural phenomenon. Another spinoff and a short film were released before Tsuburaya’s death in 1970. Sixty years later, the series now encompasses 50+ television series and nearly as many films. And it has generations of incredibly loyal fans, including this critic, who make it likely the franchise will continue for many years yet.
The Origin of Ultraman brings in major talents to highlight the franchise’s impact.
The Origin of Ultraman does touch on this history. Instead, it primarily focuses on exploring the series through the eyes of the people who love it. It’s assembled an incredible ensemble of talking heads to that regard. Longtime Ultraman fan Guillermo del Toro is here, as is science-fiction novelist Pat Cadigan, Drive director Nicolas Winding Refn, and established Japanese creative talent like Hideo Kojima, Hideaki Anno, and Hirokazu Koreeda.
Less fortunately, the documentary struggles with some very basic production issues that keep it from reaching its full potential. Both Tsuburaya Productions and Toho produced The Origin of Ultraman, making it as official a documentary as you can get. But it has all the production values of a much more amateur title.
The actual cinematography is fine, though that’s a small lift when you’re working almost entirely with seated interviews. The editing, however, is often quite bad. Onscreen text is inconsistent and often confusingly placed, which makes names and subtitled dialogue difficult to read. The transition between interviews is often quite clunky. The incorporation of classic Ultraman footage and archival interviews is welcome, but this footage will frequently drop in or cut out at awkward moments, even when a more seamless starting or stopping point is obvious.
The passion helps overcome some lackluster production values.
All of this is to say that viewers can very easily find an independent documentary or a video essay on the subject that looks better than this. Which makes it all the more impressive just how engrossing The Origin of Ultraman happens to be. The actual interviews are extremely captivating, thanks largely to how openly each subject loves Ultraman. Nicolas Winding Refn talks about Ultraman with the earnestness of a four-year-old boy talking about firetrucks. Hideo Kojima says he believes in Ultraman in the way people believe in God. That enthusiasm is instantly transferred onto the viewer.
Each subject has also put a lot of thought into why they love Ultraman, which allows for interesting conversations, like Guillermo del Toro and Hirokazu Koreeda comparing Catholicism and East Asian religions to explore why Mexico’s Ultraman fanbase is so different from that of the more Protestant United States. When talking to those who have been creatively involved in the franchise, like original Ultra Q and Ultraman star Hiroko Sakurai, that passion makes it extremely obvious how a children’s television series has managed to develop this much staying power.
The bottom line.
The aforementioned editing issues mean this is more likely to find an audience with established Ultraman fans than with newcomers. But those fans are in for a treat. And there’s almost certainly a few lucky new viewers for whom this will serve as a diving board into sixty years of kaiju action. With caveats noted, this is an easy recommendation.
The Origin of Ultraman is part of Fantasia Fest 2026. Watch the trailer here.
Photos courtesy of Tsuburaya Productions.
REVIEW RATING
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The Origin of Ultraman - 6/10
6/10
Brogan Luke Bouwhuis is a writer and film programmer whose frequent pop culture deep dives have allowed him to write about everything from the Richard Gere gerbil rumor to the history of the holiday yule log video. He co-hosts the Franchise Fiends podcast, co-captains the narrative shorts program at the Slamdance Film Festival, and co-created three children with his wife, Jessica.
