Ultra-Act

As long as I have been a Godzilla fan, I have always been aware of Ultraman. As a child, I collected some of the vinyl figures (even though I didn't know the monsters by name). My first real introduction to Ultraman was through the 2004 film Ultraman: The Next, which was a re-imagining of the Ultraman franchise in a more modern setting. Since then my interest in Ultraman was minimal.

In the past month or two, my interest in Ultraman peaked and I bought myself the entire original series. Instantly I fell in love with it and I knew that I would end up collecting Ultraman items alongside Godzilla. However, as far as Ultraman collectibles go, I chose to exclusively collect the Ultra-Act figures. Leave it to Bandai Tamashii Nations (the same people who brought us the more recent SH MonsterArts line) to produce and sell highly detailed and articulated figures of the Ultramen and Ultra-Kaiju.

I was fortunate to order three figures - Ultraman Gaia (V2), Gomora, and Baltan Seijin (pictured respectively below). The latter two are two of my favorite monsters from the original series thus far. Ultraman Gaia (V2) on the other hand was bought amidst a sale at HobbyLink Japan. I have the Ultraman Gaia series on hand, so I'm ready to watch it after I complete the original series.

Sure the monsters in the Ultraman series may look goofy and at times uninspired (especially in the original series), but for me, that's what makes the series charming and spectacular! Once I start receiving my Ultra-Act figures, I'll make sure to review them.