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Shin Ultraman
Movie

Shin Ultraman

2022 • Unknown

Woke Score
2
out of 10

Plot

The Japanese government sets up a special task force to fight the giant creatures suddenly appearing across the country. Soon, the squad unexpectedly meets a giant silver humanoid who starts appearing every time a space monster attacks!

Overall Series Review

Shin Ultraman is a modern retelling of the classic Japanese giant hero story, focusing primarily on monster battles, government bureaucracy, and philosophical questions about humanity's worth. The Japanese government's task force, SSSP, must contend with sudden kaiju appearances and the unexpected arrival of the giant silver Ultra-being. The film dedicates much of its runtime to the internal discussions of the SSSP team as they try to apply science and political protocol to the supernatural threats. The narrative pits the self-sacrificing heroism of Ultraman against the manipulative, self-serving agendas of various extraterrestrial antagonists who seek to exploit mankind. The movie’s central message is one of hope and the innate value of humanity, despite the incompetence of its political institutions and its own destructive tendencies toward military proliferation. The themes are rooted in traditional superhero and tokusatsu tropes, emphasizing universal good versus evil and the need for collective action.

Categorical Breakdown

Identity Politics1/10

Characters are judged by their competence and role within the SSSP task force, operating on a universal meritocracy standard. The cast is culturally authentic, consisting of Japanese characters responding to a national crisis. There is no reliance on race, intersectional hierarchy, or the vilification of any specific ethnic group to drive the plot.

Oikophobia3/10

The narrative's primary human criticism is leveled at the bureaucratic inefficiency of the Japanese government and humanity's inherent fixation on arms races and military superiority, a theme carried over from director Anno’s previous works. This is a critique of flawed institutions and human nature, not the wholesale deconstruction or demonization of the home culture or ancestors, and the film ultimately affirms the worth of humanity.

Feminism2/10

The female leads are integral and highly competent members of the SSSP team, serving as analysts, scientists, and proactive agents. The dynamic between the male lead (Ultraman's stoic human host) and the main female analyst is complementary, with her providing the human and emotional counterpoint. The film lacks any anti-natalist messaging or overt 'Girl Boss' tropes that depict women as flawless superiors and men as bumbling idiots.

LGBTQ+1/10

The story is entirely centered on the defense against alien monsters and the political/scientific response. There is no presence of sexual ideology, alternative sexualities are not centered, and the film does not engage in deconstructing the nuclear family or promoting gender theory.

Anti-Theism1/10

The spiritual conflict is established through a transcendent good vs. evil framework. Ultraman functions as a clear savior archetype who makes a great sacrifice for humanity. The film's primary antagonist is an alien entity whose name alludes to a demonic figure (Mefilas) and who actively tries to position himself as a false god to subjugate humanity, reinforcing a moral battle against a force of cosmic evil.