Reinventing yourself, it can be necessary if you have been around for a while, whether it be revisiting the roots or trying a new direction. Sometimes it can be quite successful like with the unique things sentai has done in the early Reiwa era, or you could be the end of the metal heroes with its bizarre SD style heroes that... just seemed like a bad idea even at the time. By the mid-2000's, Tsuburaya was planning to reinvent the ultra series. In 2004, Tsuburaya launched the Ultra N Project aimed to revitalize the ultra series focusing on more insectoid looking and natural ultraman, Noa. There were 3 parts to this, first were stage shows actually about Noa searching for his nemesis. Then there was Ultraman the next, a new movie that would serve as a background to the main meat o the project, the next show Ultraman Nexus, a show that was aiming for an older audiences, more specifically teens and young adults. This was to be the blueprints for the franchise going forward, a bold new direction that would sadly never passed. Considering where ultraman went after this you can tell that didn't work out. Though it wasn't really Tsuburaya's fault for why that didn't happen, rather it would be broadcasting issues that would ultimately doom what could've been quite the interesting direction for the franchise.
SYNOPSIS
5 years into the future (2004, so its 2009) The earth is plagued by mysterious space beast going around feeding on humanity. The Terrestrial Liberation Trust or TLT has since been created to investigate, eliminate and cover the threat to the planet. On the frontlines of this fight are the Japanese branches special strategy Mission group that have the nickname the night raiders. Kazuki Komon is the newest member of this organization, a former mountain rescue member becomes involved in the secret organization. Though on his first day of training is nearly killed by one of the monsters but is saved by a giant who defeats the monster. This is Nexus, specifically Jun Himeya, a photojournalist who seeks penance for his past by fighting as Nexus. As the two's fates become entwined, Komon comes to see his new job isn't going to be easy and uncovers the truth behind the space beast as he is pushed to his limits.
Nexus eschews more episodic series in favor of a more serialized story, with space beasts being arc villains lasting more than one episode. It gives Nexus its own unique feel when compared to any Ultra's that came before or after. And said story is actually really great, with twists and turns and ugh... a real life feel to it that makes continuing the story with each episode... which ultimately makes the end of the season all the more painful since it doesn't happen. You could divide the show into two saga's, first is Jun's saga which details Kazuki becoming used to the night raiders and the growing pains and the fight against Mizoragi, that is followed by the Ren saga, since Jun's story is finished by the midway point and dissapears to parts unknown a new character takes up the mantle of nexus, a cheerful guy by the name of Ren Senjyu who on the surface is the antithesis of Jun, a bright cheerful young man who feels like your traditional heisei kamen rider, that hides a secret we will get to in the character's, this arc see's the exploration of Ren's creation and the Prometheus project alongside the new threat leading the space beast.
And as this second arc ends you feel like there is an entire third left, you would think, but the show wraps up quite quickly in one episode just as it gives us so many things to think. Leaving a few plot points unexplored like who saved Kazuki when he was a kid. This would've happened... had it not been for network B.S. So Nexus premiered in the Saturday night prime time tv slot it had since Tiga, aiming for a teen to young adult it was the perfect spot for it, only problem, Mobile Suit Gundam Seed Destiny, the sequel to the smash success MSG Seed premiered one week after Nexus premiered, and with a sequel to a guaranteed hit, they wanted to give it a prime time slot, and guess who was unfortunate enough to lose that spot... the first guess doesn't count. Ultraman was bumped out of the nightime slot and given a Saturday morning spot during a kids programming block, cause you know its ultraman, a show for kids, it'll fit in fine. It wasn't, low ratings haunted the show as unsurprisingly, a show for an older audience isn't going to hit it off well with children and that inital audience may not jive with having to wade through other programs for one show, TBS basically telling Tsuburaya to finish this show and get a show that is aimed towards kid into its spot, cutting the shows initial 52 episode run down to 37 and ending the Ultra N project in failure. And it is a shame because the show we did get, was phenomenal, even with the obvious semi retool it still is amazing, and lets get into it.
CHARACTERS
Rather than the main character being the titular host of Nexus, our focus is on the new meat of the night raiders. Komon very much takes after Shinji from Ryuki, a character who in a normal season would be fairly standard as the new meat learning the ropes. But since this is a dark edgy season, they are going to chew him up, maul him and spit him traumatized. And unlike Shinji who dealt with it over the course of the show, Komon gets most of it done in the first arc, like first he realizes they are going to treat the person that saved him is a threat, then he learns he has been dating a corpse and mind raped by Shinya, and almost kills a child and almost quits. Like wow they really went hard on breaking him. But it really helps to develop the character from his naive, kind hearted self to someone who hasn't let go of his nature, but understands the world a lot more, seeing him go from learning from Jun to something of trying to help Ren once he takes over as Nexus. Which I think is one of the best things about Nexus, characters feel like different people, when we see him at the end now being the rescue operative he wanted to be now working for the night raiders.
And he makes a good counter balance to Nagi, who is completely cold and only focused on killing anything alien, it puts the two in conflict as she is more than willing to kill or harm ultraman where he wants to work with him since he is the one helping them. But we do see that she does care for him, in that toughen up and let go of those happy emotions, though we see that it really is not for the best considering how that ends for him. Nagi is defined by her wrath, willing to throw herself into the fights and be quite unpleasant in certain aspects, between pistol whipping Komon to the point he thinks she would shoot him. She does mellow and doesn't treat Ultraman as a threat too much in regards to Jun, likely as part of making the show more child friendly, but there is also something that feels... incomplete with her.
Like obviously Nagi in the second arc is less blood thirsty and even willing to help Ren but the end of his arc sets her up to be the next Deunamist, which was what it was intended to be, there was going to be an additional arc with Nagi as Nexus, which likely was meant to be the cap on her character arc, this last stretch of 15 episodes is interesting, additional space beast, a time travel arc that would've revealed who saved Komon, the final episode is basically a three episode script merged into one. Its a treasure trove of what a different timeline could've been. That's not to say I didn't like what we were given, god no, I loved Nagi for her no-nonsense personality and how she grows. But she is a perfect example of Nexus. An incredible... but unfinished series as after the set up of being the next deunamist, is taken out in just a few short moments.
Though I guess if there is something I can say, the other night raiders do feel more, side characters. Not as much for Captain Wakura early on, since he was there alongside Nagi and Shinya. So there is a bit but it's mostly put on the side for Nagi. He is the stern but reasonable captain for the team, given them the time they need or agreeing with them if something is important when the group chooses to help Ren over the orders given to them.
Shiori doesn't really get much aside from the one bonus episode that is entirely focused upon her, she's the perky girl to Nagi's more dark and serious stoic, though considering the show there is sadness underneath her that we learn about. And Mitsuhiko... we will get to him later, he is mostly on his computer and doesn't speak much so he kind of is there. And Yu the illustrator is a solid backup, mysterious but at least a helpful when it calls for it
Both Deunamist's are also fantastic in there portrayals. Jun as this shellshocked veteran haunted by the loss of a friend he made taking pictures a war. Kind of a similar backstory to Eiji though where Eiji tried to put up a showing of positivity to hide his sadness, Jun is just sad, willing to die if it means protecting humanity even if they never know what he has done, and dealing with the mistrusting nature of the night raiders. Jun acts more as this mentor figure to Komon during his early days in the night raiders, helping to pull him out of despair after all he had gone through in a contrast to how Nagi tried to get him to close off his emotions, ultimately his character doesn't go through much development during his tenure before his departure, dissapearing into nothingness until he mysteriously shows up at the end.
Ren on the other hand feels more like the traditional Ultraman hero, a bright optimistic young man who wants to fight to protect humanity, kind of like it is wanting you to believe that the show is getting a major retool, and it does sort of feel like it, the theme song gets changed out with less dark images, showing him doing the shounen run, it still has the likes of Komon looking depressed and sad. But Ren's working at an Amusement Park around kids and always has a bright smile compared to Jun. Like the show was going to go a bit lighter and softer in this second half in order to keep the show going.
But Nexus proves despite being lighter, Ren's backstory and reveal of being a very, very sad clown may make him a bigger woobie. A test tube baby with only a bit of time left to live without his miracle drug. Who ends up basically willing to throw himself into the space beast fight either he dies a hero or he protects everyone. That adds a layer to him I think really works, even with everything going on that makes his life suck he is willing to be fight. And seeing his interactions with the night raiders, and how the night raiders interact shows a development of how there interactions with him, treating him with more concerns and wanting to help him. Making Komon more the mentor to help him also works for him, showing his development from naive newcomer to being more seasoned.
One thing that the space beast did to make me like them is that they aren't just a one off episode threat, most of these take a couple of episodes for the heroes to be able to fully defeat them. It gives them a bit more of the threat of an actual giant monster With the night raiders thinking of how to deal with them and yeah that is something else, the night raiders here are really competent, and are able to hold their own without Nexus, yeah he is needed to deal with the bigger threats but we see a suprsingly solid attack force in this show battling some of the best designed terrifying monsters in the franchise history.
But since they are mostly voiceless monstrosities feeding off the masses, they need someone to lead them, and in a twist, it is ultraman like figures who lead the dark beast, Dark Faust mostly serves the starter villain, more so the gut punch of the revelation of her being Riko, Komon's girlfriend and how both react to not only learning that she is dead buy is nothing more than a puppet, which it does feel like too happy a relationship, for a show like this if anyone has a happy relationship it should be treated with mistrust which is a shame since the two do have solid chemistry and I liked the character.
Shinya makes for a solid arc villain, a easily hate-able power hungry man. With every thing he does to both Komon and Nagi in wanting to drag them into being as monstrous as he is, he also makes for a solid counterpoint to Jun, whereas he takes the power in order in order to punish himself, it is all just to be the most powerful being even if it means becoming the thing he fought. Personality wise he is the standard sadist kind of individual who enjoys tormenting those around him and can't believe when he ends up being defeated. Though I don't know how to feel about the 'redemption', like yeah they don't act like what he did happened and end up dying to sacrifice himself, kind of feels off and maybe something done when the changeup mid-point.
Then there is dark zagi and it is very clear that it is an example of the sad case of the show getting cutting short, he is like this shadowy figure working behind the scenes during the second arc, making them interesting as to what they are, and then he is just kind of revealed as Ishibori in the last episode with little fanfare. Which is a shame because I do like the concept, like this parasite magnificent bastard who has played everyone for the sake of power. But it does feel a bit less worthwhile since it was clear that they wanted to build the villain to be the source of all troubles and actually some terrifying acts he commits to.. But it is instead a cool idea of a villain which yeah I do like the use of evil Ultras that allow Nexus to fight against it and potentially good fights.
AESTHETICS
In comparison to 2004's Ultraman, Nexus does try to find this in-between looking more realistic and classic look, innately it is primarily black and gray before its underbody becomes red and later blue, it is a really solid looking Ultra that does a good job of telling you which one deunamist is behind the wheel of Nexus at the moment, I also enjoy the final episode final Noa form we get, like an armored variant of nexus and light counterpart to the main villain. Which speaking of them, while we have had evil ultra's in the past from the likes of Evil tiga and the dark warriors in well... Tiga Final odyssey, this one goes for something different, making them black with blood red as a secondary color to be a really good counter to Nexus which all look really good.
Also worth noting is just how unique the Space beast do feel, like they decided to primarily focus on doing fully the nightmare fuel monsters the franchise sometimes pulls out from time to time, making them the greater threat to the world that the night raider's try to keep out of sight, honestly some of them could easily be the demonic final boss in some seasons, it also helps that they serve more as arc villains rather than one episode threats, giving you more time to enjoy them, I am not saying the singular episode thing doesn't work, I do enjoy one off adventures, but the beast being these multi-episode threats really ratchets up just how strong these monsters are.
Musically the show fits with the tone, harder rock or dramatically atmospheric for the scene. I do also like the main themes, I think the first one is better, it builds up rocks harder and maybe I just like the imagery more and the song, the other is good, but it is clearly a much more upbeat song but still with a hint of danger. It clearly feels different from the usual songs, even Blazar felt classic with its theme song.
EPISODES
The Faust Arc: really I can't pick one episode because it is a lot of really solid stuff, so I am going with the first faust arc, the tragedy that surrounds it is really solid, and seeing the low Komon hits makes it all the better seeing it come back from it, going from trying too be more like Nagi but instead coming out better.
Even when the show switches over to Ren, despite getting a bit lighter, the show still does really well in balancing tone, the Prometheus project revelation, Komon trying to protect him, the entirety of the night raiders choosing to help him. It is hard to say whether I like the first portion more or less. Then there is also the special episode which is the most that Shiori gets but it is a solid special that gives her time, and does make me wish that we got the rest in a special kind of way.
CONCLUSION
Ultraman Nexus is truly a one of a kind show for Ultraman, and it truly could have been one of, if not the best entry in the franchises history. The fleshed out main cast, the drama, the suit design, it had everything possible. But it is missing its ending, and that's the hardest thing for me to overlook, there is so much I love about this season but giving it an S feels unfair since we didn't get the full show. What we did get I still feel is some of the most unique, but still feeling like Ultraman the franchise has ever given. And if you feel burnt out by the modern stuff, I can recommend Nexus just on that, it may not have finished like they intended, but it was still a ride worth the wait.
FINAL GRADE: A+
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