Throughout the 55 years of history of Ultraman, this giant alien superhero and his fellow monster ass-kicking brothers and sisters never had an encounter with invading kaiju outside of Japan.
That changes in 2021. Celebrating 55 years of Ultraman and 55 years of diplomatic relations between Singapore and Japan as well as to kickstart tourism that has been practically killed off by the pandemic, Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has teamed up with Ultraman for a 3-part mini-series entitled Ultraman – New Power of Singapore.
The three videos, each featuring a popular tourism spot in Singapore, will see the gigantic superhero stepping in to defeat the giant monsters that threaten peace in Singapore.
The videos are a result of a combination of real-world footage as well as CGI. As far as the first video goes, the result is pretty convincing. Though I am not too sure if Ultraman is able to fly in between the Marina Bay Sands’ buildings. But that’s just me nitpicking on the size…
Speaking of which, the first video is live on Singapore Tourism Board’s YouTube as well as on STB’s Facebook page.
In the first installment, which lasted for no more than 3 minutes, Red King (レッドキング Reddo Kingu) was seen wreaking havoc at the Gardens by the Bay before our friendly superhero of gigantic proportion stepped in and gave it a good one. The first episode is aptly named Red King invades Gardens by the Bay.
The next episode, Jewel Changi Airport’s Lightning Strike, which is set in Jewel Changi Airport will be released on December 14 (Singapore/Japan time). The final part is set against the backdrop of Sentosa Island and Marina Bay will feature the monster Gubila (グビラ Gubira) and is scheduled to go live on December 21, 2021.
Part of the goal of this promotional Ultraman mini-series is to kickstart tourism in Singapore devastated by the pandemic. That said, following each video, information for the location will be presented to viewers.
The use of Ultraman also symbolizes “hope”. Hope for the world to triumph over the evil monster, which in this instance would be the new coronavirus, and for the world to return to normal.
Images: Singapore Tourism Board.
