[Review] The Origin of Ultraman (2026): The Japanese Superhero Phenomenon Receives a Heartfelt Documentary Look (Fantasia 2026)

Official synopsis

A commemorative documentary celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Ultraman series. This masterful film explores the origins of the legendary Japanese tokusatsu series Ultraman. Through the eyes of today’s most influential filmmakers and visionaries, the truth behind Ultraman is finally unveiled. 

Review

One of my fondest childhood memories is coming home from elementary school each day and watching Ultraman on TV. For my school friends and me, it was more than just a television show. The next day, we would discuss the giant monsters — this was long before the word kaiju was widely used in the States — in the previous episode we watched, and we always wondered if the King Kong-like giant ape that had a silhouette in the credits would ever show up.

I never grew out of Ultraman. To this day, I watch episodes of the original series when possible, and collect figures, stickers, Japanese decorative towels, and whatever else I find that fits into my budget. I’m not alone in this fandom, of course, as codirectors Yu Nakamura and Kazuki Yoshida show in their poignant documentary The Origin of Ultraman (Japan, 2026).

The legendary Japanese tokusatsu TV series launched in 1966, reaching a peak viewership rating of 42.8% in its home country. The documentary explores how the show became a cultural phenomenon there, and how dedicated Creator and Production Supervisor Eiji Tsuburaya and his cast and crew members were. 

Hiroku Sakurai, who portrayed Science Patrol Communications Officer Akiko Fuji in the series, recalls an anecdote in which she was upset because she had to cancel a date when a production went late one night, and Tsuburaya and another crew member told her not to fret because she and the other actors would all become stars. 

Sakurai, who is now a producer at Tsuburaya Productions, is just one of the original cast and crew members interviewed for The Origin of Ultraman. Joining those talents are film directors Guillermo del Toro, Hirokazu Koreeda, Hideaki Anno, Shinji Higuchi, and Nicolas Winding Refn, and game creator Hideo Kojima, all of whom discuss the importance of Ultraman to their childhoods and its strong influence on their careers.

Behind the scenes footage and images abound. The uniqueness of the Ultraman suit design is a wonderful revelation that I won’t spoil here. And the kaiju! Clips galore bring an instant sense of nostalgia, and discussion from various talking heads reflects how the lovable men-in-suits monsters were given backstories so that they were much more than mere fodder for the space alien hero to fight. 

As the documentary’s press information states, “Six decades later, Tsuburaya Productions continues to introduce new entries into the Ultraman series, expanding its unique universe to a global audience across generations.” Thank goodness for that!

The Origin of Ultraman is the type of documentary that will bring lumps to the throats and perhaps even tears to the eyes of lifelong fans of the character and the series. For those potential viewers unfamiliar with the phenomenon of the franchise, it’s an excellent primer.

The Origin of Ultraman screened as part of Fantasia 2026, which ran July 16–August 2 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.