Japanese pop culture resonates everywhere, and never has that been truer than in 2024. Anime is thriving at the box office and on streaming, Godzilla has won an Oscar and video games seem poised to take the place of Marvel as the dominant driver of the next decade of media.
And yet oddly enough, Ultraman, one of the country’s most enduringly popular creations has, until now, only resonated domestically.
The character, a superhero who battles giant Godzilla-like monsters called kaiju, created back in 1966, is akin to Superman in Japan. Abroad, he’s a curiosity at best.
Perhaps that’s why it took Shannon Tindle, the director of Netflix’s new animated film Ultraman: Rising, more than 20 years to get his idea off the ground.
Tindle tells The National: “I had this idea back in 2001. I’ve been carrying it around for so long. I’ve taken it to every studio, and got a ‘no’ from so many folk.”
It’s hard to criticise Tindle, who co-wrote the Academy Award-nominated 2016 film Kubo and the Two Strings, for hanging on to this idea for so long.
Rather than following the standard superhero origin story formula one might expect, the story instead finds Ultraman well into his monster-fighting career. When one battle goes wrong, Ultraman finds himself in possession of a giant kaiju egg. The monster then hatches, thinking Ultraman is its parent, turning him into the adopted father of a giant monster of his own.
For Tindle, sitting on the story for decades ended up having its advantages.
“When I came up with it originally, it was very much from the perspective of a son,” he says. “I have a good relationship with my dad, but there are times when we had our struggles. But then when I had my daughter in 2011, the parenting perspective took over.”
“And at first, I was lost. I was like, ‘what do I do? ‘ I made the choice to have a kid, but I have no idea what to do with her. It took me a long time to overcome my pride and call my parents and tell them that. And they just said, ‘yeah, that’s kind of what the job is. But we’re going to help you – we’re going to be here.’”
That dynamic ended up becoming the heart of Ultraman Rising’s approach. In it, Ultraman is an arrogant playboy who no longer speaks to his father. But as he grapples with parenthood and reconciles with his estranged parent, he becomes a better person.
“That was one of the biggest arguments I had on this film, because I wanted this film to be more mature,” Tindle continues. “I hate that in family films, a lot of times, the main character is very generic. I wanted to have a guy that very clearly has problems and learns to overcome them. Those are the types of people that are interesting to me.”
But Ultraman: Rising is more than just a reflection of Tindle’s own growth as a person – it’s a love letter to Japanese culture overall. And for its Japanese-American cast, it was a chance to connect with their heritage like they never have before.
Gedde Watanabe, who plays Ultraman’s father, says: “I grew up in Utah, without any real Asian role models. At home, though we ate Japanese food, the culture wasn’t discussed that much. And as I get older, the need to connect with that is expanding, which is what made this film so exciting for me. With this movie I feel like an ambassador of that culture, too.”
Christopher Sean, who plays Ultraman, tapped into his experience in the diaspora to understand the plight of the character.
“I’ve always felt alienated being half-Japanese,” says Sean. “My mum is a Japanese immigrant. It made me feel like I can’t quite fit in. And Ultraman feels alienated in both cultures as well.”
“I’m learning to be a father too, having become the stepfather to three amazing kids. There was a lot of responsibility resting on my shoulders here, but there was so much from my life I was able to draw from.”
But while the film’s Japanese aspects were lovingly rendered, the film’s core concept is a universal one, explains Tamlyn Tanaka, who plays Ultraman’s mother.
“It’s classically Japanese, told with an American perspective, but it’s universally felt,” says Tanaka. “It’s about a man’s duty to his family. It’s a personal story – and the more personal, the more universal.”
Ultimately, as helpful as the film’s cultural consultants and diverse cast and crew were to make the film authentic, the most important aspect of all for Tindle, and the reason the film took decades to get right, was he had to come to terms with the truth of his own experience in life, and realise how many have gone through it with him.
“I grew up when men of a certain generation won’t say ‘I love you’. Instead, they do things for you so that you know they love you,” he says. “The same thing happens in Japanese culture, Chinese culture, Latin culture. People want to focus on the differences, but we tried to find commonalities.”
Perhaps it's that universality that will finally make Ultraman resonate beyond the borders of his home country.
Ultraman: Rising is now streaming on Netflix globally
DUBAI WORLD CUP CARNIVAL CARD
6.30pm Handicap US$135,000 (Turf) 2,410m
7.05pm UAE 1000 Guineas Listed $250,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
7.40pm Dubai Dash Listed $175,000 (T) 1,000m
8.15pm Al Bastakiya Trial Conditions $100,000 (D) 1.900m
8.50pm Al Fahidi Fort Group Two $250,000 (T) 1,400m
9.25pm Handicap $135,000 (D) 2,000m
The National selections
6.30pm: Gifts Of Gold
7.05pm Final Song
7.40pm Equilateral
8.15pm Dark Of Night
8.50pm Mythical Magic
9.25pm Franz Kafka
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Infobox
Western Region Asia Cup Qualifier, Al Amerat, Oman
The two finalists advance to the next stage of qualifying, in Malaysia in August
Results
UAE beat Iran by 10 wickets
Kuwait beat Saudi Arabia by eight wickets
Oman beat Bahrain by nine wickets
Qatar beat Maldives by 106 runs
Monday fixtures
UAE v Kuwait, Iran v Saudi Arabia, Oman v Qatar, Maldives v Bahrain
AndhaDhun
Director: Sriram Raghavan
Producer: Matchbox Pictures, Viacom18
Cast: Ayushmann Khurrana, Tabu, Radhika Apte, Anil Dhawan
Rating: 3.5/5
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylturbo
Transmission: seven-speed DSG automatic
Power: 242bhp
Torque: 370Nm
Price: Dh136,814
Race%20card
%3Cp%3E6pm%3A%20Al%20Maktoum%20Challenge%20Round%201%20%E2%80%93%20Group%201%20(PA)%20%2450%2C000%20(Dirt)%201%2C600m%3Cbr%3E6.35pm%3A%20Dubai%20Racing%20Club%20Classic%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(TB)%20%24100%2C000%20(D)%202%2C410m%3Cbr%3E7.10pm%3A%20Dubawi%20Stakes%20%E2%80%93%20Group%203%20(TB)%20%24150%2C000%20(D)%201%2C200m%3Cbr%3E7.45pm%3A%20Jumeirah%20Classic%20Trial%20%E2%80%93%20Conditions%20(TB)%20%24150%2C000%20(Turf)%201%2C400m%3Cbr%3E8.20pm%3A%20Al%20Maktoum%20Challenge%20Round%201%20%E2%80%93%20Group%202%20(TB)%20%24250%2C000%20(D)%201%2C600m%3Cbr%3E8.55pm%3A%20Al%20Fahidi%20Fort%20%E2%80%93%20Group%202%20(TB)%20%24180%2C000%20(T)%201%2C400m%3Cbr%3E9.30pm%3A%20Ertijaal%20Dubai%20Dash%20%E2%80%93%20Listed%20(TB)%20%24100%2C000%20(T)%201%2C000m%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Results
6.30pm: Maiden Dh165,000 (Dirt) 1,400m. Winner: Rio Angie, Pat Dobbs (jockey), Doug Watson (trainer).
7.05pm: Handicap Dh170,000 (D) 1,600m. Winner: Trenchard, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
7.40pm: Maiden Dh165,000 (D) 1,600m. Winner: Mulfit, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
8.15pm: Handicap Dh210,000 (D) 1,200m. Winner: Waady, Dane O’Neill, Doug Watson.
8.50pm: Handicap Dh210,000 (D) 2,000m. Winner: Tried And True, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
9.25pm:Handicap Dh185,000 (D) 1,400m. Winner: Midnight Sands, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
England's all-time record goalscorers:
Wayne Rooney 53
Bobby Charlton 49
Gary Lineker 48
Jimmy Greaves 44
Michael Owen 40
Tom Finney 30
Nat Lofthouse 30
Alan Shearer 30
Viv Woodward 29
Frank Lampard 29
Yemen's Bahais and the charges they often face
The Baha'i faith was made known in Yemen in the 19th century, first introduced by an Iranian man named Ali Muhammad Al Shirazi, considered the Herald of the Baha'i faith in 1844.
The Baha'i faith has had a growing number of followers in recent years despite persecution in Yemen and Iran.
Today, some 2,000 Baha'is reside in Yemen, according to Insaf.
"The 24 defendants represented by the House of Justice, which has intelligence outfits from the uS and the UK working to carry out an espionage scheme in Yemen under the guise of religion.. aimed to impant and found the Bahai sect on Yemeni soil by bringing foreign Bahais from abroad and homing them in Yemen," the charge sheet said.
Baha'Ullah, the founder of the Bahai faith, was exiled by the Ottoman Empire in 1868 from Iran to what is now Israel. Now, the Bahai faith's highest governing body, known as the Universal House of Justice, is based in the Israeli city of Haifa, which the Bahais turn towards during prayer.
The Houthis cite this as collective "evidence" of Bahai "links" to Israel - which the Houthis consider their enemy.
Women & Power: A Manifesto
Mary Beard
Profile Books and London Review of Books
PRESIDENTS CUP
Draw for Presidents Cup fourball matches on Thursday (Internationals first mention). All times UAE:
02.32am (Thursday): Marc Leishman/Joaquin Niemann v Tiger Woods/Justin Thomas
02.47am (Thursday): Adam Hadwin/Im Sung-jae v Xander Schauffele/Patrick Cantlay
03.02am (Thursday): Adam Scott/An Byeong-hun v Bryson DeChambeau/Tony Finau
03.17am (Thursday): Hideki Matsuyama/CT Pan v Webb Simpson/Patrick Reed
03.32am (Thursday): Abraham Ancer/Louis Oosthuizen v Dustin Johnson/Gary Woodland
MATCH INFO
Syria v Australia
2018 World Cup qualifying: Asia fourth round play-off first leg
Venue: Hang Jebat Stadium (Malacca, Malayisa)
Kick-off: Thursday, 4.30pm (UAE)
Watch: beIN Sports HD
* Second leg in Australia scheduled for October 10
Places to go for free coffee
- Cherish Cafe Dubai, Dubai Investment Park, are giving away free coffees all day.
- La Terrace, Four Points by Sheraton Bur Dubai, are serving their first 50 guests one coffee and four bite-sized cakes
- Wild & The Moon will be giving away a free espresso with every purchase on International Coffee Day
- Orange Wheels welcome parents are to sit, relax and enjoy goodies at ‘Café O’ along with a free coffee
Profile
Company: Libra Project
Based: Masdar City, ADGM, London and Delaware
Launch year: 2017
Size: A team of 12 with six employed full-time
Sector: Renewable energy
Funding: $500,000 in Series A funding from family and friends in 2018. A Series B round looking to raise $1.5m is now live.
Virtual banks explained
What is a virtual bank?
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority defines it as a bank that delivers services through the internet or other electronic channels instead of physical branches. That means not only facilitating payments but accepting deposits and making loans, just like traditional ones. Other terms used interchangeably include digital or digital-only banks or neobanks. By contrast, so-called digital wallets or e-wallets such as Apple Pay, PayPal or Google Pay usually serve as intermediaries between a consumer’s traditional account or credit card and a merchant, usually via a smartphone or computer.
What’s the draw in Asia?
Hundreds of millions of people under-served by traditional institutions, for one thing. In China, India and elsewhere, digital wallets such as Alipay, WeChat Pay and Paytm have already become ubiquitous, offering millions of people an easy way to store and spend their money via mobile phone. Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines are also among the world’s biggest under-banked countries; together they have almost half a billion people.
Is Hong Kong short of banks?
No, but the city is among the most cash-reliant major economies, leaving room for newcomers to disrupt the entrenched industry. Ant Financial, an Alibaba Group Holding affiliate that runs Alipay and MYBank, and Tencent Holdings, the company behind WeBank and WeChat Pay, are among the owners of the eight ventures licensed to create virtual banks in Hong Kong, with operations expected to start as early as the end of the year.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Secret Nation: The Hidden Armenians of Turkey
Avedis Hadjian, (IB Tauris)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company%C2%A0profile
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Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
The Penguin
Starring: Colin Farrell, Cristin Milioti, Rhenzy Feliz
Creator: Lauren LeFranc
Rating: 4/5
