Initially teased in early March, Tsuburaya Productions has fully revealed the next Ultraman series, Ultraman Decker!

Shine Bright! Flash! Decker! Ultraman Decker Flash Type!

The next show in the Ultraman series is Ultraman Decker. The series debut is July 9, 2022, at 9 a.m. JST on the TV Tokyo Network. The series follows Ultraman Decker, a warrior of light who has shared his power with 20-year-old Kanata Asumi who is portrayed by Hiroki Matsumoto. The story also focuses on the new members of the GUTS-Select team on Earth in a coming-of-age story.

Decker is set several years after the ending of Ultraman Trigger: New Generation Tiga. With the threat of the Eternity Core passed, a new threat looms over Earth, a swarm of floating objects from space called “Sphere” have begun attacking the planet. 

Similar to Trigger, Ultraman Decker seeks to be a spiritual successor to Ultraman Dyna, which aired in 1997. 

With the power of the Ultra D Flasher, Asumi can transform into Ultraman Decker and protect the Earth. The Ultra D Flash looks like a small version of Decker’s face and has a slot for cards to be placed into it like his Ultra Dimension Card. While not specifically shown, Decker will receive other single-use cards from his allies throughout the show. 

Matsumoto has previously worked in NHK’s drama Yell and other tv shows.

“I’m honored to become a part of the globally-loved Ultraman Series!” Matsumoto said. “I hope that seeing Kanata stand up against any obstacle, learn from his failures, and grow together with his team can resonate with the audience!”

Ultraman Decker

A Giant of Light, Ultraman Decker has bestowed his powers unto young Kanata Asumi to defend Earth against “Sphere.” Decker has three main forms, Flash Type, Strong Type and Miracle Type. Standing at 55 meters tall and weighing an impressive 45,000 tonnes, Decker is a formidable protector of Earth. Asumi can access his base form, Flash Type, by inserting the Ultra Dimension Card into the Ultra D Flasher.

As Flash Type, Ultraman Decker can cross his arms and fire the Selgent Beam to destroy his enemies.

By shouting “Burst forth! Strong!” Asumi can transform into Ultraman Decker Strong Type. This form excels in physical attacks and has the signature attack Dolnade Breaker. The attack concentrates all of Decker’s energy into his right fist for a powerful knockout punch.

By shouting “Leap out! Miracle!” Asumi can change into Ultraman Decker Miracle Type. This form is best suited for dishing out psychokinetic attacks. In this form, Decker can create a miniature black hole in front of his right fist and send out a shockwave called the Realiut Wave to make quick work of his foes.

Kanata Asumi

At the beginning of the series, Asumi works at his father’s rice cracker store. Asumi leads a peaceful life and is friendly to regulars at the store and knows many people in his neighborhood. Asumi is also cheerful, goofy and kind-hearted. He never ignores someone who needs help, and it is this drive that causes him to confront the “Sphere” head-on and awaken the power of Ultraman Decker. With the light of Decker, Asumi joins the newly reformed GUTS-Select team to defend Earth against future attacks from the “Sphere.”

Behind the Scenes

The lead director for Ultraman Decker is Masayoshi Takesue, who has previously been the lead director of Ultraman R/B and Ultraman Trigger Episode Z. Tsuburaya says that Takesue will be pivotal to the direction of the New Generation Heroes’ series. 

“​​The theme of the story is ‘future.’ With the unwavering, optimistic Kanata at its center, this story of personal growth is brought to life by its unique and quirky characters,” Takesue said. “I want to make it a series where you can feel the personality and connection between each character, as both humanity and Ultraman pave the way towards the future.”

The series screenwriter is Toshizo Nemoto, who has previously worked on anime like Log Horizon, Selector Infected WIXOSS, and several Ultraman shows including Ultraman Trigger Episode Z.

25 Years Since TDG

TDG, short for “Tiga, Dyna, Gaia,” is a term given to Ultraman Tiga, Ultraman Dyna and Ultraman Gaia which aired in the late 90’s and spawned a generation of Ultraman fans, with all three being released internationally. Due to 2022 being the 25th anniversary of Ultraman Dyna, Tsuburaya says it plans on commemorating the occasion, but has not provided further details.

Source: Tsuburaya