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Ultraman fights kaiju in Singapore in new tourism campaign videos

Ultraman features in a video series set in Singapore as part of a Singaporean tourism campaign in Japan launched in Dec 2021. (Screenshot from Tsuburaya Prod. video, poster by Tsuburaya)
Ultraman features in a video series set in Singapore as part of a Singaporean tourism campaign in Japan. (Screenshot from Tsuburaya Prod. video, poster by Tsuburaya)

The first episode of an Ultraman series set in Singapore sees the titular superhero fighting a kaiju (giant monster) in Gardens by the Bay. Part of the SingapoReimagine campaign launched by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) in Japan, the short film series is titled Ultraman: A New Power Of Singapore.

The three-minute video in Japanese, with no subtitles, opens with Professor Alicia Hoshi, who does alien research in Singapore, discovering that a red-silver figure has been cruising in Singapore skies.

When a Godzilla-like monster as tall as the Supertrees at Gardens by the Bay emerges and terrorises civilians, Ultraman quickly comes to the rescue, flying past the Marina Bay Sands hotel resort. He engages in battle with the rampaging kaiju and swiftly defeats it. The scene confirms Professor Hoshi’s hypothesis that Ultraman has been looking after and protecting Singapore from these monsters.

Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong shared the video on his Twitter, saying, “Relieved to know that one of my regular jalan jalan [strolling] spots is safe under the protection of Ultraman!”

Ultraman first aired in 1966 and celebrates its 55th anniversary this year. Similarly, 2021 marks the 55th anniversary of Singapore-Japan diplomatic relations.

Tsuburaya Productions, the company that produces Ultraman films, said on its website that the SingapoReimagine Ultraman campaign will serve as "the Ambassador of Light, to connect the 55th anniversary of Singapore-Japanese relations, with the anniversary of Ultraman’s first appearance on Earth 55 years ago."

Ultraman: A New Power Of Singapore is part of the SingapoReimagine campaign launched by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) in Japan. (Photo: Twitter/TsuburayaGlobal)
Ultraman: A New Power Of Singapore is part of the SingapoReimagine campaign launched by the Singapore Tourism Board in Japan. (Image: Twitter/TsuburayaGlobal)

The three-episode series will "show off Singapore’s charm, expertly combining the beauty of Singapore’s famous areas and the intense action of Tokusatsu [special effects] battle," said Tsuburaya.

Apart from Gardens by the Bay and Marina Bay, as seen in the first episode, other sightseeing destinations that will be featured include Jewel Changi Airport and Sentosa island.

Among the monsters seen in the poster for the series is one that appears to be based on Singapore's tourism mascot, the half-lion, half-fish Merlion.

The series is available on the Ultraman official YouTube channel. The second episode will be released on 14 December, and the finale will be released on 21 December.

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