In the summer of 2019, Mill Creek Entertainment announced they had acquired North American physical and digital distribution rights (from Tsuburaya Productions) for pretty much the entire Ultraman library. The deal included more than 1,100 episodes and 20 films spanning 50 years of the Japanese franchise.

Since then, Mill Creek has begun releasing the entire Ultraman library – in order from the beginning! Well, mostly. Before we get to that, check out our reviews of all previous releases here.

In addition to releasing the original series from the beginning, Mill Creek has also been interspersing the classics with some of the newer series. And this time, we’re taking a closer look at Ultraman Geed, which is the 29th entry in the series and first aired in Japan during the second half of 2017.

In many respects, the classic and modern series share much of the same DNA and provide the same viewing experience. It doesn’t matter if it’s 1967 or 2017; Ultraman is still a guy in a rubber suit fighting big, cheesy monsters. They fight on brilliantly constructed sets and destroy a whole heck of a lot of models and tiny buildings. And if you’re a fan of tokusatsu or kaiju, the shows are a total blast.

Ultraman Geed (pronounced with a soft g, as in “gee whiz!”) directly follows 2016’s Ultraman Orb, which – as we’ve previously discussed – developed an incredibly convoluted history and viewing experience. Orb was also immensely popular, so Geed certainly had big rubber boots to fill.

Alas, I’m sorry to say that it mostly doesn’t measure up. If Ultraman Geed is your first exposure to the Ultra franchise, well… I’m honestly not sure what you’ll think. But if you have some background with previous shows, I’d wager that Geed won’t be your favorite.

The series follows teen Riku Asakura, who was discovered abandoned as a baby after a near universe-ending catastrophe. Long story short, Riku discovers he’s an Ultraman in human form and is actually Ultraman Belial’s son. In a franchise dominated by gigantic monsters, Belial is the closest thing to a Big Bad there is. So this is kind of a big deal.

Joining Riku’s team (clockwise from top-right in the image below) is a meek office worker who becomes the host for Ultraman Zero, Riku’s childhood friend who is now a government agent, her partner (a telepathic alien), Riku’s alien friend Pega (who lives in his shadow), a kickass monster hunter, and a computer guide who helps control everything from home base.

The fatal flaw (for me, at least) of Ultraman Geed is actually Riku. He’s a timid teen who, over the course of 25 episodes and a movie, never really finds his stride. Cripes, there’s a scene in the film where he literally sits on the ground and watches all his friends fight his battle for him and try to encourage him. He… shouldn’t need that by that point.

And if the Ultraman character is the flaw of your Ultraman show? Yikes.

On top of that, the series’ primary antagonist is essentially a trumped up henchman for Belial who masquerades as a successful novelist. He’s more laughable than menacing. Yawn.

It’s not ALL bad, though. Yuta Ozawa is fantastic in the “double role” of Leito Igaguri (the meek office worker) and Ultraman Zero. Zero lives insides Leito, and when he takes off his glasses, Leito instantly becomes serious, suave, and brave – a human version of Zero. He also transforms into a legit Ultraman Zero to fight alongside Geed.

And the two female leads – Chihiro Yamamoto (as Laiha Toba) and Mayu Hasegawa (as Moa Aizaki) – are great, even though they’re not really given much to work with… and their characters never really change or develop.

The recent Blu-ray release is a 6-disc set that includes the series’ 25 episodes and Ultraman Geed: The Movie: Connect the Wishes! (2018). The movie takes place after the events of the series, reunites the entire cast, introduces a few new characters, and also features Gai Kurenai (Ultraman Orb) and his sometimes-nemesis-sometimes-friend Jugglus Juggler. Boy, they were certainly a sight for sore eyes.

The Blu-ray also includes a booklet detailing the show, along with a digital redemption code to watch everything on movieSPREE.