Tackling rising monster attacks comes with an immense amount of pressure, but add on having to take care of a 35-foot-tall, fire-breathing baby kaiju, and needless to say, Ken Sato has a lot on his plate. The Ultraman franchise has been a pop-culture classic since 1966, spawning into hundreds of different series, films, video games, comic books, and beyond. Now, through the incredible, creative minds of director and writer Shannon Tindle, co-director John Aoshima, and co-writer Marc Haimes, a new and heartfelt story is joining the Ultraman legacy with the release of Ultraman: Rising streaming now on Netflix.
In Ultraman: Rising, Tokyo is under siege from monster attacks, causing baseball star Ken Sato to return home and embrace his dual life by taking on the mantle of Ultraman. But, when a new responsibility comes his way of adopting a giant, baby kaiju, Sato must learn how to balance work and parenthood while protecting the baby kaiju from forces bent on exploiting her for their own dark plans.
Ultraman: Rising is a true masterpiece of a film. From the awe-inspiring and beautiful animation, to the creative and touching storyline, and the magnificent and powerful songs scoring the movie, it’s clear to see how much hard work, passion, and dedication was put into creating this unparalleled, animated flick. Ultraman: Rising focuses on many terrific themes such as parenthood and redemption, and is an excellent watch for kids and families. The great attention that was put into the details of the film is wondrous. The team had consulted a cultural committee to make sure all of the elements were true to the look, feel, and culture of Tokyo. Not only did the cast and visionaries of Ultraman: Rising create an action-packed and heartwarming film, but they created a timeless piece of art that will forever be a part of animated history.
Voicing the role of Professor Sato is none other than the iconic actor Gedde Watanabe. The brilliant actor has shared his talent in a countless amount of stellar projects including in the 80s favorite Sixteen Candles, ER, The Sex Lives of College Girls, and voice-over work in Mulan, Rugrats, Kim Possible, Kung Fu Panda 4, and many more. Watanabe brought so much heart into this character and did such an exceptional job at bringing this story to life. The phenomenal Watanabe, along with Shannon Tindle, John Aoshima, Marc Haimes, and the film’s gifted cast created a meaningful story that proves that parents truly are the best superheroes!
I had an exceptional time interviewing the extraordinary Gedde Watanabe all about what it was like for him to voice the role of Professor Sato in Ultraman: Rising, what is his biggest takeaway from the movie, what advice he would give to Ken Sato on how to balance parenthood and being a superhero, and so much more only in our VIPAccessEXCLUSIVE interview. Since Ken Sato lives a double life as a star athlete and Ultraman, Gedde Watanabe even reveals what he would like his other identity to be if he had the opportunity to live a dual life—hear what he had to say in our VIPAccessEXCLUSIVE interview.
Listen to my VIPAccessEXCLUSIVE interview with the amazing Gedde Watanabe below and watch Ultraman: Rising streaming now on Netflix!