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The first episode of an Ultraman series set in Singapore has been released on Dec. 7.
The three-minute episode is fully in Japanese, but Ultraman transcends language barriers because of his desire to save humanity -- despite causing some damage to the environment, but that's beside the point.
Ultraman saves the day in Marina Bay
In the episode, Red King, an ancient Godzillian species from Earth, emerges in the middle of Gardens by the Bay, trampling on the carefully manicured landscaping.
Almost as tall as the Supertrees, Red King stomps and shrieks as frightened Japanese tourists run for their quaint lives.
Image by ULTRAMAN OFFICIAL by TSUBURAYA PROD./Youtube.
Flying between the towers of Marina Bay Sands, a towering Ultraman soars through the air and arrives at the scene right on cue.
Image by ULTRAMAN OFFICIAL by TSUBURAYA PROD./Youtube.
The hero throws Red King onto the ground over his shoulder and goes for its throat, quickly defeating the monster in one fell swoop.
But this episode is just a teaser for the real deal, as the preview for the next episode hints at the appearance of another challenger - Singapore's own mascot.
Yes, the Merlion.
Image by ULTRAMAN OFFICIAL by TSUBURAYA PROD./Youtube.
Watch the full episode here, in all its bananas glory:
The ultimate crossover
Titled "Ultraman: A New Power of Singapore", the series of episodes set in Singapore is part of the SingapoReimagine campaign.
The campaign was launched by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) in Japan "to convey the charm of Singapore from a new perspective", according to the Visit Singapore website.
Image by Tsuburaya Production.
First aired in 1966, Ultraman is commemorating its 55th anniversary.
2021 also happens to be the 55th year that diplomatic relations between Singapore and Japan were established.
According to production house Tsuburaya, Ultraman will feature "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".
During the 1.5-year tie-up, Ultraman will appear in the ongoing SingapoReimagine campaign in key tourism visuals, short films and travel merchandise.
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Top images by ULTRAMAN OFFICIAL by TSUBURAYA PROD./Youtube and
@TsuburayaGlobal/Twitter.