Ultraman Neos
Ultraman Neos was a tokusatsu Direct to Video entry to the Ultra Series that was released from November 2000 - January 2001.
Every three million years, the Solar System passes through a place called the Unbalanced Zone. At the dawn of the 21st century, as the Earth's population rises, the Solar System passes the Unbalanced Zone once again, where Dark Matter starts the appearance of monsters. Genki Kagura of the Hi-Tech Earth Alert and Rescue Team (HEART) is working with a space team when meteorites pummel a satellite that's being operated on. Kagura saves the team just as the satellite explodes, ejecting him into space. Miraculously, he survives and later rejoins his team to investigate a rockslide incident that might be related to the appearance of Japan's first monster.
When the monster, Aranagaruge, appears with Nana Hayami, a child, and his dog endangered, Kagura must access the memories he lossed while drifting through space and learn the origin of his survival. He would later fight monsters made of Dark Matter, occasionally assisted by Ultraseven 21 (Pronounded "two-one")
Ultraman Neos was originally supposed to be the back-to-basics entry that revived the Ultra Series in the Heisei era. Since the network wished for a more original series, Ultraman Tiga was created. Most of the ideas brought up in the pilot were used for Tiga, Dyna, and Gaia, so Neos felt a bit So Okay It's Average by the time it was released.
- Alternate Universe: Despite the appearance of Zoffy and M78, Neos takes place in an different universe.
- Anti-Villain: Zamu-seijin, whose very planet and culture was destroyed by Dark Matter, and every appearance has them being the cosmic playthings to the Unbalanced Zone.
- Arbitrary Skepticism: Takayoshi Hino's initial doubt about monsters, even though one of HEART's major purposes is to deal with such threats in the first place.
- Be Careful What You Wish For: The kids who wish to keep a dinosaur roller coaster ride open try to spread a rumor of a dinosaur monster to HEART. They next try to create a monster of their own. By the stroke of luck of Dark Matter, the creation of King Dinas unwittingly get their wish.
- Beware the Nice Ones: Bamos is a friendly, affectionate ape-like creature...until you hurt his loved ones, in which case he grows into the Ax Crazy King Bamos and electricutes you to death. There's a reason he's the top dog on the island.
- Bridge Bunnies: Ayumi Kitabayashi. Other times, she's being The Smart Guy
- The Cameo: Zoffy.
- Direct to Video
- Expy: Bamos is clearly reminiscent of the classic Pigmon...except for the part where he is a Sizeshifter and the King of island of monsters.
- Everything Is Better With Dinosaurs: King Dinas is the ultimate example, though like all Ultra Series, there are many others.
- Fun with Acronyms: Hi-Tech Earth Alert and Rescue Team.
- Green Aesop: The episode with the monster Lefreshion plays the aesop in an interesting manner. While the monster can heal plans, the healing bubbles are poison to humans. This wouldn't concern the girl who thinks she's controlling him - except for the part where all the other animals are also negatively affected.
- Hidden Depths: Secretary Yoko Fujiwara, a liason between HEART and the government, initially comes across as a "Stop Having Fun!" Guys Obstructive Bureaucrat. However, her friendship with Dr. Otome and her manhandling of an even greater Obstructive Bureaucrat shows she's loyal to the team.
- Parental Abandonment: Ayumi lost her parents while she was in college.
- Sizeshifter: Bamos to King Bamos when you piss him off, and Ultraseven 21.
- What Could Have Been: If the cards had been arranged a little differently, this would have been the entry to reintroduce the Ultra Series in the nineties. For starters, there was a apatosaurus-like monster called Dlen-Geran who didn't end up being recycled into the main series like the Zamu-seijin. Speaking of the Zamu-seijin, they are presented as evil in the pilot. Who knows how this and future entries would have thus been handled.