ULTRAMAN is a popular series that has been serialized in the first issue of Monthly Heroes. It has also been scheduled for an anime adaptation starting in April 2019. This work, ULTRAMAN, is set several decades after the Ultraman we know and love, but its style and setting are different from previous Ultraman series. While the story primarily revolves around the battles unfolding around the protagonist, it also features a heroine. This time, we'll introduce this heroine, Rena Sayama.
Who is Rena Sayama?
Rena Sayama is a popular idol. She's apparently so popular she's become a town signboard. Her real name is Rena Endo, and she is an avowed Ultraman fan. Her father, a detective, was the first to realize that the victims of a serial murder case were all people who had made malicious comments on Rena Sayama's blog.
Why did Rena Sayama become an Ultraman fan?
Ultraman is even taught in elementary school. Her father, who was actually saved by Ultraman in the past, has been telling Rena Sayama about Ultraman since she was a child. This background has led to Rena Sayama's interest in Ultraman. One day, Rena Sayama happened to be present during a battle with the Eishidak aliens. It was there that she became a fan of Shinjiro Hayata (Ultraman), who proclaimed, "I'm Ultraman!"
Rena Sayama and her father
Rena Sayama's father, a detective, declared to Shinjiro Hayata, who fought in an Ultraman-style suit, "That's a fake Ultraman." The reason he has such an opinion is likely due to the fact that he was once saved by the real Ultraman, and the Science Special Search Party mark on the suit, suggesting that the Science Special Search Party, an organization that is supposedly no longer in operation, is somehow involved. In response, Rena Sayama retorts that it is Ultraman, making the two of them completely opposite in this respect. However, the father and daughter seem to have a good relationship, and Rena is often portrayed as worrying about her.
Rena Sayama and the Serial Murders
Rena Sayama is an openly devoted Ultraman fan. A series of murders are happening around her. Everything is revealed on the day of Sayama Rena's live performance. Adad and Bemular appear, pretending to attack Sayama Rena and posing as the culprits. Hayata Shinjiro and Moroboshi Dan fight them. However, it was actually a trap set to lure out Igaru Alien, one of the criminals. Igaru Alien appears to try to save Sayama Rena, but is killed by Adad, an Immigration Control Agent for the Cluster Council. It turns out that the mastermind behind this incident was actually a human. Given the circumstances of the Igaru Alien, it was a very tragic incident.
Sayama Rena Decides to Move to the United States
After an incident at a live concert, Sayama Rena was forced to take a break from her entertainment career. So she decided to move to the United States. However, as you'd expect from an Ultraman heroine, she found herself embroiled in a battle with aliens from a dark planet. It was like Kogoro in Detective Conan, constantly encountering incidents. But how does Ultraman appear and rescue her once again? What about Sayama Rena's feelings? Moreover, it seems something has already happened to her during that battle. The truth is still unknown, but could she also become Ultraman?
The Relationship Between Sayama Rena and Hayata Shinjiro
What is the relationship between Sayama Rena and Hayata Shinjiro? One day, Sayama Rena visits the Giant of Light Memorial Museum. Hayata Shinjiro greets her under the pretense of working part-time there, but he seems to have realized at that point that she is an idol. He seems to be steadily distancing himself from her under the pretext of searching for information about Ultraman. In fact, Sayama Rena once felt Ultraman on Hayata Shinjiro's back, but she doesn't seem to notice it yet. As for Shinjiro Hayata, while she doesn't seem to have any feelings of love or anything like that, she does seem to have something close to admiration for him. Will she end up dating him? Will she reveal her true identity as Ultraman? I'm looking forward to seeing how their relationship develops.
Sayama Rena: Final Thoughts
Finally, I want to say that Sayama Rena looks incredibly cute in her glasses. While she's cute every day, her microphone performance during the live performance seemed a little more stubborn. However, when she gave Shinjiro the concert ticket, she was simply adorable in her glasses.
ULTRAMAN Related Products
ULTRAMAN Merchandise
With the anime broadcast, the number of related merchandise has increased once again! While there are many different merchandise items on sale, this time we'll introduce some that the Anime Mill editorial team has been keeping an eye on! If you're interested, be sure to check it out!
Manga Version
Just like the old Ultraman characters, Taro and Seven also appear! The manga is also available on Kindle!
