Ultraman Yuletide Collection Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		2.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		0.0
Overall		2.5

Ultraman Yuletide Collection Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman January 14, 2026

It just wouldn't be Christmas without...Ultraman? Say what you will about the seemingly unstoppable force that is the Ultraman universe, but it's not exactly the first thing that pops to mind when thinking about the Christmas season. Nevertheless, here it is, a compilation disc featuring classic Ultraman episodes spanning a good many series and a good many years, gathered together to celebrate the franchise's forays into the festive holiday season. Sure to bring fans great cheer, these handpicked episodes tie into the Christmas season in some form or fashion, bringing TV warmth to those cold winter's nights when Ultraman heats up home theater screens with trademark action and storytelling, here with a decidedly Christmastime story and setting at play.

This collection features a whopping nine episodes from the Ultraman canon, which feels a little skimpy to be a $28 (at time of writing) compilation or collection with no other real added value apart from the theme. The chances that hardcore franchise fans have all of these episodes at arm's length already is astronomically high (even if 80, Max, and Mebius are not on Blu-ray), making this, in my opinion, little more than collection filler rater than a necessary collection addition, especially with so much of the franchise already out there on Blu-ray and DVD. This is not even the case of a Star Trek: The Next Generation, The Next Level, a collection of three TNG episodes released to Blu-ray before the series proper to give fans a taste of what is to come. Still, if there is a draw beyond the theme, it's that three episodes from three series yet to be available upon Blu-ray are here, but the catch is that they are presented in 480i standard definition only.

Here is a list of what's included:

• "Ultraman Dies at Sunset" from Return of Ultraman , S1, Episode 37.
• "When the Star of Ultra Shines" from Return of Ultraman , S1, Episode 38.
• "Resurrection! Father of Ultra" from Ultraman Ace, S1, Episode 38.
• "The Ultra Christmas Tree" from Ultraman Taro, S1, Episode 38.
• "Showdown! The Leo Brothers vs. the Ultra Brothers" from Ultraman Leo, S1, Episode 38.
• "The Leo Brothers, The Ultra Brothers, The Moment of Victory" from Ultraman Leo, S1, Episode 39.
• "The Echoing Voice of Father of Ultra" from Ultraman 80, S1, Episode 38.
• "Elly at Christmas" from Ultraman Max, S1, Episode 26.
• "Father's Back" from Ultraman Mebius, S1, Episode 37.

Ultraman Yuletide Collection Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Because six of the nine episodes included in this collection are ports from previous releases, I will forego reviewing the following: "Ultraman Dies at Sunset," "When the Star of Ultra Shines," "Resurrection! Father of Ultra," "The Ultra Christmas Tree," "Showdown! The Leo Brothers vs. the Ultra Brothers," and "The Leo Brothers, The Ultra Brothers, The Moment of Victory." Below are a few thoughts on the video presentations for the three SD episodes that are new to Blu-ray.

"The Echoing Voice of Father of Ultra," "Elly at Christmas," and "Father's Back" may be new to Blu-ray, but they are presented at a 480i resolution and within a 4x3 frame. Obviously with these video constraints the end result is not visually pleasant, even on Blu-ray disc. The image shows all of the usual warts one expects to find on standard definition content, especially on larger modern displays: fuzzy clarity, compression, lack of precision coloring, jagged edges (which are really apparent in the episode from Mebius), and various artifacts that detract from a viewing experience. All three episodes perform similarly and don't warrant any particular mention for being better or worse one from another. I am grading these on a curve to score them at 2.5 because they are watchable in their current state even as they are limited to SD resolution. "They are what they are" and shouldn't be punished for that, so I believe the score reflects both a red flag and some grace for considering all the factors at play here.

Due to the previous releases, linked above, offering good screenshot representations of what to expect with the HD episodes, I have only included screenshots for the three new-to-Blu-ray SD episodes included in this collection.

Ultraman Yuletide Collection Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The audio presentation for all episodes, including the three presented in standard definition video, is Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 lossless. Again, I will refer to individual series reviews for audio basics here, and I will say that for the three "new to Blu-ray" episodes the audio performs admirably enough, with good definition and clarity, adequate front spacing, good element separation, and decently hefty action (though as always the large-scale action lacking surround expansion might bother the modern listener, but faithfulness to the original source is appreciated). Dialogue images nicely enough to the center. There's nothing remarkable here, and other than some muddy elements here and there (the opening song to the Ultraman 80 episode, for example), it performs serviceably well in support of the basic sound requirements.

Ultraman Yuletide Collection Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

No supplements are include with this set, but it does ship with a collectible card from the Ultraman Card Game. No DVD or digital copies are included with purchase. No slipcover is included, either.

Ultraman Yuletide Collection Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Merry Christmas, Ultraman fans! This collection is for anyone looking to bring some vintage franchise charm to their Christmas celebration. It's not all that noteworthy of a collection, though, except, perhaps, for the inclusion of three episodes...in SD...that are otherwise not on Blu-ray. I think that for most everyone but for the most hardcore franchise fans and completists this is probably a "pass."