Why So Blu?

Zebraman (Blu-ray Review)

An affectionate homage to the heyday of Japan’s tokusatsu superhero TV shows, directed by Takashi Miike (Audition, 13 Assassins) and written by Kankuro Kudo (Go, Ping Pong), Zebraman stars the legendary Show Aikawa as Shinichi, a teacher facing a midlife crisis, as his family collapses around him. To escape from the bitter reality of his daily he existence, Shinichi takes to secretly dressing up as Zebraman, the eponymous hero of an obscure 1970s TV series from when he was a kid that was cancelled after just seven episodes. Meanwhile, as his life collapses around him, aliens are at large and readying themselves to take over planet Earth. Can Shinichi overcome his lack of confidence to channel his childhood fantasies into saving the world? Zebraman is released in the UK on Blu-ray May 19, 2025!

Film

Zebraman is one of those movies that sounds like a joke on paper, but Takashi Miike somehow turns it into something weirdly heartfelt. It’s about a down-on-his-luck schoolteacher who finds a second life by dressing up as a forgotten tokusatsu hero from a failed ’70s TV show. That might sound goofy — and it is — but there’s an unexpected sincerity to the whole thing that makes it work.

Show Aikawa plays the lead with a kind of slouched charm. He’s not your typical superhero material, and that’s kind of the point. You’re watching a guy who’s checked out from life slowly reawaken through this ridiculous costume. There’s something really human about his arc, even with all the alien nonsense and over-the-top moments going on in the background.

Miike keeps things playful but never fully ironic. The film leans into its absurdity with giant alien cockroach monsters and TV drama-style flashbacks, yet it doesn’t feel like it’s winking at the audience. It’s genuinely celebrating the kind of low-budget hero shows that inspired it. If you’ve ever watched stuff like Ultraman or Kamen Rider, there’s a nostalgic pulse here that hits hard.

Zebraman isn’t Miike at his most violent or unhinged, but it’s one of his more unexpectedly sweet films. It’s campy, for sure, but it’s got a real soul beneath the spandex. If you’re into genre mashups, offbeat superhero tales, or just something different that still manages to be oddly uplifting, this one’s worth checking out.

 

Video

NOTE: Stills are provided for promotional use only and are not from the Blu-ray

Encoding: MPEG-4 AVC

Resolution: 1080p

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1

Region:  B

HDR: N/A

Layers: BD-50

Clarity and Detail: Zebraman’s presentation is solid, showing a noticeable uptick in sharpness over past DVD editions. Facial features, costume textures (especially Zebraman’s suit), and city backgrounds hold up well even in motion, though the image isn’t razor-sharp across the board. Some softer shots remain, likely inherent to the original photography.

Depth: There’s decent separation in the image, especially during outdoor scenes and moments with layered action or visual effects. While not eye-popping in dimensionality, it’s got enough depth to give the visuals some breathing room and avoid looking flat.

Black Levels: Black levels are generally stable, but lean more toward dark gray in night scenes or shadowy interiors. There’s some mild crushing here and there, but it doesn’t ruin the experience.

Color: The palette has a muted, almost de-saturated look that matches the offbeat, slightly melancholy tone of the film. Sepia undertones are present in many daytime scenes. When colors do pop — like a boy’s red baseball cap, or the vibrant yellow hazmat suits of a clean-up crew — they stand out with clear intent, adding stylistic flair to otherwise neutral compositions.

Flesh Tones: Skin tones veer toward the cooler side and occasionally take on the film’s sepia tint. They remain consistent throughout, though not especially vibrant — again, likely reflecting the film’s original look more than a flaw in the transfer.

Noise and Artifacts: 88 Films’ encode is clean, with no egregious compression artifacts or edge enhancement. There’s a fine layer of grain intact, and while it can get a little noisy in low-light shots, it never becomes distracting. No major print damage is evident.

 

Audio

Audio Format(s): Japanese Stereo LPCM 2.0, Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, English LPCM 2.0, English DTS 5.1

Subtitles: English

Dynamics: Both the Japanese and English DTS-HD tracks offer solid dynamic range. Action scenes have good punch without overwhelming the quieter moments, and the transition between loud and soft sequences feels natural. The LPCM tracks are a bit more restrained but still clear and balanced. My preference is to the Japanese DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack followed by the Japanese 2.0 stereo.

Height: N/A

Low Frequency Extension: The Japanese mixes have lighter LFE presence, which fits the more grounded, quirky tone of the film. The English DTS 5.1 mix brings some added low-end during the more chaotic fight scenes and explosions, but this isn’t a bass-heavy track overall.

Surround Sound: The Japanese tracks are front-heavy by nature, staying true to the film’s original presentation. Any surround effects are minimal but present enough to add some subtle width. The English 5.1 track makes use of the rears sparingly — mostly during fight scenes, ambient city noise, or musical cues — but don’t expect a fully immersive experience.

Dialogue: Dialogue is clean and front-centered across all tracks. The Japanese audio is crisp and well-balanced with the rest of the mix, never getting buried under music or effects. The English dub fares decently, though it’s a bit flatter in comparison and not quite as organically mixed.

Extras

88 Films put together a pretty stacked extras package for Zebraman, giving fans a solid mix of old and new. Kicking things off is a brand-new filmed intro by Tom Mes, which helps set the tone and gives some insightful context. The “Making Of” doc and deleted scenes dig into the behind-the-scenes madness, while premiere footage and archive interviews with Miike and Aikawa add nice retrospective value. There’s also some fun oddities, like the 1978 TV series trailer (which fits the film’s meta-vibe perfectly), the original theme song, TV spots, and the theatrical trailer. You also get a stills gallery and a physical booklet featuring an essay by Mark Player, which is a great touch for collectors. All around, a fun and thorough set of extras that complements the weird energy of the film.

• Brand New Filmed Introduction by Tom Mes
• Audio Commentary by Joe Hickinbottom
• “Making Of” Documentary
• Deleted Scenes
• Interview with Takashi Miike
• Interview with Show Aikawa
• Interview with Ichiru Mizuki (singer of the Zebraman theme song)
• “Hero Show” Stage Greening
• 1978 TV Series Trailer
• Original Theatrical Trailer
• TV Spot
• Stills Gallery
• Booklet Essay by Mark Player

Summary

Zebraman isn’t Miike at his most violent or unhinged, but it’s one of his more unexpectedly sweet films. It’s campy, for sure, but it’s got a real soul beneath the spandex. The Blu-ray has above average video, audio, and special features. If you’re into genre mashups, offbeat superhero tales, or just something different that still manages to be oddly uplifting, Zebraman is one worth checking out!

Zebraman is released on Blu-ray in the UK May 19, 2025!

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