Ultraman Dyna: The Return of Hanejiro (2001)

I would die for Hanejiro

In many ways, The Return of Hanejiro feels similar to Tiga Gaiden, but unlike Gaiden, Return of Hanejiro feels closer to the tone and content of its parent show. A last gasp of the sillier elements before the finale, this film lays the jokes on thick and fast, giving a large focus to the bumbling Miji trio. However, the silliness is in earnestness and the special is a fun little side venture, one I certainly enjoyed more than Warriors of the Star of Light, it's much better paced for one thing. Set just after Hanejiro's farewell to the cast but produced 3 years later, it ultimately means the continuity between the two is very off as everyone has noticeably aged between projects, especially Mai who is practically unrecognisable. The production values are still fantastic though, Masaki Harada's direction is great, the cast is all fun to watch and Tatsumi Yano's music is always a winner. For everything that The Return of Hanejiro does well, it does still feel like an expensive DVD extra more than its own entity, regardless... I would die for Hanejiro and I'm sure many more of us would to.

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