Ultraman: A Special Effects Fantasy Series (1966–1967)
"Urutoraman: Kûsô tokusatsu shirîzu" (original title)

A human member of a defense force is given the life and ability to change into a giant super-hero to battle the monsters he encounters.

Stars:

Susumu Kurobe, Sandayû Dokumamushi, Masanari Nihei

Cast

Series cast summary:
Susumu Kurobe	...	Shin Hayata (39 episodes, 1966-1967)
Sandayû Dokumamushi	...	Daisuke Arashi (39 episodes, 1966-1967)
Masanari Nihei	...	Mitsuhiro Ide (39 episodes, 1966-1967)
Bin Furuya	...	Ultraman (39 episodes, 1966-1967)
Corinne Orr		(39 episodes, 1966-1967)
Hiroko Sakurai	...	Akiko Fuji (38 episodes, 1966-1967)
Akiji Kobayashi	...	Captain 'Cap' Toshio Muramatsu (38 episodes, 1966-1967)

Storyline

The series begins when the heroic alien Urutoraman pursues an alien menace to Earth. In the pursuit, he collides with Hiyata, an officer of the Science Patrol who is investigating the chase. To make amends for the accident, the alien gives his life force to the human along with his regular form and powers should he ever need it. Thus Hiyata is returned to Earth alive and merged with the alien. This linking proves to be a most fortuitous event as the monster being pursued is but the first of a wave of destructive monsters and aliens that attack the planet. Hiyata investigates sightings of these beasts as part of the Patrol who fights these threats with the advanced weapons at their disposal. However, the monsters often prove too strong for the Earth forces to stop. When that happens, Hiyata uses a beta capsule given to him by the alien. When he activates it, he transforms into the giant superhero, Urutoraman, who has the power necessary to protect Earth.

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Plot Keywords:

alien | superhero | ultraman | ultra series | tokusatsu | 

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Genres:

Sci-Fi | Family | Adventure | Fantasy | Action

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Details

Official Sites:

Tsuburaya Productions [Japan]

Country:

Japan

Language:

English Japanese

Release Date:

17 July 1966 (Japan)

Also Known As:

Bemular

Company Credits

Production Co:

Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS), Tsuburaya Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

30 min 30 min (39 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

As is the case with his previous series, Urutora Q, series creator Eiji Tsuburaya uses and redecorates famous Toho monsters for the show. Baragon (from Frankenstein Conquers the World), who was also used in aforementioned series (as the monster Pagos), was used as monsters Neronga in Episode 3 ("Sally Forth, Science Patrol!") and Gabora in Episode 9 ("Operation Lightining Speed"). And the King of the Monsters himself, Godzilla (who was also used as the monster Gomess in the first episode of Q), was used as the frillnecked lizard monster Jirass in Episode 10 ("The Mysterious Dinosaur Base"). Using the body of the "Mosu-Goji" suit and the head of the "Daisensô-Goji" suit, Godzilla/Jirass was fitted with a frill collar around his neck, as well as a minor paint job. This was because the script called for a lizard monster, so Eiji said, "Okay, then, let's use a Godzilla suit!"

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Quotes

Ultraman: [flies off] Shuwatch!

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Crazy Credits

The name of the episode is shown at the beginning of the credits, and the weekly monster/alien actually receives a "featuring" credit at the end of the credits.

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Connections

Follows Urutora Q (1965)

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Soundtracks

"Urutoraman no Uta"
("The Song of Ultraman")
Main Title Theme
Composed by Kunio Miyauchi
Lyrics by Hajime Tsuburaya
Vocals by The Corro Stellar & The Misuzu Childrens' Choir

User Reviews

"Ultraman" - This was a great show!

I'm 24, going on 25. I know that since I can remember, I have always loved Japanese monster movies (kaiju-eiga), and the films in that genre that featured Godzilla and Gamera. I know that for much of my life, I've always had a fascination with Japan in general. As far as Japanese superheroes are concerned, Ultraman was my second favorite (behind The Guyver, created by Manga artist Yoshiki Takaya).

"Ultraman," which debuted on television in 1966 in Japan, was one of those shows that I loved when I was a kid, but for some reason I could never watch it because it was hardly ever on, but I knew what it was about because I collected the action figures. Luckily, TV-on-DVD has worked wonders for TV shows long forgotten in the annals of showbiz history, which is how I came across "Ultraman" in all its original Japanese-language/bad-English-dubbed glory four years ago.

"Ultraman" features the members of Earth's (mainly Japan's) Science Patrol, who go around investigating all sorts of bizarre scientific phenomena. One of its members, Shin Hayata (Susumu Korobe), has a lethal close encounter of the third kind with an alien being that costs him his life, but said being resurrects him and gives him its powers, thus becoming the gigantic alien superhero Ultraman. Hayata is pretty adept at keeping his super-heroics a secret from his team members, since he conveniently disappears whenever Ultraman shows up to defeat some giant monster or giant monsters (one of whom, I understand, was actually a modified Godzilla costume). (Shame that his members never pick up on Hayata's dual life, but hey, it's a kid's show, after all.)

This is a great show, not just for those who love Japanese monster movies but those who love fantasy, science fiction, and comic books. In fact, Japan is notorious for putting sci-fi/fantasy spins on a lot of their Manga and Anime' material, so the most rabid sci-fi and fantasy fans are most likely to be pleased by "Ultraman." I know it's cheesy, the English-language dubbing is hilariously awful, and the special effects pale in comparison to today's overblown CGI effects-laden spectacles. Like most kaiju-eiga spectacles from that time, however, if you can put CGI out of your mind for 30 minutes, the fight scenes will simply take your breath away because of their "realism" and awesome displays of unparalleled monster-mashing destruction.

I have no idea why this show only lasted one season in Japan, yet during its time it still somehow managed to spark a massive pop culture phenomenon in the country that would later spark a world-wide craze for all things related to Ultraman. That craze has lasted all the way up to the time of this writing. I'm glad that I got this show on DVD four years ago. It's been a while since I had the opportunity to watch it, but guarantee that just writing about "Ultraman" right now is making me eager to break out the DVD set right now.

I hope that us greedy Americans don't get the idea to do an American update.

10/10