Ultraman (??????, Urutoraman) is a Japanese tokusatsu science fiction television series created by Eiji Tsuburaya. Ultraman is a follow-up to Ultra Q, though not technically a sequel or spin-off. The show was produced by Tsuburaya Productions and was broadcast on Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS) from July 17, 1966 to April 9, 1967, with a total of 39 episodes (40, counting the pre-premiere special that aired on July 10, 1966).
Although Ultraman is the first series to feature an Ultra-Crusader, it is actually the second show in the Ultra Series. Ultra Q was the first. In fact, Ultraman opens with the Ultra Q logo exploding into the Ultraman logo. Ultraman, and its titular hero, became a major pop culture phenomenon in Japan, spawning dozens of sequels, spinoffs, imitators, parodies and remakes.
Maps, Directions, and Place Reviews
Series background
Ultraman's central characters were created by Eiji Tsuburaya from Tsuburaya Productions, a pioneer in special effects who was responsible for bringing Godzilla to life in 1954. The show's predecessor was a series called Ultra Q, a black-and-white 28-episode series very much like the original Outer Limits.
The Ultraman project had the following working titles/plots:
- WoO (WoO, W?)
This story line featured an incorporeal space creature (looking very much like a cloud with two large eyes), who dissatisfied with its highly intellectual but apathetic race's disinterest in other beings, sets off to explore the universe. After a cosmic calamity annihilates his home world, Woo wanders from Andromeda to the Milky Way Galaxy and stumbles across our solar system and then our planet. Self Defense Forces, who perceive the alien as a threat, hunt him down, until he is befriended by a hotshot commercial photographer named Jôji Akita of the Art Graphic Center, along with his comedic assistant Taro Dan, and their top model Dorothy. After being showered by Woo's rays, Akita discovers how to communicate with the extraterrestrial being via a frequency on his transistor radio. Eventually coming to view our world as its second home, Woo engages strange creatures and weird phenomena to protect mankind. The name "Woo" ended up being used for an otherwise unrelated, yeti-like monster, in episode 30 of Ultraman. Later, Tsuburaya Productions would ultimately produce a series dubbed Bio Planet WoO, in January 2006, but this series is very loosely based on the original concept. - Bemular (????, Bemur?), then retitled Scientific Special Search Party: Bemular (?????????, Kagaku Tokus? Tai - Bemur?)
The main characters are a defense force, with the same Japanese name as the Science Special Search Party (often dubbed as the "Science Patrol"). Unused ideas from Ultra Q were incorporated with elements from the original WoO outline. An intergalactic reptilian creature was worked into the plot that could come to the rescue of the SSSP by enlarging itself to a height of 164 feet. This creature would be a cross between Garuda (the mythological Hindu and Buddhidt guardian bird) and the Japanese folkloric crow-goblin Tengu. It would be called Bemular. Preproduction and story layout for the show began in December 1965, and was re-titled Scientific Special Search Party: Bemular. The basic structure of the SSSP organization was the same as in the show Ultraman, but the team members were a bit different. The human host for Bemular was named Officer Sakomizu and was described in the draft as a tough guy. The team's officer Captain Muramatsu would be the only one who knows his secret identity. The plot was scrapped when it was worried viewers might have trouble telling good and bad monsters apart. - Redman (?????, Reddoman)
After Bemular was canceled, it was decided that a humanoid alien would make a more suitable protagonist for the show. The production's title later became Redman. The plot of Redman still contained elements from WoO and Bemular. The title hero of this project slightly resembled Ultraman as he came to be known, but he looked more demonic and had horns. He came to Earth after his planet was destroyed by aliens from Planet X. He melds with Officer Sakomizu of the SSSP, and together they protect the Earth from giant monsters and alien invaders. This is where the concept of the "henshin hero" (transforming hero) first took shape, two beings inhabiting one body, the human living day to day, the superhuman being called that would initiate the transformation process from Sakomizu and Redman was also established. The "Flashbeam", a futuristic fountain pen like device was thought up for Sakomizu to help him change into Redman. The flashbeam later went on to become the Beta Capable for Ultraman. It was here that the heroic form of Redman was beginning to take shape. However, early designs of the hero were considered too alien and sinister.
Both Bemular and Redman were designed by Toru Narita, who also came up with the final design for Ultraman based on his Redman design, now resembling a less-scary Buck Rogers-style alien being, mixed with a bit of the iconic "Roswell Alien." The characteristic "Color Timer," more familiar to American audiences as the "warning light" on Ultraman's chest, was added at the eleventh hour.
The first series begins when Science Special Search Party (???????, Kagaku Tokubetsu S?sa-tai) member Shin Hayata is flying his plane and a red sphere of light crashes into his Mini-VTOL. The sphere turns out to be the transport (Travel Sphere) for a giant red-and-silver being who calls himself Ultraman. Feeling remorse for having killed the human, he merges his essence with Hayata to save him. In return, Hayata serves as the human host for this being, and whenever danger threatens, and the resources of the Science Special Search Party are not enough to counter it, he raises and activates a power-object and artifact called a "beta capsule" and transforms into Ultraman to save the day.
Heroes and monsters
The Ultraman series used various monster costumes, known as kaiju in Japan, prior to other series such as Kamen Rider and Super Sentai. The principals were played by famous monster suit actor Haruo Nakajima, who performed as the original Godzilla. Another Toho actor, Satoshi "Bin" Furuya, was sought out for the role of Ultraman, because of his tall stature and perfect proportions. In the image from episode 11, "The Rascal from Outer Space" (right), we see an example confrontation, with Ultraman and the monster Gyango squaring off in a plaza in front of a hi-rise complex which will soon be trampled, and dwarfing the tree line.
Nakajima had an outdoor-sports and martial-arts background, and they decided that Ultraman would not seem alien if he was using earthbound martial arts techniques. As a result, Ultraman's fighting style was a mixture of grappling, Greco-Roman wrestling, and some Japanese martial arts, which evolved during the course of the series.
Often costumes of famous monsters like Godzilla (as Jirass/Keyra in "The Mysterious Dinosaur Island") and Baragon would be recycled and altered, sometimes with nothing more than spray paint and often while the actor was still inside. Nakajima quipped once that the staggering gait of some of the monsters he portrayed was due less to his acting than to the paint fumes he had to endure.
Some of the quadrupedal monster costumes could not be shown fully as his legs dragging on the ground would have been exposed, a necessary allowance to maintain balance in the often cumbersome outfits. Also, the expense of repairing the scale cities and landscapes used for battle scenes required economy of movement and meticulous planning.
Not all monsters resembled Godzilla or a dinosaur. Others included giant insects (The Blue Stone of Vallarge) ; carnivorous plants (The Secret of Miloganda), mutated and giant humans or humanoids (My Home is the Earth), aliens, some with a very inhuman appearance (Blast the Invaders), a monster that looks like a narwhal with legs (The Undersea Science Center), a yeti (Phantom of the Snow Mountains), and a monster that looks like a cross between a meteorite and a sea anemone (Passport to Infinity).
Science Themed Birthday Party Supplies Video
Story
The storyline begins in the near future, as referenced from the mid-1960s. In episode 23, "My Home Is Earth," it is definitively established that the series takes place in the early 1990s with a plaque, shown at the end of the episode, and dated 1993. However, this was later retconned by the introduction of The Return of Ultraman, which takes place in 1971. Sinister aliens and giant monsters constantly threaten civilization during this period. The only Earth organization equipped to handle these disasters and menaces is the Science Special Search Party, or SSSP, a special worldwide police force equipped with high-tech weapons and vehicles as well as extensive scientific and engineering facilities; this organization is called the Science Patrol, or the United Nations Scientific Investigation Agency, in the English-dubbed version syndicated in the United States.
The branch of the Science Special Search Party that is focused on in the series is located in Tokyo, Japan. Led by Captain "Cap" Toshio Muramatsu (shortened to "Captain Mura" in the dubbed English-language version), the Science Special Search Party is always ready to protect the Earth from rampaging monsters, but sometimes it finds itself outclassed.
One day, Shin Hayata, the Patrol's most capable member, was patrolling near a lake when he witnessed a space monster named Bemular, who had come to Earth in an orb of blue energy, being chased by an orb of red energy. Hayata also gave chase to Bemular, but the orb of red energy collided with Hayata's ship, causing both to crashland and killing Hayata in the process. Ultraman, who was generating the red orb, felt guilty for killing the capable scientist/soldier, and to make up for the terrible thing he had done, chose to revive Hayata in exchange for him becoming his host, who would contain him while he was on Earth.
From that day forward, Ultraman staunchly defended Earth against aliens and monsters, with Hayata and the SSSP assisting him.
After Ultraman appeared, he would fight the threat until it was defeated, and he would then fly away to revert to his host. (This was shown, twice, by Ultraman firing a ring of energy from his hands that would fly to a safe location, and then energy from it would materialize Hayata even as Ultraman himself faded away at the same time.) Ultraman's victory was never assured, however, as Ultraman's powers and, indeed, his very life force, came from rapidly depleted solar energy, which was heavily reduced by Earth's sunlight-filtering atmosphere.
When Ultraman first appears, his "Color Timer," or "warning light," is always a rich cyan color. As time goes on, the Color Timer turns solid red, and then starts to blink, giving off a warning chime as it does so. When Ultraman runs out of energy, the Color Timer goes out and turns black. Ultraman's Color Timer is linked directly to his heart, and damaging it will cause mortal injury or serious pain to Ultraman.
In the series finale, a race of aliens named the Zettonians, and their vanguard kaiju, Zetton, attack. Ultraman appears to fight Zetton, but before Zetton is defeated, he mortally wounds Ultraman with a weapon he had not expected (one directly targeting his Color Timer/warning light) that damages his Color Timer/warning light, causing him to lose almost all his energy instantly.
When Zoffy, Ultraman's superior, comes to retrieve the fallen hero, Ultraman pleads for Hayata's life and offers his life completely, so that Hayata may live as a normal man. Zoffy then says he has brought two life-forces and that he will give one to Hayata. He then separates them, giving Hayata new life, but Hayata seems to have no memory between the time he first collides with Ultraman's ship (in the first episode), and he is shown standing outside the Science Special Search Party Headquarters, holding the Beta Capsule but apparently not knowing what it is or what it does. Fuji comes to his aid, as Hayata watches Zoffy take Ultraman home. This is a rather different finish to the series than stated in the English dub, which states both that Ultraman will return and that Hayata retains not only his Beta Capsule but also, apparently, his full memories of all his experiences as he awaits Ultraman's return. The latter ending appears to have been adopted by Tsuburaya as the definitive ending, as Hayata reappears several times throughout the series as Ultraman's host in times of need.
Characters
Science Patrol
- Captain Toshio "Cap" Muramatsu (????????(?? ??), Muramatsu Toshio)
The Science Special Search Party's leader. He is known as Captain Mura in the US version.- Actor: Akiji Kobayashi.
- Daisuke Arashi (????????(? ??), Arashi Daisuke)
The Science Special Search Party's rotund tough-guy marksman.- Actor: Sanday? Dokumamushi, also known as Iyoshi Ishii.
- Mitsuhiro Ide (???????(?? ??), Ide Mitsuhiro)
The Science Special Search Party's somewhat comical inventor. Although he sometimes feels that Ultraman's intervention makes his role useless, his inventions have, occasionally, been critical in saving the day, such as helping the superhero defeat particularly formidable monsters. He is known as Ito in the US version.
- Akiko Fuji (??????(?? ??), Fuji Akiko)
The Science Special Search Party's radio/communications operator. In most adventures, Fuji proves to be the most level-headed and capable member after Hayata.- Actor: Hiroko Sakurai.
- Isamu Hoshino (???????(?? ?), Hoshino Isamu)
A little boy who is friends with the local kids. The Science Special Search Party's unofficial mascot, he also tends to visit the Science Special Search Party's headquarters to hang out with the full-fledged members. He often gets into trouble, and sometimes Ultraman has to save him. Later on, his courage during one of the Science Special Search Party's missions allows him to be issued a Science Special Search Party uniform and to go on some of their other missions. He is known as Hoshino Fuji in the US version, which describes him as Akiko Fuji's younger brother.- Actor: Akihide Tsuzawa.
- Shin Hayata (??????(?? ?), Hayata Shin)
See Ultraman- Actor: Susumu Kurobe; Ultraman himself is played by Bin "Satoshi" Furuya.
Ultra Warriors
Ultraman
Zoffy
Zoffy (????, Zof?) is a Space Ranger (??????, Uch? Keibitai-in) whose first appearance was in episode 39, the series' finale. In later media such as Ultraman Ace, he received the promotion to Space Guard Captain (???????, Uch? Keibitai taich?). His badge of honors are six pairs of Star Mark (??????, Sut? M?ku) medals on his chest and three pairs of Ultra Breasters (?????????, Urutora Buresut?) medals on his shoulders.
Zoffy was sent to retrieve Ultraman after his defeat by Zetton, but the fallen Ultra Warrior refused, being that his life was connected to Shin Hayata, and their separation would result in the man's death. Seeing how responsible Ultraman felt towards the young man, Zoffy revealed that he was carrying two life-forces with him and donated one to Hayata, before separating them, giving the young man another chance to live at the expense of his experiences with Ultraman. The two then left Earth for their home world in Nebula M78. Alongside Ultraman, Zoffy would appear in later works of the Ultra Series and usually played a pivotal role, such as in Ultraman Mebius (indirectly responsible for the formation of Crew GUYS) and Mega Monster Battle: Ultra Galaxy (a long time comrade of Father and Mother of Ultra).
Although never shown in Ultraman, Zoffy's signature attack is the M87 Ray (M87??, Emu Hachi-j? Nana K?sen), which is performed by having his right arm extended front and his left arm fold to his Color Timer. This finisher launches a beam of white energy, and is regarded as one of the strongest attacks in the Ultra Series canon. A popular misconception by fans is that the attack's name is M78 Ray, with the numbers in the same order as the nebula that houses the Ultra Warriors' home world despite that both of them are entirely unrelated. An alternate formation of this attack is called the M87 Ray B (M87??B, Emu Hachi-j? Nana K?sen B?), which was shown in episode 34 of Ultraman Taro against Alien Temperor.
Zoffy was originally voiced by Hikaru Urano (???, Urano Hikaru), who was the show's narrator from episodes 20-39, as well as the 1996 epilogue stock-footage film Revive! Ultraman. Hikaru's only reprisal of his role as Zoffy was the 1984 film Ultraman Zoffy: Ultra Warriors vs. the Giant Monster Army, 17 years after the original Ultraman ended.
Episodes
- Ultra Operation No. 1 (alternate DVD title: Ultra Operation Number One) (?????????, Urutora Sakusen Dai Ichig?)
- Blast the Invaders (alternate DVD title: Shoot the Invader/Defeat the Invaders) (??????, Shinryakusha o Ute)
- Science Special Search Party, Move Out (alternate DVD title: Charge Forth, Science Special Search Party/Sally Forth, Science Special Search Party!) (???????, Katokutai Shutugeki seyo)
- Detonation: Five Seconds (alternate DVD title: Five Seconds Before The Explosion/5 Seconds Before the Big Explosion!) (??????, Dai Bakuhatsu Goby? Mae)
- Secret of the Miloganda (alternate DVD title: Treasure of the Miloganda/Secret of Miroganda) (????????, Miroganda no Himitsu)
- The Coast Guard Command (alternate DVD title: Coast Guard Orders) (??????, Engan Keibi Meirei)
- The Blue Stone of Vallarge (alternate DVD title: The Blue Stone of Baraj/The Blue Stone of Baradhi) (????????, Bar?ji no Aoi Ishi)
- The Wild Monster Zone (alternate DVD title: The Lawless Monster Zone/Monster Lawless Zone) (??????, Kaij? Muh? Chitai)
- Operation: Lightning Strike (alternate DVD title: Operation Light Speed/Operation Electric Stone Fire) (??????, Denk?sekka Sakusen)
- The Mysterious Dinosaur Base (alternate DVD title: Mysterious Monster Base) (??????, Nazo no Ky?ry? Kichi)
- The Rascal from Outer Space (alternate DVD title: The Ruffian From Outer Space/The Rambunctious One From Space) (??????????, Uch? kara Kita Abarenb?)
- Cry of the Mummy (alternate DVD title: The Cries of the Mummy) (??????, Miira no Sakebi)
- Oil S.O.S. (???SOS, Oiru Esu ? Esu)
- The Pearl Defense Directive (alternate DVD title: The Pearl Oyster Protection Directive/Pearl Oyster Defense Order) (???????, Shinjugai B?ei Shirei)
- Terror of the Cosmic Rays (alternate DVD title: The Space Ray of Terror) (??????, Ky?fu no Uch?sen)
- Science Special Search Party Into Space (alternate DVD title: The Science Special Search Party in Outer Space/Science Special Search Party to Space) (??????, Katokutai Uch? e)
- Passport to Infinity (?????????, Mugen e no Pasup?to)
- The Brother from Another World (alternate DVD title: The Brother From Another Planet) (????????, Y?sei kara Kita Ky?dai)
- Demons Rise Again (alternate DVD title: The Demons Once More) (???????, Akuma wa Futatabi)
- Terror on Route 87 (??????87, Ky?fu no R?to Hachij?nana)
- Breach the Wall of Smoke (alternate DVD title: Break Through The Smoke) (??????, Fun'en Toppa seyo)
- Sabotage Terrene (alternate DVD title: The Underground Destruction Work) (??????, Chij? Hakai K?saku)
- My Home is the Earth (?????, Koky? wa Chiky?)
- The Undersea Science Center (??????, Kaitei Kagaku Kichi)
- Typhon, the Strange Comet (alternate DVD title: The Dreaded Comet Tsuiphon/The Dreaded Comet Twenty-Four) (????????, Kai Susei Tsuifon)
- The Prince of Monsters: Part 1 (alternate DVD title: His Majesty Monster, Part 1/The Monster Prince, Beginning) (???? ??, Kaij? Denka Zenpen)
- The Prince of Monsters: Part 2 (alternate DVD title: His Majesty Monster, Part 2/The Monster Prince, Conclusion) (???? ??, Kaij? Denka K?hen)
- Human Specimens 5 & 6 (????5?6, Ningen Hy?hon Go Roku)
- The Challenge into Subterra (alternate DVD title: Challenge To The Underground) (??????, Chitei e no Ch?sen)
- Phantom of the Snow Mountains (alternate DVD title: The Snowy Mountain of Illusion/The Phantom Snow Mountain) (???????, Maboroshi no Yukiyama)
- Who Goes There? (alternate DVD title: Who Has Come?/Who Has Arrived?) (??????, Kita no wa Dare da)
- The Endless Counterattack (???????, Hateshinaki Gyakush?)
- The Forbidden Words (alternate DVD title: The Forbidden World) (???????, Kinjirareta Kotoba)
- A Gift from the Sky (alternate DVD title: Present From The Sky) (?????, Sora no Okurimono)
- The Monster Graveyard (????, Kaij? Hakaba)
- Arashi, Don't Shoot! (alternate DVD title: Don't Shoot! Arashi) (???! ???, Utsuna! Arashi)
- The Littlest Hero (?????, Chiisana Eiy?)
- The Spaceship Rescue Command (alternate DVD title: Spaceship Rescue Orders) (???????, Uch?sen Ky?jo Meirei)
- Farewell,Ultraman (?????????, Saraba Urutoraman)
- Special film: Revive! Ultraman (??!??????, Yomigaere! Urutoraman) (This was a short film produced in 1996; it lacks the English language dubbing of the main series.)
Theme song
- "Ultraman no Uta" (????????, Urutoraman no Uta, "The Song of Ultraman")
- Lyrics authorship: Ky?ichi Azuma
- Music composition: Kunio Miyauchi
- Performing artist: Misuzu Children's Choral Group
An English version performed by The Serendipity Singers was used for the show's US release.
Home media
In 2006, BCI/Eclipse officially released Ultraman on DVD under license from then rightsholder Chaiyo Productions. These releases featured the original Japanese soundtrack and the English dub. When Navarre folded BCI/Eclipse in December 2008, the series was shuffled over to Navarre's other home video label, Mill Creek Entertainment. In June 2009, Mill Creek re-released the complete series set on September 29, 2009, in a 4-disc set with the same special features. In Japan, there have been numerous releases in numerous home video formats over the last 25 years (from VHS to DVD) on several labels, including Bandai's various home video divisions, including Bandai Visual.
On April 2013, Tsuburaya held a press conference announcing the new Ultra Series show and character, Ultraman Ginga, where they also announced that the original 1966 show will be given an HD remaster treatment in Japan. On July 2013, Tsuburaya released an HD transfer of Ultraman on Blu-ray titled, Ultraman HD Remaster 2.0, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Tsuburaya Productions. Tsuburaya released the series on three separate box sets, each containing 13 episodes. The first box set was released on July 10, 2013, the second on October 25, 2013 and the final on January 29, 2014.
Adaptations
Harvey Comics Entertainment published two short comic book series based on Ultraman in 1993 and 1994.
Bandai published the video game PD Ultraman Battle Collection 64 for the Nintendo 64 in 1997.
In 2011, a manga adaptation simply titled ULTRAMAN began serialization in Shogakukan's Monthly Hero's magazine. It serves as a sequel to the television series. It was released on August 18, 2015 in North America by Viz Media, having received the rights earlier in February 18, 2015.
Malaysian book ban
On March 6, 2014, the Malaysian Ministry of Home Affairs announced that it had banned the publication of an Ultraman comic book Ultraman: The Ultra Power "due to contents that were detrimental to public order". Social media users later noticed that a page in the book described the character of Ultraman King (from the film Mega Monster Battle: Ultra Galaxy) as a god, which in the Malaysian pidgin language Bahasa Rojak is the Arabic word "Allah". The Home Ministry later confirmed that the use of "Allah" was indeed the reason for the ban, claiming that the comparison may "confuse Muslim children and damage their faith". This highlighted the larger ban to prevent non-Muslims in Malaysia from using the word "Allah" despite its common usage in the Malaysian pidgin to refer to any "God", as well as a suit from the Catholic Church of Malaysia over its usage.
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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