Ultraman(1966 TV series)

Ultraman
Original Japanese title card
Also known as	Ultraman: A Special Effects Fantasy Series
Japanese name
Kanji	ウルトラマン
Transcriptions Revised Hepburn Urutoraman
Genre	Tokusatsu Science fiction Superhero Kaiju
Developed by	Eiji Tsuburaya Tetsuo Kinjo
Starring	Susumu Kurobe Akiji Kobayashi Hiroko Sakurai Sandayū Dokumamushi Masanari Nihei Bin Furuya
Opening theme	Ultraman Themeby the Misuzu Children's Choir
Composer	Kunio Miyauchi
Country of origin	Japan
Original language	Japanese
No.of episodes	39
Production
Running time	24 minutes
Production company	Tsuburaya Productions
Original release
Network	JNN(TBS)
Release	July 17, 1966(1966-07-17)– April 9, 1967(1967-04-09)
Related
Ultra Q Ultraseven

Ultraman(Japanese:ウルトラマン,Hepburn:Urutoraman)is a Japanesetokusatsuscience fiction television seriescreated byEiji Tsuburaya.Produced byTsuburaya Productions,it is a follow-up toUltra Q,though not technically a sequel or spin-off. Tsuburaya Productions produced 39 episodes (40, counting the pre-premiere special) that aired onTokyo Broadcasting System (TBS)andits affiliate stationsfrom July 17, 1966, to April 9, 1967. Its premiere topped the average rating set byUltra Qand kept climbing each week, marking the show as a success.It was also the first Japanese television series to use a bidding system for commercial rights, allowing multiple third-party companies to sponsor the show. This was following TBS's merchandising troubles with its predecessor.

AlthoughUltramanis the first series to feature anUltramancharacter, it is the second installment in theUltra Series,followingUltra Q.This is symbolised by the Japanese show opening with theUltra Qlogo exploding into theUltramanlogo.Ultramanand its titular hero became a major pop culture phenomenon in Japan, generating dozens of sequels, spin-offs, imitations, parodies and tributes.Ultraman went on to generate$7.4 billionin merchandising revenue from 1966 to 1987 in Japan(equivalent to more than$20 billionadjusted for inflation) and become the world's third top-selling licensed character by the 1980s, largely due to his popularity in Asia.

Amanga series of the same nameserving as a sequel to the television series began publication in October 2011 and received an anime adaptation starting in April 2019. In May 2022,TohoreleasedShin Ultraman,a reimagining of the series directed byShinji Higuchi.

Premise

The series follows the adventures of the Science Patrol, a special scientific team investigating and combating threats from aliens andkaiju.Unbeknownst to the team, fellow member Shin Hayata possesses the ability to transform into the giant alien superheroUltramanin moments of crisis.

Production

Development

Due to the success ofUltra Q,Tokyo Broadcasting System(TBS) requested a similar themed show fromTsuburaya Productions Company(TPC), this time filmed in color and with the hopes of continuing the series with TPC.TPC founderEiji Tsuburayaand writer Tetsuo Kinjo decided to recycle the barebones idea ofUltra Qabout civilians and center the show on a team, tentatively dubbed the "Scientific Investigation Agency" (SIA), specifically designed to deal with monsters and supernatural phenomena. Tsuburaya and Kinjo repurposed unused ideas fromUltra Q,as well as the rejected outline forWoo.Tsuburaya had spent significant studio money to build his miniatures for theGodzillafilms, and TPC was seeking a new project to repurpose and monetize those miniatures.

The first iteration of Ultraman was named "Bemular" and had a human host in his late 20s named "Officer Sakomizu", described as a "tough guy" in early drafts. Captain Muramatsu would have been the only SIA member to know his secret identity,and a female SIA member was added late in production.Pre-production and story layout began in December 1965 asBemular: Scientific Investigation Agency.Writer Masahiro Yamada completed a sample teleplay titledThe Birth of Bemularthat featured an unused scenario originally written forUltra Q.TBS producer Takashi Kakoi demanded that Bemular have a metallic complexion and be distinguishable from similarly designed monsters to avoid confusion. As a result, Tsuburaya and Kinjo discarded Bemular's original design in favor of a humanoid appearance.The name "Bemular" was dropped for the hero but given to Ultraman's first foe in the debut episode "Ultra Operation No. 1".

In January 1966, the production's title was changed toRedmanto reflect the hero's color scheme and was unanimously approved for production a month later. In this version, Redman lands on Earth as a refugee after invaders destroyed his home planet. Redman fuses with Sakomizu and together protect the Earth from giant monsters and alien invaders.This version also featured the "Flashbeam", an early version of Ultraman's transformation device the Beta Capsule, however, the Flashbeam version resembled a futuristic fountain pen.During the casting process, TBS suggested actors with Western appearances in order to appeal to overseas markets, however, most of the cast came fromToho.On March 22, 1966, the copyright offices approved the shows's registration, now titledUltraman.Each episode was produced on a budget of¥20−30 million.

Design

The early Bemular version was originally conceived by Kinjo as an intergalactic reptilian creature that would enlarge itself to 164 feet (50.0 m) and come to the SIA's aid. The early design was a cross betweenGaruda,a mythological Hindu/Buddhist guardian bird, andTengu,a Japanese folkloric crow-goblin.Eiji Tsuburaya found the early designs to be "too alien and sinister" and requested that production designer Tohl Narita continue drafting additional designs as teleplays were being written concurrently. Narita took inspiration from the Greek concept of cosmos (order and harmony), in contrast to Narita's monster designs forUltra Q,which were rooted in the Greek concept of Chaos. Narita also drew inspiration from classical Greek art, ancient Egypt, the European Renaissance, and Miyamoto Musashi. Tsuburaya and Kinjo also gave their own input on Narita's designs. To reflect Ultraman's cosmic origins, his silver skin symbolized steel from an interstellar rocket and the red lining represented the surface of Mars. Narita's assistant, Akira Sasaki, sculpted clays, but became concerned about the nose and mouth looking too human. They eventually decided on a brim-like nose that runs from the mouth to the top of the head like a dorsal fin, and applied flexibility on the mouth for speech. Early outlines had Ultraman capable of spitting fire and a liquid called "silver iodine", but these ideas were dropped. A three-minute warning light called the "Color Timer" was added at the last minute due to the filmmakers feeling that Ultraman was too invincible, and also believed that it would invoke suspense and cheers from viewers.

Filming

To keep production costs from going over budget, the series was filmed on 16mm stock and optical effects on 35mm. This met the network's requirement for making new episodes on a fast-paced production schedule, due to filming starting in March 1966 for July premiere. The production crew were separated into three teams, subdivided into separate live-action filming and special effects filming groups. TBS and TPC originally agreed to airUltramanon July 17, but TBS delayed it by one week in order to cover the spot originally intended for the final episode ofUltra Q,which was pulled from the broadcast schedule due to not featuring any monsters. TBS also wanted to beat the release of Fuji Television's similarly themedAmbassador Magma.Though production onUltramanwas proceeding well enough, it was falling behind to meet the premiere date. After meetings between TBS, Tsuburaya Productions, and sponsors, they decided to produce theUltraman Eve Festival,a live TV special intended to introduce Ultraman to viewers that would air on July 10. This was also done to help the crew catch up and finish the premiere episode. The special was retitledThe Birth of Ultraman: An Ultraman Premiere Celebration.Kunio Miyauchi, who composed the music forUltra Q,was brought back to compose the music forUltraman.The lyrics to the show's opening theme music were written byHajime Tsuburaya(credited as Koichi Fuji).

Monsters

Several monster suits were produced for the show, while others were recycled fromGodzillafilms andUltra Q.

Production designer Tohl Narita designed all of the show's monsters, and sometimes deviated from their original descriptions. A majority of the time, the writers did not include any specific descriptions in the teleplays and left most unnamed. The names of the monsters were decided via staff meetings, where it would also be determined if the writer had created a creature that was capable or incapable of being filmed with the special effects technology available at the time. The monsters were sculpted and fabricated by Ryosaku Takayama, Akira Sasaki, and Ekisu Productions.

Haruo Nakajima,who playedGodzillafor the first 12 films in theGodzillafranchise,choreographed all the monsters' battles with Ultraman performerBin Furuyaand even played the monsters for episodes three and ten. Nakajima also had two cameos, one in episode 24 and one in episode 33 as a police officer.Ultramanfeatured new monster suits, as well as recycled suits fromUltra Q.Two Godzilla suits were recycled from Toho for the monster Jirahs, with the head taken from the Godzilla suit fromEbirah, Horror of the Deepand placed upon the body of the Godzilla suit fromMothra vs. Godzilla.The dorsal fins and parts of the suit were sprayed yellow and a large yellow frill was attached to disguise the connection of the head with the body.The show also marks the first appearance ofUltraman Zoffyin the finaleFarewell, Ultraman.

Cast

• Susumu Kurobeas Shin Hayata/Ultraman(voiced byEarl Hammondin the English dub):
  The Science Patrol member who transforms into Ultraman with the Beta Capsule.Bin Furuyaportrayed Ultraman viarubber suit.
• Akiji Kobayashias Captain Toshio Muramatsu:
  Leader of the Science Patrol. In the Japanese version, he is sometimes referred to as "Cap". His name is shortened to "Captain Mura" in the English dub.
• Sandayū Dokumamushias Daisuke Arashi:
  The Science Patrol's expert marksman.
• Masanari Niheias Mitsuhiro Ide:
  The Science Patrol's comical inventor.Susumu Ishikawawas originally cast in the role. Ishikawa filmed a few scenes but abruptly left the production due to contract disputes.The English dub renames the character as "Ido".
• Hiroko Sakuraias Akiko Fuji (voiced byCorinne Orrin the English dub):
  The Science Patrol's communications officer.
• Akihide Tsuzawa as Isamu Hoshino (voiced by Corinne Orr in the English dub):
  The Science Patrol's unofficial mascot. In the English dub, he is identified as Fuji's younger brother.
• Akihiko Hirataas Dr. Iwamoto:
  The Science Patrol's scientific advisor.

Cast taken fromEiji Tsuburaya: Master of Monsters.

Episodes

No.	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
1	"Ultra Operation No. 1" Transliteration: "Urutora Sakusen Dai Ichigō"(Japanese:ウルトラ tác chiến đệ nhất hào)	Hajime Tsuburaya	Tetsuo Kinjo &Shinichi Sekizawa	July 17, 1966(1966-07-17)
2	"Shoot the Invaders!" Transliteration: "Shinryakusha o Ute"(Japanese:Xâm lược giả を kích て)	Toshihiro Iijima	Kitao Senzoku	July 24, 1966(1966-07-24)
3	"Science Patrol, Move Out!" Transliteration: "Katokutai Shutugeki seyo"(Japanese:Khoa đặc đội xuất kích せよ)	Toshihiro Iijima	Masahiro Yamada	July 31, 1966(1966-07-31)
4	"Five Seconds Before the Explosion" Transliteration: "Dai Bakuhatsu Gobyō Mae"(Japanese:Đại bạo phát ngũ miểu tiền)	Samaji Nonagase	Ryu Minamikawa	August 7, 1966(1966-08-07)
5	"The Secret of the Miroganda" Transliteration: "Miroganda no Himitsu"(Japanese:ミロガンダの bí mật)	Toshihiro Iijima	Keisuke Fujikawa	August 14, 1966(1966-08-14)
6	"The Coast Guard Command" Transliteration: "Engan Keibi Meirei"(Japanese:Duyên ngạn cảnh bị mệnh lệnh)	Samaji Nonagase	Masahiro Yamada	August 21, 1966(1966-08-21)
7	"The Blue Stone of Baradhi" Transliteration: "Barāji no Aoi Ishi"(Japanese:バラージの thanh い thạch)	Samaji Nonagase	Tetsuo Kinjo & Ryu Minamikawa	August 28, 1966(1966-08-28)
8	"The Monster Anarchy Zone" Transliteration: "Kaijū Muhō Chitai"(Japanese:Quái thú vô pháp địa đái)	Hajime Tsuburaya	Tetsuo Kinjo & Shōzō Uehara	September 4, 1966(1966-09-04)
9	"Lightning Operation" Transliteration: "Denkōsekka Sakusen"(Japanese:Điện quang thạch hỏa tác chiến)	Samaji Nonagase	Masahiro Yamada	September 11, 1966(1966-09-11)
10	"The Mysterious Dinosaur Base" Transliteration: "Nazo no Kyōryū Kichi"(Japanese:Mê の khủng long cơ địa)	Kazuho Mitsuta	Tetsuo Kinjo	September 18, 1966(1966-09-18)
11	"The Rascal from Outer Space" Transliteration: "Uchū kara Kita Abarenbō"(Japanese:Vũ trụ から lai た bạo れん phường)	Kazuho Mitsuta	Tatsuo Miyata	September 25, 1966(1966-09-25)
12	"Cry of the Mummy" Transliteration: "Miira no Sakebi"(Japanese:ミイラの khiếu び)	Hajime Tsuburaya	Keisuke Fujikawa	October 2, 1966(1966-10-02)
13	"Oil S.O.S." Transliteration: "Oiru Esu Ō Esu"(Japanese:オイルSOS)	Hajime Tsuburaya	Tetsuo Kinjo	October 9, 1966(1966-10-09)
14	"The Pearl Defense Directive" Transliteration: "Shinjugai Bōei Shirei"(Japanese:Chân châu bối phòng vệ chỉ lệnh)	Akio Jissoji	Mamoru Sasaki	October 16, 1966(1966-10-16)
15	"Terrifying Cosmic Rays" Transliteration: "Kyōfu no Uchūsen"(Japanese:Khủng phố の vũ trụ tuyến)	Akio Jissoji	Mamoru Sasaki	October 23, 1966(1966-10-23)
16	"Science Patrol Into Space" Transliteration: "Katokutai Uchū e"(Japanese:Khoa đặc đội vũ trụ へ)	Toshihiro Iijima	Kitao Senzoku	October 30, 1966(1966-10-30)
17	"Passport to Infinity" Transliteration: "Mugen e no Pasupōto"(Japanese:Vô hạn へのパスポート)	Toshihiro Iijima	Keisuke Fujikawa	November 6, 1966(1966-11-06)
18	"Brother from Another Planet" Transliteration: "Yūsei kara Kita Kyōdai"(Japanese:Du tinh から lai た huynh đệ)	Samaji Nonagase	Ryu Minamikawa & Tetsuo Kinjo	November 13, 1966(1966-11-13)
19	"Demons Rise Again" Transliteration: "Akuma wa Futatabi"(Japanese:Ác ma はふたたび)	Samaji Nonagase	Masahiro Yamada & Ryu Minamikawa	November 20, 1966(1966-11-20)
20	"Terror on Route 87" Transliteration: "Kyōfu no Rūto Hachijūnana"(Japanese:Khủng phố のルート87)	Yuzo Higuchi	Tetsuo Kinjo	November 27, 1966(1966-11-27)
21	"Breach the Wall of Smoke" Transliteration: "Fun'en Toppa seyo"(Japanese:Phún yên đột phá せよ)	Yuzo Higuchi	Taro Kaido	December 4, 1966(1966-12-04)
22	"Overthrow the Surface" Transliteration: "Chijō Hakai Kōsaku"(Japanese:Địa thượng phá 壊 công tác)	Akio Jissoji	Mamoru Sasaki	December 11, 1966(1966-12-11)
23	"My Home Is the Earth" Transliteration: "Kokyō wa Chikyū"(Japanese:Cố hương は địa cầu)	Akio Jissoji	Mamoru Sasaki	December 18, 1966(1966-12-18)
24	"The Undersea Science Center" Transliteration: "Kaitei Kagaku Kichi"(Japanese:Hải để khoa học cơ địa)	Toshihiro Iijima	Keisuke Fujikawa	December 25, 1966(1966-12-25)
25	"The Mysterious Comet Tsuifon" Transliteration: "Kai Susei Tsuifon"(Japanese:Quái tuệ tinh ツイフォン)	Toshihiro Iijima	Bunzo Wakatsuki	January 1, 1967(1967-01-01)
26	"The Monster Highness: Part 1" Transliteration: "Kaijū Denka Zenpen"(Japanese:Quái thú điện hạ tiền thiên)	Hajime Tsuburaya	Tetsuo Kinjo & Bunzo Wakatsuki	January 8, 1967(1967-01-08)
27	"The Monster Highness: Part 2" Transliteration: "Kaijū Denka Kōhen"(Japanese:Quái thú điện hạ hậu thiên)	Hajime Tsuburaya	Tetsuo Kinjo & Bunzo Wakatsuki	January 15, 1967(1967-01-15)
28	"Human Specimens 5 & 6" Transliteration: "Ningen Hyōhon Go Roku"(Japanese:Nhân gian tiêu bổn 5・6)	Samaji Nonagase	Masahiro Yamada	January 22, 1967(1967-01-22)
29	"Challenge to the Underground" Transliteration: "Chitei e no Chōsen"(Japanese:Địa để への thiêu chiến)	Samaji Nonagase	Tetsuo Kinjo & Ryu Minamikawa	January 29, 1967(1967-01-29)
30	"Phantom of the Snow Mountains" Transliteration: "Maboroshi no Yukiyama"(Japanese:まぼろしの tuyết sơn)	Yuzo Higuchi	Tetsuo Kinjo	February 5, 1967(1967-02-05)
31	"Who Goes There?" Transliteration: "Kita no wa Dare da"(Japanese:Lai たのは thùy だ)	Yuzo Higuchi	Taro Kaido	February 12, 1967(1967-02-12)
32	"Endless Counterattack" Transliteration: "Hateshinaki Gyakushū"(Japanese:Quả てしなき nghịch tập)	Toshitsugu Suzuki	Keisuke Fujikawa	February 19, 1967(1967-02-19)
33	"The Forbidden Words" Transliteration: "Kinjirareta Kotoba"(Japanese:Cấm じられた ngôn diệp)	Toshitsugu Suzuki	Tetsuo Kinjo	February 26, 1967(1967-02-26)
34	"A Gift from the Sky" Transliteration: "Sora no Okurimono"(Japanese:Không の tặng り vật)	Akio Jissoji	Mamoru Sasaki	March 5, 1967(1967-03-05)
35	"The Monster Graveyard" Transliteration: "Kaijū Hakaba"(Japanese:Quái thú mộ tràng)	Akio Jissoji	Mamoru Sasaki	March 12, 1967(1967-03-12)
36	"Don't Shoot! Arashi" Transliteration: "Utsuna! Arashi"(Japanese:Xạ つな! アラシ)	Kazuho Mitsuta	Masahiro Yamada	March 19, 1967(1967-03-19)
37	"A Little Hero" Transliteration: "Chiisana Eiyū"(Japanese:Tiểu さな anh hùng)	Kazuho Mitsuta	Tetsuo Kinjo	March 26, 1967(1967-03-26)
38	"Spaceship Rescue Command" Transliteration: "Uchūsen Kyūjo Meirei"(Japanese:Vũ trụ thuyền cứu trợ mệnh lệnh)	Hajime Tsuburaya	Shōzō Uehara	April 2, 1967(1967-04-02)
39	"Farewell, Ultraman" Transliteration: "Saraba Urutoraman"(Japanese:さらばウルトラマン)	Hajime Tsuburaya	Tetsuo Kinjo	April 9, 1967(1967-04-09)

• The Birth of Ultraman(ウルトラマン đản sinh,Urutoraman Tanjō)a live stage show pre-premiere special intended to introduce audiences to Ultraman prior to the premiere episode. It was also produced to give the filmmakers time to complete the debut episode.
• Ultraman: Monster Movie Feature(Trường thiên quái thú ánh họa ウルトラマン,Chōhen Kaijū Eiga Urutoraman)a theatrical film directed by Hajime Tsuburaya, consisting of re-edited footage from episodes 1, 8, 26, and 27. It was released byToho Co., Ltd.on July 22, 1967, as adouble featurewithKing Kong Escapes.
• Revive! Ultraman(Tô れ!ウルトラマン,Yomigaere! Urutoraman)a short film directed by Masahiro Tsuburaya, and released in March 1996.

English version

Title card for Ultraman English dub (1966)

United Artists Televisionpicked up the rights forUltra QandUltramanin the fall of 1966, two months after the first episode ofUltramanaired.Ultra Qwas dubbed but never broadcast in the United States due to American TV stations preferring color shows over black-and-white shows.Ultramanran in and out of syndication until the early 1990s.UA-TV also syndicatedUltramaninternationally.Peter Fernandez,Corinne Orr,andEarl Hammondprovided the voices for the dub.Fernandez also wrote and supervised the dub.

Describing the process, Fernandez said: "I had aMoviola,sometimes a projector, and I’d go back and forth over each line carefully and carefully, building the line to look like English. "Fernandez also went on to explain that agrease pencilwas used to mark scenes that needed to be dubbed, even if it were only a few lines. A loop of the film would be projected so that the voice actor could memorize his or her lines and see where the scene needed to be dubbed. The voice actors had to wait for a beeping signal before starting, Fernandez explained: "So in the studio you hear “Beep… beep… beep…” then you talk, as if there is a fourth beep. Those beeps are drilled into me. They are two-thirds of a second apart. Later on, the film is reassembled and mixed with the original music and sound effects. "The English dub was featured in the BCI Eclipse DVD release ofUltraman,as well as subsequent DVD re-issues from Mill Creek Entertainment.

Home media

Japan

In 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. In July 2013, Bandai Visual released an HD transfer ofUltramanon Blu-ray titledUltraman HD Remaster 2.0,to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Tsuburaya Productions.Bandai Visual released the series on three separate box sets, each containing 13 episodes. The first box set was released on July 10, 2013, the second one on October 25, 2013, and the final one on January 29, 2014.

On November 25, 2020, Tsuburaya Productions andPony Canyonreleased a 3.0 HD remaster of the series on Blu-ray titledUltraman 55th Anniversary Ultraman Archives: Ultraman MovieNEX,suitable for large screen televisions. Composite technology EXA Quality Advanced Service (EQAS) was used to process the series to remove excess picture noise while retaining an appropriate level of graininess.

North America

BCI Eclipse Home Entertainment LLC officially releasedUltramanon two separate DVD volumes in 2006 and 2007, licensed from then-rights holder Southern California-based Golden Media Group Inc. (via Tokyo-based UM Corporation). BCI's first DVD release featured the first 20 episodes, while the second release featured the final 19 episodes, all presented uncut, unedited and re-mastered in color with stereo sound. These releases also featured the original Japanese audio 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 four-disc set with the same special features from the previous release.

On July 10, 2019, Mill Creek Entertainment announced that it had acquired most of the franchise library from Tsuburaya Productions through Indigo Entertainment, including 1,100 episodes and 20 films. Mill Creek released the series on Blu-ray and digital on October 15, 2019, in standard andsteelbookeditions.Mill Creek releasedThe Birth of Ultraman Collectionon Blu-ray on July 10, 2020. It included the pre-premiere special and seven episodes from the 1966 series, which included the English dub. The Blu-ray featured artwork byAlex Ross(originally created for Marvel'sUltramancomic) and was sold exclusively on DeepDiscount.

In July 2020,Shout! Factoryannounced that they had struck a multi-year deal with Alliance Entertainment and Mill Creek, with the blessings of Tsuburaya and Indigo, that granted them the exclusiveSVOD and AVODdigital rights to theUltraseries and films (1,100 episodes and 20 film) acquired by Mill Creek the previous year.Ultraman,amongst other titles, streamed on Shout! Factory TV and Tokushoutsu in the United States and Canada.

Post-release

Proposed sequels

Due to the show's success, a feature film titledUltraman: Operation Giantwas planned.Toshihiro Iijimawas attached to write the script. The film was to be filmed in CinemaScope and was to introduce new characters, such as a self-sacrificing automaton built by the Science Patrol, the Baltans invading Earth with the help of a human scientist, a new subterranean monster named "Morugo", and Ultraman was to be given a new sword weapon. A sequel series tentatively titledUltraman Continues(続ウルトラマン,Zoku Urutoraman)was also proposed; however, neither project ever materialized.

Adaptations

Harvey Comics Entertainmentpublished two short comic book series based on Ultraman in 1993 and 1994.Bandaipublished the video gameUltramanforSuper Famicomin 1990, andPD Ultraman Battle Collection 64for the Nintendo 64 in 1997. The games were released in Japan only. In 2011, a manga adaptation simply titledUltramanbegan serialization inShogakukan'sMonthly Hero'smagazine. It serves as a sequel to the television series. It was released on August 18, 2015, in North America byViz Media,who had received the rights on February 18, 2015.The manga was adapted into a3DCG anime of the same nameand released onNetflixin April 2019.In September 2020,Marvel Comicslaunched a monthly series titledThe Rise of Ultraman.

In May 2022,Tohoreleased a reimagining of the series, titledShin Ultraman,directed byShinji Higuchi.Usingmotion capture technology,Bin Furuya,the originalUltramansuit actor, portrays the titular hero alongsideHideaki Anno.

Legacy

Since its debut, both the show and character became international pop culture phenomena,inspiring rip-offs, imitators, parodies, tributes,and a multimedia franchise centered around spin-off characters based on Ultraman.The series has been recognized byGuinness World Recordsfor "TV series with most number of spin-offs."Mark SchillingfromThe Japan Timescalled the series "a rite of passage for Japanese boys (and a few girls) and their families" since the series' debut and noted "the series is as much a part of the national fabric as furikake (rice topping) and chopsticks."SciFi Japan called the 1966 series "the gold standard of Japanese special effects television series."Ultraman has been parodied, tributed, and referenced in various media such asBen 10,Ready Player One,The Simpsons,South Park,Kyoei Toshi,andAnt-Man.Chris Kirkpatrick,Will Smith,andGuillermo del Torohave cited the 1966 series as one of the shows they grew up watching as kids. Del Toro named Ultraman and Pigmon as his favorite characters from the show and citedUltramanas an influence onPacific Rim.

See also

• TheUltra Series— complete list of official Ultraman-related shows
• Bio Planet Woo

References

Sources

• Anno, Hideaki(May 13, 2022).シン・ウルトラマン デザインワークス[Shin Ultraman Design Works] (in Japanese).Khara, Inc.ISBN978-4-905033-28-8.
• Bất diệt のヒーロー ウルトラマン bạch thư[Immortal Hero: Ultraman White Paper] (in Japanese).Asahi Sonorama.December 1982.ASINB00LYV9N66.
• Iijima, Toshihiro(1966)."Shoot the Invaders!".Ultraman.Season 01. Episode 02. Event occurs at 00:01:13.Japan News Network.Tokyo Broadcasting System.RetrievedOctober 15,2022.Ido, telephone!
• Nonagase, Samaji (1966a)."Five Seconds Before the Explosion".Ultraman.Season 01. Episode 04. Event occurs at 00:04:02.Japan News Network.Tokyo Broadcasting System.RetrievedOctober 15,2022.Hoshino! He's her brother!
• Nonagase, Samaji (1966b)."The Blue Stone of Baradhi".Ultraman.Season 01. Episode 07. Event occurs at 00:02:30.Japan News Network.Tokyo Broadcasting System.RetrievedOctober 15,2022.Captain Mura, I'd like to go along with the Science Patrol.
• Viên cốc anh nhị đặc toát thế giới[Eiji Tsuburaya's World of Tokusatsu] (in Japanese). Keibunsha. August 10, 2001.ISBN4-7669-3848-8.
• Ragone, August (2007).Eiji Tsuburaya: Master of Monsters.Chronicle Books.ISBN978-0-8118-6078-9.
• Ragone, August (2012).The Making of Ultraseven.Shout! Factory DVD Booklet.ASINB0096W46VW.
• Warner, Brad (2005).Hardcore Zen: Punk Rock, Monster Movies and the Truth About Reality.Simon & Schuster.ISBN9780861719891.
• BCI Eclipse (2006).Ultraman - Episode Guide.BCI Eclipse.ASINB000FKO42K.
• Mill Creek Entertainment (2019).Ultraman - Information and Episode Guide.Mill Creek Entertainment.ASINB07TKNFKKP.
• BCI Eclipse (b) (2006).Interview with American Voice Cast – Peter Fernandez, Corinne Orr, and Earl Hammond(DVD). BCI Eclipse.ASINB000FKO42K.

External links

• Ultraman: A Special Effects Fantasy SeriesatIMDb
• Official websiteofTsuburaya Productions(in English)
• Ultraman Connection — Official website(in English)
• OfficialUltramanchannelatYouTube