I was a big fan of Ultraman when I was a kid. In the early ‘90s I discovered there was a new “Ultraman” show, but unfortunately I was more interested in acquiring episodes of the old show on VHS than I was episodes of the new one. Somewhat later I discovered that there have been many, many “Ultraman” series over the years, rivaling Doctor Who in its longevity. A brief search of the internet yields the following results (but I’ve probably missed a few).
Ultra Q
Ultraman 1966-67
UltraSeven 1967-68
Return of…(Jack) 1971-72
Ultraman Ace 1972-73
Ultraman Taro 1973-74
Ultraman Leo 1974-75
Ultraman 80 1980-81
Ultraman USA (The Adventure Begins) 1987
Ultraman Great (Towards the Future) 1990-91
Ultraman Powered (The Ultimate Hero) 1993
Ultraman Hero 1995
Ultraman Zearth (parody) 1996-97
Ultraman Tiga 1996-97
Ultraman Dyna 1997-98
Ultraman Gaia 1998-99
Ultraman Nice 1999-00
Ultraman Neos 2000-2001
Ultraman Cosmos 2001-02
Ultra Q: Dark Fantasy 2004
Ultraman: Next 2004 - p.82
Ultraman Nexus 2004-05 - p.82
Ultraman Max 2005-06 - p.86
Ultraman Mebius 2006-07 - p.91
Ultraman UltraSeven X 2007 - p.99
UltraGalaxy: Mega Monster Battle 2007-2009 - p.100
Ultraman Retsuden 2011-13
Neo Ultra Q 2013
Ultraman Ginga 2013
Ultraman Ginga S 2014
Ultraman X 2015-16
Ultraman Orb 2016
Ultraman Geed 2017
Ultraman R/B 2018
Ultraman Taiga 2019
Ultraman Z 2020
Ultraman Trigger 2021
We’ve been discussing other tokusatsu series in this forum lately, and because those series were produced later than Ultraman, I expected them to be technically better, but I ended up being somewhat disappointed in Super Robot Red Baron and Iron King. I enjoyed them, but I didn’t like them as much as I hoped to. Now I’ve started watching Ultraseven, and it’s everything I hoped it would be.
As the liner noteson the DVD set point out, “the difference in the overall quality in production between Ultraman and Ultraseven was marked, and made the show memorable 45 years later. According to Wikipedia, “Such is his popularity that Ultra Seven (or simply 'Seven') has appeared or at least made cameos in nearly every Ultra Series following his own and has had far more exposure than even the original Ultraman (though the original Ultraman is without a doubt the face of the Ultras).”
My wife and I disagree about the relative merits of Ultraseven in comparison to SRRB/IK. I would like to start the discussion with a look at the opening title sequence and music, then open the floor for rebutal.
The title sequence of Ultraman, as you will recall, looks as if it had been spelled out in a can of paint, slowly stirred, then run backwards. Ultraseven looks more like it had been spelled out in brightly colored confetti, placed atop one of those old electric football games, shaken apart, then run backwards. Whereas the soundtrack of Ultraman is jazzy, that of Ultraseven shows more of a classical influence.
Here is the English translation of the lyrics…
Seven… Seven… Seven… Seven…
Seven! Seven! Seven!
Seven! Seven! Seven!
A distant star was once his home
Ultra Seven! Fighter Seven!
Ultra Seven! Seven! Seven!
Onward to the edge of the galaxy
Use your Ultra-Eye and… STRIKE!
Seven! Seven! Seven!
Seven! Seven! Seven!
Dan Moroboshi is his borrowed name
Ultra Seven! Hero Seven!
Ultra Seven! Seven! Seven!
Defeat the great fire-breathing monster
Use yout Ultra-Beam and STRIKE!
Replies
I'm hearing "jumping jumping jumping".. That's certainly what the onscreen lyrics say.
"Jumpy, jumpy, jumpy" is what I heard the first time I listened to it (reminded me of "You're So Party, Let's Go Dancey"). Yes, I saw the real lyrics on the video I linked last night, but I went with my intened comment anyway because it was my first reaction. Besides, I never know who follows these links. I should have known you do. Thanks!
If I could have found an easily-copied set of the full lyrics online, I would have copy/pasted those.
Hot feeling really! little baby
It's not like I've forgotten it, it's an eternal proximity! Tonight
That is, shining in the universe, captivated and gazing.
Lo lo lo love is vacation, That that that love is romance
Everyone feels the same
As back in those days, reminiscing the same feelings
Connecting with you (yeah), our eyes meet (yeah, yeah)
I believe we can go anywhere, I see myself reflected in your eyes
Feeling the passing wind with my whole body
The view from above is fantastic, fantastic.
Jump up in the world (yeah!), Jumping Jumping Jump (yeah, yeah!)
Spread your wings in the sky (yeah!), Jumping Jumping Jumping
Anywhere (yeah!), Never, never give up (yeah, yeah!)
Translucent like that blue sky, penetrating through (four).
Fluttering all night long, if we want to release we must dance
The battle between enemies and allies, a considerable pressure, endurance, responsibility
That's right! In this important matter, every day is hard labor.
Hey hey hey, love vacation. Yo yo yo, love is romance.
Everyone returns to their senses
In the desolate scenery that has changed.
Wasn't it supposed to be like this? So-called, that's outlaw.
I think we can't continue like this, I speak of my determination.
Feeling the passing wind with my whole body
The view from above is fantastic, fantastic.
Jump up in the world (yeah!), Jumping Jumping Jump (yeah, yeah!)
Spread your wings in the sky (yeah!), Jumping Jumping Jumping
Anywhere never give up
Translucent like that blue sky
The scenery seen through the gaps in the clouds
Infinitely transparent blue
J! (J!) U! (U!) M! (M!) P! (P!) J! U! M! P!
Jump! Jump! Jump! Jump! Jump! Jump!
Jump up in the world (yeah!), Jumping Jumping Jump (yeah, yeah!)
Spread your wings in the sky (yeah!), Jumping Jumping Jumping
Anywhere never give up
Like that blue sky, shining forever like a hero
Jump up in the world (yeah!), Jumping Jumping Jump (yeah, yeah!)
Spread your wings in the sky (yeah!), Jumping Jumping Jumping
Forever boy (yeah!) hey hey boy up (yeahh!)
Like that hero sparkling
Woo! Woo! Wow! (fade)
I really hope this song is included in the CD I ordered at the same time I ordered this DVD. It's coming from Japan, though, so I won't have it until the end of October. Yes, I could look it up, and I may do so later, but it's supposed to include all the main themes from the beginning through Ultraman Orb. I don't know if it will include end themes, though. The problem with this CD is that the songs are tracked in reverse chronological order. I may have to burn a re-sequenced copy.
I stand corrected. I like them both, but they are two very different shows!
THE FIFTH CREW MEMBER:
Kaiju: Primeval Bird Litra (S), Mammoth Flower Juran, Ancient Monster Golza, Subterranean Monster Telesdon, Ancient Monster Gomora
The mystery man identifies himself as Rei, but he's not certain that's his name because he has no memory of who he is. (Really? Again?) He may or may not be a survivor of the colony; all heknows is that he is there to fight and defeat monsters. He is very weak, but suddenly he rallies and dashes outside, displaying Golden Age Superman levels of power (i.e., "leap tall building in a single bound," etc.). Haruna doesn't trust him, and he doesn't do much to earn their trust, either.
Litra has the power to spit acid, but then dies; Juran emits poison pollen. The two fight, Litra spits acid, killing Juran. As Litra is dying, Rei takes out his Battlenizer and absorbs it. He doesn't know how or why he did that. The Pendragon crew are being assaulted by other kaiju, and Rei uses the Battlnizer to activate Gomera again (as he did in the first episode) as well as Litra. After the other monsters have been defeated, he tells the others, "A giant monster in the rocks is after me," and the scene flashes briefly to an Ultra Giant of Light embedded in a cliff face.
ATTACK OF THE TRANSPARENT MONSTER:
Kaiju: Underground Monster Gudon, Invisible Monster Nerogo, ancient Monster Gomora
The Pendragon is attacked by an invisible monster that drains its energy stores. The ship in on emergency life support, and Captain Hyuga chooses Rei to take a Dragon Speeder to a colony storehouse 50 kilometers away to pick up a replacement battery. Hyuga reasons that Rei is best able to protect himself, but Haruna doesn't trust him and insists on coming along. she further insists that she hold the Battlenizer for the duration of the trip. When they arrive, Rei senses that Nerogo is there, but Haruna disregards his warning and gets into trouble. Rei saves her, but without the Battlenizer he cannot summon a monster to defeat Nerogo. Haruna uses the Dragon Speeder to save Rei, but crash lands. She is, however, able to toss the Battlenizer to him so that he can summon Gomora to defeat Nerogo. Back at the Pendragon, she still doesn't quite trust him, but he has definitely won some points.
HERE COMES BEMSTAR!:
Kaiju: Giant Space Monster Bemstar, Ancient Monster Gomora, Primeval Bird Monster Litra (I think I'm going to stop listing the monster Rei calls forth from his Battlenizer at this point.)
As the episode begins, 30 monsters are within five kilometers of the Pengragon and are closing in, so the ship must make an emergency take-off. [This show is a big like Lost in Space in that they spend much of the time on the ground, but periodically relocate (except instead of going to outer space or another planet, they simply relocate).] Rei accumulates "experience" for every monster he successfully defeats, as if playing a video game. His memory is somehow tied in with these "experience points." I suspect he somehow is the stone Ultraman in the cliff face but doesn't know it. Captain Hyuga reveals to the rest of the crew that his former first officer was Hiroki Haruna, the brother of the current first officer. He left just priot to this mission to become the commander of the base on this planet. When Bemstar appears, Haruna attacks it, in defiance of orders, in a Dragon Speeder. Rei calls up Gomora and Litra to save her. After this, she reconciles with him. There are bookend scenes between Rei and Oki at the beginning and end. In the first, Oki crosses a line trying to pump Rei for information, but in the second, he identifies the stone giant in the cliff as the original Ultraman. When Rei is served coffee, he says "Thank you" (a major step forward in terms of his personality development).
HERE COMES BEMSTAR! sounds like a wacky animated sitcom.
THE TRAP AT BELARGO CITY:
Kaiju: Pre-Ancient Monster Fire Golza, Rock Monster Sadolar, Earth Robot-Type Beast Banpira
Fire Golza appears in the midst of a small heard of Rock Monsters in a manner similar to how the monsters Rei summons appear and kills every one of them. Meanwhile, Pendragon flies to the Belargo City only to find it wiped out. There is, however, one survivor. Banpira attacks, Rei sends Gomora against it and the Pendragon withdraws. According to her ID card, the survivor is Maki Azusa, a scientist from Belargo City. When Rei goes to visit her in the infirmary, she is gone. Suddenly, Golza appears and Rei agains summons Gomora. Rei hears a cryptic female voice in his head. Meanwhile, Gomora is no match for Golza. Ignoring the voice in his head, Rei directs Gomora to defeat Golza. Just as he is about to summon Gomora back into the Battlenizer, something shoots it out of his hand and Maki comes levitating down from the sky. But she identifies herself as "Kate" and Rei recognizes her as the voice in his head. She destroysGolza for having been defeated, then summons Weird Beast Gan Q. Rei directs Gomora to defeat it, and Kate collapses. When she revives, she is Maki again, and identifies Rei as the one who destroyed Belargo City and everyone who lived there with his monsters.
ANOTHER MONSTER TAMER:
Kaiju: Ancient Monster Twintail
As soon as Maki/Kate accuses Rei of destroying the base, she contacts him telepathically and tells him not to say anything or she will kill the humans and to just walk away, which he does. His teammates don't want to believe her, but he doesn't deny her accusations. Later, she begins to turn on the crew of the Pendragon one by one. She releases Ancient Monster Twintail, but Gomora is still recuperating from injuries sustained last episode, so Rei calls forth Litra. Litra eventually defeats Twintail, but just barely. Maki/Kate thinks that Rei should be much more powerful than he is, and speculates he has been affected by his time among humans. Then she summons Gan Q just as a herd of Rock Monsters attack. Rei has no choice at this point than to summon Gomora, even though he is injured. Gomora is only barely holding his own when Gan Q is attacked from behind... by the Pendragon! They have been working on the hyper-omega cannon for a couple of episodes now, and finally it is ready. Working together, Gomora and the Pendragon defeat Gan Q. Just before Maki/Kate leaves, Rei asks her who she is and why she's there. She tells him she's there to make him stronger, but if he ever becomes weaker than she is, she will have no mercy.
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