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
UNDER THE NAME OF ULTRAMAN: "The brothers Katsumi Minato and Isami Minato were defeated completely by Ultraman Orb Dark. After that, Ultramn Dark started to take hold in the minds of people in Ayaka City. What is the answer the brothers come up with after keenly feeling their immaturity? What is the true aim of Orb Dark? The retun match of the furious brothers, Ulraman Rosso and Blu, begins!"
Katsumi and Isami spend the entire recap discussing Ultrman Orb Dark's name.
"His name is too long!"
"Is that really what you're concerned about right now?"
"'Dark' is English, 'noir' is French and 'schwarz' is German, so his full name is really 'Ultraman Orb Black Black Black Black.' What, is he stupid?"
After their defeat, Katsumi and Isami begin training in secret. Meanwhile, Ultraman Orb Dark sets about saving people from disasters (some of which he has secretly caused himself) and doing good deeds (such as retrieving the balloon of a little girl who let it go). He insists that people use his full name, and twice this episode kids pronoubce "schwarz" as "schwartz" which really annoys Aizen. Asahi finds out about her brothers' secret training and insists on coming along. She gets bored however, wanders off, falls down and twists her ankle. Her brothers come to her rescue, and discover another crystal, almost as if she subconsciously led them to it. Rosso and Blu use this crystal to defeat Ultraman Orb Dark, forcing him back to human form. Before Aizen can retrieve his transformation device, however, Katsumi and Isami arrive on the scene and take it from him. He vows revenge.
A WEEKEND OF MINATO FAMILY: "Ushio Monato went out on a picnic with his family. Taking a break from the battles, Katsumi and Isami enjoy a rare day off with their family. While spending peaceful time, they make up their mind again that they need to protect their family. Just then, 'that guy' appears and breaks the peace. Their new challenge, Monster Horoboros' claw, came at the brothers Ultrman!"
Kaiju: Horoboros
Katsumi and Isami spend the entire recap arguing about the length of Ultraman Orb Dark's name again. They are able to utilize the power of Aizen's captured transformation device as well. If I remember how to do combinations and permutations correctly, that gives them a power set of 120 unique powers to draw upon. Asahi finds the transformation device and mistakes it for a face massager. (She's probably a little young to mistake it for a vibrator, which is what it looks like). Ushio decides to close the shop one day and his his family on a picnic. They go to Aizen Wonderland, which is just a park. Makota Aizen himself is there running a concession stand, if we are to believe that. Although Ultraman Orb etc., etc. has been defeated, Aizen is still a free man. Katsumin and Isami are skeptical, but aizen offers them both jobs... in the U.S.A., presumably to get them out of the way. He still sees himself as a hero, yet he calls forth Horoboros to test them while he jetpacks to safety. While Ultraman R/B battles the monster, Aizen takes notes and grades them on their moves. Aizen maneuvers Horoboros to endanger Ushio and Asahi, and while Ultraman R/B rushes to save them, the monster blindsides them, transforming them back to human form. Aizen appears on the scene and retrieves his transformation device. Then he prepares to show them what a "true hero" is.
AIZEN CAPPRICIO: "When people were in despair after the brothers Ultraman were defeated by monster Horoboros, a real hero appeared. The name is 'Ultraman Orb Dark Noir Black Schwarz'! The brothers Ultraman stand up to stop a plot hidden behind the fine showings by Orb Dark. However, a girl in black with blue eyes appears... "
Kaiju: Horoboros, Space Devil Beezerb
This episode picks up exactly where the last one left off. After a fierce battle, Orb Dark defeats Horoboros. Aizen reappears and gives a speech allying his company with the "true" Ultraman, Orb Dark Noir Black Schwarz. Katsumi and Isami try to tell the crown that he is a fraud, but they turn on them. A female hand retrieves the crystal left behind by the defeat of Horoboros. Ushio supports Orb Dark and designs a t-shirt, which cause a rift between him and his two sons. Space Devil Beezerb attacks, and Orb Dark appears to fight it. Katsumi and Isami transform into Ultraman R/R and a three-way fight ensues. Asahi discovers her brothers' secret. After Beeserb is defeated, a young girl dressed in black appears and summons Horoboros. Another battle royale is on the horizon.
This episode ends with a major twist.
WHAT WE HAVE TO PROTECT: "The mysterious girl with blue eyes appears here and there unexpectedly. Makoto Aizen is in a big hurry for the monster Horoboros to be defeated. Ushio is in a contemplative mood praying for peace for his family. Asahi discovers the truth. What do her brothers have to protect? When they stand up again, the second half of the story will change radically!"
Kaiju: Horoboros
The episode picks up with Ultraman R/B, Orb Dark and Horoboros in a standoff. Horoboros is a Griffin-like creature and surprises all of its opponents when it stands upright. It quickly defeats Orb Dark, transforming him back to human, and Asahi finds his transformation device, Orb Ring Neo. The girl in black (or "the mysterious girl with blue eyes") is watching from a distance. Horoboros defeats Ultraman R/B as well, and Asahi witnesses them change back into her unconscious brothers, so if she didn't learn their secret in the previous episode, she certainly knows it now. she contacts their father and together they transport Katsumi and Usami to the hospital. When they awaken, Asahi reveals to them (but not their father), that she knows their secret. Meanwhile, while looking through his wife's diary, Ushio makes a startling discovery.
Back at the hospital, the girl in black with blue eyes (GIBWBE), who has been in control of Horoborus all along, calls it back into action. Katsumi and Isami take their leave of Asahi to go fight the monster. Elsewhere, after his defeat at the hands of Horoborus, Makoto Aizen is in a full body cast. The GIBWBE arrives in his room dressed as a nurse. She quotes a "friend" of hers, Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde... something about how all human beings are false. Back at his shop, Ushio reminisces about a day in the park when he took a picture of himself and his three children with an automatic camera mounted on a tripod, a scene we have seen before. They all say "Happy!" (rather than "Cheese!"), when the picture is snapped. Asahi is just a toddler at the time, but "Happy," of course, will one day become her catchphrase. Ironically, she is crying loudly as the picture is being taken. In the present, when Ushio looks at the photo that was taken that only, only he, Katsumi and Isami are in it.
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