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 purposefully have not yet checked to see if there is another series at this point. I thought I might take a little break.
That "break" did not last nearly as long as I had anticipated. As soon as I posted last night, I checked to see if the next series was available, and it was so I ordered it last night and received it today. We have an Amazon distribution center one town over. I don't think we've ever received anything the same day we ordered it (although it seems to me we might have, once), but we often receive things the very next day. We'll probably start watching Ultraman Trigger tonight.
ULTRAMAN TRIGGER (NEW GENERATION TIGA):
Ultraman Trigger: Trigger's basic form balances both speed and power. He has the ability to Type change into other forms, such as Power Type and Sky Type. He fights with a diverse array of beam attacks, as well as the sacred weapon "Circle Arms" which can transform into a sword, claw and arrow.
Transformation items: Guts sparklence, Guts hyper key
It looks as if Ultraman Z will also be a part of this series, as well as a previously unknown Giant of Light, Ultraman Ribut. Between the three of them, they have 14 different "types" (and probably "action figures" as well).
Villains:
Organization: Terrestrial Peaceable Union (TPU)
Strike Force: GUTS-Select
CONNECTION OF LIGHT: "Young Kengo Manaka lives on Mars. As he lives out his peaceful, day-to-day life, the monster Golba suddenly appears, throwing the town into chaos. Meanwhile, Kengo has a fateful meeting with a giant stone statue sleeping deep beneath the ground on Mars. When Kengo becomes one with an Ultra-Ancient Light, his destiny is formally thrown into motion."
Kaiju: Golba, the Ultra-Ancient Dark Monster (actually a fusion of Golza and Melba)
20 years ago, a young archaeologist named Reina Manaka discovered ruins beneath the surface of Mars. At first it was thought the ruins were shallow and wide, but excavation revealed that they were actually in the form on an inverted pyramid. Six years ago, kaiju began to appear on Earth, and the TPU constructed Nursedessei, the Anti-Monster Battleship. (this series is set in a universe we have not seen before.) By now, an Earth-like city exists on the surface of Mars beneath a lear, glass-like dome. Kengo Manaka, Reina's son, is a botanist who has bred R'lyeh, the only plant that can grow in Mars' soil. He dreams of an angelic woman named Yuzare. As the episode begins, Chairman Shizuma is visiting from Earth. He is apparently an archaeologist as well, Reina's mentor. He discovered ruins on Earth of "Beings of Light" which date back 30 million years. The ruin beneath Mars are identical. When Kengo touches the statue of Ultraman Trigger (pronounced "toe-ree-gah"), he sets in motion a series of events. First, the monster Golba appears, then a female Ultra-Ancient Being of Dark named Carmeara. Chairman Shizuma gives Kengo some artifacts he has brought with him (actually Trigger's transformation devices), but doesn't really tell him anything about them. His mother urges him to "do what's right." He activates them, by instinct I guess, and merges with Ultraman Trigger. After doing battle with Carmeara and Golba, he is invited back to Earth by Chairman Shizuma (who apparently has two children, a boy and a girl, about Kengo's age).
Kengo's philosophy is "I want to make everyone smile!" and his catchphrase is "Smile, smile!" Tracy's comment: "That's already annoying." I said he should pair up with Asahi Minato from Ultraman R/B (you know... "Happy!") and they can be annoying together. So far we haven't met any of the regular GUTS-Select team members, but here's the opening credits.
THEME
LEAP TO THE FUTURE: "After Kengo comes to Earth to become a member of the defense team GUTS-Select and protect people from monsters, the Vampire Monster Gymaira appears. To make matters worse, the second Giant of Darkness Darragon, has been resurrected. In the face of such overwhelming strength, Trigger has no choice but to increase his own strength, too -- and that's when a new power awakens."
Kaiju: Gymaira, the Vampire Monster
We've got a lot of new characters to introduce this time, so let's get right to it. Appearing in the opening credits at the time marks indicated are...
Kengo Manaka - Ultraman Trigger (0:16) - He has five different "hyper keys" to insert into the sparklence trigger device. The "power type" he assumes depends on which hyper key he chooses.
Yuna Shizuma - Chairman Shizuma's daughter (0:20) - We don't know much about her yet, other than that she's the chairman's daughter. she is very young; she may still be in high school. (She is late for this episode's meeting because she was in "class.") She is a dead ringer for Yuzare, the "angelic"-looking woman Kengo sees in his dream. Akito seems to be jealous of the way Kengo looks at her. (Possible love triangle?) Yuna obviously has some sort of link to Ultrman Trigger, but it is equally obvious she knows nothing about it. It is unclear whether her father is aware of it or not. (See Yuzare at 1:21.)
Akito Hijiri - lead technician (0:24) - He takes an immediate dislike toward Kengo. We find out later that he invented the sparklence (based on recovered archaeological artifacts) and expected to become Ultraman Trigger himself. At one point in the episode, Hijiri tosses a hyper key to Kengo. Other than Chairman Shizuma, Hijiri is the only member of the GUTS-Select team who knows Kengo is Trigger.
Himari Nanase - remote pilot, GUTS-Falcon (0:27) - She is very no-nonsense; reminds me of Ultraman Z's Yoko. (See the Falcon in the credits at 1:15.)
Tesshin Sakuma - pilot (0:31) - Very loud, good-natured and boistrous. I assume he is the pilot of the battleship Nursedessei. (See Nursedessei at 1:14.)
Captain Seiya Tatsumi - (0:34) - Also seems very good-natured.
Marluru - Alien Metron (0:38) - This series' annoying alien ally character.
Chairman Shizuma - (0:42)
Perhaps it would be easier to pause playback on the group shot at 0:45. From left to right they are: Marluru (alien), Tesshin Sakuma (pilot), Himari Nanase (remote pilot), Akito Hijiri (lead technician), Kengo Manaka (Ultraman Trigger), Yuna Shizuma (chairman's daughter), Captain Seiya Tatsumi, and Chairman Shizuma.
THE ULTRA-ANCIENT LIGHT AND DARKNESS: "A man named Ignis, who calls himself the #1 treasure hunter in the universe is going after Yuna. What on Earth could he possibly want with her? At the same time, Gazort appears cloaked in dark clouds and engages GUTS-Select in a fierce battle. If this continues, they'll all be taken out in one fell swoop."
Kaiju: Gazort, the Transformation Dark Monster
After doing battle with Carmeara and Golba, he is invited back to Earth by Chairman Shizuma (who apparently has two children, a boy and a girl, about Kengo's age).
The girl is Yuna and the boy is Akito, but they are not siblings. (I'm not even certain that Yuna is actually his daughter.) In this episode it is revealed that Akito has been living in the Shizuma household since he was ten years old. Yuna thinks of him as her brother, but he obviously has romantic feelings for her. When Kengo, Akito and Yuna stop off at Shizuma's home for a change of clothes for Yuna, a strange young man appears in her bedroom and makes seemingly suggestive remarks. Kengo and Akito drive him away, but she is later kidnapped by Hudram, one of the Giants of Darkness. The man from Yuna's bedroom also appears, which is surprising because everyone thought he was Hudram. He introduces himself as Ignis, and the three men rescue Yuna from Hudram. During their tussle, Yuna turns into Yuzare, but she retians no memory of having done so. Akito knows she is Yuzare, and so does Shizuma. The Giants of Darkness are after Yuna because they know she is really Yuzare, and Akito is after the Giants of Darkness which explains his presence in her bedroom; he was actually there to protect her.
Against the backdrop, GUTS-Select (primarily Himari remote-piloting the Falcon) takes on Gazort. The Falcon is a plane, but can also "transform" into a bird-like mode. Himari is staid and serious most of the time, but becomes orgasmic while piloting the Falcon. I'm already really enjoying this series.
FOR SMILES: "A mysterious artifact is excavated from the Ultra-Ancient ruins. As GUTS-Select investigates, the treasure Ignis had been hunting awakens: Oka-Gubila. With the town in danger, Kengo must transform into Trigger to make everyone smile."
Kaiju: Oka-Gubila, the Ancient Underground Beast
As it says in the capsule summary, "a mysterious artifact is excavated from the Ultra-Ancient ruins" (thus providing an opportunity to recap the 30 million year-old history of Yuzare and Trigger vs. the three Giants of Darkness). Then Ignis shows up and steals it. (Yuna Shizuma is the GUTS-Select security officer, BTW.) He later infiltrates the Nursedessei. The artifact activates, by itself, and Gubila appears below.
AKITO'S PROMISE: "A massive monster with huge horns has suddenly appeared. That monster is Deathdrago, the first monster that appeared before humanity six years ago. Faced with Feathdrago's return, Akito seems to have gone a little strange. What connection could there be between Akito and the monster that began it all? And will Kengo be able to make Akito smile?"
Kaiju: Deathdrago, the Destructive Rampage Dragon
Deathdrago has "huge horns"... on one side of its head only. The others were apparantly broken off during some previous battle, but no mention is made of it. Akito's parents worked for Shizuma and were killed by Deathdrago, which is why Akito came to live with Shizuma's family. Doing a little quick math, if Akito came to live with them when he was ten years old and Deathdrago first appeared six years ago, he must only be 16 years old. I can almost believe that of Yuna, but whatever. When Deathdrago reappears (under the control of Darrgon), Akito is ordered to evacuate civilians to safety, but he joins the battle against it anyway. This action earns him a three-day suspension. During that time, Deathdrago attacks again, and Akito again joins the attack, earning himself an additional three-day supension. At one point, the human-size Darrgon confronts Yuma and she slaps him across the face, saying that humans will never surrender. The slap, of course, took Darrgon more by surprise than anything else, but at the end of the episode he is shown rubbing his face and contemplating her words.
she slaps him across the face
I'm imagining this with a Three Stooges sound effect.
THE ONE-HOUR DEMON: "The mysterious robot Satandelos only moves for one hour each day. None of Trigger's attacks can get through its super-strong barrier. After a series of defeats, Trigger and GUTS-Select search desperately for a way to take down the barrier, but they don't even know where to begin... that is, until an unexpected figure appears before them."
Kaiju: Satandelos, the Planetary Destruction God
A robot controlled by Hudram appears. It operates for only a hour each day, then recharges behind a forcefield for 23. The forcefield is very powerful, which is why it needs to charge for so long in the first place. Marluru recognizes it as a modified Gigadelos robot, which Himari dubs Satandelos. Suddenly, Ignis again appears aboard Nursedessei. It is also Marluru who identifies him as a Lishurian. (The planet Lishuria was destroyed 100 years ago.) Ignis lets Kengo know that he saw him transform to Ultraman trigger in a previous episode, but promises to keep his secret if Kengo/Trigger will "watch his back." Ignis knows of a way to penetrate Satandelos' forcefield, which GUTS-Select uses to defeat it. Grateful, Captain Tatsumi offers Ignis an unofficial spot on the team, but Ignis turns him down. He promises to show up from time-to-time, though (and we know he will because by this time he has been added to the opening credits).
INTER UNIVERSE: "Suddenly, an unidentifired robot falls straight out of the sky. Following this strange happening, visitors begin to appear one after another: an alien with a strange bird on his shoulder; members of a mysterious defense force different from GUTS-Select; and finally, another Ultra...? Is this the beginning of a new battle for Trigger and GUTS-Select?"
Kaiju: Alien Barossa IV; Baby Zandrias Kedamya, the Pirate Chick Monster
This episode begins like an episode of Ultraman Z, except Haruki is pilopting King Joe and Yoko is piloting Sevenger for some reason. They are pursuing Alien Barossa, who has stolen Z's transformation medals. All of Barossa "Space Pirates" we have seen have been different beings, and this one has a "pirate chick monster" (like a parrot) on its shoulder. Barossa opens a dimensional warp and escapes into it, drawing King Joe and Haruki with it. The "unidentifired robot" of the summary is a depowered King Joe. This episode has a lot packed into it. Barossa and Ignis have a weird sort of "one-upsmanship" with each other. Probably the weirdest thing is the "vamipre ball" which transforms, not into a bat, but a fish, and bites people on the neck while shouting "Business is boomng! Business is booming!" (I have no idea what to make of that, frankly.) By the end of the episode, Haruki has regained his abilty to transform into Z but is trapped in Trigger's dimension.
THE PROPAGATING INVASION: "A mysterious phenomenon causes objects to malfunction all over the city. Its influence spreads, intruding into important facilities all over the world, finally stealing the system of the Nursedressei. To reclaim their battleship, Kengo, Haruki and the members of GUTS-Select stand together to confront this powerful enemy."
Alien: Dada, the Three-Faced Phantom
Actually, the "mysterious phenomenon" is caused by Alien Dada. Once again, Ignis mysteriously appears on the bridge of the Nursedressei; he seems to come and go as he pleases. Eventually, the Dada virus that is infecting all devices eventually reactivates and takes control of King Joe. Ultramen Z and Trigger have to fight it together. It ends up being smashed to pieces, but that Belial stick-thing Z carries reveals that it has had the power to breach dimensions all along. I kinda thought Z would stick around longer, but Haruki transforms to Z and flies back to his own universe with the pieces of Joe at the end of this episode.
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