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
THE MARKED CAPTAIN: DETECTIVE MARLURU'S CASE FILE: "Captain Tatsumi is missing. Mysterious clues are found left in the Nursedessei... and there is a suspicious shadow. It smells like a mystery - so thinks Marluru, while the crew is left baffled. Marluru shows off his detective skills. 'In the name of Alien Metron'!"
The Captain is missing and does not respond to an emergency call. A drop of blood is found on the flight deck, but it's difficult to take this "mystery" seriously when 1) it's being investigated by Marluru, and 2) it's a clip show. Ten minutes in Tracy speculated that the "blood" would turn out to be ketchup and the captain went to get something to clean it up (and she wasn't too far wrong).
THE GOLDEN THREAT: "A new threat flies in from space: a mysterious Giant, shining in a dazzling gold. Kengo needs to fully master the power of Glitter Trigger if he wants to win... but not knowing how, he suffers defeat. As danger closes in from all sides, a new Ulraman appears."
"Ultimate Life Forms": Absolute Tartarus, Absolute Diavolo
Kaiju: Darebolic, the Strange Mechanical Monster
Two Absolutian (i.e., "absolute") Giants appear from another reality. Almost incidentally, Darebolic (a kind of "cyborg" kaiju) appears simultaneously. Yuna is becoming more adept at channelling Yuzare's power, but Kengo does not have a handle on Trigger's "glitter power" at all. When he needs it most, Ultraman Ribbut appears in pursuit of the Absolutian Giants and drives them away.
OPERATION DRAGON: "To defeat the powerful Absolute Diavolo, Kengo learns how to master Glitter Trigger's power from Ribut.Elsewhere, Akito and the members of GUTS-Select do all they can to release Nursedessei's true power. While the crew is busy, Kengo receives special training. But why is he dancing?"
Alien: Absolute Diavolo, the Ultimate Life Form
Nursedessei has a "battle mode" which GUTS has never employed because it ultizes too much power, but Akito approaches Captain Saiya with a plan to siphon power from Absolute Diavolo. Meanwhile, Ultraman Ribut (pronoumced "reboot"), in his human form, trains with Kengo and Yuna. Their training routine includes a synchronized dance routine. Absolute Diavolo reappears, Trigger is able to control the glitter power, and GUTS steals enough power to convert Nursedessei to battle mode, which is essentially a dragon shape. working together, they defeat Absolute Diavolo, but he is later revived by Absolute Tartarus. Ignis reveals himself (to the audience) to be the new incarnation of Trigger Dark.
Interesting. There's an episode from Neon Genesis Evangelion in the mid-90's where the characters Shinjoi and Asuka do a training montage - part of which involves synchronized dancing - in order to learn to use their mechas in perfect coordination. I wonder if that's a common trope in Japanese stories of this type.
SNEERING DESTRUCTION: "Ignis transformed into Trigger Dark? In the middle of the confusion, Hudram appears, followed but the appearance of the Legendary Inferno Beast Metsu-Orga, that devours everything in its path. Things happen one after another in this frantic situation. What will Kengo and his friends do?"
Kaiju: Metsu-Orga, the Legendary Galactic Inferno Beast, Metsau-Orichi, the New Legendary Galactic Inferno Beast
You would think that Trigger Dark and Hudram would be allies, but they're not. Then Trigger shows up and it's basically everyone against everone else. Trigger and Trigger Dark ending up combining powers to defeat Metsu-Orga, but Metsu-Orga absorbs energy and becaome Metsa-Orichi.
RAGING FEAST: "A new monster, Metsu-Orochi, comes out of the body of Metsu-Orga and absorbs energy of all kinds. To defeat this huge monster even more powerful than Metsu-Orga, GUTS-Select put their plans into action. Right in the thick of things, Dark Trigger appears again. Kengo and the team do all they can to survive this crisis."
Kaiju: Metsu-Orochi, the New Legendary Galactic IOnfenal Beast
GUTS-Select has petrified Metsu-Orochi, but the Nursedessei has run aground in the process. The petrification effect will last only 12 hours, but GUTS needs to repair their ship before they can take any permanant action against Metsu-Orochi. When the monster revives, they are able to launch the Falcon remotely, piloted by Himari. Then Dark Trigger appears, and it is Dark Trigger and the Falcon against Metsu-Orochi. Kengo is fighting from the ground. (For some reason, GUTS-Select does a lot of their fighting on foot.) Metsu-Orochi smacks the Falcon to the ground, nearly crashing into Kengo, and damaging its remote control hook-up in the process. The next thing we know, Kengo has climbed inside the Falcon and is piloting it against the monster. But that doesn't last long, and Kengo is forced to transform into Trigger. Then Carmeara (the female Dark Giant) appears, and she and Trigger get into a fistfight. Trigger Dark has disappeared by this time, but also GUTS-Select has appeared on the scene, on foot, in support of Trigger. Then Darrgon appears and convinces Carmeara to retreat.
SMILE OPERATION No. 1: "Captain Tatsumi is promoted to Lead Commander of GUTS-Select Asia. While Kengo and crew plan a surprise celebration, the other members all experience incredible good luck as well. What a perfect day... or so they think until the monster Golba appears. Can the team safely pull offf their surprise celebration?"
Kaiju: Golba, the Ultra-Ancient Dark Monster
This starts as a fairly light episode with the GUTS-Select crew trying to plan a surprise party for Captain Tarsumi. then good things start to happen to all of them.
But then things start to go wrong. When Golba attacks, the bank holding Himari's winnings is destroyed; the apartment building which Marluru planned too move into is likewise destroyed; when Akito tries to transform into Trigger, he can't. It is Yuna who begins to piece things together.
They are the victims of some sort of psychic attack. It is not revelaed who or what is responsible, but a man we have not seen before is shown in the last scene with a rainbow light actross his face.
WHAT MAKES A SAVIOR: "An unidentified cosmic wave known as "Morpheus D" reacts to minds filled with desire. It couses the Giants of Darkness to begin fighting anong themselves. As they lay waste to the city, a mysterious man is following Yuna... When the dark being tests Yuna's resolve, a miraculous Light descends."
Alien: Kyrieloid, the Infernal Warrior (subtitled "Eternal" Warrior); also, Morphesu D is subtitled Morpheus "R"
Chairman Shizuma arrives aboard the Nursedessei and informs the crew that the ship has been bombarded with Morpheus rays (either "D" for "Desire" or "R" for "Rays"; take your pick). The Dark Giants have also been affected and begin fighting among themselves. They appear through a warp into the city, and Trigger joins the battle against them. On the ground, Yuna encounters the man responsible for the Morpheus D/R rays and tells her that she has the potential to become a savior. He transforms into the Kyrieloid and nearly beats Trigger. Tuna discovers Light within her father, which enables him to manifest Ultraman Tiga in this reality. Working together, Trigger and Tiga defeat the Kyrieloid.
THE BLUE ONE COMES WITH THE LIGHTNING: "As Yuna awakens to Yuzare's power, the Blue Monster God Barriguiler descends from space. It seems to have some connection to Yuzare in the ancient past, but just what does it want? And look out, Yuna's in danger! Can Kengo and Akito come to Yuna's rescue in time?"
Kaiju: Barriguiler, the Electroshock Beastman
As serious as the threat this episode is, it's played mainly for laughs.
DEMONS RAMPAGE AGAIN: "Two capsules from 35 million years ago; they're even older than the 30 million Ultra-Ancient civilization? Barriguiler's lightning attack hits them, and causes the red and blue devils sealed within to be revealed. Kengo and Ignis join together to defeat the two giant monsters."
Kaiju: Banila, the Red Fire Monster; Aboras, the Blue Foam Monster
Kengo is "killed" early on, but he gets better for the climatic battle. One thing that surprised me: Akito knows that Ignis is really Trigger Dark. At the end,Kengo, Akito, Yuna and Ignis are all together, when Ignis transforms into Trigger Dark and kidnaps Yuna.
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