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
Ultraman Decker 2022
Ultraman Blazar 2023
Ultraman Arc 2024
Ultraman Omega 2025
Ultraman Theo 2026
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 imperfections on Ultraman's mask are really obvious in close-ups in HD.
I noticed that, too.
Episode 06: "The Coast Guard Command"
This one stands out because the Science Patrol gets involved with ordinary criminals, in this case, diamond smugglers. That didn't happen very often, mainly, I guess, because that's not the S.P.'s purpose. (In fact, one has to wonder if the S.P. has arrest authority. But it's not the U.S.; it's Japan---and it's television, so we'll just go with it.)
Hoshino---and two more kids, ye gods! Not that Hoshino was terribly grating this time around, but children are always annoying.
I got a kick out of the "Where's Hayata?" scene at the end, when Hayata comes marching out with the two unconscious crooks. Of course, we know that Diamond Kick and his henchman were taken out when Guesra demolished the building they occupied. But the impression is that Hayata waylaid the crooks himself. I kind of like the idea that Hayata is tough enough to have done so himself, if he'd had to.
And, aye, Ito behaved reasonably sensibly. We need occasions like that to justify why he is on the team.
Not that Hoshino was terribly grating this time around, but children are always annoying.
I admire people that are succeassful parents to little kids, because they must have had the patience of Job.
I kind of like the idea that Hayata is tough enough to have done so himself, if he'd had to.
I think that Susumu Kurobe did a good job of portraying Hayata as capable and confident.
Episode 07: "The Blue Stone of Baradhi"
Overall: An OK episode. Interesting to see them getting outside of Japan and getting more of a sense of the SSSP as a global organization.
Episode 07: "The Blue Stone of Baradhi"
Interesting to see them getting outside of Japan and getting more of a sense of the SSSP as a global organization.
This is one of the episodes that has stuck in my memory since I first saw it almost sixty years ago, mainly for the fact that it took place outside of Japan, and it added to the mythology of Ultraman.
In the English-dubbed version, the Occidental who arrives to brief the Science Patrol is named Adam Jeffers. Although Jack Curtis' narration states that Jeffers has come "to seek the help of the Science Patrol", I always assumed Jeffers was a member of the U.S. branch of the S.P. (a later episode---I don't remember which---has Captain Mura talking to the New York branch of the Patrol over the phone). I took this from the fact that, during the briefing, one can see Jeffers wearing the S.P. lapel pin on his jacket and that he suits up in the standard S.P. uniform. Either way, Jim from Paris or Adam from the U.S., it establishes the fact that the Science Patrol is an international organisation.
One difference from your synopsis, Baron, that cannot be attributed to differences in the English dubbing: in my re-watching of the episode this morning, when the High Priestess retrieves the blue stone from the Ultraman idol, she gives it to Captain Mura---not Arashi---to throw at Antlar. It's clear, because we can see Arashi watching as the Priestess gives it to Mura.
I rather liked the way that the narrative kept the details of the Ultraman idol vague. Did an ancestor of Ultraman once visit Earth, or had Ultraman himself voyaged to Earth once before? Nor is there a real explanation for the effects of the blue stone from the idol's hand. One can extrapolate that, ages ago, Ultraman (or his predecessor) defeated Antlar and buried him beneath the sands, and somehow, the blue stone kept the monster dormant---until the falling meteorite freed him from his underground tomb.
Ito tends to be blithe-hearted about the mission, but otherwise, avoids being an embarrassment---and there is no Hoshino: two other high points for this episode.
Interestingly, Ultraman was pretty much superfluous to the action. He accomplished little, except to hold Antlar at bay. It was the S.P. who ended the threat. You won't see that very often.
One difference from your synopsis, Baron, that cannot be attributed to differences in the English dubbing: in my re-watching of the episode this morning, when the High Priestess retrieves the blue stone from the Ultraman idol, she gives it to Captain Mura---not Arashi---to throw at Antlar. It's clear, because we can see Arashi watching as the Priestess gives it to Mura.
I re-watched it, and I just got it wrong, is all.
"Featuring Magnetic Monster Antlar"
Antlar reminds me of the Sarlacc (or rather the reverse, I should say). As a rule, I generally prefer the alien kaiju (those with intelligence) to the ancient Earth ones (guided by instinct).
Ah, well, at least there's no Hoshino in this episode.
Yeah, but Fuki was left behind.
The Baradhi sets were from a recent Toho film about the Silk Road.
Ah. I was wondering about that.
...where Noah's Ark is said to have landed after the Flood.
That's the same in both edits.
She speaks Japanese and can read minds.
English in the dubbed version.
The SSSP speculate that "Noah" may have been an ancestor of Ultraman.
Oh, I don't think I caught that in the English dub.
Chartam is pessimistic about the future of her city.
The narration in the dub was optimistic: that it had been there for 1000 years and would be there for 1000 more.
Then Fuji arrives in a VTOL...
...only in the Japanese edit.
...and they all fly home.
...in a toy jet.
...in a toy jet
Episode 08: "The Monster Anarchy Zone"
Overall: I thought this was a good episode. I like a good monsterfest.
He was originally meant to be colored red.
I always suspected that, but didn't know for certain.
After a bloody, brutal battle, Red King rips one of Chandlar's wings off (!) and Chandlar flees.
This is the kind of kid's fare one could expect before A.C.T. absolutely ruined children's for generations to come.
Hayata is knocked down a slope, loses consciousness and drops his Beta Capsule.
When I was a kid, the toilet paper dispenser rod served as my "Beta Capsule."
With all due respect to a certain Pigmon fan we all know
Pigmon is actually Tracy's second favorite monster.
Pigmon is killed by rocks thrown by Red King.
This is something else never to be seen in the A.C.T. era.
Ultraman attacks Red King and beats him quickly
Sometimes I feel sorry for the monsters, but niot this time.
I thought this was a good episode. I like a good monsterfest.
This is perhaps one of my five favorite episodes. Around the same time I was watching Ultraman on TV, I was also devouring monster comics reprints, such as Where Monsters Dwell and Monsters on the Prowl. Decades later, whenever I would go to local comics shows, if I couldn't find anything else, I was always assured of fishing a monster comic or two out of the quarter box (later, "dollar box").
Episode 08: "The Monster Anarchy Zone"
Aye, this was the most exciting episode so far. And it was devoid of Hoshino and any over-mugging by Ito.
I have noticed that Hayata has a hard time keeping the beta capsule in his jacket. It keeps falling out at the most inconvenient times. You'd think he'd invest in a strap-holder to hold it in place.
This was Pigmon's least annoying appearance. He's more grating when he returns. (Aye, he gets better.)
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