Ultraman (Back to the Beginning)

[Jeff of Earth-J]

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!

[Commander Benson]

Episode 15: "Terrifying Cosmic Rays"

This episode was memorable to me for two reasons.

First, every principal character in the episode thinks like an imbecile---except Ito, who is the voice of reason.

The annoying children:  they beseech Gavadon, the next time he comes to life, to be dangerous and destructive.  They want to be impressed by the monster that they've created.  O.K., they're kids, so they're allowed to be morons.

The owner/manager/caretaker of the pipeyard:  He could've solved the whole problem just by hooking up a firehose.  A healthy blast of water would've erased the drawing and scattered the children across the yard.  That would've been far more effective than just popping out from behind a stack of pipes like a target in a Hogan's alley.

The Science Patrol:  Ito, quite sensibly, proposes the simple and painless solution---wait until night, when Gavadon becomes a drawing again, and erase the drawing.  But Captain Mura rejects that idea, insisting that they tackle Gavadon the way they do all the other monsters, with the usual property damage and risk of death.  Usually, Mura is an exceedingly competent commanding officer; here, he's an idiot.

---and---

Second, this is one of the rare occasions when we hear Ultraman speak (though, obviously, he's using telepathy).  Jeff can back-stop me on this, but as I recall, in the English-dubbed version, Ultraman "speaks" only three times:  this episode, the first episode, and the last episode.

 

[Jeff of Earth-J]

Up until now, when I wanted to compare "dubs & subs" I would pause the playback and change the settings. Today I hit upon the idea of listening to the English dub with the the English captions turned on as well. The dialogue is close to 100% different. I mean, the gist is the same, but I assume the changes are (mostly) to occomodate Japanese mouth movements. Here are a few things I noted...

• Subtitled version: Paris branch mentioned cosmic ray activity in "Switzerland and South Africa."
• Dubbed version: Paris branch mentioned cosmic ray activity in "Bombay, Washington and New York."

• Subtitled version: Muramasa calls Ide an "Idiot."
• Dubbed version: Mura tells Ito to "Be quiet."

• Subtitled version: Arashi calls Ide an "Idiot."
• Dubbed version: Arashi asks Ito, "What's the matter with you?"

• Subtitled version: The children ring the caretaker and chant, "What's wrong? What's wrong?"
• Dubbed version: The children ring the caretaker and chant, "We made a monster! We made a monster!"

• Subtitled version: Ultraman promises the children that Gavadon can be seen each year on "July 7, Tanabata."
• Dubbed version: Ultraman promises the children that Gavadon can be seen each year on "a starry night, such as this."

"This is episode is one that made a strong impact on me when I was little."

"This episode was memorable to me for two reasons."

This episode likewise stirs many [what Bil & Jeff Keane would call] "Rememberies" in me. Among them...

The idea of drawings coming to life likewise struck my fancy when I was a kid. There was a small construction company on the diagonal corner of my block, and I remember drawing monsters on their blacktop parking lot with sidewalk chalk, not really expecting that they would come to life, but hoping that they would. "Sidewalk chalk" is something I might otherwise wonder if kids still played with, but there are two households across the street with little girls who draw things on the sidewalk with chalk all the time in nice weather.

ALTERNATE ENDING: As I was watching this episode, I kept anticipating the ending in which it begins to rain in the midst of Ultraman's fight with Gavadon. The rain washes away the drawing and Gavadon disappears. When that didn't happen, I remembered that that was the ending I imagined when I was a kid.

About 30 years ago, some friends of mine just had their first child, a boy. My friend, the father, had this romantic notion that he didn't want his son to learn anything that he himself didn't teach him. I didn't say anything, but I wondered how he was going to teach him lessons imparted by some of these Ultraman episodes. Buy him a pet and then kill it?

"I've never seen such a lazy monster!", says Fuji.

In the English dub the line was translated as, "All it does is sleep!"

Jeff can back-stop me on this, but as I recall, in the English-dubbed version, Ultraman "speaks" only three times:  this episode, the first episode, and the last episode.

That sounds right to me. If you'd've asked me before I watched this episode, I wouldn't've remembered he spoke in this one. Also, I'm not 100% certain that we saw Ultraman change back to Hayata only once, but we shall see. 

[The Baron]

Episode 16: "Science Patrol Into Space"

1. "Featuring Alien Baltan II"  "Electric Boogaloo"
2. Professor Mori is boarding the Omori, a spaceship of hdis own design, which is to make the first trip to Venus.
3. The SSSP is monitoring the launch, with Hayata aboard a VTOL, and Ide operating a remote control. Hayata launches right after Mori does, but the launch goes successfully.
4. Hoshino is upset because Professor Iwamoto's ship, the Phoenix, lost the race to launch to Mori's ship. Iwamoto is fine with it, because he felt that he needed more time to test his Hydro Generate Rocket, and - it seems to me - implicitly hinting that Mori should have done more testing himself. Captain Muramatsu explains the situation to Hoshino and tells him to think about it.
5. The SSSP monitors the flight from Earth. When Mori eats some food, Ide begins hooting like a chimp in a disturbing way. Then they start losing the signal and  Ide is suddenly Mister Professional, telling Fuji to active a translator that he invented.
6. A Baltan appears on the screen and says that some of them survivied Ultraman's attack and reached Planet R, where they can live, but they still want to conquer the Earth.
7. Out in space, an object - presumably Baltan in origin - attaches itself to the Omori. Mori sends out an SOS. He sees that his ship is out of fuel.
8. Cap and Arashi go to Professor Iwamoto, hoping to use the Phoenix to rescue Mori. Iwamoto is concerned that since the Phoenix is unarmed, it would not be useful against hostile aliens. Instead, he wants to adapt a VTOL for space travel.
9. In space, Baltan messes with Mori.
10. Ide has invented a weapon he calls the Mars 133, so he's back in Genius Mode.
11. Baltan has possessed Mori. He sends other Baltan to attack Earth while the SSSP is busy in space. He nptes that they have a defense against the Spacium Beam.
12. The Space VTOL takes off with Cap, Hayata and Arashi on board.
13. Ide tracks the Baltan on Earth. He flips out when the Baltan surround him, but regains his composure and starts shooting at the Baltn with his new weapon.
14. The SSSP  takes Baltan/Mori aboard. He causes them to crash, and then manifests as a giant Baltan. Hayata transforms into Ultraman. Baltan deflects the Spacium Beam, but Ultraman slices it in half with a new attack that the Ultra Wiki calles the "Ultra Slash". The remaining Baltan attack the Earth. Also, Ultraman can teleport now, becsuse why not? Anyway, he teleports to where the other Baltan are. 
15. The Baltan shields itself against the Ultra Slash. Ultraman uses his heat vision (He's just pulling powers out of his Ultra-arse at this point, isn't he?) to short out the Baltan's shields, and a second Ultra Slash cuts it in half. Ultraman Spacium Beams the two halves, just to be sure. 
16. Iwamoto, Fuji and Hoshino (Who's wearing an SSSP uniform now!) arrive in the Phoenix to rescue Cap, Arashi and Hayata.

Overall: An interesting episode with a lot of action, the return of Ultraman's archfoe and Ultraman manifesting new powers right and left.

[Commander Benson]

Episode 16: "Science Patrol Into Space"

I give this episode top marks for moodiness and for imparting a true sense of menace.  Much of that comes from the return of the Baltan.  I always preferred the threats that were sapient and motivated by genuine evil, as opposed to mindless monsters.

I saw only the English-dubbed version, of course.  I was able to follow the events, but perhaps because it was the English version, the episode came across as a little disjointed, sort of like those two-hour Columbo episodes that had portions of them cut to enable them to fit into a ninety-minute time slot.  For example, after Ultraman defeated the giant Baltan on Earth, it wasn't clear that he had defeated the rest of the alien invasion, nor that he'd returned to Planet R and become Hayata, again.  The scene simply shifts from Ultraman taking to the air to the interior of the S.P. ship on Planet R, where Captain Mura and Arashi have brought an unconscious Hayata on board.  ("It's almost as if he wasn't alive."  "Arashi, don't be silly.  Of course, he's alive.")

 

He's just pulling powers out of his Ultra-arse at this point, isn't he?

I didn't mind the introduction of Ultraman's heat vision so much.  But the teleportation power was a real reach.  It was amerliorated somewhat when Jack Curtis' narration informed us that teleporting caused Ultraman's power to diminish rapidly.  Yet, that was undone by the fact that Ultraman's colour timer never shifted to red or started blinking during his fight with the Baltan on Earth.

 

Hoshino (Who's wearing an SSSP uniform now!) 

This episode must've been aired out of sequence with the next episode, "Passport to Infinity", which shows Hoshino receiving his S.P. uniform, and why.

 

[The Baron]

This episode must've been aired out of sequence with the next episode, "Passport to Infinity", which shows Hoshino receiving his S.P. uniform, and why.

Something like that happened in Eighties Doctor Who, when a change in broadcast order meant that the Doctor's companion, Ace, was seen wearing an earring in the story "Silver Nemesis" that she didn't actually acquire until the next story, "Greatest Show in the Galaxy".

[Jeff of Earth-J]

I think I mentioned before that Baltan is one of my two favorite aliens.

Baltan deflects the Spacium Beam...

In the English dub, "spectrum beam."

...but Ultraman slices it in half with a new attack that the Ultra Wiki calles the "Ultra Slash". 

On the playground we called it the "buzz saw."

[Hoshino is] wearing an SSSP uniform now!

I'm still listening to the English dub while also reading the English captions, and I'm confusing myself as to which is which. In Hoshino's first scene, Arashi chastised Hoshino for crying and mentioned him being a junior trainee or something.

I was able to follow the events, but perhaps because it was the English version, the episode came across as a little disjointed

Sometimes I have noticed that the Japanese version has narration that is translated when the dubbed version is not. That could be because certain scenes were cut, but the reverse is sometimes true as well (that is, English dubbed with no English subtitles). 

"It's almost as if he wasn't alive."

That line was subtitled, "It's almost as if his soul had been stolen."

It was amerliorated somewhat when Jack Curtis' narration informed us that teleporting caused Ultraman's power to diminish rapidly.

The subtitles indicated that every time Ultraman teleports it shortens his life!

I saw only the English-dubbed version, of course.

There are several different translations of the theme song available online. These two are similar to the one on my DVD.

 

VERSION 1:

The mark I wear on my chest is a shooting star

With my proud jet, I shoot down enemies

From the Land of Light, for our sake

Here comes our Ultraman

 

The capsule I hold in my hand

Flashes with a brilliant light

A million-watt radiance

From the Land of Light, for the sake of justice

Here comes our Ultraman

 

The gun I hold in my hand

Roars with a powerful sound

A specialist in monster extermination

From the Land of Light, for the sake of Earth

Here comes our Ultraman

 

VERSION 2: 

The mark in his chest is a meteor,
He beats down the enemies proudly with his jet.
From the Land of Light for the sake of us,
Here he comes, our hero Ultraman.

The capsule in his hand sparkles and flashes,
The radiance of a million watts.
From the Land of Light for the sake of righteousness,
Here he comes, our hero Ultraman.

The gun in his hand buzzes out "za-zap",
He is an expert at monster extermination.
From the Land of Light for the sake of the Earth,
Here he comes, our hero Ultraman.

[The Baron]

Episode 17: ""Passport to Infinity"

1. "Featuring Four-Dimensional Monster Bullion"
2. An explorer, Mister Yesterdy (sic), who is just back from the Baron Desert, disappears after a blue meteorites who was examining changed form. The SSSP is asked to investigate. Arashi and Ide are sent to Yedterdy's home, where they are smitten with his secretary. After a sudden earthquake, they find Yesterdy and the blue meteorite outside, although the meteorite soon fliwa away. Yesterdy says that he gsve a red meteorite to his friend, Fukui, which makes him think that Fukui is in dnger. Arashi races to Fukui's home. Fukui agree to let the SSSP have the red meteorite for safekeeping, and asks for protection for himself.
3. A scientist named Kawaguchi finds the blue meteorite in the road. He takes it back to his lab, where it changes his lab into a bizarre, extradimensional landscape. Cap and Arashi go to Kawaguchi's lab. Hayata throws the meteorite away and Kawaguchi is found outside. Arashi and Ide retrieve the blue meteorite. 
4. Hoshino speaks to Yesterdy, who tells him that it would be bad if the two meteorites were brought together. Meanwhile, the SSSP  store the two meteorites together. In hospital, Kawaguchi theorizes that the two meteorites might merge together and become a giant creature.
5. As the two meteorites merge, Hoshino tries to warn Fujii, but she goves him the bum's ruxh, the one time that she might have beneifted from listening to him.
6. Things go wild in HQ. Outside, Hoshino drags Fuminto safety, as the meteorites become a monster (Bullion).
7. Cap and Arashi try to find their way out of HQ, which has become a surreal maze., while Ide minds Fukui and his secretary. Ide is back in comedy idiot mode. Fuji has summomed the army, but their attacks don't go well.
8. Hayata races away from Fuji and Hoshino, and transforms into UIltraman. His initial attacks don't go well. but then he uses a "whirlwind" attack that makes Bullion vulnerable to his Specium Beam, which causes the creature to turn back into a rock, which Ultraman then crushes.
9. We end with Cap rewarding Hoshino with an SSSP uniform.

Overall; An interesting episode. Bullion is certainly not a "run of the mill" monster. 

[Commander Benson]

Episode 17: ""Passport to Infinity"

The episodes, like this one, which depart from the usual formula are always more interesting.  I rather enjoyed the fact that Ultraman couldn't soften the threat with karate chops and judo throws before taking it out.  In fact, this time, he was on the ropes through most of the fight, until he distracted the meteorite beast long enough to zap it with his specium beam.

 

We end with Cap rewarding Hoshino with an SSSP uniform.

Which struck me as unwarranted.  Hoshino didn't really rescue Hayata; rather, he showed up with Fuji to revive an unconscious Hayata after Ultraman defeated the monster.  True. Hoshino acted intelligently and responsibily in the episode (it wasn't his fault that Fuji blew him off when he tried to impart vital information).  But I didn't see him accomplish anything that warranted awarding him a S.P. uniform.

A better ending occurred a minute or so before, when Hayata and Fuji and Hoshino report in, telling the others that the monster has been destroyed.  "By who?  You?!" Arashi asks Hoshino.  It wasn't me, replies the boy.  Then, Hayata says, "The credit's mine."

"That's a lie," interjects Fuji.  "Ultraman."

That would've been a perfect spot for Hayata to break the fourth wall and smile at the audience---reminescent of George Reeves' Clark Kent at the end of an Adventures of Superman episode.

 

[Jeff of Earth-J]

"Remembries": I remember being intrigued by the "fourth dimensional" effects... especially the "stairway to nowhere."