Urutoraman: Kûsô tokusatsu shirîzu

So, all I can say is, the 1965 Ultraman is indeed worth watching and in my opinion, it's really great and solid. It is silly and goofy as hell at the beginning of the show, and while the execution might get to be a little bit sloppy in few of the episodes, this is still enjoyable to watch. There are also plenty of interesting fights, and if that's what you did want to expect from this kind of show, then this is pretty much for you.

And with that title I refer to a specific point device used in this series - I. E. the fact that the titular character seems quite a bit hellbent on losing his transformation device because reasens - that reminds me of some magical girl shows like Hime-Chan No Ribbon or Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon, which is quite interesting considering this is a manly men's show about a manly superhero (I'm telling it as a fan of both Majokko series). Anyway, this series is very interesting, it was clearly very influential not just on Tokusatsus on the whole but also on the whole mecha genre and animation in general, and not only because of what a certain fanboy (Hideki Anno) made out of a lot of the stuff present here in his Evangelion series. That said, some episodes drag on a bit and I would personally have developed a couple of them in another direction, but whatever. Recommended with no problems whatsoever, even to first timers of this franchise like I am.

The first giant robot Japanese Sci-Fi TV show has something that all the others (Ultraman sequels included) never achieved. It's set in a world of bizarre logic and weird film making that is hard to describe. Unlike American television shows, Ultraman seemed to be played for laughs, very strange laughs, but laughs none the less. Don't expect the self-conscious humor of Batman but a world where people say and do odd things, the plot lines take goofy turns and characters will suddenly turn to the camera and talk to you as if nothing strange is happening at all.

In one episode, the main characters (members of the "Science Patrol" in the Amrican translation) are sent out to find nuclear bombs that fell off a wayward space mission (!) and sank to the bottom of the sea. Unfortunately a sea creature found one of the bombs first and mutates into a giant monster (resembling the Creature from the Black Lagoon) that sinks boats and attacks ocean resorts. All the time a nuclear bomb is stuck on the monster's shoulder. The Science Patrol has the brilliant idea to sooth the enraged beast with music so they get the Japanese Coast Guard to play classical music from a destroyer! This has the opposite effect as the monster rips up and hurls trees around. One member of the Science Patrol make the incredible observation, "The monster doesn't like music, turn it off!". The show stops as the main characters try to figure out why their plan didn't work since "all wild beasts are soothed by music"! It's decided that radiation is the cause of the monster's inability to appreciate fine music!

If you are looking for "rational" entertainment, run far as you can from Ultraman. For the rest of us who enjoy goofy fun, you can't get better then this. The new DVD set has the original Japanese track which has increased my admiration for this show.

Even compared to such masterpieces as Ultraseven and Ultraman Mebius, the original still holds up after all these years!

There's great character development (especially for Ide) for the S. S. S. P. and the extras, Kunio Miayuchi's score is wonderful, the special effects are eye-popping, the designs for the kaiju are very unique and appealing, and it has some of the best episodes of the whole franchise( such as "My home is earth", "The Forbidden Words", "The Monster Graveyard", and "The Small Hero" just to name a few.

And it all culminates in a wonderfully satisfying finale which puts the entire earth at stake!

If you love sci-fi, old Godzilla movies, Star Wars, or if your already a fan of the franchise, i cannot recommend this show enough.

As a kid growing up in the 70's, I would rush home from school to watch Ultraman. My family cared not for this show and would frequently undermine my attempts to watch it. Sometimes through sheer force, I would get the television to myself and would revel in the exploits of the Science Patrol and Shin Hayata's alter ego/superhero Ultraman.

Every episode featured the same scenario. Alien invaders and or a giant monster would arrive and threaten Earths survival. It was up to the Science Patrol to counter this threat with their scientific knowhow. In most cases, this knowhow was not enough and Hayata/Ultraman would save the day.

By todays standards, this 'special effects fantasy series' will come off as cheap and primitive. It must be noted this was made in 1966 by Eiji Tsuburaya Productions. Tsuburaya was the special effects master behind the Godzilla movies and his expertise is in full swing. For the kids who watched this show, this was not some cheap entertainment. Ultraman was very real. Hayata was very real. The Science Patrol was a team worth rooting for. Some of the episodes are very advanced in terms of theme and story content.

There are two sets that can be purchased on DVD. Series One, Volume 1 and 2 is the set I own. The picture and sound quality are superb. The viewer has the option of watching this classic series dubbed in English or in Japanese with English subtitles. All episode are full length and uncut. The English dubs will have some scenes with Japanese language and subtitles. This is unavoidable and should not be too bothersome for the viewer. Better to watch Ultraman in it's original Japanese language.

Ultraman ran for one season with 39 episodes. Over the years, this show has garnered cult status. There is the Ultra Q series which came before and a slew of series spin-offs that followed. There are a number of Ultraman movies as well. In all, Ultraman has become a cultural pop phenomenon. If you remember this from childhood and wish to relive that childhood, or are looking for great entertainment for you own children, Ultraman comes highly recommended.

They simply do not make televisions shows like this anymore.