Chôhen kaijû eiga: Urutoraman

In the time of Godzilla and Mothra, there was a weekly tv series that crossed the Oceans and landed in America. We know it as "Ultra Man" and I can tell you, this series was magic to the kids on my block.

Back in the mid-sixties, a cigar company put out a cigar that was enclosed in a thin glass covering. Every child I know wanted that glass covering because it WAS the "beta capsule" that would summon "Ultra Man" to Earth to save the World from Giant Monsters who wanted to do nothing but destroy us!!!!

The story sorta goes like this.... The "Science Patrol" was on a routine mission with Hyata who got into an accident. He was saved and given this "beta capsule" to hold up to the sun to call for Ultra Man to help them against these monsters that would be out to destroy us. (I know I'm missing stuff, but come on, I was five years old when I saw it!!!!)

The thing about Ultra-Man was that he could only spend a few minutes on our planet before he lost his super power, so he HAD to defeat the monsters in a few minutes or die! Also, Hyata was not around when Ultra Man was either so that left some skepticism with his fellow Science Patrol Members..is Hyata..or isn't he? Drama! Sure -- you will see the zipper in the back of Ultra-Man's suit and the rubber Monsters are to die for...but please, have an imagination! This was cool stuff back then! And I am sure you'll laugh about it now. So go out and get a copy!

I adored Ultra Man for the fight scenes of course, and for wondering if Ultra Man would make it back in time or his power would run out before saving the earth of these monsters. This, the original Ultra-Man is the grand-daddy of them all. This is fun, it's dated by this time, but still well worth watching if you can get a hold of it. Accept no imitations. Ultra-Man was our 60's weekly dose of "Godzilla".....with a heart and human. He was our karate kickin' superhero we all wanted to act out in play-time for fun.

I just watched episode 1 of Ultraman. I vaguely remember watching the show as a kid but I'd forgotten (or never recognised) the glorious silliness of the series. From the earworm opening song to the final battle with the kaiju-of-the-week, Ultraman remains a staple of Japanese pop-culture. The show was a follow-up to the popular "Ulltra-Q", an anthology series similar to the "Outer Limits" (but with bigger monsters) and both were produced by Eiji Tsuburaya, best known for the special effects in the original 'Godzilla' (1954) (hence cameos by some of Toho's monsters). Episode 1 is an origin story that explains how Ultraman came to be on Earth and how he formed a special bond with Science Patrol agent Shin Hayata (note: names may vary between the original Japanese and dubbed versions). The writers cleverly added a visual timer on Ultraman's chest which displayed his energy levels. This gimmick made every battle a race against time, adding to the suspense and excitement (although presumably it would be problematic if an enemy monster ever figured out what the light meant). Overall: probably a bit slow and primitive looking for modern young audiences but good nostalgic fun for the older crowd and a must watch for kaiju eiga fans of all ages.

I don't know of any other character that arouses child's interest to watch and emulate a superhero like this one. It's somewhat cheezy by today's standard, but idea was good, and there was fire to every story. Ultraman is a space policeman who comes from M-78 galaxy. He comes to earth chasing after a space villain which looks like a dinosaur called Bemular, and by accident kills a member of Earth Defense Force named Hayata. Ultraman tells Hayata that he will give his life force to him so he can survive, and also gives Hayata the means to transform into Ultraman. Hayata works for Capt. Muramatsu and he has several colleagues who works with him to fight the kaijyu menace that appears around Japan. The attraction of the show is that every episode there's a new monster Ultraman has to eradicate, and these monsters are really cream of the crop of kaijyu kingdom. I'm still hoping that Toho will resurrect a dinosaur called Gomorah in one of its movies. Ultraman lasted for 28 episodes until he lost to a space dinosaur called Zetton and was summoned back to M-78 galaxy. Soon after, many more space policemen from M-78 galaxy arrived keeping the franchise live. Most recent probably is Ultraman Tiga which I think was made under license in Australia.

This was the second series Eiji Tsuburaya (special effects director of the original Godzilla '54) produced after forming his own Tsuburaya production, and spawned many spin off series after which continues till this day.

i have been looking for this TV show for ten years waiting for it to hit video or DVD. i remember the American version. the good guys base was a mountain side they had these cool space fighters. the person who was ultra man had a special crystal to transform into ultra man.it was a kick butt show i loved it and want to See more of it if anybody knows where i can find it please let me know. you can reach me at chrismclark2@yahoo.com thank you i think that they should of kept this show on the air cause it was good. not too many shows last but this one is a classic. i did not know about the different version of the show i only remember the one that i saw when i was little. maybe others like it too and they can bring it back to TV i would love that

If you are into schlocky science fiction, Japanese monster movies, or were entertained by HR Puffinstuff as a kid, this is for you.

Absolutely the cheesiest special effects, worst acting and laughably silly action scenes, but it all works in harmonious perfection to deliver Japanese Syfy monster science fiction at its finest. A glorious entertainment for adults and children alike. Not to be missed, not to be believed, you'll laugh the entire time.