''Ultraman'', also known as the , is the collective name for all media produced by
Tsuburaya Productions
is a Japanese special effects studio founded in 1963 by special effects wizard Eiji Tsuburaya and was run by his family, until October 2007, when the family sold the company to advertising agency TYO Inc. The studio is best known for producing t ...
featuring
Ultraman
''Ultraman'', also known as the , is the collective name for all media produced by Tsuburaya Productions featuring Ultraman, his many brethren, and the myriad monsters. Debuting with ''Ultra Q'' and then ''Ultraman'' in 1966, the series is one ...
, his many brethren, and the myriad monsters. Debuting with ''
Ultra Q
is a tokusatsu science fiction kaiju series made in the tradition of Toho's many tokusatsu sci-fi/horror films.
Produced in black and white by Tsuburaya Productions, this is actually the first of the long-running Ultra Series, and was broadc ...
'' and then ''
Ultraman
''Ultraman'', also known as the , is the collective name for all media produced by Tsuburaya Productions featuring Ultraman, his many brethren, and the myriad monsters. Debuting with ''Ultra Q'' and then ''Ultraman'' in 1966, the series is one ...
'' in 1966, the series is one of the most prominent ''
tokusatsu
is a Japanese term for live action film or television drama that makes heavy use of practical special effects. ''Tokusatsu'' entertainment mainly refers to science fiction, War film, war, fantasy, or Horror film, horror media featuring such te ...
''
superhero
A superhero or superheroine is a stock character that typically possesses ''superpowers'', abilities beyond those of ordinary people, and fits the role of the hero, typically using his or her powers to help the world become a better place, ...
genre productions from Japan, along with the
Toei-produced series ''
Kamen Rider
The , also known as ''Masked Rider Series'' (until Decade), is a Japanese superhero media franchise consisting of tokusatsu television programs, films, manga, and anime, created by manga artist Shotaro Ishinomori. ''Kamen Rider'' media generall ...
'', ''
Super Sentai
is a Japanese superhero team metaseries and media franchise consisting of television series and films produced by Toei Company, and Bandai, and aired by TV Asahi ("Sentai" is the Japanese word for "task force" or "fighting squadron"). The sho ...
'' and the ''
Metal Heroes
The is a metaseries of tokusatsu superhero TV series produced by Toei for Japanese television.
The protagonists of the ''Metal Hero Series'' are mainly space, military and police-based characters who are typically either androids, cyborgs, o ...
''. The series is also one of the most well-known examples of the ''
kaiju
is a Japanese media genre that focuses on stories involving giant monsters. The word ''kaiju'' can also refer to the giant monsters themselves, which are usually depicted attacking major cities and battling either the military or other monster ...
'' genre, along with
Toho
is a Japanese film, theatre production and distribution company. It has its headquarters in Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Osaka-based Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group. Outside of Japan, it is best known as the producer an ...
's ''
Godzilla
is a fictional monster, or '' kaiju'', originating from a series of Japanese films. The character first appeared in the 1954 film ''Godzilla'' and became a worldwide pop culture icon, appearing in various media, including 32 films produc ...
'' series and
Daiei Film
Daiei Film Co. Ltd. ( Kyūjitai: Shinjitai: ''Daiei Eiga Kabushiki Kaisha'') was a Japanese film studio. Founded in 1942 as Dai Nippon Film Co., Ltd., it was one of the major studios during the postwar Golden Age of Japanese cinema, producing ...
's ''
Gamera
is a fictional monster, or '' kaiju'', originating from a series of Japanese films. Debuting in the 1965 film ''Gamera, the Giant Monster'', the character and the first film were intended to compete with the success of Toho's ''Godzilla'' film ...
'' series. However, the series also falls into the
''Kyodai'' Hero subgenre of ''tokusatsu'', a subgenre it also helped popularise.
In Japan, the Ultraman brand generated in merchandising revenue from 1966 to 1987,
equivalent to more than adjusted for inflation. Ultraman was the world's third top-selling licensed character in the 1980s, largely due to his popularity in Asia.
References to Ultraman are abundant in Japanese pop culture, much like references to Superman in U.S. culture.
The Ultras
As revealed in ''
Mega Monster Battle: Ultra Galaxy'', the Ultras are a technologically advanced civilization originating from a planet within the , three million light years away from Earth (not to be confused with the
Messier 78
Messier 78 or M78, also known as NGC 2068, is a reflection nebula in the constellation Orion. It was discovered by Pierre Méchain in 1780 and included by Charles Messier in his catalog of comet-like objects that same year.
M78 is the bright ...
nebula)—colloquially called the —who were originally identical to humans. They had evolved into their current state of being following the activation of the Plasma Spark, which replaced their dead sun.
Ultraman
''Ultraman'', also known as the , is the collective name for all media produced by Tsuburaya Productions featuring Ultraman, his many brethren, and the myriad monsters. Debuting with ''Ultra Q'' and then ''Ultraman'' in 1966, the series is one ...
and his many kind are usually red-and-silver (although several color variations have been seen in recent years) and have glowing yellow almond-shaped dome eyes (although there are exceptions to both the shape and color) and various abilities, most notably firing energy beams from their crossed hands and flight. They share a strong cultural sense of justice and duty, a majority of Ultramen joining the to maintain peace in the universe from alien invaders and monsters.
The Ultras that are sent to other worlds are given Color Timers, or "warning lights", which blink with increasing frequency and turn from blue to red if an Ultra's energy supply dwindles or he is mortally wounded. Due to human pollution and the light filtering effects of the atmosphere, an Ultra can remain active on Earth for a limited span of minutes before their energy is depleted and they die. This forces an Ultra to either assume a human form or merge with a human host body. The latter process has healing properties that include reviving a recently dead person with their own life force.
Ultra beings also appear to be near-impossible to permanently kill, as several times an Ultra being has been killed, only to be revived by another member of their species. An Ultra being can be revived with a massive energy infusion, as when
Mebius' allies revived him with their energy after his defeat by Alien Empera's army. Ultras always try to avoid battles in inhabited areas or near innocent bystanders, and try to minimize collateral property damage. If these concerns cannot be met, a city like Tokyo could be destroyed.
The Ultraman phenomenon
The show ''
Ultraman
''Ultraman'', also known as the , is the collective name for all media produced by Tsuburaya Productions featuring Ultraman, his many brethren, and the myriad monsters. Debuting with ''Ultra Q'' and then ''Ultraman'' in 1966, the series is one ...
'' was followed by many other series. Sequels to the original series are: ''
Ultraseven
is a Japanese ''tokusatsu'' science fiction television series created by Eiji Tsuburaya. It is the third installment in the Ultra Series and was produced by Tsuburaya Productions. The series aired on Tokyo Broadcasting System from October 1, 19 ...
'' (1967,
TBS), ''
The Return of Ultraman
is a Japanese ''tokusatsu'' science fiction television series produced by Tsuburaya Productions. The fourth entry in the Ultra series, the series aired on Tokyo Broadcasting System from April 2, 1971, to March 31, 1972. It became successful eno ...
'' (1971, TBS), ''
Ultraman Ace
is the 5th show in the Ultra Series. Produced by Tsuburaya Productions, the series aired on Tokyo Broadcasting System from April 8, 1972, to March 30, 1973, with a total of 52 episodes.
Starting from this show, the Ultra Series begins to shift f ...
'' (1972, TBS), ''
Ultraman Taro
''Ultraman'', also known as the , is the collective name for all media produced by Tsuburaya Productions featuring Ultraman (character), Ultraman, his many brethren, and the myriad monsters. Debuting with ''Ultra Q'' and then ''Ultraman (1966 ...
'' (1973, TBS), ''
Ultraman Leo
is a Japanese tokusatsu TV show and is the 7th show in the Ultra Series. Produced by Tsuburaya Productions and Steve Krantz Productions, Ultraman Leo was aired between April 12, 1974, and March 28, 1975, with a total of 51 episodes. Tatsumi Nikam ...
'' (1974, TBS), ''
Ultraman 80
is a Japanese tokusatsu TV show produced by Tsuburaya Productions which aired on the Tokyo Broadcasting System channel from April 2, 1980, to March 25, 1981, lasting a total of 50 episodes. After going off the air in 1981, the network still aire ...
'' (1980, TBS), ''
Ultraman Tiga
is a Japanese tokusatsu TV drama and the twelfth show in the Ultra Series. Produced by Tsuburaya Productions, ''Ultraman Tiga'' had aired at 6:00pm and aired between September 7, 1996 to August 30, 1997, with a total of 52 episodes with five mo ...
'' (1996,
MBS
MBS may refer for:
People
* Mohammed bin Salman (born 1985), crown prince and prime minister of Saudi Arabia
* Mohan Bikram Singh (born 1935), Nepalese politician
Places
* MBS International Airport (IATA code: MBS), Freeland, Michigan, US
* Mari ...
), ''
Ultraman Dyna
is a Japanese tokusatsu TV show which aired from 5 September 1997 until 28 August 1998. It is a direct sequel to the previous Ultraman series, '' Ultraman Tiga'' and the 13th entry to the ''Ultra Series''.
Plot
In the year 2017 (seven years aft ...
'' (1997, MBS), ''
Ultraman Gaia
is a Japanese tokusatsu TV show and is the 14th show in the Ultra Series. Featuring Chiaki J. Konaka as series composer and produced by Tsuburaya Productions and Mainichi Broadcasting System (MBS TV), ''Ultraman Gaia'' was aired on JNN TV sta ...
'' (1998, MBS), and ''
Ultraman Cosmos
is a Japanese tokusatsu TV show being the 16th show in the Ultra Series. Produced by Tsuburaya Productions, ''Ultraman Cosmos'' aired from July 6, 2001 to September 27, 2002, with a total of 65 episodes, which currently makes it the longest run ...
'' (2001, MBS). After that, the studio tried a reinvention of the hero through the "Ultra N Project", which involved three heroes: Ultraman Noa (the "mascot" of the Ultra N Project, who appears in stage shows as well as in the final episode of ''Ultraman Nexus'') in late 2003, ''
Ultraman Nexus
was produced by Tsuburaya Productions, Chubu-Nippon Broadcasting (CBC), and Dentsu. It was the 18th entry in the Ultra Series. The series aired on Tokyo Broadcasting System, including TBS, CBC, MBS, etc. The show ran from October 2, 2004 until Ju ...
'' (2004,
CBC), and ''
ULTRAMAN
''Ultraman'', also known as the , is the collective name for all media produced by Tsuburaya Productions featuring Ultraman, his many brethren, and the myriad monsters. Debuting with ''Ultra Q'' and then ''Ultraman'' in 1966, the series is one ...
'' (2004, Shochiku Productions). This was followed by a return to the old-school series' style in the form of ''
Ultraman Max
is a Japanese Tokusatsu series produced by Tsuburaya Productions and Chubu-Nippon Broadcasting Co., Ltd. Released as the 19th ''Ultra Series'', it aired from July 2, 2005, until April 1, 2006. The show aimed to return to the fast-paced formula ...
'' (2005, CBC). In the course of the ''Max'' series, another new hero known as Ultraman Xenon was also introduced. April 2006 saw the 40th anniversary series, ''
Ultraman Mebius
is a Japanese television series produced by Tsuburaya Productions and Chubu-Nippon Broadcasting. It is the 20th TV series and 40th anniversary production in the Ultra Series, which first began in 1966. It premiered on the Tokyo Broadcasting Sys ...
'', which signaled a long-awaited return to the original universe. Another hero was also introduced: ''
Ultraman Hikari
is a Japanese television series produced by Tsuburaya Productions and Chubu-Nippon Broadcasting. It is the 20th TV series and 40th anniversary production in the Ultra Series, which first began in 1966. It premiered on the Tokyo Broadcasting Sys ...
'', formerly known as Hunter Knight Tsurugi.
The franchise has also been shown in movie theaters, starting with ''
Ultraman Zearth
is a fictional character from the Ultra Series of tokusatsu and the name of a 1996 movie in the series.
Premise
Ultraman Zearth is a parody of Ultraman. He hails from the Land of Pikari in Nebula Z95. He has a big red face and dislikes dirt, and ...
'' and ''Ultraman Zearth 2'', ''
Ultraman Tiga: The Final Odyssey'', released in 2000, as well as ''ULTRAMAN'', a movie that opened in December 2004. The straight-to-video market also saw the release of ''
Ultraman Neos
is a Japanese tokusatsu show, being the 15th show in the Ultra Series. Produced by Tsuburaya Productions, Ultraman Neos was initially intended as a TV series but the project was shelved. Years later, Tsuburaya turned the concept into a 12-episode ...
'' in 2000, as well as special features for Ultraman Tiga, Dyna, and Gaia, who have teamed up in theatrical features (Tiga and Dyna once, as well as the three of them all together). The ''Ultraman Mebius and Ultra Brothers'' movie opened in September 2006.
Foreign productions include the 1987
Hanna-Barbera
Hanna-Barbera Cartoons, Inc. ( ) was an American animation studio and production company which was active from 1957 to 2001. It was founded on July 7, 1957, by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera following the decision of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to c ...
co-production ''
Ultraman: The Adventure Begins'' (in
Japanese
Japanese may refer to:
* Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia
* Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan
* Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture
** Japanese diaspor ...
, ''Ultraman USA''), an animated movie; ''
Ultraman: Towards the Future'' (in Japanese, ''Ultraman Great''), produced in Australia in 1991 and ''
Ultraman: The Ultimate Hero'' (in Japanese, ''Ultraman Powered''), produced in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
in 1993. The Ultraman series have also been dubbed into various languages, including Spanish, English (only ''Ultra Q'', the original ''Ultraman'', ''Ultraseven'', ''Return of Ultraman'', ''Ultraman Great'' and ''Ultraman Tiga'' were known to be translated into
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
), Portuguese (''Ultraman'', ''Ultraseven'', ''Return of Ultraman'' and ''Ultraman Tiga'' in
Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
),
Korean
Korean may refer to:
People and culture
* Koreans, ethnic group originating in the Korean Peninsula
* Korean cuisine
* Korean culture
* Korean language
**Korean alphabet, known as Hangul or Chosŏn'gŭl
**Korean dialects and the Jeju language
** ...
,
Malay
Malay may refer to:
Languages
* Malay language or Bahasa Melayu, a major Austronesian language spoken in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore
** History of the Malay language, the Malay language from the 4th to the 14th century
** Indonesi ...
,
Mandarin
Mandarin or The Mandarin may refer to:
Language
* Mandarin Chinese, branch of Chinese originally spoken in northern parts of the country
** Standard Chinese or Modern Standard Mandarin, the official language of China
** Taiwanese Mandarin, Stand ...
,
Cantonese
Cantonese ( zh, t=廣東話, s=广东话, first=t, cy=Gwóngdūng wá) is a language within the Chinese (Sinitic) branch of the Sino-Tibetan languages originating from the city of Guangzhou (historically known as Canton) and its surrounding are ...
,
Filipino
Filipino may refer to:
* Something from or related to the Philippines
** Filipino language, standardized variety of 'Tagalog', the national language and one of the official languages of the Philippines.
** Filipinos, people who are citizens of th ...
, and
Indonesian
Indonesian is anything of, from, or related to Indonesia, an archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. It may refer to:
* Indonesians, citizens of Indonesia
** Native Indonesians, diverse groups of local inhabitants of the archipelago
** Indonesian ...
(''Ultraman'', ''Ultraseven'', ''Return of Ultraman'', '' Ultraman Taro'', ''Ultraman Tiga'', ''Ultraman Dyna'', ''Ultraman Gaia'', ''Ultraman Nexus'', ''Ultraman Max'' and ''Ultraman Mebius''). Also of note is the
American English
American English, sometimes called United States English or U.S. English, is the set of variety (linguistics), varieties of the English language native to the United States. English is the Languages of the United States, most widely spoken lan ...
dub of ''Ultraman Tiga'' by
4Kids Entertainment
4Kids Entertainment, Inc. (formerly known as Leisure Concepts, Inc. and later known as 4Licensing Corporation) was an American licensing company. The company was previously also a film and television production company that produced English- dub ...
that aired in 2002. The dub considerably distorted the characterization and general mood of the series, and it achieved only limited success.
In 1993, Tsuburaya Productions and
Toei Company
() (also styled TOEI) is a Japanese film, television production, and distribution and video game developer and publishing company. Based in Tokyo, Toei owns and operates thirty-four movie theaters across Japan (all but two of them operated by i ...
co-produced ''
Ultraman vs. Kamen Rider
is a Crossover (fiction), crossover superhero fiction, superhero television special that aired on July 21, 1993 which was originally made to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Ultra Series and the 20th anniversary of the Kamen Rider Series, ...
,'' a crossover with the original Ultraman and Toei's ''
Kamen Rider
The , also known as ''Masked Rider Series'' (until Decade), is a Japanese superhero media franchise consisting of tokusatsu television programs, films, manga, and anime, created by manga artist Shotaro Ishinomori. ''Kamen Rider'' media generall ...
''. This direct-to-video feature is co-copyrighted by both Toei (and its subordinates, Toei Video and Ishinomori Productions) and Tsuburaya Productions.
, Tsuburaya Productions accepts 36 Ultramen as official (counting Ultraman Legend, the combined form of Ultramen Cosmos and Justice, as a separate entity). This figure does not account for Thai-produced Ultramen (the figure is 38 if Next, Noa, and Nexus are counted as separate entities — it has been revealed in ''Nexus'' that all three are a single being with various modes used by different hosts). In 2013, the Ultra Series was cited in the
Guinness Book of World Records
''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...
as the record-holder for the most spin-off shows. The Ultraman brand generated $7.4 billion in merchandising revenue from 1966 to 1987,
equivalent to more than adjusted for inflation. Ultraman was the world's third top-selling licensed character in the 1980s, largely due to his popularity in Asia.
In 2017, ''
Ultraman Ginga S: Showdown! Ultra 10 Warriors!!'' and ''
Ultraman X: Here It Comes! Our Ultraman'' were released on 8 January 2017 in the United States as a double feature; this was the first North American theatrical release of an Ultraman feature film in its entire 50-year history. ''Ultraman Max'', ''Ultraman 80'', ''Ultraman Neos'', ''Ultraman Nexus'', ''Ultraseven X'', ''The Ultraman'' and other series began airing in the United States on the
TOKU channel.
The
''Ultraman'' manga, which began in 2011, has sold more than 2.8million copies as of 2018.
At the Tokyo Comic Con on 7 December 2017, Tsuburaya Productions revealed that an
anime
is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...
adaptation of the
manga
Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...
was planned for release in 2019. It was released by
Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
.
Ultraman content, products and services have been distributed in more than 100 countries worldwide,. Tsuburaya has officially made their Ultraman and non-Ultraman content widely available on their
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
channel, even simulcasting several of their series with English subtitles, the channel has reached over 2 million subscribers. In China, an ''Ultraman'' television series received views on
over-the-top media services
An over-the-top (OTT) media service is a media service offered directly to viewers via the Internet. OTT bypasses cable, broadcast, and satellite television platforms: the types of companies that traditionally act as controllers or distributors ...
between July 2017 and March 2018.
The
manga
Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...
author
Akira Toriyama
is a Japanese manga artist and character designer. He first achieved mainstream recognition for his highly successful manga series ''Dr. Slump'', before going on to create ''Dragon Ball'' (his best-known work) and acting as a character design ...
, creator of ''
Dragon Ball
is a Japanese media franchise created by Akira Toriyama in 1984. The Dragon Ball (manga), initial manga, written and illustrated by Toriyama, was serialized in ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' from 1984 to 1995, with the 519 individual chapters colle ...
'' and ''
Dr. Slump
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Akira Toriyama. It was serialized in Shueisha's anthology magazine ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' from 1980 to 1984, with the chapters collected into 18 ''tankōbon'' volumes. The series fol ...
'', cited ''Ultraman'' as a formative influence on his work.
Peyton Reed
Peyton Tucker Reed (born July 3, 1964) is an American television and film director. He directed the comedy films ''Bring It On'', ''Down with Love'', ''The Break-Up'', and '' Yes Man'', as well as the superhero film ''Ant-Man'' and its sequels.
...
, the director of the ''
Ant-Man
Ant-Man is the name of several superheroes appearing in books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber and Jack Kirby, Ant-Man's first appearance was in ''Tales to Astonish'' #27 (January 1962) but first appeared in costum ...
'' films in the
Marvel Cinematic Universe
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appear in American comic books published by ...
, said that Ant-Man's costume design was influenced by Ultraman along with
Inframan, another
tokusatsu
is a Japanese term for live action film or television drama that makes heavy use of practical special effects. ''Tokusatsu'' entertainment mainly refers to science fiction, War film, war, fantasy, or Horror film, horror media featuring such te ...
superhero from China. Video game designer
Hideki Kamiya
is a Japanese video game designer and director who is the vice-president of PlatinumGames. He began his career in 1994 with Capcom, where he directed '' Resident Evil 2'' (1998), ''Devil May Cry'' (2001), '' Viewtiful Joe'' (2003), and ''Ō ...
(known for games such as ''
Resident Evil 2
''Resident Evil 2'' is a 1998 survival horror video game developed and published by Capcom for the PlayStation. The player controls Leon S. Kennedy and Claire Redfield, who must escape Raccoon City after its citizens are transformed into zom ...
'', ''
Devil May Cry
is a series of action-adventure games created by Hideki Kamiya. It is primarily developed and published by Capcom. The series centers on the demon hunter Dante and his efforts to thwart various demon invasions of Earth. Its gameplay consists o ...
'', ''
Viewtiful Joe
is a side scrolling beat 'em up video game franchise created by Japanese game designer Hideki Kamiya. It is primarily developed and published by Capcom and its subsidiary Clover Studio.
Games
''Viewtiful Joe'' (2003)
The first game in the ...
'', ''
Ōkami
is an action-adventure video game developed by Clover Studio and published by Capcom. It was released for PlayStation 2 in 2006 in Japan and North America, and in 2007 in Europe and Australia. After the closure of Clover Studio a few months a ...
'', ''
Bayonetta
is a series of action-adventure games created by Hideki Kamiya and developed by PlatinumGames. The franchise was introduced in 2009 with ''Bayonetta''. Two sequels were released, ''Bayonetta 2'' (2014) and ''Bayonetta 3'' (2022), as well as a s ...
'' and ''
The Wonderful 101
is an action-adventure game developed by PlatinumGames and published by Nintendo for the Wii U. The game was directed by Hideki Kamiya and produced by Atsushi Inaba; the pair also worked together on the ''Viewtiful Joe'' series and ''Ōkami''. It ...
'') said he loved ''
Godzilla
is a fictional monster, or '' kaiju'', originating from a series of Japanese films. The character first appeared in the 1954 film ''Godzilla'' and became a worldwide pop culture icon, appearing in various media, including 32 films produc ...
'' and ''Ultraman'' as a child.
It was announced in November 2019 that
Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...
has partnered with Tsuburaya Productions to publish Ultraman comic books in 2020. ,
Bandai Namco
also known as the Bandai Namco Group and generally Bandai Namco, is a Japanese multinational holding company, production enterprise and entertainment conglomerate headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, formed from the merger of Bandai and Namco on S ...
has sold ''Ultraman'' soft figures (heroes and monsters) since 1983, while
Bandai Namco Arts (including
Bandai Visual
was a Japanese anime, film production, and distribution enterprise, established by Bandai and a subsidiary of Bandai Namco Holdings. They focused mainly in international distribution of anime properties in North America.
Most of the anime and ...
) has sold ''Ultraman''
home video
Home video is prerecorded media sold or rented for home viewing. The term originates from the VHS and Betamax era, when the predominant medium was videotapes, but has carried over to optical disc formats such as DVD, Blu-ray and streaming me ...
units between January 1988 and March 2021.
Controversies
Licensing rights dispute
Ultraman's
licensing
A license (or licence) is an official permission or permit to do, use, or own something (as well as the document of that permission or permit).
A license is granted by a party (licensor) to another party (licensee) as an element of an agreeme ...
rights outside
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
have been the subject of a prolonged legal dispute between Tsuburaya Productions and Chaiyo Productions (also called Tsuburaya Chaiyo Co. Ltd) based in
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
. Tsuburaya had previously collaborated with Chaiyo on the production of two movies, ''
The 6 Ultra Brothers vs. the Monster Army'' and ''
Jumborg Ace & Giant''—the latter of which featured another Tsuburaya superhero,
Jumborg Ace
is the titular superhero of a tokusatsu science fiction/kaiju/superhero TV series. Produced by Tsuburaya Productions, the show was broadcast on Mainichi Broadcasting System from January 17 to December 29, 1973, with a total of 50 episodes. This wa ...
—in 1974.
Sompote Saengduenchai, founder/president of Chaiyo Productions, claimed and maintained that in 1976 that Noboru Tsuburaya, the son of the late Eiji Tsuburaya, had given him and his company a contract which had given him rights to everything Ultraman outside Japanese territories in exchange for a monetary loan.
In spite of the fact that the document failed to state clearly and specifically exactly ''what'' had been given to Tsuburaya in exchange for these rights, Japanese and Thai courts accepted this contract as real and binding because of the supposed
hanko Hanko may refer to
People
*August Hanko (military personnel), August Hanko, German First World War flying ace
Places
*Hanko, Finland, town and municipality
*Hanko Peninsula, Finland
*Hankø, an island in the Oslo Fjord in Norway
*The asteroid ...
of the late Noboru Tsuburaya, who had died in 1995, in the document. Tsuburaya Productions insisted and maintained that the contract was a forgery (due to factual errors, including the faulty titles of the series in the document, such as ''
Ultra Q
is a tokusatsu science fiction kaiju series made in the tradition of Toho's many tokusatsu sci-fi/horror films.
Produced in black and white by Tsuburaya Productions, this is actually the first of the long-running Ultra Series, and was broadc ...
'' being called ''Ultraman 1: Ultra Q,'' ''
Ultraseven
is a Japanese ''tokusatsu'' science fiction television series created by Eiji Tsuburaya. It is the third installment in the Ultra Series and was produced by Tsuburaya Productions. The series aired on Tokyo Broadcasting System from October 1, 19 ...
'' being called ''Ultraman 3: Ultraman Seven'', and Tsuburaya Productions being called ''Tsuburaya Prod. and Enterprises'', a name the company never did business under), and repeatedly contested the issue.
In the course of the legal battle, Sompote presented photos of himself sharing his photos of Thai Buddhist edifices, stating that Eiji had based Ultraman's face on those edifices, a claim which he has continued to hold since the dispute began. No other evidence supporting this claim is known to exist.
After an eight-year battle in the courts of both countries, Sompote Saengduenchai was awarded a favorable decision on 27 April 2004. The exact ruling fell into some dispute: Some said it only gave him merchandising rights for the first six Ultra Series (''
Ultra Q
is a tokusatsu science fiction kaiju series made in the tradition of Toho's many tokusatsu sci-fi/horror films.
Produced in black and white by Tsuburaya Productions, this is actually the first of the long-running Ultra Series, and was broadc ...
'' through ''
Ultraman Taro
''Ultraman'', also known as the , is the collective name for all media produced by Tsuburaya Productions featuring Ultraman (character), Ultraman, his many brethren, and the myriad monsters. Debuting with ''Ultra Q'' and then ''Ultraman (1966 ...
'') and ''
Jumborg Ace
is the titular superhero of a tokusatsu science fiction/kaiju/superhero TV series. Produced by Tsuburaya Productions, the show was broadcast on Mainichi Broadcasting System from January 17 to December 29, 1973, with a total of 50 episodes. This wa ...
'' outside Japan, and broadcasting rights of those shows within Thailand. Other accounts, usually reported in the Thai/Asian media, said that Chaiyo had gained the rights to those six shows everywhere outside Japan. The latter could be taken as Chaiyo's side of the story, as Tsuburaya was reported in the Japanese media to continue taking further action against them.
Tsuburaya decided not to market any of the disputed six Ultra Series outside Japan until it had completely settled the rights issues with Chaiyo, although the company continued to merchandise and distribute all of the Ultraman programs created after ''Ultraman Taro'', including the theatrical feature ''
Ultraman the Next
''Ultraman: The Next'', released in Japan simply as is a 2004 Japanese superhero film directed by Kazuya Konaka and produced by Tsuburaya Productions. It is a reimagining of the Ultraman character and franchise, and is part of the "''Ultra N Pr ...
'', throughout the world. Because of the copyright struggle, importing literature on Ultraman into
Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
and
Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
was prohibited. It also resulted in a slight backlash against Thai Ultraman fans, who were assumed to be outright Chaiyo supporters.
In 2005 the American company BCI Home Entertainment (BCI/Eclipse), a subsidiary of
Navarre Corporation
Navarre Corporation was an American public distribution and publishing company founded in 1983 by Eric H. Paulson. The company was headquartered in New Hope, Minnesota. Navarre owned three subsidiary companies: a software publisher, Encore, In ...
announced they had acquired the DVD license to ''
Ultraman
''Ultraman'', also known as the , is the collective name for all media produced by Tsuburaya Productions featuring Ultraman, his many brethren, and the myriad monsters. Debuting with ''Ultra Q'' and then ''Ultraman'' in 1966, the series is one ...
'' from distributor Golden Media Group Inc., a Hollywood-based distributor, who secured the rights from Tokyo-based UM Corp. Inc., acting as the global agent for Chaiyo. A three-disc box set containing the first 20 episodes of the series was released on 18 July 2006, followed by a second three-disc box set containing the remaining 19 episodes was released on 7 November 2006. Both sets feature the Japanese
stereo
Stereophonic sound, or more commonly stereo, is a method of sound reproduction that recreates a multi-directional, 3-dimensional audible perspective. This is usually achieved by using two independent audio channels through a configuration ...
audio, created by Tsuburaya Productions and Pioneer for their Japanese R-2 DVD release in 1999, as well as the
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
-dubbed version produced by
United Artists
United Artists Corporation (UA), currently doing business as United Artists Digital Studios, is an American digital production company. Founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, and Douglas Fairbanks, the studi ...
for
North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...
n syndication. The original Japanese
monaural
Monaural or monophonic sound reproduction (often shortened to mono) is sound intended to be heard as if it were emanating from one position. This contrasts with stereophonic sound or ''stereo'', which uses two separate audio channels to reproduc ...
was not included.
Unfortunately, the English audio for Episodes 5 through 39 were not all complete, as BCI sourced private home off-air audio recordings from an unknown television broadcast, which were cut to provide for more commercial time. Therefore, the episodes in question would switch to Japanese audio from English audio to cover the missing gaps. Due to these gaps, BCI's publicity department assumed the original series was edited by UA-TV when it was originally prepared for U.S. syndication. Only minor seconds of extreme violence were trimmed from three episodes, none of which contained dialogue. Tsuburaya Productions had a complete run of the UA-TV's version, which their Los Angeles office, UltraCom Inc., retrieved from a U.S. film warehouse in 1993. In 1994, they provided the English audio for the Expressions in Animation VHS release of the first four episodes, which were sourced for the corresponding episodes in the BCI release.
During the time of the legal battle, Chaiyo came up with three of their own Ultras: Ultraman Millennium, Dark Ultraman (an evil Ultra), and Ultraman Elite. These were not used for purposes other than stage shows and merchandise. Chaiyo also created a TV series that he called ''Project Ultraman'', unaired as of late March 2008, a joint project in China featuring their own Ultraman and attaching Hong Kong star
Ekin Cheng
Ekin Cheng is a Hong Kong actor and singer. Early in his career, he used the name Dior as a first name (because that was what it sounded like when his younger sister tried to call him 二哥 in Cantonese). He has also been referred to as Noodl ...
to the project.
On 23 August 2006, Tsuburaya Productions filed a new lawsuit against Chaiyo for copyright infringement and plagiarism (concerning their three original Ultraman characters), and the court case was taken to
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
. The Chinese courts in Beijing opened "The Ultraman Copyright Study Group" in response to the lawsuit. In April 2007, the Thailand Intellectual Property Court ruled in favor of Tsuburaya Productions, ordering Chaiyo to cease and desist making commercial profits from Chaiyo-produced Ultraman characters such as Millennium, Dark, and Elite. The defendants were also fined
THB 15,000,000 (approx.
JPY 50,904,959 or US$428,673.50 c. April 2007) plus interest and attorneys' fees. ''Project Ultraman'' went on hiatus as a result of the ruling, which implied that, although Chaiyo owned the right to ''some'' of the Ultraman series, it did ''not'' own the right to Ultraman and his brothers, including the design. Chaiyo gained permission to merchandise the original series, but lost the right to create and market its own Ultraman, or even use the original, without Tsuburaya's consent.
On 5 February 2008, Thailand's Supreme Court ruled in favor of Tsuburaya Productions of Japan after they made an appeal to the initial ruling. The ruling ended the long legal battle by finding Sompote Saengduenchai was ''not'' a co-creator of Ultraman. The decision ended Sompote's bid to continue his enterprise, and the court gave Sompote 30 days to stop profiteering from Ultraman. The final ruling saw Tsuburaya Productions as the sole copyright owner. Sompote was also required to pay THB 10,700,000 plus interest at the rate of 7.5 percent a year starting from 16 December 1997, when the original lawsuit was filed.
In 2009, the Thai Intellectual Property Court and the Tokyo District Court both ruled in favour of the Thai company. This led to the Tokyo District Court on 30 September 2010, ordering Tsuburaya Productions Co. of Japan to pay damages of 16.36 million yen (Bt5.9 million) to Sompote Saengduenchai of Thailand for violating his overseas copyrights on the Ultraman characters.
After the announcement of the film ''
Dragon Force: So Long, Ultraman'' in July 2017, the dispute on the ownership of the franchise has escalated. But on 20 November 2017, through a Los Angeles court ruling by Judge Andre Birotte Jr, Tsuburaya won the lawsuit against Chaiyo and affiliate groups on the rights of the series after the jury concluded that the supposed agreement between Noboru Tsuburaya and Chaiyo was "not authentic". Despite UM Corporation and Chaiyo filing a counter-dispute, on 18 April 2018, the legal court came to a definite close where a final judgement states that the dispute and the document was deemed invalid, forbidding UMC to use the Ultra Series and all its related characters and forced them to pay Tsubaraya damages for its infringement of its rights.
With the release of the sequel film ' (), issues between UMC, Bluearc and Tsubaraya had reignited and the company took legal actions against the two companies again. On 10 December 2019, it was confirmed by Tsuburaya that the court has rejected UMC and Bluearc's appeal for a retrial, stating the court's first verdict of regarding the rights and ownership of Ultraman to Tsuburaya is still legitimate and final, and that any future appeals by UMC and Bluearc will likely be rejected. As UMC and Bluearc failed to file a further appeal by 4 March 2020, they were to pay US$4,000,000 (approx. 400,000,000 Japanese yen) in compensatory damages, as well as other various court fees. The resulting victory has reached Thailand as well and the Thai Supreme Court ordered a ruling in favor Tsuburaya Productions as the legitimate copyright owner of the shows listed in the License Granting Agreement alongside ownership over Hanuman vs. 7 Ultraman (and its remake, Hanuman vs. 11 Ultraman) and Jumborg Ace & Giant. Sompote had made an appeal to the court over the decision, but was dismissed. Sompote believes the decision would affect the former two movies' status as national heritage items, and has appealed to both the Supreme Court and Ministry of Culture on that front.
Malaysian book ban
On 6 March 2014, the
Malaysian Ministry of Home Affairs announced that it had banned the publication of an ''Ultraman'' comic book ''Ultraman: The Ultra Power'' "due to contents that were detrimental to public order". Social media users later noticed that a page in the book described the character of Ultraman King (from the film ''
Mega Monster Battle: Ultra Galaxy'') as a god, which in the Malaysian language is the Arabic word ''
Allah
Allah (; ar, الله, translit=Allāh, ) is the common Arabic word for God. In the English language, the word generally refers to God in Islam. The word is thought to be derived by contraction from '' al- ilāh'', which means "the god", an ...
''. The Home Ministry later confirmed that the use of ''Allah'' was indeed the reason for the ban, claiming that the comparison may "confuse Muslim children and damage their faith". This highlighted the larger ban to prevent non-Muslims in Malaysia from using the word ''Allah'', despite its common usage in
Bahasa Melayu
Malay (; ms, Bahasa Melayu, links=no, Jawi: , Rencong: ) is an Austronesian language that is an official language of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore, and that is also spoken in East Timor and parts of the Philippines and ...
to refer to any god, as well as a suit from the
Catholic Church of Malaysia over its usage.
Television
Series
Shōwa era
* ''
Ultra Q
is a tokusatsu science fiction kaiju series made in the tradition of Toho's many tokusatsu sci-fi/horror films.
Produced in black and white by Tsuburaya Productions, this is actually the first of the long-running Ultra Series, and was broadc ...
'' (January 1966–July 1966)
* ''
Ultraman
''Ultraman'', also known as the , is the collective name for all media produced by Tsuburaya Productions featuring Ultraman, his many brethren, and the myriad monsters. Debuting with ''Ultra Q'' and then ''Ultraman'' in 1966, the series is one ...
'' (1966–1967)
* ''
Ultraseven
is a Japanese ''tokusatsu'' science fiction television series created by Eiji Tsuburaya. It is the third installment in the Ultra Series and was produced by Tsuburaya Productions. The series aired on Tokyo Broadcasting System from October 1, 19 ...
'' (1967–1968)
* ''
Return of Ultraman
is a Japanese ''tokusatsu'' science fiction television series produced by Tsuburaya Productions. The fourth entry in the Ultra series, the series aired on Tokyo Broadcasting System from April 2, 1971, to March 31, 1972. It became successful enou ...
'' (1971–1972)
* ''
Ultraman Ace
is the 5th show in the Ultra Series. Produced by Tsuburaya Productions, the series aired on Tokyo Broadcasting System from April 8, 1972, to March 30, 1973, with a total of 52 episodes.
Starting from this show, the Ultra Series begins to shift f ...
'' (1972–1973)
* ''
Ultraman Taro
''Ultraman'', also known as the , is the collective name for all media produced by Tsuburaya Productions featuring Ultraman (character), Ultraman, his many brethren, and the myriad monsters. Debuting with ''Ultra Q'' and then ''Ultraman (1966 ...
'' (1973–1974)
* ''
Ultraman Leo
is a Japanese tokusatsu TV show and is the 7th show in the Ultra Series. Produced by Tsuburaya Productions and Steve Krantz Productions, Ultraman Leo was aired between April 12, 1974, and March 28, 1975, with a total of 51 episodes. Tatsumi Nikam ...
'' (1974–1975)
* ''
The Ultraman
is a Japanese animated television series co-produced by Tsuburaya Production and Tokyo Broadcasting System and animated by Sunrise. The series aired on TBS Television affiliates on the Wednesday 7:00 PM time slot from April 4, 1979 to March ...
'' (1979–1980)
* ''
Ultraman 80
is a Japanese tokusatsu TV show produced by Tsuburaya Productions which aired on the Tokyo Broadcasting System channel from April 2, 1980, to March 25, 1981, lasting a total of 50 episodes. After going off the air in 1981, the network still aire ...
'' (1980–1981)
Heisei era
* ''
Ultraman Tiga
is a Japanese tokusatsu TV drama and the twelfth show in the Ultra Series. Produced by Tsuburaya Productions, ''Ultraman Tiga'' had aired at 6:00pm and aired between September 7, 1996 to August 30, 1997, with a total of 52 episodes with five mo ...
'' (1996–1997)
* ''
Ultraman Dyna
is a Japanese tokusatsu TV show which aired from 5 September 1997 until 28 August 1998. It is a direct sequel to the previous Ultraman series, '' Ultraman Tiga'' and the 13th entry to the ''Ultra Series''.
Plot
In the year 2017 (seven years aft ...
'' (1997–1998)
* ''
Ultraman Gaia
is a Japanese tokusatsu TV show and is the 14th show in the Ultra Series. Featuring Chiaki J. Konaka as series composer and produced by Tsuburaya Productions and Mainichi Broadcasting System (MBS TV), ''Ultraman Gaia'' was aired on JNN TV sta ...
'' (1998–1999)
* ''
Ultraman Neos
is a Japanese tokusatsu show, being the 15th show in the Ultra Series. Produced by Tsuburaya Productions, Ultraman Neos was initially intended as a TV series but the project was shelved. Years later, Tsuburaya turned the concept into a 12-episode ...
'' (2000–2001)
* ''
Ultraman Cosmos
is a Japanese tokusatsu TV show being the 16th show in the Ultra Series. Produced by Tsuburaya Productions, ''Ultraman Cosmos'' aired from July 6, 2001 to September 27, 2002, with a total of 65 episodes, which currently makes it the longest run ...
'' (2001–2002)
* ''
Ultra Q: Dark Fantasy'' (April 2004–September 2004)
* ''
Ultraman Nexus
was produced by Tsuburaya Productions, Chubu-Nippon Broadcasting (CBC), and Dentsu. It was the 18th entry in the Ultra Series. The series aired on Tokyo Broadcasting System, including TBS, CBC, MBS, etc. The show ran from October 2, 2004 until Ju ...
'' (2004–2005)
* ''
Ultraman Max
is a Japanese Tokusatsu series produced by Tsuburaya Productions and Chubu-Nippon Broadcasting Co., Ltd. Released as the 19th ''Ultra Series'', it aired from July 2, 2005, until April 1, 2006. The show aimed to return to the fast-paced formula ...
'' (2005–2006)
* ''
Ultraman Mebius
is a Japanese television series produced by Tsuburaya Productions and Chubu-Nippon Broadcasting. It is the 20th TV series and 40th anniversary production in the Ultra Series, which first began in 1966. It premiered on the Tokyo Broadcasting Sys ...
'' (2006–2007)
* ''
Ultraseven X
is the 20th entry in the Tsuburaya Productions' long-running Ultra Series. It is a revival of the 1967 series ''Ultraseven'', and is the first in Tsuburaya Productions' ''Ultra'' hero series to be exclusively for an adult audience and in a wide s ...
'' (October 2007–December 2007)
* ''
Ultra Galaxy Mega Monster Battle
is the first season of its series that is the 21st entry in the Tsuburaya Productions' long-running Ultra Series. It is an adaption of the video game ''Mega Monster Battle: ULTRA MONSTERS''. The show first aired on December 1, 2007 and concluded ...
'' (2007–2008)
* ''
Ultra Galaxy Mega Monster Battle: Never Ending Odyssey'' (2008–2009)
* ''
Ultraman Retsuden
is the Japanese word for "history". is a biography series produced by Tsuburaya Productions created to commemorate the 45th anniversary of the Ultra Series. The show first premiered on TV Tokyo on July 6, 2011 and was in syndication for two year ...
'' (2011–2016)
* ''
Neo Ultra Q
is a 2013 Japanese television drama broadcast by WOWOW and produced by Tsuburaya Productions as the 24th entry in the Ultra Series. It is billed as a second season of the 1966 drama ''Ultra Q
is a tokusatsu science fiction kaiju series made ...
'' (January 2013–March 2013)
* ''
Ultraman Ginga
, is a Japanese television series produced by Tsuburaya Productions. It is the 25th entry to the ''Ultra Series'', released to celebrate the company's 50th anniversary. It is the first entry in the New Generation series, ending a six year long hia ...
'' (July 2013–December 2013)
* ''
Ultraman Ginga S
is a Japanese television series produced by Tsuburaya Productions and a sequel to ''Ultraman Ginga'', as well as part of the '' New Ultraman Retsuden'' programming block on TV Tokyo. It is the 26th entry in the ''Ultra Series''.
Story
After tw ...
'' (July 2014–December 2014)
* ''
Ultraman X
is a Japanese television series produced by Tsuburaya Productions. The 27th entry to the ''Ultra Series'', it is currently the last series to air as part of the '' New Ultraman Retsuden'' programming block on TV Tokyo. On July 13 Crunchyroll annou ...
'' (July 2015– December 2015)
* ''
Ultraman Orb
is a Japanese tokusatsu television series produced by Tsuburaya Productions and broadcast on TV Tokyo. This series is the 28th entry to the ''Ultra Series'', released to commemorate its 50th anniversary of the Ultra Series and is the first one si ...
'' (July 2016–December 2016)
* ''
Ultraman Zero: The Chronicle'' (January 2017–June 2017)
* ''
Ultraman Geed
is a Japanese tokusatsu drama produced by Tsuburaya Productions and the 29th entry to the ''Ultra Series''. It aired on TV Tokyo from July 8, 2017 to December 23, 2017. The series is simulcast outside Japan by Crunchyroll.
The main catchphrase is ...
'' (July 2017–December 2017)
* ''
Ultraman Orb: The Chronicle'' (January 2018–June 2018)
* ''
Ultraman R/B
is a Japanese tokusatsu superhero television series produced by Tsuburaya Productions. It is the 30th entry to the ''Ultra Series'' overall, the sixth entry to the "New Generation Heroes" lineup and the last entry to the series released in the He ...
'' (July 2018–December 2018)
* ''
Ultraman New Generation Chronicle
is a biography series produced by Tsuburaya Productions. Featuring Booska and Alien Pegassa Pega, they navigate the viewers to media of Ultra Series, ranging from ''Ultraman Ginga'' up to '' Ultraman R/B''.
Episodes
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
...
'' (January 2019–June 2019)
* ''
ULTRAMAN
''Ultraman'', also known as the , is the collective name for all media produced by Tsuburaya Productions featuring Ultraman, his many brethren, and the myriad monsters. Debuting with ''Ultra Q'' and then ''Ultraman'' in 1966, the series is one ...
'' (2019)
Reiwa era
* ''
Ultraman Taiga
is a Japanese tokusatsu drama produced by Tsuburaya Productions. It is the 31st entry to the Ultra Series, the first series released in the Reiwa period and the seventh entry to the lineup. It began airing on TV Tokyo on July 6, 2019.
The serie ...
'' (July 2019–December 2019)
* ''
Ultraman Chronicle Zero & Geed
is a biography series produced by Tsuburaya Productions created to commemorate the 10th anniversary of Ultraman Zero. Featuring Riku Asakura, he navigates the viewers to compilation clips featuring Zero's appearance throughout past media, in add ...
'' (2020)
* ''
Ultraman Z
is a Japanese ''tokusatsu'' drama produced by Tsuburaya Productions. It is the 32nd entry to the Ultra Series and the eighth entry to the lineup, celebrating the 10th anniversary of Ultraman Zero. It premiered in TV Tokyo on June 20, 2020.
Sy ...
'' (June 2020–December 2020)
* ''
Ultraman Chronicle Z: Heroes' Odyssey'' (2021)
* ''
Ultraman Trigger: New Generation Tiga'' (2021–2022)
* ''
Ultraman Chronicle D
is a biography series produced by Tsuburaya Productions created to commemorate the 25th anniversary of ''Ultraman Dyna''. It features the main casts, Alien Metron "Marluru" of ''Ultraman Trigger: New Generation Tiga'' and Deban from ''Ultraman Ti ...
'' (2022)
* ''
Ultraman Decker
is a Japanese tokusatsu drama produced by Tsuburaya Productions, as well as the 34th entry to the Ultraman Series and the fourth in the Reiwa era. ''Decker'' serves as the sequel to '' Ultraman Trigger: New Generation Tiga'' and celebrating the 2 ...
'' (2022)
''Ultraman Kids'' TV series
* ''Ultraman Kids' M78 Movie'' (1984)
* ''Ultraman Kids' Proverb Stories'' (1986)
* ''Ultraman Kids: 30 Million Light-Years In Search of Mother'' (1991–1992)
Specials
Television
* ''
Ultraman vs. Kamen Rider
is a Crossover (fiction), crossover superhero fiction, superhero television special that aired on July 21, 1993 which was originally made to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Ultra Series and the 20th anniversary of the Kamen Rider Series, ...
'' (1993) Co-production with
Toei Company
() (also styled TOEI) is a Japanese film, television production, and distribution and video game developer and publishing company. Based in Tokyo, Toei owns and operates thirty-four movie theaters across Japan (all but two of them operated by i ...
and Ishinomori Productions
* ''Ultraseven - Operation: Solar Energy'' (1994)
* ''Ultraseven - The Ground of the Earthlings'' (1994)
OVA (Original Video Animation) / anime series
* ''Ultraman Graffiti'' (1990)
* ''Ultraman: Super Fighter Legend'' (1996)
OVT (Original Video Tokusatsu)
*''
Heisei Ultraseven
is a collective of Japanese direct-to-video instalments, serving as a standalone sequel to the 1967-68 tokusatsu series ''Ultraseven''. The series took place in an alternate universe featuring ''Ultraseven'' diverging from ''Ultraman'' and other s ...
'' (1994-2002)
**1994 TV specials
**''Ultraseven 30th Anniversary Trilogy'' (1998)
**''Ultraseven 1999 The Final Chapters Hexalogy'' (1999)
**''Ultraseven 35th Anniversary Evolution Pentalogy'' (2002)
*2001
Heisei
The is the period of Japanese history corresponding to the reign of Emperor Emeritus Akihito from 8 January 1989 until his abdication on 30 April 2019. The Heisei era started on 8 January 1989, the day after the death of the Emperor Hirohito, ...
Ultraman side stories
** ''Ultraman Tiga Side Story: The Giant Resurrected in the Ancient Past'' (2001)
** ''Ultraman Dyna: Return of Hanejiro'' (2001)
** ''Ultraman Gaia: Gaia Again'' (2001)
* ''Ultraman Max: Super Battle!'' (2005)
*''
Ultraman Mebius
is a Japanese television series produced by Tsuburaya Productions and Chubu-Nippon Broadcasting. It is the 20th TV series and 40th anniversary production in the Ultra Series, which first began in 1966. It premiered on the Tokyo Broadcasting Sys ...
'' (2006-2009)
**''
Ultraman Mebius Side Story: Hikari Saga'' (2006-2007)
**''
Ultraman Mebius Side Story: Armored Darkness'' (2008)
**''
Ultraman Mebius Side Story: Ghost Reverse'' (2009)
*''
Ultra Galaxy Legend Side Story: Ultraman Zero vs. Darklops Zero'' (2010)
*''
Ultraman Zero Side Story: Killer the Beatstar'' (2011)
Miniseries
* ''Ultra Fight'' (1970)
* ''Ultra Super Legend: Andro Melos'' (1984)
* ''Ultra Super Fight'' (1994)
* ''Ultraman Zearth: Parody Chapter'' (1996)
* ''
Ultraman Nice'' (1999)
* ''Ultraman Boy's Ultra Coliseum'' (2003)
* ''Ultra Zone'' (2011)
* ''
Ultra Zero Fight
is a Japanese tokusatsu television miniseries produced by Tsuburaya Productions that was aired during the final segment of the ''Ultraman Retsuden'' programming block on TV Tokyo. The series was made and released following the success of the 2012 ...
'' (2012)
* ''
Ultra Fight Victory
is a Japanese television miniseries produced by Tsuburaya Productions, aired during the ending segment of the New Ultraman Retsuden programming block on TV Tokyo. The official YouTube Channel of Tsuburaya Productions aired this miniseries legally ...
'' (2015)
* ''
Ultraman Orb: The Origin Saga'' (2016-2017)
* ''
Ultra Fight Orb'' (2017)
* ''
Ultra Galaxy Fight
is a Japanese online miniseries produced by Tsuburaya Productions, based on the low-budget series ''Ultra Fight'' while being marketed for worldwide audiences through YouTube in both Japanese and English versions for viewers overseas. It was orig ...
''
** ''New Generation Heroes'' (2019)
** ''The Absolute Conspiracy'' (2020-2021)
** ''The Destined Crossroad'' (2022)
Films
* ''Ultraman'' (1967) (compilation film)
* ''Ultraman, Ultraseven: Great Violent Monster Fight'' (1969) (special event movie filmed in
Cinerama
Cinerama is a widescreen process that originally projected images simultaneously from three synchronized 35mm projectors onto a huge, deeply curved screen, subtending 146° of arc. The trademarked process was marketed by the Cinerama corporati ...
)
* ''Return of Ultraman'' (1971)
* ''Return of Ultraman: Fear of the Tornado Monsters'' (1971)
* ''Return of Ultraman: Jiro-Kun Rides a Monster'' (1972)
* ''Ultraman Taro: Like the Sun, Mother of Ultra'' (1973)
* ''Ultraman Taro: Burn On! The Six Ultra Brothers'' (1973)
* ''
The 6 Ultra Brothers vs. the Monster Army'' (1974) (Thai
international co-production
A co-production is a joint venture between two or more different production companies for the purpose of film production, television production, video game development, and so on. In the case of an international co-production, production companies ...
)
* ''Ultraman Taro: The Blood-Sucking Flower Is a Young Girl's Spirit'' (1974)
* ''Ultraman'' (1979) (compilation film)
* ''Ultraman: Great Monster Decisive Battle'' (1979) (compilation film)
* ''
Ultraman Zoffy: Ultra Warriors vs. the Giant Monster Army'' (1984)
* ''Ultraman Story'' (1984)
* ''
Ultraman: The Adventure Begins'' a.k.a. ''Ultraman USA'' (1987) (U.S./Japan animated TV movies, specials and OVAs)
* ''Ultraman: Terror on Route 87'' (1989)
* ''Ultraman Ace: Giant Ant Terrible-Monster vs. Ultra Brothers'' (1989)
* ''Ultraman Kids'' (1989)
* ''
Ultra Q The Movie: Legend of the Stars'' (1990)
* ''
Ultraman Neos
is a Japanese tokusatsu show, being the 15th show in the Ultra Series. Produced by Tsuburaya Productions, Ultraman Neos was initially intended as a TV series but the project was shelved. Years later, Tsuburaya turned the concept into a 12-episode ...
'' pilot film (1995)
* ''Ultraman Wonderful World'' (1996)
* ''Revive! Ultraman'' (1996) (compilation film)
* ''Ultraman Company: This is the Ultraman (Wacky) Investigation Team'' (1996) (anime)
* ''
Ultraman Zearth
is a fictional character from the Ultra Series of tokusatsu and the name of a 1996 movie in the series.
Premise
Ultraman Zearth is a parody of Ultraman. He hails from the Land of Pikari in Nebula Z95. He has a big red face and dislikes dirt, and ...
'' (1996)
* ''
Ultraman Zearth 2: Superman Big Battle - Light and Shadow'' (1997)
* ''Ultra Nyan: Extraordinary Cat who Descended from the Starry Sky'' (1997) (anime)
* ''Ultraman Tiga & Ultraman Dyna: Warriors of the Star of Light'' (1998)
* ''Ultra Nyan 2: The Great Happy Operation'' (1998) (anime)
* ''
Ultraman Gaia: The Battle in Hyperspace'' (1999)
* ''
Ultraman Tiga: The Final Odyssey'' (2000)
* ''Ultraman Cosmos: The First Contact'' (2001)
* ''Ultraman Cosmos 2: The Blue Planet'' (2002)
* ''Ultraman Cosmos vs. Ultraman Justice: The Final Battle'' (2003)
* ''
Ultraman: The Next'' (2004)
* ''
Ultraman Mebius & Ultraman Brothers
is a superhero and kaiju film released in Japan on September 16, 2006, serving as a threatical tie-in to the Ultraman Mebius series. It is the 10th original film in the Ultraman franchise, and celebrates the 40th anniversary of the franchise. Th ...
'' (2006)
* ''
Superior Ultraman 8 Brothers
is a 2008 Japanese superhero film, superhero ''kaiju'' film directed by Takeshi Yagi. It unites the ''Shōwa period, Shōwa'' heroes Ultraman, Ultra Seven, Seven, The Return of Ultraman, Jack and Ultraman Ace, Ace together on screen with the ''He ...
'' (2008)
* ''
Mega Monster Battle: Ultra Galaxy Legends'' (2009)
* ''
Ultraman Zero: The Revenge of Belial'' (2010)
* ''
Ultraman Saga
is a 2012 Japanese tokusatsu, superhero and kaiju film in the Ultra Series to commemorate the franchise's 45th anniversary. It serves as a sequel to '' Ultraman Zero: The Revenge of Belial''. The catchphrase for the movie is . The film feature ...
'' (2012)
* ''
Ultraman Ginga S The Movie
is a Japanese tokusatsu superhero film, serving as the film adaptation of the 2014 Ultra Series television series ''Ultraman Ginga S''. It was released on March 14, 2015 in Japan and legally screened in English dub by the Philippine cinema chain S ...
'' (2015)
* ''
Ultraman X The Movie
is a Japanese superhero and kaiju film, serving as the film adaptation of the 2015 Ultra Series television series ''Ultraman X''. It was released on March 12, 2016, in celebration to the 50th anniversary of the Ultra Series, as well as 50th annive ...
'' (2016)
* ''
Ultraman Orb The Movie'' (2017)
* ''
Ultraman Geed The Movie'' (2018)
* ''
Ultraman R/B The Movie'' (2019)
* ''
Ultraman Taiga The Movie'' (2020)
* ''
Ultraman Trigger: Episode Z'' (2022)
* ''
Shin Ultraman
is a 2022 Japanese superhero ''kaiju'' film directed by Shinji Higuchi and written, co-produced, and co-edited by Hideaki Anno. A reimagining of ''Ultraman'', the film is a co-production between Toho Studios and Cine Bazar, and presented b ...
'' (2022)
* ''
Ultraman Decker Finale: Journey to Beyond'' (2023)
*''Ultraman'' (TBA)
Video games
* ''Ultraman'' MSX (1984)
* ''Ultraman: Kaijuu Teikoku no Gyakushuu'' Famicom Disk System (1987)
* ''Ultraman 2'' Famicom Disk System (1987)
* ''Ultraman Club: Chikyuu Dakkan Sakusen'' Famicom Disk System (1988)
* ''Ultraman Club 2: Kaette Kita Ultraman Club'' Famicom (1990)
* ''Ultraman Club: Teki Kaijuu o Hakken Seyo'' Game Boy (1990)
* ''SD Battle Ozumo: Heisei Hero Basho'' Famicom (1990)
* ''SD Hero Soukessen: Taose! Aku no Gundan'' Famicom (1990)
* ''SD The Great Battle'' Super Famicom (1990)
* ''Battle Dodge Ball'' Super Famicom (1991)
* ''Ultraman Club 3: Mata Mata Shiyutsugeki!! Ultra Kyoudai'' Famicom (1991)
* ''Ultraman'' Game Boy (1991)
* ''Ultraman'' Super Famicom (1991)
* ''Ultraman'' Arcade (1991)
* ''
Ultraman: Towards the Future'' SNES (1991)
* ''Ultraman Club: Kaijuu Dai Kessen!!'' Famicom (1992)
* ''The Great Battle II: Last Fighter Twin'' Super Famicom (1992)
* ''Versus Hero: Road to the King Fight'' Game Boy (1992)
* ''Battle Dodge Ball'' Game Boy (1992)
* ''Hero Senki: Project Olympus'' Super Famicom (1992)
* ''
Battle Soccer: Field no Hasha'' Super Famicom (1992)
* ''Great Battle Cyber'' Famicom (1992)
* ''Ultraman Club: Tatakae! Ultraman Kyoudai!!'' Arcade (1992)
* ''Battle Baseball'' Famicom (1993)
* ''The Great Battle III'' Super Famicom (1993)
* ''Battle Dodge Ball II'' Super Famicom (1993)
* ''Tekkyu Fight! The Great Battle Gaiden'' Game Boy (1993)
* ''Ultra Toukon Densetsu'' Arcade (1993)
* ''Cult Master: Ultraman ni Miserarete'' Game Boy (1993)
* ''Ultraman'' Sega Mega Drive (1993)
* ''Ultraman Club: Supokon Fight!'' Famicom (1993)
* ''Ultraseven'' Super Famicom (1993)
* ''
Ultraman Powered
is a fighting game developed by Tose and published by Bandai for the 3DO Interactive Multiplayer. The player takes on the role of the extraterrestrial superhero Ultraman Powered, tasked with protecting the Earth from destructive aliens and monste ...
'' Panasonic 3DO (1994)
* ''Ultraman Chou Toushi Gekiden'' Game Boy (1994)
* ''The Great Battle Gaiden 2: Matsuri da Wasshoi'' Super Famicom (1994)
* ''Gaia Saver'' Super Famicom (1994)
* ''Battle Soccer 2'' Super Famicom (1994)
* ''
The Great Battle IV'' Super Famicom (1994)
* ''Ultraman Powered: Kaijuu Gekimetsu Sakusen'' Playdia (1994)
* ''Ultraseven: Chikyu Boei Sakusen'' Playdia (1994)
* ''Ultraman Ball'' Game Boy (1994)
* ''
Ultra League'' Super Famicom (1995)
* ''The Great Battle V'' Super Famicom (1995)
* ''Battle Crusher'' Game Boy (1995)
* ''Battle Pinball'' Super Famicom (1995)
* ''
Battle Racers
is a 1995 video game for the Super Famicom that was released to an exclusively Japanese market.
This video game combines the futuristic elements of ''F-Zero'' with the whimsical elements of ''Super Mario Kart''. Players can select from various t ...
'' Super Famicom (1995)
* ''Super Pachinko Taisen'' Super Famicom (1995)
* ''Super Pachinko Taisen'' Game Boy (1995)
* ''Super Tekkyu Fight!'' Super Famicom (1995)
* ''Ultra X Weapons/Ultra Keibitai'' Arcade (1995)
* ''Ultraman Hiragana Daisakusen'' Playdia (1995)
* ''Ultraman Alphabet TV e Yokoso'' Playdia (1995)
* ''PD Ultraman Invader'' PS1 (1995)
* ''PD Ultraman Link'' Sega Saturn (1996)
* ''Ultraman: Ultra Land Suuji de Asobou'' Playdia (1996)
* ''Ultraman: Chinou Up Daisakusen'' Playdia (1996)
* ''SD Ultra Battle: Ultraman Densetsu'' Super Famicom (1996)
* ''Ultraman Zukan'' Sega Saturn (1996)
* ''Ultraman Zearth'' PS1 (1996)
* ''Ultraman: Hikari no Kyojin Densetsu'' Sega Saturn (1996)
* ''Ultraman Zukan 2'' Sega Saturn (1997)
* ''The Great Battle VI'' PS1 (1997)
* ''Battle Formation'' PS1 (1997)
* ''Ultraman Fighting Evolution'' (1998)
* ''Ultraman Zukan 3'' Sega Saturn (1998)
* ''
Ultraman Tiga & Ultraman Dyna: New Generations'' PS1 (1998)
* ''PD Ultraman Battle Collection 64'' Nintendo 64 (1999)
* ''
Super Hero Operations
(formerly Coreland Technology Inc.) was a Japanese video game developer and publisher headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo. It had a branch in Hong Kong named Banpresto H.K., which was headquartered in the New Territories. Banpresto was a partly-own ...
'' PS1 (1999)
* ''Great Battle Pocket'' Game Boy Color (1999)
* ''
Super Hero Operations: Diedal's Ambition'' PS1 (2000)
* ''Kids Station: Bokurato Asobou! Ultraman TV'' PS1 (2000)
* ''Kids Station: Ultraman Cosmos'' PS1 (2001)
* ''Ultraman Fighting Evolution 2'' PS2 (2002)
* ''
Charinko Hero'' Nintendo GameCube (2003)
* ''Ultraman'' PS2 (2004)
* ''Ultraman Fighting Evolution 3'' PS2 (2004)
* ''Ultraman Fighting Evolution Rebirth'' PS2 (2005)
* ''Ultraman Nexus (video game), Ultraman Nexus'' PS2 (2005)
* ''Ultraman Fighting Evolution (series), Ultraman Fighting Evolution 0'' PSP (2006)
* ''Jissen Pachi-Slot Hisshouhou! Ultraman Club ST'' PS2 (2006)
* ''Pachitte Chonmage Tatsujin 12: Pachinko Ultraman'' PS2 (2007)
* ''Daikaiju Battle: Ultra Coliseum'' Nintendo Wii (2008)
* ''Kaiju Busters'' Nintendo DS (2009)
* ''Ultra Coliseum DX: Ultra Senshi Daishuketsu'' Nintendo Wii (2010)
* ''Kaiju Busters POWERED'' Nintendo DS (2011)
* ''The Great Battle Full Blast'' PSP (2012)
* ''Battle Dodge Ball III'' PSP (2012)
* ''Lost Heroes'' Nintendo 3DS, PSP (2012)
* ''Heroes' VS'' PSP (2013)
* ''Ultraman All-Star Chronicle'' PSP (2013)
* ''
Super Hero Generation
is a tactical role-playing game produced by Bandai Namco Games that features characters from the ''Kamen Rider Series, Kamen Rider'', Ultra Series, Ultraman and Gundam, three iconic Japanese TV series. Released for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStati ...
'' PS3, PS Vita (2014)
* ''Lost Heroes 2'' Nintendo 3DS (2015)
* ''Ultraman Fusion Fight!'' Arcade (2016)
* ''
City Shrouded in Shadow
is a video game for the PlayStation 4 developed by Granzella, who confirmed that it is the spiritual successor to their ''Disaster Report'' series of games, and several characters from that series also make cameo appearances in the game. The ...
'' PS4, PS Vita (2017)
* ''
Ultraman R/B
is a Japanese tokusatsu superhero television series produced by Tsuburaya Productions. It is the 30th entry to the ''Ultra Series'' overall, the sixth entry to the "New Generation Heroes" lineup and the last entry to the series released in the He ...
'' Nintendo Switch (2018)
* ''Ultra Kaiju Monster Rancher'' Nintendo Switch (2022)
Books
Comics
Harvey Comics series
Between 1993 and 1994,
Harvey Comics
Harvey Comics (also known as Harvey World Famous Comics, Harvey Publications, Harvey Comics Entertainment, Harvey Hits, Harvey Illustrated Humor, and Harvey Picture Magazines) was an American comic book publisher, founded in New York City by Alfr ...
published two comic book series based on the
1966 ''Ultraman'' television series.
Dark Horse Comics series
In 2003,
Dark Horse Comics
Dark Horse Comics is an American comic book, graphic novel, and manga publisher founded in Milwaukie, Oregon by Mike Richardson in 1986. The company was created using funds earned from Richardson's chain of Portland, Oregon comic book shops known ...
published a comic book based on ''
Ultraman Tiga
is a Japanese tokusatsu TV drama and the twelfth show in the Ultra Series. Produced by Tsuburaya Productions, ''Ultraman Tiga'' had aired at 6:00pm and aired between September 7, 1996 to August 30, 1997, with a total of 52 episodes with five mo ...
''.
Marvel Comics series
Since 2020,
Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...
started publishing an initial new ''Ultraman'' comic book limited series titled ''The Rise of Ultraman'', written by
Kyle Higgins
Kyle Higgins (born June 12, 1985) is an American comic book writer and film director. He is best known for his work on the ''Batman'' franchise at DC Comics, namely writing the miniseries '' Batman: Gates of Gotham'' and for the ''Nightwing'' and ...
& Matt Groom with art by Francesco Manna. It debuted in September 2020 and concluded in January 2021.
A second series titled ''The Trials of Ultraman'' premiered in March 2021, with Higgins, Groom and Manna returning and concluded in August of the same year.
A third series titled ''The Mystery of Ultraseven'', which will be written by Higgins and Groom, and drawn by Davide Tinto, David Lopez, and Gurihiru, will be released on August 17, 2022.
During
Anime Expo
Anime Expo, abbreviated AX, is an American anime convention held in Los Angeles, California and organized by the non-profit Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation (SPJA). The convention is traditionally held annually on the first we ...
2022, Groom announced a crossover event between the current ''Ultraman'' comics with the
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is a fictional shared universe where the stories in most American comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Comics take place. Super-teams such as the Avengers, the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, the Guardians of ...
for 2023.
Manga
References
External links
Official websiteof
Tsuburaya Productions
is a Japanese special effects studio founded in 1963 by special effects wizard Eiji Tsuburaya and was run by his family, until October 2007, when the family sold the company to advertising agency TYO Inc. The studio is best known for producing t ...
Ultraman Connection — Official websiteOfficial ''Ultraman'' channelat
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
{{Authority control
Mass media franchises
Bandai brands
Bandai Namco franchises