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40 Years of Ultraman
jonerik writes "The Japan Times has four articles covering the events surrounding this year's 40th anniversary celebration of the Japanese superhero Ultraman — along with Astro Boy probably the most iconic Japanese hero of the post-war era. The Ultraman...Forever article follows the history and development of the series over the last 40 years, and its appeal not only to the original generation of fans, but to the current generation, who are now the children or even grandchildren of the series' original audience. The Ultrabonding article explores this in further depth, crediting the series for strengthening the bonds between fathers and sons, both of whom grew up — or are growing up — watching the series. The Ultracollecting article looks at the toy collector side of things, and Ultrasuccess in Print interviews Tatsuya Miyanishi, the author of a series of Ultraman books — including 1996's 'Daddy is Ultraman' — which have proven popular with both young and old fans alike."
I mean, in Japan it's *still* ridiculously huge. You see Ultraman everywhere, and Japanese geeks love collecting Ultraman crap. But I'm not even aware of an Ultraman fandom in the US, and I'm generally up on those sorts of things... Am I the only one who feels this way, or are there American Ultraman fans? I mean, I know we got Power Rangers, but by the time that came out I was too old and too jaded to care (rather, I was like 11 or 12).
The Ultraman...Forever article follows the history and development of the series over the last 40 years, and its appeal not only to the original generation of fans, but to the current generation, who are now the children or even grandchildren of the series' original audience.
Yeah, the kids certainly do love it. Except they know it as "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers".
Push Button, Receive Bacon
Ah the Japanese version of a Mexican wrestling movie. Even as a kid I was stunned at how silly Ultraman was. If you have to be young at heart I guess I was never that young.
During the reminder of the time, my parents -- especially, my father -- either beat the shit out of me or told me what a fucking idiot that I am. I had seriously thought about suicide in 1982. I guess that my father was right: I am a loser and did not even have the guts to kill myself. I had the beer and the pills but did not have the guts to drink the concoction.
By the way, for those of you looking forward to Christmas, I have bad news: god does not exist. Jesus is a lie. I should know. Just look at my childhood. What kind of god would have allowed the brutality that is my father?
What kind of god would have allowed the brutality that is my father?
One that got bored and made a bet with Satan?
Justice is the sheep getting arrested while an impartial judge declares the vote void.
I remember a show about another superhero named Ultraman played by Quinn from Sliders (or "the fat kid" from Stand By Me.) I remember it being a fun show, but I think that was because I was so young and his powers were so silly.
He floated.
He couldn't actually propel himself forward. He had to used some sort of spray cans for propulsion. Spray cans.
Sera
Slashdot, where armchair scientists get shouted down and armchair theologians get modded up.
Ultraman . . . forever
Zap! Pow! Suwatch! After 40 years and 16 series, the Ultra Warriors are still saving the Earth and entertaining kids of all ages everywhere
By MARK SCHILLING
Special to The Japan Times
The "Ultraman" live-action science-fiction series has been a rite of passage for Japanese boys (and a few girls) and their families for four decades now, since the first show was aired in 1966.
News photo
Ultraman gets set to fire his "specium beam" in 1966's "Ultraman" series. (c) TSUBURAYA PRODUCTIONS CO., LTD
For many, one day you are the parent of a preschooler whose idea of fun television is "Sesame Street" or "Ponkikki," the next you are living with a junior superhero who makes strange cries and arm movements in addition to more familiar karatelike kicks and chops. Your child is, you notice, not merely knocking imaginary space monsters into the next galaxy, but vaporizing them with his "specium beam" fired from forearms crossed in an "L" position, with the upright arm doing the zapping.
He has also developed an insatiable craving for red-and-silver plastic figures -- members of the "Ultraman" extended alien family with Viking horns and grasshopper eyes thrown into the DNA mix, as well as the monsters they battle.
The fast-filling toy box, you will soon discover, is only the beginning: Tsuburaya Productions, the Tokyo-based company that makes the "Ultraman" shows, licenses more than 5,000 "Ultraman" products, from "tightie-whities" for tots to lighters for dads. There are also the inevitable movies, animations, DVDs and even an "Ultraman" channel on cable TV. In other words, "Ultraman" is still an ultraprolific, ultraprofitable franchise -- with no end in sight.
Should this be a cause for alarm? Should parents protest against the insidious influence of ultraviolence on the tender minds of their offspring? Few Japanese think so: By now, two generations of parents here have been "Ultraman" fans, and the series is as much a part of the national fabric as furikake (rice topping) and chopsticks -- both of which are available bearing the "Ultraman" logo. It would be like Americans rallying against Superman.
"Ultraman" was created by Eiji Tsuburaya (1901-70), the father of the tokusatsu (special effects) genre in Japan, who also worked for the Toho studio on many monsters pics, beginning with "Godzilla" in 1954. "Ultraman," however, was not the first special-effects TV show made by the company he founded in 1963. That honor goes to "Ultra Q," a 28-episode black-and-white series modeled on "The Twilight Zone." Broadcast from January to July 1966 on the TBS network, " Ultra Q" featured a human team that investigated extra- terrestrial phenomena and fought Tsuburaya's signature Toho monsters under new names. (Godzilla became the odd-sounding "Gomess.")
Nonetheless, for Tsuburaya and his company, "Ultraman" represented a big, ambitious step forward. The show was filmed in color, with a budget then considered huge for Japanese TV.
"It was in the red from the beginning," says Tsuburaya Managing Director Ken Fukui, who joined the company 20 years ago and is now its "Ultraman" historian. "Mr. Tsuburaya made the show the way he made movies for Toho -- the emphasis was on quality."
Also, notes Fukui, "the original target was adults." Back then, TV was a medium for the entire family, which watched the tube together, so shows had to appeal to dads as well as kiddies. "In time, the target shifted to children -- but that wasn't always the case," he adds.
News photo News photo
News photo Ultraman in action against monsters come to Earth to wreak havoc, from 1966's "Ultraman" series (above left) and 1996's "Ultraman Tiga" series (above); and a beautifully wrought vinyl model of the monster Kanegon (left) from the famed Billiken toy-maker. (c) TSUBURAYA PRODUCTIONS CO., LTD; (c) 1966 TSUBURAYA PRODUCTIONS CO., LTD (left)
From the beginning, the "Ultraman" show stood out from the competition -- especially thanks to its titl
So... 40 years later "Ultraman...Forever" arrives. Let's see if DN...Forever can break their record.
Which points out why kids love fantasy, where they can imagine a magic talisman that will make them powerful enough to make things right. Even kids who are raised under benign and loving conditions chafe under their near total powerlessness.
What makes Harry Potter popular is not that he is magically powerful, but a much more powerful and subversive fantasy: he is willing not only to break rules, but to oppose and undermine adult authority figures in order to set things right.
Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
ultraman is AIRWOLF!
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Not a Twitter sockpuppet... but I wish I was.
I grew up in the 70's in Mexico. Ultraman and Goldart (Monstruos del Espacio) were my super heroes.
Ultraman was solar powered (but like todays batteries kept getting discharged in the middle of a presentation, i mean a battle).
Goldart was a transformer (turned into a single engine jet and lived in a volcano).
Of course, ultraman was full of drama. People actually died, got sick, and sometimes, Ultrman lose!
I would then get up, turn OFF the black and white tv in the dinning room. Walk out into the yard all bugged eyed and exclaim with upmost disbelief: "Carajo!"
Making my early childhood afternoon tv days, 30 years ago, worthwhile.
- these are not the droids you are looking for -
i read 40 years of ULDAMAN so i had involuntary contractions
>I am seriously dating myself, but I enjoyed watching Ultraman and Astroboy on Channel 39
:)
Don't worry, most of the guys on slashdot are seriously dating themselves, too.
And no mention of Gojira?
The war with islam is a war on the beast
The war on terror is a war for peace
Wow, this is bringing back a flood of memories. I used to watch Ultraman with my grandad on Sat. mornings, and during the week after school there were three shows I had to see: Space Giants, Speed Racer, and this show called the Pow Hour. The Pow Hour showed Looney Tunes, and in between cartoons they had a guy in the studio with an Atari 2600. Kids could call up and play the games by saying 'Pow' when they wanted to fire. Some guy behind the scenes would push the button everytime he heard 'pow', heh heh. Surprised no ones mentioned Space Giants though...
Hands down the illest ventriloquist this side of the Mississippi River, Hah!
I remember being an avid Ultraman fan when I was 5 or 6, back in the early '70s. Just recently I got the DVDs of the first season, and oh-my-god was it cheesy. Bad plot, bad effects, bad acting, etc. Essentially the science patrol would spin its wheels for 20 minutes, then Ultraman would come to the rescue for the last 10 minutes and fight the monster. I really wanted to like it, but I just couldn't.
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Ultraman is lame, gigantor could kick his butt any day of the week
What I remember from the English theme song was that he came from "a million miles away."
I used to think,"well, that's just somewhere roughly four times as far away as the moon! What's there?"
The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return.
A cheating whoring christian wife of 18 years was the succubus that played that role for me. IMHO, anything that finally purges the synapses of the hateful tribal superstitions known as religions is definitely worth being thankful for, ultramately.
I remember Ultraman and my mother still buys the stuff for my kids. We were in Walmart yestday and they had season 1 volume 2 there. If they'd had volume 1 to go with it, I'da bought it.
Johnny Sokko was the shiznit, just admit it. Did Ultraman have a guy who looked like the bastard child of Cthulhu as the head of the bad guys? Noooooo.