Eiji Tsuburaya: Master of Monsters: Defending the Earth with Ultraman, Godzilla, and Friends in the Golden Age of Japanese Science Fiction Film

Now in paperback!

$82.63 - Shop Now

Behind-the-scenes hero to anyone who's thrilled by giant monsters duking it out over Tokyo, Eiji Tsuburaya was the visual effects mastermind behind Godzilla, Ultraman, and numerous Japanese science fiction movies and TV shows beloved around the world. The first book on this legendary film figure in English, this highly visual biography surveys his fascinating life and career, featuring hundreds of film stills, posters, concept art, and delightful on-set photos of Tsuburaya prompting monsters to crush landmark buildings. A must-have for fans, this towering tribute also profiles Tsuburaya's film collaborators, details his key films and shows, and spotlights the enduring popularity of the characters he helped create. 

Reviews:

"[A] loving, well-researched tribute to the greatest of all Japanese Monster Makers!!"
-Guillermo del Toro
Director of Pacific Rim and Pan's Labyrinth

"Eiji Tsuburaya was a very reserved man on the set. Most of the direction he gave me for the performances was, 'I trust you to do it. Do what you feel is best, I'll leave it up to you.' And that's the way he was for most of the films we worked on together after Godzilla. After the wires broke on the Rodan suit, causing me to fall several meters onto the miniature set, he chided, 'It's good that you didn't die; because I need you to finish the film.' And I replied, 'That's easy for you to say; I'm the one inside the costume.' But, these things would sometimes happen. It's been forty-three years since Tsuburaya has left us, but what a happy feeling to have a book published about him after all this time. And that it came not from Japan, but from the U.S.! I'm sure the Old Man would be as happy as I am. August did a wonderful job. Thanks to all for not forgetting him."
-Haruo Nakajima
original Godzilla suit actor (1954-1972) and the Man of a Thousand Monsters

"When I moved to America to start filming Godzilla, this was one of the few books I brought with me. Eiji is a true inspiration, and a one of a kind innovator of special effects, the likes of which we'll probably never see again in cinema."
-Gareth Edwards, director of Monsters and Godzilla (2014).

'The difference between this book and other coffee table volumes that have covered daikaiju before, though, is the staggeringly researched detail that Ragone has put into the text itself. This is not just a picture book to flip through, nod approvingly at and stick on the shelf; this is a record easily in scale with the monsters Tsuburaya created a critical and historical look at the creation and output of an industry that spanned (and has continued to span) the decades.
-Tooth and Dagger, October 2007

Shin Ultraman Fake Ultraman Version C Hero's Brave Statue Vol. 2 Statue

Shin Ultraman Fake Ultraman Version C Hero's Brave Statue Vol. 2 Statue:

$26.99 - Shop Here

From the film Shin Ultraman comes a Version C Hero's Brave Statue Figure of…Fake Ultraman! This PVC/ABS figure is non-articulated and measures roughly 7-inches tall.

Company: Banpresto
Theme: Ultraman
Product Type: Statues
Item Height: 7.10 inches (18.03 cm)

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New In The Store This Week: Captain Marvel, Thor, Ultraman, Fantastic Four & More!

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‘Birth of Ultraman Collection’ Coming to Blu-ray July 10

From Mill Creek Entertainment

The Birth of Ultraman Collection, containing some of the best episodes of the original “Ultraman” series, is coming to Blu-ray July 10 from Mill Creek Entertainment at $25.99.

It will include both the original Japanese language and the classic English dub audio tracks plus The Birth of Ultraman — Ultraman pre-premiere special, the very first appearance of the hero.

The set will be exclusively sold on DeepDiscount as part of the launch of a dedicated “Ultraman” storefront that will offer up all of Mill Creek’s current Blu-ray and steelbook releases in addition to other “Ultraman”-related merchandise and products.




The exclusive Blu-ray release also features art created by Alex Ross, which is also featured on The Rise of Ultraman cover for Marvel Comics, and Tsuburaya Production’s recent collaboration with the debut issue releasing September 2020.

The release is part of Mill Creek Entertainment’s license of the entire available “Ultraman” back-catalog via international distribution company Indigo Entertainment, from the team at Tsuburaya Productions.

“The Birth of Ultraman Collection” includes the following episodes:

Episode 1, “Ultra Operation No. 1,” in which the story begins as the heroic alien Ultraman pursues the space monster Bemular to Earth, leading to a fateful encounter with Shin Hayata, an agent of the SSSP;
Episode 2, “Shoot the Invader,” in which Ultraman’s iconic foe, Alien Baltan, makes its first appearance in a tale narrated by Ide, the SSSP’s genius inventor;
Episode 19, “Demons Rise Again,” in which an ancient time capsule unleashes the red-skinned monster Banila and its blue-skinned rival Aboras, who wage a titanic battle in the National Stadium;
Episodes 26 and 27, “The Monster Highness” Parts 1 and 2, the only two-part Ultraman story that features the Ancient Monster Gomora, who escapes captivity and overwhelms Ultraman as it rampages towards Osaka;
Episode 33, “The Forbidden Words,” in which even Ultraman may not be able to stop Alien Mefilas when he tries to convince a boy to give him the Earth; and
Episode 37, “A Little Hero,” in which Ide suffers a crisis of faith as the Friendly Monster Pigmon warns that the evil creature Geronimon is reviving an army of monsters to destroy Ultraman and the SSSP.
The Birth of Ultraman — Ultraman pre-premiere special aired in Japan on July 10, 1966, one week before the series premiere. The stage show was filmed before a live studio audience and introduced viewers to the story, cast and characters of “Ultraman.” This July 10 event on television is now celebrated annually and known throughout the world as “Ultraman Day.” Never-before-released in America, the special is presented in black and white (as originally broadcast) in standard definition with Japanese audio and English subtitles.

“Ultraman” premiered on Japanese television on July 17, 1966. While the series was still in production, the North American rights were licensed to United Artists, who in-turn commissioned voice director Peter Fernandez (“Speed Racer”) to supervise the English dubbing of the show. The English-language version was syndicated to American television in 1967 and went on to air in various markets across the country into the early 1980s.

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The Darker Side Of Ultraman The Baddest Of The Bad Showcased In Darkness Heels

I'm always amazed at how Tsuburaya is able to reinvent their Ultraman franchise over and over again in new and creative ways. There is a new "Ultraman 3D" animated series coming to Netflix and now a new line of shows and merchandise centered on ultra colorful villains called "Ultraman: Darkness Heels".

From Crunchyroll:

The darker side of the Ultra Series is about to get its time in the spotlight, thanks to the new Darkness Heels franchise.

The concept plays on the idea of "inviting whispers from the dark," uniting the more interesting and heavily characterized baddies of the Ultraman series — the "heels." The starting lineup consists of Ultraman Belial, Dark Zagi, Evil Tiga, Camearra, and Jugglus Juggler.

The new line kicks off with DARKNESS HEELS WORLD, a live event taking place next month at Tokyo Solamachi. The venue will offer new goods, photo spots, exhibitions, and photo ops with the featured characters. Plus, starting October 1, a 3.6 meter tall Ultraman Belial statue will be on display in the venue's west yard.

DARKNESS HEELS WORLD takes place from October 18-31. There's been no clue as to what will happen for the line after the inaugural event, but it's looking impressive so far.

Related:

New Ultraman Animated Series Coming To Netflix In 2019

Did You Know That Tsuburaya Held A Funeral For Fallen Monsters In 1973?

Ultraman 2019 anime series created entirely with motion capture

New Ultraman Animated Series Coming To Netflix In 2019

I only hope this one is better than the boring Godzilla anime ...

From The Asahi Shimbun

The full 3-D CG anime adaptation of the “Ultraman” manga series will be streamed worldwide on Netflix in spring 2019, it was revealed during the Anime Expo 2018 held in Los Angeles.

A star-studded production team comprising anime creators working on a global scale has been assembled to create a “never-before-seen Ultraman” for the upcoming series.

Kenji Kamiyama, whose previous works include the “Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex” series and feature film “Ancien and the Magic Tablet,” serves as co-director with Shinji Aramaki, who created the “Appleseed” film series and CG movie “Starship Troopers: Traitor of Mars.”

Boasting more than 2.8 million copies in print, the original comic series is currently running in the monthly Hero’s manga anthology. Penned by Eiichi Shimizu and illustrated by Tomohiro Shimoguchi, who together created the “Linebarrels of Iron” manga series, “Ultraman” centers around a superhero dressed in the metallic suit to fight evil forces.

The manga is inspired by a classic live-action superhero TV series of the same name featuring the gigantic superhero that protects humans from aliens and monsters.

The “Ultraman” series is being produced by Production I.G Inc. and Sola Digital Arts Inc.

Visit the anime’s official website at (https://anime.heros-ultraman.com/).

Check out the preview:



Related:

Did You Know That Tsuburaya Held A Funeral For Fallen Monsters In 1973?

Ultraman 2019 anime series created entirely with motion capture

Long Forgotten Ultraman Animated Series Gets A Blu-ray Release

Ultraman 2019 anime series created entirely with motion capture

I sure hope this is more exciting than that boring Godzilla anime.

From Anime News Network

It's no secret that 3D animation in Japan has its detractors among anime fans. Despite this, more CGI anime have been released recently, and the upcoming Ultraman anime, set to launch in 2019, is going to be entirely in 3D animation.

However, directors Kenji Kamiyama and Shinji Aramaki are using a different approach when it comes to the anime's actual animation. They are using motion capture to create the CGI, but the anime is not filmed shot by shot. The studio decided to film the entire anime in motion capture. At AnimeNext in Atlantic City, Kamiyama and Aramaki showed footage of how the anime's actors wear motion capture suits during stunts and fight scenes. They also wear them during drama scenes, where the characters talk or use simple movements.

The directors explained that this makes the characters' movement more natural. Using the motion capture technique, the initial scenes are recorded in Motion Builder. Then, they are transferred to the animation program Maya, where the animators add more details, subtle movements, textures, and other finishing touches. Professional voice actors (who are different from the stunt actors) act out the script, and their voices are then incorporated into the animation.

But besides having an uncommon animation style, something else is unique about the anime: having two directors at the same time. At their panels, Kamiyama and Aramaki explained that having two directors is rare in Japan. Usually, there is a hierarchy in anime studios, where the higher-up director has more of an administrative role and the lower director does more hands-on work in the studio. It's unusual for two directors to be working together. In fact, Aramaki and Kamiyama have worked together before on other projects and met over 30 years ago, making the situation even more uncommon.

The CGI Ultraman adaption is set to launch in Japan next year. The series adapts Eiichi Shimizu and Tomohiro Shimoguchi's Ultraman manga. Both directors are working on the anime at Production I.G and Sola Digital Arts.

Source

Find out more in Movie News

Long Forgotten Ultraman Animated Series Gets A Blu-ray Release

I was a teenager in the 80s and I honestly never heard of this. (Or maybe I'm just so old now that I forgot about it?)

From Crunchyroll

Tsuburaya Productions announced today that a Blu-ray disc of Ultraman USA, its co-production anime film with Hanna-Barbera Productions in 1987, will be released on September 26, 2018.

The film was inspired by the concept of Tsuburaya's long-running Ultraman tokusatsu superhero franchise,but its story was set in the US and featured three American protagonists, who transform into Ultraman Scott, Ultraman Chuck, and Ultrawoman Beth. Mitsuo Kusakabe (Kirby: Right Back at Ya!) served as director.

Under the title Ultraman: The Adventure Begins, its English-dub version was first aired in the US in October 1987, then its Japanese-dub version was screened as part of the "Ultraman Festival" event along with two episodes of Ultraman and Ultraman A in April 1989. Short introduction anime footage of Ultraman Kid were also attached to the beginning of each episode.

Its VHS was released in September 1989, then its laser disc was added in July 1991, but no DVD or Blu-ray have been officially released. The film's original 35mm film is digitally remastered in Hi-Vision resolution for the Blu-ray, and both the 75-minute Japanese and 78-minute English versions are included in the disc. In addition, the Ultraman Kid anime footage used in "Ultraman Festival" also comes as a bonus content. The price is 7,800 yen (about 72 US dollars).

I wonder if we will be able to get this here in America? I will have to see if I can dig up anything on that.

"Using his beta capsule, Hayata becomes Ultraman!"

The sequences with Ultraman fighting proved to be so expensive to film, that the producers needed a way to limit the scenes to only a few minutes for each episode. The solution was to give the character the weakness that he can not survive in his true self for more than roughly three minutes before he runs out of energy. This is marked with his warning chest light, called the Colortimer, which begins to blink with increasing speed as his energy runs out.

Some monsters from Ultra Q appear in this series, some with changes. A few examples: In Episode 4 ("5 Seconds Before the Explosion!"), Ragon, the Gill-Man-style humanoid fish, returns in giant size and breathes fire like Godzilla. In Episode 8 ("The Lawless Monster Zone"), the monster Pegila returns as the monster Chandrah, fighting the monster Red King (and loses). And in that same episode, the giant-sized robot monster Garamon is reused as the friendly, pint-sized monster Pigmon.

The character 'Ultraman' was ranked #23 in TV Guide's list of the "25 Greatest Sci-Fi Legends" (1 August 2004 issue).

The character of Ultraman went through many changes as pre-production went along. At first, the planned series "Woo" had a corporeal space creature with eyes, who befriended a reporter named Jôji Akita, but the Self Defense Forces were after him. This was basically the monster version of Doctor Who, and Woo's personality was comical. Then they planned "Bemular" (retitled "Science Patrol - Bemular") about a defense force disguised as an art/photography team. One of the members, little did anyone know, gained the ability to transform into a giant birdlike humanoid monster called Bemular (this is not the same Bemular that Ultraman would fight in Episode 1), who defends Earth from monsters, aliens and other threats. Unlike Woo, Bemular was a tough and righteous fighter (Bemular looked very similar in design to the title monster of Daikyojû Gappa). This then evolved into "Redman," the title hero of which slightly resembled Ultraman as we know him, but he looked more demonic and had horns. Both Bemular and Redman were designed by Tôru Narita, who came up with the final design for Ultraman based on his Redman design, now resembling a less-scary Buck Rogers-style alien being (with a bit of the iconic "Roswell Alien" as well). The characteristic "ColorTimer" (the "warning light" on his chest) was added at the eleventh hour.

As is the case with his previous series, Ultra Q, series creator Eiji Tsuburaya uses and redecorates famous Toho monsters for the show. Baragon (from Frankenstein Conquers the World), who was also used in aforementioned series (as the monster Pagos), was used as monsters Neronga in Episode 3 ("Sally Forth, Science Patrol!") and Gabora in Episode 9 ("Operation Lightining Speed"). And the King of the Monsters himself, Godzilla (who was also used as the monster Gomess in the first episode of Q), was used as the frillnecked lizard monster Jirass in Episode 10 ("The Mysterious Dinosaur Base"). Using the body of the "Mosu-Goji" suit and the head of the "Daisensô-Goji" suit, Godzilla/Jirass was fitted with a frill collar around his neck, as well as a minor paint job. This was because the script called for a lizard monster, so Eiji said, "Okay, then, let's use a Godzilla suit!"

The Science Patrol's Jet VTOL (AKA: Jet Beetle) was originally from the Toho SF epic, Gorath, but with a new paint job and accessories.

When directing Episode 36, "Gift from the Sky", Akio Jissoji played a humorous prank on star Susumu Kurobe by making him mistake a spoon for the Beta Capsule when transforming into Ultraman. This became a popular in-joke to many fans of the show (even American fans like cartoonist Jeff Nicholson, who made an Ultraman parody called "Ultra Klutz", in which the title superhero transforms using a spoon).

For about the first third of the series, the opening credits featured silhouettes of monsters that had appeared in "Ultra Q", such as Kanegon and Gorou. For the remaining episodes, silhouettes of "Ultraman" monsters like Gyango and the iconic Baltan were shown instead.

A New 'Ultraman' Animated Film Is Coming In 2019!

From Comic Book Movie

The pop culture properties of yesteryear, that helped lay the foundation for the characters and stories we know and love today seem to be making a comeback in full force. Not only in America but even in Japan. The latest property at bat is none other than the kaiju fighting godfather himself, Ultraman.

The news broke over at Asahi Shinbum, where they stated that this new 3-D animated film would be helmed by Kenji Kamiyama (Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex) and Shinji Aramaki (Appleseed). The film will be produced by Production I.G Inc. (Ghost in the Shell, Evangelion, Batman: Gotham Knight) and Sola Digital Arts (Tekken 7 opening movie). We were also told that the cast would be announced later in the year. Considering that the manga series alone has over 2.6 million copies in print, it is safe to say that this A-list treatment is well deserved.

While everyone who remembers Ultraman as a giant, primary colored, superhero who fought Kaiju; this new interpretation will be changing the formula of what we knew of the character. According to the creators of the film, this will be a sequel to the original TV series. The synopsis follows the son of the original Ultraman. The young hero, Shinjiro Hayata, now only dons the suit of Ultraman to take on the new threats that his world holds for him. The main change? He will not transform into the colossal protector of earth.

But how Ultra can a human sized Ultraman be? Well to try and answer that, we were also given a teaser poster of the hero and a short teaser video to display the animation that you can see below. While the teaser is the same from Tokyo comic-con in 2017; the poster gives us a look at a possibly battle damaged Ultraman.

Source

VIZ MEDIA LAUNCHES THE NEW ULTRAMAN MANGA SERIES

Kinetic Superhero Action Series Updates The Iconic Japanese
Sci-Fi Property For A Whole New Generation Of Manga Fans; Series To Launch In Print And Digitally

From Viz Media



VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest publisher, distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, announces the brand new ULTRAMAN sci-fi superhero action manga (graphic novel) series, which is set to debut in print and digitally on August 18th.

The series, written by Eiichi Shimizu with artwork by Tomohiro Shimoguchi, is inspired by the original classic Japanese superhero TV show that ran in the late 1960s and remains hugely popular in Japan as well as with international audiences. ULTRAMAN Vol. 1 is rated ‘T’ for Teens and will carry a print MSRP of $12.99 U.S. / $14.99 CAN. The series also launches digitally the same day via VIZManga.com and the VIZ Manga App, as well as from the Nook, Kobo, Kindle, iBooks, comiXology, and GooglePlay stores. Future editions of ULTRAMAN will be published quarterly under the VIZ Signature imprint. In Japan, the series currently appears in Hero’s magazine.

Decades ago, a being known as the Giant of Light joined together with Shin Hayata of the Science Special Search Party to save Earth from an invasion of terrifying monsters called Kaiju. Now, many years later, those dark days are fading into memory, and the world is at peace. But in the shadows a new threat is growing, a danger that can only be faced by a new kind of hero – a new kind of ULTRAMAN… Shinjiro is an ordinary teenager, but his father is the legendary Shin Hayata. When he learns that his father passed on the “Ultraman Factor” to him and that he possesses incredible powers, nothing will ever be the same again.

VIZ Media recently welcomed Eiichi Shimizu and Tomohiro Shimoguchi for their first-ever professional appearance in the U.S. as official Guests of Honor at the 2015 San Diego Comic-Con.

“In Japan, Ultraman is something of a national symbol, an iconic superhero that is instantly recognizable and universally loved, and we’re excited to bring the brand new manga to a new generation of fans,” says Mike Montesa, Editor. “The series wonderfully updates the classic sci-fi property with cinematic action sequences and sleek character designs. Catch the exciting return of this legendary hero this summer!”

Eiichi Shimizu worked on the story, script and mechanical design for ULTRAMAN. Tomohiro Shimoguchi provided character design and art. Together, the two have formed a creative dream team to produce a number of works including ULTRAMAN (Hero’s) and Kurogane no Rainbareru (Linebarrels of Iron, Akita Shoten). In addition to comics, they have expanded their field of interest to include character designs for video games and action figures.

For more information on ULTRAMAN or manga titles published by VIZ Media, please visit www.VIZ.com.

See Also: Terror of Godzilla #6, January Issue - Dark Horse Comics - Grade NM

Macross #1, December 1984 Issue - Comico - Grade Fine

Shogun Warriors #14, April 1980 Issue - Marvel Comics - Grade VF

Nintendo's Kick-Arse 1966 Board Game

From Kotaku

Before they made video games, Nintendo made loads of other sweet stuff. One of the sweetest was this Ultraman board game, which has art that looks as awesome today as it did in 1966.

As you can see in the gallery on Before Mario, the game — released using the old “Nintendo Game” logo — doesn’t look terribly complicated (not that it should have been, since it was for kids). You spun a dial, you moved around, you battled some monsters.

READ MORE

See Also: Giant monsters gather in Nagoya, 1991 Bandai 6 Inch Ultraman Series Red King Vinyl Figure, Ultraman Hits Hawaii In Style!, Ultraman book ban leads to outpouring of mockery, The Very Fashionable Ultraman (Video), Have a superhero New Year’s

Giant monsters gather in Nagoya

The Yomiuri Shimbun

NAGOYA — Masks, suits and miniatures of Godzilla, Ultraman, Gamera and many more — an exhibition under way at the Nagoya City Science Museum in Naka Ward, Nagoya, until Jan. 12 showcases about 500 items used in the filming of movies and TV series produced in Japan since the 1960s using tokusatsu special effects.

The exhibition, titled “Tokusatsu: Special Effects Museum,” was curated by anime director Hideaki Anno, who is known for his “Evangelion” anime series.

Notable in the exhibition is a reproduction of a storehouse that used to be in a film studio to hold these props and small sets.

Information about the exhibit (In Japanese) Here - 'TOKUSATSU – Special Effects Museum'

1991 Bandai 6 Inch Ultraman Series Red King Vinyl Figure

1991 Bandai 6 Inch Ultraman Series Red King Vinyl Figure

Price $20 - Order Here

1991 Bandai 6 Inch Ultraman Series Red King Vinyl Figure

This 6-inch tall figure was produced in Japan in 1991 for Ultraman TV series

The figure was sold loose and comes with it's original card still attached.

History:

The first Red King was discovered on a remote island filled with other monsters, where a small group of scientists had been terrorized and all but one were ultimately killed.

Red King appeared along with Magular and Chandora. This episode also featured the first appearance of Pigmon, a monster the size of a human child that was friendly toward humans. The reason for the monster's appearance is that the magnetic field on the island is off-balance, causing creatures to mutate. The island was later named "Tatara Island".

Red King defeated Chandlar by tearing off a limb/wing and throwing the dismembered limb, as well as some rocks, at him as the monster fled, and was never seen or heard from again. Mauglar, a burrowing monster, apparently survived the episode almost unnoticed, but was eventually killed by the Science Patrol. Red King killed Pigmon by creating an avalanche of rocks. Once Ultraman appeared, Red King was defeated without the need for the Specium Ray (Except for when Ultraman used it on a rock Red King was about to throw at him). After being thrown around a few times, Red King got paralyzed. - Ultraman Wiki

Ultraman book ban leads to outpouring of mockery

From The Malay Mail Online

The government’s ban on the book “Ultraman the Ultra Power” today invited a steady stream of ridicule from Malaysian internet users agape at the decision to exile the popular Japanese superhero.

“Ultraman” quickly became a trending topic on Twitter this evening as news began to surface that the comic book was banned by the Home Ministry for containing elements detrimental to public order, with Malaysians taking turns to poke fun at the decision.

“For goodness sake, what is this ban on #Ultraman? What’s next? Space Cop Gaban? Kesatria Baja Hitam? Why not Power Rangers too?” a user under the handle of @mfosa posted in response to the news.

Another user, @anthraxxxx, expressed support for the ban in apparent jest.

“I can understand KDN’s reason to ban Ultraman’s book. When Ultraman drops on a city fighting monsters, it will create chaos and destruction,” he wrote, using the Home Ministry’s Malay acronym.

Even Cabinet ministers were not beyond joining in the merriment.

“Apa salah Ultraman?” (What is wrong with UItraman?) @khairykj, the Twitter account of Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin posted.

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The Very Fashionable Ultraman (Video)

From Kotaku

If you've seen Ultraman, you probably know these characters. Chances are, though, you've never seen them like this.

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Have a superhero New Year’s

From Japan Times

Here’s an opportunity to have an ultra-special time this holiday season. The popular Ultraman superheroes, including the superhero himself and new hero Ultraman Ginga, will be in Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture, from Dec. 27 until Jan. 5 for the Oshogatsu Dayo! Ultraman Zenin Shugo (It’s the New Year! with All of the Ultraman Heroes) event.

The Ultraman series, featuring epic battles between heroes and giant monsters, first appeared on television in July 1966 and quickly became hugely popular, with fans mimicking the heroes’ unique energy-beam gestures.

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'Ultraman' flies into Guinness World Records for most spinoffs

After nearly a half-century of battling monsters and aliens in every shape, size and form, the beloved "Ultraman" TV series has been certified by Guinness World Records as having the most spinoffs in the world, Tsuburaya Productions Co. announced Sept. 12.

A total of 27 spinoffs of the "tokusatsu" science fiction series, known for its special effects, has been aired since the first series “Ultraman” premiered in 1966, Guinness World Records said.

The 27 spinoffs include “Ultra Seven” (1967), the anime version “The Ultraman” (1979) and “Ultra Galaxy Mega Monster Battle” (2007), in which monsters play leading roles, and the latest “Ultraman Galaxy,” which started in July.

Tsuburaya Productions sent related materials about its long-running series and spinoffs this spring at the request of Guinness World Records, a company official said.

The award gives the production company another reason to celebrate since this year also marks its 50th anniversary.

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Rubber-Suit Monsters Fade. Tiny Tokyos Relax.

CHOFU, Japan — Daisuke Terai plays one of the best-known characters in the history of science fiction, but few fans have ever seen the actor’s face. That is because Mr. Terai puts on a bright silver and red rubber suit before stepping onto a set made of miniature trees and buildings to do battle as the cosmic superhero Ultraman.

On a recent afternoon, Mr. Terai’s character was locked in mortal combat to defend the Earth from a giant extraterrestrial dinosaur with glowing eyes and forked spikes called Grand King. When the cameras paused, a sweating Mr. Terai, 36, peeled off the top of his Ultraman suit, while stagehands removed Grand King’s foam spikes to reveal a zipper down the back of the 65-pound costume.

For decades, Japanese studios dazzled, terrified and tickled global audiences with monster movies and television shows featuring actors in rubber suits laying waste to scaled-down Tokyos, or dueling atop miniaturized Mt. Fujis. The genre, known here as “tokusatsu,” or “special filming,” helped take the Japanese film industry global by creating such fabled creatures as Godzilla and Mothra, pioneering the way for other fantasy genres like animé.

But now, in an era when lifelike digital effects have made the use of small models and suited actors look quaint and kitschy, tokusatsu is rapidly becoming a thing of the past. The last Godzilla movie shot in this style, the aptly named “Godzilla Final Wars,” was released almost a decade ago, after a half-century span during which the creature appeared in 28 films, sometimes every year.

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THE LATEST ‘ULTRAMAN’ MANGA TAKES AN ARMORED APPROACH

If you had to compare Tsuburaya’s Ultraman to a Western superhero concept, the closest comparison would probably be… Captain Marvel or a much friendlier version of Alan Moore’s Marvelman? Every incarnation of the longrunning Japanese tokusatsu and anime empire is different, but more often than not, the hero is the result of a nobel member of a kind of cosmic pantheon merging with a human host (or taking on a human form) to defend planet Earth from invading kaiju from space. In Japan’s Monthly Hero’s Magazine, however, manga creators Eiichi Shimizu and Tomohiro Shimoguchi present a normal human donning a special high tech suit to protect the planet as Ultraman.

As seen in a new motion comic video promoting the series’ third collected volume, ordinary teen Shinjiro Hayata dons a high tech “Ultra Suit” created by his father Shin Hayata — the original human host for Ultraman — to covertly combat threats as part of a secret organization. In this continuity, it’s been around 40 years since the original Ultraman left Earth. When new monsters attack, it’s up to Shinjioro to face the new foes as he’s the only one with a bloodline that’s compatible with the armored suit, which channels energies unique to Ultraman and other beings from the Land of Light. And don’t worry, the suit of armor isn’t like Iron Man’s where it’s just a normal dude inside some metal shooting repulsor blasts. This suit sees Shinjiro do all the usual Ultra stuff, like growing to a height of several stories and blasting evil with the hero’s signature Ultra Beam/Specium Ray.

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