Ultraman | |
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Japanese title card reading, "Ultraman: A Special Effects Fantasy Series"
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Genre | |
Created by | Eiji Tsuburaya |
Written by |
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Starring | |
Opening theme | "Song of Ultraman" (ウルトラマンの歌 Urutoraman no Uta) by the Misuzu Children's Choir |
Composer(s) | Kunio Miyauchi |
Country of origin | Japan |
Original language(s) | Japanese |
No. of episodes | 39 |
Production | |
Running time | 24 minutes |
Release | |
Original network | TBS |
Original release | July 17, 1966 | – April 9, 1967
Chronology | |
Preceded by | Ultra Q |
Followed by | Ultra Seven |
Ultraman (ウルトラマン Urutoraman) is a Japanese tokusatsu science fiction television series created by Eiji Tsuburaya. Ultraman is a follow-up to Ultra Q, though not technically a sequel or spin-off. The show was produced by Tsuburaya Productions and was broadcast on Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS) from July 17, 1966 to April 9, 1967, with a total of 39 episodes (40, counting the pre-premiere special that aired on July 10, 1966).
Although Ultraman is the first series to feature an Ultra-Crusader, it is actually the second show in the Ultra Series. Ultra Q was the first. In fact, Ultraman opens with the Ultra Q logo exploding into the Ultraman logo. Ultraman, and its titular hero, became a major pop culture phenomenon in Japan, spawning dozens of sequels, spin-offs, imitators, parodies and remakes.
Ultraman's central characters were created by Eiji Tsuburaya from Tsuburaya Productions, a pioneer in special effects who was responsible for bringing Godzilla to life in 1954. The show's predecessor was a series called Ultra Q, a black-and-white 28-episode series very much like the original Outer Limits.
The Ultraman project had the following working titles/plots:
Both Bemular and Redman were designed by Toru Narita, who also came up with the final design for Ultraman based on his Redman design, now resembling a less-scary Buck Rogers-style alien being, mixed with a bit of the iconic "Roswell Alien." The characteristic "Color Timer," more familiar to American audiences as the "warning light" on Ultraman's chest, was added at the eleventh hour.