The☆Ultraman

The☆Ultraman (ザ☆ウルトラマン Za Urutoraman) is the 8th entry in the Ultra Series, aired four years hiatus after the end of Ultraman Leo. For the first time in the series, the show was presented as an anime instead of a tokusatsu show, with the production company Nippon Sunrise (now known simply as Sunrise), known for their now-iconic mecha series Mobile Suit Gundam, handling the animation.

Characters

Scientific Defense Guard

• Choichiro Hikari
• Tetsuo Akiyama
• Daisuke Gondo
• Kei Marume
• Hiroaki Tobe
• Mutsumi Hoshikawa
• Pigu
• Monkey
• Uruk

Ultras

• Ultraman Joneus
• Elek
• Loto
• Amia
• People of U40

Kaiju/Seijin

• Seagra
• Spiral
• Wanigodon
• Red Smogy
• Tough Gillan
• Tough Gillas
• Tough Gillaco
• Fire Badon
• Combugon
• Robot No.101
• Alien Baltan
• Mikonos
• Dolfiego
• Xalome
• Hectore
• Liquid Monster
• Opt
• Garadoras
• Xyclon
• Gellon
• Gadon
• Goglan
• King Moa
• Badan
• Islanda
• Spirit Parasite
• Gerada
• Janyur
• Bedoran
• Bader Group
• Bagon
• Janyur III
• Zaanmoth
• Zanba
• Dragodos
• Death Balan
• Gibaaroga
• Red King
• Aboras
• Banila
• Arstron
• Ghostron
• Gokinezula
• Alien Baladon
• Dabaran
• Alien Jadan
• Jagon
• Skeldon
• Garbados
• Megasaura
• Alien Babilar
• Gamiba
• Imedo Being
• Goadarion
• Jinario
• Groteng
• Plazoon
• Agujon
• Deathpower
• Zuma
• Gurol
• Putgolia
• Iddunus
• Darantulas
• Noa
• Hellar
• Roygar
• Panther
• Hellar's Soldiers
• Gumons
• Hell Cat
• Orolan
• Gilos
• Alien Gilo
• Imitation Ultraman Joneus
• Hatari
• Dostony
• Spader
• Caperadon
• Alien Scien
• Golding
• Gedon
• Hella Umaya
• Makdatar

Cast

• Kei Tomiyama as Choichiro Hikari
• Masatō Ibu as Ultraman Joneus
• Sumi Shimamoto as Mutsumi Hoshikawa
• Kinya Morikawa as Tetsuo Akiyama (eps 1-26)
• Hidekatsu Shibata as Daisuke Gondō (eps 28-50)
• Masanari Nihei as Hiroaki Tobe
• Shingo Kanemoto as Kei Marume
• Junpei Takiguchi as Pigu
• Shigeru Chiba as Monkey, Pablo (ep 17), Alien Babilar (ep 32)
• Eiji Kanie as Narrator
• Hiroshi Ōtake as Alien Babilar (ep 32)
• Ichirō Nagai as Robot No.101 (ep 7)
• Issei Futamata as People of U40 (ep 20)
• Kazuo Kumakura as Professor Henry Nishiki (eps 5,17,32,44)
• Kenichi Ogata as Zaanmoth (ep 22)
• Kenji Utsumi as Daisuke Ōgawara (ep 11)
• Kōhei Miyauchi as Great Sage (8 episodes)
• Kumiko Takizawa as Amia (9 episodes)
• Mari Okamoto as Yuriko Nojima (eps 13, 18), Noa (ep 36)
• Masaru Ikeda as Elek (10 episodes)
• Mikio Terashima as Alien Baltan (ep 8)
• Minoru Midorikawa as Takai (ep 45)
• Norio Wakamoto as People of U40 (ep 20)
• Ryusuke Shiomi as Sakurada (12 episodes)
• Ryūzaburō Ōtomo as Roygar (eps 37-44, 48)
• Shōzō Iizuka as Gibaaroga (ep 26), Alien Baladon (ep 27), Alien Jadan Boa (ep 29)
• Takeshi Aono as People of U40 (ep 20)
• Tamio Ohki as Hellar (eps 37, 49-50)
• Taro Sagami as Hatari (ep 42)
• Toshiro Ishii as Takai (ep 19)
• Toshiya Ueda as Takai (eps 26, 28, 38)
• Yōko Kuri as Federico (ep 40)
• Yoshiko Ōta as Ichirō Ōgawara (ep 11)
• Yoshito Miyamura as Loto (8 episodes)
• Yukari Nozawa as Uruk

English Dub

• Gary Morgan as Scotty Harrison (The Adventures of Ultraman) and Ultraman (The Adventures of Ultraman)
• Steve Kramer as Chief Harris (Ultraman II)
• Tom Wyner as Ultraman (Ultraman II)
• Barbara Goodson as Lieutenant Anne Johnson (Ultraman II) and PDQ (Ultraman II)
• Gladys Enright as Anya (The Adventures of Ultraman)
• Joe Perry as Lieutenant Glenn (Ultraman II) and Lieutenant Marconi (Ultraman II)
• Michael Dobson as Kei Marume (pilot)
• Susan Harry Sprang as Lieutenant Nan Johnson (The Adventures of Ultraman)
• Tom Wyner as Captain Adams (Ultraman II) and Narrator (Ultraman II)
• Sean Reily as General Steel (The Adventures of Ultraman)

Songs

Theme Songs

• Opening theme: "The☆Ultraman"
  • Song: Aku
  • Composition and Arrangement: Miyauchi Kunio
  • Song: Isao Sasaki and Columbia Yurikakai
• Ending theme: "Heroes of love"
  • Lyrics: Aku
  • Composition and Arrangement: Kunio Miyauchi
  • Songs: Isao Sasaki

This ending theme serves as the first case of an entry in the Ultra Series having and ending sequence. Preformed by BGM staff who had previously composed the theme song for "Ultraseven". Both songs were recorded in Los Angeles, as was the in-play music.

Insertion Songs

• "Ultraman Hymn"
  • Lyrics: Kazuho Mitsuda
  • Composition and Arrangement: Toru Fuyuki
  • Song: Isao Sasaki

Sasaki, who was in charge of the song, made it the most difficult song he had ever sung.

• "Star of Ultra"
  • Lyrics: Tani Noboru
  • Composition and Arrangement: Toru Fuyuki
  • Song: Columbia Torigokai
• "Song of Mutsumi"
  • Lyrics-Kazuho Mitsuda
  • Composition: Tani Noboru
  • Arrangement: Takada Hiroshi
  • Song: Horie Mitsuko
• "Super Murdoch"
  • Lyrics and Composition: Tani Noboru
  • Arrangement: Hirotaka Takada
  • Song: Isao Sasaki
• "Our Science Garrison"
  • Lyrics: Kazuho Mitsuda
  • Composition: Tani Noboru
  • Arrangement: Hirotaka Takada
  • Songs: Isao Sasaki
• "Robot Pigu's Song"
  • Lyrics: Tani Noboru
  • Composition: Fuoki Toru
  • Arrangement: Maruyama Masahito
  • Song: Takiguchi Junpei
• "Tomorrow ..."
  • Lyrics and Composition: Tani Noboru
  • Arrangement: Takada Hiroshi
  • Song: Toyama Takashi

It was used in Episode 18, and in Episode 23, the instrument was used.

• "Monster Requiem"
  • Lyrics: Kazuho Mitsuda
  • Composition and Arrangement: Toru Fuyuki
  • Songs: Isao Sasaki

In the 15th episode of the next series "Ultraman 80", Emi Johno was used in the scene of singing lullaby to the monster Myu and in 44 the instrument was used in the scene where 80 and the Delusion Ultraseven fight. In addition, the "popular monster large parade" of "5 Nights Series Super TV" (March 26-30, 1984, "Ultraman Taro", "Mirrorman", "Fireman", "Jumborg Ace" digest version. It is also used as an ending.

English versions

Japan Tonight!

In the United States, on April 5, 1980, episode #14 of The☆Ultraman aired on U.S. national television when New York superstation WOR-TV Channel 9 (now WWOR) aired it as the first part of "Japan Tonight!", a special seven hour block of programming from TBS (Tokyo Broadcasting System), hosted by actor Telly Savalas. Japanese actress/author/talk show host Tetsuko Kuroyanagi introduced the episode surrounded by assorted Ultraman toys and merchandise while explaining to the American audience just who Ultraman is ("It's very, very popular in Japan - He's like your Superman."). The episode was dubbed into English by William Ross (Frontier Enterprises) in Japan and was sponsored by Bandai America. 

The opening narration: "In a galaxy, which is millions of light-years away from us, the rulers of the star Ultra decided to send one of their men to Earth so that he could protect the people from the many space monsters that had suddenly started to appear at frequent intervals.  But they could not very well send in Ultraman, as everyone would notice him because of his strange appearance.  They therefore decided to use the vast resources of the star Ultra to implant the spirit of an Ultraman in the body of a young Space Force Trooper named Matt Gordon.  In times of danger, Trooper Gordon can call upon these amazing Ultra powers and transform himself into Ultraman and still be able to keep his identity a secret from everyone else on Earth."

There has also been two feature-length movie compilations released for home video: 

• The Adventures of Ultraman (1981), a featured-length movie produced by Tsuburaya Productions specifically for the English-language market. The movie is composed of edited footage from several episodes at the end of of the series. The storyline was rewritten for this adaptation with a new script by Jeff Segal and music composed by Mark McKinniss.

• Ultraman II: The Further Adventures of Ultraman (1983), a dub of the first four episodes co-produced by Tsuburaya Productions and Associates Entertainment International. Despite the title, it has no continuity with the previous English dub of the series. Although the translation is closer to the original Japanese scripts than the first movie, the characters' names were still changed (the names given to the characters are not the same ones used in the previous dub, though several are very similar). The order of the third and fourth episodes were also switched. Also, the opening title and end credits sequences for this release were textless (new U.S. credits were used) as well as being transposed and did not use the vocal tracks.

Home Video

The☆Ultraman DVD Box Set

"The Adventures of Ultraman" (1981)

"Ultraman II: The Further Adventures of Ultraman" (1983)

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