| Series | Episodes |
| Ultraman Ace | |
| Ultraman Ace is the 5th entry in the Ultra Series | |
 | |
| Format: | Tokusatsu, Sci-Fi |
| Created by: | Tsuburaya Productions |
| Starring: | Keiji Takamine Mitsuko Hoshi Tetsurō Sagawa |
| Opening Theme: | Ultraman Ace |
| Ending Theme: | None |
| Country Of Origin | Japan |
| Number Of Episodes | 52 |
| Running Time | 24 minutes |
| Original Channel | Tokyo Broadcasting System |
| Original Air Date | April 7, 1972 |
| Preceded by | Return of Ultraman |
| Succeeded by | Ultraman Taro |
Overview
At this time, the Ultra Series was facing direct competition from series such as Kamen Rider. This caused Ace to start shifting from a sci-fi/mystery adventure to full-tilt superhero fantasy fare. Also, all previous Ultraman like Ultraman, Ultraseven, Ultraman Jack (from Return of Ultraman) and also with Zoffy make more frequent appearances here, whereas they only made guest appearances in the previous show Return of Ultraman. In addition to this, the writing became darker, slightly less episodic, and far more intense, as Ace struggles against the forces of Yapool, the first big bad of the entire franchise. Civilian deaths are more frequent, and monsters are often killed in extremely gory ways, although there is not as much death as would come two years later, with the advent of Ultraman Leo.
Ace is also notable because it introduces the first female host to the franchise, Yuko Minami. Unfortunately, gender prejudice of the time caused backlash against Yuko, forcing the producers to have her written out of the show. It also introduced the concept of recurring antagonists, with Yapool being the major villain.
Synopsis
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Yapool, an ancient interdimensional creature from ancient times with similarities to Satan and Legion, sought after the planet of Earth and tried to conquer it with a campaign that involved his experiments known as Choju. The first super weapon sent to Earth, Verokron, ravaged a city and took on TAC, a special forces unit created by the Self Defense Force to defend the Earth from Kaiju. Two of Verokron's unfortunate victims were Seiji Hokuto and Yuko Minami. Before they were dead long the first five Ultra Brothers, Ultraman, Zoffy, Ultraseven, Ultraman Jack, and Ultraman Ace, decided to revive the duo for trying to help young children get away from the Choju and to fight off Yapool's forces. Ace decided to be the one to go as he had both of them be his host. Yapool has used not only Choju, but also recruited other aliens, humans that sold their souls to him for Choju possession, and even himself to assassinate Ace and TAC only to be brought down in absolute defeat. After the destruction of one of Yapool's oldest Choju, Lunaticks, Minami revealed she was one of the last natives from the moon and gave her Ultra Rings to Hokuto as she had to leave, but she would return every once in a long while. Ever since Hokuto has been Ace's host and their efforts were just the same. Yapool became desperate by combining the bodies of a selected few to create Jumbo King only for him to fail and have Ace fly off to his home world of the Land of Light in M78. Ever since Ace has showed up to help later Ultras in their times of need.
Characters/Cast
Protagonists
TAC Members
- Main article: TAC (Terrible-monster Attacking Crew)
- Seiji Hokuto (北斗星司 Hokuto Seiji Hokuto Seiji): Keiji Takamine (高峰 圭二 Takami)
- Yuko Minami (南夕子 Minami Yūko): Mitsuko Hoshi (星光子 Hoshi Mitsuko) (1-29, 39 & 52)
- Noriko Mikawa (美川 のり子 Mikawa Noriko): Keiko Nishi (西恵子 Nishi Keiko)
- Goro Ryu (竜五 郎 Ryu Goro): Tetsurō Sagawa (瑳川哲朗 Sagawa Tetsurō)
- Ichiro Yamanaka (山中一郎 Yamanaka Ichiro): Okita Shunichi (沖田駿一 Shunichi Okita)
- Tsutomu Konno (今野勉 Konno Tsutomu): Masaaki Yamamoto (山本正明 Yamamoto Masaaki)
- Kozo Yoshimura (吉村公三 Yoshimura Kozo): Koyo Sano (佐野光洋 Sano Koyo)
- Kaji Yoichi (梶洋一 Yoichi Kaji): Katsumi Nakaiyama (中山 勝己 Nakaiyama Katsumi)) (1-3, 5-14, 27, & 31)
The Umezu family
- Dan Umezu (梅酢ダン Umezu Dan): Umezu Akinori (梅酢秋則 Akinori Umezu)
- Kayoko Umezu (梅津香代子 Umezu Kayoko): Rie Miyako (宮野リエ Miyako Rie) (29-43)
Ultras
- Ultraman Ace (ウルトラマンエース Urutoraman Ēsu): Voiced by Goro Naya (納谷悟朗 Naya Gorō)
- Ultraman (ウルトラマン Urutoraman): Voiced by Mahito Tsujimura
- Zoffy (ゾフィー Zofī): Voiced by Osamu Saka (episodes 5 & 35), Goro Naya (episode 5 grunt), Masao Nakasone (episodes 5, 13 dan 26 grunt), Osamu Ichikawa (episode 13), Keisuke Yamashita (episode 23)
- Ultraseven (ウルトラセブン Urutorasebun): Voiced by Osamu Saka
- Ultraman Jack (ウルトラマンジャック Urutoraman Jakku): Voiced by Keisuke Yamashita (episode 13)
- Father of Ultra (ウルトラの父 Urutora no Chichi): Voiced by Masao Nakasone (low-pitch grunts), Tetsuya Kaji (speaking voice)
Antagonists
- Yapool (ヤープル Yapurū Voice): Hirofumi Takada (高田裕史 Takada Hirofumi)
- Narrator (ナレーター Nareta): Shin Kishida (岸田森 Kishida Shin)
Guest Actors
TBA
Suit Actors
- Ultraman Ace (ウルトラマンエース Urutoraman Ēsu): Tadashi Nakanishi (中西正 Nakanishi Tadashi) (1-2) & Shoji Takeuchi (武内正治 Takeuchi Shoji)
- Choju (超獣 Chōjū): Toru Kawai (河合 徹 Kawai Tōru) (1-12, 25-39, 41-47), Isao Zushi (図師勲 Zushi Isao) (13-24), Tokio Yamaji (矢島登喜男 Yamaji Tokio) (48-52), Kin'ichi Kusumi (久須美 欽一 Kusumi Kin'ichi) (41-42)
Kaiju & Seijin
- Yapool (Episode 1-52)
- Verokron (Episode 1)
- Chameleking (Episode 2)
- Vakishim (Episode 3)
- Garan (Episode 4)
- Giron Man (Episode 5)
- Aribunta (Episode 5)
- Brocken (Episode 6)
- Alien Metron Jr. (Episode 7-8)
- Doragory (Episode 7-8)
- Muruchi II (Episode 7-8)
- Gammas (Episode 9)
- Zaigon (Episode 10)
- Alien Antira (Episode 10)
- Unitang (Episode 11)
- Sabotendar (Episode 12)
- Barabba (Episode 13-14)
- Ace Killer (Episode 14)
- Ace Robot (Episode 14)
- King Crab (Episode 15)
- Cowra (Episode 16)
- She-Devil (Episode 17)
- Hotarunga (Episode 17)
- Black Pigeon (Episode 18)
- Android Couple (Episode 19)
- King Kappa (Episode 19)
- Zemistlar (Episode 20)
- Aprasar (Episode 21)
- Space Mask (Episode 22)
- Black Satan (Episode 22)
- Giant Yapool (Episode 23)
- Mazaron Man (Episode 24)
- Mazarius (Episode 24)
- Yojo (Episode 24)
- Alien Orion (Episode 25)
- Sphinx (Episode 25)
- Alien Hipporito (Episode 26-27)
- Lunatyx (Episode 28)
- Undergroundmon (Episode 29)
- Gitagitanga (Episode 29)
- Red Jack (Episode 30)
- Baktari (Episode 31)
- Coakes (Episode 32)
- Bad Baalon (Episode 33)
- Kaiteigagan (Episode 34)
- Dreamgillas (Episode 35)
- Soundgillar (Episode 36)
- Machres (Episode 37)
- Namahage (Episode 38)
- Snowgiran (Episode 38)
- Alien Fire (Episode 39)
- Firemons (Episode 39)
- Alien Steal (Episode 40)
- Kaimanda (Episode 41)
- Shishigoran (Episode 41)
- Iceron (Episode 42)
- Woo II (Episode 42)
- Fubugirara (Episode 43)
- Onidevil (Episode 44)
- Gasegon (Episode 45)
- Daidarahoshi (Episode 46)
- Hanzagiran (Episode 47)
- Verokron II (Episode 48)
- Univerlages (Episode 49)
- Aquarius (Episode 49)
- Alien Revole (Episode 50)
- Signalion (Episode 50)
- Geegon (Episode 51)
- Alien Simon (Episode 52)
- Jumbo King (Episode 52)
Music
Ultraman Ace opening
The show's opening
- Ultraman Ace (ウルトラマンエース Urutoraman Ēsu)
- Lyrics: Kyōichi Azuma
- Composition: Masahiko Aoi
- Artist: Honey Knights, Misuzu Children's Choral Group
DVD Release
A Malaysian DVD was also released in 2014. It contains a Catonese/Chinese dub, english subtitles, Chinese subtitles and malaysian subtitles.
Add a photo to this galleryTrivia
- Ace was originally going to be titled Ultra A, but was renamed when Tsuburaya discovered that title was already copyrighted. The fact that Ultra A was renamed Ultraman Ace is important, because it established that Ultraman would be the title of all the heroes to come after, as opposed to just Ultra.
- Up till this point, Ultra had been the title, not Ultraman, as indicated by the name of Ultraseven. (Ultraman Jack had originally intended to be an updated design of the original Ultraman, and had not been given his name yet)
- This would have meant that Ultraman would be the only Ultra with the title of Ultraman, and all the others would be known as Ultra -- like Ultraseven. It is unknown what this would have meant for Ultraman Jack.
- This is the first series to introduce a being of light that is not part of the Ultra Brothers, that of course being Father of Ultra, the leader of the Space Garrison.
- This the first Ultra Series which contains a preview of the next episode at the end of the episode.
