"See The Explosive Power of the Ultimate Hot Battle!"
- ―Series Catchphrase
Ultraman Dyna is the 13th entry in the Ultraman Series which aired between September 6, 1997 until August 29, 1998. The series is a direct sequel to the previous Ultraman series, Ultraman Tiga.
The series can be viewed on Tubi, Roku, and Vudu.
Production[]
Development[]
The promotional pamphlets and program proposals for "Ultraman Dyna" are collected by Takeshi Tsuruno.[1]
In 1996, the series Ultraman Tiga received positive reception from audiences. At the start of its broadcast, Tsuburaya Productions and Mainichi Broadcasting System signed a contract for two seasons. In October, a second contract was signed, extending the series by another two seasons. This allowed the show to continue airing until the end of August 1997, with preparations for a new program beginning soon after.[2]
In early 1997, Tsuburaya Productions and Yomiko Advertising began planning a new series. The initial concept was a standalone story, separate from Ultraman Tiga. The lead character was a solitary traveler who encountered various situations and gradually teamed up with others. The story followed a "road movie" format, with no connection to any defense team. A proposal was drafted, and planning meetings were held in February. However, the project was eventually dropped due to production issues.[2]
Bandai and Kodansha were open to continuing the Tiga universe but recommended introducing a new cast. After further discussion, the team decided to move forward with a direct sequel to Ultraman Tiga. Tomohiko Hamada, then deputy manager at Tsuburaya, was appointed to lead the project, with Masato Oida as project manager. Oida suggested setting the new series a few years after Tiga, creating space for new developments.[3]
Concept[]
Following talks with Masakazu Migita from the planning team, the new series was set in 2017, seven years after the end of Tiga. The idea was that global crises had been resolved during the Tiga era, opening the door to a new focus on space exploration. Planned themes included DNA research, deep-sea missions, and environmental changes. Discussions also covered the story’s structure, visual design, and tone. While honoring the spirit of Ultraman Tiga, the series aimed to introduce new concepts and direction.[3][2][4][5]
In April 1997, MBS officially approved the sequel to Tiga under the Ultraman brand. The new show was titled Ultraman Dyna. Tsuburaya had considered the name earlier when trademarking Ultraman Neos in 1994, but MBS planner Yoshihiko Marutani chose it for its strong, punchy sound. Kazuya Konaka was appointed lead director. Under Konaka and Koichi Takano, the series took on an upbeat, adventurous tone, with the "adventurer" theme at its core.[6]
With no fixed concept at the start, the first episode, key to setting the tone—was developed through an open call. Seven writers were invited to pitch ideas based on a planning brief. The selected proposal came from Keiichi Hasegawa.[3][7]
Filming[]
A group photo of the main cast was taken on the first day of filming, on July 17, 1997.[8]
After casting was finalized and pre-production was complete, filming began. The special effects team started shooting on June 28, 1997, followed by the main unit on July 8. At that time, episodes 51 and 52 of Ultraman Tiga were still in production.
Synopsis[]
Seven years after the decisive battle between Ultraman Tiga and Gatanothor, humanity entered the "Neo Frontier Era," focusing primarily on space exploration.
As the special investigation team GUTS evolved and reformed into "Super GUTS", Shin Asuka, a candidate, encountered a mysterious light while drifting in space due to a training accident. Miraculously surviving, Asuka, now officially part of Super GUTS, faces off against Kaiju created by the Spheres that attacked Mars, finding himself in a desperate situation.
Despite the dire circumstances, Asuka's unwavering determination to continue the fight transforms his body into light, giving rise to a new light, Ultraman Dyna.[9]
Characters[]
Protagonist[]
TPC[]
- Kouki Fukami
- Seiji Miyata
- Kihachi Gondou
- Saeko Shiina
- Masami Mishima
- Takeru Fudo
- Mayumi Shinjoh
- Shin Hayate
- Rui Kisaragi
- Hiroyuki Yamazaki
- Otomo
- Masayuki Nahara
- Souichiro Sawai
Super GUTS[]
Black Buster Corps[]
Former GUTS Members[]
Others[]
Ultras[]
Kaiju[]
- Sphere
- Gran-Sphere
- Darambia
- Neo Darambia
- Neo Darambia II
- Giralen
- Cyclometra
- Grossyna
- Grossyna II
- Daigelun
- Clone Daigelun
- Shieldron
- Clone Shieldron
- Fohgus
- Alien Dais
- Gyabish
- Bao-on
- Giakuuda
- Zenekindarl people
- Dexador
- Alien Merani
- Mons-Ahgar
- Mons-Ahgar II
- Himala
- Alien Miji
- Garaon
- Kogaraon
- Garaon II
- Alien Nuaza
- Alien spirits
- Alien Krea
- Gyanzar
- Clone Silvergon
- Neosaurus
- Alien Shilback
- Zombayu
- Bishmel
- Kokakucho
- Alien Lasesta
- Sodom
- Mozui
- Deeplus
- Maricula
- Sufume
- Reicubas
- Digon
- Alien Chern
- Alien Chern Left
- Alien Chern Right
- Demagorg
- Gigantes
- Gaigaraid
- Neo Gaigaraid
- Gregore
- Imit-Ultraman Dyna
- Lovemos
- Satan Lovemos
- Alien Naltis
- Menorfa
- Bazob
- Geomos
- Neo Geomos
- Yumenokatamari
- Bundar
- Zomborg
- Zomborg Soldiers
- Alien Jagira
- Jagira Tree
- God Jagira
- Alien Reguran Captain Zoyaka
- Mountain Gulliver 5
- Golza II
- Graikis
- Torongar
- Alien Gigaru
- Moravia
- Mejiwogu
- Phantom Monster Army
- Alien Fabiras
- Devil Fabiras
- Alien Chadabin
- Mogedon
- Terranoid
- Zeluganoid
Cast[]
- Shin Asuka : Takeshi Tsuruno
- Gousuke Hibiki : Ryo Kinomoto
- Toshiyuki Kohda : Toshikazu Fukawa
- Ryo Yumimura : Risa Saito
- Kouhei Kariya : Takao Kase
- Tsutomu Nakajima : Joe Onodera
- Mai Midorikawa : Mariya Yamada
- Kouki Fukami : Toshiaki Amada
- Seiji Miyata : Hiroshi Tsuburaya
- Kihachi Gondou : Shinobu Kameyama
- Saeko Shiina : Yasumi Maezawa
- Masami Mishina : Edo Yamaguchi
- Mayumi Shinjoh : Kei Ishibashi
- Kazuma Asuka : Daisuke Ryu
Guest Cast[]
- Takeru Fudo : Takanori Kikuchi
- Yusaku Himuro : Kazuya Matsushita
- Otomo : Akira Miyazawa
- Hiroyuki Yamazaki : Yuji Watari
- Natsumi Kudo : Mayuka Fujiwara
- Kaoru Hasumi : Teppei Shibuya
- Sonoka Hibiki : Ayumi Yamaguchi
- Hiroya Narumi : Koji Shimizu
- Shin Hayate : Masaki Kyomoto
- Rui Kisaragi : Aya Sugimoto
- Kenji Fudo : Tomonori Yoshida
- Reika Saeki : Kaori Mizushima
- Masayuki Nahara : Take Uketa
- Megumi Iruma : Mio Takaki
- Seiichi Munakata : Akitoshi Otaki
- Masami Horii : Yukio Masuda
- Tetsuo Shinjoh : Shigeki Kagemaru
- Michiru Horii : Misato Hayase
- Jun Yazumi : Yoichi Furuya
- Rena Madoka : Takami Yoshimoto
- Souichiro Sawai : Tamio Kawachi
- Daigo Madoka : Hiroshi Nagano (V6)
Voice Actors[]
- Narrator : Yuji Machi
- Hanejiro : Junko Kawashima
Suit Actors[]
- Ultraman Dyna (Flash Type, Miracle Type): Shunsuke Gondo
- Ultraman Dyna (Flash Type, Strong Type), Terranoid: Koji Nakamura
- Ultraman Dyna (49 - 51 / Flash, Miracle Type): Kazuhiko Shimizu
- Kaiju:
- Kohji Mimura
- Toshio Miyake
- Hiroyuki Okano
- Eiji Mori
- Tomoharu Nishizawa
- Fumitetsu Kuwahara
- Yutaka Yamashiro
- Shuichi Kado
- Yuji Kitahara
- Takashi Matsue
- Hisataka Kitaoka
Staff[]
- Directors: Kazuya Konaka, Teruyoshi Ishii, Masaki Harada, Hirochika Muraishi, Tsugumi Kitaura, Yoshiaki Kobayashi, Takashi Kodama, Mitsunori Hattori, Akio Jissoji, Kyota Kawasaki, Toshiyuki Takano
- Series compositor: Naoyuki Eto
- Screenwriters: Keiichi Hasegawa, Shin Yoshida, Masakazu Migita, Kenji Konuta, Junki Takegami, Hideyuki Kawakami, Ai Ota, Shinsuke Onishi, Takahiko Masuda, Sadayuki Murai, Manabu Roppongi, Kyota Kawasaki, Shozo Uehara
- Special effects directors: Shinichi Ooka, Kazuo Sagawa, Tsugumi Kitaura, Hirochika Muraishi, Hiromasa Mitsudome, Masaki Harada, Mitsunori Hattori, Kyota Kawasaki, Toshiyuki Takano
- Original draft writers: Kazuo Tsuburaya (ep. 19, 46), Hiromasa Mitsudome (ep. 43), Masaki Kyomoto (ep. 48)
- Executive producer: Kazuo Tsuburaya
- Supervisor: Koichi Takano
- Planning: Masato Oida, Yoshihiko Marutani, Minoru Ohno
- Producers: Nobuyuki Koyama, Hiroshi Morotomi, Hirokazu Kurashita, Kazunori Takashiro
- Music: Tatsumi Yano
- Music producer: Shizu Tamagawa
- Cinematographers: Hitoshi Ishiwatari, Takehiro Kuramochi, Yoshihito Takahashi (special effects), Sou Takahashi (special effects)
- Art: Shu Yamaguchi, Tetsuya Uchida, Yuji Terai (special effects), Isao Takahashi (special effects)
- Casting: Minoru Ando
- Action choreographer: Tatsumi Nikamoto
- Character and kaiju designer: Hiroshi Maruyama
- Image boards: Kenji Hashizume
- Modeling: Kaimai Productions
- Production: Tsuburaya Productions, Mainichi Broadcasting System, Yomiuri Advertising Agency
Music[]
- Opening Theme
- Ultraman Dyna
- Lyrics: Goro Matsui
- Composition: Kisaburo Suzuki
- Arrangement: Tatsumi Yano
- Artist: Tatsuya Maeda
- Ending Themes
- Kimi Dake o Mamoritai
- Lyrics, Composition: Toshihiko Takamizawa
- Arrangement: Akira Inoue
- Artist: Fumiaki Nakajima
- Episodes: 1‐26, 35, 50
- ULTRA HIGH
- Lyrics, Composition, Arrangement: LAZY
- Artist: LAZY
- Episodes: 27‐34, 37‐49, 51
- Brave Love, TIGA (Instrumental Version)
- Composition: Barbe-Q Wasada
- Arrangement: Yasuhiko Fukuda
- Episodes: 36
- Insert Themes
- Take off!! Super GUTS
- Lyrics: Kumiko Aoki
- Composition and Arrangement: Toshihiko Sahashi
- Artist: Night Scats (Peekaboo, Etsuro Wakakouchi, MoJo)
- Episodes: 1
- LOVE & PEACE
- Lyrics and composition: Fumiaki Nakajima
- Arrangement: Fumiaki Nakajima & Hiromi Yutenji
- Artist: Fumiaki Nakajima with Sara&Rei
- EVERYBODY WANTS LOVE
- Lyrics, Composition, Arrangement: LAZY
- Artist: LAZY
- Mirakuru no Kaze ni Nare
- Lyrics: Goro Matsui
- Composition: Kisaburo Suzuki
- Arrangement: Mitsuhiro Tada
- Artist: Fumikazu Miyashita
- Episodes: 9
- Daina no Akai Kagayaki ni
- Lyrics: Goro Matsui
- Composition: Kisaburo Suzuki
- Arrangement: Toshihiko Sahashi
- Artist: Shinichi Ishihara
- Episodes: 24
- Ima Koso Furasshu
- Lyrics: Goro Matsui
- Composition: Kisaburo Suzuki
- Arrangement: Tatsumi Yano
- Artist: Tatsuya Maeda
- Episodes: 35
Home Media[]
- Ultraman Dyna was released on VHS from January 25 to November 25, 1998, totaling 13 volumes.
- Ultraman Dyna was also released on DVD from October 25, 1999 to January 25, 2000, totaling 13 volumes.
- On January 25, 2000, a DVD titled "Ultraman Dyna SPECIAL" was released, featuring episodes 49 to 51, with additional scenes not aired on TV.
- On June 22, 2007, the entire series was released on a Memorial Box DVD set.
- On January 25, 2008, the series was condensed into a 1-hour special as part of the Climax Stories DVDs, with new narration by Takeshi Tsuruno.
- On September 25, 2015, the entire series was remastered through upscaling and noise-reduction and released on Blu-ray.
- On November 16, 2021, the series was released on DVD with English subtitles by Mill Creek along with the film and DVD special.[10]
Gallery[]
Videos[]
Trivia[]
- This series was the first since Ultraman 80 to incorporate "silhouettes" into its opening animations.
- In terms of the main cast, Takeshi Tsuruno and Risa Saito were selected through auditions, while Ryo Kinomoto was directly invited to join due to his character image. Mariya Yamada was chosen because of her leading role in Tsuburaya Productions' Moon Spiral the previous year. Toshikazu Fukawa was recommended by Kazuo Tsuburaya, while Joe Onodera and Takao Kase were nominated by the casting director, Minoru Ando.[6]
- Unlike its movie tie-in, the series was not part of TSUBURAYA IMAGINATION's launch lineup. It was eventually added weekly from April 1, 2022 to celebrate its 25th anniversary.[11][12][13]
- During the planning discussions before Ultraman Dyna was finalized, two detailed project proposals were put forward. Koichi Takano prepared a proposal similar to Iron King, where the protagonist was a wandering young man traveling from place to place. This proposal was compiled by Keiichi Hasegawa. Masato Oida suggested introducing three Ultramen, but the idea was shelved because the concept was too similar to Triple Fighter.[3]
- Another project was proposed by Bandai, called Ultraman Detective , where the Ultraman would be equipped with a handgun and wear armored suits.[3]
External Links[]
- Official website at MBS (web archive)
- Official website at CBC
- Ultraman Dyna at Tsuburaya Productions' official website
References[]
- ↑ https://x.com/takeshi_tsuruno/status/1509778115694034944
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Ultra Tokusatsu PERFECT MOOK vol. 22: Ultraman Dyna, pg 4
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Ultraman Dyna 25th Anniversary Testimony, pg 139-140
- ↑ TV Magazine Special Issue: Ultraman Dyna, pg 76
- ↑ https://magmix.jp/post/98873
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Ultra Tokusatsu PERFECT MOOK vol. 22: Ultraman Dyna, pg5
- ↑ Ultraman Tiga, Dyna, Gaia Perfect Guide Book, pg 34
- ↑ https://x.com/takeshi_tsuruno/status/1509829165536903172
- ↑ https://m-78.jp/videoworks/ultraman_dyna/
- ↑ https://www.millcreekent.com/collections/the-ultra-verse/products/ultraman-dyna
- ↑ https://m-78.jp/news/post-6241
- ↑ https://spice.eplus.jp/articles/300890
- ↑ https://mantan-web.jp/article/20220415dog00m200070000c.html