Ultraman Leo (ウルトラマンレオ Urutoraman Reo) is the seventh entry in the Ultraman Series, airing from 1974 to 1975. It had a much darker theme than the preceding Ultraman Taro.
Synopsis
Ultraman Leo comes from the planet L77 of the Leo constellation after it had been destroyed, and takes the human form of Gen Otori. Ultraseven appears to fight a new foe, Alien Magma and his two "pets", the Giras Brothers. Ultimately, Ultraseven is greatly overpowered and his leg is graphically broken by Black Giras. Ultraman Leo drives off the foes, but Ultraseven is confined to his human form because of his injuries and due to the Ultraseven being damaged when he attempted to transform. Dan Moroboshi then maintains his role as Captain of MAC (Monster Attacking Crew). Gen is a gymnastics teacher on the side and joins MAC to defend the Earth. Gen and Dan regularly train together, allowing Ultraman Leo to learn many moves in human form.
Characters
MAC
- Dan Moroboshi
- Gen Otori
- Ichiro Aoshima
- Akio Kuroda
- Kiyohiko Akashi
- Junko Shirakawa
- Haruko Momoi
Others
- Toru Umeda
- Shōji Ōmura
- Momoko Yamaguchi
- Takeshi Nomura
- Kaoru Umeda
- Sakiko Miyama
- Izumi Miyama
- Ayumi Miyama
Ultras
- Ultraman Leo
- Ultraman King
- Astra
- Ultraseven
- Ultraman
- Zoffy
- Ultraman Jack
- Ultraman Ace
- Mother of Ultra
- Father of Ultra
Kaiju
- Giras Brothers
- Alien Magma
- Alien Tsuruk
- Kanedoras
- Alien Karly
- Kendoros
- Vekira
- Guiro
- Ron
- Alien Kettle
- Bango
- Alien Vibe
- Antales
- Alien Flip
- Alien Atler
- Alien Wolf
- Batton
- Alien Boze
- Bock
- Dogyuh
- Alien Alpha
- Northsatan
- Garon and Littre
- Alien Coro
- Renbolar
- Carolyn
- Alien Sarin
- Gamerot
- Alien Clean
- Satan Beetle
- Pressure
- Planet Apple Chicken
- Oni-on
- Alien Paradai
- King Paradai
- Uringa
- Alien Magma II
- Rolan
- White Flower Spirit
- Alien Virmin
- Princess Kaguya
- Kirara
- Alien Akumania
- Sevenger
- Ashuran
- Taishoh
- Alien Atlanta
- Alien Mazaras
- Specter
- Alien Babarue
- Black Directive
- Silverbloome
- Black Dome
- Absorba
- Demos
- Black Garon
- Mayuko
- Blizzard
- Hungler
- Black Terrina
- Satan Mora
- Nova
- Alien Bunyo
- Black End
Cast
- Ultraman Leo/Gen Otori (ウルトラマンレオ/おおとり ゲン Urutoraman Reō/Ōtori Gen): Ryu Manatsu (真夏 竜 Manatsu Ryū)
- Dan Moroboshi (モロボシ・ダン Moroboshi Dan): Kohji Moritsugu (森次 晃嗣 Moritsugu Kōji)
- Astra (アストラ Asutora): Jun Maruyama (丸山純 Maruyama Jun)
- Ultraman King (ウルトラマンキング Urutoraman Kingu Voice): Motomu Kiyokawa (清川元夢 Kiyokawa Motomu 39) & Hiroshi Masuoka (増岡弘 Masuoka Hiroshi 50)
- Takeshi Nomura (野村猛 Nomura Takeshi): Yukio Ito (伊藤幸雄 Ito Yukio)
- Black Directive (ブラック指令 Burakku Shirei): Takeshi Ōbayashi (大林丈史 Ōbayashi Takeshi)
- Akio Kuroda (黒田明雄 Kuroda Akio ): So Kuroda (黒田宗 Kuroda Sō)
- Ichiro Aoshima (青島一郎 Aoshima Ichirō): Yuichi Yanagisawa (柳沢優一 Yanagisawa Yūichi)
- Kiyohiko Akaishi (赤石清彦 Akaishi Kiyohiko): Kenji Oshima (大島健二 Ōshima Kenji)
- Junko Shirakawa (白川純子 Shirakawa Junko): Mieko Mita (三田美枝子 Mita Mieko)
- Atsushi Hirayama (平山あつし Hirayama Atsushi): Nobuo Hirasawa (平沢 信夫 Hirasawa Nobuo)
- Daisuke Sato (佐藤大介 Satō Daisuke): Shigeo Tedzuka (手塚茂夫 Tedzuka Shigeo)
- Haruko Momoi (桃井晴子 Momoi Haruko): Kyoko Aradama (新玉恭子 Aradama Kyōko)
- Haruko Matsuki (松木晴子 Matsuki Haruko ): Tomoko Ai (藍とも子 Ai Tomoko)
- Seiji Omura (大村正司 Ōmura Seiji): Yu Fujiki (藤木悠 Fujiki Yū)
- Ippei Kajita (梶田一平 Kajita Ippei): Takashi Asakura (朝倉隆 Asakura Takashi)
- Jun Shirato (白土純 Shirato Jun): Masaharu Matsuzaka (松坂雅治 Matsuzaka Masaharu)
- Momoko Yamaguchi (山口百子 Yamaguchi Momoko):Kaori Okano (丘野かおり Okano Kaori)
- Kaoru Umeda (梅田 カオル Umeda Kaoru): Yoshiko Tominaga (富永美子 Tominaga Yoshiko)
- Tooru Umeda (梅田 トオル Umeda Tooru): Tsunehiro Arai (新井つねひろ Arai Tsunehiro)
- Sakiko Miyama (美山咲子 Miyama Sakiko): Masumi Harukawa (春川ますみ Harukawa Masumi)
- Narrator (ナレーター Narētā): Tetsuro Sagawa (瑳川哲朗 Sagawa Tetsurō)
Suit Actors
- Ultraman Leo (ウルトラマンレオ Urutoraman Reo): Tatsumi Nikamoto (二家本辰巳 Nikamoto Tatsumi) & Kazunori Kawaguchi (川口和則 Kawaguchi Kazunori)
- Astra (アストラ Asutora): Mamoru Kusumi (久須美護 Kusumi Mamoru)
- Ultraman King (ウルトラマンキング Urutoraman Kingu): Toshiya Oaku (大阿久俊也 Ōaku Toshiya)
Staff
- Producer: Ken Tsuburaya, Takeshi Kumagai, Yoji Hashimoto (TBS), Kunio Kumagai Kunio (TBS Movie Division)
- Screenplay: Shigemitsu Taguchi, Ai bun bin, Tetsuro Domon, Bunzo Wakatsuki, Okutsu Akirajiro, Ishido Yoshiakira
- Director: Tadashi Mabune, Kiyosumi Fukasawa, Shohei Tojo, Toru Toyama, Masanori Kakei, Isao Maeda, Tadashitakashi Yamamoto, Atsushi Oki, Nobuo Nakagawa, Tadashi Okamura, Hisashisan Yamagiwa
- Special effects director: Koichi Takano, Nobuo Yajima, Shohei Tojo, Atsushi Oki, Yoshiyuki Yoshimura
- Music: Toru Fuyuki
- Shooting (Main): Kiyoshi Suzuki, Goro Uchiyama
- Shooting (Special Effects): Kimikatsu Kunihiko
Theme Songs
- Ultraman Leo (ウルトラマンレオ Urutoraman Reo) (episodes 1 - 13)
- Lyrics: Yu Aku
- Composition & Arrangement: Makoto Kawaguchi
- Artist(s): Ryu Manatsu, Lake Boys and Girls Choir (Tokyo records)
- Tatakae! Ultraman Leo (戦え! ウルトラマンレオ Tatakae! Urutoraman Reo) (episodes 14 - 51)
- Lyrics: Yu Aku
- Composition & Arrangement: Kawaguchi Makoto
- Artist(s): Yuki Hide (credited as Hideyuki), Lake Boys and Girls Choir (Tokyo records)
US Television Premiere
New on TOKU- Ultraman Leo
- Honolulu, Hawaii-based on-air broadcaster of Japanese programming, KIKU-TV, the home of the tokusatsu or Kikaida craze of the 1970s, began airing all 51 episodes of the series on Friday, January 3, 2014 at 6:30 PM (Hawaiian Standard Time) in Japanese with English Subtitles.[1] In 1975, an English-dubbed version of Ultraseven was broadcast on Honolulu's NBC affiliate KHON-TV.
- The series is available for streaming on Crunchyroll, VRV, and Shout! Factory TV.
- TOKU premiered the series with English subtitles in the United States on November 29, 2017.
Home Video
Complete DVD Set
Complete DVD
2006 release
Volume 1, features episodes 1-4
Volume 2, features episodes 5-8
Volume 3, features episodes 9-12
Volume 4, features episodes 13-16
Volume 5, features episodes 17-20
Volume 6, features episodes 20-24
Volume 7, features episodes 25-28
Volume 8, features episodes 29-32
Volume 9, features episodes 33-36
Volume 10 features episodes 37-40
Volume 11 features episodes 41-44
Volume 12 features episodes 45-48
Volume 13 features episodes 49-51
2011 release
Volume 1, features episodes 1-4
Volume 2, features episodes 5-8
Volume 3, features episodes 9-12
Volume 4, features episodes 13-16
Volume 5, features episodes 17-20
Volume 6, features episodes 20-24
Volume 7, features episodes 25-28
Volume 8, features episodes 29-32
Volume 9, features episodes 33-36
Volume 10 features episodes 37-40
Volume 11 features episodes 41-44
Volume 12 features episodes 45-48
Volume 13 features episodes 49-51
Videos
必見！充実の特典映像「ウルトラマンレオ Blu-ray BOX」発売中！
Trivia
- Ultraman Leo was noted as the last of the golden age of the Ultraman Series. During the 'Oil Shock' which hit world economy in the 1970s, the production of monster-based series became less popular, in addition to more animated series being produced.
- Ultraman Leo got off on a bad start. The previous series (Ultraman Taro) was extended from 49 to 53 episodes because pre-production of Leo was running behind schedule.
- The series was written for more of an adult audience (more darker theme) than Ultraman Taro, because Tsuburaya was losing positive ratings from adults due to the child-oriented nature of Ultraman Taro. However, such a move had caused the loss of younger fans and leading to the lowest ratings the franchise had yet seen.
- The MAC song sings about the MAC Mole and the MAC Shark, but these machines were never used in battle on the series. However the MAC Shark makes an appearance in the opening credits after episode 28.
- Ultraman Leo's first theme was chosen as Tatakae! Ultraman Leo was not ready at that time.
- The demo singer of Tatakae! Ultraman Leo was actually Masato Shimon as a note to Yuki Hide on how to sing it.
- The series used new special effects for the Ultraman Series. They were mostly reused from Jumborg Ace.
- The Ultra Brothers make fewer appearances than they did in the previous two series and Taro is not even mentioned or acknowledged at all in this series.
- Ultraman Leo marks one of the few times Kamen Rider airs on the shows' same network (TBS) at all. The Kamen Rider show Kamen Rider Stronger aired on TBS a week after Ultraman Leo concluded.
References
