Ultraman Taro (ウルトラマンタロウ Urutoraman Tarō) is the sixth entry of the Ultraman Series. It aired on Tokyo Broadcasting System from April 6, 1973 to April 5, 1974.
Synopsis
Kotaro Higashi trained to be a boxer, but after an incident with Astromons, he was killed. However, his body was brought to Nebula M78 where Mother of Ultra saved his life, by joining him with Ultraman Taro. Taro had spent many years training, honing his skills based on those of the other Ultra Brothers to become strong. The two returned to Earth, as a new Kaiju era was beginning.
Characters
ZAT
- Yutaro Asahina
- Kotaro Higashi
- Shuuhei Aragaki
- Jirou Nishida
- Tadao Nanbara
- Tetsuya Kitajima
- Izumi Moriyama
- Takashi Ueno
Others
- Saori Shiratori
- Kenichi Shiratori
Ultras
Kaiju
- Oil Drinker
- Astromons
- Cosmo Liquid
- Live King
- King Tortoise
- Queen Tortoise
- Mini Tortoise
- Jirenma
- Ganza
- Tagarl
- Tondaile
- Arindo
- Depparas
- Basara
- Volkeller
- Sheltar
- Enmargo
- Miegon
- Okariyan
- Kemjila
- Birdon
- Flying Raidron
- King Zemira
- Pandora
- Chinpe
- Rodera
- Space Moths
- Mururoa
- Rabbidog
- Mukadender
- Mandarin Grass
- Alien Mefilas II
- Eleking II
- Yapool
- Reconstructed Bemstar
- Reconstructed Sabotendar
- Remodeled Verokron II
- Mushra
- Guron
- Alien Temperor
- Alien Katan
- Grost
- Hertz
- Alien Medusa
- Alien Miracle
- Alien Terrorist
- Mochiron
- Tyrant
- Gongoros
- Android Seiko
- Elegia
- Motokureron
- Alien Kisaragi
- Alien Dorzu
- Memole
- Piccolo
- Gorgosaurus III
- Gelan
- Alien File
- Veron
- Orphy
- Alien Khan
- Garaking
- Rindon
- Dorobon
- Alien Valky
- Samekujira
Cast
- Kotaro Higashi (東 光太郎 Higashi Kōtarō): Saburo Shinoda (篠田三郎 Shinoda Saburō)
- Yūtarō Asahina (朝日奈 勇太郎 Asahina Yūtarō): Akira Nagoya (名古屋 章 Nagoya Akira)
- Shūhei Aragaki (荒垣 修平 Aragaki Shūhei): Takahiko Tōno (東野 孝彦 Tōno Takahiko)
- Tadao Nanbara (南原 忠男 Nanbara Tadao): Toyoyuki Kimura (木村 豊幸 Kimura Toyoyuki)
- Jirō Nishida (西田 次郎 Nishida Jirō): Kiyotaka Mitsugi (三ツ木 清隆 Mitsugi Kiyotaka)
- Izumi Moriyama (森山 いずみ Moriyama Izumi): Kiyoko Matsuya (松谷 紀代子 Matsuya Kiyoko)
- Lady in Green (緑のおばさん Midori no Obasan)/Mother of Ultra (ウルトラの母 Urutora no Haha Voice): Peggy Hayama (ペギー 葉山 Pegī Hayama)
- Tetsuya Kitajima (北島 哲也 Kitajima Tetsuya): Hidesuke Tsumura (津村 秀祐 Tsumura Hidesuke)
- Takashi Ueno (上野 孝 Ueno Takashi): Akihiko Nishijima (西島 明彦 Nishijima Akihiko) (8-30, 33-35)
- Kazumi Nitani (二谷 一美 Nitani Kazumi): Noboru Mitani (三谷 昇 Mitani Noboru)
- Saori Shiratori (白鳥 さおり Shiratori Saori): Mayumi Asaka (あさか まゆみ Asaka Mayumi), Keiko Ono (小野 恵子 Ono Keiko)
- Kenichi Shiratori (白鳥 健一 Shiratori Ken'ichi): Shinya Saitō (斎藤 信也 Saitō Shin'ya)
- Narrator: Tetsurō Sagawa (瑳川 哲朗 Sagawa Tetsurō), Akira Nagoya
Cast Changes
Throughout the show, multiple cast changes were made. These were for several reasons.
- Mayumi Asuka stepped down from her role as Saori, and was replaced in episode twenty by Keiko Ono.
- Akihiko Nishijima decided to leave after episode thirty-five to film for another show, Ginza NOW!
Music
- Opening Theme
- Ultraman Taro (ウルトラマンタロウ Urutoraman Tarō)
- Lyrics: Yū Aku
- Composer-arranger: Makoto Kawaguchi
- Song: Tarō Takemura, boys and girls choir lake. Uncredited synth arrangements by Higurashi Masanobu.
Insert Songs
- Ultra Roku Kyodai (ウルトラ六兄弟 Urutora Roku Kyōdai lit. "Ultra 6 Brothers")
- Lyrics: Yū Aku
- Composition & Arrangement: Makoto Kawaguchi
- Artist: Ryōichi Fukuzawa (武村 太郎 Fukuzawa Ryōichi), Mizuumi Boys and Girls Choir
- Episodes 18, 25, 33 and 34
Other Songs
| Episode Number | Episode Title | Song |
|---|---|---|
| 24 | "This Is the Land of Ultra!" | "Musique de l'infini" |
| 29 | "Bemstar Resurrected! Taro Absolutely Sacrificed!" | "Les Mysteres du Cosmos" |
| 34 | "The Last Day of the Six Ultra Brothers!" | "Once In My Country" |
| 34 | "The Last Day of the Six Ultra Brothers!" | "House In The Plain" |
| 34 | "The Last Day of the Six Ultra Brothers!" | "Xylo Conception" |
| 36 | "Coward! The Breed Cried" | "Musique de l'infini" |
| 36 | "Coward! The Breed Cried" | "Electric Days" |
| 39 | "The Father of Ultra and Son Big Mochi-Making Strategy" | "La Guerre Des Bouffons" |
| 39 | "The Father of Ultra and Son Big Mochi-Making Strategy" | "Sloane Square" |
| 40 | "Go Beyond the Ultra Brothers!" | "Deuil et douleur" |
| 43 | "Pickle the Monster With Salt!" | "Music A 7" |
| 43 | "Pickle the Monster With Salt!" | "Le Défilé Des Moustiques" |
| 43 | "Pickle the Monster With Salt!" | "One two two" |
| 43 | "Pickle the Monster With Salt!" | "La Panthere Cosmique" |
| 46 | "The White Rabbit Is a Bad Guy!" | "Slippery Scales" |
| 46 | "The White Rabbit Is a Bad Guy!" | "Le Gâteau D'Anniversaire" |
| 47 | "The Monster Master" | "A L'Aube De L'An 2000" |
| 47 | "The Monster Master" | "Les Mysteres du Cosmos" |
| 48 | "Monster Girl's Festival" | "Music A 7" |
| 48 | "Monster Girl's Festival" | "Moogy-Boogy" |
| 48 | "Monster Girl's Festival" | "La Guerre Des Bouffons" |
| 49 | "Sing! Monster Big Match" | "Paris 2000" |
| 50 | "The Monster Sign is V" | "Ballet Intersideral" |
| 50 | "The Monster Sign is V" | "La Guerre Des Bouffons" |
| 50 | "The Monster Sign is V" | "Jeu A Quatre" |
| 52 | "Steal the Ultra Life!" | "Musique de l'infini" |
| 52 | "Steal the Ultra Life!" | "Catastrophe et Séisme" |
Home Media
A English subtitled DVD set was also released by the Malaysian company VGB Network. A few grammatical errors were made during the subtitling.
A Blu-ray remaster was released in 2017 through Amazon Prime.
Mill Creek announced on October 22, 2020, the official release of both a standard and steel book Blu-ray of Ultraman Taro. On January 12, 2021, was the release of both version of Ultraman Taro.
Manga
- Main article: Ultraman Taro (manga)
The Ultraman Taro manga series was written and illustrated by Ken Ishikawa, Mangaka (Manga Author) who co-created Getter Robo with Go Nagai, ran in Weekly Shōnen Sunday. Like the Getter Robo manga series, the Taro manga is very dark and violent despite its childish appearance. Although follows a different story, it also touches on "the reason why Ultraman protects the earth", and there is a part that is similar to the Heisei Ultraman series in later years.
Trivia
- As the main Ultra from Return of Ultraman was not yet known by it, the name "Jack" was considered for Taro. The reasoning behind this was that Jack is a popular name for fairy tale heroes in the west, but Taro was settled upon as the Japanese equivalent. "Ultraman Star" (ウルトラマンスター Urutoraman Sutā) was also considered as a name during production.
- The Ultra Brothers appeared frequently in this series and it was in their later appearances that drastically changed how they appear. Examples include: Ultras with orange eyes (done to conserve the budget of the lightbulbs in the eyes), Jack sharing the same suit as Ultraman with more silver than red, and design on the bottom looks like a female, Ultraseven without ears on episode 40 which would happen again on the premiere of Ultraman Leo, and finally, Jack with red gloves and boots in episode 52.
- Ultraman Taro was filmed alongside Jumborg Ace and Fireman.
- At the time ratings were falling, and as Tsuburaya felt Ultraman Ace had been a bit too dark at times, they took a lighter approach in Taro to please children. Ironically, this lost even more views from elder fans, causing the series to be followed by Ultraman Leo, often considered the darkest and grittiest entry in the Showa Ultraman Series.
- Due to production problems with the next series, Ultraman Leo, Tsuburaya extended Taro's run for several episodes.
- The series is the longest running Showa series.
