Ultraman Tiga

"Ultraman evolves even further! A super multi-purpose warrior who can transform into three types depending on the characteristics of his enemies!"

―Series Catchphrase

Ultraman Tiga
Ultraman Tiga is the 12th entry in the Ultraman Series
Series
Episodes
Information
Format/Genre	Tokusatsu Science Fiction
Created by	Tsuburaya Productions
Starring	Hiroshi Nagano Takami Yoshimoto Akitoshi Otaki Shigeki Kagemaru Yukio Masuda Yoichi Furuya Mio Takaki
Original Air Date	September 7, 1996 - August 30, 1997
Opening Theme	TAKE ME HIGHER Awaken, Ultraman Tiga (international broadcast) Larger Than Life (4Kids dub)
Ending Theme	Brave Love, TIGA
Number of Episodes	52
Running Time	24 minutes
Original Channel	Mainichi Broadcasting System
Streaming	Roku Tubi 4Kids TV Hero
Continuity
Previous	N/A
Next	Ultraman Dyna Ultraman Tiga: The Final Odyssey
Production/Release
Previous	Ultraman Zearth
Next	Ultraman Zearth 2: Superhuman Big Battle - Light and Shadow

Ultraman Tiga is the 12th entry in the Ultraman Series, airing from September 7, 1996 to August 30, 1997. It was the first Ultraman Series broadcast in Japan since 1980's Ultraman 80. The series is notable for revolutionizing and revitalizing the franchise, not to mention the great effect it had on the tokusatsu genre as a whole outside of Tsuburaya.

Despite being preceded by Ultraman: Towards the Future as the first Ultraman Series to be aired in Japan in the Heisei period, and by Ultraman Neos to be the first Japanese-made Ultraman Series in the Heisei period, it is Ultraman Tiga that is officially and unofficially recognized as Tsuburaya Productions' first proper Ultraman Series entry in the Heisei period.

Set in a universe different from all previous series, Ultraman Tiga introduced new and radical updates to the Ultraman character for a new generation of audiences; most notably starring the first instance of the thematic concept of humanity as light or Ultraman being a human instead of alien, as well as the first Ultraman with multiple combat modes and non-red colors (purple and gold). It is also considered one of the most popular entries in the franchise.

The series can be viewed on Roku.

Production

Development

Ultraman Tiga's program proposal.

In the mid-1990s, following the historic merchandising success of the original videos Ultraman: Towards the Future and Ultraman: The Ultimate Hero produced in collaboration with overseas companies, Tsuburaya Productions aimed to commemorate the upcoming 30th anniversary of Ultraman in 1996. To this end, they submitted a proposal for Ultraman Neos to TBS, strongly pushing for the launch of a new TV series after 15 years.

Despite Tsuburaya Productions' high enthusiasm for Ultraman Neos and the production of a pilot episode incorporating various new digital technologies, TBS had reservations and demanded entirely new characters that had not been previously exposed. Consequently, Tsuburaya Productions' planning department quickly devised a new proposal, eventually presenting a new plan called The World's First Ultraman , which formed the basis for New Ultraman .

The New Ultraman tells the story of a luminous life form born alongside the universe's Big Bang, crossing through time and space to arrive on modern-day Earth. This luminous entity later evolves into Ultraman of the Nebula M78, transforming into Ultraman by inhabiting humans. Imagined as a primal, wild, and untamed Ultraman, this new Ultraman exudes a powerful presence with a fresh concept. Designer Hiroshi Maruyama has crafted bold design proposals for this character. However, TBS's response to this project was not confirmed until summer and was disappointing—TBS found it difficult to ensure that the series could air in April 1996 as planned.

Companies like Bandai, Kodansha, and Yomiuri Advertising Agency were also involved in the project. Yomiuri Advertising Agency suggested that if producing with TBS was problematic, they could pitch the proposal to Mainichi Broadcasting System (MBS), a quasi-key station in Osaka. Given that MBS is part of the TBS network and has many nationwide broadcast slots, pushing the project there seemed feasible. However, this required adjustments to the original proposal intended for TBS. At that time, Kazuho Mitsuta, then-executive director of Tsuburaya Productions, participated as a planner. Under his guidance, a new New Ultraman proposal was created.

When the proposal was submitted, the desired broadcast time was autumn 1996 (around October), and MBS was informed that a response was needed by the end of March to plan production accordingly. However, Tsuburaya Productions did not receive a response from MBS by the end of March. It wasn't until around April 20th that Mitsuda finally received a response from MBS—confirming that the series was suddenly decided for production shortly after April 12th. However, despite the new project being scheduled for autumn, it was not in October as initially estimated, but moved up to the first week of September. This adjustment left the production team with only four months. Such a tight timeline was extremely challenging for the Ultraman Series, which required substantial effort. Consequently, all members rushed into production, and Tsuburaya Productions collaborated with Yomiuri Advertising Agency to plan this project.

Concept

The initial concept of Ultraman Tiga was first revealed in the August 1996 issue of a TV magazine. Due to tight filming schedules, Tiga was initially presented in illustrations rather than in a costume form.

The original storyline of "New Ultraman" begins with a worldview unrelated to the Nebula M78. In 2020, after a meteorite impact and the discovery of a time capsule, GUTS received news of the resurrection of Orgo and Melba. Daigo, a member of GUTS, transformed into light through a teleportation beam and inhabited a stone statue in the northeastern pyramid, becoming Ultraman. The anticipated Ultraman to debut had once guarded Earth as an ancient warrior 30 million years ago, establishing diverse transformation forms including Sky Type and Power Type. These details were gradually refined through consensus among Chiaki J. Konaka and other team members. According to Chiaki, he and Kazuya Konaka and Yoshikazu Okada prepared the original script of Gamera: Guardian of the Universe, and the one so-called "Konaka Gamera" which was also inspired by Tsuburaya Productions' Daigoro vs. Goliath, were later adopted for Gamera the Brave, Ultraman Tiga, and Digimon Tamers.

After a series of adjustments, the setting book for Ultraman: The Great Prologue (tentative title) was completed on May 7th, marking the official commencement of detailed preparation work. Tsuburaya Productions' planning department further developed an extensive setting book. Masakazu Migita was tasked with preparing scripts for episodes 1 to 2, and commissioned storyline synopses from several writers. Following discussions, they finalized the approach for writing scripts from episode 3 onwards.

In mid-May, Hiroshi Maruyama's final design for Ultraman was completed, incorporating armor as requested by Bandai's executive, Katsushi Murakami. Murakami also suggested using the Indonesian word "Tiga," representing the sacred number 3, as the name. Thus, the program title Ultraman Tiga was officially confirmed, and regular casting for actors commenced.

One of the defining features of Ultraman Tiga is its unique design, which shifts away from the headpiece's angular decorations in favor of concave curves. Additionally, the series introduced a concept where Ultraman could transform into three different forms, each represented by variations in color on Tiga's body. This change was primarily driven by toy marketing and sponsorship from Bandai. Each form was portrayed by two suit actors, Shunsuke Gondo and Koji Nakamura. chosen to match the physical traits of the character.

Hiroshi Nagano played "Daigo Madoka" in this series, making it the first in Japanese TV history that a boy band member with high TV exposure starred in a tokusatsu series.

MBS planner Yoshihiko Marutani negotiated with Johnny & Associates to meet MBS's requirement for a protagonist who could boost viewership. Eventually, Hiroshi Nagano from V6 was chosen to play the protagonist, Daigo. At the same time, Masato Oida, who previously served as a producer for Gridman the Hyper Agent and Ultraman Neos, was appointed as the literary producer. He would primarily oversee scriptwriting, public relations, and magazine supervision. To reflect the advancement of women's status in society and convey the concept of gender equality, two distinct female characters were introduced within the protagonist's defense team. One is the responsible and highly skilled captain, portrayed by Mio Takaki. The other is the female lead, second only to the protagonist Daigo, played by Takami Yoshimoto, the daughter of Susumu Kurobe who portrayed the protagonist in the 1966 series Ultraman.

At the time, Nagano was also involved in V6's entertainment activities, which made the filming schedule for the first half of the series very hectic. As a result, Daigo's appearances were relatively limited, and many of the storylines focused more on other GUTS members.

In terms of on-site personnel such as directors, cinematographers, lighting, and art departments, invitations were extended to Toshihiro Iijima's Kinoshita Productions, Akio Jissoji's Kodai Group, and members of the production team involved in Gridman the Hyper Agent. Facing tight deadlines, Tsuburaya Productions invested funds to renovate the primary filming location for tokusatsu production, Stage 5 of Toho Studios, to elevate the filming environment's standards. A production press conference was held on June 28 at the Capitol Tokyu Hotel in Akasaka, Tokyo.

Filming

The series focuses on the defense team GUTS and explores diverse storylines addressing social issues relevant to the era when it aired.

Amidst intensive preparations, filming for Ultraman Tiga officially commenced on July 1st. The first episode's principal photography was led by director Shingo Matsubara in Doshi Village, Minamitsuru District, Yamanashi Prefecture. The tokusatsu sequences began filming on July 2nd under director Koichi Takano. However, both sets of filming began without the final draft being completed. The initial shoots depended on scripts that were still in progress.

After numerous discussions, Ultraman Tiga decided to adopt a filming method using conventional 16mm film for main shooting and high-sensitivity 16mm film for special effects, reducing the need for extensive lighting. The final product was delivered to the television stations in video format. This approach facilitated easier color adjustments during composite editing compared to traditional optical synthesis methods, and post-production tasks like editing proceeded faster than relying solely on film. Despite early concerns about the limited stock of episodes, improvements in technology gradually increased the inventory and improved shooting progress from the mid-term onwards.

Considering the production environment of the 1990s, this series not only continued using the visual compositing techniques established by Gridman the Hyper Agent but also marked the first large-scale use of CGI effects. These effects were produced by Japan Vistec, with assistance from Tsuburaya Productions. From the second season onward, Tsuburaya took on some of the production work internally. Although early episodes used CGI for monster explosion scenes, these quickly reverted to traditional special effects. However, with advances in technology, the integration of CGI with models and live-action footage became smoother in the later episodes.

The series also benefited from sponsorships from various hardware manufacturers and system integration companies. Some companies even posted the designs for the GUTS equipment on their websites. In terms of special effects, miniature models were typically scaled to 1/25 of the monster's actual size.

In terms of literary writing, screenwriter Chiaki J. Konaka revealed that there was no clear framework established for the series at the outset, including no predetermined character endings. The script was written and revised continuously, with the team reviewing and adding to the original concepts as the production progressed. Producers Oida and Marutani organized a script contest, which helped determine the general direction of the main story. Afterward, the remaining episodes were handed over to young screenwriters, allowing them creative freedom in shaping the plot. Additionally, during production, disagreements arose between various screenwriters, directors, and producers, leading to differing conclusions, controversies, and discussions about the direction of the series. Keiichi Hasegawa, who made his debut as a screenwriter with episode 22, shared that while each writer had their own preferred style, everyone seemed to be working toward the same end goal.

Impact

The series' titular hero, Ultraman Tiga, has become one of the most popular characters in the franchise.

Initially, MBS had only signed a six-month broadcasting contract with Tsuburaya Productions. However, around October 1996, they extended the contract for two more seasons, extending the broadcasting period to the end of August the following year. Ultraman Tiga garnered popularity across various age groups, including children and their parents, heralded as a revival within the Ultraman Series, leading to the production of the subsequent series, Ultraman Dyna.

After its broadcast, the series saw impressive merchandise sales. However, despite the high popularity and positive reception, Bandai's initial goal to expand the Ultraman market to a ¥20 billion scale through the series was not fully achieved. The series averaged a 7.3% viewership rating, with a peak of 9.9%. Producer Masato Oida stated that there wasn't much room for flexibility in the production of the series, especially when it came to budget and schedule management. The project was essentially operating at a deficit. Nevertheless, the series maintained strong popularity after its airing.

In 1998, Ultraman Tiga received the Seiun Award in the Film, Performance, and Multimedia category at the 29th Seiun Awards, marking the first time a work from the Ultraman Series had won this award. Through re-runs and guest appearances in later films, Ultraman Tiga remained a significant part of the Ultraman franchise. In 2002, Tsuburaya Productions released the film Ultraman Tiga: The Final Odyssey, and in 2008, the film Superior 8 Ultra Brothers featuring Tiga as a central character was released. To this day, Ultraman Tiga remains highly popular within the entire Ultraman Series.

In 2021, to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the series, Tsuburaya Productions announced the production of Ultraman Trigger: New Generation Tiga, based on the concepts and background of Ultraman Tiga. On September 7 of the same year, the 25th anniversary of Ultraman Tiga, Tsuburaya Productions announced that the series would be re-broadcast on their platform TSUBURAYA IMAGINATION, exclusively available for viewing in Japan.

Synopsis

Ultraman Tiga was the giant of light that protected the ancient human civilization 30 million years ago. After the human civilization perished, Tiga become a stone statue. In the present times, Tiga was resurrected by merging with pilot Daigo from GUTS defense team, who also possess Ultra DNA in his body. At the same time, the 21st century Earth is facing threats of invaders from space and other dimensions.

Can Daigo and GUTS protect humankind from those invaders and saving Earth from destruction?

Characters

Protagonist

• Daigo Madoka

TPC

• Souichiro Sawai
• Masayuki Nahara
• Tetsuji Yoshioka
• Mayumi Shinjoh
• Naban Yao
• Reiko Kashimura
• Yuuji Tango
• Omi Yanase
• Shin Hayate
• Ryosuke Sanada
• Sayaka Ijuin

GUTS

• Rena Yanase
• Megumi Iruma
• Seiichi Munakata
• Masami Horii
• Tetsuo Shinjoh
• Jun Yazumi

Others

• Mitsuo Itahashi
• Keigo Masaki
• Yuzare
• Michiru Ezaki
• Makio Kirino
• Tomoki Miura
• Takehiko Onoda
• Takuma Aoki
• Kagetatsu Nishikida
• Masachika Nezu
• Asami Nezu
• Yuri Tezuka

Ultras

• Ultraman Tiga
• Tiga's companions
• Evil Tiga
• Ultraman

Kaiju

• Golza
  • Fire Golza
• Melba
• Gakuma
• Kyrieloid
  • Kyrieloid II
• Ligatron
• Sealizar
• Gazort
  • Clitters
  • Gazort II
• Alien Reguran
• Gilanbo
  • Different Dimension Witch
• Saki
• Machina
• Gagi
  • Gagi II
• Evolu
  • Illusion Evolu
• Leilons
• Alien Raybeak
  • Virtual Alien Raybeak
• Alien Muzan
  • Virtual Alien Muzan
• Rucia and Zara
• Sukunaoni
• Alien Standel
  • Abolbus
  • Redol
• Gobnu
  • Vaha
  • Giga
  • Ogma
• Enomena
• Deban
• Magnia
  • Magnia Parasites
• Dinosauroid
• Naga
• Weaponizers
• Litomalus
• Silvergon
• Shadow
• Obiko
• Jobarieh
• Maya Cruz
• Alien Natarn
• King Molerat
  • Molerat
• Bizaamo
  • The Life Form of Planet Bizaamo
• Shiela
• Kyuranos
• Desimonia
  • Small Desimonia
• Alien Desimo
• Guwam
• Goldras
• Alien Manon
• Dethmon
• Faldon
• Galra
• Bakugon
• Iludo
• Faivas
  • Karen E-90
• Geozark
• Guardie
• Gijera
• Nook and Terra
• Metamorga
• Menjura
• Charija
• Yanakargie
• Zoiger
• Gatanothor

Adaptations

4Kids Entertainment

4Kids's opening title card.

Ultraman Tiga was the fourth Ultraman Series to be adapted for a U.S. release, following Ultraman, Ultraseven, and Ultraman: Towards the Future. It was licensed by 4Kids Entertainment and aired on the Fox Broadcasting Company's FoxBox Saturday morning programming block. The first episode premiered on September 14, 2002.

Unlike the Super Sentai Series' adaptation into Power Rangers, which combined the original shows' tokusatsu sequences with an entirely new cast, Ultraman Tiga was simply dubbed into English. Nonetheless, 4Kids made a number of significant changes. There was an entirely new theme song and the original soundtrack for the series was replaced. Episode storylines was altered and simplified to comply with Fox's Standards and Practices division and accommodate the differences between Japanese and American commercial breaks and broadcasting scheduling. Each episode was typically one or two minutes shorter than its Japanese counterpart.

There was also a lot more blatant and crude humor. The Japanese Ultraman Tiga had a few moments of subtle humor and charming moments. The Americanized version came with dialogue that poked fun of the original material as well as the dubbing in general, which changed the personalities for some of the characters (Notable in this aspect was the transformation of Captain Iruma from a smart, level-headed individual into a complete airhead.) Additionally, Captain Iruma was referred to as a "sir" instead of a "ma'am", perhaps in an attempt at being politically correct. This caused some problems within the addressing of a commanding officer whether that person was male or a female.

Some monsters were given new sound effects, and the transformation sequence was altered altogether, showcasing all of Tiga's forms and emphasizing the change from Daigo to Tiga. Tiga's "Multi, Power, and Sky Types" are changed into "Omni, Power, and Speed Modes," respectively. The Sparklence was renamed the "Torch of Tiga". His light techniques were called "Luminizers", and the Color Timer is referred to as the "Biotic Sensor."

Despite Producer Norman Grossfeld's enthusiasm of its success, Ultraman Tiga was removed from the FoxBox lineup on March 15, 2003, due to low ratings, with only 25 episodes of the 52-episode series having aired. 4Kids initially planned to relaunch the show in September, but decided to release the Japanese episodes on DVD instead. As a result, their dub is only viewable through recordings of the original broadcasts.

Erica Schroeder (who voiced Rena) claimed that part of the reason for Ultraman Tiga's limited success in the U.S. was due to 4Kids' indecision whether to satirize the show or make it serious. The English dub never aired its 2nd half which is now considered lost media. The co-producer of the dub, Michael Pecoriello, confirmed the series was fully adapted into English during a recent interview.

The completely produced dub aired on the TV channel POGO in India. One surviving episode title, which is called "Dark Warrior Part 1," which adapts Japanese episode 43, can be found in the link below. Footage from "Dark Warrior Part 2" of Ultraman Tiga battling Evil Tiga can be found in the "Enemy Database: Monster Files" segment for Evil Tiga below, as well as Japanese Text is edited off the signs in the background.

Uchūsen Magazine

Uchūsen (Spacecraft) Magazine began a serialization of an Ultraman Tiga manga in the Summer of 1997 written by Mamoru Uchiyama.

Dark Horse Comics

Dark Horse Comics published a manga-style series based on Ultraman Tiga in 2003–2004.

Cast

• Daigo Madoka /Nagano : Hiroshi Nagano (V6)
• Rena Yanase : Takami Yoshimoto
• Megumi Iruma /Yuzare : Mio Takaki
• Seiichi Munakata : Akitoshi Otaki
• Masami Horii : Yukio Masuda
• Tetsuo Shinjoh : Shigeki Kagemaru
• Jun Yazumi : Yoichi Furuya
• Souichiro Sawai : Tamio Kawachi
• Masayuki Nahara : Take Uketa
• Tetsuji Yoshioka : Ken Okabe
• Mayumi Shinjoh : Kei Ishibashi
• Naban Yao : Ichiro Ogura
• Reiko Kashimura : Takako Kitagawa
• Yuuji Tango : Yoichi Okamura
• Ultraman Tiga's Voice : Yuji Machi

Guest Cast

• Yuzare : Minako Osanai
• Mitsuo Itahashi : Hiroyuki Takano
• Omi Yanase : Shigeru Araki
• Ryosuke Sanada : Ryoma Sasaki
• Sayaka Ijuin : Michiko Shimazaki
• Zara : Shogo Shiotani
• Rucia : Motoko Nagino
• Takuma Aoki : Takuma Aoki
• Michiru Ezaki : Misato Hayase
• Obiko : Shoichiro Akaboshi
• Kiyoto Inui : Tom Saeba
• Makio Kirino : Naoki Miyashita
• Keigo Masaki : Takashi Kora
• Shin Hayate : Masaki Kyomoto
• Ultraman : Issei Futamata (voice)

Suit Actors

• Ultraman Tiga (Multi Type, Sky Type), Evil Tiga, Ultraman: Shunsuke Gondo
• Ultraman Tiga (Multi Type, Power Type, Glitter Tiga), Evil Tiga: Koji Nakamura
• Kaiju:
  • Daisuke Terai
  • Hisataka Kitaoka
  • Toshio Miyake
  • Kohji Mimura

English Dub

• Wayne Grayson as Daigo Madoka
• Erica Schroeder as Rena Yanase
• Megan Hollingshead as Megumi Iruma
• David Moo as Seiichi Munakata
• Jimmy Zoppi as Masami Horii
• Christopher Collet as Tetsuo Shinjoh
• Sebastian Arcelus as Jun Yazumi
• Dave Ward as Ultraman Tiga
• Dan Green
• Mike Pollock
• Corinne Orr
• Kerry Butler
• Daniel DeSanto
• Jason Samuels
• Eric Stuart
• Shayne Dukevitch as Marnie Shinjoh

Staff

• Directors: Shingo Matsubara, Hirochika Muraishi, Kyota Kawasaki, Yasushi Okada, Shinichi Kamizawa, Tsugumi Kitaura, Masaki Harada, Teruyoshi Ishii, Akio Jissoji, Kazuho Mitsuta
• Screenwriters: Masakazu Migita, Chiaki J. Konaka, Hidenori Miyazawa, Hideyuki Kawakami, Junki Takegami, Nobuhisa Kodama, Minoru Kawasaki, Hirochika Muraishi, Kazuyoshi Nakazaki, Shinichi Kamizawa, Ai Ota, Keiichi Hasegawa, Yasushi Hirano, Kyota Kawasaki, Kazunori Saito, Akio Satsukawa, Shinsuke Onishi, Shozo Uehara
• Special effects directors: Koichi Takano, Shinichi Kamizawa, Tsugumi Kitaura, Hirochika Muraishi, Kyota Kawasaki, Shinichi Ooka, Mitsunori Hattori, Kazuo Sagawa
• Original draft writers: Kazuo Tsuburaya (ep. 15, 46), Akio Jissoji (ep. 37, 40)
• Executive producer: Kazuo Tsuburaya
• Supervisor: Koichi Takano
• Planning: Kazuho Mitsuta, Yoshihiko Marutani, Minoru Ohno
• Producers: Masato Oida, Hiroshi Morotomi, Hirokazu Kurashita
• Music composer: Tatsumi Yano
• Music producer: Shizu Tamagawa
• Production producer: Nobuyuki Koyama
• Director of photography: Shinichi Ooka
• Art directors: Hiroshi Matsubara, Tetsuzo Osawa
• Art designers: Tetsuya Uchida, Yuji Terai
• Cinematographers: Takehiro Kuramochi, Yoshihito Takahashi (special effects)
• Action choreographer: Tatsumi Nikamoto
• Character designer: Hiroshi Maruyama
• Image boards: Kenji Hashizume
• Production: Tsuburaya Productions

Music

Opening Theme

• TAKE ME HIGHER
  • Lyrics and Composition: Jennifer Batten, Alberto Contini, Dave Rodgers
  • Japanese Lyrics: Kazumi Suzuki
  • Arrangement: Yasuhiko Hoshino
  • String Arrangement: Mitsuo Hagida
  • Choral Arrangement: Hiroaki Suzuki
  • Artist: V6

• Awaken, Ultraman Tiga
  • Lyrics and Composition: Aritaka Hara
  • Composition/Arrangement: Fumio Hara
  • Artist: Voyager
  • Alternative theme song for international broadcasts. First released on Voyager's ULTRA GALAXY album in 2014.

• Larger Than Life
  • The theme song for the 4Kids English dub.

Ending Theme

• Brave Love, TIGA
  • Producer: Goro Kishitani
  • Lyrics: Sunplaza Nakano-kun
  • Composition: Barbe-Q Wasada
  • Arrangement: Yasuhiko Fukuda
  • Artist: Earth Protection Force
  • Leader: Goro Kishitani
  • Members:
    • Takashi Utsunomiya
    • Toshiaki Karasawa
    • Naoto Kine
    • Sunplaza Nakano-kun
    • Yasafumi Terawaki
    • Masahiko Nishimura
    • Barbe-Q Wasada
    • Papala Kawai
    • Patrick Bommarito
    • Funky Sueyoshi
    • Yasuhiko Fukuda
    • Honjamaka
    • Hidehiko Ishizuka
    • Toshiaki Megumi

Ultraman Tiga has a special opening theme and ending theme exclusive to Chinese TV version named "奇迹再现" (The Miracle Reappear) and "永远的奥特曼" (Ultraman Forever).

Insert Themes

• Aoi Yoru no Kioku
  • Lyrics and composition: G.BROOKER, K.RED
  • Japanese lyrics: Masaki Harada
  • Arrangement: Ryu Takahashi
  • Artist: Hitomi Sudo
  • Episodes: 29

• ULTRAMAN LOVE FOR CHILDREN
  • Composer: Terumasa Hino
  • Arrangement: Shinsuke Kazato
  • Episodes: 49

Home Media

Ultraman Tiga is released in VHS in 1997, and DVD from 1999 till 2007. In January 25, 2008, the entire series has been condensed down into a 1-hour special, released under the "Climax Stories" DVD series.

In 2014, the entire series has been remastered and released as part of the "Complete Blu-ray BOX". The Remastered episodes are actually done with upscaling and noise-reduction.

Mill Creek Entertainment released the entire series and tie-in films, except for The Final Odyssey due to music rights issues, in October 2021 on DVD in North America.

Volume 1 (episodes 1-4)

Volume 2 (episodes 5-8)

Volume 3 (episodes 9-12)

Volume 4 (episodes 13-16)

Volume 5 (episodes 17-20)

Volume 6 (episodes 21-24)

Volume 7 (episodes 25-28)

Volume 8 (episodes 29-32)

Volume 9 (episodes 33-36)

Volume 10 (episodes 37-40)

Volume 11 (episodes 41-44)

Volume 12 (episodes 45-48)

Volume 13 (episodes 49-52)

Climax Stories: Ultraman Tiga

Memorial Box (episodes 1-52)

Complete Blu-ray Box (episodes 1-52)

Mill Creek's DVD box set (episodes 1-52)

Gallery

Images

2022 new promotional poster

Videos

ウルトラマン Blu-rayシリーズ第2弾！ 「ウルトラマンティガ」Complete Blu-ray BOX 9月24日(水) 発売決定！

ウルトラマンティガ Blu-ray&DVD 徹底画質比較！！これがHDリマスター2.0Vクオリティだ！

待望の!『ウルトラマンティガ』TSUBURAYA IMAGINATION にて独占配信開始！！

Trivia

• This is the first entry of the Ultraman Series to use Chroma key special effects instead of doll props for aerial combat scenes.
• While the series is available for streaming at TSUBURAYA IMAGINATION on September 7, 2021, the entire series has yet to be available in some streaming services such as Amazon Video.
• The 4Kids Ultraman Tiga English dub was fully produced, but episodes 24-48 remain lost media to this day. It aired fully in India in the mid-2000s, and the co-producer of the dub, Mike Pecoriello, reiterated the dub was fully completed as well but remained unaired in the US.
• The reason for setting the series' timeline in the year 2007 was explained by the series planner, Yoshihiko Marutani. He stated that, considering the influence of the classic film 2001: A Space Odyssey, the "near future" setting of 2001 had become too close to the present. On the other hand, setting the story in a far-distant future would make on-location shooting significantly more challenging. As a result, the team decided to place the story within the 2000–2010 range, ultimately choosing 2007 as the specific year.
  • Additionally, Marutani noted that 2007 was also the year he would turn 60 and retire, adding a personal significance to the choice.
• During the production of Ultraman Tiga, there were discussions among the production team about switching to VTR for filming. However, the core creative team believed this approach would not align with the worldview of the Ultraman Series. They argued that mixing filming formats would compromise the overall visual consistency. As a result, both the main drama and special effects sequences were shot on 30 FPS film. This practice was later carried over to Dyna and Gaia.
  • However, despite the outward appearance of film production, the use of film was limited to the shooting phase. Once filming was complete, the footage was developed to produce negatives, which were then transferred to VTR through a "telecine" process. From that point onward, all master storage and processing were handled entirely via VTR.

External Links

• Official website at Yomiuri Advertising (existed in 1997)
• Official website at CBC
• Ultraman Tiga at Tsuburaya Productions' official website