"Chant My Name! Ultraman Z!"
- ―Series tagline
Ultraman
On April 2, 2023, it was announced that the series would receive an official English dub from Okratron 5000, the same team behind the dubbed version of Shin Ultraman. The dub began releasing episodes every Saturday and Sunday on Tsuburaya Productions' official YouTube channel and Ultraman Connection from April 8, 2023.[4]
Production

The protagonist of this series, Ultraman Z, is a passionate rookie warrior who claims to be a disciple of Ultraman Zero.
This series is the second installment of the Ultraman series in the Reiwa era. Tsuburaya Productions initially announced its production on March 26, 2020.[5][6][2] The entire cast was revealed in an online production announcement on June 5, 2020.[7][8][9]
Development
The New Generation Heroes series was launched with the birth of Ultraman Zero in 2009, with the development of theatrical films and the start of the planned program Ultraman Retsuden in 2011. This reboot of the Ultraman series began a new path in 2013, producing one series each year, continuously expanding and solidifying the character's popularity. Compared to the Showa and Heisei series, the New Generation Heroes series has seen significant changes in its world settings.
One major change is that the protagonists are no longer members of a defense team. Some series don't even feature a defense team at all; this is partly due to the high production costs associated with depicting a defense team. As a result, other methods are used to replace the impact that defense teams traditionally brought. During this period, each series strengthened its story's uniqueness by adopting distinct styles.[10]
In this context, the 2020 Ultraman project, which followed Ultraman Taiga, began within Tsuburaya Productions in the spring of 2019. By around July 2019, when Ultraman Taiga started airing, the basic planning, including transformation devices, was largely completed. At this time, chief producer Tsugumi Kitaura invited Kiyotaka Taguchi, who had previously directed Ultraman X and Ultraman Orb and contributed significantly to the series, to be the main director of the new series.[10]
When Taguchi initially took on the task of directing this series, he already had plans to produce another piece in the fall of 2020. However, due to the early planning of this project, he managed to avoid overlapping responsibilities. By the time Taguchi joined, Tsuburaya Productions already had a rough outline for the work. Nevertheless, upon accepting the invitation, Taguchi expressed that if he were to take charge, he hoped to build the story according to his vision. Subsequently, Taguchi, along with screenwriter Kota Fukihara, met with Kitaura again and presented a new plan during the meeting.[10]

This series introduces "robots" as a key weapon for the defense team in their fight against monsters.
Kota Fukihara is a versatile screenwriter and series compositor who had previously collaborated with Taguchi on the late-night drama Rooming with a Gamer Gal by Mainichi Broadcasting System. Taguchi believed that if he were to handle the structure of the Ultraman series, Fukihara would be the best partner. At this stage, Taguchi wanted to create a new series where the protagonist belonged to a robot squad of the "Defense Team." Taguchi highly valued the traditional presence of the defense team. However, developing a storyline centered around the defense team would significantly increase the costs of operating models like aircraft or producing CG and other special effects. Therefore, Taguchi proposed handling the defense team's combat power with robots that could be portrayed using suits, leveraging existing monster special effects equipment and technology for visualization. He suggested a setting centered on a robot squad and envisioned the protagonist as an ace pilot. Through this setting, the main characters could not only witness Ultraman's battles but also participate in combat through the robots, making the storyline more compelling.[10]
At the time, Taguchi and Fukihara had almost no prior discussion. When presenting to Kitaura, they almost spontaneously proposed the concept of the robot squad and quickly formulated a corresponding series composition plan. Kitaura was impressed by their synergy and efficiency, agreeing to let them be responsible for the new series composition. Thus, the new series scheduled to air in June 2020 would be led by Taguchi and Fukihara. As they advanced with this structure, Tsuburaya Productions made two main requests to Taguchi and his team. First, they needed to incorporate the transformation device setting, and second, they should focus on Ultraman Zero and Ultraman Belial, who were approaching their 10th anniversary. Therefore, the duo had to consider how to seamlessly integrate these elements into the story. The overall structure of the story was derived by working backward from the final episode, with the intention of connecting individual episodes to portray the characters in a comprehensive manner. This approach aimed to make it the most meticulously designed plot and setting in recent series. A concrete example of this meticulous planning was the detailed organization chart and character timeline for the GAFJ, providing hints and crucial information through the series. Additionally, screenwriter Keigo Koyanagi was appointed as the military advisor for the series.[11][10]
Concept
The protagonist Ultraman's image in his growth phase originates from the concept of transforming using three medals. This setup, where Ultraman fights using three different powers, guided the storyline where both the protagonist and Ultraman grow together. Initially, there was an idea to start with an unnamed Ultraman without a chest timer, symbolizing his immaturity. However, this concept was abandoned due to conflicts with the film Shin Ultraman, which was already in production at the time. Later, this immature image was transformed into a characteristic of revering Ultraman Zero, with the protagonist set as his disciple and a new member of the Inter Galactic Defense Force. This semi-mature aspect also brought about his peculiar Japanese speech.[12]

The main actors of Ultraman Z participated in the production press conference.
From the beginning, there was an intention to include the letter "Z" in the protagonist Ultraman's name. Although names with "2" were also considered, none seemed fitting, so Fukihara simply suggested calling him "Z." Despite many characters featuring the letter "Z," it seemed appropriate, especially since it related to Zero. Thus, the new Ultraman was named "Ultraman Z." Regarding Belial, since his story had a conclusive end in Ultraman Geed, it wasn't planned to mention him repeatedly. Instead, he was set as "Devil Splinters," playing a supplementary role in the story and connecting to Z's ultimate power-up and weapons.[12]
Regarding the specific story structure, from August to November 2019, the 25-episode story arc and key points were determined by sticking idea notes on several partitions in a meeting room. Taguchi, Fukihara, and assistant producer Junichiro Ashiki participated in these meetings. The intent was to create a bright and fun atmosphere for Ultraman Z, which was scheduled to air in the year of the planned "2020 Summer Olympics." Therefore, the defense team was envisioned as a sunny group like an athletic team, with a dynamic stage show feel throughout the story. Then, the specific scripts for each episode were gradually written.[12]
Filming
In August 2019, the participating directors and writers were called to the meeting room, where they viewed the notes on the partitions and engaged in in-depth understanding and discussion. Taguchi hoped the scripts could be monster-centric, similar to the original Ultraman, building unique storylines for each monster. Filming for the main scenes of the first episode of Ultraman Z began on January 20, 2020, in Chofu City, starting about two months earlier than usual to avoid potential impacts from the Olympics. Additionally, since Shin Ultraman was slated for an early summer 2021 release, there were no plans for a Ultraman Z movie version.[13][12]
However, due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, the series was delayed by two months before resuming filming, which initially aired on June 20.[14] After Fukihara's passing on May 17, Taguchi took over the role of series compositor. Tsuburaya Productions and the production team of Ultraman Z posted tributes to him on the official website.[12]
Impact
After its broadcast, the series was enthusiastically received by audiences of all ages for its innovative storyline, pushing its popularity and influence to new heights.[15] It was named one of the best TV shows of 2020 by the gaming media "Nerdist."[16] On December 15, 2020, the series ranked sixth in the "Internet Buzzword Award" hosted by NicoNico and Pixiv, with the character Shota Hebikura ranking 45th. Director Kiyotaka Taguchi received an award for the accomplishment.[17] In 2021, the series won the 52nd Seiun Award in the Best Media (Theater, Cinema, TV, Video game, and whole Entertainment) category, becoming the first series to win this honor since Ultraman Tiga in 1998.[18]
Synopsis
In the past, the Devil Splinters were scattered across space. Today, the splinters are still causing chaos throughout the universe. While the Ultra Heroes fight to restore peace to the galaxy, a mysterious being uses these items in its despicable schemes to destroy planets one by one.
And now, that evil being approaches the Land of Light.
In its way stands the gallant Ultraman Zero and his disciple, Ultraman Z. At the end of a fierce battle, Z chases a monster alone, making his way towards Earth...
Meanwhile on Earth, a defense force to combat routine monster appearances, the anti-monster robot force STORAGE, is formed and joined by the hot-blooded youth Haruki Natsukawa. When a monster from space invades Earth, Z and Haruki have their fateful encounter. Here begins the passionate story of our two young heroes' battles![2]
Haruki's Ultra-navi Ultra Medal and Kaiju Medal of the week.
is a segment at the end of the show where Haruki showcases theVoice Drama
An episode of Ultraman Z and Ultraman Zero Voice Drama [19]
is uploaded to Tsuburaya Productions' YouTube channel as a follow up to each episode of the series.Characters
Protagonist
GAFJ
High-Ranking Officers
STORAGE
Monster Research Center
Antagonist
Others
Ultras
- Ultraman Z
- Ultraman Zero
- Ultraman Geed
- Ultraman Taro (Flashback)
- Ultraman Belial (Flashback)
- Ultraman Ace
Kaiju
- Gomess
- Sevenger
- Genegarg
- Bullton
- Neronga
- Majappa
- Bemstar
- Segmeger
- Windom
- Guigass
- Gomora
- Telesdon
- Erimaki-Telesdon
- Peguila
- Jugglus Juggler
- Zeppandon
- Gillvalis
- Alien Pegassa Pega
- Valis Raider
- Skull Gomora
- Thunder Killer
- Pedanium Zetton
- Alien Pitt
- Tri-King
- Five King
- King Joe
- Alien Barossa
- Red King A & B
- Giestron
- Grigio Raiden
- Kanegon
- Greeza
- Horoboros
- Metsuboros
- Alien Barossa II
- Pagos
- Kemur
- Baraba
- M1
- Kelbim
- Mother Kelbim
- Alien Barossa III
- Ultroid Zero
- Takkong
- King Guesra
- Demaaga
- Gomess (S)
- Destrudos
Cast
Character | Japanese | English |
---|---|---|
Haruki Natsukawa | Kohshu Hirano | Zeno Robinson[4] |
Yoko Nakashima | Rima Matsuda [20][21] | Mallorie Rodak[4] |
Yuka Ohta | Hikari Kuroki [22][23] | Macy Anne Johnson[4] |
Shota Hebikura | Takaya Aoyagi [24][21] | Mick Lauer[4] |
Kojiro Inaba | Jun Hashizume [25][23] | Kent Williams[26] |
Shinya Kaburagi | Rihito Noda [27] | Howard Wang[26] |
Director Kuriyama | Hisahiro Ogura [28] | Ben Phillips[29] |
Riku Asakura | Tatsuomi Hamada | Kevin K. Gomez[30] |
Satoshi | Reo Satou | Micah Solusod[31] |
Seiji | Fuuma Tsunoda | Bryson Baugus[31] |
Hiroshi | Daichi Takaoka | Nazeeh H. Tarsha[31] |
Voice Actors
Character | Japanese | English |
---|---|---|
Ultraman Z | Tasuku Hatanaka | Matt Shipman[4] |
AI Voice | Katsumi Fukuhara | Mike "Mach" Dent[32] |
Beliarok | Yuki Ono | Patrick Seitz[33] |
Narrator | Koichi Toshima | Christopher Sabat[26] |
Guest Cast
- Vice President : Robert Anderson
- Official 1 : Greg Dale
- Official 2 : Chris Darval
- VIP 1 : Jamie S.
- VIP 2 : Gregory Parker
- Chief : Shingo Ippongi
- Reporter : Madoka Yoshima
- Young Man : Takumi Abo
- Fa Kanon Miyahara :
- Si Shioka Ishizuka :
- Asano : Yosuke Minokawa
- Kaori Kaori Udagawa :
- Ruri Inaba Ami Hachiya :
- Kurata Makoto Takahashi :
- Mai Yuki Maya Hayashi :
Guest Voice Actors
Character | Japanese | English |
---|---|---|
Ultraman Zero | Mamoru Miyano | Sean Schemmel[26] |
Alien Pegassa Pega | Megumi Han | Brina Palencia[31] |
Gillvalis | Stock audio of Katsuyuki Konishi | Kamran Nikhad[26] |
Ultraman Taro | Stock audio of Saburo Shinoda | Jim Foronda[31] |
Kanegon | Misato Fukuen | Brittany Lauda[26] |
Baraba | Holly Kaneko | Shawn Gann[34] |
Ultraman Ace | Keiji Takamine | Charlie Campbell[34] |
Extras | Ben Balmaceda[26] |
Staff
- Directors: Kiyotaka Taguchi (main director), Takanori Tsujimoto, Koichi Sakamoto, Kazuhiro Nakagawa, Masayoshi Takesue, Naoyuki Uchida, Tomonobu Koshi,[7][8] Kohei Nakayama
- Series compositors: Kota Fukihara,[Note 1] Kiyotaka Taguchi[7][8]
- Screenwriters: Kota Fukihara, Satoshi Suzuki, Takao Nakano, Sotaro Hayashi, Yuji Kobayashi, Toshizo Nemoto, Ryo Ikeda, Jun Tsugita[7][8]
- Special effects director: Katsuro Onoue (ep. 9-10)
- Supervisor: Takayuki Tsukagoshi
- Production supervisor: Masayuki Nagatake
- Executive producer: Masahiro Onda
- Chief producer: Tsugumi Kitaura
- Planning: Kei Kurosawa, Isao Kaneki, Yukio Haruyama, Kuninori Yoshizaki, Kenji Hamada
- Producers: Akira Kishine, Junko Oishi (TV Tokyo), Hayato Saga
- Co-producer: Junichiro Ashiki
- Associate producer: Kazuyuki Murayama
- Cinematographers: Satoshi Murakawa
- Music composers: Hijiri Anze,[7][8] Kenji Kawai (ep. 6 and 7), Toru Fuyuki (ep. 9 and 19), Takao Konishi (ep. 13 and 15), Kunio Miyauchi (ep. 18)
- Music producer: Yoichi Sekine
- Assistant director: Tomonobu Koshi
- Assistant special effects director: Naoyuki Uchida
- Action coordinator: Daisuke Terai
- Character and kaiju designers: Masayuki Gotoh, Kengo Kusunoki
- Setting supervision: Ryo Ikeda
- Military research: Keigo Koyanagi
- Military supervisor: Yasuhiro Koshi
- Production: Tsuburaya Productions, TV Tokyo, Dentsu
- ↑ Kota Fukihara died on May 17, 2020 due to brain hemorrhage. Prior to his passing, he wrote several episodes of the series.
Music
- Opening Theme
- Goshowa Kudasai Ware no Na wo!
- Lyrics and Composition: Masaaki Endoh
- Arrangement: Kyoichi Miyazaki (KEYTONE), Ryota Iida (KEYTONE)
- Artist: Masaaki Endoh
- Ending Theme
- Connect the Truth
- Lyrics, Composition, and Arrangement: Takumi Ozawa
- Artist: Nami Tamaki
- Promise for the future[35]
- Lyrics: Mike Sugiyama
- Composition: Watanabe Toru
- Arrangement: ats-, Shimizu Takehito and Watanabe Toru (Blue Bird’s Nest)
- Artist: Tasuku Hatanaka
Home Media
The series was released on 6 DVDs, as well as two Blu-rays.[36] The first Blu-ray released on January 27, 2021 and contains trailers, a behind-the-scenes video, and a booklet with information by staff and interviews with the cast. The second released on March 26, 2021 and contains another behind-the-scenes video, a recorded discussion by the cast and main director, and the Ultraman Z and Ultraman Zero Voice Drama series.
On April 22, 2025, Mill Creek released the series on Blu-ray and digital with both the Japanese audio and the English dub.[37][38]
Spin-offs
- Sevenger Fight : A 10-episode Ultra Fight-inspired miniseries that was directed by Kiyotaka Taguchi and written by Junichiro Ashiki.[39]
- Life-Threatening Decision Height ―The Story of STORAGE's Founding― : A prequel novel set during the establishment of STORAGE, distributed via TSUBURAYA IMAGINATION. It was written by Keigo Koyanagi with the original concept and supervision provided by Kiyotaka Taguchi.[40]
- Jugglus Juggler Chronicle: Ja no Michi wa Hebi : A prequel novel depicting Juggler's story before the events of this series, which was included in the Ultraman Z Perfect Super Complete Works. The novel was written by Takao Nakano and supervised by Kiyotaka Taguchi.
- Fight! Sevenger : A manga adaptation set before the series, serialized in Televi-Kun magazine from the April 2021 issue to the April 2022 issue. It was written by Kiyotaka Taguchi and illustrated by Tetsuya Kawaishi.[41]
Gallery
Images
Videos
Trivia
- Originally, Ultraman R/B, and the then-singular Ultra Hero of the series, was supposed to have this name to mark the end of the Heisei Era series.[42][43]
External Links
References
- ↑ http://m-78.jp/z
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 https://en.tsuburaya-prod.co.jp/news/1810
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20210805033900/https://ultramangalaxy.com/catch-up-with-ultraman-z-on-the-official-ultraman-youtube-channel/
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 http://tsuburaya-prod.com/news/5963
- ↑ https://m-78.jp/news/post-5477
- ↑ https://spice.eplus.jp/articles/266928
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 https://m-78.jp/news/post-5517
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 https://tsuburaya-prod.com/news/2085
- ↑ https://m-78.jp/news/post-5525
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 Ultra Tokusatsu PERFECT MOOK vol. 40: Ultraman Z, pg 4
- ↑ Spaceship 169 pg 70–71
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 Ultra Tokusatsu PERFECT MOOK vol. 40: Ultraman Z, pg 5
- ↑ Ultraman Z Complete Collection Art Book pg 116-119
- ↑ https://www.nikkansports.com/entertainment/news/202006270000609.html
- ↑ https://news.mynavi.jp/article/20220317-2295266/
- ↑ https://nerdist.com/article/best-tv-shows-2020/
- ↑ https://m-78.jp/news/post-5732/
- ↑ http://www.sf-fan.gr.jp/awards/2021result.html
- ↑ https://m-78.jp/z/post-828/
- ↑ https://m-78.jp/news/post-5498/
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 https://en.tsuburaya-prod.co.jp/news/1972
- ↑ https://m-78.jp/news/post-5509/
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 https://en.tsuburaya-prod.co.jp/news/2029
- ↑ https://m-78.jp/news/post-5493/
- ↑ https://m-78.jp/news/post-5506/
- ↑ 26.0 26.1 26.2 26.3 26.4 26.5 26.6 https://www.ultramanconnection.com/news/ultraman-z-dub-comments-from-the-cast-and-crew-part-2/
- ↑ https://m-78.jp/news/post-5513/
- ↑ https://m-78.jp/news/post-5515/
- ↑ https://twitter.com/benaphil/status/1645611589075124224/photo/1
- ↑ https://twitter.com/kevinkgomez/status/1644155116495224832?s=46&t=4W68uAzA_1OYziEn80XWVA
- ↑ 31.0 31.1 31.2 31.3 31.4 https://twitter.com/BrittanyLaudaVO/status/1645885563940098048
- ↑ https://twitter.com/Mach_Dent/status/1645821587872948224
- ↑ https://twitter.com/BrittanyLaudaVO/status/1645885551235551233
- ↑ 34.0 34.1 https://twitter.com/BrittanyLaudaVO/status/1667565037479682049
- ↑ https://m-78.jp/z/post-1679/
- ↑ https://m-78.jp/z/music_bd/
- ↑ https://www.scifijapan.com/dvd-blu-ray-digital/mill-creek-entertainment-brings-ultraman-z-the-complete-series-to-blu-ray-and-digital-april-22
- ↑ https://www.millcreekent.com/products/ultraman-z-complete-series
- ↑ https://m-78.jp/news/post-5814
- ↑ https://x.com/TaguchiKiyotaka/status/1372091300359458816
- ↑ https://m-78.jp/news/post-5795
- ↑ File:Z_Confidential.jpg
- ↑ File:Z_Confidential_2.jpg