Ultraman Zearth (film)

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Ultraman Zearth
Directed by:	Shinya Nakajima Konaka Kazuya
Produced by:	Kazuo Tsuburaya Hiroshi Inagaki Isomura Yoshiyuki Goto Hiroshi
Written by:	Nagasaka Hideka Kazunori Saito
Starring:	Masaharu Sekiguchi Takaaki Ishibashi Kinashi Noritake Takaoka Yuka Hiromoto Okubo Kohji Moritsugu Miyagawa Ichirota
Music by:	James Shimoji
Cinematography:	N/A
Editing by:	N/A
Distributed by:	Shochiku
Release Date(s)	March 9, 1996 (1st movie) April 12, 1997 (2nd movie)
Running time	51 minutes (1st movie) 66 minutes (2nd movie)
Country	Japan
Language	Japanese

Ultraman Zearth (ウルトラマンゼアス Urutoraman Zeasu) and Ultraman Zearth 2: Superman Big Battle - Light and Shadow (ウルトラマンゼアス２ 超人大戦・光と影 Urutoraman Zeasu Tsū: Chōjin Taisen Hikari to Kage) are two Ultraman movies produced by Tsuburaya Productions in 1996 and 1997 respectively. The first movie was released as a celebration of Tsuburaya's 30th anniversary, as part of the Ultraman Wonderful World project. Both movies feature many homages to previous series, including some of the members of the original Science Patrol from Ultraman. It is succeeded by Ultraman Tiga.

Appearances

Ultra

• Ultraman Zearth

Kaiju & Seijin

• Alien Benzene
• Cotton-Poppe

Cast

• Katsuto Asahi (朝日 勝人 Asahi Katsuto): Masaharu Sekiguchi (関口 正晴 Sekiguchi Masaharu)
• Shinpei Ohkohchi (大河内 神平 Ōkōchi Shinpei): Takaaki Ishibashi (石橋 貴明 Ishibashi Takaaki)
• Butsukichi Konakai (小中井 仏吉 Konakai Butsukichi): Noritake Kinashi (木梨 憲武 Kinashi Noritake)
• Tohru Hoshimi (星見 透 Hoshimi Tōru): Yuka Takaoka (高岡 由香 Takaoka Yuka)
• Ganta Takemura (武村 岩太 Takemura Ganta): Hiromoto Okubo (大久保 博元 Okubo Hiromoto)
• Ban Satsuma (薩摩 萬 Satsuma Ban): Kohji Moritsugu (森次 晃嗣 Moritsugu Koji)
• Manabu Kazu (数 学 Kazu Manabu): Ichirota Miyagawa (宮川 一朗太 Miyagawa Ichirota)
• Night Watchman: Susumu Kurobe (黒部 進 Kurobe Susumu)
• Fisherman: Akiji Kobayashi (小林 昭二 Kobayashi Akiji)
• Photographer: Masanari Nihei (二瓶 正也 Nihei Masanari)
• Reporter: Sandayu Dokumamushi (毒蝮 三太夫 Dokumamushi Sandayu)
• Housewife: Sakurai Hiroko (桜井 浩子 Sakurai Hiroko)
• Master of Seidokaikan: Kazuyoshi Ishii (石井 和義 Ishii Kazuyoshi)
• Instructor of Seidokaikan: Nobuaki Kakuda (角田 信朗 Kakuda Nobuaki)
• Assistant Instructor: Andy Hug (アンディ・フグ Andi Fugu)
• Yuki Hoshimi (星見 勇気 Hoshimi Yuki): Hiromi Sakimoto (崎本 大海 Sakimoto Hiromi) (Played as "崎元 大海")
• Telecast Reporter: Jiro Dan (団 時朗 Dan Jirō)

Voice cast

• Midori: Mariko Fukushima (福島 まりこ Fukushima Mariko)
• Akuma Ogami/Alien Benzene: Takeshi Kaga (鹿賀 丈史 Kaga Takeshi)
• Kagemi/Alien Lady-Benzene: Uno Kanda (神田 うの Kanda Uno)

Theme Song

• Shuwatch! Ultraman Zearth (シュワッチ!ウルトラマンゼアス Shuwatchi! Urutoraman Zeasu)
  • Lyrics: Shinya Jinma (じんま しんや Jinma Shinya)
  • Composition: James Shimoji (ジェイムス 下地 Jeimusu Shimoji)
  • Artist: Tunnels (とんねるず Tonneruzu)

Releases

A two disc release of Ultraman Zearth 1 & 2 is available on Blu-Ray.

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Games

A game adaptation of Ultraman Zearth was available in PlayStation.

Cancelled sequel

A 3rd Ultraman Zearth film is planned during the production of Ultraman Tiga & Ultraman Dyna: Warriors of the Star of Light, but no progress was made.

Notes & Trivia

• A parody of the film is produced for the Comedy show Tonneruzu no Minasan no Okage deshita before the film's premiere.
• Actors/Actresses from previous Ultraman series made cameos in 2 movies:
  • Arashi is a helicopter reporter (which is not too far from what he currently does in real life). In Ultraman Zearth, Hayata is a night watchman (who holds his flashlight up like a Beta Capsule) and in Ultraman Zearth 2 he is a common citizen who tries to transform into Ultraman with a spoon (echoing Hayata's performance from episode 34), Fuji (the only woman who ever catches the MYDO plane taking off from a secret base exit, which happens to be a billboard), Ide (as a photographer), and Captain Muramatsu, as a fisherman. In Ultraman Zearth 2, Ide shows up as the fisherman's son with the a photograph of his dad (actor Akiji Kobayashi, who played Captain Muramatsu, died between films). And finally, in Ultraman Zearth 2, we are treated to a rare cameo reappearance of Jiro Dan, who played Hideki Goh from Return of Ultraman as a telecast reporter on TV.
• ​Product placement:
  • An Ultra Hero Series Ultraman, a larger Ultraman Taro figure, and a Sound Battler Ultraman Powered figure is shown in the beginning of the movie.

Errors & Goofs

Ultraman Zearth

• A scene of Zearth rising from the lake of mud is actually a reversed version of Zearth diving through the water, which produces unnatural water effects during the rise.

Ultraman Zearth 2

• The Laser Rope is spelled as "Laser Roap". While the Capsule Monster is spelled as "Capsuele Monster". (The English dub also humorously acknowledges the error.)

References

1. ^ Schilling, Mark (1997). The Encyclopedia of Japanese pop culture. Weatherhill. p. 280. ISBN 0-8348-0380-1.
2. ^ Warner, Brad (2003). Hardcore Zen: punk rock, monster movies & the truth about reality. Wisdom Publications. p. 54. ISBN 0-86171-380-X.