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From 1963-2005, Tsuburaya Productions — the television and film company behind the long-running Ultraman franchise — had their headquarters in the residential Kinuta and Okura districts of Tokyo’s Setagaya Ward. Tsuburaya Pro moved into their new offices in Hachimanyama, Setagaya, Tokyo after being purchased by the TYO Group in 2007.
For a time, the Kinuta office was maintained as an editing and computer graphic imaging facility. The second floor of the building was also used as a warehouse to store the monster suits, masks and costumes from the various Ultraman movies and shows. But Tsuburaya eventually decided to to move these departments to Hachimanyama as well, and the Kinuta branch was shut down on February 6, 2008. The property was sold to developers who demolished the office and replaced it with an apartment building.
The Soshigaya-Okura station on the Odakyu-line was the closest train station to the original Tsuburaya Productions offices. And even though Tsuburaya has moved to another city, the area around Soshigaya-Okura is still named “Ultra Town” because many Ultramen can still be seen there. Continued…
January 9, 2012 was a national holiday in Japan known as “Coming of Age Day” (成人の日, Seijin no Hi). The holiday is held each year on the second Monday of January, and celebrates those Japanese who — over the past year — turned 20 years old, the age one is considered an adult can legally vote, drink and smoke (and be tried as an adult in court). Throughout the day, special ceremonies honoring the new adults (新成人, Shin Seijin) were held at cities across Japan. Young women dress up in fancy, fur-lined silk kimonos called furisodes while men wear suits or traditional hakama.
The Yomiuriland amusement park in Inagi City, Tokyo decided to celebrate Coming of Age Day in a unique and fun way. Just as the English language has words that have the same spelling or pronunciation but separate meanings, so does Japanese. So a 20 year-old Japanese person is called a “Seijin”, but Seijin has another meaning in spoken Japanese… it also means “alien”.
Therefore, “Alien Day” was held instead of Coming of Age Day at Yomiuriland on January 9th. Popular alien characters from Tsuburaya Productions’ Ultraman series spent the day at the amusement park; posing for photos, clowning around with attendees and having a good time. Continued…
Conceived by Tsuburaya Productions – the production company founded by Eiji Tsuburaya, the master of special effects on Toho’s Godzilla film series – the original ULTRAMAN (Urutoraman) first broadcast from July 17th 1966 until April 9th 1967 on TBS. Throughout 39 exciting episodes, audiences nationwide watched the superhero Ultraman defend the Earth from a plethora of giant monsters.
ULTRAMAN proved so successful that after 45 years and over 30 spin-offs and feature films, Ultraman is continuing to thrive, ingraining itself in Japanese popular culture shoulder-to-shoulder with Godzilla and other famous icons.
In March 2011, immediately following the earthquake disaster, Tsuburaya Productions established the Ultraman Foundation. Through the support of Tsuburaya’s creative staff and their extensive back-catalog of famous heroes, the charity is helping to raise money for children directly affected by the events of March 11th, and spreading a message of hope to children throughout Japan in the midst of the Fukushima nuclear crisis. Continued…
Our long cultural nightmare is over. On December 6, Shout! Factory, in association with Best Brains, Inc., will release MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000: XXII, a 4-DVD set that includes TIME OF THE APES, MIGHTY JACK, THE VIOLENT YEARS, THE BRUTE MAN and a cornucopia of extras worthy of the holiday season. All four episodes are previously unreleased on DVD, and TIME OF THE APES and MIGHTY JACK are two of the most beloved and most requested episodes of the comedy phenomenon!
The MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000 series was created by Joel Hodgson and produced by Jim Mallon. The premise of the series features a hapless man who is trapped by mad scientists on a satellite in space and forced to watch old B-movies of questionable worth. To keep sane, he’s built two robot sidekicks, and together they do a running commentary on the films, affectionately mocking their flaws with inspired wisecracks and acting as a demented movie theater peanut gallery. During its 11-year run and 198 episodes (including one feature film), MST3K attained a loyal fan base and critical acclaim. The series won a Peabody Award in 1993, and was nominated for writing Emmys in 1994 and 1995.
Passionate fans and collectors can pre-order this 4-DVD set now on ShoutFactoryStore.com, Amazon.com and other online retailers. Continued…
Japanese SF Movie Zine to be Distributed by Diamond
Source: Monster Attack Team
Special Thanks to Michael G Keller and Edward Holland
In the 1990s, Monster Attack Team, a fanzine devoted to Japanese live action sci-fi and fantasy productions, ran for seven issues. After a fifteen year break, editors Edward Holland and Michael Keller revived MAT in 2010 with a massive, full-color 132 page eighth issue packed with informative articles covering a wide range of tokusatsu film and television programs.
And now Monster Attack Team is back in a big way. Holland and Keller are currently working with a team of top writers on MAT #9, another 100+ page, full-color special. Monster Attack Team has also been picked up for distribution by Diamond Comic Distributors, Inc., North America’s largest comic book distributor, making upcoming issues available to comic shops, book stores, and specialty shops across the country. Continued…
Clawmark Does Wonderfest
Author: Tom Dougherty, Clawmark Toys
WONDERFEST! The name says it all! I have had the good fortune to experience many Japanese Toy and Model shows in both Osaka and Tokyo over the years, but nothing quite compares to Wonderfest. An enormous event like Wonderfest is of course held in the enormous complex called Makhuhari Messe. I only had to ride a train for about two and a half hours through Tokyo and past Disneyland to arrive at the station and begin the walk. Continued…
Continuing their 45th anniversary celebration of the Ultra series, Tsuburaya Productions has announced the production of their next feature film ULTRAMAN SAGA (ウルトラマンサーガ, Urutoraman Saga), to be released in 2012 on both 2D and 3D screens in Japan. The new movie is a sequel to the recent films, MEGA MONSTER BATTLE ULTRA GALAXY: THE MOVIE (大怪獣バトル ウルトラ銀河伝説 THE MOVIE, Daikaiju Batoru Urutora Ginga Densetsu THE MOVIE, 2009) and ULTRAMAN ZERO: THE REVENGE OF BELIAL (ウルトラマンゼロ THE MOVIE 超決戦！ベリアル銀河帝国, Urutoraman Zero THE MOVIE Chou Kessen! Beriaru Ginga Teikoku, 2010).
While few details have yet been revealed about the story, ULTRAMAN SAGA will continue the recent trend in the Ultraman movies of bringing together characters from several different series and timelines. The Ultra heroes will face off against an army of vicious monsters from all ends of the universe, including recognizable foes such as Earthtron (from the RETURN OF ULTRAMAN television series) and Gubila (from ULTRAMAN). ULTRAMAN SAGA will also introduce Hyper Zetton, a new version of the final villain from the original ULTRAMAN series. Continued…
Cult Favorite Rankin/Bass-Tsuburaya Co-production Available March 22nd
Author: Keith Aiken
Source: Warner Archive Collection
Special Thanks to Gabriel Vicuna and Ed Godziszewski
“It eats meat! Us!!” It is a Tyrannosaurus, ruler of a lost world hidden within a dormant polar volcano. Us are members of expedition led by a big game hunter and überzillionaire (Richard Boone). And eats – well, you get the idea, tyrant lizard fans! Arthur Rankin, Jr. and Jules Bass, who charmed families with THE YEAR WITHOUT A SANTA CLAUS and more animated and stop-motion holiday heartwarmers, relied on dinomight for THE LAST DINOSAUR, the sort of thrill-a-minute popcorn-seller that gives bad movies a good name. Join the adventurers as they encounter a perilous array of prehistoric beasts, a tribe of savage cavemen and a T. rex who, despite its less-than-special effect appearance, can kick some serious Triceratops butt. -synopsis courtesy of Warner Archive
The 1977 cult classic THE LAST DINOSAUR— one of three movies produced by the American studio Rankin/Bass in association with Tsuburaya Productions in Japan— is coming to DVD from the Warner Archive Collection.
The Warner Archive Collection DVD of THE LAST DINOSAUR can be ordered from the Warner Bros online store WBShop.com. The title is currently $16.56, a 17% discount off the standard retail price of $19.95. Continued…
Godzilla, Ultraman, and More at Tokyo Model and Toy Collectors Show
Author: Ed Godziszewski
Official Site: Wonder Festival
Once again, it’s that time of year for the winter season orgy of model kits, toys, and cosplay otherwise known as Wonder Festival. Hosted once again by toy and kit maker Kaiyodo, this year’s event again took place February 6, 2011 at the Makuhari Messe, just a few train stops down the Keio Line from Tokyo Disneyland. And as usual, this year’s show had its share of surprises as well as the weird, wacky, and wonderful. Continued…
Opening to theaters nationwide in Japan on December 23rd, ULTRAMAN ZERO: THE REVENGE OF BELIAL (Urutoraman Zero THE MOVIE Chou Kessen! Beriaru Ginga Teikoku) is the latest entry in the enduring Ultraman series, and serves as a direct sequel to last year’s MEGA MONSTER BATTLE ULTRA GALAXY: THE MOVIE (Daikaiju Batoru Urutora Ginga Densetsu THE MOVIE) in which the evil Ultraman Belial was released from a millennia of imprisonment and resurrected an army of 100 monsters to defeat the Ultra warriors.
The new film delves right into the action with a dramatic sweeping shot of Princess Emerana’s home world of Esmeralda being ravaged by Ultraman Belial (now calling himself “Kaiser Belial”) and his empire, and her protector Mirror Knight – one of the film’s three new heroes – leaping forth to her defense. Continued…
The Ultraman series continues to send to children, and to those adults who have not forgotten their dreams, a “message of hope for the future”.
In this new production commemorating the 45th anniversary of the series, Ultraman Zero encounters new friends on his adventures, delivering a story of growth to adulthood as our heroes learn many important lessons.
Previously defeated by the Ultra warriors, the evil Ultraman Belial has revived, returning as the “Galactic Emperor Kaiser Belial” with aspirations of universal conquest and revenge against the Ultra warriors! Will the warriors from the “Land Of Light” be able to defeat this evil army!? Continued…
Memorial Service in Hawaii for KIKAIDA 01 Star
Source: Anime Jungle, Generation Kikaida
Special Thanks to Tetsu Shiota, Daisuke Ishizuka, Joanne Ninomiya and Scott Shinsato
On November 11th, family and friends gathered at Diamond Head, Hawaii to bid a final farewell to actor Shunsuke Ikeda, who died this past June after a long battle with stomach cancer. Ikeda had appeared in a number of television dramas and FX shows during the 1960s and 70s and is best remembered for his starring role in the popular superhero series KIKAIDA 01 (1973).
Ikeda had loved Hawaii so deeply that he wished to have his ashes scattered there. At 10:30am on what would have been his 70th birthday, his ashes were scattered at sea. A memorial service was held that same day at the Blaisdell Center. Ikeda’s fellow KIKAIDA Ban Daisuke, Joanne Ninomiya of JN Productions, Koji Shiota of Anime Jungle, Steven Fong of Shirokiya Inc., Bert Shibuya of Generation Kikaida Fans, and the Ikeda Family were among the guests who shared their stories and memories of Shunsuke Ikeda. Governor Linda Lingle sent a message to Generation Kikaida and the Ikeda Family, while Mayor Peter Carlisle and Maui Mayor Charmaine Tavares designated the date as “Ikeda Shunsuke Day”. Continued…
Earlier this year, SciFi Japan reported that Tsuburaya Productions’ ULTRAMAN TIGA (Urutoraman Taiga, 1996) was being broadcast on the independent Japanese language TV station UTB (United Television Broadcasting Systems, Inc.) in Hollywood. Now TIGA has been joined by the follow-up series ULTRAMAN DYNA (Urutoraman Daina, 1997), making its US television debut with two episodes airing each Saturday and Sunday from 6:30am – 7:25am. Continued…
On Thursday July 15, 2010, the television and movie industry lost one of its truly unsung heroes. Peter Fernandez passed away after a battle with cancer at the age of 83. Although fans of international films and TV know his name and his contributions, Hollywood as a whole has passed over a little-known industry that made it possible to import many foreign efforts that we would have never otherwise seen.
The dubbing of international product was a thankless chore and an underpaid one in the 1960s and 1970s. However, Peter Fernandez was a tireless pioneer and turned out some of the most memorable and highest quality dub tracks of a generation. Continued…
Montreal Genre Movie Festival Runs July 8-28
Source: Fantasia press release
Official Site: Fantasia 2010
The organizers of Fantasia International Film Festival— North America’s largest genre film festival— have once again pulled together an amazing lineup of movies to screen in Montreal. From July 8 to 28, Fantasia 2010 will showcase 120 feature films and several hundred shorts from all over the world, including a number of North American and international premieres.
Please visit Fantasia’s official website for their complete film list and schedule, venues and directions, ticket information, and other details. SciFi Japan readers may be particularly interested in the fest’s Asian movie schedule, detailed in the following press release. Continued…
In celebration of the Ultraman series’ 45th anniversary in 2011, production has begun on Tsuburaya Productions’ latest feature film ULTRAMAN ZERO THE MOVIE: SUPER DECISIVE BATTLE! BELIAL’S GALACTIC EMPIRE (Urutoraman Zero THE MOVIE Chou Kessen! Beriaru Ginga Teikoku), due for nationwide theatrical release this December in Japan.
The latest Ultra hero Ultraman Zero, the son of Ultra Seven, takes on the role of the protagonist in this production, while Ultraman Belial, history’s first evil Ultraman who rampaged screens in last year’s ULTRA GALAXY: MEGA MONSTER BATTLE (Daikaiju Battoru Urutora Ginnga Densetsu THE MOVIE) has survived, returning in a powered-up form and proclaiming himself to be “the galactic emperor Kaiser Belial”. Building up an enormous galactic empire, Kaiser Belial aspires for universal conquest in revenge against the Ultra warriors. The young hero Ultraman Zero joins successive generations of Ultra warriors, as well as some new friends, to crush Kaiser Belial’s aspirations. Continued…
Director Koichi Sakamoto’s MEGA MONSTER BATTLE: ULTRA GALAXY (Daikaiju Batoru Urutora Ginga Densetsu THE MOVIE) was released on home video in Japan on April 23rd. Three different editions were released; a single disc DVD, a double-disc “Memorial Box” DVD collection, and a single disc Blu-ray. All three editions include English subtitles. While playback of the DVD editions are restricted to Japan, Europe and other Region 2 DVD countries, the Blu-ray edition is compatible with all Region A Blu-ray players, including North America. Continued…
Released on April 23 on DVD and Blu-ray in Japan with import friendly English subtitles, MEGA MONSTER BATTLE: ULTRA GALAXY (Daikaiju Batoru Urutora Ginga Densetsu The Movie; lit. Mega Monster Battle: Ultra Galaxy Legends- The Movie) has finally made its way into the homes of the non-Japan residing Ultra faithful. After all of the trailers, promotional stills, early reviews, and months of speculation, how does the film stack up against previous entries in the series?
Much like STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN (1982), ULTRA GALAXY represents a bold new direction for an established series. Nearly every shot of the film features some sort of digital VFX, due in large part to filming almost exclusively against a green screen. By doing so, ULTRA GALAXY frees itself from an earthy scope taking us to spectacular locations in distant galaxies, focusing primarily on the Land of Light, home planet of the Ultramen. While the digital environments are quite gorgeous, the real advantage they’ve brought to the table is a sense of no holds barred cinematography, and truly inspired fight choreography. Thankfully these assets do not go underused; ULTRA GALAXY features unrelenting action adventure for nearly its entire 96 minute running time. Continued…
A Look Back at the Popular 2004 Film with Press Notes, Interviews, and Photos from Tsuburaya Pro
Source: Tsuburaya Productions
Official Movie Site: Ultraman The Movie
Additional Material: Brad Warner
After a trilogy of juvenile oriented films starring ULTRAMAN COSMOS (2001-2003), in 2004 Tsuburaya Productions decided the time had come for a major relaunch and revamp of their Ultra franchise. The company hoped to lure older viewers back to the fold with nostalgic and more adult-themed programming like the radio drama THE ULTRA Q CLUB (Urutora Kyuu Club), the late night TV series ULTRA Q: DARK FANTASY (Urutora Kyuu Daaku Fantajii), and the new Ultraman show ULTRAMAN NEXUS (Urutoraman Nekkusasu).
Tsuburaya Pro wrapped up the year with ULTRAMAN: THE NEXT (Urutoraman), a new movie that opened in Japanese theaters on December 18, 2004. ULTRAMAN: THE NEXT was both a “back to the basics” approach and a grittier, more mature look at Ultraman that brought the character out of the world of fantasy and into a real world setting. The film provided a great starting point for newcomers unfamiliar with the Ultraman franchise, and particularly appealed to fans of darker kaiju movies like GAMERA 3: REVENGE OF IRIS (Gamera 3: Iris Kakusei, 1999) and GODZILLA, MOTHRA & KING GHIDORAH: GIANT MONSTERS ALL-OUT ATTACK (Gojira Mosura Kingugidora Daikaiju Soukougeki, 2001).
SciFi Japan takes a look back at ULTRAMAN: THE NEXT with Tsuburaya Productions’ 2005 English language press kit for the film as well as quotes from unpublished interviews with Ultraman designer Hiroshi Maruyama and special effects director Yuichi Kikuchi. Continued…
Final Showa Ultraman TV Series To Be Released On DVD
Author: Jim M. Ballard
Source: Bandai Visual
ULTRAMAN 80 (Urutoraman Eitii, 1980), the last live action Ultraman TV series of the Showa era, will be released on DVD for the first time in Japan this year. It is the last of all the primary Ultraman TV series to be released on DVD in Japan.
The series will be split into two “Memorial Box” collection sets. Memorial Box I is due for release on June 25th, and will contain the first twenty-eight episodes on seven discs. Memorial Box II will be released three months later on September 24th, containing the final twenty-two episodes on six discs, plus a bonus disc containing special features. Both sets come in deluxe art boxes and will retail for 24,150 yen (approx. US$260). The discs are region coded, and will only function in Japanese, European and other Region 2 encoded DVD players. Continued…
Tsuburaya Productions’ popular 1996 series ULTRAMAN TIGA (Uritoraman Taiga) has returned to television in Southern California. The show is currently airing on the independent Japanese language TV station UTB (United Television Broadcasting Systems, Inc.) Channel 18 in Hollywood. UTB is showing the episodes uncut and in their original Japanese language with English subtitles. Continued…
After far too long an absence, the popular fanzine Monster Attack Team returns!
Edward Holland and the late Joe Riley began Monster Attack Team (the name taken from the anti-monster team in RETURN OF ULTRAMAN) in the early 1990s as a fan club for aficionados of Japanese science fiction and fantasy. It soon evolved into a Dallas, Texas cable access television show and a small newsletter that grew to become a fan favorite mag. The print version of Monster Attack Team ran for seven issues, edited by Ed Holland with the assistance of David May and Michael G Keller, and featured articles and contributions by authors such as Ed Godziszewski, Kip Doto, Bob Johnson, Kevin Grays, August Ragone, Daisuke Ishizuka, Norman England, and Damon Foster.
Nearly 15 years after the last issue, Ed Holland and Michael Keller have brought back Monster Attack Team with Issue 8. The editors have rounded up an “all star” group of tokusatsu writers and historians and produced a massive, 132 page edition that matches the quality of those truly great English language genre publications The Japanese Fantasy Film Journal, Markalite, and Japanese Giants. Continued…
A Look at the Winter Model and Toy Collectors Show Held in Tokyo on February 7, 2010
Author: Ed Godziszewski
Official Site: Wonder Festival
Owing to an accident in 2008 which occurred at the Tokyo Big Sight, former home of Wonder Festival, this biannual mega collectors event was canceled for the year 2009. But after securing a new venue at Makuhari Messe, WonderFest is back and bigger than ever.
Ed Godziszewski presents a look Winter WonderFest with nearly three dozen photos of the latest Godzilla, Gamera, and Ultraman collectibles coming from Japan. Continued…
Tsuburaya Productions is touting their latest special effects extravanganza, MEGA MONSTER BATTLE: ULTRA GALAXY (Daikaiju Battoru Urutora Ginga Densetsu The Movie, 2009), as a rebirth for both the company and it’s long-running Ultraman franchise. The producers of the movie wanted a dramatic, Hollywood-style score to complement the updated visuals so they turned to an American composer, Mike Verta.
Mike Verta knew he wanted to make movie music after seeing the original STAR WARS at age five. He moved to Los Angeles in 1990 to become a film composer, but soon expanded into visual effects work as well. He established his own post-production company and has provided music, FX, sound design, and editorial work on a wide range of productions.
MEGA MONSTER BATTLE: ULTRA GALAXY is Mike’s first soundtrack for a Japanese theatrical feature film. He recently spoke with SciFi Japan’s Steve Ryfle about his work on the film, his approach to movie music, and his crash course introduction to 40+ years of Ultraman history. Continued…
43 years from it’s creation, Ultraman has consistently remained a beloved character for three generations. This staple series is now reborn with the aim at an all new stage. After Tsuburaya Productions joined TYO Group, Japan’s leading film relations enterprise, their first new theatrical film MEGA MONSTER BATTLE: ULTRA GALAXY combines the top staff of the film world from Hollywood and Japan. Abolishing the miniature SFX used until now, all the SFX cuts are presented with digital composites of CG and live action characters, with the images of the Ultraman home world the “Land of Light” and other worlds at the end of the universe being fully realized. And with the images of this world and the speedy activity of the Ultra heroes who move around freely within it having been totally reformed, it’s not wrong for the generations who have witnessed the former ULTRA series to be amazed at this evolution. Continued…
Exclusive Photos From The Premiere Of The New Ultraman Movie
Author: Jim M. Ballard
Official Movie Site: Mega Monster Battle: Ultra Galaxy
The official premiere of the latest Ultraman movie MEGA MONSTER BATTLE: ULTRA GALAXY (Daikaiju Battoru Urutora Ginga Densetsu The Movie) was held today in Kawasaki.
Prior to the screening, a special Ultra hero stage show was held in an event space at the centre of the Lazona Plaza shopping mall, where up to 500 Ultraman masks were freely distributed to members of the audience.
The show started at 2.00pm with an introduction by Ultraman Dyna, star of the 1997 TV series of the same name, who also features prominently in the new movie. Continued…
SPOILER WARNING: This article contains plot details for a new movie.
Opening to cinemas nationwide in Japan on December 12th, MEGA MONSTER BATTLE: ULTRA GALAXY (Daikaiju Batoru Urutora Ginga Densetsu The Movie) is the latest installment in the Ultraman feature film series.
ULTRA GALAXY is the first Ultraman movie since Tsuburaya Productions was acquired by TYO Group at the end of 2007 (although released in September 2008, SUPERIOR ULTRAMAN 8 BROTHERS entered production under the studio’s original management).
Shifting away from the traditional Earth-bound setting, ULTRA GALAXY opens up the palette and moves the action into outer space and several different planets, primarily the home world of the Ultramen, the Land of Light, located in the nebula M-78.
The main antagonist of the movie is a former Ultra warrior named Ultraman Belial, who thousands of years ago revolted against his own people after attaining the power of the Reionyx, enabling him to control an army of 100 monsters through the use of a device called the Giga Battle Nizer. Only due to the arrival of the legendary Ultraman King was Belial finally imprisoned in a cell orbiting the Land of Light. Continued…
Cult Favorite Rankin/Bass-Tsuburaya Co-production Now Available
Author: Keith Aiken
Source: Warner Archive Collection
Special Thanks to Gabriel Vicuna, Garo Setian, and James Ballard
What secret lurks 20,000 feet below the waves in the paranormal realm called The Bermuda Triangle? That’s the question a scientist (Burl Ives), his student (Carl Weathers) and a young man (Leigh McCloskey) haunted by nightmarish memories of his Bermuda childhood ask themselves. The answer involves a beauty (Connie Sellecca) who has sold her soul for eternal youth, and a giant sea turtle that leaves death in its wake. Eerie and hypnotic, THE BERMUDA DEPTHS was produced by Arthur Rankin, Jr. and Jules Bass, who meld their imaginative fantasy style with the live-action horror genre. -synopsis courtesy of Warner Bros.
The 1978 cult classic THE BERMUDA DEPTHS— one of three movies produced by the American studio Rankin/Bass in association with Tsuburaya Productions in Japan— is now available on DVD from the Warner Archive Collection. Continued…
The popular TV series ULTRA GALAXY: MEGA MONSTER BATTLE will hit the big screen in Japan this year with MEGA MONSTER BATTLE: ULTRA GALAXY LEGENDS – THE MOVIE (Daikaiju Batoru Urutora Ginga Densetsu THE MOVIE).
For the new movie, Tsuburaya Productions have joined with world-famous distributor Warner Bros., with their eye on the global market. For its domestic Japanese release, the film is planned to open in December for the New Year movie season. Continued…
Following the success of ULTRA GALAXY: MEGA MONSTER BATTLE (Urutora Gyarakushii Daikaiju Batoru, 2007) and it’s sequel series ULTRA GALAXY: MEGA MONSTER BATTLE – NEVER ENDING ODYSSEY (Urutora Garakushii Daikaiju Batoru Nebaa Endingu Odessei, 2008), Tsuburaya Productions have drafted the Ultra Monsters to help keep the children of Japan in shape in a new series entitled MEGA MONSTER BATTLE: EXERCISE (Daikaiju Battoru Taisou)!
The new “fun, healthy exercise” TV series, due to air on Japan’s popular Family Gekijo channel next month, was announced in Tokyo on May 21. Actor Shouta Minami, who will be reprising his role as ZAP Spacy member Rei in the new series, appeared for the press with popular monsters Gomora and Miclas. Continued…
