Chinese Premier Complains About Japanese Series
Source: Variety, Sankaku Complex, Record China, various

China’s Premier Wen Jiabao complains that ULTRAMAN takes up too much of his
grandson’s and other children’s time.

Variety and other news sources have reported that audiences in China are tuning out the popular superhero ULTRAMAN and other Japanese television series. The boycott follows complaints from Communist Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao that his grandson spends too much time watching Japanese shows rather than domestic TV programming.

The controversy began with comments made by Wen during a visit to the south China studio Jiangtong Animation. “There are times when I watch TV anime with my grandchild,” he said “but all he ever watches are foreign works like ULTRAMAN and the like. He should watch more Chinese cartoons. We should be cultivating a domestic anime industry.”
Continued…

Contents of the Memorial Box ©2008 Superior Ultraman 8 Brothers Production Consortium. Photo by James Ballard

The latest Ultraman feature arrives on DVD and Blu-ray
Author: James Ballard
Official Website: http://ultra2008.jp

Released to theatres on September 13th last year, director Takeshi Yagi’s motion picture debut SUPERIOR ULTRAMAN 8 BROTHERS (Daikessen! Chou Urutora Hachi Kyoudai, lit. Great Decisive Battle! The Super 8 Ultra Brothers) has gone on to become the most successful entry in the Ultraman movie series, with a box office take of over 800 million yen.

Now, the hit film also has the distinction of being the first Japanese kaiju production to be released on the new Blu-ray Disc format. Three different editions were released on home video on January 23rd; a single disc DVD edition, a limited edition 2-disc “Memorial Box” DVD collection, and a single disc Blu-ray edition.
Continued…

Source: Uncooked Media Ltd. press release
Official Website: neomag.co.uk

Cover for NEO Magazine Issue 55, now on sale in Britain.
©2009 Uncooked Media Ltd.

Published by Uncooked Media Ltd., NEO is the UK’s only magazine dedicated to Japanese and Asian pop culture— specifically, anime, manga, Asian cult cinema and Japanese pop music (J-Pop). Although anime is covered in depth within every issue, NEO’s remit is to cover a wider range of material than you would find in an anime-only magazine.

The latest issue, NEO #55, went on sale this past Thursday, January 29th. Among the many featured articles is a look at Ultraman written by SciFi Japan’s own James Ballard. In 2007, James had a cameo in the series ULTRASEVEN X, and the NEO report details his experiences on the set of an Ultraman show.

NEO is available through traditional UK newsagents, larger stores like WHSmith, Martins, Borders and Spar, as well as the bigger branches of Virgin and HMV.
Continued…

The Man of a Thousand Dub Tracks
Author: Bob Johnson
Special Thanks to Keith Aiken and Aaron Cooper

Peter Fernandez as he appears today.

Peter Fernandez is probably one of the more famous of the many behind the scenes heroes that work hard so we can enjoy movies and television shows from other countries. Most people who have heard of him think about SPEED RACER when Peter’s name is mentioned. And why not? Peter was the producer, director and writer of the series, as well as the voices of Speed Racer and Racer X.

However, there is so much more to the man than just one series or two characters. Since the 1940s, Peter has been a child model, a Broadway and movie actor, and a key figure responsible for most of the dubbing for movies and shows we’ve all grown up watching from Japan, China, Italy, Mexico and other countries. In addition to SPEED RACER, his long list of voice credits includes GODZILLA VS THE SEA MONSTER, ASTROBOY, ULTRAMAN, THE SPACE GIANTS, SON OF GODZILLA, GIGANTOR, STAR BLAZERS, the Sergio Leone/Clint Eastwood spaghetti westerns… and even a “clean version” of George Romero’s DAY OF THE DEAD!

In this interview we tried to touch on all aspects of his life and work to give readers a better understanding of the remarkable career he has had. Even so, I feel we only managed to scratch the surface.
Continued…

Take a look back at sci-fi and fantasy film highs and lows of the past year!
MONSTER X STRIKES BACK © 2008 Guilal Production Committee. Photo courtesy of Shochiku Co., Ltd. G © 2008 G-Project and Gokan. Photo courtesy of
Kiyotaka Taguchi. SUPERIOR ULTRAMAN 8 BROTHERS © 2008 Super 8 Ultra Brothers Production Consortium. KING KONG VS GODZILLA and NEW PRODUCTION:
GO! GODMAN © Toho Co., Ltd. CLOVERFIELD © 2008 Paramount Pictures.

A Look Back at Asian Sci-Fi Throughout the Year
Author: Aaron Cooper
Special Thanks: The entire staff of SciFi Japan

2008 was intriguing in the landscape of Japanese science fiction and fantasy films. To some, it may have appeared very dry; to others it seemed a great boon of varied material. Big names like Godzilla and Gamera were mostly no-shows, but the slack appears to be taken up in a variety of outlets by a wide range of talent depending on your tastes.

The staff of SciFi Japan took another moment to ponder over the events of the past year, and attempted to come up with the most defining moments of 2008. You may agree or disagree but regardless, the year held moments for everyone whether you knew it or not!
Continued…

Koichi Takano (standing, center) supervises the filming of Gomora for ULTRAMAN Episode 26, “The Imperial Monster”, in 1966. The talented producer and special
effects director passed away in November. Photo courtesy of Tsuburaya Productions.© 1966 Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd.

Author: Bob Johnson and Brad Warner
Translations: Brad Warner
Special Thanks to James Ballard, Keith Aiken, Norman England, Shusuke Kaneko and Takeshi Yagi

Former Tsuburaya Productions managing director Koichi Takano passed away on November 30, 2008 at a hospital in the Tokyo metropolitan area at the age of 73 from emphysema.

Takano started as a cameraman at Toho on films like GODZILLA RAIDS AGAIN before being invited by Eiji Tsuburaya to join Tsuburaya Productions in 1963. He worked on ULTRA Q then became a Director of Special Effects on ULTRAMAN. Takano would have a hand in most of TPC’s shows up through ULTRAMAN COSMOS in 2002.

SciFi Japan remembers Koichi Takano with a biography and filmography plus rare behind the scenes photos of Takano at work on various Tsuburaya shows. We’re also honored to present personal messages from Takano’s friends and co-workers Brad Warner, Shusuke Kaneko (director of GMK and DEATH NOTE), and Takeshi Yagi (director of the new movie SUPERIOR ULTRAMAN 8 BROTHERS).
Continued…

A classic Toho daikaiju runs amuck in the dynamic photo
collage “Titanosaurus” by Bill’s Kitchen. Artwork © Bill
Gudmundson. Titanosaurus © Toho Co., Ltd.

Florida Gallery Host Exhibition of Japanese Monster Art
Source: ArtCenter/South Florida press release
Visit KAIJU MONSTER INVASION on MySpace

December 2, 2008 – January 4, 2009
ArtCenter/South Florida’s Richard Shack Gallery
800 Lincoln Road at Meridian Avenue, Miami Beach, FL
Admission is free!

ArtCenter/South Florida (“ACSF”) presents KAIJU MONSTER INVASION: MIAMI BEACH 2008, an exhibition featuring Japanese monster-inspired interpretations by renowned contemporary western and eastern artists.

The Japanese word Kaiju, which translates to “strange beast” or “monster”, first emerged in post-war Japan in the 1950s and 1960s. Now a half-century later, Lowbrow and Pop Surrealists including Coop, Ron English, Mark Nagata and Skot Olsen have been inspired by and amassed their very own collections of the famed vinyl monsters. The opening reception takes place on December 3, followed by an artists signing on December 5 and a kaiju-themed computer music concert on December 6.
Continued…

ULTRA GALAXY: MEGA MONSTER BATTLE – NEVER ENDING ODYSSEY
©2008 Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd / Bandai Co., Ltd

It’s a kaiju battle royale in the highly anticipated sequel series!
Author: James Ballard
Official Website: Daikaijyu.com

Toho may have retired their legendary monster star Godzilla in 2004, and the likelihood of a new Gamera movie may seem bleak following the monster’s 2006 outing, but giant monsters are still running amok on Japan’s airwaves.

The Ultra Galaxy franchise is a spin-off from Tsuburaya Productions’ popular Ultraman series, showcasing the show’s giant monsters rather than the Ultraman heroes. It began as an arcade game MEGA MONSTER BATTLE: ULTRA MONSTERS (Daikaiju Batoru Urutora Monsutaazu), which tied in with a series of monster trading cards featuring bar codes that could be read by the arcade machines.

The popularity of the video game and trading cards led to last year’s TV series ULTRA GALAXY: MEGA MONSTER BATTLE (Urutora Gyarakushii Daikaiju Batoru).

Now, the franchise will return to TV with the new series ULTRA GALAXY: MEGA MONSTER BATTLE – NEVER ENDING ODYSSEY (Urutora Garakushii Daikaiju Batoru Nebaa Endingu Odessei), which starts broadcasting from December 20th every Saturday at 7.00AM on Japan’s satellite station BS11.
Continued…

MIPCOM ad for TPC’s new
Visual Translation System.
© 2008 Tsuburaya Productions
Co., Ltd.

ULTRA GALAXY: MEGA MONSTER BATTLE is First Series Offered
Author: Keith Aiken
Source: Tsuburaya Productions

Last month, Tsuburaya Productions introduced a surprising new filming system that they hope will make their long-running Ultraman franchise more sellable to overseas markets. Dubbed the “Visual Translation System”, this new arrangement would allow foreign distributors to customize TPC shows to suit the country of export.

The Visual Translation System was unveiled at MIPCOM, an annual entertainment industry market and trade event held in Cannes, France. The 2008 MIPCOM took place from October 13-17 and featured 13,588 industry professionals from more than 100 countries. Tsuburuya Pro has routinely attended both MIPCOM and its sister event MIP-TV to help promote and export programs and films like ULTRAMAN MAX (Urutoraman Makkusu, 2005) and MIRROR MAN: REFLEX (Miraaman Rifurekkusu, 2006). But these shows have not received much interest from European and American buyers, and TPC believes the Visual Translation System may help in that regard.

In a recent statement, the company explained their plan: “Our shows attract fans from all over the world, but we feel we can do more. For many of the superhero programs dubbed in a foreign language and exported abroad, the impact of the original piece is diminished. This is often due to the main character being a foreigner. We realize that audiences overseas may not be familiar with the Japanese actors and actresses in our shows. We want our audience to have a stronger connection with the actors. In order to solve this issue, we’ve created the Visual Translation System.”
Continued…

Takeshi Yagi’s Official Website ©2008 Takeshi Yagi

Ultraman director launches English homepage
Author: James Ballard
Official Website: www.takeshi-yagi.com

Japanese director/producer Takeshi Yagi launched his official English language homepage today.

Yagi joined Tsuburaya Productions in the mid-1990s after graduating from Waseda University, where he began serving as an assistant director on popular shows such as ULTRAMAN TIGA (Urutoraman Tiga, 1996).

He quickly made his directorial debut with on an episode of the original video series MOONSPIRAL (Muunsupairaru, 1996), and followed this with his on-air debut directing an episode of ULTRAMAN GAIA (Urutoraman Gaia, 1998).
Continued…

Monsters, aliens, and weird phenomena abound in Tsuburaya Productions’ ULTRA Q: DARK FANTASY. ©2004 Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd./avex/SPEJ/I-ENT

The Ultimate Guide to the 2004 Revival of the Classic Sci-Fi Series
Author: James Ballard
Official Website: Ultra Q Dark Fantasy
Special Thanks to Brad Warner, Tsuburaya Productions

A SciFi JAPAN EXCLUSIVE

“I have a plan to air a brand-new ULTRA Q series, late night. This will be a pure horror show. Most Japanese horror films after THE RING prefer to describe the inner psychology of horror. ULTRA Q is ‘outdoor horror’…I’m thinking of making this into a thoroughly scary series.”-Tsuburaya Productions Vice President Akira Tsuburaya, July 2003

First broadcast on 2nd January 1966, ULTRA Q (Urutora Kyuu) was a landmark in Japanese television.

The series was the first work from Tsuburaya Productions, the production company founded by Eiji Tsuburaya, the master of special effects on Toho’s Godzilla film series. In a similar vein to the hit U.S. series THE OUTER LIMITS (1963), ULTRA Q would bring the audience a new mystery every week, frequently featuring aliens, monsters and other strange creatures. For the first time, the giant monsters that ruled the theatres could be convincingly brought to the small screen and into the homes of families around the country. Retroactively recognized as the first in the “Ultra Series”, ULTRA Q would directly lead on to the famous Ultraman series, which itself would pave the way for the super hero boom of the 1970s.

In 2004, ULTRA Q was revived as a new late-night television series entitled ULTRA Q: DARK FANTASY (Urutora Kyuu Daaku Fantajii). To bring the new vision to the screen Tsuburaya assembled an A-list production team including director Shusuke Kaneko, who revitalized the Gamera series in the 1990s; Shozo Uehara who wrote teleplays for the original ULTRA Q and many of the classic Ultraman series; Hiroshi Takahashi who wrote the popular RING (Ringu) film series; RING 0 (Ringu 0 Baasudei, 2000) director Norio Tsuruta, among many others.

Just in time for Halloween, SciFi Japan is pleased to present the first official English language episode guide for ULTRA Q: DARK FANTASY, written by James Ballard and approved by Tsuburaya Productions.
Continued…

Three different editions of GREAT DECISIVE BATTLE! THE SUPER 8 ULTRA BROTHERS ©2008 Bandai Visual

Two DVD editions and Blu-ray release for the latest Ultraman movie
Author: James Ballard
Source: Bandai Visual Press Release

On January 23rd 2009, the latest Ultraman feature GREAT DECISIVE BATTLE! THE SUPER 8 ULTRA BROTHERS (Daikessen! Chou Urutora Hachi Kyoudai, 2008) will be released on DVD and Blu-ray disc in Japan.

The single disc DVD and Blu-ray editions will carry the same content and features. As the first Ultraman movie to be shot entirely in HD, it will take full advantage of the Blu-ray format. It will be the first Blu-ray release for both the Ultraman series and the Japanese kaiju genre.

There will also be a 2-disc “Memorial Box” DVD set similar the previous movie, which aside from the extra disc of bonus features will once again include replica screenplay and storyboards, as well as 3D glasses for a short 3D Ultra featurette. The box set design also features Tsuburaya Productions’ unwieldly English title for the film; SUPERIOR ULTRAMAN 8 BROTHERS.
Continued…

Ultraman Mebius, Ultraman Gaia, Ultraman Dyna, Ultraman Tiga, Ultraman, Ultra Seven, Ultraman Jack, and Ultraman Ace join forces in the new movie.
©2008 GREAT DECISIVE BATTLE! THE SUPER 8 ULTRA BROTHERS Production Consortium

Author: James Ballard
Official Website: Great Decisive Battle! The Super 8 Ultra Brothers

Early promotional design for GREAT DECISIVE BATTLE! THE SUPER 8 ULTRA BROTHERS.
©2008 GREAT DECISIVE BATTLE! THE SUPER 8 ULTRA BROTHERS Production Consortium

It’s Saturday morning on September 13th, and despite a late night out I’ve woken up unusually early, as today is the premiere of the latest Ultraman feature, entitled GREAT DECISIVE BATTLE! THE SUPER 8 ULTRA BROTHERS (Daikessen! Chou Urutora Hachi Kyoudai).

I’m looking forward to seeing my second Ultraman movie in Japan, following 2006′s ULTRAMAN MEBIUS & ULTRAMAN BROTHERS (Urutoraman Mebiusu & Urutora Kyoudai).

After kicking off with a bowl of pork udon in Ueno, I make the ride over to Shinjuku station, where I meet the film’s director Takeshi Yagi just before 8:00am. I first met Yagi through my good friend Norman England almost two years ago, and in that time he has simply been one of the nicest and most generous people I’ve had the pleasure to be acquainted with.

Although he has had a long association with Ultraman — working as a director, FX director, producer and series organizer on many of the TV shows over the past decade — this film is his first theatrical feature. Although almost unheard of in the Godzilla series, he took on the dual role of both Director & Director of Special Effects as normal for the Ultraman movies.
Continued…

Advertisement for the Yokohama Ultraman Exhibit
running through October. ©2008 GREAT DECISIVE BATTLE!
THE SUPER 8 ULTRA BROTHERS Production Committee
/Yokohama Doll Museum

Author: James Ballard
Official Website: Yokohama Doll Museum
Official Movie Website: Decisive Battle! The Super 8 Ultra Brothers

A SciFi JAPAN EXCLUSIVE

With Yokohama as the setting for the latest Ultraman feature film, the Yokohama Doll Museum is currently running a special – albeit very small – exhibition entitled “Great Decisive Battle! The Super 8 Ultra Brothers in the Yokohama Doll Museum”. The event will be open every day from 6:00-18:30 until October 13th.

Most of the items on display come from the latest film GREAT DECISIVE BATTLE! THE SUPER 8 ULTRA BROTHERS (Daikessen! Chou Urutora Hachi Kyoudai) which opened in theatres nationwide in Japan on September 13th.

SciFi Japan takes a look at “Great Decisive Battle! The Super 8 Ultra Brothers in the Yokohama Doll Museum” with information on the exhibit and exclusive photos by James Ballard.
Continued…

Down goes Take-Majin! Guilala gets the better of his MONSTER X STRIKES BACK/ ATTACK THE G8 SUMMIT foe in a mock battle held at the World Characters Convention.
Photo courtesy of Daisuke Ishizuka. Guilala and Take-majin © 2008 Guilala Production Committee

Author: Daisuke Ishizuka

The 23rd World Characters Convention was held at Tokyo Big Sight on July 20- 21. SciFi Japan correspondent Daisuke Ishizuka has sent a report and photos of this past weekend’s events…

I rarely attend conventions because I am not much interested in purchasing expensive toys. However, I attended the World Characters Convention on July 20 even though most of the convention floor was taken up by dealers. I had two purposes; first, this was chance to see in person the Guilala suit from the new movie MONSTER X STRIKES BACK/ ATTACK THE G8 SUMMIT!. Another was to get Mr. Koji Moritsugu’s new CD.
Continued…

Eight warriors and two generations of Ultra heroes unite! ©2008 DECISIVE BATTLE! THE SUPER 8 ULTRA BROTHERS Production Committee

Advance ticket sales exceed 55,000
Author: James Ballard
Sources: Variety Japan, Eiga.com, Barks, Sanspo
Official Website: Decisive Battle! The Super 8 Ultra Brothers

Advance ticket sales for the upcoming theatrical feature DECISIVE BATTLE! THE SUPER 8 ULTRA BROTHERS (Daikessen! Chou Hachi Urutora Kyoudai), which went on sale on April 26th, have already surpassed 55,000, Variety Japan reports. The Cine Libre theatre in Tokyo’s Ikebukuro district has sold more than 3,000 tickets alone.

©2008 DECISIVE BATTLE! THE SUPER 8 ULTRA BROTHERS Production Committee

The movie, which isn’t due to be released for another three months, will unite eight warriors and two generations of Ultra heroes.

Set and filmed in Yokohama, the movie will also commemorate the 150th Anniversary of the Opening of the Port of Yokohama. Production of the movie was officially supported by the City of Yokohama, with Mayor Hiroshi Nakada also putting in an appearance as himself. Featuring famous locations such as the Yokohama Chinatown and Motomachi Shopping Street, the city provides a prime location for the film’s grand battle scenes.
Continued…

©2000 Toho Co., Ltd

A Look at This Year’s WonderFest!
Author: Ed Godziszewski

Sunday February 24 marked the semi-annual ritual of collecting avarice and odd behavior in Japan known as Wonder Festival. Held at the massive Tokyo Big Sight on the artificial island of Odaiba in Tokyo Bay (think of the conclusion of GODZILLA VS. DESTROYER), WonderFest is akin to a pilgrimage of fans of all types. On this cold and extremely windy day (with sustained gusts over 40mph), 30,000+ people jammed the huge convention center for shopping, socializing, costume play (i.e. cosplay), and ogling new and upcoming toys and models from small and large companies alike. To judge how serious people are about this event, one need look no further than the entrance line, which 15 minutes prior to opening stretched from the Big Sight doors out to the local monorail station and all the way down the line to the previous station!

Ed Godziszewski presents an on-site report from this year’s WonderFest!
Continued…

A gallery of monsters from ULTRA Q and ULTRAMAN greet attendees of “Ultraman Exhibition–Operation Roppongi Sky” in Tokyo.
Photo courtesy of Ed Godziszewski. © 2007 Tsuburaya Productions/ Mori Building Co., Ltd.

Japanese Exhibit Devoted to ULTRA Q, ULTRAMAN and ULTRA SEVEN
Author: Ed Godziszewski

Ticket for the exhibition. © 2007 Tsuburaya Productions/ Mori Building Co., Ltd.

In celebration of the 40th anniversary of the classic science fiction Ultraman series, a series of special Ultraman-themed exhibitions have taken place throughout Japan since early 2006. As a finale for this series of events, “Ultraman Exhibition–Operation Roppongi Sky” (Urutoraman Dai Hakurankai: Roppongi Tenku Daisakusen) opened on December 6, 2007 at the Mori Arts Center Gallery located on the 52nd floor of the Roppongi Hills Mori Tower in the center of Tokyo. An exhibition of original props, artwork, and memorabilia from the first three Ultra series, many of which have are being shown to the public for the very first time, this display runs through January 20 of 2008.
Continued…

Cover for the new book Eiji Tsuburaya: Master of Monsters.
© 2007 Tsuburaya Productions/ Chronicle Books LLC

Author: Richard Pusateri
Source: Chronicle Books
Special thanks to Brad Warner and Ed Godziszewski

North American fans of Japanese science fiction, horror and fantasy movies received a wonderful gift in late 2007. The first English language book detailing the life and work of Eiji Tsuburaya has arrived. Eiji Tsuburaya: Master of Monsters, produced with the cooperation of Tsuburaya Productions and Toho Company Ltd., has photographs from the best sources and text by August Ragone, perhaps the most knowledgeable American on the subject of Japanese fantasy movies and television. Brad Warner, of Tsuburaya Productions Los Angeles office, is the “hidden hand” that shaped, edited and guided this book to completion. Other contributors are John Paul Cassidy, Norman England, Ed Godziszewski, Mark Nagata, Shogo Tomiyama, Akira Tsuburaya and the late Guy Mariner Tucker.
Continued…

©2007 Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd. /
Ultraseven X Project

Your Guide To Ultra Seven’s 40 Anniversary Series!
Author: James Ballard
Official Website: Ultraseven X
Special Thanks to Keith Aiken, Jared Foust, Ed Godziszewski, Takeshi Yagi

Last year saw the 40th anniversary of the original ULTRAMAN (Urutoraman, 1966), and with it the new television series ULTRAMAN MEBIUS (Urutoraman Mebiusu, 2006) and its accompanying theatrical adaptation ULTRAMAN MEBIUS & ULTRAMAN BROTHERS (Urutoraman Mebiusu ando Urutora Kyoudai, 2006). Following up this year, Tsuburaya Productions began their celebrations for the 40th anniversary of ULTRA SEVEN (Urutorasebun, 1967), which is still viewed by many as the apex of the Ultra series.

Join SciFi Japan as we look back on one of this year’s freshest sci-fi series from Japan!
Continued…

The modern wave of Ultramen are the focus of the new
Japanese DVD ULTRAMAN HISTORY: THE SILVER CHAPTER.
© 2007 Tsuburaya Productions / Bandai Visual

New Japanese DVD Featuring Heisei Ultraman Retrospective
Author: James Ballard

ULTRAMAN HISTORY: THE SILVER CHAPTER (Urutoraman Hisutorii Gin-no Shou) is a new made-for-DVD compilation of action footage from the Ultraman television series and theatrical films produced in the 10-year period from 1996 to 2006.

Along with the CLIMAX STORIES which will be released from December 2007 to February 2008, ULTRAMAN HISTORY: THE SILVER CHAPTER helps introduce new and/or very young fans to the Ultraman characters of the post-1990s, in preperation for 2008′s feature film DECISIVE BATTLE! THE SUPER 8 ULTRA BROTHERS (Daikessen! Chou Hachi Urutora Kyoudai) which will bring together the classic heroes of the 1960/70s and the modern heroes of the 1990s for the first time.
Continued…

Direct-to-DVD digests of the Heisei Ultraman series
Author: James Ballard

Covers for Mebius, Tiga, Dyna and Gaia Climax Stories
©2007 Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd. / Bandai Visual

Beginning next month in Japan, Tsuburaya Productions and Bandai Visual will be releasing re-edited, direct-to-DVD episodes of the Heisei Ultraman TV series; ULTRAMAN TIGA (Urutoraman Tiga, 1996), ULTRAMAN DYNA (Urutoraman Daina, 1997), ULTRAMAN GAIA (Urutoraman Gaia, 1998), ULTRAMAN COSMOS (Urutoraman Kosumosu, 2001), ULTRAMAN NEXUS (Urutoraman Nekusasu, 2004), ULTRAMAN MAX (Urutoraman Makkusu, 2005) and ULTRAMAN MEBIUS (Urutoraman Mebiusu, 2006).

Being released under the banner of “Climax Stories”, these one-hour specials re-tell the highlights of each series, each carefully guided by veteran Ultraman directors. While the Climax Stories will contain no new footage, the intent is to introduce new fans to each series, showing the first and last appearance of the Ultra heroes, and all their adventures along the way. As the initial description for the ULTRAMAN MEBIUS release reads, “even for beginners, if you see this you will understand all of Ultraman Mebius.”

All the discs are Region 2 (Japan/Europe) and are Japanese language only (they contain no English subtitles or audio tracks.) The standard retail price is 2,940 Yen each (approx US$25), although they can be found cheaper from online retailers.
Continued…

Box cover art for a pair of the 80s Bandai “if” Series of wargames, Mothra vs. Godzilla and Ultraman. © Bandai Co., Ltd./Toho Co., Ltd./Tsuburaya Productions

A Look Back at the Bandai “if” Series of SF/F Board Games
Author: Robert Saint John

On the eve of the release of Atari’s Godzilla Unleashed videogame, it’s interesting to take a rare look back at the grandfather of daikaiju simulations. No, not 1989′s Godzilla – Monster of Monsters! for the Nintendo Entertainment System. Not even the first Godzilla videogame for the Commodore 64 from 1983. Before videogames, there were boardgames, and the King of the Monsters had his place among them as well.

Many are familiar with the vintage children’s Godzilla boardgames release in the U.S. in the 60s and 70s by Ideal and Mattel, respectively. During this period, though, another type of game was becoming increasingly popular — both here and in Japan — known as the conflict simulation or, simply, the wargame. In comparison to the more traditional family boardgame, wargames are generally much more complex as they try to accurately simulate aspects of command and control, weaponry, terrain effects, the fog of war and so on, and the most popular are historical in nature. Wargame scale can range from tactical man-to-man combat to global (or even interplanetary!) strategic conflict. The games are generally long — hours or even weeks — and the rulebooks often longer, all depending on the depth of complexity and simulation.
Continued…

Source: Los Angeles Toy, Doll, and Amusements Museum

BEYOND ULTRAMAN: SEVEN ARTISTS EXPLORE THE VINYL FRONTIER
Pasadena Museum of California Art (PMCA)
October 10, 2007 – January 6, 2008 (Wednesday – Sunday: 12:00 – 5:00 pm)
ADMISSION $6.00 for Adults, $4.00 for Seniors and Students

Beginning this week, the Pasadena Museum of California Art hosts an exhibition
of artist-designed vinyl toys. © 2007 Los Angeles Toy, Doll, and Amusements
Museum

The first museum show to examine the current wave of artist-designed vinyl toys and the Japanese toys that inspired them, BEYOND ULTRAMAN is a joint exhibition between the Pasadena Museum of California Art and the Los Angeles Toy, Doll, and Amusements Museum (LATDA).

Featuring the work of Gary Baseman, Tim Biskup, David Gonzales, David Horvath, Sun-Min Kim, Brian McCarty, and Mark Nagata, the exhibit also includes a historic timeline of the vinyl toy movement, and a look at the process of vinyl toy creation from sketch to finished product. The accompanying full-color catalog published by Baby Tattoo features essays by writer Ivan Vartanian and Maria Kwong of LATDA.

Pasadena Museum of California Art (PMCA)
490 East Union Street
Pasadena, CA 91101
626-568-3665

For more information and artist biographies, please visit the BEYOND ULTRAMAN page on the LATDA website.

Media Group Takes Controlling Interest in Ultraman Company
Source: JCN Network, Japan Today, various
Official Site: TYO Group
Special Thanks to Oki Miyano

© Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd.

Tsuburaya Productions, the studio behind the long-running Ultraman franchise, will soon become a subsidiary of the Japanese media group TYO Inc. On September 12, TYO announced that they will acquire a 68% stake in TPC and an 80% share in parent company Tsuburaya Enterprises Co. for Y80 million.

Founded in 1963 by special effects legend Eiji Tsuburaya, Tsuburaya Productions created the incredibly popular series ULTRA Q (Urutora Kyu, 1966), ULTRAMAN (Urutoraman, 1966), and ULTRA SEVEN (Urutora Sebun, 1967). The company’s latest projects have included ULTRAMAN MEBIUS (Urutoraman Mebiusu, 2006) and the upcoming TV shows ULTRASEVEN X (Urutorasebun Ekkusu) and ULTRA GALAXY: GIANT MONSTER BATTLE (Urutora Gyarakushii Daikaiju Batoru).
Continued…

The main characters for Tsuburaya’s new late night series ULTRASEVEN X. © 2007 Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd./Ultraseven X Project

Something X-tra for Ultra Seven’s Anniversary
Author: Bob Johnson, James Ballard, and Oki Miyano
Source: Sponichi Annex, Hyper Hobby Magazine, Oricon Style, various
Official Site: UltrasevenX
Translations by: Oki Miyano and James Ballard

As Tsuburaya Productions ends a year of celebrating the 40th anniversary of Ultraman, they turn their Ultra-Eyes to another commemoration. Next month begins the 40th anniversary of one of their most critically celebrated characters, Ultra Seven. To mark the occasion, Ultra Seven will be returning to the airwaves this fall in an all-new series, ULTRASEVEN X. The series will debut the first week of October on three Japanese networks. The show starts on TBS (Tokyo Broadcasting System) at 2:25am and on the high-definition service CBC (Chubu-Nippon Broadcasting) from 2:15am on Friday, October 5th, followed by MBS (Mainichi Broadcasting System) on Saturday, October 6th at 3:25am. There will be 12 episodes in all.
Continued…

ULTRA GALAXY’s space survery team ZAP SPACY ready for action!
From left: Kumano, Captain Hyuuga, Rei, Haruna and Oki, with the
monster Gomora looming in the background. © 2007 Tsuburaya
Productions Co., Ltd./Bandai

Another new Ultra series in the works!
Author: James Ballard
Source: Terebi-Kun, Hyper Hobby

With Tsuburaya Productions’ first late-night Ultra hero series ULTRASEVEN X (Urutorasebun Ekkusu) premiering on October 5th for a 12-week run, the company has already announced the next Ultra show. ULTRASEVEN X will be followed with a new TV series, ULTRA GALAXY: GIANT MONSTER BATTLE (Urutora Gyarakushii Daikaiju Batoru), a spin-off of the popular video game GIANT MONSTER BATTLE.

The announcement in Terebi-Kun reads:

GIANT MONSTER BATTLE will become a TV series of great power! Using the Battle-nizer, with the ability to freely manipulate the giant monsters, a grand adventure unfolds for the man of mystery Rei and the companions of the space survey team ZAP SPACY!

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The heck with Oscars… the design of the
2007 Hugo Award stars Ultraman! Hugo
Awards © 2007 World Science Fiction
Society. Ultraman is © 1966 Tsuburaya
Productions Co., Ltd.

Source: Nippon 2007
Official Site: The Hugo Awards
Special Thanks to David Chapple

The 65th World Science Fiction Convention (Worldcon) took place this past weekend in Yokohama, Japan. Dubbed Nippon 2007, the event marked the first Worldcon ever held in that country. The guest of honor was Sakyo Komatsu, the acclaimed science fiction author whose works include the novels Japan Sinks (made into the hit movies SUBMERSION OF JAPAN and SINKING OF JAPAN) and Sayonara Jupiter (made into a less successful film by Toho in 1984).

Since 1955, each Worldcon has included the annual Hugo Awards ceremony for science fiction’s most prestigious prize. The design for the Hugo Award changes every year, and with the 2007 Worldcon taking place in Japan, the awards handed out on August 31 featured Japan’s greatest hero, Ultraman. This is the first time a Hugo Award has featured a character or image in addition to the prerequisite rocket ship.
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Logo for the new late-night television series ULTRASEVEN X. ©2007 Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd./Ultraseven X Project

New Ultra Seven 40th Anniversary Show now in Production
Author: James Ballard

Following from the immense success of ULTRAMAN (Urutoraman, 1966), Eiji Tsuburaya’s next creation, ULTRA SEVEN (Urutorasebun), made its first appearance on October 1st 1967. In Japan Ultra Seven’s popularity has continued to thrive, and for many fans it is viewed as the apex of Tsuburaya Production’s Ultra Series, surpassing even the original ULTRAMAN.

This continued devotion subsequently led to the return of the character in original video spin-offs such as ULTRA SEVEN 1999 (Urutorasebun 1999 Saishuushou 6 Busaku, 1999) and ULTRA SEVEN EVOLUTION (Urutorasebun Tanjou 35 Shuunen Eboryuushon 5 Busaku, 2002), as well as the new character Ultra Seven 21 (pronounced “two-one”) in ULTRAMAN NEOS (Urutoraman Neosu, 2000). Ultra Seven’s most recent appearance was made in the television series ULTRAMAN MEBIUS (Urutoraman Mebiusu, 2006) and its accompanying theatrical film ULTRAMAN MEBIUS & ULTRAMAN BROTHERS (Urutoraman Mebiusu & Urutora Kyoudai, 2006.)

This year, in celebration of the character’s 40th anniversary, Tsuburaya Productions are set to return Ultra Seven to the small screen in an all-new series of television adventures entitled ULTRASEVEN X (Urutorasebun Ekkusu, 2007).
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Shinji Nakae was the narrator for the early Kamen Rider shows, beginning with the original MASKED RIDER up to the 1983 TV special
NO. 10 IS BORN! ALL MASKED RIDERS UNITE!! © 1983 Toei Co., Ltd.

Author: John Paul Cassidy
Special Thanks to James Ballard

Shinji Nakae: 1935-2007

On the afternoon of June 28, voice actor Shinji Nakae died of liver cancer in Tokyo at the age of 72. Nakae was at a social welfare hospital in Koganeishi City in Metropolitan Tokyo at the time of his death.

Born Yoshitaka Satou on April 20th, 1935 in Tokyo, Nakae belonged to the company Aoni Productions. As a voice actor, he was well known to audiences as one of Japan’s most enduring TV and movie announcers.

Fans of tokusatsu fantasy will best remember him as the narrator of Toei Co., Ltd’s Masked Rider shows. He narrated MASKED RIDER (Kamen Raidaa, 1971), MASKED RIDER V3 (Kamen Raidaa Buisuri, 1973), MASKED RIDER X (Kamen Raidaa Ekkusu, 1974), MASKED RIDER STRONGER (Kamen Raidaa Sutoronga, 1975), (NEW) MASKED RIDER (Kamen Raidaa, a.k.a. SKY-RIDER, 1979) and MASKED RIDER SUPER-1 (Kamen Raidaa Supa Wan, 1981), as well as the 1983 Masked Rider team-up special NO. 10 IS BORN! ALL MASKED RIDERS UNITE!! (Jugo Tanjo! Kamen Raidaa Zenin Shugo!!), which not only featured the then-latest Rider, Masked Rider ZX (pronounced “Z-Cross”), but is considered by some fans to be the swan song for the classic Masked Rider series. He also narrated MASKED NORIDA (Kamen Norida), a 1988 parody of MASKED RIDER by the TV comedy troupe The Tonnels.
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