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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Japanese poster for SIX ULTRA BROTHERS VS THE
MONSTER ARMY, one of two films co-produced by
Tsuburaya Pro and Chaiyo. © 1974 Tsuburaya
Productions Co., Ltd./Chaiyo Productions Co., Ltd.

Court Rules against Thailand’s Chaiyo Productions in Ultraman Case
Author: Keith Aiken and Bob Johnson
Source: Yahoo! Japan, The Nation, Yale Global, Asahi, Asiaweek, Ushiki International Patent Office, Bangkok Post, various
Special thanks to Oki Miyano, James Ballard, and John Cassidy

On June 14, Sampote Thianthong of Pro-Link, the official licensing agent for Ultraman in Thailand, announced that Thai department stores and retailers can no longer display or sell Ultraman products licensed by Chaiyo Productions Co., Ltd. The news comes in the wake of an International Property Court ruling in favor of Ultraman’s creators and owner, Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd. of Japan (TPC), and marks the latest in a string of defeats for the Thai company Chaiyo and its chairman Sompote Saengduenchai, who has long claimed exclusive worldwide rights outside of Japan to all Ultraman characters and trademarks.

Unbeknownst to many Ultraman fans around the world, for more than a decade Tsuburaya Productions and Chaiyo Productions have been waging a legal battle over the rights to several of TPC’s classic programs and characters. The case has been heard in courtrooms in Japan, China, and Thailand, with the results determining how Ultraman and related Tsuburaya properties will be licensed, marketed, and distributed outside of Japan.
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ULTRAMAN MAX was a return to basics after Tsuburaya’s experimental Ultra N Project the year before. All photos © 2005 Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd./CBC

Author: Brad Warner, Tsuburaya Productions
Introduction by: Bob Johnson
Special Thanks to James Ballard and Oki Miyano

A SciFi JAPAN EXCLUSIVE

After trying an entirely new approach to the Ultra series with their ambitious Ultra N Project in 2004, Tsuburaya Productions decided to go back to basics and back to the Nebula M78 universe with their follow-up series, ULTRAMAN MAX (Urutoraman Makkusu, 2005). After the dark and serious style utilized for both the feature film ULTRAMAN: THE NEXT (Urutoraman) and the television series ULTRAMAN NEXUS (Urutoraman Nekusasu), TPC took a more light-hearted, bright and colorful slant with MAX.

Join us now for a look back as Tsuburaya Productions’ Brad Warner relives the adventures of Max and Team DASH in this exclusive Official ULTRAMAN MAX Episode Guide!
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Shinsuke Achiha with Yuriko Hishimi in ULTRA SEVEN.
© 1967 Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd.

ULTRA SEVEN actor takes own life
Author: Oki Miyano with Keith Aiken
Source: Sponichi Annex

Former actor Shinsuke Achiha has died of an apparent suicide. He was 67 years old.

In 1967, Achiha starred in Tsuburaya Productions’ classic television series ULTRA SEVEN (Urutora Sebun). He played Soga, the expert marksman of the Ultra Garrison who each week fought alongside Ultra Seven and his alter ego Dan Moroboshi (Koji Moritsugu).
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Contents of the special Memorial Box edition of ULTRAMAN MEBIUS & ULTRAMAN BROTHERS. © 2006 Tsuburaya Productions

New DVD Collectors Set With A Few Surprises
Author: James Ballard
Official Website: Ultraman-Movie.com

Last summer’s hit movie ULTRAMAN MEBIUS & ULTRAMAN BROTHERS (Urutoraman Mebiusu & Urutora Kyoudai, 2006) from Tsuburaya Productions was released on DVD in Japan on January 26th. Available alongside the regular one-disc issue of the film is this rather special two-disc Memorial Box.
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The Classic Tsuburaya Pro Series is Back after 38 Years
Author: Keith Aiken
Source: Tsuburaya Productions, NHK
Translations and Additional Material by: Oki Miyano and James Ballard

Promotional art for the 2003 DVD release of the original OPERATION: MYSTERY.
© 1968 Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd.

In a 2003 interview with NewType: The Live, then-Tsuburaya Productions vice president Akira Tsuburaya revealed that the company was planning new versions of many of their classic television shows. The following year, the legendary 1966 series ULTRA Q (Urutora Q) was revived as the radio drama THE ULTRA Q CLUB (Urutora Kyu Club) and the 26 episode late-night program ULTRA Q: DARK FANTASY (Urutora Kyu: Dakku Fuantaji). In 2006, the three-part video series MIRROR MAN: REFLEX (Miraaman Reflex) updated the super-hero show MIRROR MAN (Miraaman, 1971). Now Tsuburaya Pro has announced that OPERATION: MYSTERY (Kaiki Daisakusen, 1968) will return as the HDTV series OPERATION: MYSTERY- SECOND FILE.
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ULTRAMAN actress Hiroko Sakurai offers a tribute to her longtime friend and director
Author: Hiroko Sakurai
Intro: Keith Aiken
Translation: Oki Miyano
Special Thanks to Miki Mochizuki of Tsuburaya Productions

• A look at the career of Akio Jissoji

Hiroko Sakurai in an ULTRAMAN episode directed by Akio Jissoji.
© 1966 Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd.

A SciFi JAPAN EXCLUSIVE

Actress Hiroko Sakurai is known to fans around the world as Science Patrol member Akiko Fuji in the original ULTRAMAN (Urutoraman, 1966). She first worked with Akio Jissoji when the director helmed several episodes of that classic series. The following year, Ms. Sakurai returned as a guest star when Jissoji directed episode #12 of the follow-up series ULTRA SEVEN (Urutora Sebun), “From Another Planet With Love” (Yusei Yori Ai-o Komete, US title “Crystalized Corpuscles”).

On November 29, Aki Jissoji died from complications related to stomach cancer. Ms. Sakurai has kindly offered to share her thoughts and feelings on his passing with SciFi Japan, and we are honored to present her message to an English-speaking audience.
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Tsuburaya Reimagines an Old Hero
Author: Bob Johnson
Source: Tsuburaya Productions

The new hero of MIRROR MAN: REFLEX. ©2006 Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd.

“On the other side of the mirror is the Hidden World (Kakuriyo). Lurking in the Hidden World are the Viscous Spirits (Jasen) who try to take over the souls and bodies of the Manifest Realm (Utsushiyo).” Not only are these the words and warnings of Akira Kageyama, a.k.a. Mirror Man, broadcast through his internet streamed radio station, but also the concept behind director Kazuyo Konaka’s MIRROR MAN: REFLEX.

MIRROR MAN REFLEX is a remake or retelling of the original MIRROR MAN television series, which aired back in 1971 from Tsuburaya Productions. However, this Mirror Man is very different from his predecessor!
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Akio Jissoji’s distinctive visual style highlighted many episodes of Tsuburaya shows such as the original ULTRAMAN. © 1966 Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd.

Akio Jissoji: 1937-2006
Author: Keith Aiken with Bob Johnson
Source: Tsuburaya Productions, Midnight Eye, Udine Far East Film, various
Translations and Additional Material by: Oki Miyano
Special Thanks to Hiroko Sakurai, Brad Warner, and David Chapple

Filmmaker Akio Jissoji: 1937-2006

At 11:45pm on November 29, director Akio Jissoji died from complications related to stomach cancer at the University of Tokyo Hospital. At his bedside were his wife (actress Chisako Hara), his daughter, and friends and co-workers from his many productions.

Jissoji is known in Japan for his award-winning experimental movies from the 1970s, but is most familiar to worldwide audiences for his work on Tsuburaya Productions’ popular ULTRAMAN (Urutoraman, 1966) and ULTRA SEVEN (Urutora Sebun, 1967). While episodic television generally has a consistent look and tone, Jissoji’s episodes always stood out for their moody lighting, off-beat camera angles and movement, and strong, character-driven stories.
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A look at the 40th anniversary Ultraman movie
Author: James Ballard
Official Site: Ultraman Mebius & Ultraman Brothers

Theatrical poster design for ULTRAMAN MEBIUS &
ULTRAMAN BROTHERS. ©2006 Tsuburaya Productions

In celebration of the Ultraman series’ 40th anniversary, Tsuburaya Productions have taken us back to the original (albeit loose) continuity of the original shows, following the story from ULTRAMAN thru ULTRAMAN 80 (Urutoraman 80, 1980). The latest television series ULTRAMAN MEBIUS (Uruotraman Mebiusu, 2006), currently airing at 5:30pm Saturdays on the CBC network in Japan, begins in a world that has been at peace from giant monsters for 25 years, since the departure of Ultraman 80 in 1981. However, with a new era on monsters on planet Earth approaching, the Father of Ultra sends the rookie Ultraman Mebius as the planet’s new protector.

Coinciding with the new television series was the latest theatrical feature, ULTRAMAN MEBIUS & ULTRAMAN BROTHERS (Urutoraman Mebiusu & Urutora Kyoudai, 2006), which opened to screens nationwide in Japan on September 16th.

The film opened at #3 in the Japanese box office, the best ranking domestic film, behind X-MEN: THE LAST STAND (2006) and THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS: TOKYO DRIFT (2006) at #1 and #2 respectively. While a highly uneven film in many aspects, if nothing else ULTRAMAN MEBIUS & ULTRAMAN BROTHERS succeeds in being an entertaining film that successfully reestablishes the story of the original Ultra brothers, and comes across as a much more honest anniversary film than both GODZILLA: FINAL WARS and GAMERA THE BRAVE.
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Tsuburaya Productions Takes on Chaiyo in China!
Author: Bob Johnson

Original Thai Poster for SIX ULTRA BROTHERS VS. THE MONSTER ARMY.
© 1974 Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd.

In the on-going litigation between Tsuburaya Productions of Japan and Chaiyo Productions of Thailand, a new lawsuit has been filed in Chinese court. This is the latest court case involving the companies’ dispute over rights to ULTRA Q, ULTRAMAN, ULTRA SEVEN, RETURN OF ULTRAMAN, ULTRAMAN ACE, ULTRAMAN TARO and JUMBORG ACE. Also included are the two films, SIX ULTRA BROTHERS VS. THE MONSTER ARMY and JUMBORG ACE AND GIANT.
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The movie lineup for the Egyptian Theatre’s “Giant Monsters On the Loose” festival.
GAMERA THE BRAVE and GREAT YOKAI WAR © 2005-06 Kadokawa Pictures, Inc., NEGADON: THE MONSTER FROM MARS © 2005 Jun Awazu/CoMix Wave,
Godzilla films © 1954-2001 Toho Co., Ltd., MIRROR MAN: REFLEX and ULTRAMAN MAX © 2005-06 Tsuburaya Productions

The American Cinematheque presents “Giant Monsters On The Loose”, their third annual Japanese giant monsters film festival at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood, CA. Complete details are available here.

Author: James Ballard

Nexus was just one of several new Ultramen introduced as
part of Tsuburaya Pro’s big relaunch of the Ultraman
franchise. ©2004 Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd.

As Ultraman celebrates his 40th anniversary this year, James Ballard of Tokyo Monsters takes a look back at another recent milestone for Japan’s greatest hero. 2004 saw a major revamp and relaunch of the Ultraman franchise, resulting in a new approach, an acclaimed film, and a multitude of new Ultra heroes and villains.
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Author: Bob Johnson

The newest TPC series, ULTRAMAN MAX battles his way throughout the world!
Photo courtesy of Tsuburaya Pro. ©2006 Tsuburaya Productions Co., ltd.

2006 is the year of ULTRAMAN! This year Tsuburaya Productions will be celebrating 40 years of Ultraman! The first step in the yearlong celebration is an appearance at MIPTV in France next month. MIPTV is taking place on April 3-7 in Cannes, France. SciFi Japan previews that trip!
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