Ultraman is in stores [Archive]

Timothy2035

07-19-2006, 11:31 PM

I was at Super Wal-Mart this evening getting some food and fish filters for my new huge tank I bought last month. The awesome 55 gallon. :D Well I was in the movie department. Contemplating if I would pick up the Disney Mighty Joe Young DVD again (I sold it once before at Gamestop on credit for a game like 2 years ago). I went down another isle to see if maybe I would pick up an anime title like Appleseed or something else (as Wal-Mart is starting to get in more anime titles now).

On one particular isle I saw in the display case the Ultraman Collection set. It was selling for almost $30.00 . The front art looks nice as its an embossed design of Ultraman and is not all flat paper material. I asked a store associate if I could see the back of the DVD, but I wasn't buying it. Of course she was like, if I open the case you should buy it. We don't open the cases just to let you look at it. I thought that odd. :confused: Most ratings for movies are on the back and if you want to know if its something you want, the back can reveal a lot about what you would be getting.

So anyhow she consented to just "open" the display for me. I looked on the back and saw a very good picture of Hayata. His orange science patrol suit ever looked so crisp and bright. Take note people, if you ever get the chance get you a PDA. I have a Hewlett Packard iPaq, and its small enough to have in a pocket and you can take notes (as long as the battery level is good :p)

It said this on the back...

This 3 Disc set includes the first 20 episodes in their original uncut length. New re-mastered version with stereo sound and brilliant color (I thought the series when aired was in monoral? gvamp this kind of gets into our discussion on something else recently when I asked if possible would that particular movie we were posting about would be able to get a surround sound treatment. Do you remember that thread?)

Ultraman comes to DVD for the first time. This 3 DVD set includes the first 20 episodes of the first series, uncut and remastered, of the original Tsuburaya Productions television series created by Eiji Tsuburaya, the special effects genius who created one of the greatest film monsters of all time, GODZILLA

Then there was the story opener and the listing of the episodes along special features. It also said that the collection features the original Japanesee audio with newly created english subtitles or you could listen to a dubbed version which was created for the US tv broadcast by the same cast who did Speed Racer.

I thought that odd, as I think kpa said that Tsuburaya kept the original english dubb tracks. Another thing is BCI isn't alone in the collection production, another company Golden Media Group (a motion picture company) is involved.

So I wonder what is going on here? The collection says and acknowledges Eiji Tsuburaya as the creator. It cites Tsuburaya Productions in a few places on the box, and the Chaiyo only appears at the bottom. Also appearing is the Tsuburaya Chaiyo. What stumps me is Tsuburaya Productions is listed on the collection box. Why that?

I was baffled at first when I saw the collection even, but I remembered after the fact that the DVDs were going to ship July 18th. So that was Tuesday. I forgot all about this Ultraman thing until tonight. On a side note, while I was taking note of the back, a lady came on the opposite side of me and said "Ultraman!! Ohhh, I used to watch that all the time". She asked the clerk about the price. "

Of course if there are any updates on the proceedings by Tsuburaya then feel free to post. Though let's not get into any flaming.

gvamp

07-19-2006, 11:53 PM

Okay this is the set in question that we've been discussing for quite sometime. Any way it gives copyright notice to Tsuburuya because they did create the show but it was indeed Chaiyo that licensed the TV program to BCI.

Any way this case might be over soon enough because apperantly Chaiyo used the Panasonic restoration prints as masters (well not really they most likely took the R2 DVDs transfed them to digital beta and presented these to BCI as video masters) also there is slight grain because they have six episodes per disc and the R2s only have four.

Screencaps posted side by side over at MZ they looke almost identical, so one can conclude that Chaiyo just put the final nail in their coffin and this case will finally be over.

As for the Golden Media Group they're probably someone that help with putting the DVD out so that's why thery're on the cover along with BCI it's really not that hard to figure out.

And for the Stereo sound sometimes studios will remake a soundtrack for DVD releases and it's up to the publisher of the company if they want to include the extra audio tracks, but keep in mind the more audio tracks you have the more space you take up for other things like special features or it'll take away from the video quality.

Timothy2035

07-20-2006, 12:31 AM

Well the Golden Media Group was new to me. I hadn't heard them involved before, and that is indeed interesting that Tsuburaya Productions would indeed be mentioned a few times on the back and it acknowledge that Eiji Tsuburaya was the creator. I wondered at first what happened to the court proceedings for them to say that information.

But oh well, this collection does feature one of my most memorable episodes from the Ultraman show, where he fights the Godzilla (in disguise) Jiras. The episode is "The Mysterious Monster Base".

Timothy2035

07-20-2006, 07:21 PM

Isn't the second part to the collection due to release in September?

gvamp

07-20-2006, 09:13 PM

October that is if it doesn't get stopped.

Timothy2035

07-20-2006, 09:28 PM

I think the box listed an email address to BCI if I remember it correctly from last night. The company BCI is advertising ways to contact them. I think there was a web address as well.

I have a feeling that it will release... they aren't hiding much.

EDIT:
Hey gvamp, I just did a web search and I came up with this. BCI has a redirect site and the Tsuburaya Tiga DVDs are seemingly theirs as well. Plus the new release.

Here is a link: CLICK ME (http://www.navarre.com/search.aspx?SearchWhat=Keyword&SearchIn=&SearchFor=Ultraman&go.x=0&go.y=0&go=submit)

If they have the official Tsuburaya Tiga DVDs, then it looks like there is more than meets the eye on the Chaiyo product. Do you know of any new developments regarding that court case?

EricDent

07-20-2006, 09:49 PM

Funimation did Ultraman Tiga it even says so on that site you gave. They put the publishers names under the titles....:noob:

Timothy2035

07-20-2006, 09:58 PM

Funimation did Ultraman Tiga it even says so on that site you gave. They put the publishers names under the titles....:noob:

I got your meaning, but what has me a bit confused is when I did the internet search and the home site shows for address www.bcieclipse.com the page loads, but there is a message saying the web page has moved to this location here: LINK (http://www.navarre.com/bci.aspx)

So the front page loads as some place called Navarre with BCI listed underneath. Then if you search products for "Ultraman", it lists the Tiga series and the new Ultraman release. I was looking and wondering if they are somehow tied together now? That Funimation is a sub-company along with BCI under Navarre.

Though I may be a bit tired and had a long day at work. Though I was curious why its all there, as if Navarre is selling other product too. I suppose they are and I didn't explore enough, but that redirect made me curious for a moment.

gvamp

07-20-2006, 10:50 PM

Nothing yet Tsuburuya doesn't talk about there legal procedings as Keith mentioned, I'd say something will start with in the next month or so.

EricDent

07-21-2006, 01:12 AM

Yep, your right Tim Navare owns Funimation now. So I guess they also have Ultraman Tiga. Obviously Funimation had it before they got bought out, cause they showed that show in Japan in 1996. I guess 4 Kids Entertainment was showing it here in 1997. Not sure if Funimation or 4 Kids got the show from Tsuburuya or not.

gvamp

07-21-2006, 01:21 AM

Tiga is indeed licensed by Tsuburuya, the only series in turmoil are the Showa Series (Ultra Q-The Return of Ultraman).

Timothy2035

07-21-2006, 01:39 AM

Tiga is indeed licensed by Tsuburuya, the only series in turmoil are the Showa Series (Ultra Q-The Return of Ultraman).

What we are seeing is the making of an interesting situation. On one hand you have a Tsuburaya licensed product in the Tiga show. On the other hand you have the BCI authorized license of an Ultraman product. Which the parent company controls BCI and Funimation.

Now I was perplexed how and why was Tsuburaya Productions was listed on that recent released collection of the 1st 20 episodes. Also that Eiji Tsuburaya was mentioned as the creator of the Ultraman series. This may end up in a draw with just BCI paying some royalty type fees of some sort.

It looks like a conflict of interest here( I am not a lawyer), and if Japan's court does make a ruling, they still have to contend with the American court system I believe. As 2 separate foreign parties (being Tsuburaya and Chaiyo) have rights to the Ultraman tradename. Though Chaiyo may have the merchandise rights (granted by the Japanese court right?) they still have some rights none the less (according to that information posted at Monster Zero boards).

It is going to be interesting to see what happens next.

gvamp

07-21-2006, 03:43 PM

Maybe Chaiyo aren't completly heartless bastards? I really don't know I just hope this crap gets over with soon.

Timothy2035

07-21-2006, 11:21 PM

here is what Ultraman on wikipedia is saying about the new release...

The American company BCI Eclipse has announced that they will release the entire Ultraman series on DVD with the original Japanese soundtrack and the original 1960s American dub. On July 18, 2006, the first twenty episodes of the series were released in a 3-disc set which included interviews with Peter Fernandez, Corinne Orr and Earl Hammond, who were part of the American dubbing team. The remainder of the series is scheduled to be released on October 10th, 2006.[1] Because of a licensing rights dispute, BCI Eclipse was not able to work with Tsuburaya Productions, the creator and copyright owner of Ultraman, who also own the master negatives to the series. Instead they acquired licensing through Thailand-based Chaiyo Productions.

here is the link WIKI LINK (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultraman)

So who is responsible for that article writing? It does show for external links to the Official Ultraman site, a forum (that I used to be a member of) Ultraman Lah, James Ballard's Nexus site and a couple of other things. I was trying to find out who wrote the article, but can't seem to see the source provider.

Further at Wikipedia...

Regarding Legal disputes
Ultraman's licensing rights outside of Japan were recently the subject of a prolonged legal dispute between Tsuburaya Productions and Chaiyo Productions (also called Tsuburaya Chaiyo Co Ltd) based in Thailand. Tsuburaya had previously collaborated with Chaiyo on the production of two movies (The 6 Ultra Brothers Vs. the Monster Army and Jumborg Ace & Giant, the latter featured another Tsuburaya superhero Jumborg Ace) in 1974. Sompote Saengduenchai, founder/president of Chaiyo Productions, claims that in 1976, the late Noboru Tsuburaya (who died in 1995), Eiji's son, gave him and his company a contract which gives him rights to everything Ultraman outside Japanese territories in exchange for a monetary loan. In spite of the fact that the document does not clearly specify what was given to Tsuburaya in exchange for these rights, Japanese and Thai courts accepted this contract as real and bonding, because of the supposed hanko of the late Noboru Tsuburaya in the document. Tsuburaya Productions has insisted that the contract was a forgery (due to several factual errors they would never have overlooked, including the faulty titles of the series in the document, such as Ultra Q being called "Ultraman 1: Ultra Q," Ultra Seven being called "Ultraman 3: Ultraman Seven," and Tsuburaya Productions being called "Tsuburaya prod. and Enterprises," a name the company has never done business under), and have contested the issue.

In the course of the legal battle, Sompote presented photos of himself sharing his photos of Thai Buddhist edifices to claim that Eiji based Ultraman's face on said edifices. However, there is no other evidence to support this claim.

After an 8 year battle in the courts of both countries, Sompote Saengduenchai was awarded a favorable decision on April 27th 2004. The exact ruling is in some dispute: Some say it only gives him merchandising rights for the first six Ultra Series (Ultra Q through Ultraman Taro) and Jumborg Ace outside Japan, and broadcasting rights of said shows within Thailand. Other accounts, usually reported in the Thai/Asian media, say that Chaiyo now has the rights to those six shows everywhere outside Japan. The latter may be taken as Chaiyo's side of the story, as Tsuburaya was reported in the Japanese media to continue taking further action against them. Furthermore, Tsuburaya has decided not to market any of the other Ultra Series outside Japan until they have completely settled the rights issues with Chaiyo (Despite their successful limited theatrical showings of Ultraman the Next in the US, the movie does not have an official distributor).

During the time of the legal battle, Chaiyo came up with three of their own Ultras: Millennium, Dark and Elite. They have not been used for purposes other than stage shows and merchandise.

Because of the copyright struggle, literature on Ultraman may not be imported into Singapore and Malaysia. It has also resulted in a slight backlash against Thai Ultraman fans, who are assumed to be outright Chaiyo supporters.

In 2005 the American company BCI Eclipse announced they had acquired the DVD rights to the original Ultraman from Chaiyo. The first set of the series of DVDs is currently scheduled for release on July 18, 2006, with the remainder of the series scheduled for October.[1]

SOURCE (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultra_Series#Licensing_rights_dispute)

So there we have the furthering of the premise. With BCI being now a part of a parent corporation that also has real Tsuburaya rights in the Tiga series, I don't know what the outcome may be. It's a funny looking situation to me.

.......I doubt Tsuburaya will be able to stop the October release. Especially with so many American retailers picking up the series. Not serving the dollar (as an idol), but there are more legal eyes into this that just Chaiyo from my point of view. Especially at Navarre.

MoshiMoshiKaiju

07-22-2006, 01:50 PM

Well, I want to thank Tim for bringing this up. I had no clue that this was being released. I went out and bought the DVD last night (Amazingly they did have the box set at my local WalMart which usually has nothing)

Needless to say the box set is awesome and really takes me back.

Simply fantastic!

EricDent

07-22-2006, 02:11 PM

Isn't this the whole point of this dispute? Whether or not purchase this, possibly not legal version of Ultraman, or wait until the Real Version by Tsuburaya?

What do you think?

A: Pick the recent release & support Chaiyo's side.
B: Wait until the legal issues get ironed out for a real release by Tsuburaya (Which IMO will look & sound a lot better, since Tsuburaya has the real masters.)
C: Don't care either way.

I say B.

gvamp

07-22-2006, 03:10 PM

Tim keep in mind that the Tiga DVDs where licensed like three years ago and a lot can be happen in that time.

Well I signed up for Netflix and decided to rent these sadly disc one isn't availabe so I just moved Dogora, The Mysterians and Mantango to the top of my list.

James Ballard

07-22-2006, 04:32 PM

the only series in turmoil are the Showa Series (Ultra Q-The Return of Ultraman). It's a few more than that, but not the entire Showa series either. The disputed shows are:

ULTRA Q (1966)
ULTRAMAN (1966)
ULTRA SEVEN (1967)
THE RETURN OF ULTRAMAN (1971)
ULTRAMAN ACE (1972)
ULTRAMAN TARO (1973)

The only Showa Ultraman shows Chaiyo don't claim to own are ULTRAMAN LEO (1974) and ULTRAMAN 80 (1980). Tsuburaya Productions can still freely license out LEO, 80 and any of their other shows not listed above (such as ULTRAMAN DYNA, GAIA, NEOS, COSMOS, NEXUS, MAX, MEBIUS, etc.) Whether any distributor actually wishes to pickup these shows in the U.S. is another matter.

There was recently unofficial word (http://www.tokyomonsters.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=712&Itemid=2) that Tsuburaya are trying to push MAX in the U.S. market right now. This sounds about right, as many episodes have been making their way around U.S. film festivals lately. If it is released successfully, Tsuburaya would aparently like to go ahead with NEXUS. But, this is just word-of-mouth - and only Tsuburaya's supposed intentions - so take it all with a grain of salt.

Timothy2035

07-22-2006, 08:17 PM

Isn't this the whole point of this dispute? Whether or not purchase this, possibly not legal version of Ultraman, or wait until the Real Version by Tsuburaya?

Well the legal thing that also gets into play is that the Japanese court awarded Chaiyo some "sort of rights" to Ultraman merchandise. In that decision, Chaiyo has been honored somewhat by the court involved. It took I think 8 years (according to the Wiki article I submitted) for Chaiyo to obtain what rights they have.

Now on the recent Ultraman release, its stated on the box that the actual english dub from when it broadcasted in America is available on the set. They have a little more than what was presented in the Henshin Online interview done by August Ragone back in February.

The box also includes Tsuburaya Productions on it. So they are acknowledging Tsuburaya (the creating studio on the box, and also mention Eiji Tsuburaya as the creator). Whether Navarre directed BCI to include that because of the Tiga rights they held I am not sure, but the product grouping as "Ultraman" is now more than tier as 2 studios involved have one company in the USA handling video releases.

With other eyes on this (such as Navarre's management board and even legal team), they are aware of the foreign disputes I am sure. If the BCI representative stated in the Henshin Online interview that their attorney looked into it, then Navarre's own corporate team has also looked into it. I think also their board of directors (at Navarre) are aware of this, but somehow enough "yes" votes have gone forth, as they feel they will not have much to loose or be in a situation to be at a great loss. This is my opinion.

Tim keep in mind that the Tiga DVDs where licensed like three years ago and a lot can be happen in that time.
Yeah a lot can happen, but are you privy to them loosing those Tsuburaya rights at this time? If those rights are still active, then they (Navarre) hold rights from two Ultraman tradename companies. What gets interesting, is if this becomes a conflict of interest for them. I think I am going to do more research on this matter and watch for news. This is going to be interesting.

The only Showa Ultraman shows Chaiyo don't claim to own are ULTRAMAN LEO (1974) and ULTRAMAN 80 (1980). Tsuburaya Productions can still freely license out LEO, 80 and any of their other shows not listed above (such as ULTRAMAN DYNA, GAIA, NEOS, COSMOS, NEXUS, MAX, MEBIUS, etc.) Whether any distributor actually wishes to pickup these shows in the U.S. is another matter.

What I am curious about is why they haven't released Ultraman Next here Stateside when it was a well received film at the 2005 Egyptian Godzilla festival. They also showed "The Mysterious Monster Base" from the Ultraman 1966 shows.

I for one hope that Max does release in the US and soon. If Tsuburaya doesn't start to make a move soon and release things here, then the US market will be nothing but a haven of bootlegs. Max has been available on the bootleg fandom for a while now. I will admit that I bought the Ultraman Powered series and I didn't know it was bootleg. It looked like it was an overseas thing, but I learned. Thanks to Eric Dent for pointing that out about the particular vendor. :)

Perhaps the Chaiyo license releases will promote a receptive response. That way other studios will see there is an interest in Ultraman from those that are familiar with the show, and also attract a new generation. If a distributor is interested in making an investment to bring other Ultraman shows here, then it would be necessary for retailers to see that enough Americans are wanting Ultraman, and will buy the product. Perhaps Chaiyo is a "necessary thing" to get the ball going. I wouldn't say "necessary evil", but you get my drift. As a matter of record, the Ultraman Tiga and Ultraman Dyna stuffed bombed here. I bought a copy myself at Suncoast, and got home all excited, put the DVD in, and was shocked and horrified after about an hour. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. What I knew and loved of Ultraman had gone a severe 180 degree turn for wrong everything. I almost swore off buying new Ultraman shows, and seeing the Tiga cartoon show, it didn't hold its charm and I started to wonder what direction had Ultraman gone in.

When I first joined Ultraman Lah, there were others there who didn't like the newer Ultraman shows and stated that the allure of being Ultraman was gone. The Showa era was the real gusto of the franchise is what I deducted from those I conversed with. Though Max was refreshing to see on You Tube clips and I hope it releases here.

These of course are my opinions and I am open to discussion on them.

Timothy2035

07-23-2006, 03:00 AM

I went to see a movie this evening with my brother and his girlfriend. Afterwards we went over to the Super Wal-Mart and I was getting a few grocery items. Like bread, mini-cheese pizzas, some vegetarian patties and oranges.

I went to the movie section to see how many Ultraman Collection DVD sets were still on hand and some have definately sold. I was trying to see how many were left, it looked like about 7 or 8 (I was really trying to see in the case and do a count) out of a 12 count shipment purchase. So in just 4 days about 5 to 4 have sold.

And that's a good looking DVD set case too. It has a sheen and the image of Ultraman is not flat, but like a low relief 3-Dish impression on the front.

gvamp

07-23-2006, 03:07 AM

I read over at MZ that one poster's local Wal-Mart had been selling out of them and last I knew the set was ranked number 34 on Amazon.com's DVD list.

I wonder if to much bad blood betwen Chaiyo and Tsu. has passed where the two companies just couldn't merge together that way everybody wins but I don't think it'll happen.

Timothy2035

07-23-2006, 03:32 AM

I read over at MZ that one poster's local Wal-Mart had been selling out of them and last I knew the set was ranked number 34 on Amazon.com's DVD list.

Wow that is a receptive response. And tell you the truth some fans reactions that I read on some boards are that "they are released through legal channels and we will buy it". Or another one like "that fight is between Chaiyo and Tsuburaya and not the fans".

On a personal note, those who held out from buying the bootlegs see this as the legitimate way of getting what they wanted. Like when I was there on Wednesday night and making note of what I was reading on the back, a lady came up beside my basket where I was with the Wal-Mart clerk and her reaction was "Ultraman! I used to watch that all the time. How much is that DVD?" The clerk stepped aside and let her see the sticker on the shelf. I could have mentioned to her about the dispute, but to her unless she was privy to what had been going on, it would have been greek to her and she wouldn't know what I was talking about.

If the response is very good, then I suspect nothing will stop the October release. Tsuburaya has to work more than one or two angles to influence the American retail system. Thing is gvamp, I suspect Tsuburaya knew of the release of the DVDs coming in July. They had to. If you are watching your detractor, you notice most moves they make. It was evident to them about the Henshin Online interview. I just can't imagine them not knowing about it.

It's going to be interesting...

I wonder if to much bad blood betwen Chaiyo and Tsu. has passed where the two companies just couldn't merge together that way everybody wins but I don't think it'll happen.

That would depend on if Tsuburaya would be interested in purchasing Chaiyo. I don't see it in the reverse. Tsuburaya has more capital worth I believe and to Chaiyo that would be a very big pill to swallow if they tried to buy the other company. Though if they were American companies then possibly Tsuburaya could have some ownership stakes that could be purchased.

KG Kaiju

07-23-2006, 04:57 AM

You saw Ultraman DVD sets in Wal-Mart! :eek2: :eek2: I have 9 Wal-Marts in my area and have yet to see any sets. I must not be in one of the "target" areas. :bulb: So Tim, did you purchase the set or are you going to wait and see how everything pans out? :confused:

Timothy2035

07-23-2006, 05:03 AM

I was wondering how it is going to pan out myself. With Tsuburaya Productions being on the back of the set, I was really wondering what the response is going to be by Tsuburaya in Japan and the fans.

Well I don't know why your particular Wal-Marts haven't gotten it, but you know the product is online. Deepdiscount has it at the cheapest price. I believe its $21.00 there. I wonder how many they sold? :confused: It's $30 dollars at Wal-Mart.

Gvamp was saying how at MZ a member posted stating that their particular Wal-Mart had sold out. It's ranked number 34 at Amazon dot com. That's a big position for that kind of ranking on an old tv series.

KG Kaiju

07-23-2006, 05:25 AM

It is encouraging to hear that the Ultraman set is doing so well. :D Hopefully (once everything is resolved) this will be a sign of things to come. :up: :up: :up:

James Ballard

07-23-2006, 12:52 PM

As a matter of record, the Ultraman Tiga and Ultraman Dyna stuffed bombed here. I bought a copy myself at Suncoast, and got home all excited, put the DVD in, and was shocked and horrified after about an hour. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. What I knew and loved of Ultraman had gone a severe 180 degree turn for wrong everything. I almost swore off buying new Ultraman shows, and seeing the Tiga cartoon show, it didn't hold its charm and I started to wonder what direction had Ultraman gone in. I've found the Heisei TV shows to be fairly uneven, personally. I found ULTRAMAN TIGA and ULTRAMAN DYNA entertaining, but not much more. ULTRAMAN COSMOS seems to be divided among fans, rather like FINAL WARS in that respect. I think it's an incredibly boring show myself.

On the flip side, ULTRAMAN GAIA is a very solid show, and setup many new styles that have been used in subsequent shows. ULTRAMAN NEXUS I still believe is one of the most exciting, engaging new kaiju shows yet, and blows away most of the new Godzilla efforts. ULTRAMAN MAX is a very diverse show with lots of varying styles (with great directors such as Shusuke Kaneko and Takashi Miike). So far, ULTRAMAN MEBIUS also seems to be shaping up really well. It's a great link to the Showa series (ULTRAMAN thru ULTRAMAN 80), and also combines some of the successful elements from newer shows like GAIA, NEXUS and MAX (rivaling Ultras, continuing storyarcs, etc.)

Timothy2035

07-23-2006, 01:51 PM

Sounds like you are really an "Ultraman" James. :)

I do agree with you on Gaia, it was pretty good from what I saw, but I disliked some of the acting done by the children. It kind of reminded me of that cheekiness I saw in Rebirth of Mothra 3. But the effects, imagery were spot on for Gaia.

I have a friend in Michigan that I talk with on messenger who is an avid fan of the Ultraman Nexus, and has bought the entire series on Region 2. He says that is some of the greatest stuff, and it has a dark story on some episodes. He also has some of the episodes of Max (if not all of them by now) on Region 2, but he says that Nexus is better.

I can't wait to see it myself. I am going to be using gvamps R2 guide to start getting some Max episodes. My friend in Michigan says that one of my favorite monsters of the Ultra shows, Gomora, is in volume 6.

Though James who is your favorite Ultraman Monster?

My favorite 3 are Gomora, Antlar and Dada. I liked the design for Jirass. I thought that was a neat addition to the Godzilla suit in adding the frill. Gomora is one monster though I would like to see face Godzilla.

gvamp

07-23-2006, 03:30 PM

Actually Tim Borders has the set for $14.99 and FYE has it even cheaper at $12.99, I wouldn't read to much into the copywright on the back of the box because it could so A. BCI is giving credit where credit is due and B. that Somponte is being a jackass.

Tim if Tsuburuya does take legal action before October then the release of Volume II will be stopped no matter how success the release of the first Volume is exspecially<sp> if BCI is found to be in copywrite infringement.

Regardless of what happens I with the releases I will not buy something from Chaiyo so I'll just rent the DVDs instead and I encourage each member to do so even though these releases seem tempting but I'm one that believes in karma so eventually those who are patient will be well rewarded and Chaiyo will get what they deserve.

Timothy2035

07-23-2006, 03:58 PM

Actually Tim Borders has the set for $14.99 and FYE has it even cheaper at $12.99, I wouldn't read to much into the copywright on the back of the box because it could so A. BCI is giving credit where credit is due and B. that Somponte is being a jackass.

Well those are even lower prices. Funny that, they could charge more. :haha:

Though Somponte, BCI and Navarre all have lawyers. Just 2 months away from the next release (as July is practically gone now with this being the last full week of the month). Getting things filed in a Japanese court is one thing, but for them to try and do that here may prove to be another. American courts are slower. :haha: The quickest done deal is when you go to court about a traffic ticket. :haha: Or something relevant to orders of protection.

Tim if Tsuburuya does take legal action before October then the release of Volume II will be stopped no matter how success the release of the first Volume is exspecially<sp> if BCI is found to be in copywrite infringement.
Yeah but see in America, those contracts with the Tsuburaya stamp seal is a notion where America's court would have to be involved too I believe. Since Navarre is a domestic based company from what I am looking at. There are going to be some hurdles indeed. And then there is also another issue, the second wave collection set could release sooner. (insert gvamps favorite smiley here...);) Which video and audio media can change their release dates. We see it often in the video gaming industry. Though usually the DVD market keeps their target dates usually. It's going to be interesting.

Do you mind if I camped out at your house and we toast marshmallows on the front lawn and wait it out?! :haha: (just a joke, I had a laugh)

Regardless of what happens I with the releases I will not buy something from Chaiyo so I'll just rent the DVDs instead and I encourage each member to do so even though these releases seem tempting but I'm one that believes in karma so eventually those who are patient will be well rewarded and Chaiyo will get what they deserve.

See there is one sticky on that. See the video place you rent the DVDs from "bought" those, and the consumers who rent help to pay for what was bought. Then when those are paid for its pure profit after that. So actually you helped buy a Chaiyo release. Just a small percentage of it. Depending on how many they bought to fulfill demand. ;) If you rent, you might as well have bought. :p

You sure you don't want me to set up a tent on your lawn? :haha: You know I am not being funny in a mean way, just joking and hoping you laugh too. :)

gvamp

07-23-2006, 04:45 PM

Well giving them a small protion of money is better than giving them $20+ IMO :p

Timothy2035

07-23-2006, 08:37 PM

Well giving them a small protion of money is better than giving them $20+ IMO :p

True, true...but like you said, you can run to FYE and get it for $12.99. ;) :p

EDIT: You might as well buy it, because if you do 3 separate rentals at a video store, then that's about $4.00 a rent for 3 DVDs of the collection. You might as well buy it so you won't have to rent it anymore. :p :haha: Is FYE in your future? :p

bowler4ever

07-23-2006, 08:44 PM

True, true...but like you said, you can run to FYE and get it for $12.99. ;) :p
Tax included? :p

Timothy2035

07-23-2006, 08:49 PM

Tax included? :p

Nah, you have add tax...:p Which even with tax, it comes to about what you would pay for buying the collection at FYE.

KG Kaiju

07-23-2006, 09:03 PM

You know, I have never seen an episode of Ultraman but I am starting to become obsessed with the notion of buying a set. Gvamp, I may need your help to hold me back. :cry: Perhaps someone could start a UA meeting to help me. Wait a minute....I haven't become addicted yet....Oh no, I can't get any help. I know....I will hide my money so that I can't spend it. :haha:

Timothy2035

07-23-2006, 10:07 PM

Well when you finally see Ultraman, you will be hooked...:p You may trade in the gold scales for red & silver. :p

KG Kaiju

07-23-2006, 11:31 PM

Well when you finally see Ultraman, you will be hooked...:p You may trade in the gold scales for red & silver. :p

I'll just incorporate his colors into my scales. Perhaps a little red and silver on the chest or....I've got it....The middle neck would remain gold, one neck would be silver, and the other would be red. :nuts:

I would be Ultra-King Ghidorah. :haha:

gvamp

07-24-2006, 01:51 AM

Tim I don't have to pay anything for my movie or game rentals ;)

I rented the set from Netflix.

Timothy2035

07-24-2006, 01:59 AM

Oh great gvamp, you helped them in advance to do their pre-orders. ;) Oh well, I won't badger you on this.

I guess I will call Tsuburaya and tell 'em you defected. :haha:

KG Kaiju

07-24-2006, 02:05 AM

Hey Tim or whoever else is knowledgeable on the subject, how many Ultraman episodes are there? What is the mouth-dropping :eek2: :eek2:, eye-popping :nuts: :nuts: total?

Timothy2035

07-24-2006, 02:07 AM

The first collection is supposed to be 20 episodes. The second set when it releases will complete the first Ultraman series at 19 episodes giving a full 39 episodes.

KG Kaiju

07-24-2006, 02:18 AM

Oh, I meant total as in Ultraman Nexus, Tiga, Q, Seven, etc. :nuts:

Thanks for telling me about the fact that there are 39 episodes in the first series though. :up: :D That just gave me an idea! Do you know a breakdown of all of the Ultraman series and how many episodes are in each? :confused:

gvamp

07-24-2006, 03:12 AM

Lets see

There's the following and not in order

Ultra Q (not really Ultraman but it does have a lot of Giant Monsters)
Ultraman
Ultraseven
Ultraman Leo
Ultraman Tiga
Ultraman Gaia
Ultraman Dyna
Return of Ultraman
Ultraman Nexus
Ultraman Max
Ulraman Mebius
Ultraman Towards the Future
Bio Planet Woo (Not really Ultraman but this is what Eiji Tsuburuya wanted to do with Ultraman)
Ultra Q Dark Odssey<sp>

and most likely more that I can't think of.

KG Kaiju

07-24-2006, 03:24 AM

Hey gvamp, do you know how many episodes were in each series? :confused:

gvamp

07-24-2006, 01:45 PM

Nope I don't James Ballard knows the Ultra sereis better than I do, I've seen the first half of Tiga and a few eps of Ultra Q and that's about where my Ultraman knowledge ends, heck I don't even know most of the Ultraman Kaiju yet. :(

James Ballard

07-24-2006, 02:15 PM

The basic Tsuburya-produced Ultra TV shows are:

- ULTRA Q (1966, 28 episodes)
- ULTRAMAN (1966, 39 episodes)
- ULTRA SEVEN (1967, 49 episodes)
- THE RETURN OF ULTRAMAN (1971, 51 episodes)
- ULTRAMAN ACE (1972, 52 episodes)
- ULTRAMAN TARO (1973, 53 episodes)
- ULTRAMAN LEO (1974, 51 episodes)
- ULTRAMAN 80 (1980, 50 episodes)
- ULTRAMAN TIGA (1996, 52 episodes)
- ULTRAMAN DYNA (1997, 51 episodes)
- ULTRAMAN GAIA (1998, 51 episodes)
- ULTRAMAN COSMOS (2001, 65 episodes - the longest series)
- ULTRA Q DARK FANTASY (2004, 26 episodes)
- ULTRAMAN NEXUS (2004, 37 episodes)
- ULTRAMAN MAX (2005, 40 episodes)
- ULTRAMAN MEBIUS (2006, scheduled for 52 episodes)

There was also an Australian and American produced series:

- ULTRAMAN GREAT (aka. ULTRAMAN TOWARDS THE FUTURE, 1989, 13 episodes)
- ULTRAMAN POWERED (aka. ULTRAMAN THE ULTIMATE HERO, 1993, 13 episodes)

In 2001, the 35th anniversary of the series, Tsuburaya produced three direct-to-DVD episodes of the then-current Heisei shows:

- ULTRAMAN TIGA: GIANT RESURRECTED IN THE ANCIENT PAST
- ULTRAMAN DYNA: THE RETURN OF HANEJIRO
- ULTRAMAN GAIA: GAIA AGAIN

Tsuburaya also produced many direct-to-DVD ULTRA SEVEN episodes:

- ULTRA SEVEN 1999 (1999, 9 episodes)
- ULTRA SEVEN EVOLUTION (2002, 5 episodes)

There have also been countless TV specials (such as ULTRAMAN VS. MASKED RIDER) and a tremendous amount of VHS/DVD fight compilations.

The theatrical films include:

- ULTRAMAN (1967, a compilation of clips from the TV series, distributed by Toho)
- 6 ULTRA BROTHERS VS. THE MONSTER ARMY (1974, the Chaiyo co-production)
- ULTRAMAN THE ADVENTURE BEINGS (aka. ULTRAMAN II, 1981 - anime)
- ULTRAMAN ZOPHY (1984)
- ULTRAMAN STORY (1984)
- ULTRA Q THE MOVIE (1990)
- ULTRAMAN ZEARTH (1996)
- ULTRAMAN ZEARTH 2 (1997)
- ULTRAMAN TIGA & ULTRAMAN DYNA (1998)
- ULTRAMAN GAIA: BATTLE IN HYPERSPACE (1999)
- ULTRAMAN TIGA: THE FINAL ODYSSEY (2000)
- ULTRAMAN COSMOS: FIRST CONTACT (2001, prequel to the TV series)
- ULTRAMAN COSMOS 2: THE BLUE PLANET (2002)
- ULTRAMAN COSMOS VS. ULTRAMAN JUSTICE (2003)
- ULTRAMAN THE NEXT (2004)
- ULTRAMAN MEBIUS & ULTRAMAN BROTHERS (2006)

I'm sure there's still lots more!

EricDent

07-24-2006, 03:26 PM

I used to have an Anime of Ultraman called Ultraman II.

I used to have the old SNES game of Ultraman Towards the Future. As well as a couple of figures from that show.

KG Kaiju

07-24-2006, 03:31 PM

Thanks, James. :D :D :D It looks like I will have a lot of catching up to do if I am going to stay current with Ultraman. :eek:

I used to have the old SNES game of Ultraman Towards the Future.

I wish that I could get my hands on one of the PS2 Ultraman games. Perhaps if Ultraman becomes more popular here, we will see some games crop up. :up:

James Ballard

07-25-2006, 03:07 AM

Timothy2035

07-25-2006, 03:13 AM

I wish that I could get my hands on one of the PS2 Ultraman games. Perhaps if Ultraman becomes more popular here, we will see some games crop up. :up:

You can...just buy yourself a $600.00 PS3 and you can play Japanese region PS2 Ultraman games. :)

KG Kaiju

07-25-2006, 05:28 AM

I'm not a big gamer anymore -- at all. I did pick up the NEXUS game though, since I was nuts over the show and was lapping up anything I could. It was very good, and really true to the show. I posted a bunch of screenshots, video clips, cover scans, etc.:
http://www.ultraman-nexus.com/game.php

Thanks for the screenshots. That game looks awesome! How do you post a screenshot like that? I would like to post some screenshots of my Godzilla games but don't know how. Does a person need a certain program or is it just a matter of knowing how? :confused:

You can...just buy yourself a $600.00 PS3 and you can play Japanese region PS2 Ultraman games. :)

But how would I get the game? It is only available in Japan and ebay is rather sketchy when it comes to electronics. Would it be available through Sony via a download? :confused:

Timothy2035

07-25-2006, 08:12 AM

Thanks for the screenshots. That game looks awesome! How do you post a screenshot like that? I would like to post some screenshots of my Godzilla games but don't know how. Does a person need a certain program or is it just a matter of knowing how? :confused:

I believe if you are recording the games to DVD, that is a big milestone overcome there. If you can play your DVDs in your computer drive, then you can take screen captures from your disc of certain "battle scenes". When doing that, you can use some of your image editing programs to reduce the sizes, because its going to be huge. In reducing the sizes, you can save individual pictures. It's best to save in the Jpeg format. That would be also a help on the file size. That when you can upload to Image Shack and then do it in the way you do the G-Fest pictures.

It would be cool to see some of the battle scenes. :p :haha:

But how would I get the game? It is only available in Japan and ebay is rather sketchy when it comes to electronics. Would it be available through Sony via a download? :confused:

A place on the internet called YesAsia or Amazon Japan may sell those.

James Ballard

07-25-2006, 01:33 PM

You can...just buy yourself a $600.00 PS3 and you can play Japanese region PS2 Ultraman games.
I bought one of those MagicSlide card, CD and DVD sets for my UK Playstation. Plays all region games and DVDs:
http://www.videogameforce.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=GF&Product_Code=P2SL

The games can be bought at stores like:
www.yesasia.com
www.play-asia.com

darthzilla99

07-25-2006, 01:38 PM

James, you forgot to include ultraman jonias, (aka the ultraman) the anime ultraman show.
The ultraman (1979-1980, 50 episodes.).

Anyways, I liked tiga alright. From the clips on you tube, the cosmos movies like cool, but the show looks like it sucks. I plan on buying tiga the final oddsey, since alot of fans like that movie. I saw clips of nexus and can see why tons of fans love this show. From the clips on you tube for max, max looks boring to me. (unless james, all the clips from you tube are when the show goes downhill.)

Also, tim, I know you do not like tiga, but it was a big hit in japan when it first aired from what I heard.

Now as far as showa shows go, I am really wanting to see ultraman leo. (I plan on seeing all the showa shows, but leo looks the most intersting to me.)

I still find it odd though that cosmos is the longest running show.

Timothy2035

07-25-2006, 01:50 PM

Now as far as showa shows go, I am really wanting to see ultraman leo. (I plan on seeing all the showa shows, but leo looks the most intersting to me.)

The Showa shows I would like to see are Ultraman Taro, Ultraman Jack, Ultraman 80 and Ultraman Leo.

Ace looks a bit goofy to me.

James Ballard

07-25-2006, 04:08 PM

James, you forgot to include ultraman jonias, (aka the ultraman) the anime ultraman show.
The ultraman (1979-1980, 50 episodes.). I'm sure there's still lots more! ;)

From the clips on you tube, the cosmos movies like cool, but the show looks like it sucks. The movies are about on par with the Mothra REBIRTH films - the only thing the COSMOS films have over them is better special effects work. The writing is very bland, the acting very stilted.

From the clips on you tube for max, max looks boring to me. (unless james, all the clips from you tube are when the show goes downhill.)
MAX does get rather repetitive. I admit I lost interest towards the end. I really enjoy the varying styles within the show itself - each week could present a completely different take. Takashi Miike's two episodes, for example, were shown back to back (episodes 15 and 16). His first was a very dark, serious story about a blind girl whose music attracted a monster. His next episode was a very bright, comical episode where one-eyed cat aliens invade and make everyone on Earth forget who they are - including Ultraman, who forgets how to fight. MAX presents all kinds of episodes, and it's this kind of variation within MAX that made it enjoyable for me.

Out of the ones I listed though, I would say it's the weakest. For my order of personal favourites, I would say: NEXUS > GAIA > MEBIUS > MAX.

Now as far as showa shows go, I am really wanting to see ultraman leo. (I plan on seeing all the showa shows, but leo looks the most intersting to me.)
LEO is quickly becoming one of my favourite Ultra shows, period. Leo himself is not actually an Ultraman, just a similar being. His home world is destroyed and he believes he is the last of his kind. When he arrives on Earth Ultra Seven is already battling two monsters, but is seriously injured. Dan (the human form of Seven) is no longer able to transform, and has to use crutches to walk. He stays on for the entire series as the new team captain, and does Leo the honour of giving him the "Ultraman" title (and sort of becomes his tutor/master towards becoming a true Ultraman). Later in the series, Leo discovers he is not the only survivor from his home planet, and in fact has a brother called Astra. Towards the end of the show the whole attack team is all killed, leaving Leo, Seven and Astra to spend the remainder of the show to fight against the aliens alone. The show also has lots of continuing storyarcs, and quite often feels very dark and gritty.

Right from the start, the premise of this show is just doom and gloom. It's quite a change of tone compared to the previous two series, ACE and TARO.

I still find it odd though that cosmos is the longest running show.
From the outset, COSMOS was marketable to kids. Lots of Bandai's were shifted, and Bandai are the biggest sponsor. This was probably another problem with NEXUS - there were a limited amount of monsters that made multiple appearances throughout the show. On a creative level, this is more interesting for the show. On a commercial level, this meant there was far less to market.

As for COSMOS itself, I personally think it's a reminder of the rather lame, over-protective world we live in today. You can't fight until you've had a civil discussion and come to an agreement!

Timothy2035

07-25-2006, 05:25 PM

Cosmos does sound rather "dreamworld" like according to your description.

Between the two Ultras Max and Great, who is the biggest? I used to have a height scale list I was emailed once from Derek at Ultraman Lah when I was an active member there. Though when my laptop went back to Gateway to have the modem changed out, I had to burn some things to CD and DVD. My DVD didn't turn out right and I lost my pics I had. Those that weren't also on CD.

darthzilla99

07-25-2006, 08:56 PM

The Showa shows I would like to see are Ultraman Taro, Ultraman Jack, Ultraman 80 and Ultraman Leo.

Ace looks a bit goofy to me.

From what I heard, Taro is more goofy then Ace.

BTW, James, you say that the cosmos movies are like ROM. Does that include lots of beam wars or are they at least balanced in fighting?

Also, are these R3 dvds legit?
http://us.yesasia.com/en/PrdDept.aspx/code-c/section-anime/pid-1001810171/
http://us.yesasia.com/en/PrdDept.aspx/code-c/section-anime/pid-1001810171/
http://us.yesasia.com/en/PrdDept.aspx/section-anime/code-c/version-all/pid-1001806847/
http://us.yesasia.com/en/PrdDept.aspx/section-anime/code-c/version-all/pid-1000023363/
http://us.yesasia.com/en/PrdDept.aspx/code-c/section-anime/pid-1003334788/
http://us.yesasia.com/en/PrdDept.aspx/code-c/section-anime/pid-1003120238/
http://us.yesasia.com/en/mc/-/CSprd1003120238@1003780851/PrdDept.aspx/section-anime/code-c/version-all/pid-1003780851/

Timothy2035

07-25-2006, 09:33 PM

From what I heard, Taro is more goofy then Ace.

Well I will be sure to have it at the bottom of the list to see. Does anyone know of the second generation Ultraseven? What info is known of it?

In the new Ultra Brothers movie, who is going to be your favorite Ultra to see? For me, its going to be the original Ultraman, the one who bonded with Hayata. :)

James Ballard

07-25-2006, 10:11 PM

In the new Ultra Brothers movie, who is going to be your favorite Ultra to see? For me, its going to be the original Ultraman, the one who bonded with Hayata. :)
In terms of actors, I'm looking forward to seeing Jiro Dan, who played Goh - the man who transformed into Ultraman Jack in THE RETURN OF ULTRAMAN. He's sporting a very cool beard now!

http://img230.imageshack.us/img230/5820/jackbq2.jpg

I'll be in Japan over late September to mid October, so I'll probably catch this at the theatre one evening (...or two!) So close yet so far!

Timothy2035

07-25-2006, 10:57 PM

I'll be in Japan over late September to mid October, so I'll probably catch this at the theatre one evening (...or two!) So close yet so far!

Have a safe trip going and returning. :)

Speaking of Ultraman human squad team uniforms, who do you think as a team had some of the best uniforms? I liked the GAIA team and of course the Science Patrol. The Mebius team looks a bit tooo retro. IMO.

KG Kaiju

07-26-2006, 12:09 AM

Hey Tim, the Wal-Marts in my area have finally gotten the Ultraman 3-disc set. I was able to resist the temptation to buy it but if the case between Chiayo and Tsuburaya doesn't get settled in Tsuburaya's favor, I am going to really get nervous. :confused: I can just imagine a long drawn-out court case where Chiayo wins and, by that time, the set is no longer available. :cry: Hopefully, that won't happen. :D

I'll be in Japan over late September to mid October, so I'll probably catch this at the theatre one evening (...or two!) So close yet so far!

Do stay safe and, if possible, please post pics of your trip. Thanks! :D :D :D

MoshiMoshiKaiju

07-26-2006, 01:05 PM

I just finished watching the Ultraman box set and while there is a ton of contention regarding the legitimacy of copyright (?) I have to say that I loved every second of the 20 episodes. I hope that any issues regarding the copyright law are resolved and I in no way endorse the unlawful side. That being said…

I could NOT resist buying this set as I have not seen any type of Ultraman since pre 1980, with the exception of the Towards the Future game. Wow and wow! IMO this is a great reintroduction to that old wonderfulness of a 60’s giant guy wrestling a giant kaiju.
I was giddy when I actually remembered some of the episodes and I think I may have spotted a Godzilla actor or two. I had to dust off some of my old Ultraman vinyl’s and put them in a place of prominence in the “collection.” Every retailer I called is sold out of this box set, including some of the big guys like Best Buy and Circuit City. I am shocked that it was so well received.

On a side note I too will be heading to Japan (Tokushima) this September for an extended vacation and I hope to score some awesome loot while over seas! Now in addition to my Godzilla/Gamera needs, I have added Ultraman to my list of “stuff” to look for.

swordoath

07-26-2006, 01:39 PM

I remember seeing ... I think it was Tiga? ... dubbed on television a couple years ago. All I really remember about it was that the theme song went "Larger than life ... ULTRAMAN!" Don't remember anything about the show. Maybe I should look into it.

Timothy2035

07-27-2006, 11:26 PM

Another side note to this Ultraman recent release is that, I believe it will indeed release for the second volume in October. My basis, if you felt you needed money to fight Tsuburaya and other things legally, seems like to me, you would have released the entire collection of the 39 episodes in one release date. Rather than having 2 dates. Which if you feared you would be stopped (being Chaiyo), then seems like you would do a hit and run tactic in the retail part of it.

BCI is not hiding either. They listed their address and included an email on the box. Also if the FBI copyright warning displays before the DVD menu, I think Tsuburaya will know that BCI has their bases covered for the USA releases.

They seem too content with what they are doing.

This is my opinion, but I am open to discussion on it.

KG Kaiju

07-27-2006, 11:37 PM

Timothy2035

07-27-2006, 11:48 PM

So Tim, if Chaiyo is indeed untouchable in this matter, how will we ever get a Tsuburaya copy? :confused: If Tsuburaya never makes a set, does that not mean that Chiayo's copy is "legit", figuratively speaking? Is there anything in the case between Tsuburaya and Chiayo that would point to a possible conclusion to this matter? :confused:

BCI seems to have some assuredness, and in this instance it looks like to me, Tsuburaya will not stop the second release to complete the series.

It was mentioned in a prior Henshin Online article that Tsuburaya could release whatever series now (to whomever production studio will take on getting a license from them), but are waiting for the outcome of the court case. Which to me, if that is the case, you (being Tsuburaya) could have released things in spite of what was happening. To me its like "what do you have to loose?". You are the creator right? So this is going to be an interesting situation here, and the Chaiyo copy may not be "legit" according to some fans, but according to retail, its a "legal sale". This isn't like some of the shops in Hong Kong or Singapore where they may be illegal market DVDs. We have Wal-Mart and other vendors selling these Chaiyo releases, and they (places like Tower Records) have been selling Chaiyo Ultraman action figures. Remember I did a thread back last year about them. That I bought the orginal Ultraman and UltraMother. Though it was revealed they were old, but still Chaiyo has been introducing things here for some time "Ultra" related, due to their merchandising rights.

One might could wonder, could DVDs in some sort of way fall under "merchandising"? I am no lawyer, but its an interesting situation going on.

Timothy2035

07-30-2006, 08:24 PM

I wonder what is next on the Chaiyo release menu after the 2nd volume releases? Will they do UltraSeven or go on to maybe Ultraman Jack?

Peacehammer

09-04-2006, 07:33 AM

Timothy2035

09-04-2006, 01:36 PM

Can't find a better forum than this for Ultraman! Hope someone out there can help.

I'm looking for a poster that shows ALL the Ultramen from Hiyata to as current as possible. I've googled the heck out of this search. I found one but I'm looking for others.

Anyone out there have any leads?

Hello Peacehammer and welcome.

We are primarily a Godzilla and Toho monsters related forum. We talk about Ultraman as it has Eiji Tsuburaya in both the Ultraman and Godzilla universes as a key creative founder, and the premise is pretty much the same, GIANTS rule.

If you are looking for a poster featuring all the men and even a lady for that matter, who were selected to be the "next Ultraman", then I suggest you seek around at Ultraman Lah forums and web site. They are 100% Ultra-Man and most every thing Ultra related can be found within that circle. I used to have a poster that was given to me by one of the admins a year or so back that featured the Ultramans from Showa era to more 90ish times. This was the "transformed versions" and not the "human versions". It showed height comparisons in color. It was nice, but I lost it in a file transfer before sending my computer back to the manufacturer for some motherboard adjustments.

We are always glad to see new faces, and we do have a couple other threads Ultraman related here. Like for instance: Official Ultraman Discussion and Tsuburaya versus Chaiyo: Legal Battle thread.

Thanks for posting, and perhaps you will express some of your fandom regarding the daikaiju and tokusatsu icons. :)

Again welcome!

gvamp

09-04-2006, 02:01 PM

A better Ultraman forum you ask

Ulraman Lah! (http://www.ultramanlah.com/) is a excellent source for all things Ultraman I myself am just storing to explore the wonders of Ultraman so I don't know very much as for the poster you seek I don't think one exists but there is still hope you can have someone that is excellent with Photoshop make it for you I would assume.

Timothy2035

09-24-2006, 04:26 AM

UPDATE FOR SEPTEMBER 24, 2006

I had written by email to find out when would the second volume of the first Ultraman series would release. I got a reply back a couple of weeks ago. I had been trying to find out if it was going to release in October as gvamp had mentioned. Well that wasn't the case, but I was given the month of release in the reply email by the BCI representative.

Checking tonight at 2 of my usual spots, I found out that it is indeed scheduled for the same month reported to me in the email.

It looks as if the court case is of none-effect, and it most likely will not be an impact for America at all. It's not that far off actually.

So what does this mean for Tsuburaya Productions in Japan...time will only tell.

It gives a signal that other Showa Ultraman and Ultra related shows will be coming as well

Meaning....

UltraSeven
Ultraman Jack
Ultraman Ace
Ultraman Taro
Ultraman Leo

Out of these 5, UltraSeven is the only one I know that got an English language dubb. The other shows I don't recall airing in America, so any dubs done will be all new or either English subtitled.