Product Description

Created by special effects wizard Eiji Tsuburaya (GODZILLA MOTHRA), the 1960s television series ULTRAMAN remains one of Japan s most beloved science-fiction exports. Airing between 1966 and 1967 with a total of 39 episodes the live-action series followed a high-tech police force and their robot superhero Ultraman as they battled to save Earth from invading monsters and aliens. This collection presents the complete series in original uncut andremastered editions. Starring AKIJI KOBAYASHI as Captain Cap Toshio Muramatsu, SUSUMO KUROBE as Shin Hayata, AKIHIKO HIRATA as Professor Iwamoto, MASANARI NIHEI as Mitsuhiro Ide, and HIROKO SAKURAI as Akiko Fuji.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1342 in DVD
• Brand: DUB
• Released on: 2009-09-29
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Box set, Color, Dubbed, DVD, NTSC, Original recording remastered, Subtitled
• Original language: Japanese
• Subtitled in: English
• Dubbed in: English
• Number of discs: 4
• Running time: 840 minutes

Features

• ULTRAMAN: THE COMPLETE SERIES (DVD MOVIE)

Customer Reviews

Wow! What a price reduction for this 60's gem!
Having re-watched these little jewels from the 60's, I can sum it up for the perspective viewer like this: If you watched this show as a child, you loved it and you're now reading these reviews debating on whether or not to rent it, I say "Get It Now", you simply won't be disappointed. You won't be disappointed. We all watched these episodes on first pass in Black & White, on small television screens with little circular UHF antennas, what you will now see will blow that away. In color you say? They are just an absolute blast to watch again after almost 40 years, they are that much fun. You won't be disappointed. Since we've all seen the episodes, the true enjoyment from this set comes in the form of the DVD extras and alternate audio sound tracks. As others have mentioned, watching it in the original Japanese language with English subtitles is just too cool. You get a sense of how the episodes first appeared in 1967. Even more cool is watching in English with the English subtitles turned on. The difference in what was originally written in Japanese vs. what was dubbed in English is very surprising to say the least. It is very interesting and often has a more mature almost serious tone to the episodes especially the Ultraman origin episode (no spoilers here). I'm not looking for the secret director's cut of "Revenge Of The Sith" or the 20th anniversary version of "Robocop" here, I want Ultraman. I want 40 year old Japanese television at it's best and all the insight I can gather about it as a viewing adult. With that in mind, you will thoroughly enjoy it and won't be disappointed. I promise!

Great price but the sacrifice is the DVD packaging.
This review is for the Complete Series 4 DVD set released in 2009, not the 6 DVD set released in 2008. Since this is my first Ultraman DVD set, I am not sure if the quality suffers be squeezing all episodes from 6 DVDs to 4 DVDs.

The DVD case is a double-wide DVD case, but there are no spindles/holders. The 4 DVDs are each put in a black paper sleeve and are stacked on top of each other. The sleeves don't move around because they are "held" in place by a square shaped molding on the inside of the DVD case.

I was very surprised by this packaging because I have dozens of DVD television sets and have never seen a set packaged like this. For the price (I paid $10.99 free shipping), I am okay with it, but just be prepared that is a bare-bones budget set.

5 stars for the show, 3 stars for the packaging.

It's Like Being 8-Years-Old All Over Again
First things first...I've seen some of the audio comments (English dubbing intercut with Japanese subtitles) made for this release and the one back in 2006. Think of your favorite syndicated show. You know having watched the original that some scenes get cut in syndication. Now, think of Ultraman in that same vein, only it was already in "syndication" when it reached our shores way back. So, when the complete, original episodes are released on DVD, they include original, Japanese-only scenes which WERE NEVER DUBBED IN ENGLISH. However, to be a complete episode, they are still inlcuded.

Now, on with the review. After occasionally catching a Power Ranger show a few years back, I knew that I would need to steer my young son clear of this influence (the kids are always fighting and sarcastic with each other.) Anyway, my comment in seeing the "power" rangers would be, "Ultraman could defeat these guys." My boy became curious as to who I was talking about, and when the Ultraman DVDs were released back in 2006, I was able to show him.

Talk about the memories that this show rekindles. The first time the show's theme song began to play, I got chills. I was immediately taken back to my grandmother's house in rural Pennsylvania (we didn't get Ultraman in Texas in the '70s.) I watched a few episodes with my son and I could still recall some of the details in the story line that I hadn't seen for thirty years. Over time, I have managed to find Ultraman action figures that my son loves, and even a beta capsule that makes the familiar sound.

I bought this latest release because over the three years, nephews have managed to scratch the older DVDs. Now, each one will have their own set for Christmas (hard to beat at this price.)

If you remember Ultraman as he was, your memory will probably be stirred by this set. If you are new to the original Ultraman, you'll have to dial back your current expectation level of special effects and sound quality, but hopefully you will still be able to appreciate the presentation of how things were in the almost forty years ago.

I used this series to springboard my son's exposure to the Godzilla movies of the '60s and '70s. Enjoy.