Ultraman Taro

Ultraman Taro (ウルトラマンT(タロウ), Urutoraman Tarō) is the sixth show in the Ultra Series. Produced by Tsuburaya Productions, the series aired on Tokyo Broadcasting System from April 7, 1973, to April 6, 1974, with a total of 53 episodes.

Ultraman Taro
Title card
Genre	Tokusatsu Kaiju Superhero Science fiction Action/Adventure Kyodai Hero
Created by	Tsuburaya Productions
Developed by	Shigemitsu Taguchi
Directed by	Eizo Yamagiwa
Starring	Saburō Shinoda Takahiko Tōno Yumi Asakama
Composers	Masanobu Higurashi Montparnasse 2000 Toru Fuyuki
Country of origin	Japan
No. of episodes	53
Production
Running time	24 minutes (per episode)
Distributor	Krantz Films
Release
Original network	TBS
Original release	April 7, 1973 – April 6, 1974
Chronology
Preceded by	Ultraman Ace
Followed by	Ultraman Leo

Taro is one of the most typical masculine names in otogi-banashi (Japanese fairy tales). According to the producer, Ultraman Taro was imagined as "the fairy tale in the Ultra Series". This show along with Jumborg Ace and Fireman were all made to celebrate Tsuburaya Productions' 10th anniversary.

Plot

Kotaro Higashi is a wanderer who joined ZAT during his return to Japan, but his aircraft crashed and died from severe burns while fighting Astromons. The Five Ultra Brothers brought Kotaro's body to their home world of Nebula M-78 as Mother of Ultra warped him with the Brothers' own light, turning Kōtarō into Ultraman Taro, who would now form the Six Ultra Brothers. Kotaro was taken back to Earth and defeated the aforementioned monster as his first opponent.[1] Many foes were found that would threaten the Earth, but Taro and ZAT defeated them time and time again with occasional help from the other five Ultra Brothers and from the weaklings of monsters only Taro could defeat. During Taro's era, Birdon killed him and Zoffy but Taro was revived and killed the bird monster. After Samekujira's death, Kotaro declared his intention to continue as a human and returned the Ultra Badge back to the Mother of Ultra. Valky would return to hunt the now-human Kotaro but the latter used his own skills and quick thinking to kill the alien by luring him to an oil refinery. The series ended with ZAT bidding farewell to Kotaro as he left for parts unknown.

In the original series, Ultraman Taro was meant to be Kotaro's transformed form (while the Ultra Brothers and Mother and Father of Ultra were regarded as his non-blood family members), which explained his absence in Ultraman Leo.[1] The Ultraman Story movie in 1984 would retcon this into providing a story of Taro being raised on the Land of Light, with Mother and Father of Ultra being his biological parents and his training was shown before he left for Earth.

Cast

• Kotaro Higashi (東 光太郎, Higashi Kōtarō): Saburō Shinoda (篠田三郎, Shinoda Saburō)[1][2]
• Yūtarō Asahina (朝日奈 勇太郎, Asahina Yūtarō, 1-8, 10, 35, 51, 53): Akira Nagoya (名古屋 章, Nagoya Akira)[1][2]
• Shūhei Aragaki (荒垣 修平, Aragaki Shūhei, 1-34, 36-50): Takahiko Tōno (東野 孝彦, Tōno Takahiko)[1][2]
• Tadao Nanbara (南原 忠男, Nanbara Tadao): Toyoyuki Kimura (木村 豊幸, Kimura Toyoyuki)[1][2]
• Jirō Nishida (西田 次郎, Nishida Jirō): Kiyotaka Mitsugi (三ツ木 清隆, Mitsugi Kiyotaka)[1][2]
• Izumi Moriyama (森山 いずみ, Moriyama Izumi): Kiyoko Matsuya (松谷 紀代子, Matsuya Kiyoko)[1][2]
• Lady in Green (緑のおばさん, Midori no Obasan)/Mother of Ultra (ウルトラの母, Urutora no Haha, Voice): Peggy Hayama (ペギー 葉山, Pegī Hayama)[1][2]
• Tetsuya Kitajima (北島 哲也, Kitajima Tetsuya): Hidesuke Tsumura (津村 秀祐, Tsumura Hidesuke)[1]
• Takashi Ueno (上野 孝, Ueno Takashi, 8-30, 33-35): Akihiko Nishijima (西島 明彦, Nishijima Akihiko)[1]
• Kazumi Nitani (二谷 一美, Nitani Kazumi): Noboru Mitani (三谷 昇, Mitani Noboru)[1]
• Saori Shiratori (白鳥 さおり, Shiratori Saori): Mayumi Asaka (あさか まゆみ, Asaka Mayumi), Keiko Ono (小野 恵子, Ono Keiko)[1]
• Kenichi Shiratori (白鳥 健一, Shiratori Ken'ichi): Shinya Saitō (斎藤 信也, Saitō Shin'ya)[1]
• Narrator: Tetsurō Sagawa (瑳川 哲朗, Sagawa Tetsurō), Akira Nagoya[1]

Episodes

1. The Ultra Mother is Like the Sun
2. At That Moment the Ultra Mother Was
3. The Ultra Mother Always
4. Big Sea Turtle Monsters Attack Tokyo!
5. Parent Star, Child Star, First Star
6. Jewels are the Monster's Fodder!
7. Heaven and Hell Island Has Moved!
8. Dead Spirits of the Man-Eating Marsh
9. The Day That Tokyo Crumbles
10. The Fang Cross is a Monster's Grave!
11. The Blood-Sucking Flower is Young Girl's Spirit
12. Monster's Solo Journey
13. The Monster's Cavity Hurts!
14. Taro's Head Got Chopped Off!
15. Young Girl of the Blue Will-o-the-Wisp
16. The Monster's Flute Sounds Ocariyan
17. Two Big Monsters Close in on Taro!
18. Zoffy Died! Taroh Died Too!
19. The Ultra Mother Miracle of Love!)
20. Surprise! A Monster Came Raining Down
21. Tokyo Newtown Sinking
22. The Wrath of a Child-Carrying Monster!
23. Gentle Daddy Monster!
24. This is the Land of Ultra!
25. Burn on! The Six Ultra Brothers
26. I Can Conquer Monsters Too!
27. He's Out! It's Mephirian!
28. Monster Eleking Barks at the Full Moon!
29. Bemstar Resurrected! Taro Absolutely Expires!
30. Counterattack! The Monster Army
31. Danger! Lying Poison Mushroom
32. A Nipping Wind Monster! Matasaburoh of the Wind
33. Five Seconds Before the Great Explosion of the Land of Ultra!
34. The Last Day of the Six Ultra Brothers!
35. Certain Kill! Taro's One Blow of Rage!
36. Coward! The Bride Cried
37. Monster, Return to Your Homeland!
38. The Ultra Christmas Tree
39. Ultra Father and Son Big Mochi-Making Strategy
40. Go Beyond the Ultra Brothers!
41. Mother's Wish - A Mid-Winter Cherry-Blossom Blizzard
42. The Phantom Mother is a Monster User!
43. Pickle the Monster with Salt!
44. Oh! Taro is Being Eaten!
45. She Was Wearing Red Shoes...
46. The White Rabbit is a Bad Guy!
47. The Monster Master
48. Monster Girl's Festival
49. Sing! Monster Big Match
50. The Monster Sign is V
51. The Ultra Father and the Bride Have Come
52. Steal the Ultra Life!
53. Farewell Taro! The Ultra Mother!

Songs

Opening song

• Ultraman Taro (ウルトラマンタロウ, Urutoraman Tarō)
  • Lyrics: Yū Aku (阿久 悠, Aku Yū)
  • Composition and arrangement: Makoto Kawaguchi (川口 真, Kawaguchi Makoto)
  • Artist: Tarō Takemura (武村 太郎, Takemura Tarō), Mizuumi Boys & Girls Chorus (少年少女合唱団みずうみ, Shōnen Shōjo Gasshōdan Mizūmi)

Insert songs

• "Ultra Roku Kyodai" (ウルトラ六兄弟, Urutora Roku Kyōdai, lit. "Ultra 6 Brothers")
  • Lyrics: Yū Aku
  • Composition & Arrangement: Makoto Kawaguchi
  • Artist: Ryōichi Fukuzawa (武村 太郎, Fukuzawa Ryōichi), Mizuumi Boys and Girls Choir
  • Episodes 18, 25, 33 and 34

Other appearances

Home media

In July 2019, Mill Creek Entertainment announced that it had acquired most of the Ultraman library from Tsuburaya Productions through Indigo Entertainment, including 1,100 episodes and 20 films.[3] The series is scheduled to be released on Blu-ray and digital on January 12, 2021 in standard and steelbook sets.[4]

In July 2020, Shout! Factory announced to have struck a multi-year deal with Alliance Entertainment and Mill Creek, with the blessings of Tsuburaya and Indigo, that granted them the exclusive SVOD and AVOD digital rights to the Ultra series and films (1,100 episodes and 20 film) acquired by Mill Creek the previous year. Ultraman Taro, amongst other titles, will stream in the United States and Canada through Shout! Factory TV and Tokushoutsu.[5]

References

1. "ウルトラマンタロウ　Blu-ray Box（特装限定版）" (in Japanese). Bandai Visual. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
2. "HDリマスター「ウルトラマンタロウ Blu-ray BOX」堂々の発売決定！" (in Japanese). m-78.jp. 2017-07-18. Retrieved 2019-05-03.
3. "Exclusive – Mill Creek Entertainment Acquires the Ultraman Library For Physical and Digital Home Entertainment Distribution Across North America". SciFi Japan. July 10, 2019. Archived from the original on July 12, 2019. Retrieved July 11, 2019.
4. "Mill Creek Entertainment To Drop Ultraman Taro SteelBook And Standard Blu-ray Release January 12, 2021!". SciFi Japan. October 22, 2020. Archived from the original on December 14, 2020. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
5. Patrick Frater (July 10, 2020). "Shout! Factory Strikes 'Ultraman' Digital Distribution Deal With Mill Creek". Variety. Archived from the original on December 13, 2020. Retrieved December 13, 2020.