ULTRAMAN ARCHIVES Ultraman MovieNEX [Blu-ray]

[Ultraman 55th Anniversary Release] The history of Ultraman began here!

◆In 1966, "Ultraman" recorded a peak audience rating of 42.8% upon its broadcast.

Its unparalleled, original worldview and richly creative story captivated viewers and made it a huge hit.

◆More than half a century later, it continues to be beloved.

In 2021, "Shin Ultraman," planned and written by Hideaki Anno and directed by Shinji Higuchi, is scheduled for theatrical release, and this film will focus on its origin story.

◆Further remastering from the previously released Blu-ray master. Film grain has been removed for even clearer images.

[Content Description] [Story] The M78 Nebula people, who are being escorted by the space monster Bemular, crash into a VTOL mini-Beetle carrying patrol member Hayata of the Science Special Search Party. The alien unites with the mortally injured Hayata, sharing his life with him and vowing to work for peace on Earth. He usually confronts monsters as Hayata, but in times of crisis, he transforms into Ultraman and engages in fierce combat.

◆Episode 1 "Ultra Operation No. 1"◆Episode 2 "Shoot the Invaders"◆Episode 3 "Science Patrol, Deploy!"◆Episode 4 "Five Seconds to the Big Explosion"◆Episode 5 "The Secret of Miroganda"◆Episode 6 "Coast Guard Order"◆Episode 7 "Barrage's Blue Stone"◆ Episode 8 "Monster Lawless Zone"◆Episode 9 "Lightning-Fast Operation"◆Episode 10 "The Mysterious Dinosaur Base"◆Episode 11 "The Rogue from Space"◆Episode 12 "The Mummy's Cry"◆Episode 13 "Oil SOS"◆Episode Episode 14 "Pearl Shell Defense Order" ◆ Episode 15 "The Terrifying Cosmic Rays" ◆ Episode 16 "The Science Patrol Into Space" ◆ Episode 17 "Passport to Infinity" ◆ Episode 18 "Brothers from Planet X" ◆ Episode 19 "The Devil Returns" ◆ Episode 20 "Terrifying Route 87" ◆ Episode 21 "Break Through the Smoke" ◆ Episode 22 "Ground Sabotage" ◆ Episode 23 "Home is Earth" ◆ Episode 24 "Undersea Science Base" ◆ Episode 25 "The Mysterious Comet Typhon" ◆ Episode 26 "His Majesty the Monster" ◆Episode 27 "Monster Prince: Part 1" ◆Episode 28 "Human Specimens 5 & 6" ◆Episode 29 "Challenge to the Underground" ◆Episode 30 "The Phantom Snow Mountain" ◆Episode 31 "Who's Coming?" ◆Episode 32 "Endless Counterattack" ◆ Episode 33 "Forbidden Words" ◆Episode 34 "Gift from the Sky" ◆Episode 35 "Monster Graveyard" ◆Episode 36 "Don't Shoot! Arashi!" ◆Episode 37 "The Little Hero" ◆Episode 38 "Spaceship Rescue Order" ◆Episode 39 (Final Episode) "Farewell, Ultraman" ◎In addition to all 39 episodes, this DVD also includes "Premium Talk," an unprecedented collection of testimonies from a total of 69 people.

※"TSUBURAYA MovieNEX" is a package that combines Blu-ray Disc with streaming functionality for playback on mobile devices and PCs.

[Special Content/Bonus] [Video Bonus] *Premium Disc ■Premium Talk "Ultra Revolution 1966: The Advent of a Giant Hero: Its Creation and Impact" An unprecedented collection of "testimonies" from 69 people. Valuable interviews (some audio recordings) with staff and actors looking back on the production, plus cultural figures who loved and were influenced by Ultraman, discuss the "creation and impact" of the series. ★Includes an unreleased interview with the late Shozo Uehara.

[Chapter 01: Project] A project that reexamines "Ultra Q," the show that sparked the monster boom, and introduces the "Science Patrol," an organization tasked with tackling monsters.

Tetsuo Kinjo's ideas went from "Bemular" to "Redman" and then to "Ultraman."

[Chapter 02: Hero] The evolution of hero design. Furthermore, how the heroes were conceived. Shozo Uehara, Teruko Yamada, and Toshihiro Iijima discuss the Okinawan folklore of Tetsuo Kinjo's hometown, "Nirai Kanai" and "Marebito."

[Chapter 03: Ultraman] How was the giant hero character established on set? Through the testimonies of Toshihiro Iijima and Satoshi Furuya, we learn how the family heirloom, the "Specium Ray," was born!

[Chapter 04: Science Patrol] The Science Patrol's biggest concern was the color of their uniforms. Toshihiro Iijima, who directed the first three episodes, developed the characters of the five members. This well-balanced team formed the backbone of the drama.

[Chapter 05: Screenplay] Conventional and counter-plot/straight ball and curveball. The storylines of the 39 episodes are diverse. Kinjo had an overall view of the entire production and made his orders. However, the first episode, which he commissioned from his mentor, Shinichi Sekizawa, proved difficult...

[Chapter 06: Direction] Ultraman monsters are more than just villains. The free-spirited imagination of the director and screenwriters led to a variety of approaches. Look back on this unique work with a re-recorded audio interview between Akio Jissoji and Mamoru Sasaki.

[Chapter 07: ULTRAMAN ARCHIVES Feature Episodes] In addition to Premium Talk digests of Episode 2 "Shoot the Invaders" (on sale now), Episode 23 "Home is Earth" (on sale now), Episode 37 "The Little Hero" (on sale December 16th), and Episode 30 "The Phantom Snow Mountain" (on sale January 20th, 2021), there's also a Spider-Shot talk with Santaro Dokumamushi!

[Chapter 08: Cinematography, Lighting, and Special Effects] Kazuo Sagawa's trial and error in pursuit of a realistic 40-meter-tall figure. The secrets of Baltan's "duplicate special effects," conceived by Toshihiro Iijima and created by Koichi Takano and Minoru Nakano. Testimony from Yoshihiro Mori, who filmed the episode directed by Eiji.

[Chapter 9: Special Effects Art] Senkatsu Iketani, Masayuki Goto, Fuyuki Shinada, and Toshio Miike discuss the essence of Toru Narita's designs. Tsuguzo Murase discusses the materiality of Wu's fur. Iketani, Shinichi Wakasa, Nori Sawaragi, and others discuss Takayama Ryosaku's design.

[Chapter 10: Music] Exploring the behind-the-scenes story of theme songs and soundtracks through conversations with Kunio Miyauchi in his younger days, including unreleased footage. What was the appeal of music to Miyauchi? Hirohiko Fukuda, who also worked on Tsuburaya Productions films, analyzes Miyauchi's sound.

[Chapter 11: Script & Editing] Testimonials from female scriptwriters who oversaw the intense, often dangerous, production. Kondo Hisashi, who was seconded from Toho to Tsuburaya Productions as an editor, unexpectedly reprised his voiceover duties for the first episode of Ultraman!

[Chapter 12: Narration] Koji Ishizaka discusses the role of storytellers and the early days of television. Hikaru Urano, who replaced him mid-air, re-records an unforgettable episode from the broadcast. Ishizaka also suggests an interesting way to watch the show.

[Chapter 13: ULTRA POWER WORD] "Ultraman": The passion, beliefs, and ingenuity of the original members of the team as they created this giant hero. And the hero whose message lives on in today's creators and intellectuals who received it...

■Unreleased Behind-the-Scenes Footage 8mm film footage shot by those involved at the time has been unearthed... A never-before-seen glimpse into the filming set! With the cooperation of: Chiharu Tonmiya, Tadahiro Iemura, and Yuji Nishimura

■Ultraman Chocolate Commercial With the cooperation of: Toshiaki Sato and Yuji Nishimura

[Audio Bonus] 5.1ch Version Episodes 2, 7, 11, 16, 19, 22, 25, 30, 33, and 37

[Other Bonuses] Script Playback Function (Includes original script data)

[Staff and Cast] Captain Muramatsu: Shoji Kobayashi Officer Hayata: Kurobe Susumu Team Arashi: Ikichi Ishii (now Santaro Dokumamushi) Team Ide: Masaya Nihei Team Fuji Akiko: Hiroko Sakurai Narrator: Koji Ishizaka and others [Publisher] Tsuburaya Productions

[Credits] (C) Tsuburaya Productions

*This product does not include the autographed photo by Bin Furuya.