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 in 1966 and 1967 with a total of 39 episodes the l... more »ive-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 last 19 episodes in original uncut and remastered editions.DVD Features:19 episodes on 3 discsKajiu (monster) EncyclopediaTwo collectible cards featuring Ultraman's foes8-page bookletFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: SCI-FI/FANTASY Rating: NR UPC: 787364702893« less
"If you watch these dvd's you will notice that while watching the English version, ocasionally it will automatically change to Japanese...I was like what the heck is this about. I thought I had defective dvd's. I wrote the company that released them and this is what they told me. The versions that were sent to them were in bad shape and much shorter than what is actually on each disc the way they are now. When they switch from English to Japanese, this is becuase these were added scenes that were originally not there when they were received. Since these shows are from the 60's, and obviously these are not in production any more, there's no way they can loop the new scenes.
So you pretty much just have to take them as is and enjoy them. These scenes were not contained in the original US release apparently.
I'd reather have them longer with Japanese than shorter, chopped up versions.
So just enjoy them everyone.
Gabe de Kelaita
gabe@star-wars.net
http://www.myspace.com/ilmer1
PS Volume 2 is set to be released November 7th 2006. We need to remember that this series is 40 years old this year. Not everyone can afford or maybe some studios are just too cheap to spend 10 to 20 million dollars on restoration of prints al la George Lucas with Star Wars.
We have to take it for what it is.
Just enjoy them. We're lucky that we have something decent on dvd. I know the audio problems are bad, but trust me, if the original makers were around, then maybe they could work their magic and fix the issue. But I'm sure Ultraman has several owners now and are not filthy rich to restore these things. Or are they?
"
Watch It In Japanese
amsterdamaged | 12/28/2006
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I originally watched series 1 in dubbed English, because its the way I remembered it as a kid. And like many, I though my DVD player was broken because it reverts to Japanese periodically. Well, the novelty wore off and I started watching the episodes in the same manner that I watch foreign films, in the original language with subtitles.
And I'm glad I did. The sound quality, particularly on volume 2, is far better than the dubbed English track. You even get a fairly good simulated surround sound if you have a home theatre. Most importantly, the acting and dialogue comes off as much more serious and not nearly as cheesy or condescending. The show is much more enjoyable."
What a joy!
WKT | Knoxville, TN United States | 07/05/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"It's great to be able to watch these shows again! I lived in Japan in the mid-to late 60's and obviously watched Ultraman then along with all the other great Japanese TV shows of the time. I never thought I would be able to see Ultraman again-but even at 45+ I still enjoy watching them. Yes I suppose I'm going through a second childhood--but who care I'm going to enjoy every minute of this boxed set!! Highly recommended to kids today-even with all their high tech distractions kids really seem to like this show."
Suwatch! We love Ultraman!
Debra Benevides | 01/19/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I loved it when I was a kid and now my kids love it, too! Hayata is brave and handsome. My little girls all want to marry him. Ito is funny and silly. Aroshi is a great sharp-shooter. Fuji is smart and nice. Captain Mura is always in control. We laugh when it occasionally lapses into Japanese for no apparent reason. We gasp when Ultraman's light starts flashing. It's just as good as I remember it.
I only have one complaint: if you put the captions on, it sometimes translates into some bad words. The actors aren't saying any cuss words, but it will show them on the screen! So, if your kids aren't reading yet, it won't matter. But if they are you might want to turn off those captions!"
There are NO sound problems on these disks!!!
Mark S. Metzler | Orlando, FL | 10/11/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"People,
There are NO sound problems with these disks, meaning it is not a "defect" that the language sometimes changes to japanese. When this happens, it is because those are ADDED SCENES, not presented in the original United States television series. Therefore, just enjoy the bonus feature of having extra footage."