Ultraman Cosmos
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| Ultraman Cosmos | |
|---|---|
 Vol.2 DVD cover |
|
| Genre | Superhero action/adventure |
| Running time | 24 minutes (per episode) |
| Creator(s) | Tsuburaya Productions |
| Starring | Sugiura Taiyou |
| Opening theme | Spirit by Project DMM |
| Ending theme | Ultraman Cosmos~Kimi ni Dekiru Nani Ka by Project DMM Kokoro no Kizuna by Project DMM |
| Country of origin | Japan |
| Original channel | TBS |
| Original run | July 7, 2001–September 28, 2002 |
| No. of episodes | 65 |
Ultraman Cosmos (ウルトラマンコスモス - Urutoraman Kosumosu) is a Japanese tokusatsu TV show being the 16th show in the Ultra Series. Produced by Tsuburaya Productions, Ultraman Cosmos was aired between July 7, 2001 to July 20, 2002, with a total of 65 episodes.
Contents |
[edit] Plot
A kinder, gentler Ultra hero released in the summer of 2001 to coincide with the 35th anniversary of the original Ultraman. The launch of the TV show is quickly followed by a feature film prequel, and is the first time for an Ultra movie and TV series to be so closely linked. Following recent trends, Cosmos is another type-changing Ultraman, with the all-blue Luna and asymmetrical red and blue Corona modes. The modes represent a "gentle" side and a "strong" side, respectively. Later in the series, Cosmos also develops the "courageous" Eclipse mode, with a symmetrical blue, red, and gold design. The series was extended to 65 episodes, which makes it the longest-running in the franchise to date, although it was briefly canceled due to the arrest of the main actor for a crime he didn't commit.
This series is preceded by the feature film Ultraman Cosmos: The First Contact. The TV series takes place eight years after the events in the movie, when monsters are once again plaguing humanity. Now Musashi is a 19-year-old young man. He joins a wing of SRC known as Team EYES. Musashi encounters Cosmos again, and the two merge to defend the Earth.
The recurring villain in this series is the Chaos Header, a virus that either infects monsters or replicates them, creating a more violent and aggressive version. Lidoriass, Golmédé, Clevergon, and even Ultraman Cosmos himself. Usually, you can distinguish the original monster from the infected monster because the infected one has "Chaos" as a prefix in its name and has a head with a lot more junk on it. This series has a lot of monsters that pay homage to monsters from the past. The Baltans are the most blatant example. Golmédé and Lidoriass are similar to Gomess and Litra in episode 1 of Ultra Q. There is also Supittol (with head-covering armored petals around his neck like Gabora of Ultraman episode 9), Gigi (with distinct black and white lines and three faces like Dada of Ultraman episode 28) and Mienin and Gamoran (like the perennial favorites, Pigmon and Garamon, respectively).
This series is followed by the feature film, Ultraman Cosmos: The Blue Planet, in which Cosmos gains a couple of new modes (Space Corona and Skeleton Corona). This in turn is followed by Ultraman Cosmos vs. Ultraman Justice: The Final Battle.
[edit] Ultraman Cosmos Stats
- Height: 47 meters
- Weight: 42,000 tons
- Modes: Luna (default), Corona, Eclipse.
- Post-series modes: Space Corona, Skeleton Corona (Phantom Cosmos), and Future.
- Human Form: Musashi Haruno (a boy in the movie, which is a prelude to the TV show, which takes place 8 years later when he is a man)
- Transformation Item: Cosmo Pluck
[edit] Cosmos Modes
[edit] Luna Mode
The blue and silver Luna Mode is Cosmos' default state. In Luna Mode, he never wounds or hurts opponents. He is a forgiving giant who tries to pacify enemies rather than destroy them. His many special powers are for doing things like blocking and defending himself and others. The center of the top of Cosmos' head is crowned with a crescent-shaped fin, which is decorated in front by a small blue lamp known as the "Moony Spot."
The Luna default represents Cosmos' pacifist essence, and shows that he is by nature a peaceful "dove". "Like the tender light of the moon, a blue giant of gentleness." The overall effect is that he herds around monsters and comes across more like an intergalactic zookeeper than a warrior.
- Atmospheric Flight Speed: mach 7
- Running Speed: mach 2
- Aquatic Speed: mach 1
- Subterranean Speed: mach 1.2
- Jumping Height: 1000 meters
- Luna Abilities:
- Luna Shootless: Takes away the energy of his opponent.
- Reverse Spike: Shoots back an enemy's weapon.
- Full-Moon Rect: Calming Ray.
- Luna mode can deflect all enemy attacks by spinning rapidly.
[edit] Corona Mode
Should the need arise, Cosmos can switch to the red, blue, and silver Corona Mode. It is used to combat hopelessly intractable foes who cannot be swayed from aggression and must not be forgiven. In this "super combat" Mode, he has increased power and speed and has many weapons. The swirling color patterns on Corona's body are designed asymmetrically, which is rare for an Ultra. Unlike all previous type-changing Ultras, Cosmos' head design changes when he switches between modes. Some dents appear on his forehead in Corona Mode, and a horizontal crease appears from the tops of his ears to above his eyes. The crescent fin is now wedge-shaped, and it is decorated in front by an oblong red gem known as the "Sunny Spot."
However, since Luna Mode is his default, it is clear that Cosmos is still at heart a pacifist. It is not his true will to destroy his enemies. He will try to resolve conflicts in Luna Mode before having to resort to Corona Mode.
- Atmospheric Flight Speed: mach 9
- Running Speed: mach 2.5
- Aquatic Speed: mach 1.5
- Subterranean Speed: mach 2
- Jumping Height: 1200 meters
- Corona Weapons:
- Naybuster Ray: His primary weapon.
- Rage Whipper
- Blazing Wave: A wave of fire.
- Prominence Ball: A fireball.
[edit] Eclipse Mode
Introduced in episode 30, this third form of Ultraman Cosmos represents Cosmos' courageous side. He is a red, blue, silver, and gold giant, with a symmetrical design. The yellow that covers his chest and shoulders represents courage. The yellow gem on his fin is known as the "Pluck Spot."
Eclipse Mode is "Like the overflowing flare of when sun and moon overlap in an 'annular solar eclipse,' a mysterious giant" ('annular' means forming or shaped like a ring).
- Atmospheric Flight Speed (Eclipse Fly): Mach 16
- Running Speed (Eclipse Run: Mach 3
- Aquatic Speed (Eclipse Swim): Mach 2
- Subterranean Speed (Eclipse Drill): Mach 1.5
- Jumping Height (Eclipse Jump): 2200 m
- Grasping Strength (Eclipse Power): 80,000 tons
- Eclipse Weapons:
- Goldenlight Barrier
- Cosmium Beam: Cosmos' ultimate Ultra beam.
- Eclipse Blade: a moon-shaped sword of light.
[edit] EYES Members
EYES stands for Elite Young Expert Squadron.
- Captain Hiura
- Fubuki
- Musashi
- Deputy-Captain Shinobu
- Ayano
- Doigaki
Team EYES has aircraft known as Tecch Thunders. The Tecch Thunders have core modules onto which parts can be combined to create four variations. The EYES is a bit of a pun. In Japanese, it is pronounced JI AIZU. "AI" means love, and "JI-AI" is a more profound form of benevolent love. Later, Tech Spinners are introduced. Their car is known as the Shepherd (note that the car that serves as its base is a 100% electric vehicle).
[edit] Other Characters
- Julie/Ultraman Justice: A mysterious woman who can transform into an Ultra. She sometimes acts as either rival or ally. In Ultraman Cosmos vs. Ultraman Justice, Justice and Cosmos fuse together to form Ultraman Legend.
[edit] Movie Teams
- Defense Army (Sharks) -- Commander Shigemura (Cosmos 1)
- SRC (Scientific Research Circle) -- Captain Akatsuki, Raiden, Kyohko, Icninose, Kido, Sakaguchi (Cosmos 1)
- Team SEA -- Captain Kido, Hyuhga, Makabe, Kanoh (Cosmos 2)
[edit] Trivia
- Cosmos' gentle/strong dichotomy is a result of the recent trend of juvenile violence in Japan. Tsuburaya Productions is focusing on a sensitivity toward the influence of media on children. Let's hope that TPC skillfully implements this policy in such a way that it does not degrade the quality of storytelling. It is truly ironic that Takayasu Sugiura (the actor who portrays Musashi) was arrested for accusations of battery and extortion as the series was ending its broadcast run (fortunately, the accusations ended up to be mostly false).
- Tsuburaya Productions sent a lot of postcards to Ultra fans at the beginning of the new year. On the back of the postcard is a little red stamp mark of a flower that the Japanese call a "cosmos." Probably Tsuburaya Productions thought this was a clever little pun (and they seem to reinforce it by referring to Earth as the "star of flower and green"), but it didn't help to douse the rumors that initially spread like wildfire among Japanese fans that Ultraman Cosmos was either female or gay.
- Toshihiro Ihjima directs the Cosmos movie. He directed many of the original Ultraman's episodes, including episode 2 and 16, which were the first two times the Baltans invaded the Earth.
- Cosmos' TV series premiere, July 7, 2001, is the 100th birthday of the original Ultraman's creator, the late Eiji Tsuburaya, as well as the birthdays of Hokuto and Minami, who transform into Ultraman Ace.
- Ultraman Cosmos was abruptly canceled for several weeks across Japan by Mainichi Broadcasting because of the Sugiura scandal.
[edit] Feature Films
- Ultraman Cosmos: The First Contact (2001)
- Ultraman Cosmos 2: The Blue Planet (2002)
- Ultraman Cosmos vs. Ultraman Justice: The Final Battle (2003)
| Ultra Series | |
| Showa era series: Ultraman | Seven | Return of | Ace | Taro | Leo | 80 | |
| Heisei era series: Tiga | Dyna | Gaia | Cosmos | Nexus | Max | Mebius | |
| Ultra Q: Ultra Q | Ultra Q: Dark Fantasy | |
| Specials: The Ultraman (anime) | Ultraman Neos (Direct-to-DVD) | |
| Movies: Zearth | ULTRAMAN | |
| Co-productions: The Adventure Begins (with USA) | Towards the Future (with Australia) | The Ultimate Hero (with USA) | |
