Ultraman Taro
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Ultraman Taro (ウルトラマンタロウ - Urutoraman Tarō) is the title superhero of a tokusatsu SF/kaiju/superhero TV show, and is the 6th show in the Ultra Series. Produced by Tsuburaya Productions, this series aired on Tokyo Broadcasting System from April 6, 1973 to April 5, 1974, with a total of 53 episodes.
In a move similar to the previous series, Ultraman Ace, this series has a more comical feel and appeals greatly to children, an audience which made this one of the more popular Ultra Series, although adult fans have a different point of view. Up until the 1990s, this was also the most expensive of the Ultra Series.
Taro is one of the most typical name of a boy in otogi-banashis, or, Japanese fairy tales. The producer said, 'Ultraman Taro is going to be the fairy tale in Ultra Series.'
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[edit] Plot
The actual child of the Mother of Ultra and the Father of Ultra, he is ostensibly one of the strongest Ultramen, although he seems to get killed a lot and receives a lot of help from his mother, father, and all of his brothers. Taroh gets his head chopped off by Enmargo in Episode 14, and gets killed by Birdon in Episode 18.
Kotaroh Higashi, the human counterpart of Taroh, has feelings for Saori, the girl who lives in the Shiratori household where he has taken residence. In Episode 1, he rides on the foot of the monster Astromons. Saori, by the way, likes to puff out her cheeks and frown when angry.
The monster Birdon kills Taroh and Zoffy, taking all Six Ultra Brothers to defeat Tempera-seijin. Balkie-seijin has the distinction of being based on a reject design for upcoming hero Ultraman Leo. Repeat monsters from the past include a yellow Eleking (from Ultra Seven), Bemustar (from Ultraman Jack), Belokuron (Ultraman Ace), Sabotendar (Ace), Giant Yapool (Ace), Mephiras-seijin (from Ultraman), and Tyrant (a chimera of a lot of monsters from the past). To get away from the CHOHJUH concept established in Ultraman Ace -- the "terrible monsters" that were supposed to be stronger than ordinary monsters -- it was established in Ultraman Taroh that the new monsters were even stronger still. This fact was quickly established by having new monster Astromonse beat up and swallow whole OilDrinker, the last of the CHOHJUH.
The series breaks from the opening credits tradition by using real images of ZAT machines, instead of silhouettes.
In the end, Higashi turns in his badge. He returns the Ultra Badge to the Mother of Ultra in the last episode, kills Balkie-seijin without help from anyone, and heads off to walk the Earth.
[edit] Ultraman Taro Stats
- Height: 53 meters
- Weight: 55,000 tons
- Flight Speed: mach 20
- Running Speed: 1200 km/h
- Home Planet: The Land of Light, Nebula M78
- Human Form: Kotaro Higashi
- Transformation Item: Ultra Badge
- Weapons:
- Storium Ray: A unique T-style weapon... after some major arm-waving and the charging up of his entire body, Taroh rests the fist of his vertical right arm to the open palm of his horizontal left arm.
- Neo-Storium Ray: A plus-style variation of the Storium Ray.
- Swallow Kick: From 600 meters up.
- Atomic Punch: Propelled by his transformation momentum.
- Twinkle Way: A tunnel he creates to gain access to the Land of Light.
- Ultra Nenriki (Willpower): Makes his enemy think Taro gets his head chopped off (against Enmargo).
- Taro Bracelet: Converts into a lance. Fires blue rings of light (Set Beam).
- King Bracelet: An upgrade of the Taroh Bracelet delivered by the Mother of Ultra. Converts into a muzzle, a plastic blue bucket filled with water for waking up drunken monster Beron, and a "magic hand." Fires a Bracelet Beam. Also allows Taroh to divide into two and confuse enemies.
- Ultra Slash-like ring of light (episode 47).
- Ultra Six-in-One (or Ultra Overlapping): Where he merges with the Five Ultra Brothers so that he is strong enough to enter the fires of the Ultra Tower to retrieve the Ultra Bell to defeat Mururoa (episode 25).
- Cosmo Miracle Beam: a powerful laser he shoots from his raised arm and the side of his body, including his armpit, after combining with his five other brothers. Used only in Ultraman Story movie against Grand King.
- Guts Needle: beam fired from his fists and an Ultra FUNRYUH (a six-coloured smoke screen).
- Ultra Dynamite: A dashing attack in which Taro is engulfed in flames. The impact causes an explosion and Taro teleports away.
[edit] ZAT Members
The most salient feature of ZAT (Zariba of All Territory) is that they concoct a variety of outlandish strategies to defeat monsters (even more so than the Science Patrol), such as using pepper to get Live King to sneeze (since he swallowed Higashi and a dog), or carrying Mini Tortoise in a giant basket. Also, ZAT mecha are by far the most garish. The "Rabbit Panda," their souped up van, is particularly over the top. The Sky Whale, their air fortress, is as thin as a stick and is reminiscent of nothing whale-like.
- Captain Yuhta Asahina
- Kotaroh Higashi
- Deputy Captain Shuhhei Aragaki: In many episodes, Aragaki lead the troops, with Asahina nowhere to be found. In addition, Aragaki seems to disappear near the end of the series and a new deputy captain takes his place (this new guy is way past his prime and can barely even pass his requalification exam).
- Jiroh Nishida: Leaves for space station V9.
- Tadao Nanbara
- Tetsuya Kitajima
- Assistant Izumi Moriyama: Wears a different uniform than the men, for the first time in a Ultra Series. The role of the ZAT female tends to be very similar to Uhura's on Star Trek, However, Izumi does get to pilot the Sky Whale on occasion and lob a few missiles.
[edit] Trivia
- Ultraman Taroh was going to be named Ultraman Jack, but hijacking became a negative buzz-word in Japan about that time, so they deep-sixed the name at the last minute (which was recycled in the '90's as the new name of Kaetekitta Ultraman). Taroh was also going to be called Ultra Jack, Ultraman 6, Ultraman Fighter, Ultraman Z (pronounced "zet"), and Ultraman Star.
- It is also said that the producer was afraid that people associate the name Jack with Jack the Ripper, known in Japan as the most horrible murderer in those days.
- Taroh is said to be the distaff cousin of Ultra Seven, which explains why the two Ultramen look so much alike (their mothers are sisters).
- With 53 episodes, Ultraman Taroh held the record for longest canonical Ultra series for many years (shattered in 2002 by the 65-episode Ultraman Cosmos). This record exludes the 195-episode, non-canonical Ultra Fight). The reason behind his longevity, it is said, is because the start-up of successor series 'Ultraman Leo' ran behind schedule.
- In the Thai-produced Ultra movie, The 6 Ultra Brothers Vs. the Monster Army, stock footage of the birth of Ultraman Taroh is modified to serve as the resurrection of the dead Kochan into the white monkey god, Hanuman. When Kochan transforms into Hanuman, the image of Hanuman is superimposed on Taroh.
- Ultraman Taro is the namesake of Mantaro Kinniku (UltraMAN TARO), the main protagonist of Kinnikuman: Nisei.
[edit] Cameos
- Episode 1: The Five Ultra Brothers preside over the Mother of Ultra as she gives birth to Taroh. (Higashi is in a clear, plastic dome, surrounded by the Five Ultra Brothers. There's a lot of hand-waving and lights, and the sound of a baby crying, and we go right into the usual Ultraman Taroh transformation).
- Episode 3: The Mother of Ultra rescues Higashi, who is trapped under Live King. She also heals Taroh's messed up arm.
- Episode 5: Ultra Seven helps transport Mini Tortoise to the Ultra Star, along with King Tortoise.
- Episode 18: Zoffy is killed by Birdon after Taroh is defeated.
- Episode 19: Zoffy and Taroh are resurrected by the Mother of Ultra.
- Episode 20: The Mother of Ultra.
- Episode 24: The Mother of Ultra tells Taroh to return to the Land of Light.
- Episode 25: Taroh returns to the Ultra Planet, also known as the Land of Light, 3,000,000 Light * Years from Earth. There, the other Ultra Brothers merge with Taroh so that, with their combined purity of soul, he can plunge into the flames of the Ultra Tower for one minute to acquire the Ultra Bell. They all tow the Ultra Bell back to Earth, and Taroh rings it, so that it dissipates the dark cloud of Mururoa that has enveloped the Earth. Also a rare opportunity to see Ultramen hug each other and do a huddle.
- Episodes 33-4: Higashi invites the Five Ultra Brothers to Earth for a reunion. All of the former human forms return (Hayata, Dan Moroboshi, Hideki Goh, and Seiji Hokuto. Everyone except Yuhko Minami) wearing swanky black and tan clothes embroidered with their Ultra insignias in gold (Zoffy, who doesn't have a human counterpart, has a lot of excuses for being late or absent, and eventually borrows the body of Professor Ohtani. They do battle against Tempera-seijin. A great finale with all firing their weapons in unison.
- Episode 39: The Father of Ultra makes mochi with Taroh after they defeat Mochiron. Guest appearance by Yuhko Minami, the former better half of Ultraman Ace who quit playing Ultraman after she revealed she was actually from the Moon. She has a lot more special ghost-like powers than she exhibited back in the day. She can now twirl through the air, grow to giant size, descend upon the Earth with a grand piano playing Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata without even touching the keyboard, and even walk through chainlink fences.
- Episode 40: The Five Ultra Brothers are defeated by Tyrant. The Mother of Ultra and the Father of Ultra make an appearance as well.
- Episode 47: Gorgosaurus II: Gorgosaurus is borrowed from 1973's Episode 29 of Mirrorman. This is probably the only time a monster is directly and blatantly borrowed from outside of the Ultra series (other than Dustpan - also from Mirrorman - in the Thai-produced movie)
- Episode 51: The Father of Ultra, versus Rindon.
- Episode 52: Dorobon steals the ColorTimer of Ultraman "Jack." Another guest appearance by Hideki Goh with the snazzy black and tan outfit.
- Episode 53: Higashi returns the Ultra Badge to the Mother of Ultra.
[edit] Crossovers
- Ultraman: Great Monster Decisive Battle: New group shot footage.
- The 6 Ultra Brothers Vs. the Monster Army: Taroh and the other Ultras, along with the Mother of Ultra, play second fiddle to the white monkey god, Hanuman, in this Thai-produced monster mash.
- Ultraman Story: Taroh figures prominently in this tale, which alters the story of his origin so that you get to see Taroh when he is a child, growing up with and trained by his parents, the Father of Ultra and Mother (originally, he was born a full-fledged adult in episode 1 of his series). He also joins with the Ultra Brothers to defeat Grand King.
| 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) | |
