Ultraman Taro

Ultraman Taro
Created by	Tsuburaya Productions
Starring	Saburō Shinoda Takahiko Tōno Yumi Asakama
Composer(s)	Masanobu Higurashi Toru Fuyuki
Country of origin	Japan
No. of episodes	53
Production
Running time	24 minutes (per episode)
Broadcast
Original channel	TBS
Original run	April 6, 1973 – April 5, 1974
Chronology
Preceded by	Ultraman Ace
Followed by	Ultraman Leo

Ultraman Taro (ウルトラマンT(タロウ), Urutoraman Tarō) 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.

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 the Ultra Series.'

Plot

Kotaro Higashi wanted to be a championship boxer. However, fate had other plans as he fell thousands of feet from the Earth after Astromons, a new creature in the third age of monsters, shook him off. The Five Ultra Brothers brought Kotaro's body to their home world of Nebula M-78 many years into the past. It was there that Mother of Ultra merged Kotaro with Ultraman Taro, who would now form the Six Ultra Brothers. Before merging with Kotaro, Taro spent many years to hone his skills similar to the original five Ultra Brothers by mimicking their attacks through battles from both the past and future. After the merge was complete, Kotaro was taken back to present day Earth being the human host of Taro and as Astromons was ravaging a city Kotaro turned into Taro. Not long after Astromons's defeat Kotaro joined ZAT and fought in a new era of kaiju. Many foes were found that would threaten the Earth, but Taro and ZAT defeated them time and again with occasional help from the other five Ultra Brothers from the weaklings to monsters only Taro could defeat. After Samekujira attacked and Valkie fled Kotaro wanted to show the other Ultras he wanted to keep his humanity by no longer wanting to be Taro's host. Thus, he is one of the few Ultra human hosts to sever his relation with an Ultra Warrior.

Ultraman Taro Stats

• Height: 173.884 feet
• Weight: 55,000 tons
• Flight Speed: Mach 20
• Running Speed: 745.645 miles per hour
• Home Planet: The Land of Light, Nebula M78
• Human Form: Kotaro Higashi
• Transformation Item: Ultra Badge
• Parents and brothers: Ultra Father, Ultra Mother, Ultraman, Ultraseven, Ultraman Jack and Ultraman Ace.

Weapons

• Storium Ray: A unique T-style weapon after some major arm-waving and the charging up of his entire body, Taro rests the fist of his vertical right arm to the open palm of his horizontal left arm.
• Neo-Storium Ray: A rare X-style variation of the Storium Ray.
• Swallow Kick: Taro can not only easily leap to great heights, but he can jump multiple times in mid-air before delivering a powerful fly kick, usually used at the start of a battle.
• Twinkle Way: Taro can create a tunnel to gain access to his homeland, the Land of Light.
• Ultra Willpower: Taro can make his enemies think he has been beheaded, using an illusion ability.
• Taro Bracelet: Converts into a lance. Fires blue rings of light (Set Beam).
• King Bracelet: An upgrade of the Taro Bracelet delivered by the Mother of Ultra. It can convert into a muzzle, a plastic blue bucket filled with water, and a "magic hand." It can also fire a Bracelet Beam, and allows Taro to divide into two and confuse enemies, can create a small energy barrier around his hand that can deflect energy attacks, and has a cutter beam that can slice through monsters easily.
• Ultra Slash: Same as previous Ultra-Slash moves, except it comes in the form of small cutter beams from his hands. Cuts through monsters easy.
• Ultra Six-In-One : Taro can merge with his five brothers to become extremely strong.
• Spining Jump Strike: Taro can limit a super strike from his heroes by raising his body after defending it with his second box sisters. It destroys monsters in super fold. (vague)
• Ultra-Smokescreen: Taro can emit a six-colored smokescreen to blind his foes.
• Ultra Dynamite: Taro can cover his entire body in a blaze of hot flames. He then rushes his foe and grabs a hold of them. This will destroy the monster completely, as they are engulfed in the explosive fire.
• Guts Needle: beam fired from his fists and an Ultra Funryū (a six-coloured smoke screen)
• 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.
• Appear Beam: Taro can fire a beam from both of his hands, but instead of destroying things, this beam can make things appear, such as a gigantic Christmas Tree.
• Relive Beam: Taro can fire a beam from his hands that will revive dead beings and bring them back to life. This includes humans and monsters.

ZAT (Zariba of All Territory) Members

• Captain Yuuta Asahina
• Kotarou Higashi: He serves as the human host of Ultraman Taro.
• Deputy Captain Shuuhei Aragaki: In many episodes, Aragaki leads the troops. Aragaki is absent near the end of the series and a new deputy captain takes his place.
• Jirou Nishida: He leaves for space station V9.
• Tadao Nanbara
• Tetsuya Kitajima
• Assistant Izumi Moriyama

Crossovers

• Ultraman: Great Monster Decisive Battle: New group shot footage.
• The 6 Ultra Brothers vs. the Monster Army: Features Ultraman Taro, Hannuman the Monkey God, and Mother of Ultra with the Ultra Brothers. A Thai-produced film.
• Ultraman Story: Ultraman Taro figures prominently in this tale, which retcons the story of his origin. In episode one of the Ultraman Taro series he was shown born as an adult, yet Ultraman Taro is here seen as a child, growing up with and being trained by Ultra Father and Mother. Later in the film he joins with the Ultra Brothers to defeat Grand King.
• Mebius and Brothers: Ultraman Taro helps Ultraman Mebius and the Ultra Brothers to defeat U-Killersaurus Neo. In the movie, all the Ultra Brothers combined with Ultraman Mebius to become Ultraman Mebius Infinity.

• Ultraman Mebius: In episode 29 and 30, Ultraman Taro helps Ultraman Mebius to defeat Imperiser. He was shown to use his Ultra Dynamite during the conflict.

It should also be noted that due to the aforementioned separation of Taro from his human host, Ultraman Taro never appeared in human form in the Ultraman Mebius series. When Taro arrived on Earth it was in the form of an energy sphere.

• Mega Monster Battle: Ultra Galaxy : Ultraman Taro has a one-on-one battle with antagonist Belial in space. During the movie, he also uses his body to keep the final light alive and prevent the Land of Light from being destroyed.

• Imagin Anime 3: You Will Find the Ultra Planet : Ultraman Taro makes a cameo in the episode.