Eiji Tsuburaya was a Japanese special effects director, filmmaker, and cinematographer. A co-creator of the Godzilla and Ultraman franchises, he is considered one of the most important and influential figures in the history of cinema. Known as the "Father of Tokusatsu", he pioneered Japan's special effects industry, introducing several technological developments in film productions. In a career spanning five decades, Tsuburaya worked on approximately 250 films—including globally renowned features directed by Ishirō Honda, Hiroshi Inagaki, and Akira Kurosawa—and earned six Japan Technical Awards.
Kaiju is a Japanese term that is commonly associated with media involving giant monsters. A subgenre of science fiction, it was created by Eiji Tsuburaya and Ishirō Honda. The term can also refer to the giant monsters themselves, which are usually depicted attacking major cities and battling either the military or other monsters.
Ultraman is a Japanese tokusatsu science fiction television series created by Eiji Tsuburaya. Produced by Tsuburaya Productions, it is a follow-up to Ultra Q, though not technically a sequel or spin-off. Tsuburaya Productions produced 39 episodes that aired on Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS) and its affiliate stations from July 17, 1966, to April 9, 1967. Its premiere topped the average rating set by Ultra Q and kept climbing each week, marking the show as a success. It was also the first Japanese television series to use a bidding system for commercial rights, allowing multiple third-party companies to sponsor the show. This was following TBS's merchandising troubles with its predecessor.
Tokusatsu is a Japanese term for live-action films or television programs that make heavy use of practical special effects. Credited to special effects director Eiji Tsuburaya, tokusatsu mainly refers to science fiction, war, fantasy, or horror media featuring such technology but is also occasionally dubbed a genre itself. Its contemporary use originated in the Japanese mass media around 1958 to explain special effects in an easy-to-understand manner and was popularized during the "first monster boom" (1966-1968). Prior to the monster boom, it was known in Japan as Tokushu gijutsu or shortened Tokugi.
Tamlyn Naomi Tomita is an American actress. She made her screen debut as Kumiko in The Karate Kid Part II (1986) and reprised the character for the streaming series Cobra Kai (2021). She is also well known for her role as Waverly in The Joy Luck Club (1993). Additional films include Come See the Paradise (1990), Picture Bride (1994), Four Rooms (1995), Robot Stories (2003), The Day After Tomorrow (2004) and Gaijin 2: Love Me as I Am (2005).
Mirrorman is a Japanese tokusatsu science fiction television series produced by Tsuburaya Productions, the series aired on Fuji TV from December 5, 1971 to November 26, 1972, with a total of 51 episodes. This was Tsuburaya Productions' first non-Ultra superhero. Like Ultraseven, Mirrorman was more of a dark and brooding science fiction drama than most other shows of its ilk, but by Episode 26, after major changes were forced upon the series by the network, it became a typical action-oriented superhero adventure of its era.
Ultraman, also known as the Ultra Series, is a Japanese science fiction media franchise owned by Tsuburaya Productions, which began with the television series Ultra Q in 1966 and became an international pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into many television shows, films, comic books, and other media publications, becoming one of the most prominent productions in the Japanese tokusatsu and kaiju genres and pioneering the Kyodai Hero subgenre. The Ultraman series is centered on a fictional alien race of superheroes who often combat kaiju or other aliens.
Tsuburaya Productions is a Japanese special effects studio founded in 1963 by special effects director Eiji Tsuburaya and was run by his family, until October 2007, when the family sold the company to advertising agency TYO Inc. The studio is best known for producing the Ultra Series. Since 2007, the head office has been located in Hachimanyama, Setagaya, Tokyo.
The☆Ultraman is a Japanese animated television series co-produced by Tsuburaya Production and Tokyo Broadcasting System and animated by Sunrise. The series aired on TBS Television affiliates on the Wednesday 7:00 PM time slot from April 4, 1979 to March 26, 1980, lasting a total of 50 episodes. It was the eighth installment in the Ultra Series and began airing four years after the end of Ultraman Leo.
Keone Joseph Young is an American actor. He is best known for his television roles as Dr. Michael Kwan in Kay O'Brien (1986), Mr. Wu in Deadwood (2004–2006) and as the dual roles of Judge Robert Chong and Mr. Wan in The Young and the Restless (2007–2010). His voice-over roles include Storm Shadow in G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, Kaz in Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi, Super Ninja in Karate Kommandos, and Luong Lao Shi in American Dragon: Jake Long.
The 6 Ultra Brothers vs. the Monster Army, known in Thailand as Hanuman Meets 7 Supermen, is a Thai-Japanese tokusatsu superhero kaiju film produced in 1974 by Tsuburaya Productions of Japan and Chaiyo Productions of Thailand. It was released theatrically in Thailand on November 26, 1974, and in Japan on March 17, 1979.
Ultraman: Monster Movie Feature is a 1967 Japanese superhero kaiju film directed by Hajime Tsuburaya, with special effects by Koichi Takano. Produced by Tsuburaya Productions and distributed by Toho Co., Ltd., it is the first film in the Ultraman franchise, consisting entirely of re-edited material from the original series. In the film, an extraterrestrial defends Earth from giant monsters who pose a threat to humanity.
Christopher Shannon Tindle, known professionally as Shannon Tindle, is an American animator, storyboard artist, television writer, screenwriter, and film director. Tindle's work on the television series Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends received an Annie Award nomination in 2005 for Best Character Design in an Animated Television Production. Later, at the 58th Primetime Emmy Awards in 2006, he won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation for "Go Goo Go", while the episode was also nominated for Outstanding Animated Program.
Dragon Force: So Long, Ultraman is a Chinese action animated film animated by BlueArc Animation in cooperation with Le Vision Pictures, TIGA Entertainment and UM Corporation. It is based on the 2012 3D animated series Dragon Force (anime) created by Kazuya Hatazawa and a sequel to the 2013 movie of the same name. It is directed and produced by Tommy Wang under the pseudonym Tommy Wang. The movie premiered in China on October 1, 2017.
Ultraman Z is a Japanese tokusatsu drama produced by Tsuburaya Productions. It is the 32nd entry to the Ultra Series and the eighth entry to the New Generation Hero lineup, celebrating the 10th anniversary of Ultraman Zero. It premiered in TV Tokyo on June 20, 2020. On April 2, 2023, an English dub was announced, with the premiere date of April 8 on the official Ultraman Youtube Channel, with new episodes uploaded every Saturday and Sundays at 11 pm JST.
Netflix Animation is an American animation studio and a subsidiary of Netflix, Inc. It was founded in March 2018. The studio primarily produces and develops animated programs and feature films.
SSSS.Dynazenon is a 2021 Japanese anime television series produced by Trigger. It is the sequel to the 2018 anime SSSS.Gridman and the second installment in the shared Gridman Universe media established in 2018 after the 1993–94 tokusatsu drama Gridman the Hyper Agent by Tsuburaya Productions. The 12-episode series aired in Japan from April to June 2021.
Shin Ultraman is a 2022 Japanese superhero film directed by Shinji Higuchi and written, co-produced, and co-edited by Hideaki Anno. A reimagining of the 1966 television series Ultraman, the film is a co-production between Toho Studios and Cine Bazar, and presented by Tsuburaya Productions, Toho Co., Ltd., and Khara, Inc. It is the 37th film in the Ultraman franchise, and Anno and Higuchi's second reimagining of a tokusatsu series, following Shin Godzilla (2016) and preceding Shin Kamen Rider (2023). The film stars Takumi Saitoh, Masami Nagasawa, Daiki Arioka, Akari Hayami, Tetsushi Tanaka, and Hidetoshi Nishijima, with Anno and Bin Furuya as Ultraman. In the film, an extraterrestrial accidentally kills a man while battling a kaiju and takes on his appearance and place at the S-Class Species Suppression Protocol to protect Earth from further threats.
Ultraman Trigger: Episode Z is a 2022 Japanese superhero kaiju film, serving as the conclusion to the 2021-22 Ultra Series television series Ultraman Trigger: New Generation Tiga. Aside from its premiere on March 18, 2022, through Japanese theaters, it will also be made available on the pay per view website Tsuburaya Imagination.
Ultraman Blazar The Movie: Tokyo Kaiju Showdown is a 2024 Japanese superhero kaiju tokusatsu film, serving as the conclusion to the 2023 Ultra Series television series Ultraman Blazar. The film was released theatrically on February 23, 2024.
