He Came to Us From a Star: Ultraman 80 and the Third Tokusatsu Boom
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- Опубліковано 1 жов 2024
- Take a trip through the third tokusatsu boom and the final entry of the original Ultra Series, Ultraman 80.
Thumbnail Art by Sarracenian 捕蝇草怪人: / csarracenian
Very special thanks to Yao for amazing insight and the highest recommendation for their tokusatsu toy modifications + promos: / kamensunder
Special thanks to ehoba for their invaluable insight and sources: / htgoiw
Special thanks to Triblast for all of their research assistance: / triblast28
I was born in Okinawa & grew up in Japan & I still have all my Keibunsha Kaiju & Kaijin encyclopedias. I even have the inaugural issue of "Uchuusen" I bought when I was a teenager. I can tell how much love & passion you have for Tokusatsu. You've done extraordinary research on the topic. Btw, it's kinda funny how many Tokusatsu series were influenced by contemporary fads. Ultraman Leo was influenced by Bruce Lee & UFO boom taking Japan by storm at the time. Ultraman 80 was influenced by a then popular school teacher drama "Kinpachi Sensei", which is why the protagonist was initially defending Earth, along with teaching kids at an elementary school. 😅
Incredible Vibe
Adorable History
As an educator myself, seeing a teacher as a real super hero is incredibly meaningful and empowering!
kudos man
Fiveman does it as well.
Have to agree.
He is a teacher for like 13 episodes only tho lol
Too bad the idea got scrapped not even halfway through the show, cause of god knows why
A new series to adapt 80's concept into a new story would be so cool! A teacher who is also a hero, guiding children while also protecting the world. Maybe someday, a production would find it interesting enough to make it.
If we can donate Tsuburaya Productions to make Ultra Series with the expensive budget(like having 50-ish episodes)
While there's not a show that fits what you're looking for, there was a manga that ran for 12 chapters. The character also appears in several crossover manga written by Uchiyama Mamoru, but that's as part of an ensemble. To my knowledge the issues featuring Ultraman 80 haven't been translated, but other manga by Uchiyama were published as Ultraman Classic: Battle of the Ultra Brothers.
For what it's worth.
I know we are specifically talking about Ultraman/Tokusatsu but during the 2000s the Main Spider-Man Comics featured him being a Teacher in HS
Ultraman 80 is such an underrated series.
Everytime I rewatch 80, I have to include the 80 episode in Ultraman Mebius. The class singing the song and seeing some of the actors grown up always brings a tear to my eye
I'm really in awe of how knowledgable you are in regards to Japanese pop culture of the 70s and 80s, especially even citing other specific examples of shows that influenced the setting of Ultraman 80. I've never seen anyone else go as in-depth as this video regarding the circumstances behind this show's production
Holy crap louis it's the Transformers guy!!!
Wait what? Only 12 episodes of his school-teaching days? Oh boy, I remember watching this on local TV and definitely happy that they finally have a Ultraman/Teacher identity. I always associated 80 as THE teacher in Ultraman universe. I never knew that the setting was scrapped due to various consequences back then.
I think that changing the direction of a show without any sort of warning or just doing it haphazardly or rushed, felt like a huge risk this series took. And that risk really didn't pay off in the end, and it even brought to what could be the death of a franchise. I also felt weird that how come this Ultraman series have the Ultraman with 0 defeats, is it because of the backlash of Leo? And I think it is partly this, but there is more to that I guess.
Thanks for this nice look at with 80. Though I have a suggestion for another look at before covering the Heisei series. Why not taking a look at Ultraman from the west? Mainly Ultraman Great and Ultraman USA? I would like to know how those series turned out, and what made them to be very short lived.
I love how you quoted Dr. Seuss. "Sometimes you will never know the value of the moment until it becomes a memory."
80 has really become what it is decades later. People now realizing just how hard it is to nurture the future generation.
Incredible comeback video man! I love how in depth you get with these beloved characters. I'm glad 80 got the proper sendoff it deserved in the end. As always looking forward to more work from you
Thanks for understanding and so empathically communicating the essence of this beautiful storyworld.
While 80 as a whole is a mixed bag (aside from the excellent effects work) I still love this show, and am truly glad that years later, it got the proper end it deserved for the school arc. 80 will always be my favorite Showa Ultra.
I really do wish Ultraman 80 had stuck to its guns on its own premise. The idea of an Ultraman who is also a teacher has basically endless potential and they got cold feet before the show was even half over.
From what I heard they also brought back all the child actors for that episode of Mebius.
yes they did
There seems to be conflicting accounts of this.
That is false. None of the kids were able to come back. The actors are the same characters from the show though.
I cried on that episode
Ah yes parents Tokusatsu greatest enemies and friends no mostly enemies but still friends
I'm currently watching 80 through the Mill Creek release and I didn't think it was as bad as some say it is. Thanks to this video I now know the circumstances surrounding the changes made during it's run. Really puts it in perspective!
There are still many good post-school period episodes... My favorite is the Delusion Ultraseven episode haha.
My man made a comeback with a 50 minute video🔥😮💨
Honestly, yes, the most memorable part of 80 (back when it aired in local tv) was indeed the few episodes where he was a teacher.
Also its first opening song.
I haven't gotten the chance to watch Mebius in its entirety, but knowing it offers a well-deserved conclusion to that first arc of 80 really increase my interest in watching Mebius. Maybe I'll give it a go sometime soon
Ever since I've watched the 41st episode of Ultraman Mebius, I've always felt that it was a very special episode. Heck even without knowing the context of Ultraman 80, I was driven to tears on my first watch of the episode.
Truth be told I've always been interested in Ultraman 80 after that, especially with the Ultraman being a teacher, but I never got around to watch it (Maybe because it reminds me so much of Taro) And I'm quite disappointed to learn that the school settings only lasted for 12 episodes.
But seeing snippets of those scenes of Takeshi interacting with his students... maybe it's because currently my life is surrounded by things relating to teaching or being a teacher, my intrigue for this show is sparked again.
So I'll check it out, even if it's just for those 12 episodes. Thanks Blunova, this was a great one.
80's Mebius episode might be one of my favorite episodes in the franchise. An episode that perfect shouldn't exist. Maybe I'm just fanboying too much
Ultraman 80's episode in Ultraman Mebius brought me to tears like crazy. One of my favourite Ultraman episodes ever
Excellent job. I always thought that the helmet design was odd. Too adorable. But ❤ it😂
Aah, the memories. The quiet neighborhood, the manga reading after school, the binge watching of Ultraman 80 on Betamax. And that opening song, so good.
Really really REALLY loving these videos dude. I grew up on Power Rangers, and always loved it, but never got to experience it's roots. The Shin movies have gotten me into the shows and your videos have been a great help!!!!! Keep it up!!!!
watching this make me appreciate the 80. its sad that the show lost its identity earlier. althought the mebius tribute episode make it as the foreone conclution on its own, i still think its good retcon.
maybe one day tsuburaya could revisit 80's idea again. thank you for covering this.
80 losing the school arc was tragic.
Also do Blazar, it’s so good
I am not a fan of Ultraman 80 in the least, as changing the school teacher aspect ruined a lot of it for me, but there were so many good points you made in this video I feel compelled to give the show another chance at some point in the far future. I'll wait to see if Mill Creek eventually puts this one out on BD before I even consider a rewatch though. This video was very interesting and well done. Excellent job!!
29-ish mark - Oh no, how dare a teacher have a second job!!! That's absolutely terrible. 😀
the light hearted tone of the series makes it one of the best ultra series
This has got to be the most heartfelt review I’ve seen of Ultraman 80! All the other reviewers are so negative about 80. Getting to see the behind the scenes of how Japans media was at the point, being inspired by Star Wars was cool. The scene from Ultraman Mebius of the students all grown up always gets me choked up. I hope you review Ultraman Tiga soon, though I’m sure there is some Ultra shows in between you might choose to review next.
Jonias forgotten again...
THERE HE IS!
This video is genuinely beautiful, the way everything told led to that Mebius episode made me feel emotional, even though I haven't seen both of the shows the way the video it's written and edited felt really special. Please, never stop making these videos, they are a treasure for anyone seeking the wonders of toku.
Everyone knew that Ultraman 80 as a brave warrior, but only few knows that he is also a Great Teacher
Tbh I like the ugm arc of 80 a lot more than the shows it "retreads", people really don't give that section of the show nearly enough credit, it may be typical, but it's about as good as typical ultraman can be, just an absolute delight in all of the things that we love about classic showa ultraman.
BABE WAKE UP NEW BLUNOVA VID DROPPED!!!!
(also blunova i didn't expect to like ultraman blazar so far, but as it stands right now even with one recap episode, it really feels like showa-era ultra in modern time with some reiwa elements and i never thought that as someone that was a fan of the showa-ultra stories it really feels like a homage to them (specifically man, jack, and seven) blazar has become one-of my favorites ever and i really hope it continues the quality through it's run)
Tsukamoto's call back to 80's action almost makes me cry... 😢
80 situation with its school aspect is rather sad, because some either want to be more lazy, or too scare of risk, and the dreadful PTA that cause numerous damage to media in Japan for long times “in the name of children safety”
the Ultraman 80 part of Mebius was really high tier, painting all this context really just elevates it so much more. cant stop tearing up every time i rewatch it
I guess I watched too many Ultraman 80 as a kid and...now a teacher.
This makes me wish that we got more Ultras series that weren't based in military teams. They're good when they're done well and they make good kaiju drama, but I wish we got to see Ultraman's sincere side reflected by being part of the community more often.
We've gotten a little more of that with stuff like R/B, but I think it's cool how 80 had a teacher as the main character and tried to do something by tackling the student culture crisis of the time. I hope we can see Ultraman try to tacke social issues with equal sincerity again in the not too distant future.
So what would the host be a regular office worker,a regular high school student,or even better just a guy down on his luck?
Man this made me remember how much i appreciated some of my teachers
The dynamic camera work on miniature set in 80 changed the game for Ultraman and stayed relatively the same all the way until Mebius.
If you could cover Kamen rider Black, which was a hit in 1987, that would be great!
He did
@@mrgodzillaraptors8632 Oh, I didn't see it. Thanks for pointing it out
@@TravisSub19 np
I have recently finished watching Ultraman 80, and I did like it, but I think it was a shame they stopped with the school theme, I liked and it makes Ultraman 80 unique among the other Ultras.
I love seeing a new upload from you! As someone who loved Godzilla from the heisei imports of the mid 90s to now, I've only recently started getting into Ultraman. Please keep the videos coming! I can't wait to see you hopefully cover every show as time goes on. 🤘👍🤘
You did an amazing job covering Ultraman 80 along with all that is happening during its time. Next Topic to discuss would definitely be Tiga.
This is a really great video. I never watched Ultraman 80 and barely knew anything about it, so I was not prepared to get so emotional on that Mebius episode... Like others have mentioned, your knowledge of the cultural zeitgeist of that era is amazing! Really insightful!
In a way, what happened with 80 is similar to what happened to Kamen Rider Hibiki.
Another quality video, always looking forward to your retrospects especially on Ultraman
As for suggestions, since you referenced it in this video, a video on The.Ultraman anime would be cool.
One happened because it tried to search a sense of identity, the other happened because it was an over budget disaster.
Saying "in a way" is pretty ignorant
Hmm maybe if they made ultraman 80 a high school sitcom then it would have worked with the students making fun of the teacher with laughing tracks and funny and yet heartwarming and creative episodes and cliché yet old are still charming and storys about growing up and tropes and slander of schools and with fight scene too made by tsuburaya and will be made too just as beautiful as they were before 80 and after and some time travel and clip shows and body swap thrown for good reason too do you smell that the beautiful smell of millions and ratings go roof and surpassing stainfeld and etc and with 3 seasons and total of 80 episodes see what i did there we would have a money maker and movie and a reunion special and at the end of the show our characters will be better people then they were before and the defence force is here too with personalitys and trates but they won't overshadow the school and that's my 80 pitch now all i need is a time machine to give this pitch and learn some Japanese to translate this pitch to tsuburaya
Ultraman 80 was one of the 3 Ultraman series that I've watched and grew up as a kid. I've rewatched it all the way from episode 1 to the finale. The story plot, the protagonist, and the moral message/lessons. Everything about it truly inspired me. Even the feature episode of Mebius, seeing 80 and familiar faces now grown up fills my heart with nostalgia.
I had never thought Ultraman 80 went through something much deeper and greater than that after watching your video. 80 will always be one of the reasons that got me into Ultraman and now, it has gained me a whole new respect for the series and the hero himself. I am now greatly love and respect Ultraman 80 even more.
Thank you for uploading this video and sharing your information and knowledge. It had truly opened a whole new perspective of tokusatsu, anime, and Japanese modern culture.
I've been wondering if you're ever going to do retrospective reviews on the Super Sentai Series, starting with Goranger. You can make the Goranger review similar to that of your Kamen Rider 1 review.
I really like the idea of an Ultraman who works as a teacher as his human identity. It sounds really wholesome and I agree there's nothing better than having a good teacher that guides and inspires you as a kid.
"Uggh, no. It's set in the 80s..."
My friends and I almost cried when watching the 80 ep in Mebius
I haven’t seen 80 or Möbius yet, but that reunion scene brought me to tears. Thank you for such an insightful video!
Literally been watching old vids over the last few days waiting for a new vid! I hope you've been well. This has been great, 80 looks incredible. You've brought up a good point that I couldn't find the words myself in that the fights in Ultraman are claustrophobic.
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you for this in-depth look at Ultraman 80! Of all the series I've watched, 80 has a special spot in my heart. Perhaps because i was an educator once? I was confused the direction it went in after episode 12 and i read some about it... But not i understand why. Thank you!
Nice video Blunova. Love 80 as a kid. Make a video about Gundam too, that would be nice.
He could have been a Super Friend to the JLA😉
It really good to see you
(And see you again)
😃
Good history of ultraman 80 , it was neat to learn more about what happen in that time .
😉
Incredible Comfort
Beautiful Premise
Wonderful Vibe
It may not Be Perfect
But This Show Really did Try to Make Ultraman a Personal Hero of His Time
So much Respectable Potential
Amazing Media History
VERY well done, this is what UA-cam is for
7:29, could that perhaps be a, Nexus Foreshadow??
I hope that one day you will make a video on Ultraman Jonias. He was my favourite ultra and was very unique in terms of lore and design.
Bro your video so good😭 How do you make it this masterpiece✨✨✨✨✨🔥🔥✨😭???????
I love the opening song! Best Ultraman's op ever!!!
Sir where can you see this dawn of heisei at ?
Based Toku man is back!
I mean its kinda werid you mention how none of the new Tokusatsu relesed in 75 had cultural impact. Because you are ignoring the elephant-zord in the room. Himitsu Sentai Goranger, the first Super Sentai. I mean you cant ignore the impact Super Sentai and Power Rangers had on Tokusatsu.
Good question! Super Sentai was a rabbit hole I debated whether or not to go down. That's why I went with "next to none of it" instead of "none of it." Super Sentai was an exception during an overall rough spell for tokusatsu. Plus, since JAKQ didn't do so hot, one can argue Super Sentai didn't really become a proper series until its retool in 1979 and that puts it in the third boom.
This was originally a longer video that explored Toei's non-Rider properties like Super Sentai, Metal Heroes, and Fushigi Comedy Series. Was even partially recorded and edited. But things were getting out of hand. So I decided it was better to save that for another day in order to focus on the works that dominated the first two booms. In short: Sentai has not been forgotten.
Super Sentai shows most became popular after they applied the giant robots that the Japanese Spiderman used (Leopardon) in his own show.
@@androyus Goranger was a hit thou. it lasted 84 episodes, 4 movies, and a manga. JAKQ was a bust, yes. But Goranger was extremely popular.
Excellent video! I would love it if you went back to Ultraman Leo and did a video like you just did for that show.
This had me holding back tears at the gym.
Excellent video, really glad this showed up on my recommended videos!
I've always wondered why there was such a long hiatus between 80 and Tiga, but never looked into it
I've only watched ep 1 & 2 on VCD when I was a kid. ngl thought 80's design was kinda meh even back then compared to the Ultra Brothers
Gonna be honest, 80 song OP is a banger
Mske a Video about Ultraman Tiga.
That lead singer is way cooler than me.😢
that was some of the best toku content I've found here, thank you
80 is my favorite of the showa era Ultra shows. It feels like such a fun victory lap celebrating all the highlights of previous shows while incorporating new technology and techniques.
I didnt even watch this series, but i almost teared-up.
I liked the teacher angle, and was disappointed that they abandoned it a quarter of the way through the series.
The one complaint I always have about Ultraman is how they're all basically the same. Giant monsters come to Earth, they encounter a typical military branch that specializes in kaiju attacks, and no surprise Ultraman's part of that group. Having your show reflect the times and what's happening now should never be a bad thing. The fact that 12 episodes are focused on Ultraman being a teacher and having an impact on students sounds really cool. And it sucks that it changed because people complained that it was "too different." Fuck outta here. Or do did people really liked generic back then?
Hope you'll have a good day
Excellent watch, definitely subscribing!
80! Ultraman 80 and all the other Showa Ultraman shows are amazing
Man, I remember watching some Ultrman shows as a kid here in Mexico... I think they put the original Ultraman and Seven on TV. But while enjoyable I never found them fully captivating. It wasn't until Tiga that I became a fan... But only until Neos... I found the series approach boring. So I kind of Dropped it there... It wasn't until Mebius that out of sheer curiosity I decided to watch Ultraman Again. Mebius is honestly my second favorite series behind Tiga. I don't know why really but I found it charming. And yeah, it's a weird series to re-enter the series at since it basically needed for you to know A LOT of ultra Lore to fully enjoy I think 😅. Anyway, that episode with the school teacher kind of hit me right in the gut. One of my favorite teachers from school retired a year before and seeing that episode got me to tear up. I never watched 80... Heck, I didn't know most of the Ultras that appeared in Mebius... But somehow I still enjoyed it.
While we’re talking about 70s tokusatsu I think it’s important not to forget that himitsu sentai gorenger came out in 1975, after ultraman and kamen rider hype died down. We shouldn’t understate the role that the super sentai series played in helping renew at least a bit of interest in the genre - I mean gorenger was extremely popular and ran for over 70+ episodes in a time where tokusatsu wasn’t the in-thing anymore, itself riding on the popularity on anime such as cyborg 009 (same creator). You rarely talk about sentai on ur channel which is a shame because it’s one of the big 3 Toku series and is so close to my heart, and the first one to properly break through to western audiences after a few unsuccessful attempts from ultraman and kamen rider in the past. Personally I’d love for u to maybe talk about it more cuz ppl don’t seem to take it seriously :/ (the 2000s sentai were the golden age of the series if u ask me)
glad to have u back! been longing for a new video the past few months 😫
i grow up watching Ultraman 80 watching him helping students on and off the classroom was the most memorable part of the series i remember thinking to my self i want to be just like him one day and now that I'm 26 years old [ sorry to tell you that i am not an Ultraman ] i am a music teacher and i often help my student on and off the classroom and who i am today is all thanks to Ultraman 80
Cool
Ultraman 80 definitely feels like it was ahead of it's time at the start, but then went downhill because Tsubaraya got cold feet over controversy, along with bad timing due to cultural shifts that were going on at the time.
Yamato: 80!
it is such a shame that they didn't stick with their guns in regards to the original remit for this show because its widely accepted that the first 12 episodes are actually the best and the hard and jarring reboot that becomes about for the rest of the series without explanation whatsoever just caused a profound identity crisis which is why this particular entry isn't as highly regarded.
it is likely that the concept was just ahead of its time and people weren't ready for it, as opposed to now.
Off topic, but please, somebody give 80-niisan a Brothers Mantle.🦸♂️
This video was AMAZING. Keep up the good work! I look forward to seeing more videos :)
p.s would love a video on shin kamen rider.
That Mebius episode means so much and does so much to finally give closure to the heart of the original show
That said, I think 80 is my favorite of the Showa era series, as its special effects work, consistently great kaiju design with high quality suits and such a charming and endearing lead ( and monsters that I feel far less sympathetically too as well what with the largely metaphysical nature of their existence) that even losing the school after only 12 episodes I still like it more than the stuff from the 60s and 70s.
ultraman 80 song stuck in my mind.. perfect song for the 80's Jpop city era
As somebody who has dipped their toes into Ultraman and is slowly becoming more and more of a fan I hardly ever see fans recommend Ultraman 80. The Showa love seems to be mostly reserved for the original, Ultraseven, and Return of the Ultraman.
This video convinced me to prioritize 80 asap.
Hi, loved the video, wanted to ask you if you have more information on the "Banso" company you mention at the start. I can barely find any more information about it in english.
Who is the blue guy from 00:58 ?
its called INAZUMAN, Remake of classic heroes from TOEI
Not gonna lie, I dropped 80 when they replaced his teacher storyline with yet another strike force.
If I will give modern Ultraman anything, its the moving away from the constant strike forces and doing something new and interesting. I dont hate them, but most of them are boring and hamper the human drama thats actually interesting to me.
28:04 the cool cop like uncle (VTOL Team captain) from Ultraman Orb
Leo can't catch a break with the suffering lmao.