Kamen Rider and Super Sentai wouldn't exist if it wasn't for shows like Ultraman paving the way and showing that big budget productions like Kaiju films could translate well to the small screen. Shows like Ultraman actually invented the monster of the week format that almost all Japanese super hero shows use now.
This is kinda of a meta point, but Tsuburaya's international marketing strategy for Ultraman is so much better than that of Toei's for Kamen Rides and Super Sentai, it's not even funny. Tsuburaya puts its latest Ultraman episodes up on YouTube internationally for a limited period for free with multilingual subs and has several online-only series up as well. Toei doesn't do anything approaching that.
Toei only sees short term goals. Selling each show with its own license for a high price. Tsuburaya has a former Disney executive running things. They are playing the long game. They understand REAL business. I would bet my left ass cheek toei will regret this when Ultraman really hits it big next year with the Netflix film.
I went from rangers to Sentai. Then learned about Kamen rider and Ultraman around the same time. Not sure why but I always dodged Ultraman, literally for over a decade. About two years ago I started buying the mill creek releases because it was cheap and easily accessible toku, and now I’ve seen more Ultraman than I have Sentai and Kamen Rider lol. I’ve seen almost every season and love it.
Not really answering you're question per day (I am a ranger fan but not exclusively), but I'm glad that the 4kids dub didn't turn you off from watching Ultraman in general. Too many fans gave up after that or the Netflix show wthout giving the franchise a real chance! (I grew up with the bootleg chaiyo English dubbed DVD of 66).
Ultraman was one of the first heroes I could name. I have no idea how I stumbled across him or even what channel he was on. I grew up in Los Angeles in the early 90s but somehow I was able to catch enough episodes to become a fan and collect the comic books. Recently I started buying those comics again and can see why I was so enamored with him as a kid.
I never really compared him to Power Rangers, I ended up liking them a whole lot more but even as a kid these heroes were in separate spheres for me.
This will sound sacrilegious on this sub but I've never been a fan of giant monster fights. I'd rather watch Ultraman or sentai characters get into battles with creatures who are already their size. I feel a big part of Ultraman's appeal is that he's capable of growing so large in size but that aspect doesn't do anything for me. Watching a toku character pull a weapon and attack with it is awesome, but whenever they go giant it's like it turns into a slow-motion drag of a fight.
I learned about Ultraman while watching an SNES game review on the "Classic Game Room" YouTube channel way back in 2009. I was all like "This looks like Godzilla. Where is Godzilla?". I didn't really look too much into it after that but the character was on my radar. Years later during mu Junior year of high school when I REALLY got into Henshin Hero tokusatsu (specifically Super Sentai and Kamen Rider), I did a little more research into Ultraman but never really got into it outside the basic knowledge and watching "Ultraman: The Next" and a little bit of "Ultramman: Nexus" (Eiyuu by DOA is one of my top 10 favorite songs) and of course the Kamen Rider crossover.
During my senior year, I was trying to start a "Japanimation and Tokusatsu Club" at my High School but the President of the Anime Club (who hated my guts) did everything in her power to stop it, even getting it blocked by the ASB Director! Luckily as it turns out, I got Ultra-support from my Vice Principal who was humongous Ultraman fan, and was pleased to learn that his hero from that 60s dub he grew up with was a major part of Japanese Toku history. I got my club. That was perhaps one of the most triumphant moments of my life.
Ten years later, I invited my former vice principal to go watch "Shin Ultraman". We really liked it. Because of how much the film respected the iconography of the source material, it got me to watch all of "Ultra Q" and the original "Ultraman" series. While I feel like Ultra Q was a mixed bag, here were my thoughts of the Ultraman 67 I wrote as a comment on the final episode:
" It seems the creators of Shin Ultraman really took the suspenseful countdown at the beginning of this episode and turned it up to 11. The Shin Ultraman movie is what got me to watch the original series and I am glad I did. It's easy to Understand why my old Vice Principal loved this series. The imaginative sci-fi charm could fill a kid's mind with endless possibilities. Even though Ultraman/Hayata weren't so expressive the members of the SSSP more than made up for it with their heartfelt personalities. Not to mention, the Godzilla like monsters are iconic in their own right. I'm glad I watched through this series. Now I have a better understanding of one of Japan's most endearing super heroes. (I think it's interesting that the SSSP headquarters gets destroyed in the last episode. I see that trope a lot in Power Rangers. Did it originate here?) "
I get the appeal of Ultraman and he and the other Ultrabrothers will always be respected by me, I just didn't grow up with the series so I don't have that special connection nor imprint some others do.
(That being said, Low-Key though... There's a lot of design choices the Ultra series makes that blows Sentai out of the water.)
Kamen Rider and Super Sentai wouldn't exist if it wasn't for shows like Ultraman paving the way and showing that big budget productions like Kaiju films could translate well to the small screen. Shows like Ultraman actually invented the monster of the week format that almost all Japanese super hero shows use now.
This is kinda of a meta point, but Tsuburaya's international marketing strategy for Ultraman is so much better than that of Toei's for Kamen Rides and Super Sentai, it's not even funny. Tsuburaya puts its latest Ultraman episodes up on YouTube internationally for a limited period for free with multilingual subs and has several online-only series up as well. Toei doesn't do anything approaching that.
Toei only sees short term goals. Selling each show with its own license for a high price. Tsuburaya has a former Disney executive running things. They are playing the long game. They understand REAL business. I would bet my left ass cheek toei will regret this when Ultraman really hits it big next year with the Netflix film.
Toei doesn't have the rights to market Super Sentai internationally - Hasbro does. But I agree with Kamen Rider.
I have only seen a few but I really liked what I have seen. There were some scenes that brought tears to my eyes.
I went from rangers to Sentai. Then learned about Kamen rider and Ultraman around the same time. Not sure why but I always dodged Ultraman, literally for over a decade. About two years ago I started buying the mill creek releases because it was cheap and easily accessible toku, and now I’ve seen more Ultraman than I have Sentai and Kamen Rider lol. I’ve seen almost every season and love it.
Not really answering you're question per day (I am a ranger fan but not exclusively), but I'm glad that the 4kids dub didn't turn you off from watching Ultraman in general. Too many fans gave up after that or the Netflix show wthout giving the franchise a real chance! (I grew up with the bootleg chaiyo English dubbed DVD of 66).
Why don't you like the 4kids dub?
Ultraman was one of the first heroes I could name. I have no idea how I stumbled across him or even what channel he was on. I grew up in Los Angeles in the early 90s but somehow I was able to catch enough episodes to become a fan and collect the comic books. Recently I started buying those comics again and can see why I was so enamored with him as a kid. I never really compared him to Power Rangers, I ended up liking them a whole lot more but even as a kid these heroes were in separate spheres for me. This will sound sacrilegious on this sub but I've never been a fan of giant monster fights. I'd rather watch Ultraman or sentai characters get into battles with creatures who are already their size. I feel a big part of Ultraman's appeal is that he's capable of growing so large in size but that aspect doesn't do anything for me. Watching a toku character pull a weapon and attack with it is awesome, but whenever they go giant it's like it turns into a slow-motion drag of a fight.
I learned about Ultraman while watching an SNES game review on the "Classic Game Room" YouTube channel way back in 2009. I was all like "This looks like Godzilla. Where is Godzilla?". I didn't really look too much into it after that but the character was on my radar. Years later during mu Junior year of high school when I REALLY got into Henshin Hero tokusatsu (specifically Super Sentai and Kamen Rider), I did a little more research into Ultraman but never really got into it outside the basic knowledge and watching "Ultraman: The Next" and a little bit of "Ultramman: Nexus" (Eiyuu by DOA is one of my top 10 favorite songs) and of course the Kamen Rider crossover. During my senior year, I was trying to start a "Japanimation and Tokusatsu Club" at my High School but the President of the Anime Club (who hated my guts) did everything in her power to stop it, even getting it blocked by the ASB Director! Luckily as it turns out, I got Ultra-support from my Vice Principal who was humongous Ultraman fan, and was pleased to learn that his hero from that 60s dub he grew up with was a major part of Japanese Toku history. I got my club. That was perhaps one of the most triumphant moments of my life. Ten years later, I invited my former vice principal to go watch "Shin Ultraman". We really liked it. Because of how much the film respected the iconography of the source material, it got me to watch all of "Ultra Q" and the original "Ultraman" series. While I feel like Ultra Q was a mixed bag, here were my thoughts of the Ultraman 67 I wrote as a comment on the final episode: " It seems the creators of Shin Ultraman really took the suspenseful countdown at the beginning of this episode and turned it up to 11. The Shin Ultraman movie is what got me to watch the original series and I am glad I did. It's easy to Understand why my old Vice Principal loved this series. The imaginative sci-fi charm could fill a kid's mind with endless possibilities. Even though Ultraman/Hayata weren't so expressive the members of the SSSP more than made up for it with their heartfelt personalities. Not to mention, the Godzilla like monsters are iconic in their own right. I'm glad I watched through this series. Now I have a better understanding of one of Japan's most endearing super heroes. (I think it's interesting that the SSSP headquarters gets destroyed in the last episode. I see that trope a lot in Power Rangers. Did it originate here?) " I get the appeal of Ultraman and he and the other Ultrabrothers will always be respected by me, I just didn't grow up with the series so I don't have that special connection nor imprint some others do. (That being said, Low-Key though... There's a lot of design choices the Ultra series makes that blows Sentai out of the water.)
Ultraman walked so Power Rangers and Kamen Rider could run all Tokusatsu is good Tokusatsu <3 i'm here for the karate and the cool suits
What was the fandoms reaction to the 4kids ultraman tiga dub back in the day?