Ultraman 80

Ultraman 80
Created by Tsuburaya Productions
Starring Hatsunori Hasegawa
Jin Nakayama
Eri Ishida
Sayoko Hagiwara
Composer(s) Tōru Fuyuki
Country of origin Japan
No. of episodes 50
Production
Running time 24 minutes (per episode)
Release
Original network TBS
Original release April 2, 1980 – March 25, 1981
Chronology
Preceded by The Ultraman
Followed by Ultraman: The Adventure Begins (US)

Ultraman 80 (ウルトラマン80 Urutoraman Eiti) is a Japanese tokusatsu TV show produced by Tsuburaya Productions which aired on the Tokyo Broadcasting System channel from April 2, 1980, to March 25, 1981, lasting a total of 50 episodes. It was the ninth TV show in the Ultra Series and began a week after the conclusion of the anime series The Ultraman, bringing the franchise back to its live-action roots. It would be the last Ultraman TV series for Japanese audiences during the following sixteen years until the production of Ultraman Tiga.

Plot

Ultraman 80 comes to Earth as one of the newest members of the Ultra Space Garrison (it is revealed in Ultraman Mebius that he is the ninth Ultra Brother), in the form of science teacher Takeshi Yamato. After a five-year hiatus since the departure of Ultraman Leo (1974), monsters started reappearing again.

Yamato's theory is that monsters are born of the energy created by negative human emotions, also known as Minus Energy. He decides to become a teacher at Sakuragaoka Junior High School in Tokyo, and serves as a science teacher, as well as the home room teacher responsible for 1st Year, E Division. He is absolutely dedicated to his students, for he is there to teach them not just about science, but also about life. Unfortunately, he has a habit for being late, so he does things like promising his students to walk to class on his hands if he is late next time, or even promising to resign as a teacher. He even starts up a band with his students and jams on an electric guitar. His over-enthusiasm quickly wins the loyalty of his students, but often makes him an easy target for the prim Deputy Schoolmaster Kumi Nozawa. Yamato loves rice, ramen (Japanese noodle soup) and orange juice. He also loves Kyoko Aihara, the gym teacher, but loses all confidence in himself and sense of composure in her presence.

Yamato dons an orange and silver suit to moonlight at UGM (Utility Government Members), the regular Earth defence team, after school and on Sundays. He gets the job from Captain Oyama because they are both present at a park in the first episode, looking for signs of new monster activity. Oyama is happy to meet someone who believes in the re-emergence of monsters. Even his own team members had their doubts, since none of them have any combat experience like their veteran captain. At school, only Principal Kennosuke Hayashi knows of Yamato's extracurricular activities.

80 has one of the more difficult human situations of any Ultraman. Ultraman 80 cannot be revealed to be known by humans, since his revelation will lead 80 to leave Earth. Yet, Yamato must still balance UGM and school, all the while hiding his true identity, while nursing a crush on Aihara. Though determined to teach his students about responsibility and integrity, he has to lie and break promises constantly to maintain this secret multiple personality and eventually stops working as a teacher to be a full-time UGM member.

Ultraman 80 and Hoshi returns home after the event of the final episode against monster Margodon. In the final episode, UGM destroy Margodon all by themselves. It is revealed that Captain Oyama knows the real identities of Yamato and Hoshi, and a small celebration is held to appreciate Ultraman 80's and Hoshi's assistance while on Earth.

Yullian

Late in the series, 80 is joined on Earth by the Princess of the Land of Light (the Ultra Planet), Yullian (ユリアン Yurian), 80's childhood friend (and in Ultraman: Super Fighter Legend, his girlfriend). She originally comes to Earth to warn 80 that King Galtan the Great is planning to assassinate him, but she ends up sticking around for a while and joins UGM (replacing Emi Jouno, who had been killed in action). She assumes the identity of Ryoko Hoshi. While not using any attacks as Yullian (other than Double Power, a combined attack with 80), she does shoot the Princess Ray, an infrared beam fired from the fingertips, as Ryoko.

She later makes a cameo appearance in the first episode of Ultraman Mebius and also participates along with several other Ultras in fighting against Ultraman Belial in the film, Ultra Galaxy Legends but she fails to stop Belial and is frozen once he steals the Plasma Spark and remains frozen until Ultraman Zero returns it.

Later years

25 years later, in Ultraman Mebius, 80 returns to Earth while fighting Robelgar II, whom he eventually defeats with Mebius' help. His former students, one of whom works at the school and knows that their former sensei (teacher) is in fact Ultraman 80 is ecstatic as they all have fond memories of him and would like to see him again. They decide to have one final reunion party at the school as the school is to be torn down soon in the hope that their mentor would come. Ultraman 80 tells Mebius that he will not attend as he feels that by joining the UGM to fight monsters he failed in his primary mission of teaching his students. As the reunion party starts on the roof of the school, residual negative energy (also referred to as Minus Energy), emerges from the school to resurrect the monster Hoh (a monster which appeared in 1980).

Ultraman Mebius battles the monster who seemed to be sad somehow and this sadness was being reflected in the school building itself. Ultraman 80 then landed and told Mebius that since it was the negative energy that spawned the monster that he would defeat it. The monster willingly stood and seemed to smile as it dispersed after being hit with energy from 80's Buckle Beam. 80 then sees his student's delight at his appearance and hears them as they shout out how their lives have turned out thanks to him. Ultraman 80 then flies away and reverts to Takeshi Yamato and is joyfully greeted by his students at the final school reunion, as he realized that he hadn't failed them after all. Ultraman 80 later returns during the series finale, assisting the other Ultra Brothers in destroying a manifestation of rock created by Alien Empera that was coating the sun. Takeshi Yamato is the only human host not to transform to his Ultra form on screen during Mebius' series.

During the film Ultra Galaxy Legends, Ultraman 80 teams up with Ultraman Jack and Ultraman Ace to prevent Ultraman Belial from stealing the Plasma Spark. However, the three Ultras are defeated by Belial and are frozen once he steals the Plasma Spark. They remain frozen until Ultraman Zero returns The Plasma Spark.

Availability

Two DVD box set will be released by Tsuburaya.

On December 9, 2014, Crunchyroll announced that the series would be available on their streaming service starting that day in the US, Canada, Latin America, UK, Australia, and New Zealand.[1]

Firsts

This is the very first live action Ultra series to have ending credits and an ending song. Two songs were used for the opening and endings the openings were called Ultraman 80 by TALIZMAN and Hang In There Ultraman 80 by TALIZMAN and Columbia Yurikago Kai, the ending songs were called Let's Go UGM by TALIZMAN, and You are Earthlings by TALIZMAN. The 1st Opening theme was covered by Koorogi '73, but this version is extremely rare.

Ultraman 80 statistics

Abilities

UGM (Utility Government Members) members

Monsters

References

  1. ↑ "New Fall Catalog: Ultraman 80, Last Cinderella, Always the Two of Us, Locodol OVA". Crunchyroll. Retrieved 2014-12-09.
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