Photo courtesy of Tsuburaya Productions. ©TSUBURAYA PRODUCTIONS

Source: Tsuburaya Productions press release

Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; President: Masayuki Nagatake) has announced the first Blu-ray BOX release of the series THE ULTRAMAN (ザ☆ウルトラマン, Za Urutoraman, 1979-80) and ULTRAMAN 80 (ウルトラマン80（エイティ), Urutoraman Eiti, 1980-81) to celebrate the 45th anniversary of their broadcast. The Blu-ray BOX of THE ULTRAMAN will be released in Japan on Friday, November 22, 2024, and the Blu-ray BOX of ULTRAMAN 80 on Wednesday, March 19, 2025.

For this Blu-ray release, every episode of both works will be remastered in HD. The latest technology will allow viewers to enjoy these Showa era productions in high definition in the modern Reiwa era.

As a bonus feature, THE ULTRAMAN will include FEATURE-LENGTH ANIME MOVIE THE ULTRAMAN: TO THE PLANET OF ULTRA!! (長篇アニメ映画 ザ☆ウルトラマン ウルトラの星へ!!, Chōhen Anime Eiga Za☆Urutoraman Urutora no Hoshi e!!), which combines the final four-episode story arc into a new 90-minute movie in HD.

The ULTRAMAN 80 Blu-ray BOX will include many rare interviews with the cast and staff, behind-the-scenes footage, 30th anniversary event footage, and more, and some episodes will include newly converted 5.1ch surround sound audio.

 

■ The Long-Awaited Blu-ray BOX Release of THE ULTRAMAN and ULTRAMAN 80

THE ULTRAMAN and ULTRAMAN 80 were the last two Showa Ultraman television series.

THE ULTRAMAN was the first animated Ultraman TV series. This work is a futuristic drama on a cosmic scale that could never have been realized with live-action special effects, and features a series of large-scale action scenes that only the expressive power of animation could bring to life.

ULTRAMAN 80 was the first live action Ultraman show since the end of ULTRAMAN LEO (ウルトラマンレオ Urutoraman Reo, 1974-75) five years before. The main character, Takeshi Yamato (played by Hatsunori Hasegawa), is a member of the defense team UGM (Utility Government Members) and also a teacher at a junior high school, which was a topic of conversation at the time of the "school drama" boom. The analog special effects technology used in this film is among the best in Tsuburaya Productions' works, and many high-quality special effects appear in the film. The visual techniques developed in this work have influenced various works in later years.

With the release of these two shows, the long-awaited Japanese Blu-ray release of all eight Ultraman series broadcast in the Showa era, starting with ULTRAMAN (ウルトラマン, Urutoraman, 1966-67), will be complete.

 

Photo courtesy of Tsuburaya Productions. ©TSUBURAYA PRODUCTIONS

■ THE ULTRAMAN Remastered in HD for the First Time, With All 50 Episodes of the Series Plus the Final Story Released for the First Time as a Feature-Length Animated Film

Preview Video: https://youtu.be/uYpOsgavoho

For this Blu-ray release, all episodes have been restored from 35mm HD telecine footage to beautiful HD video that brings out the unique flavor of the cel-shaded images. In addition, "To the Planet of Ultra!", the final story arc from episodes 47 to 50, will be included as a bonus feature film in a new 90-minute-plus feature film. The film will be included as a special feature film.

To coincide with this Blu-ray release, all episodes have been restored from 35mm HD telecine footage to beautiful HD footage that makes the most of the flavor of cel animation. In addition, the final four-part story "To the Planet of Ultra!" (episodes 47 to 50) will be combined into a bonus feature film running over 90 minutes. These episodes were storyboarded by some of the finest artists in Japanese animation history, including Yoshiyuki Tomino (creator of GUNDAM) and Ryosuke Takahashi (Armored Trooper VOTOMS),

Photo courtesy of Tsuburaya Productions. ©TSUBURAYA PRODUCTIONS

 

● The Feature-Length Animated Film Version is Newly Narrated by Sumi Shimamoto and Newly Remastered in Dolby Atmos Audio

FEATURE-LENGTH ANIME MOVIE THE ULTRAMAN: TO THE PLANET OF ULTRA!! will include new narration by Sumi Shimamoto, who played the heroine Mutsumi Hoshikawa in THE ULTRAMAN, In addition, the audio has been newly remastered for this Blu-ray BOX using the latest Dolby Atmos sound technology (the monaural version is also included).

The Dolby Atmos-supporting devices in your home will allow you to enjoy the film with  immersive and realistic sound.

 

● Luxurious Video Extras

Other bonus features will include special interviews with the cast and staff of this series that were broadcast on the CScable TV program ULTRA INFORMATION BUREAU (ウルトラ情報局, Urutora Jōhō-Kyoku, 2009-11), as well as rare footage such as the opening and ending scenes without text.

 

 

 

Photo courtesy of Tsuburaya Productions. ©TSUBURAYA PRODUCTIONS

■  All Episodes of ULTRAMAN 80 Remastered in HD, Plus Many Bonus Videos, All in One Package

Preview Video: https://youtu.be/Q8z9XH_uDXg

Previously, only the first episode of ULTRAMAN 80 had been remastered in HD for the 2016 collection "Ultraman Blu-ray Select Series: First Episode Edition" (ウルトラマンBlu-rayセレクトシリーズ ファーストエピソード編,  Urutoraman Blu-ray Serekuto Shirīzu Fāsuto Episōdo Hen). The upcoming Blu-ray BOX will include all 50 episodes in HD for the first time.

ULTRAMAN 80 features realistic mechanics and special effects action, as well as passionate performances by a star-studded cast including Hatsunori Hasegawa and Eri Ishida. The details and color gradations that were lost in previous DVDs and streaming videos, which were based on SD video masters, are brought back to life in deeper, higher image quality, along with images filled with the atmosphere of the 1980s.

Image quality comparison of (Left) SD version and (Right) new HD version. Photo courtesy of Tsuburaya Productions. ©TSUBURAYA PRODUCTIONS

 

● Select Episodes in Newly Remastered 5.1ch Surround Sound

Four particularly impressive episodesof ULTRAMAN 80 have been selected and newly remastered in 5.1ch surround sound. Please wait for further information on the chosen episodes.

 

● Valuable Interview and Event Footage Included

Interviews and making-of footage from the ULTRAMAN 80 30th Anniversary DVD Memorial Box (now out of stock), with the 30th anniversary event footage now remastered. In addition, a special collection of interviews with the cast and staff of ULTRAMAN 80 that were originally broadcast on ULTRA INFORMATION BUREAU in 2010-11 will also be newly included in the Blu-ray BOX.

Various other video bonuses are planned.

 

 

 

Package Specifications: Three-Sided Box, Digipak, Instruction Manual (24 Pages), Picture Label
Product Number: TPCB-0001
POS (JAN Code): 4562294009757
Price: 41,800円 (Approximately $262.43 US, Tax Included)
Release Date: Friday, November 22, 2024 (Japan)
Video: Series - 4:3 (1080p High Definition), Bonus Features - 4:3 (1080p High Definition)
Audio: Series - Linear PCM 2ch (Mono), Bonus Features - Linear PCM 2ch (Stereo), Linear PCM 2ch (Mono), Dolby Atmos
Run Time: Series - Approximately 1220 minutes + Bonus Features - 223 Minutes
Number of Discs: 7 Blu-rays
Distributor: Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd.

 

 

 

 

Package Specifications: Three-Sided Box, Digipak, Instruction Manual (24 Pages), Picture Label
Product Number: TPCB-0002
POS (JAN Code): 4562294009764
Price: 41,800円 (Approximately $262.43 US, Tax Included)
Release Date: Friday, March 19, 2025 (Japan)
Video: Series - 4:3 (1080p High Definition), Bonus Features - 16:9 (1080i High Definition)
Audio: Series - Linear PCM 2ch (Mono), Linear PCM 2ch (Stereo), Some Episodes Dolby Digital 5.1ch, Bonus Features - Linear PCM 2ch (Stereo), Linear PCM 2ch (Mono), Dolby Atmos
Run Time: Series - Approximately 1234 minutes + Bonus Features - 225 Minutes+
Number of Discs: 7 Blu-rays
Distributor: Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd.

 

*Please note that the package designs and specifications are subject to change without notice. Please be aware that some of the audio and video may not be of consistent quality due to the condition of existing materials.