Like a lot of 30ish males out there, I have fond memories of imported Japanese kids shows that appeared on the WTBS Superstation in the 70s and 80s. These shows and movies are known by several genre names, including kaiju, sentai, and tokusatsu. Favorites include The Space Giants and it's later replacement Spectreman. (There was quite an outcry when TBS took The Space Giants off the air in 1982.)
While these shows owe their existence to Godzilla, a more direct link goes to the king of all the "hero" shows that first ran on TBS in America - Ultraman. (And like all good TV shows, it has a cheesey theme song. Or if you prefer, the original Japanese themes, or if you're really curious, the French version.)
For over 35 years, incarnations of Ultraman have appeared in over 15 TV series and several movies. While seen mostly overseas, a few Ultraman movies and series are available on video and dvd. You can also take your pick of the many popular Ultraman toys, comics and video games. Or the next time you are in Japan, why not stop at the Ultramanland theme park and eat at the Ultra Restaurant? Ultraman can teach your children their ABCs or even deliver your email for you. He even surfs.
The good news is that Fox will be running Ultraman Tiga on their Saturday morning line-up starting September 14th 2002. Let's hope that 4 Kids Entertainment (the US importer of the show) does the series justice. At least they won't be pulling a Power Rangers by recasting/reediting the show with American actors.
