Movies - Ultraman Taro

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	Movies - Ultraman Taro

Ultraman Taro (ウルトラマンタロウ - Urutoraman Tarō) is the title superhero of a tokusatsu SF/kaiju/superhero TV show, and is the 6th show in the Ultra Series. Produced by Tsuburaya Productions, this series aired on Tokyo Broadcasting System from April 6, 1973 to April 5, 1974, with a total of 53 episodes.

In a move similar to the previous series, Ultraman Ace
, this series has a more comical feel and appeals greatly to children, an audience which made this one of the more popular Ultra Series, although adult fans have a different point of view. Up until the 1990s, this was also the most expensive of the Ultra Series.

Taro is one of the most typical name of a boy in otogi-banashis, or, Japanese fairy tales. The producer said, 'Ultraman Taro is going to be the fairy tale in Ultra Series.'

Plot

Taroh seems to be the least serious of all Ultra Series (unless you count the parody movies of Ultraman Zearth and the infomercials of Ultraman Nice).

The actual child of the Mother of Ultra and the Father of Ultra, he is ostensibly one of the strongest Ultramen, although he seems to get killed a lot and receives a lot of help from his mother. And father. And all of his brothers. Taroh gets his head chopped off by Enmargo in Episode 14, and gets killed by Birdon in Episode 18.

Kotaroh Higashi, the human counterpart of Taroh, has the hots for Saori, the girl who lives in the Shiratori household where he has taken residence (a ZAT home-stay of sorts). In Episode 1, he rides on the foot of the monster Astromons. Saori, by the way, likes to puff out her cheeks and frown when angry.

The monster Birdon kills Taroh and Zoffy, taking all Six Ultra Brothers to defeat Tempera-seijin. Balkie-seijin has the dubious distinction of being based on a reject design for upcoming hero Ultraman Leo. Repeat monsters from the past include a yellow Eleking (from Ultra Seven), Bemustar (from Ultraman Jack), Belokuron (Ultraman Ace), Sabotendar (Ace), Giant Yapool (Ace), Mephiras-seijin (from Ultraman), and Tyrant (a chimera of a lot of monsters from the past). To get away from the CHOHJUH concept established in Ultraman Ace -- the "terrible monsters" that were supposed to be stronger than ordinary monsters -- it was established in Ultraman Taroh that the new monsters were even stronger still. This fact was quickly established by having new monster Astromonse beat up and swallow whole poor OilDrinker, the last of the CHOHJUH.

The series breaks from the opening credits tradition by using real images of ZAT machines, instead of the cool silhouettes.

In the end, Higashi turns in his badge, so to speak. He returns the Ultra Badge to the Mother of Ultra in the last episode, kills Balkie-seijin without help from anyone, and heads off to walk the Earth.

Ultraman Taro Stats

Height: 53 meters
Weight: 55,000 tons
Flight Speed: mach 20
Running Speed: 1200 km/h
Home Planet: The Land of Light, Nebula M78
Human Form: Kotaro Higashi
Transformation Item: Ultra Badge
Weapons:
*Storium Ray: A unique T-style weapon... after some major arm-waving and the charging up of his entire body, Taroh rests the fist of his vertical right arm to the open palm of his horizontal left arm.
*Neo-Storium Ray: A plus-style variation of the Storium Ray.
*Swallow Kick: From 600 meters up.
*Atomic Punch: Propelled by his transformation momentum.
*Twinkle Way: A tunnel he creates to gain access to the Land of Light.
*Ultra Nenriki (Willpower): Makes his enemy think Taro gets his head chopped off (against Enmargo).
*Taro Bracelet: Converts into a lance. Fires blue rings of light (Set Beam).
*King Bracelet: An upgrade of the Taroh Bracelet delivered by the Mother of Ultra. Converts into a muzzle, a plastic blue bucket filled with water for waking up drunken monster Beron, and a "magic hand." Fires a Bracelet Beam. Also allows Taroh to divide into two and confuse enemies.
*Ultra Slash-like ring of light (episode 47).
*Ultra Six-in-One (or Ultra Overlapping): Where he merges with the Five Ultra Brothers so that he is strong enough to enter the fires of the Ultra Tower to retrieve the Ultra Bell to defeat Mururoa (episode 25).
*Cosmo Miracle Beam: a powerful laser he shoots from his raised arm and the side of his body, including his armpit, after combining with his five other brothers. Used only in Ultraman Story movie against Grand King.
*Guts Needle: beam fired from his fists and an Ultra FUNRYUH (a six-coloured smoke screen).

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for Ultraman Taro ]

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