Ultra Q (ウルトラQ, Urutora Kyū) is a Japanese tokusatsu (special effects) television drama that aired on TBS Television from January 2 to July 3, 1966. Produced by Tsuburaya Special Effects Productions and TBS, the series consisted of 27 episodes and was broadcast every Sunday from 7:00 PM to 7:30 PM (JST) as part of the "Takeda Hour" programming block, sponsored by Takeda Pharmaceutical Company. Ultra Q marks the first installment of the long-running Ultra Series (also known as the "Fantasy Special Effects Series").
Overview[]
The series follows three main protagonists: Jun Manjome (a pilot at Hoshikawa Aviation), Ippei Togawa (Manjome's assistant pilot), and Yuriko Edogawa (a reporter and photographer for the Mainichi Shinpo newspaper). Each episode presents these characters encountering mysterious and inexplicable events, blending science fiction, horror, and adventure. Initially, Ultra Q was heavily influenced by American television series such as The Outer Limits (1963) and The Twilight Zone (1959), focusing on supernatural and bizarre occurrences. However, during production, the show's direction shifted to emphasize giant monsters, laying the foundation for the kaiju-centric narrative that would later define the Ultra Series.
The success of Ultra Q led directly to its successor, Ultraman (1966), which introduced the concept of a heroic giant protector battling monstrous threats. This lineage continued through numerous entries in the franchise, including Ultraman 80 (1980) and Ultraman Mebius (2006), which are set within the same fictional universe as Ultra Q.
One of the show's distinctive format choices was its unusual title sequence placement. Instead of appearing at the beginning, the Ultra Q title logo was shown after the commercial break, at the start of the second half of each episode (the "B-part").
Synopsis[]
The show is about Jun, Yuriko, and Ippei being involving in strange and unusual incidents that typically includes kaiju or other strange instances.
Characters[]
Main Characters[]
- Jun Manjome
- Yuriko Edogawa
- Ippei Togawa
- Professor Ichinotani
- Seki
Supporting Characters[]
Monsters[]
- Gomess
- Litra
- Goro
- Namegon
- Juran
- Peguila
- Gameron
- Kai Dragon
- Mistress Otohime
- Gorgos
- Mongula
- Tarantula
- M1
- Balloonga
- Larugeus
- Garamon
- Kanegon
- Cicada Human
- The 1/8 Humans
- Pagos
- Kemur
- Ragon
- Bostang
- Alien Ruperts
- Alien Keel
- The Giant
- Butterfly Morpho
- Sudar
- Goga
- Lily
- Peter
- Todola
- The Train in the Vary Dimension
Episodes[]
- Defeat Gomess! (ゴメスを倒せ!, Gomesu o Taose!)
- Goro and Goroh (五郎とゴロー, Gorō to Gorō)
- The Gift From Space (宇宙からの贈りもの, Uchū kara no Okurimono)
- Mammoth Flower (マンモスフラワー, Manmosu Furawā)
- Peguila Is Here! (ペギラが来た!, Pegira ga Kita!)
- Grow Up! Little Turtle (育てよ! カメ, Sodateyo! Kame)
- S.O.S. Mount Fuji (SOS富士山, Esu Ō Esu Fujisan)
- Terror of the Sweet Honey (甘い蜜の恐怖, Amai Mitsu no Kyōfu)
- Baron Spider (クモ男爵, Kumo Danshaku)
- The Underground Super Express Goes West (地底超特急西へ, Chitei Chōtokkyū Nishi e)
- Balloonga (バルンガ, Barunga)
- I Saw a Bird (鳥を見た, Tori o Mita)
- Garadama (ガラダマ)
- Tokyo Ice Age (東京氷河期, Tōkyō Hyōgaki)
- Kanegon's Cocoon (カネゴンの繭, Kanegon no Mayu)
- Garamon Strikes Back (ガラモンの逆襲, Garamon no Gyakushū)
- The 1/8 Project (1/8計画, Hachibun-no-Ichi Keikaku)
- The Rainbow's Egg (虹の卵, Niji no Tamago)
- Challenge from the Year 2020 (2020年の挑戦, Nisen-nijū-nen no Chōsen)
- The Undersea Humanoid Ragon (海底原人ラゴン, Kaitei Genjin Ragon)
- Space Directive M774 (宇宙指令M774, Uchū Shirei Emu Nana Nana Yon)
- Metamorphosis (変身, Henshin)
- Fury of the South Sea (南海の怒り, Nankai no Ikari)
- The Statue of Goga (ゴーガの像, Gōga no Zō)
- The Devil Child (悪魔ッ子, Akumakko)
- Blazing Glory (燃えろ栄光, Moeru Eikō)
- The Disappearance of Flight 206 (206便消滅す, Ni Maru Roku Bin Shōmetsu-su)
- Open Up! (あけてくれ!, Aketekure!)
Movies[]
- Ultra Q The Movie: Legend of the Stars (ウルトラQ ザ・ムービー 星の伝説, Urutora Kyū Za Mūbī Boshi no Densetsu)
CD Dramas[]
- Ultra Q Club (ウルトラQ倶楽部, Urutora Kyū Kurabu)
Video Release[]
- to be added
Notes[]
- to be added
References[]
External Links[]
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