Search - Ultraman: The Complete Series on DVD

Great price but the sacrifice is the DVD packaging.

D. Rodriguez | Los Angeles, CA USA | 10/07/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This review is for the Complete Series 4 DVD set released in 2009, not the 6 DVD set released in 2008. Since this is my first Ultraman DVD set, I am not sure if the quality suffers be squeezing all episodes from 6 DVDs to 4 DVDs.

The DVD case is a double-wide DVD case, but there are no spindles/holders. The 4 DVDs are each put in a black paper sleeve and are stacked on top of each other. The sleeves don't move around because they are "held" in place by a square shaped molding on the inside of the DVD case.

I was very surprised by this packaging because I have dozens of DVD television sets and have never seen a set packaged like this. For the price (I paid $10.99 free shipping), I am okay with it, but just be prepared that is a bare-bones budget set.

5 stars for the show, 3 stars for the packaging."

It's Like Being 8-Years-Old All Over Again

T. Zeigler | Ft. Worth, TX USA | 10/05/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"First things first...I've seen some of the audio comments (English dubbing intercut with Japanese subtitles) made for this release and the one back in 2006. Think of your favorite syndicated show. You know having watched the original that some scenes get cut in syndication. Now, think of Ultraman in that same vein, only it was already in "syndication" when it reached our shores way back. So, when the complete, original episodes are released on DVD, they include original, Japanese-only scenes which WERE NEVER DUBBED IN ENGLISH. However, to be a complete episode, they are still inlcuded.

Now, on with the review. After occasionally catching a Power Ranger show a few years back, I knew that I would need to steer my young son clear of this influence (the kids are always fighting and sarcastic with each other.) Anyway, my comment in seeing the "power" rangers would be, "Ultraman could defeat these guys." My boy became curious as to who I was talking about, and when the Ultraman DVDs were released back in 2006, I was able to show him.

Talk about the memories that this show rekindles. The first time the show's theme song began to play, I got chills. I was immediately taken back to my grandmother's house in rural Pennsylvania (we didn't get Ultraman in Texas in the '70s.) I watched a few episodes with my son and I could still recall some of the details in the story line that I hadn't seen for thirty years. Over time, I have managed to find Ultraman action figures that my son loves, and even a beta capsule that makes the familiar sound.

I bought this latest release because over the three years, nephews have managed to scratch the older DVDs. Now, each one will have their own set for Christmas (hard to beat at this price.)

If you remember Ultraman as he was, your memory will probably be stirred by this set. If you are new to the original Ultraman, you'll have to dial back your current expectation level of special effects and sound quality, but hopefully you will still be able to appreciate the presentation of how things were in the almost forty years ago.

I used this series to springboard my son's exposure to the Godzilla movies of the '60s and '70s. Enjoy."

Ultraman: The Complete Series

Louis A. Roi | Philadelphia, PA | 11/19/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"If you were a kid in the early '70s and you remember being glued to the TV watching Ultraman then you certainly can't go wrong buying this DVD release. If you have children this is the perfect opportunity to show them a series with substance that inspires thought and creativity instead of the nonsense that is aired these days.

However, having said that, I am a little disappointed in these last two DVD releases (this one and the 2006 release) for a couple of key reasons:

First off, not all of the dubbed English is present. It is not because it doesn't exist anymore; in 1996 a video tape was released to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the show. It was labeled Vol. 1 and contained the first four episodes.

When I first watched the DVDs I realized that dialogue spoken in Japanese was definitely aired with an English dub. I compared a couple of scenes with the videotape and those scenes were definitely aired in English.

I think what has happened with these DVD releases is that they reflect copyright and distribution battles between companies. This is why it took so long to release the series in the first place. The research was sloppy and hurried. With more time and care invested I think they could have incorporated most of the missing English. It is definitely available since various versions of the series have existed in one form or another throughout the years.

The other thing that bothers me is that they used the Japanese opening credits instead of the English version. This is an American release intended to be purchased and viewed by Americans. The show has always been available in Japan but here in the United States children saw English titles.

For me personally, the credits and theme songs are just as important as the contents of the show in order to recreate the original experience of having watched these shows as a kid back in the early '70s.

Overall, it is wonderful that the series has finally been released in the United States. If you loved this show you will love watching these discs.

I just wish that someone would release Ultraman, Space Giants and Johnny Sokko as they were presented on American TV with all English dubbing intact and all opening/closing credits (and themes) intact.

If you are fortunate enough to speak and understand Japanese you could have bought imports of the show all along in their native environments but the opening credits and theme songs that we have come to know are different and should have been preserved for an American release."

This is what you're looking for

David C. Cambron | chattanooga, tn, usa | 11/22/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"It has all the episodes. I'm watching it on an old CRT so I can't say how great the quality is...I assume it has a low bit rate to squeeze the entire series onto 4 discs. But it seems to be good enough quality for the source material. Only giving it 4 stars because of the switching between English/Japanese (the English dubs are not the full episodes, so where they added back the Japanese-only scenes, it switches to Japanese audio with English subtitles). Not ideal but it works.

For the price, getting this set is a no-brainer."