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Ultra Q: The Complete Series

Kenji Sahara (Actor), Hiroko Sakurai (Actor), Koji Kajita (Director) Rated:
NR
Format: DVD
4.4 out of 5 stars 84 ratings
IMDb7.6/10.0
$59.99
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August 13, 2013 		—
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Genre Science Fiction & Fantasy/Television
Format NTSC, Subtitled, Black & White, Multiple Formats, Full Screen, Box set
Contributor Kenji Sahara, Hiroko Sakurai, Koji Kajita
Language Japanese
Number Of Discs 1
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Product Description

Product Description

In the world of Ultra Q, the very fabric of nature is warped into a state of unbalance, and all manner of strange phenomenon and unearthly creatures threaten the very future of mankind! On the scene are a world-renowned scientist and his young friends (a female photojournalist, an aviator, and his co-pilot) who investigate these supernatural menaces. When sheer military might is futile, the intrepid team comes to the rescue, armed solely with their ingenuity and scientific prowess to quell these malevolent forces and restore the balance of nature.


The precursor to Ultraman, Ultra Q is a seminal science-fantasy television series in the monstrous mold of The Outer Limits and The X Files. As deeply ingrained in Japan’s pop culture as The Twilight Zone is in America’s, Ultra Q is available for the first time ever in its entirety on DVD! Eiji Tsuburaya, , the visual effects wizard behind Godzilla, Rodan, and Mothra, creates a spectacular cavalcade of bizarre beasts and mass mayhem in each and every episode of this wildly popular series. Never before broadcast in North America, Ultra Q stars Kenji Sahara (Rodan), Hiroko Sakurai (Ultraman) and Yasuhiko Saijo (Son Of Godzilla).

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The 1966-1967 series Ultra Q holds a special place in the history of Japanese fantasy and science fiction as the first television series created by legendary special effects director Eiji Tsuburaya, who designed such enduring screen monsters as Godzilla, and the launching pad for his iconic tokusatsu franchise Ultraman. However, viewers may be surprised to note that Ultra Q bears little resemblance to its action-packed progeny; Tsuburaya had originally envisioned it as a weekly exercise in speculative fantasy like The Outer Limits (which it greatly resembles). However, the popularity of giant screen monsters like Godzilla prompted coproducers Tokyo Broadcasting System to push for a "Monster of the Week" format that would showcase Tsuburaya's memorable creations. In its final form, Ultra Q suggests a '60s take on The X-Files, with Toho veteran Kenji Sahara as a newsman/aviator who investigates strange phenomena with the help of spunky photographer Hiroko Sakurai and scientist Ureo Egawa. The cases invariably boil down to a creature on the loose--either mythological, supernatural, or extraterrestrial in origin--but the episodes frequently unfold with a great deal more atmosphere and suspense than the typical crash-and-bang kaiju action. "Grow Up, Little Turtle" and "Flight 206 Has Vanished" feature surreal, dreamlike sequences that evoke certain episodes of The Twilight Zone, and "Baron Spider" fairly drips with Gothic/haunted house trappings. Of course, there's also plenty of monsters-run-amok mayhem as well, and Ultraman aficionados will note early incarnations of such perennial villains as Gomess, Garamon, and Ragon on the loose in these episodes. Giant-monster fans may also be surprised to see established Tsuburaya creatures repurposed in certain episodes--tusks and a horn were added to the Godzilla suit from Mothra vs. Godzilla to make Gomess, while King Kong gets a revamped headpiece to become the giant ape Goroh in "Goroh and Goroh"--as well as a host of familiar human players from Toho epics, including Yoshifumi Tajima (as Sakurai's boss), Akiko Wakabayashi (You Only Live Twice), Jun Tazaki, and cult favorite Eisei Amamoto. The result should please both longtime Tsuburaya fans who have long waited for a legal Region 1 DVD release and casual kaiju devotees looking for something offbeat. All 28 episodes of Ultra Q--in their original B&W and Japanese-language format (with English subtitles)--are included in this five-disc set, as well as a highly detailed essay on the series' inception by Japanese fantasy expert August Ragone that can be accessed in a PDF file via the viewer's DVD-ROM. --Paul Gaita

Product details

  • MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ NR (Not Rated)
  • Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 0.7 x 7.5 x 5.4 inches; 2.4 ounces
  • Item model number ‏ : ‎ 26923740
  • Director ‏ : ‎ Koji Kajita
  • Media Format ‏ : ‎ NTSC, Subtitled, Black & White, Multiple Formats, Full Screen, Box set
  • Run time ‏ : ‎ 19 hours
  • Release date ‏ : ‎ August 13, 2013
  • Actors ‏ : ‎ Kenji Sahara, Hiroko Sakurai
  • Subtitles: ‏ : ‎ English
  • Studio ‏ : ‎ SHOUT! FACTORY
  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00CPTUNNI
  • Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 out of 5 stars 84 ratings

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4.4 out of 5 stars
84 global ratings

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Top reviews from the United States

  • John M. Guzowski
    5.0 out of 5 stars The best in Japanese retro TV
    Reviewed in the United States on January 4, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    Ultra Q was produced at the height of the giant monster craze in mid-to late 1960's Japan. Some reviewers have stated that it's like the Twilight Zone and the Outer Limits which is not very accurate. The first few episodes feel like unproduced giant monster movies with a photo journalist and a couple of pilots as the mainstay characters. In fact, the first story 'Defeat Gomess' is so much like Godzilla vs. Rodan (a modified Godzilla suit, a giant birds egg, and miners) that it could be easily believed that the episode was directly extrapolated from an unused movie script. Fortunately, Ultra Q gets a lot better as it goes along when the unproduced movie scripts cycle runs out. The main characters are very shallow including a reporter Yuriko who is a flat out wannabe Lois Lane, Jun is a straight man, and Ippei is a side-kick comedy relief for Jun. Despite it's many flaws, there is more than enough good stories such as Baron Spider (a haunted house with a giant spider in it), the 1/8 Project (shrinking down people to create more space in major cities), and Fury of the South Sea (tropical romance peppered with a giant octopus) that it overcomes the flat characters and the hokey effects. I give it five stars because it is one of the few television shows that reach out beyond what it is and succeeds despite it's short comings. The DVD cover says it all. If a member of the audience can get past that stupid looking monster, a diamond in that rough can be found. Check it out.
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  • Louis A. Roi
    4.0 out of 5 stars Before Ultraman there was Ultra Q
    Reviewed in the United States on December 6, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Ultra Q was the first and original tokusatsu series produced by Tsuburaya Productions that pre-dates Ultraman.

    The show was filmed in black and white and consisted of 28 episodes.

    It ran in Japan in 1966, the same year that Ultraman debuted.

    The three main characters are Jun Manjome, Ippei Togawa and Yuriko Edogawa.
    They make up an investigative team of air pilots and a newspaper reporter.

    This show is like the Twilight Zone but with monsters. It has similarities to the Outer
    Limits, X-Files and Kolchak: The Night Stalker. It deals with supernatural phenomena.

    Most of the storylines lack originality and feature many re-hashed horror concepts - we are presented with a giant spider, a colosssal man, a giant ape and a sea creature similar in appearance to the Creature from the Black Lagoon; however, there are a few stories that are pretty
    unique. For instance, one deals with an ancient giant flower that sprouts in the middle of a city. Another episode deals with two golden eggs that were sent to Earth from Mars that hatch under controlled conditions and turn in to giant Snail-like creatures.

    Another interesting story features a female archaeologist that is trying to recover a stolen idol - sound familar? Bear in mind, that, this story was filmed in 1965, and, Raiders of the Lost Ark was probably filmed in 1980. Incidentally, the woman in this role is the same actress that portrayed the dark and mysterious woman that was on the bus with Captain Mura (and Ito) during the Dada episode of Ultraman (Human Specimens 5 & 6).

    A few of the stories have direct parallels with well-known Twilight Zone episodes. One, in particular, features a train that can take people away who long for escape from their dull, soulless existences - very much the same plot as the Twilight Zone episode, A Stop At Willoughby.

    Keep in mind that this show was aimed at children, so, to watch these shows now, as adults, may seem tiresome, but, they were very inventive and dark for younger audiences.

    In some respects, this show is more sober and mature than any of the Ultraman
    series that followed it. It had a darker feel to it, especially in black and white, and, there was less emphasis on comedy.

    Also, it is really interesting to watch Ultra Q and the first Ultraman series back-to-back, for those of you who are really in to Ultraman and all the "Ultra" series.

    To that end, I would like to take the opportunity to recommend some things. First, be prepared to pause almost constantly because the English subtitles go off the screen really fast. Watch the series twice, the first time to read everything and the second time to enjoy the visuals in a more relaxed fashion.

    Next (for those that have the DVD of the Ultraman series), watch Ultraman with English subtitles. I failed to mention this in my Amazon review of the Ultraman DVD set. Some things were reinterpreted and altered for the English dubbed version that we grew up watching as kids.

    There are connections between these two Ultra series; however, you have to watch Ultraman with English subtitles to appreciate the connections.

    As an example, I mentioned a creature similar to the Creature from the Black Lagoon. This creature in Ultra Q is, Ragon - this is the same creature that was featured in episode 4 of Ultraman. In that Ultraman episode, Ito suggests playing music to calm the creature down. The English dub made no mention that the creature was called, Ragon. Ragon is a title/name given to a race of amphibious creatures that live in the sea and pre-date humanity. For you Doctor Who fans it is just like the Silurians.

    Well, in the English subtitles of this Ultraman episode the creature was in fact called, Ragon. It was previously determined in the Ultra Q episode that music helped to tame Ragon, this is why Ito suggested playing music for the "sea creature" in the Ultraman episode.

    Also, throughout various series of Ultraman you always see a particular monster with a big oval head. He reminds me a little of the Quisp alien from that old cereal.

    You will see this creature in scenes that feature inside shots of toy stores, or, on the shelves in rooms of children, and, also in the credits of the shows themselves; however, we never got to see an Ultraman episode that featured this creature.

    Well, the creature is Kanegon, perhaps the most famous creature in the entire Ultra franchise.

    Plus, just by looking at the front cover of the Ultra Q DVD you see the creature that we all know as Pigmon. Except, here, this particular creature plays a more sinister role and is not the small monster that is friends to all humans (don't you know).

    Another thing that connects Ultra Q with Ultraman is the actors and actresses that appear on both shows. Ultra Q features most of the main character actors from Ultraman except for the actor who played Arashi.

    The newspaper reporter, Yuriko, is the same actress that plays, Fuji, from Ultraman.

    In this series, she comes off a bit more selfish, opportunistic and cruel. She is playing a younger, more self-absorbed person.

    Finally, there is a lot of music that ties the two shows together because both relied upon the same music composer, Kunio Miyauchi.

    It is so cool to hear "Ultraman music" in these Ultra Q episodes; between that, and the fact that there are so many familiar faces, it cleary demonstrates the sequel effect between the two shows.

    One last thing... the show was dubbed in English around the same time that Ultraman was dubbed but the project was shelved before getting a chance to air in the United States.

    I really wish that Tsuburaya Productions would allow releases of this series with English dubbing, as well as the Hawaiian version of UltraSeven here in the U.S.

    I also wish that later series of Ultraman would be dubbed in English and released here in DVD/Blu-Ray form.

    I can't get enough of these shows!
    7 people found this helpful
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  • Protect Your Money
    5.0 out of 5 stars worth the money and fun to watch
    Reviewed in the United States on August 25, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    worth the money......
    while complaints about subtitles , image problems , and lack of booklet are all very much within reason , it is still a very enjoyable set to watch ... the stories are fun , the subs MOSTLY are correct , and mostly able to be read , and the video image quality is good enough to not detract from viewing pleasure.... a lot of the kaijus(monsters) from Ultraman will be shown in a new perspective for english speaking audiences so the fun lies on multiple layers for any Ultraman or Ultraseven fans , and i recommend those series be purchased as well since they are also a very fun viewing adventure

    while not perfect in HD standard society viewing and not perfect in subtitle areas , it is very good quality for how old the source negatives or prints are , as well as tsuburaya's notorious multiple overdubbing policies (depending on year , series , video releases and popular language alterations) it's about as good as it will ever get quality-wise and is well worth checking out
    5 people found this helpful
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  • Jason Spear
    5.0 out of 5 stars Classic Kaiju Fun
    Reviewed in the United States on May 26, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    As a hardcore kaiju fan I thought I'd seen it all, except for Ultraman stuff, which just has never clicked for me. Ultra Q is a Twilight Zone and X-Files type show that features a monster every week. Since it's made by the same folks responsible for the SFX of the 1960s Godzilla films you'll spot reused monster suits and sound effects. There's only a single monster per episode and no Ultraman type hero, so there's no monster battles. However, I found most of the episodes engaging, especially for a show from 1966.
    The A/V quality is more than passable, but far from perfect. Same for the subtitles. The 5 stars is more for how much I loved the show than the presentation. I've seen a couple of the colorized Japanese episodes and they look lovely. It's a shame that version hasn't been released here as I'd gladly double dip for a blu-ray set of those.
    4 people found this helpful
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  • Client Kindle
    5.0 out of 5 stars ulta q qu est ce ?
    Reviewed in France on May 23, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Tres bonne serie dans le style twillight zone cette serie des annees 60 a ete pour moi un vrai plaisir. etant fan du fantastique des annees 50/60 dans le cinema d antan.cette serie japonais est asser exceptionel , au programmes , monstres geants, extra terrestres etranges,et meme la premiere arrivee du legendaire ultraman en noir et blanc.
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  • ｒｉｎａｓｈｉｎｙａ
    5.0 out of 5 stars 初めて観ました。
    Reviewed in Japan on May 29, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    ウルトラQは私が生まれる前の作品で、しかも白黒なので再放送を見た記憶もありませんで、全話が初見でした。
    ヒーローが出てきて解決するウルトラマンシリーズとはまた違い、独特の世界でした。
    この値段で自分なりに楽しめました。買って良かったかなと思ってます。
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  • desslock67
    5.0 out of 5 stars A must have for Ultra fans
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 30, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Perfect DVD, nothing to say, beautiful edition for a great Japanese show of the 60's.
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  • Steven Z.
    5.0 out of 5 stars you will love this. You will recognize many of the monsters ...
    Reviewed in Canada on June 25, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    If you are a fan of the original ultraman, you will love this. You will recognize many of the monsters in this series, also has a little bit of a Twilight Zone feel to it. Loved it!!
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  • 肥満症
    3.0 out of 5 stars カラーではありません
    Reviewed in Japan on August 14, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    メーカーのカタログスペックでは、colorとあり、パッケージにもそう記載されていますが、モノクロです。総天然色版ではありません。
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