Ultraman

Science Patrol officer Shin Hayata runs into something he can't explain when a beam from a being of light saves his life and fuses with him. Gravely injured, Hayata survives but can no longer live as an ordinary man. He carries a small "beta capsule" that lets him switch into Ultraman, a towering alien warrior who handles threats that the Science Patrol can't defeat on its own. Each episode pairs Hayata's human duties with Ultraman's battles against giant monsters and mysterious phenomena, keeping focus on rescue and defense rather than deep mystery about the origin of the power.

Released in 1966, Ultraman was created by Hajime Tsuburaya and produced by Tsuburaya Productions, starring Susumu Kurobe as Shin Hayata and Akiji Kobayashi as Captain Toshio Muramatsu.

The original run didn't sweep international awards, and it wasn't a major awards player at the time, but the show later received retrospective recognition within genre circles and from Japanese pop culture historians, who credit its role in shaping science fiction television.

Ultraman helped define the tokusatsu tradition, bringing suitmation monsters and scaled city sets to TV audiences and creating a visual shorthand that's still copied. The silver-and-red hero design, the transformation capsule, and the monster-of-the-week format became cultural touchstones, and the brand grew into numerous spin-offs, toys, and homages across decades and countries.

Critical and audience reception has stayed positive, reflected in a strong fan rating among those who seek out classic sci-fi television, the series averaging 8.444/10 from recent votes. Major themes include duty, sacrifice, and the tension between human vulnerability and heroic responsibility. For modern viewers, the effects feel dated but inventive for their time, and the episodic structure lets the show balance action, character moments, and the practical work of a science team trying to protect everyday people.