Ultraman

Our Review

Cast & Key People

Takeshi Tsuruno

Shin Asuka

Chiharu Niyama

Kana Sasaki

Raiga Terasaka

Kengo Manaka

Tatsuomi Hamada

Riku Asakura

Runa Toyoda

Yuna Shizuma

Shun'ya Kaneko

Akito Hijiri

Katsuya Takagi

Seiya Tatsumi

Takuya Negishi

Hikaru Raido

Watch the Trailer

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Our Review

Ultraman (1966) is a action and adventure series from TV Tokyo. It has built a run of 1187 episodes at roughly 30 minutes each. It premiered on January 2, 1966. Viewers rate it 6.6 out of 10. It is currently running. It runs 38 seasons.

What Ultraman Is About

The Ultraman series is about a futuristic policeman who secretly transforms into a giant extraterrestrial savior.

What to Expect When You Watch

Episodes run about 30 minutes, which keeps the pace tight, the full run covers 1187 episodes, spread across 38 seasons and it leans into its action/adventure roots while leaving room for the quieter character beats.

Performance-wise the series leans on Takeshi Tsuruno, Chiharu Niyama and Raiga Terasaka to carry the emotional weight, with the rest of the ensemble filling out the world around them.

Cast and Creative Team

Takeshi Tsuruno, Chiharu Niyama, Raiga Terasaka, Tatsuomi Hamada, Runa Toyoda and Shun'ya Kaneko lead the cast.

Key roles include Takeshi Tsuruno as Shin Asuka; Chiharu Niyama as Kana Sasaki; Raiga Terasaka as Kengo Manaka; Tatsuomi Hamada as Riku Asakura; Runa Toyoda as Yuna Shizuma.

Why It Stands Out

Fans of action, adventure and science-fiction have a clear reason to give this one a shot. It sits comfortably alongside TV Tokyo’s other originals, a 6.6/10 audience score puts it in steady company and it commits to its premise instead of hedging between tones.

Released in 1966 and carried by TV Tokyo with the series still running, it lands hardest with action and adventure viewers.

How Ultraman Compares

If Ultraman lands for you, the next stops are Avatar: The Last Airbender, Attack on Titan and Star Trek: The Next Generation, which share its action/adventure lean.

Each of those sits at a different point on the same spectrum, so they make a natural follow-up once you finish the run here.

Where to Stream

Ultraman comes from TV Tokyo. Check your preferred platform for current availability, since regional rights move around.

Disclosure: We may earn a commission if you sign up for a streaming service through links on this page. This helps support our independent reviews.

On the whole Ultraman is the kind of series that rewards a patient watch, with Takeshi Tsuruno and Chiharu Niyama doing the heaviest lifting, a tone that stays true to its action/adventure roots, It has held up since 1966 and so if the premise sounds like your lane, the execution holds up.

The Bottom Line

Ultraman is a safe bet for anyone already inside the action and adventure lane, at 1187 episodes it is an easy run to work through, the audience score holds around 6.6/10 and so there is little risk in starting it tonight.

Verdict: 6.6/10. Watch it if you want action/adventure you can settle into.

Seasons

Shows Like Ultraman

Avatar: The Last Airbender

2005 · Nickelodeon

★ 9.3/10

Attack on Titan

2013 · Crunchyroll

★ 8.9/10

Star Trek: The Next Generation

1987 · Syndication

★ 8.7/10