It Wasn’t Just Ultraman! Tsuburaya Productions’ Groundbreaking Masterpieces That Challenged Tokusatsu Conventions [Rare Photos]

The “Ultraman Series,” which began with “Ultra Q” and “Ultraman” in 1966, celebrates its 60th anniversary in 2026. The Ultraman heroes continue to play an active role on the front lines, not only in Japan but around the world as internationally recognized heroes.

Tsuburaya Productions, which produced these works, has also created many masterpiece tokusatsu dramas outside the Ultraman Series.

Let’s take a look at the masterpiece tokusatsu dramas scattered throughout its 60-year history, using “Television Magazine Special Edition: Ultraman Series 60th Anniversary — Complete Record of All Ultramen” as a guide, and introduce Tsuburaya Productions’ works outside the Ultraman Series along with rare archival photographs.

Tokusatsu and anime combined action in a spectacular world of dinosaurs

First, let’s look at “Dinosaur Expedition Team Born Free” (1976) and “Dinosaur War Aizenborg” (1977). Produced more than 15 years before “Jurassic Park,” these works combined tokusatsu and anime and were set in a world where dinosaurs had returned.First, let’s look at “Dinosaur Expedition Team Born Free” (1976) and “Dinosaur War Aizenborg” (1977). Produced more than 15 years before “Jurassic Park,” these works combined tokusatsu and anime and were set in a world where dinosaurs had returned.

“Born Free” follows the Born Free Team, which works to protect dinosaurs that have emerged onto the surface due to crustal movements. “Aizenborg” depicts the D-Team, who operate the Aizen, and the giant warrior Aizenborg as they battle the Dinosaur Emperor Ururu, who was resurrected after gaining supernatural powers, and his army of dinosaurs.

In both works, the human characters were depicted through animation, while the dinosaur world serving as the backdrop, the resurrected dinosaurs, the righteous super-machines, and the hero Aizenborg were brought to life through live-action tokusatsu, creating spectacular battles.

Even amid the anime boom of the time, perhaps Tsuburaya Productions’ desire to convey to viewers the appeal of the tokusatsu action it excelled at led to the creation of such challenging and innovative works.

The protagonists are humans, not superheroes!?

“Operation: Mystery!” (1968) is a story about SRI, a private organization that investigates criminals who use cutting-edge scientific tricks. The criminals’ schemes and SRI’s activities were portrayed using tokusatsu effects, making them highlights of the series alongside its weighty, dramatic storytelling.

The criminals included not only ordinary humans but also science-fiction creatures such as vampires, phosphorescent humans, frozen humans, and aquatic humans. The confrontations between these enemies and SRI, which fought using advanced gadgets, were packed with enough intensity to make viewers forget there were no superheroes involved.

Another work with human protagonists was “Emergency Command 10-4, 10-10” (1972). It depicted a group of CB radio enthusiasts known as the “Radio Special Investigation Squad” investigating and solving incidents. CB radio, a simple form of radio communication that did not require a license, was popular at the time.

The enemies fought by the Radio Special Investigation Squad included criminals who abused science, as well as a diverse lineup of foes such as plant monsters, giant subterranean monsters, mummy creatures, fish-men, primitive humans, rat monsters, giant slugs, and even aliens. The series was filled with unconventional appeal as a tokusatsu action drama.

A happy beast rather than a monster runs wild!? Its name is Booska!

“A Kaiju Booska” (1966), which began airing in the same year as “Ultraman,” is a unique kind of science-fiction comedy. Daisaku, a boy who loved inventing things and wanted to create a monster, powered up his pet iguana with special nutritional food and other means, creating the happy beast Booska.

As suggested by his rather vague profile of approximately 2 meters tall and approximately 100 kilograms, Booska scurries around with his fluffy, cuddly appearance, characterized by his large eyes and mouth. He is simply adorable!

Booska is a lovable happy beast who understands human speech and has his own amusing “Booska language,” such as “Barasa Barasa” when he is happy and “Puripuri no Kiririnko” when he is angry. He can use superpowers such as superhuman strength and the ability to fly, while his appeal as a character is further enhanced by the fact that he loses his powers if the “Boo Crown” on his head comes off.

Booska gets involved in all kinds of slapstick adventures alongside Daisaku and the other children, encountering bad adults, monsters, yōkai, aliens, and more. Although it is science fiction, it also has strong elements of fantasy. Because it is a black-and-white production, it may be somewhat difficult for modern viewers to get into, but it is definitely worth watching.

A justice hero who is two-dimensional being? An underground being?

Tsuburaya Productions has created numerous giant-hero series outside the Ultraman Series as well. Here, let’s introduce some of the more unusual protagonists.

First is “Mirrorman” (1971), whose protagonist is Kyotaro Kagami, a young man whose father is a two-dimensional being and whose mother is an Earthling.

To protect Earth from invasions by aliens and monsters, Kyotaro transforms into the giant hero Mirrorman by diving into mirrors and other objects that reflect light.

His abilities to teleport from mirror to mirror and run at the speed of light are unique to a hero descended from a two-dimensional being. He engages in spectacular battles against monsters using a wide variety of powerful light-ray attacks.

He is also the original hero from whom Mirror Knight, a member of the “Ultimate Force Zero” that fights alongside Ultraman Zero, was derived.

Then there is “Fireman” (1973), a series featuring a hero who is an underground being yet fights on behalf of humanity.

When it comes to underground superhumans, Ultraman Victory, who fought alongside Ultraman Ginga, was also transformed from an underground being. But 40 years before Victory appeared, a great predecessor had already been active.

The inhabitants of the lost continent of Avant, which sank beneath the sea 11,500 years ago, lived underground. After learning that monsters had appeared on the surface, they sent a young man named Misaki, who could transform into Fireman, to save humanity from the crisis.

Using magma energy, Misaki transforms into the giant hero Fireman and defeats the monsters that appear one after another with techniques powered by flames, such as Fire Flash and Fire Dash. Fireman is also the original hero from whom Glen Fire, a member of the “Ultimate Force Zero,” was derived.

An unrelenting spirit of challenge: The essence of Tsuburaya Productions’ Tokusatsu

Alongside the Ultraman heroes who made our hearts race when we were children, there have been countless masterpieces that captivated us and, at times, delivered powerful and unforgettable shocks. Their innovative action and original worlds have not faded with the changing times and continue to capture the hearts of tokusatsu fans even today.

Published to mark the 60th anniversary, “Television Magazine Special Edition: Ultraman Series 60th Anniversary — Complete Record of All Ultramen” is a superb archive, like a treasure chest, that also condenses the history of the many masterpieces Tsuburaya Productions is proud of.

Why not take a trip back into the worlds of those nostalgic yet newly discovered masterpieces this weekend, while reflecting on the many rare archival photographs?

“Television Magazine Special Edition: Ultraman Series 60th Anniversary — Complete Record of All Ultramen” (tax-included list price: ¥16,500. Published by Kodansha)

This definitive volume of more than 300 pages covers not only every work in the Ultraman Series, from “Ultra Q” and “Ultraman” through “Ultraman Teo,” but also more than 30 masterpiece tokusatsu dramas produced by Tsuburaya Productions, including “A Kaiju Booska, Operation: Mystery!,” “Mighty Jack,” and “Mirrorman.” It is a book you will definitely want to keep by your side as a companion to Tsuburaya Productions’ works.