is a Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

ese tokusatsu

Tokusatsu

is a Japanese term that applies to any live-action film or television drama that usually features superheroes and makes considerable use of special effects ....

 TV show produced by Tsuburaya Productions

Tsuburaya Productions

is a Japanese special effects studio founded in 1963 by special effects wizard Eiji Tsuburaya and was run by his family, until October 2007, when the family sold the company to advertising agency TYO Inc. The studio is best known for producing the original Ultraman TV series, as well as the Ultra...

 which aired on the Tokyo Broadcasting System

Tokyo Broadcasting System

, TBS Holdings, Inc. or TBSHD, is a stockholding company in Tokyo, Japan. It is a parent company of a television network named and radio network named ....

 channel from April 2, 1980 to March 25, 1981, lasting a total of 50 episodes. It was the ninth TV show in the Ultra Series

Ultra Series

The is the collective name for all the shows produced by Tsuburaya Productions featuring Ultraman, his many brethren, and the myriad Ultra Monsters. The Ultra Series is one of the prominent tokusatsu superhero genre productions from Japan, along with Toei produced series Kamen Rider, Super...

 and began a week after the conclusion of the anime series The Ultraman

The Ultraman

is a Japanese animated television series co-produced by Tsuburaya Production and Tokyo Broadcasting System. The series aired on TBS Television affiliates on the Wednesday 7:00 PM time slot from April 4, 1979 to March 26, 1980, lasting a total of 50 episodes. It was the eighth installment in the...

, bringing the franchise back to its live-action roots. It would be the last Ultraman TV series for Japanese audiences during the following sixteen years until the production of Ultraman Tiga

Ultraman Tiga

is a Japanese tokusatsu TV show and is the 11th show in the Ultra Series. Produced by Tsuburaya Productions, Ultraman Tiga was aired at 6:00pm and aired between September 7, 1996 to August 30, 1997, with a total of 52 episodes with 4 movies After a franchise hiatus of over 15 years, set in a...

.

Plot

Ultraman 80 comes to Earth

Earth

Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...

 as one of the newest members of the Ultra Space Garrison (it is revealed in Ultraman Mebius

Ultraman Mebius

is a Japanese television series produced by Tsuburaya Productions and Chubu-Nippon Broadcasting. It is the 17th TV series and 40th anniversary production in the Ultra Series, which first began in 1966. It premiered on the Tokyo Broadcasting System on April 8, 2006...

that he is the ninth Ultra Brother), in the form of science teacher Takeshi Yamato. After a five-year hiatus since the departure of Ultraman Leo

Ultraman Leo

is a Japanese tokusatsu TV show and is the 7th show in the Ultra Series. Produced by Tsuburaya Productions, Ultraman Leo was aired between April 12, 1974 to March 28, 1975, with a total of 51 episodes. Tatsumi Nikamoto was the in-suit actor of Ultraman Leo.-Plot:...

 (1974), monsters started reappearing again.

Yamato's theory is that monsters are born of the energy created by negative human emotions, also known as Minus Energy. He decides to become a teacher at Sakuragaoka Junior High School in Tokyo, and serves as a science teacher, as well as the home room teacher responsible for 1st Year, E Division. He is absolutely dedicated to his students, for he is there to teach them not just about science, but also about life. Unfortunately, he has a penchant for being late, so he does things like promising his students to walk to class on his hands if he is late next time, or even promising to resign as a teacher. He even starts up a band with his students and jams on an electric

Electric guitar

An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...

 guitar

Guitar

The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...

. His over-enthusiasm quickly wins the loyalty of his students, but often makes him an easy target for the prim Deputy Schoolmaster Kumi Nozawa. Yamato loves rice, bakso and orange juice. He also loves Kyoko Aihara, the gym teacher, but loses all confidence in himself and sense of composure in her presence.

Yamato dons an orange and silver suit to moonlight at UGM (Utility Government Members), the regular Earth defence team, after school and on Sundays. He gets the job from Captain Oyama because they are both present at a park in the first episode, looking for signs of new monster activity. Oyama is happy to meet someone who believes in the re-emergence of monsters. Even his own team members had their doubts, since none of them have any combat experience like their veteran captain. At school, only Principal Kennosuke Hayashi knows of Yamato's extracurricular activities.

80 has one of the more difficult human situations of any Ultraman. Ultraman 80 cannot be revealed to be known by humans, since his revelation will lead 80 to leave Earth. Yet, Yamato must still balance UGM and school, all the while hiding his true identity, while nursing a crush on Aihara. Though determined to teach his students about responsibility and integrity, he has to lie and break promises constantly to maintain this secret multiple personality and eventually stops working as a teacher to be a full time UGM member.

Ultraman 80 and Hoshi returns home after the event of the final episode against monster Margodon. In the final episode, UGM destroy Margodon all by themselves. It is revealed that Captain Oyama knows the real identities of Yamato and Hoshi, and a small celebration is held to appreciate Ultraman 80's and Hoshi's assistance while on Earth.

Yullian

Late in the series, 80 is joined on Earth by the Princess of the Land of Light (the Ultra Planet), , 80's childhood friend (and in Ultraman: Super Fighter Legend, his girlfriend). She originally comes to Earth to warn 80 that King Galtan the Great is planning to assassinate him, but she ends up sticking around for a while and joins UGM (replacing Emi Jouno, who had been killed in action

Killed in action

Killed in action is a casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their own forces at the hands of hostile forces. The United States Department of Defense, for example, says that those declared KIA need not have fired their weapons but have been killed due to...

). She assumes the identity of Ryoko Hoshi. While not using any attacks as Yullian (other than Double Power, a combined attack with 80), she does shoot the Princess Ray, an infrared beam fired from the fingertips, as Ryoko.

She later makes a cameo appearance in the first episode of Ultraman Mebius

Ultraman Mebius

is a Japanese television series produced by Tsuburaya Productions and Chubu-Nippon Broadcasting. It is the 17th TV series and 40th anniversary production in the Ultra Series, which first began in 1966. It premiered on the Tokyo Broadcasting System on April 8, 2006...

 and also participates along with several other Ultras in fighting against Ultraman Belial in the film, Ultra Galaxy Legends but she fails to stop Belial and is frozen once he steals the Plasma Spark and remains frozen until Ultraman Zero returns it.

Later years

25 years later, in Ultraman Mebius, 80 returns to Earth while fighting Robelgar II, whom he eventually defeats with Mebius' help. His former students, one of whom works at the school and knows that their former sensei (teacher) is in fact Ultraman 80 is ecstatic as they all have fond memories of him and would like to see him again. They decide to have one final reunion party at the school as the school is to be torn down soon in the hope that their mentor would come. Ultraman 80 tells Mebius that he will not attend as he feels that by joining the UGM to fight monsters he failed in his primary mission of teaching his students. As the reunion party starts on the roof of the school, residual negative energy (also referred to as Minus Energy), emerges from the school to resurrect the monster Hoh (a monster which appeared in 1980).

Ultraman Mebius battles the monster who seemed to be sad somehow and this sadness was being reflected in the school building itself. Ultraman 80 then landed and told Mebius that since it was the negative energy that spawned the monster that he would defeat it. The monster willingly stood and seemed to smile as it dispersed after being hit with energy from 80's Buckle Beam. 80 then sees his student's delight at his appearance and hears them as they shout out how their lives have turned out thanks to him. Ultraman 80 then flies away and reverts to Takeshi Yamato and is joyfully greeted by his students at the final school reunion, as he realized that he hadn't failed them after all. Ultraman 80 later returns during the series finale, assisting the other Ultra Brothers in destroying a manifestation of rock created by Alien Empera

Alien Empera

is the main antagonist of Ultraman Mebius. He is the master of Mephilas, Glozam, Deathrem and Yapool. Alien Empera appeared in the final 3 episodes in the series Alien Empera, as well as his creation, Armored Darkness are among the most powerful foes in the Ultra series...

 that was coating the sun. Takeshi Yamato is the only human host not to transform to his Ultra form on screen during Mebius' series.

During the film Ultra Galaxy Legends, Ultraman 80 teams up with Ultraman Jack and Ultraman Ace

Ultraman Ace

is the 5th show in the Ultra Series. Produced by Tsuburaya Productions, the series aired on Tokyo Broadcasting System from April 7, 1972 to March 30, 1973, with a total of 52 episodes....

 to prevent Ultraman Belial from stealing the Plasma Spark. However, the three Ultras are defeated by Belial and are frozen once he steals the Plasma Spark. They remain frozen until Ultraman Zero returns The Plasma Spark.

Firsts

This is the very first live action Ultra series to have ending credits

Closing credits

Closing credits or end credits are added at the end of a motion picture, television program, or video game to list the cast and crew involved in the production. They usually appear as a list of names in small type, which either flip very quickly from page to page, or move smoothly across the...

 and an ending song

Conclusion (music)

In music, the conclusion is the ending of a composition and may take the form of a coda or outro.Pieces using sonata form typically use the recapitulation to conclude a piece, providing closure through the repetition of thematic material from the exposition in the tonic key...

. Two songs were used for the opening and endings, the ending songs were called Let's Go UGM by TALIZMAN, and You are Earthlings by TALIZMAN

TALIZMAN

Talizman was a Japanese new wave group perhaps best known for performing the opening and closing songs of Ultraman 80 and the 1984 OVA Locke the Superman. They also did several songs for musicals such as the Japanese version of Hair...

. The 1st Opening theme was covered by Koorogi '73

Koorogi '73

were a Japanese backing vocals group best known for their contributions to the Super Robot series and Toei's Super Sentai series. The group was disbanded after 1990.The Japanese word means "a cricket."...

, but this version is extremely rare.

Ultraman 80 Statistics

• Height: 50 meters
• Weight: 44,000 tons
• Flight Speed: Mach 9
• Running Speed: Mach 1.3
• Home Planet: The Land of Light, Nebula M78
• Human Form: Takeshi Yamato (disguise in series, host in manga)
• Transformation Item: Bright Stick

Weapons

• Saxium Ray: 80's "L' style beam attack. he tows his arms in the air, one pointing upward, and another to the right, then they come together in the "L" pose. Very powerful, and being able to destroy monsters with one blow.
• Buckle Beam: 80 can emit diamond-shaped blasts from the diamond shape on his stomach. Can destroy monsters in one shot.
• Super Edge: 80 can unleash a powered crusher from his fliperfinger.
• Ultra Arrow Shot: 80 can fire a large laser arrow from his hands after rotating his arms in a circular position and charging his body with yellow energy. Can destroy monsters in one shot.
• Ultra Spiral Beam: 80 can emit very powerful energy beam surrounded by green energy pulses from both hands.
• Ultra Ray Lance: A beam javelin 80 can use to smack and stab monsters every which way.
• Eye Shot: 80 is able to fire beams from his eyes.
• Medical Power: Unlike most Ultra-heroes, 80 has powerful healing abilities.
• Ultra Reduction: 80 can shrink to any size he pleases.
• Ultra Fist: 80 can charge his fist with energy for a much more powerful punch.
• Power Circle Combo: Together with Yullian, 80 can create a large energy circle from their joined hands; this circle, sort of a large Ultra-Slash, can vanquish even the most invincible of monsters.
• Moonsault Kick: 80 can charge his foot with energy for a much more powerful kick in a fashion of a Rider Kick
  Rider Kick
  The is the finishing move from the Kamen Rider Series. It has traditionally consisted of a flying side kick and is used against the monster/kaijin after it has been weakened from fighting with the Rider. Throughout the various Kamen Rider series, it has taken many different forms and has become...
  
  .

UGM Members

• Captain Kazuki Oyama
• Chief Junkichi Ito
• Takeshi Yamato (human disguise of Ultraman 80)
• Hiroshi Tajima
• Emi Jouno
• Ryoko Hoshi