Ultra Operation No.1

Ultraman, episode 1
Information
Airdate	July 17, 1966
Directed by	Hajime Tsuburaya
Written by	Shinichi Sekizawa Tetsuo Kinjo
Special Effects Directed by	Koichi Takano
Continuity
Previous	The Birth of Ultraman
Next	Shoot the Invaders!
Continuity
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After officer Hayata was given the life of the alien from the M78 nebula, he has transformed himself using the Beta Capsule. He flies at the speed of Mach 5. He is an immortal man who destroys all enemies with massive power. Go! Our hero!The Narrator, introducing Ultraman, the hero from Nebula M78

Having been given the life of the spaceman from Nebula M78, Hayata now uses the Beta Capsule, and becomes that super-being - ULTRAMAN!!!The Narrator, introducing Ultraman, the hero from Nebula M78

Ultra Operation No.1 is the first episode of Ultraman.

Plot

While patrolling the skies on the night shift, Shin Hayata reports back to home base he has seen a U.F.O. An enormous red orb is chasing a blue orb across the night sky. As fate would have it, Hayata's ship accidentally collides with the red object just as the blue U.F.O. descends into a nearby lake. Hayata is saved by the strange alien inhabiting the red glowing vessel. From the Nebula M78, the benevolent being explains it was pursuing the monstrous pilot of the blue ship, Bemular, after it escaped being escorted to the Monster Graveyard. Merging with Hayata and giving him the Beta Capsule, the SSSP (Science Special Search-Party) member secretly becomes Ultraman whenever monsters or aliens threaten the Earth.

Cast

• Shin Hayata : Susumu Kurobe
• Toshio Muramatsu : Akiji Kobayashi
• Akiko Fuji : Hiroko Sakurai
• Daisuke Arashi : Sandayu Dokumamushi
• Mitsuhiro Ide : Masanari Nihei
• Isamu Hoshino : Akihide Tsuzawa

Guest Actors

• Saitama Prefectural Police Patrolling Unit Officers
  • Hakase Kuni
  • Kozo Watanabe

Voice Actors

• Ultraman :
  • Masao Nakasone (grunts)
  • Hisashi Kondo (voice)
• Narrator : Koji Ishizaka

Suit Actors

• Ultraman : Bin Furuya
• Bemular : Teruo Aragaki

Appearances

Ultras

• Ultraman

Kaiju

• Bemular

Quotes

Who's there? Who are you?"
"I am an alien of Nebula M78."
"An inhabitant of Nebula M78?"
"That's right, I came from far away space. I was transporting Bemular to his grave in space, but he escaped and I have followed him to Earth."
Bemular?"
"He is a space monster that can only bring forth chaos and destruction like a devil. I apologize for what I did to you, officer Hayata, for this reason I will give my life to you."
"Your life? What will happen to you then?"
"We will become one in body and soul, and fight for the peace of the Earth.Shin Hayata and Ultraman in Ultraman's travel sphere

Wait a second. You've been calling him "he", like a friend, but what's his name?"
"He doesn't have a name."
"Don't joke, Everyone has a name."
"Then let's see-- How about Ultraman?"
"Ultraman?"
"Right, Ultraman. What do you think?"
"Well-- That's "ultra" good!"Mitsuhiro Ide, Shin Hayata and Akiko Fuji naming the giant of light.

Home Media

• Ultraman Volume 1 features episodes 1-4.
• The U.S. DVD release Ultraman: Here He Comes From The Sky features episodes 1-10.
• Ultraman: The Complete Series features all 39 episodes.
• Mill Creek Entertainment released Ultraman - The Complete Series on Blu-ray + Digital in a standard set and a SteelBook Edition in the US on October 15, 2019.

1999 release

Ultraman: The Complete Series (Chaiyo U.S. release)

2009 release

Ultraman: Here He Comes From The Sky (Chaiyo U.S. release)

Mill Creek's Ultraman - The Complete Series DVD set

Trivia

• Due to script revisions and other issues, the production number for this episode was assigned as the 9th episode. Typically, television productions follow the script numbering order, which is generally considered the correct production sequence. However, in practice, this episode was actually filmed as the 5th episode in the series.
  • The production of Ultraman was organized according to directors, with each director responsible for two to three episodes. These included Toshihiro Iijima (episodes 2, 3, 5), Samaji Nonagase (episodes 4, 6, 7, 9), Hajime Tsuburaya (episodes 1, 8, 12, 13), and Kazuho Mitsuta (episodes 10, 11). While the first episode was directed by Tsuburaya, filming actually began with the first three episodes directed by Iijima, following a rotational schedule based on director assignments.
  • Normally, team would separate the filming of the main script and special effects scenes into two units, allowing production to proceed smoothly. However, since this was their first time producing, Iijima's three episodes were handled by a single team combining both the main script and special effects units, which led to a delay of nearly two months. Filming began in mid-March 1966, but by May 1966, progress was still slow.
  • To prioritize the episode 1, filming originally assigned to Nonagase's team was paused, and Tsuburaya's team adjusted their schedule. As a result, the production order became disorganized. Following the adjustment to Tsuburaya Productions's timeline, the final production order for this episode was set as the 5th, which has since become the accepted sequence.
  • In the book "Ultraman Hero Graphic Library", it is explained that the filming originally paused for Nonagase's team resumed in late June 1966. However, the book also mentions a brief filming interruption in late May. The production order for episode 4 was the fifth, while episode 1 should have been placed in the 6th or 7th position. As for whether episode 8, "The Monster Anarchy Zone," or episode 1 began filming first, there is still no definitive answer to this day.

• In fact, this episode was adapted from a draft script titled "Bemular's Birth" , written during the early planning stages of the series, originally known as Science Special Search Party: Bemular. This script was penned by Shinichi Sekizawa, a screenwriter recommended by Eiji Tsuburaya. Despite his extensive experience in film scripts, Sekizawa initially lacked confidence in writing for television. He had even declined previous invitations to contribute to Ultra Q, citing his unfamiliarity with television scriptwriting.
  • At the time, Shinichi Sekizawa’s protégé, Tetsuo Kinjo, visited Sekizawa at his home with the Ultraman project proposal and story outline. After persistent persuasion, Sekizawa reluctantly agreed to complete the script. However, upon reviewing the finished draft, Hajime Tsuburaya criticized it for having "poor narrative transitions" and requested that Kinjo rewrite it.
  • Kinjo secluded himself in the "Hanabusa" studio and began rewriting the script. What started as minor adjustments eventually evolved into a comprehensive rewrite, taking three days to complete. The revised script deviated significantly from Sekizawa’s original framework, effectively becoming an entirely new creation. When Hajime Tsuburaya reviewed Kinjo’s rewritten script, he approved of the changes.
  • Kinjo made extensive revisions to Sekizawa's script, to the point where not a single line of the original narration remained. Such drastic changes could have been expected to anger Sekizawa, and Kinjo even prepared himself for the possibility of being barred from Sekizawa’s home. However, when Sekizawa read the revised script, he expressed gratitude for Kinjo’s hard work instead of reacting with anger. At Kinjo's suggestion, the script for the episode 1 was ultimately credited as a joint creation by both Sekizawa and Kinjo.
  • As of now, the only confirmed versions of the script are the sample draft "Bemular's Birth" and Kinjo’s revised version. Sekizawa’s original standalone script has not been discovered.
  • Compared to the finished episode, these existing scripts show only slight differences, though some of the settings vary. For example, in the script, Bemular is not destroyed by a beam of light but instead turns into a blue sphere and attempts to escape, eventually exploding from exhaustion. Additionally, after Bemular's defeat, Ultraman's disappearance is not explained clearly, and Hayata is found hanging from a tree.

• Regarding the voices in Ultraman, both in the first and final episodes, the voice work was done by sound technician Hisashi Kondo. It is said that initially, actors from the TBS Theater Group were considered for the role, but Tsuburaya Ichi felt their voices were "too natural, sounding like ordinary people." After several failed takes, Kondo attempted to present the voice in an imitative tone, which ultimately earned Tsuburaya's approval.
  • There is also a story that the original casting was for Masao Nakasone, but after arriving late, which displeased Tsuburaya, he was replaced by Kondo.

• According to testimony from Hiroko Sakurai, the original script did not include a scene where Fuji piloted the Jet VTOL to transport the Special Submarine S16 to Ryugamori Lake. Initially, Fujiyama's role was limited to communication duties. Sakurai explained, "In Ultra Q, I played such an active role, but I never fought any monsters." As a result, she requested to participate directly in the action, and ultimately, Fujiyama was assigned the task of transporting the Special Submarine S16.
• Due to delays in production, the show could not air as originally scheduled. To fill the gap, it was decided to air a special preview program titled The Birth of Ultraman, which included a trailer for the first episode. This trailer used film footage not featured in the main episode and included live narration, which has not been preserved. The trailer for the first episode, as part of the The Birth of Ultraman, was recorded on film and has been fully preserved.
• The song sung by the young campers at Ryugamori Lake is "Hoshi ni Inori wo," performed by the folk group The Broadside Four.
• A blooper from this episode, along with other unused bloopers footage, was unexpectedly discovered in 2013.
  • The scene shows a battle sequence where Ultraman attempts to lift and throw Bemular but accidentally uproots a tree from the set in the process. Additionally, Ultraman loses balance during the action and falls, necessitating a retake.
  • Interestingly, the uprooted tree featured detailed roots, indicating that the production team had planted actual trees in the background rather than relying solely on props. Furthermore, the Bemular suit did not contain a suit actor inside during filming.
• Elements related to this episode, such as Ryugamori Lake, have appeared in other series:
  • In Ultraman Tiga episode 49, "The Ultra Star," Ryugamori Lake serves as the story's location.
  • The 2004 film ULTRAMAN is a modern reimagining of this episode, set in contemporary Japan. It adapts the original story into a "remake" for a new generation.
  • At the beginning of the 2008 film Superior 8 Ultra Brothers, a young Daigo Madoka, Shin Asuka, and Gamu Takayama are seen eating curry while watching this episode.
  • In Neo Ultra Q episode 1, "Quo Vadis," "Ryugamori" is mentioned as the _target sacred site of the monster Niruwanie.
  • In the novel Ultra Monster Anthropomorphic Project, Ryugamori Lake is set in Fukushima Prefecture.
  • Ultraman Z episode 1 "Chant My Name!" references the scene from this episode where Ultraman and Hayata first meet.
  • The title of Ultraman Trigger: New Generation Tiga episode 18 "Smile Operation No.1" is a direct reference to the title of this episode.
  • The protagonist of Shin Ultraman, Shinji Kaminaga, has his birthday on July 17, 1986, the same date as the original airing of this episode.

Travel Sphere in ULTRAMAN

Niruwanie joins the tree in Ryugamori

Shinji Kaminaga

Superior 8 Ultra Brothers

Z (above) and Ultraman (below) interacting with their respective hosts.

• This episode was later featured in New Ultraman Retsuden episode 144 "First Ultraman Advent! Ultra Operation No.1."