"Ultraman" was introduced in 1993 and premiered on Shanghai Oriental TV, causing a sensation across the country. Then, Ultraman became the hero in the children's eyes. Then began to introduce the remaining Showa series Ultraman special photo series (except Ultraman Seven). The popularity of the film led to the establishment of the Shanghai Yuangu Branch in China in 1995. The introduction of "Ultraman Tiga" in 2004 restored Ultraman's youthful glory.

Japan’s Tsuburaya will film the Chinese version of Ultraman

News from Tsuburaya Company on February 2, 2005: The Chinese version of Ultraman will be produced and the protagonist will be Chinese.

President Tsuburaya Hideaki of Tsuburaya Company, which is well-known for producing special films, said that it will produce a Chinese version of Ultraman in China and use Chinese protagonists. If it goes quickly, it can be broadcast on Chinese TV stations within this year.

This is the first time that Tsuburaya Company has produced this program in China. The actors and showrunners of the Chinese version of Ultraman will all be Chinese, which will make the Chinese audience feel more familiar. All the main actors, including the character Ultraman (whose name has yet to be determined) and his transformed protagonist, all converse in Chinese. Both the stage and the character settings are basically in China. Ultraman Tiga and others have been broadcast in China since last year. As a result, films with Japanese backgrounds were introduced one after another, but in order to really do a good job in the business of character images, the company made the judgment that the stage settings, actors, language, etc. are all Chinese originals.

With the broadcast of new programs, it will also merge with Chinese companies. With the strong help of local companies, we are looking forward to the later effects of the TV series after they are broadcast. Through cooperation with Chinese companies, not only Ultraman has plans to initiate the design of a new protagonist in China. The monsters used in the show will also be made with Chinese characteristics. Ultraman's surrounding industries are acquired through bidding by local companies, and the company has had painful experience in recycling unlicensed imitations. The background of this original production is to launch the new Ultraman brand in China while distributing regular products before the arrival of imitation products and strengthening copyright management.

Ultraman is a special special effects program for children and has gained a lot of popularity. However, its ratings have recently dropped, and the broadcast was suspended at the end of 2002. In October last year, TBS's "Ultraman Nexus" began to air and Toho's movie Godzilla was released, which revived the popularity of Tokusatsu films and gradually moved closer to the company's development strategy. The return of Ultraman to China this time is an action taken by Japanese companies who found that the market for Japanese children is close to saturation and want to open up new horizons among the 1.3 billion Chinese people.

However, after the failure of "Ultraman Nexus", President Hideaki Tsuburaya's position was no longer guaranteed, and this plan was cancelled.

About the production of the Chinese version of Ultraman series, exclusive interview with Tsuburaya Company President Hideaki Tsuburaya (Source: Ultraman China Alliance on February 11, 2005)

——About China Ultraman version

The Chinese "Ultraman" series starring Chinese actors and produced locally in China is already preparing to start in China. The goal is to air it on Chinese TV stations as soon as possible.

So far, the Chinese version of Ultraman has been a dubbed version of the Japanese series. The same is true for "Ultraman Tega", which has been broadcast since 2004. However, as the censorship system for overseas programs becomes increasingly strict, it is becoming increasingly difficult to broadcast new series in Japan. We urgently need a new series that is rooted in the land of China.

For the production and distribution of the new series, we will establish a joint venture in China. Join forces with local media to promote the new series.

Chinese government authorities require that programs must contain more than two-thirds of Chinese cultural elements. In order to make the audience feel more intimate, we decided to make the characters, stage and other settings full of Chinese culture. Most of the actors and camera crew are also Chinese.

——A non-"Ultraman" series production

I want to create a new character in the Chinese market that is completely different from "Ultraman". This is a strategy taken against piracy. When programs are imported from Japan, pirated products squeeze out the living space every time before the genuine products are launched. And by using characters that no one knows in the market to make toys, and launching genuine products at the same time as the show is launched, we will definitely be able to seize the market before piracy appears.

——A reality show famous in Japanese department stores

In order to promote the series, and also to increase the opportunities for Chinese children to see the exhibition. We will continue the original promotion in Japan and will continue to use Japanese department stores as a foothold to increase exhibitions.

However, the situation in China is different. In Japan, when department stores carry out activities, the department store usually pays the company. to attract customer flow. However, what is surprising is that in China, on the contrary, we have to pay the store. They believe that the activity is to promote your company, Tsuburaya.

On the one hand, our performance in the department store did bring them popularity, but on the other hand, the effect we needed was not achieved. As for TV broadcasts, we were also surprised that the TV station held our program for the purpose of promoting Tsuburaya and asked us for related fees.

——Strict program production restrictions

After joining the World Trade Organization (WTO), the procedures became more complicated. The trade liberalization required by the WTO has not been realized as promised.

Before joining the WTO, it was very free to produce programs overseas, but after joining, you need to apply in advance. In China, companies with less than 50% state-owned capital are not allowed to produce programs. For this reason, the "Ultraman" series was once trapped in China.

The reason why the currently playing "Ultraman Tiga" was approved was that it had actually been applied for for a year. The program I am applying for now was not approved last year either. "There is no hope of approval within 2005" is a dead fact.

Even if it is approved in 2006, the official broadcast plan will not be realized until 2007. The related products and promotion plans involved will all be shelved in China. This is also a reason to produce the new series in China.

——The monsters appearing in the series will also be produced in China

We have already launched the relevant studio of the Shanghai subsidiary. The three monsters we tried to make in Shanghai are of a quality that can be used in filming activities. Compared to producing in Japan, we can save about a quarter of the production cost.

The monsters used for filming need to be made more precisely, and the relevant Chinese production staff are studying related courses in Japan.

It’s just that Ultraman’s costumes in “Ultraman” must be made in Japan. Things like faces are too easy to be pirated. Previous plans to have a local company produce the monsters have been scrapped due to concerns about the theft of related technology. Now let the Shanghai branch be responsible for comparing insurance.

——The program production environment in China

After inspecting studios and TV stations in Shanghai, we were very surprised by the availability of advanced cameras and related computer processing equipment. . It seems that large-scale national events such as the Beijing Olympics and the Shanghai World Expo have accelerated the upgrading of related film and television equipment.

However, so far, no TV programs have made good use of these devices, and there seem to be insufficient technical personnel to fully utilize these tools. The artist studios and TV stations visited all said, "Please give me works tomorrow too." Currently, we have to dispatch related staff from Japan, but as long as local talent grows, I believe we can produce in the same environment as Japan.

——Tough fight over trademark issues in China

A Chinese company that has nothing to do with our company chose "Ultraman", the Chinese name of "ULTRAMAN", as a trademark before us. In China, where copyright awareness is low, this kind of "free ride" phenomenon is very common.

Since "Ultraman" was broadcast in China more than ten years ago, pirated copies have mushroomed on the market. Our company's rights protection work in China is difficult.

To put it into detail, there are actually hundreds of companies in China that have registered trademarks related to "Ultraman". We have been working hard on these things since last year.

——China’s copyright protection system is not yet mature

We are indeed very dissatisfied. However, Japan was like that in the past. This is the only way for every country with an incomplete legal system.

The problem is that Chinese companies don’t actually have a character of their own. I believe that if there is a local character, relevant protection measures will be initiated

——The one who bought the trademark “Ultraman” Plan

That's impossible. Money is not the answer, the legal battle is the most important. If we buy a trademark that already belongs to us, it will set a very bad precedent. This is not just a problem for our company, but will also affect foreign companies struggling in the same situation.

——It is difficult for consumers to distinguish between genuine and pirated versions

In China, pirated products basically outnumber genuine ones. Consumers do not deliberately choose genuine or pirated versions. Just go buy what you like. Distributors only sell best-selling products. Such soil breeds rampant piracy.

The government should step up its crackdown on piracy, and distributors should take corresponding measures. But this can only be a revelation to combat piracy.

——A completely different audience group from Japan

In Japan, the age of the audience for the Ultraman series is mainly 3-6 years old, but in China it is indeed 3-12 years old. Even wider. There are more older children watching than in Japan, and that's a huge difference. This is very different from Japan's programs that are deliberately targeted at a certain age group.

Ultraman is also very popular among girls in China. It is said that many parents and even grandparents watch this program with their children. This is very similar to the situation in Japan.

In the program broadcast on Saturday in Shanghai area. Among the programs in the same time period, Ultraman has always had the highest ratings.

——SMS service for mobile phones in Japan

Mobile phone service in China will start soon. It takes time for a character to become popular. It's easy to first be popular on television and then to increase awareness of the character.

As the TV program becomes popular, related products and activities will be launched. This is also true in Japan. At that stage, it needs to be expanded to other media.

The same is true for entertainment such as the theme park "Ultraman Land" that is developing in Japan. From China's perspective, there is indeed a plan to build a theme park in China, but this is still premature.

——Restrictions on program content

Due to violence and many other reasons, the Ultraman series once became a problem. The incident of a child who became obsessed with the show and believed he could fly jumped from a building once also aroused discussion. We consider the influence on children and produce programs that are in line with China's national conditions.