Series: Ultraman Taro
Ultraman Taro (ウルトラマンタロウ – Urutoraman Tarō) is the title superhero of a tokusatsu SF/kaiju/superhero TV show, and is the 6th show in the Ultra Series. Produced by Tsuburaya Productions, this series aired on Tokyo Broadcasting System from April 6, 1973 to April 5, 1974, with a total of 53 episodes.
In a move similar to the previous series, Ultraman Ace, this series has a more comical feel and appeals greatly to children, an audience which made this one of the more popular Ultra Series, although adult fans have a different point of view. Up until the 1990s, this was also the most expensive of the Ultra Series.
Taro is one of the most typical name of a boy in otogi-banashis, or, Japanese fairy tales. The producer said, ‘Ultraman Taro is going to be the fairy tale in Ultra Series.’
The actual child of the Mother of Ultra and the Father of Ultra, he is ostensibly one of the strongest Ultramen, although he seems to get killed a lot and receives a lot of help from his mother, father, and all of his brothers. Taroh gets his head chopped off by Enmargo in Episode 14, and gets killed by Birdon in Episode 18.
Kotaroh Higashi, the human counterpart of Taroh, has feelings for Saori, the girl who lives in the Shiratori household where he has taken residence. In Episode 1, he rides on the foot of the monster Astromons. Saori, by the way, likes to puff out her cheeks and frown when angry.
The monster Birdon kills Taroh and Zoffy, taking all Six Ultra Brothers to defeat Tempera-seijin. Balkie-seijin has the distinction of being based on a reject design for upcoming hero Ultraman Leo. Repeat monsters from the past include a yellow Eleking (from Ultra Seven), Bemustar (from Ultraman Jack), Belokuron (Ultraman Ace), Sabotendar (Ace), Giant Yapool (Ace), Mephiras-seijin (from Ultraman), and Tyrant (a chimera of a lot of monsters from the past). To get away from the CHOHJUH concept established in Ultraman Ace — the “terrible monsters” that were supposed to be stronger than ordinary monsters — it was established in Ultraman Taroh that the new monsters were even stronger still. This fact was quickly established by having new monster Astromonse beat up and swallow whole OilDrinker, the last of the CHOHJUH.
The series breaks from the opening credits tradition by using real images of ZAT machines, instead of silhouettes.
In the end, Higashi turns in his badge. He returns the Ultra Badge to the Mother of Ultra in the last episode, kills Balkie-seijin without help from anyone, and heads off to walk the Earth. (Wikipedia)