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Ultraman

Here’s what 35 years of drawing practice can do for your superhero scribbles

Professional manga artist deftly displays his artistic skill progression from kindergarten to the present. 

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Evangelion fans brace for another release delay as creator is rumored to be making Ultraman movie

Would chance to direct boyhood favorite franchise convince Hideaki Anno to push back the release of his seven-years-in-the-making Evangelion finale?

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Cradle yourself to sleep with villainous arm pillows from Ultraman, Gundam, and Kinnikuman

Because we all need somebody to lean on.

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This Japanese Ultraman temple block will help you cast off all worldly desires!

It’ll cost you about $10,000, but surely Nirvana is worth it.

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Ultraman pictures prove he protects everyone, humans and furry kitties alike【Photos】

He isn’t just the hero that we need — he’s exactly the hero that we want!

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Japanese superhero Ultraman spotted going to work on the Yamanote train line in Tokyo

Will station staff let him give up his kaiju monster-fighting days and allow him to commute like an ordinary Japanese salaryman?

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Ultraman has some new kicks for his 50th anniversary thanks to Converse All Star

Because sometimes superhero boots are just not that comfortable.

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So a bikini model and a kaiju walk into Japan’s most famous porn location…to sell toys 【Video】

A rubber suit monster, surreal humor, and a heaping helping of sexual subtext that has nothing to do with the product itself? This might be the alpha and the omega of Japanese commercials.

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Odaiba exhibition features rare & vintage character toys from the 1960s onwards, photos A-OK!

Children all over the world idolize at least one TV or comic book character at some point while growing up. For everyone who gets a rush of excitement whenever they fondly recall their favorite childhood character toys, we’d like to introduce you to a must-see event that’s currently going on in Tokyo’s Odaiba district: the “Nostalgic Toy Great Exhibition” (懐かしのおもちゃ大博覧会)!

This event is a massive display of classic Japanese character toys that date from the Showa period (1926-1989) to the present day. Everything from ultra rare vintage tinplate toys from the 1960s to Sailor Moon figurines from the 2010s are on display, for a grand total of approximately 2,000 toys. On top of that, photography is permitted—it’s truly a toy lover’s paradise!

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One-of-a-kind Ultraman violin to be sold this November

Coming to the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Theater Concert Hall on 2 November is the Ultraman Symphony Concert 2015. At this event music from the high-culture tokusatsu masterpieces of Ultraman and related shows will be performed by a full orchestra.

It’s sure to be a luminous evening of sci-fi splendor, but to mark the occasion a single Ultra Violin, the only official Ultraman violin in existence, will be sold to one lucky buyer.

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Ultraman-themed Kaiju Pub is coming back to Kawasaki, and this time it’s here to stay!

Getting pounded into the turf by a 40-meter (131-foot) tall martial artist who can shoot beams of energy from his hands can’t be an easy lifestyle. So last year when a restaurant opened in Kawasaki to honor the giant monsters and aliens who so often end up on the losing side of the battles in the Ultraman franchise, we thought it was nice they now had a place to relax, enjoy some tasty food, and knock back a few beers between regularly getting pummeled by the good guys.

Of course, we Earthlings were also welcome at the establishment, called the Kaiju Sakaba (“Monster Pub”). We stopped by shortly after the place opened last year, and all of the Ultraman-themed decorations made us feel like we were little kids again (well, at least until our first round of alcoholic drinks arrived, anyway). And then we felt like little kids again as wept in sadness upon hearing the Kaiju Sakaba was closing last March.

But, just like the ending of each installment of the Ultraman saga gives way to the next chapter, the Kaiju Sakaba is coming back to Kawasaki later this month, and this time it’s here to stay!

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Become an ultra-cool Ultra(salary)man with these limited-edition neckties

In Japan, black suits are as ubiquitous with salarymen as uniforms are with high school students. Usually, though, the look is pretty unremarkable: black suit, white shirt, subdued tie, black shoes, black belts…and the same thing every day. Suit and menswear chain Aoyama, however, is looking to not only spice up the old suit look, but also help salarymen channel their inner space alien superhero (or villain).

For their 50th anniversary, Aoyama has collaborated with the Ultraman franchise to create a line of Ultraman neckties. In an announcement from Tsuburaya Productions, the company that produced the original Ultraman TV series in 1966, it was revealed that there will be eighteen unique Ultraman inspired designs available for a limited time.

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Ultra kaijū get cute makeovers in new line of anthropomorphized figurines

Just what on earth will toy manufacturers think of next? Sure, we can understand the charm behind cat sushi figures, but really now, are swimsuit-wearing, anthropomorphized figurines of famous kaijū (monsters) designed to look like beautiful girls completely necessary?

Yet oddly, we find ourselves wanting to decorate our office with them…

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Aliens attend baseball game, thrown out, never heard from again

“Could there be life somewhere else in the universe?” The recent discovery of the Earth-sized planet (Kepler 186f) is about the same distance to its sun as the Earth is to ours. Is it possible that life does exist outside our planet?

A recent picture from Twitter only helps to increase our hopes while also dragging them away as the aliens are seemingly escorted from “America’s favorite pastime”.

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Ultraman’s family and friends join forces to pitch Hawaii for Japanese tourists

Have ever wondered what Japanese superhero Ultraman does to relax after fighting off rubber-suited lobster aliens? Apparently, everyone’s favorite defender of the universe has been vacationing in sunny Hawaii alongside his parents and a few of his mortal enemies-turned-surfing buddies.

The tropical holiday is part of a hilarious campaign by Hawaii’s tourism association to draw Japanese visitors to the islands. Click below to see some surreal pictures of the Ultraman crew lounging by the pool, learning yoga and practicing their hula dance!

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Ultraman pub lets you get ultra-full and ultra-drunk while having ultra fun

Among the many Japanese tales of heroes of justice battling giant monsters, Ultraman may just be the most popular. Since its television debut in 1966, hardly a year has gone by without a new Ultraman TV series or motion picture.

The franchise’s longevity means that many long-time fans who started watching when they were young kids are now full-grown adults. On the one hand, growing up means more responsibility, but it also means more freedom, including the freedom to knock back a few cold beers at a new dining and drinking establishment where Ultraman’s monstrous foes take center stage.

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Giant alien slug invades Japan… again

According to reports from media outlets such as Asahi Shimbun, Japan is currently under threat by Limax Maximus: a giant slug with a distinctive leopard-print skin. This slug was first discovered in Japan back in 2006. However, the area in which it can be found is increasing at an alarming rate.

As Japanese netizens read the headline, almost unanimously, comments of “It’s Eleking!” echoed like the horrific memories of the nation’s previous encounters with alien slugs.

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