Ultraman Tiga (ウルトラマンティガ, Urutoraman Tiga) is a Japanese tokusatsu TV drama and the twelfth show in the Ultra Series. Produced by Tsuburaya Productions, Ultraman Tiga had aired at 6:00 pm and aired between September 7, 1996, to August 30, 1997, with a total of 52 episodes with five movies (three being crossovers, two being direct sequels to the series as well as a comic book series).

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Quick Facts Ultraman Tiga, Genre ...

Ultraman Tiga
Original Japanese title card
Genre	Superhero Tokusatsu Kaiju Sci-Fi Kyodai Hero
Created by	Tsuburaya Productions
Developed by	Masakazu Migita
Directed by	Shingo Matsubara
Starring	Hiroshi Nagano Takami Yoshimoto Akitoshi Ohtaki Shigeki Kagemaru Yukio Masuda Yoichi Furuya Mio Takaki
Narrated by	Issei Futamata
Opening theme	Take Me Higher by V6 Larger Than Life
Ending theme	Brave Love, Tiga by 地球防衛団 (the Earth Defense Force)
Composer	Tatsumi Yano
Country of origin	Japan
Original language	Japanese
No. of episodes	52
Production
Running time	30 minutes
Original release
Network	TBS, MBS
Release	September 7, 1996 (1996-09-07) – August 30, 1997 (1997-08-30)
Related
Ultraman Zearth Ultraman Dyna

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It was broadcast after a franchise hiatus of over 15 years, set in a universe different from all previous series and updated with a new look and feel. Tiga is the first Ultraman with multiple combat modes and non-red colors. It is one of the most popular entries in the Ultra Series. Because of Tiga's popularity, he had more exposure on TV and movies than any other Heisei Ultraman. Ultraman Tiga was also dubbed in English by 4Kids Entertainment and broadcast in the United States as part of the FoxBox programming block on Fox Broadcasting Company affiliates, making it the fourth Ultra Series to air in the United States after Ultraman, Ultra Seven and Ultraman: Towards the Future. A modern retelling of the drama titled Ultraman Trigger: New Generation Tiga was released on July 10, 2021, as a commemoration for the drama's 25th anniversary.

Set in an alternate universe in the year 2007-2010 (2049 in the U.S. dub), giant monsters and conquering aliens start to appear, as was foretold by an apocalyptic prophecy about uncontrollable chaos over the Earth. Facing the threat, the TPC (Terrestrial Peaceable Consortium) is created along with its branch, GUTS (Global Unlimited Task Squad). Through a holographic message in a capsule found by researchers, the GUTS gets knowledge about a golden pyramid built by an ancient civilization. At the site, three statues of a race of giants who defended early human civilization on Earth about 30,000,000 years ago have been unearthed. GUTS finds the three ancient statues, but two of them are destroyed by the monsters Golza and Melba. The third one gains life from the spiritual energy of officer Daigo, a descendant of the ancient race. Daigo and the remaining statue merge into a single being, made of light. Shortly after defeating the two monsters, Daigo is revealed by the hologram of the prophecy that 30 million years in the past, a great evil that not even the giants could stop, destroyed the ancient civilization. Ultraman Tiga is a hero who protects the Earth. He accompanied the children throughout their childhood.

The same evil reappears in the finale of the series, the Ruler of Darkness Gatanothor, and his servants, Gijera and Zeiger. Gatanothor defeats Ultraman Tiga with ease, withstanding the Delcalium Light Stream and a modified version of the Zeperion Ray, both Tiga finishes and turns him back into a stone statue, but the light of humanity can turn him into Glitter Tiga, giving him the power to defeat Gatanothor and save the Earth. However, Tiga's victory came at a cost. Daigo was no longer able to become Tiga after the Sparklence disintegrated into dust after his final battle. It is revealed that Tiga, although no longer bound to Daigo, and its energy now remains in the hearts of all those who believe in Tiga, inner strength, and justice. Given the right conditions such as times of despair, the sparks will gather and the Tiga statue will be revitalized.

• Ultraman Tiga & Ultraman Dyna: Warriors of the Star of Light
• Ultraman Tiga, Ultraman Dyna, & Ultraman Gaia: The Decisive Battle in Hyperspace
• Ultraman Tiga: The Final Odyssey (2000): The story is set two years after the final episode.
• Ultraman Tiga Gaiden: Revival of the Ancient Giant (2001): A direct-to-video special set at prequel to TV series and set many years after the end of the series (Year 2038, 21 years after the events of Ultraman Dyna) In it, Daigo and Rena also have a son who is named Tsubasa.
• Superior Ultraman 8 Brothers
• Ultraman X The Movie: Here It Comes! Our Ultraman

• Daigo Madoka (マドカ・ダイゴ, Madoka Daigo)/Nagano (長野, 49): Hiroshi Nagano (V6) (長野 博 (V6), Nagano Hiroshi (Bui Shikkusu))
• Rena Yanase (ヤナセ・レナ, Yanase Rena): Takami Yoshimoto (吉本 多香美, Yoshimoto Takami)
• Megumi Iruma (イルマ・メグミ, Iruma Megumi)/Yuzare (ユザレ, Yuzare, 50): Mio Takaki (高樹 澪, Takaki Mio)
• Seiichi Munakata (ムナカタ・セイイチ, Munakata Seiichi): Akitoshi Ohtaki (大滝 明利, Ōtaki Akitoshi)
• Masami Horii (ホリイ・マサミ, Horii Masami): Yukio Masuda (増田 由紀夫, Masuda Yukio)
• Tetsuo Shinjoh (シンジョウ・テツオ, Shinjō Tetsuo): Shigeki Kagemaru (影丸 茂樹, Kagemaru Shigeki)
• Jun Yazumi (ヤズミ・ジュン, Yazumi Jun): Yoichi Furuya (古屋 暢一, Furuya Yōichi)
• Souichiro Sawai (サワイ・ソウイチロウ, Sawai Sōichirō): Tamio Kawachi (川地 民夫, Kawachi Tamio)
• Masayuki Nahara (ナハラ・マサユキ, Nahara Masayuki): Uketa Take (タケ・ウケタ, Take Uketa)
• Tetsuji Yoshioka (ヨシオカ・テツジ, Yoshioka Tetsuji): Ken Okabe (岡部 健, Okabe Ken)
• Mayumi Shinjoh (シンジョウ・マユミ, Shinjō Mayumi): Kei Ishibashi (石橋 けい, Ishibashi Kei)
• Naban Yao (ヤオ・ナバン, Yao Naban): Ichirō Ogura (小倉 一郎, Ogura Ichirō)
• Reiko Kashimura (カシムラ・レイコ, Kashimura Reiko): Takako Kitagawa (北川 たか子, Kitagawa Takako)
• Yūji Tango (タンゴ・ユウジ, Tango Yūji): Yoichi Okamura (岡村 洋一, Okamura Yōichi)
• Ultraman Tiga (Voice): Yūji Machi (真地 勇志, Machi Yuji)
• Narrator, Ultraman (ウルトラマン, Urutoraman, Voice; 49): Issei Futamata (二又 一成, Futamata Issei)

An English dub of the series was produced by 4Kids Entertainment and recorded by their in-house dubbing studio, 4Kids Productions. The dub aired on the Fox Box, which was formerly the Fox Kids Children's block on Fox in the United States. The first episode premiered on September 14, 2002.

4Kids' adaptation served as a parody of the original Ultraman series' English adaptation produced by Peter Fernandez and, as such, made some significant changes. Such changes include producing a new theme song and soundtrack that replaced the originals. Storylines were altered to comply with Fox's Standards and Practices division and accommodate commercial breaks and broadcasting scheduling. Each episode was one or two minutes shorter than its Japanese counterpart. The dub included tongue-in-cheek dialogue, which changed the personalities for some characters such as Captain Iruma, who was changed from a smart, level-headed individual to an airhead. Additionally, Captain Iruma was referred to as a "sir" instead of a "ma'am".

Some monsters were given new sound effects, and the transformation sequence was altered altogether, showcasing all of Tiga's forms and emphasizing the change from Daigo to Tiga. Tiga's "Multi, Power, and Sky Types" are changed into "Omni, Power, and Speed Modes," respectively. The Sparklence was renamed the "Torch of Tiga", although the Region 1 DVD Release refers to it as the "Spark Lance" for the first DVD but afterwards, the translation becomes "Sparklence. His light techniques were called "Luminizers", and the Color Timer is referred to as the "Biotic Sensor."

Ultraman Tiga was removed from the FoxBox lineup on March 15, 2003, due to low ratings, with only 24 episodes of the 52-episode series having aired. 4Kids initially planned to relaunch the show in September, but decided to release the Japanese episodes on DVD instead. As a result, their dub is only viewable through recordings of the original broadcasts. Erica Schroeder (who voiced Rena) claimed that part of the reason for Ultraman Tiga's limited success in the U.S. was due to 4Kids' indecision whether to satirize the show or make it serious.

A modern retelling of the series titled Ultraman Trigger: New Generation Tiga (ウルトラマントリガー NEW GENERATION TIGA, Urutoraman Torigā Nyū Jenerēshon Tiga) was released in TV Tokyo from July 10, 2021, to January 22, 2022, as a commemoration for the 25th anniversary of the series.^[1][2] Actors Raiga Terasaka, Yuna Toyoda, Shunya Kaneko, Meiku Harakawa, Katsuya Takagi, Kei Hosogai and Shin Takuma portrayed as Kengo Manaka (Ultraman Trigger), Yuna Shizuma, Akito Hijiri, Tesshin Sakuma, Himari Nanase, Seiya Tatsumi, Ignis (Trigger Dark) and Mitsukuni Shizuma respectively, while M・A・O and Sumire Uesaka voiced Marluru and Carmeara respectively.^[3][4] The series was directed by Koichi Sakamoto as a main director, and was followed by Ultraman Decker on July 9, 2022.

Opening theme

• "TAKE ME HIGHER"
  • Lyrics and Composition: Jennifer Batten, Alberto Emilio Contini, Giancarlo Pasquini
  • Japanese Lyrics: Kazumi Suzuki (鈴木 計美, Suzuki Kazumi)
  • Arrangement: Yasuhiko Hoshino (星野 靖彦, Hoshino Yasuhiko)
  • String Arrangement: Mitsuo Hagida (萩田 光雄, Hagida Mitsuo)
  • Choral Arrangement: Hiroaki Suzuki (鈴木 弘明, Suzuki Hiroaki)
  • Artist: V6

  "TAKE ME HIGHER" reached #1 of the Oricon Weekly Rankings Charts for the week of September 30, 1996, and became a Platinum Record. For Mill Creek Entertainment's DVD release of the series, the song is replaced with "Mezameyo, Ultraman Tiga," except for episodes 3 and 4, which retain TAKE ME HIGHER.

Ending Theme

• "Brave Love, TIGA"
  • Producer: Gorō Kishitani (岸谷 五朗, Kishitani Gorō)
  • Lyrics: Sunplaza Nakano
  • Composition: Barbe-Q Wasada (バーベQ和佐田, Bābe Kyū Wasada)
  • Arrangement: Yasuhiko Fukuda (福田裕彦, Fukuda Yasuhiko)
  • Artist: Earth Protection Force (地球防衛団, Chikyū Bōei-dan)
  • Leader: Gorō Kishitani
  • Members: Takashi Utsunomiya (宇都宮 隆, Utsunomiya Takashi), Toshiaki Karasawa, Naoto Kine (木根 尚登, Kine Naoto), Sunplaza Nakano, Yasafumi Terawaki (寺脇 康文, Terawaki Yasufumi), Masahiko Nishimura, Barbe-Q Wasada, Papala Kawai (パッパラー河合, Papparā Kawai), Patrick Bommarito (パトリック・ボンマリート, Patorikku Bonmarīto), Funky Sueyoshi (ファンキー末吉, Fankī Sueyoshi), Yasuhiko Fukuda (福田 裕彦, Fukuda Yasuhiko), Honjamaka (ホンジャマカ, Hidehiko Ishizuka (石塚 英彦, Ishizuka Hidehiko), Toshiaki Megumi (恵 俊彰, Megumi Toshiaki))

Insert song

• "The memory of the blue night"
  • Lyrics and composition: G.BROOKER.K.RED
  • Artist: Hitomi Sudo ( Japanese Columbia )
• "ULTRAMAN LOVE FOR CHILDREN (Big band version instrumental)"
  • Composition: Hino Yasumasa
• "TAKE ME HIGHER (NEW ALBUM MIX)"
  • Lyrics and composition: Jennifer Batten, Alberto Emilio Contini, Giancarlo Pasquini
  • Japanese lyrics: Suzuki Tadashi
  • Arrangement: Hoshino Akihiko
  • Artist: V6

In July 2020, Shout! Factory announced to have struck a multi-year deal with Alliance Entertainment and Mill Creek Entertainment, with the blessings of Tsuburaya and Indigo, that granted them the exclusive SVOD and AVOD digital rights to the Ultra series and films (1,100 TV episodes and 20 films) acquired by Mill Creek the previous year. Ultraman Tiga, amongst other titles, will stream in the United States and Canada through Shout! Factory TV and Tokushoutsu.^[7] Mill Creek's DVD release of Ultraman Tiga is set for October 19, 2021.