Ultraman Cosmos (ウルトラマンコスモス, Urutoraman Kosumosu) is a Japanese tokusatsu TV series being the twelfth entry (seventeenth overall) show in the Ultra Series. Produced by Tsuburaya Productions, Ultraman Cosmos aired from July 7, 2001 to September 28, 2002, with a total of 65 episodes, which currently makes it the longest running Ultra show to date. It was also released to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the Ultraman series.
In June 2002, Cosmos was taken off of television for several weeks (following the broadcast of the 49th episode) when lead actor Taiyo Sugiura was questioned in an assault and extortion case. When the case against Sugiura was dropped for lack of evidence, Cosmos was put back on the air. MBS, TBS and Tsuburaya ultimately pulled five episodes (50, 52, 54, 56, and 58) from broadcast to make up for time lost, and these episodes were later released on DVD.
In April 2017, the television channel TOKU announced that they would release the series in the United States in the near future. A year later, the series was released by the channel on April 23, 2018.
Contents
Story concepts
Observing the increasing trend of violence that occurred in the younger generation of Japan, Tsuburaya made an Ultraman character that has a gentler nature than its predecessors. With a dominantly blue look, Tsuburaya wanted to elevate Ultraman's image as a figure of love for the environment and peace. Thus, the concept of the story is the theme of pacifism, meaning an idea which considers war to be morally unjustifiable, and all disputes or disagreements must be resolved by the way of peace. So Ultraman Cosmos is a gentle Ultraman, engaging in nonviolent fights.
Plot
The series featured many firsts for the franchise, including the start of the story in a movie rather than the series proper. Ultraman Cosmos: The First Contact was the prequel to the series and took place eight years before episode 1. In it, 11-year-old Musashi Haruno encounters the being of light, Ultraman Cosmos (ウルトラマンコスモス, Urutoraman Kosumosu), and befriends him as the two confront a threat to Earth.
Ten years later, Musashi, now 19 and a member of Team EYES, once again encounters the being of light from his childhood. The dark being Chaos Header has appeared and is corrupting the monsters of Earth, making them become ravenous and violent creatures that threaten humanity. Through Musashi's will to see the beasts and humans live in peace, Cosmos grants him a new power that will allow him to heal the corrupted creatures.
Cast
Musashi Haruno (春野 ムサシ, Haruno Musashi): Taiyo Sugiura (杉浦 太陽, Sugiura Taiyō), Kounosuke Tokai (東海 孝之助, Tōkai Kōnosuke; Childhood)
Harumitsu Hiura (ヒウラ ハルミツ, Hiura Harumitsu): Daisuke Shima (嶋 大輔, Shima Daisuke)
Shinobu Mizuki (ミズキ シノブ, Mizuki Shinobu): Kaori Sakagami (坂上 香織, Sakagami Kaori)
Keisuke Fubuki (フブキ ケイスケ, Fubuki Keisuke): Hidekazu Ichinose (市瀬 秀和, Ichinose Hidekazu)
Koji Doigaki (ドイガキ コウジ, Doigaki Kōji): Koichi Sudo (須藤 公一, Sudō Kōichi)
Ayano Morimoto (モリモト アヤノ, Morimoto Ayano): Mayuka Suzuki (鈴木 繭菓, Suzuki Mayuka)
Ultraman Cosmos (ウルトラマンコスモス, Urutoraman Kosumosu; Voice): Hiroyuki Sato (佐藤 浩之, Satō Hiroyuki)
Chaos Header (カオスヘッダー, Kaosu Heddā)/Chaos Ultraman (カオスウルトラマン, Chaos Ultraman) (Voice): Koji Haramaki (服巻 浩司, Haramaki Koji)
Commander Sahara (佐原司令官, Sahara-shirei-kan): Masahiro Sudō (須藤 正裕, Sudō Masahiro)
Vice Commander Shishikura (宍倉副司令官, Shishikura-fuku-shirei-kan): Eiji Ōki (大城 英司, Ōki Eiji)
Naval Officer Saijō (西条武官, Saijō-bukan): Atsushi Narasaka (奈良 坂篤, Narasaka Atsushi)
Director Ikeyama (イケヤマ管理官, Ikeyama-kanri-kan): Hyōe Ichikawa (市川 兵衛, Ichikawa Hyōe)
Azusa Niimi (新見 あづさ, Niimi Azusa): Kayano Komaki (小牧 かやの, Kayano Komaki)
Guest cast
Sosuke Nagano's father (7): Yoichi Okamura (岡村 洋一, Okamura Yoichi)
Yasuhiro Iwata (岩田 康祐, Iwata Yasuhiro; 9): Tamotsu Ishibashi (石橋 保, Ishibashi Tamotsu)
Shinichi Takekoshi (竹越 真一, Takekoshi Shin'ichi; 18): Arthur Kuroda (黒田 アーサー, Kuroda Āsā)
Kensaku Kimoto (木本 研作, Kimoto Kensaku; 20): Shunji Fujimura (藤村 俊二, Fujimura Shunji)
Jun Takasugi (高杉 純, Takasugi Jun; 24): Makoto Kamijo (上條 誠, Kamijō Makoto)
Alien Sreiyu "Lamia" (スレイユ星人 ラミア, Sureiyu Seijin Ramia; 25): Becky (ベッキー, Bekkī)
Clevergon (クレバーゴン, Kurebāgon; Voice; 29, 31, 44): Hiroko Sakurai (桜井 浩子, Sakurai Hiroko)
Tadao Kusano (草野 忠雄, Kusano Tadao; 38): Shoichiro Akaboshi (赤星 昇一郎, Akaboshi Shōichirō)
Yamano/Alien Curia (山野/キュリア星人, Yamano/Kyuria Seijin; 46): Eisuke Tsunoda (角田 英介, Tsunoda Eisuke)
Keizō (敬造; 56): Ken Okabe (岡部 健, Okabe Ken)
Shōichi (正一; 56): Eiichi Kikuchi (きくち 英一, Kikuchi Eiichi)
Old Man Tomano (戸間乃老人, Tomano-rōjin; 57): Hideyo Amamoto (天本 英世, Amamoto Hideyo)
Songs
Opening theme
"Spirit"
Lyrics: Goro Matsui
Composition: KATSUMI
Arrangement: Takao Konishi
Artist: Project DMM
Ending themes
"Ultraman Cosmos ~ Kimi ni Dekiru Nanika" (ウルトラマンコスモス～君にできるなにか, Urutoraman Kosumosu ~ Kimi ni Dekiru Nanika; lit. "You Can Be Something")
Lyrics: Goro Matsui
Composition: Kisaburo Suzuki
Arrangement: Seiichi Kyoda
Artist: Project DMM
"Kokoro no Kizuna" (心の絆; lit. "Bonds of the Heart")
Lyrics, Composition: KATSUMI
Arrangement: Kazuya Daimon
Artist: Project DMM
Media
Feature films
Ultraman Cosmos: The First Contact (2001)
Ultraman Cosmos 2: The Blue Planet (2002)
Ultraman Cosmos vs. Ultraman Justice: The Final Battle (2003)
Other appearances
Mega Monster Battle: Ultra Galaxy (2009), an alternate iteration of Musashi makes a cameo appearance as a ZAP Spacy member.
Ultraman Saga (2012), Cosmos joins Ultraman Zero, Ultraman Dyna and five Showa-era Ultra Heroes.
Ultraman Ginga S: Showdown! Ultra 10 Warriors!! (2015), Cosmos joins Ultraman Ginga, and eight Heisei-era Ultra Heroes.
Ultraman Orb: The Origin Saga (2016-2017), Musashi joins Ultraman Orb and Ultraman Dyna.
Ultra Galaxy Fight: The Absolute Conspiracy (2020), Cosmos along with Justice joins Ultraman 80, Ultraman Neos and Ultraseven 21 at Planet Feed to fight against Leugocyte.
Home media
In July 2020, Shout! Factory announced to have struck a multi-year deal with Alliance Entertainment and Mill Creek, 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 Cosmos, amongst other titles, will stream in the United States and Canada through Shout! Factory TV and Tokushoutsu.
The series is scheduled to be released in the United States on DVD November 1, 2022 by Mill Creek Entertainment.