Review: Here it is, folks, the big one. The original 1966 Ultraman series has finally made it to DVD just in time for its 40th anniversary. BCI's release of the show's first half (episodes 1-20) will doubtlessly mark the first time for most American fans seeing the show subtitled and in its original language. Though many may have fond memories of the dub track, made famous by the US television broadcast actors of Speed Racer (and also available on these discs), purists will breathe sighs of relief at the chance to view the show as it was originally meant to be seen.

Naturally, special effects are the meat and potatoes of this stew. Watching Ultraman is an opportunity to see creator and legendary FX artist Eiji Tsuburaya setting standards and the foundation for long-running tradition. Sure, the extreme variety of the kaiju throughout means that some look like scaly garbage bags with teeth while others create a unique menace that becomes iconic, but that's the fun of it all.

The creativity behind most of these hulking beasts is one of the show's highlights. From a kaiju that becomes invisible whenever it eats electricity to the scarab-like beast that terrorizes an isolated desert town, the episodic tales that surround these giants are much more engaging than the contents of your average monster-of-the-week show. They're not always one-hit wonders either. Aliens like the Baltans return to wreak more havoc in a later episode in the set, helping to form a familiar rogues gallery for the series.

What's amazing about Ultraman, and somewhat contrary to most other tokusatsu shows, is that it excels as a great sci-fi serial, with or without the presence of the red and silver. The entertainment isn't dependent on Ultraman joining in on the action, as it's just as much if not more fun to watch the Science Patrol in action. As should be expected from a children's show, the main cast is a charismatic and humorous bunch. This is representative of the time when these shows didn't feel the need to carry a deadly serious and brooding attitude that's contradictory to their nature.

Some of the set-pieces of various stories get pretty wild, especially for a kids' show! One opens on an island full of kaiju, and spends the first few minutes firmly focused on a deathmatch between two pissed off monsters. It's almost disturbing how National Geographic this gets, as limbs are torn off to reveal bloody stumps, all to the soundtrack of minimal music and the shrill shrieks of torturous beast pain. This is essentially a mondo flick for giant space creatures. Ultraman himself gets a little savage from time to time, including tearing the frills off one kaiju and proceeding to use them to taunt it like a matador.

Speaking of which, our hero rises above being a simple and repetitive deus ex machina by presenting his own memorable weakness. Superman has Kryptonite, and Ultraman can only survive in our atmosphere for three minutes due to the way that Earth filters his solar energy. Tensions run high once the color timer on his chest begins to flash and beep, though this rarely stops him from thrashing whatever kaiju opposes him in the nick of time. But we all know Ultraman's real purpose in the show: performing rad wrasslin' moves on rubber-suited weirdos, and unveiling new powers in what seems like almost every time he appears. Because his screen time for each episode is fairly short, watching him appear, fight, and then fly off to the reverberation of the legendary "Shuwatch!" call never gets old.

After twenty fantastic episodes, all of which are unique and entertaining in their own way, what you end up with is a wonderful introduction to tokusatsu television and Japanese super heroes in general. Chock full of inventive and tangible special effects, you'd be hard-pressed to find a more enjoyable collection of science fiction vignettes that stretch from the beginning of time to the far reaches of outer space.