The bus - Ultraman is the generic name for a series of Japanese live-action television shows produced between 1966 and 1998. Each series focused on at least one extraterrestrial "Ultra-hero" who arrives on Earth to fight various large monsters. Conveniently, each Ultra-hero can grow to over 200 feet tall. Each Ultra-hero had various energy emission powers, plus were experts in some form of hand-to-hand martial arts-style fighting. Virtually all of them also had one weakness: their energy would run out after a short time fighting. (Strangely enough, when this happened, they tended to "get serious" and use their most energy-draining attack on the monster(s).) When they weren't fighting monsters, they typically assumed the form of a human; each one either created their own human form, or merged with one (or, in one case, two) humans.

The Ultraman series are produced by Tsuburaya Productions. Tsuburaya Productions was started by Eiji Tsuburaya, the special effects master behind the early Godzilla films. His sons have carried on the tradition to this day.