Ultraman is often cited as an example of just how different the Japanese outlook is from that of Westerners. While the bug-like eyes and clingy bodysuit of the hero himself may strike the uninitiated as ridiculous, it is the outlandish aspect of the monsters from whose wrath Ultraman is perpetually saving the world that really raises eyebrows.
Repulsive as they may seem, to Japanese men who grew up watching the series, these gargantuan marauding monsters -- with names like Kanegon, Gdon and Pegassa -- are a cherished part of their collective consciousness. Consequently, despite having kids of their own to buy toys for, many Ultraman fans spend large sums on collectible figures from the series.
The rights to each Ultraman character are owned by Tsuburaya Productions, the studio established in 1963 by the late special-effects pioneer Eiji Tsuburaya -- whose imagination yielded not only Ultraman, but Godzilla too. While mass-market Ultraman toy merchandise is mostly produced by toy manufacturer Bandai, there are also larger (around 30-cm-high) and more detailed figures created by a handful of small specialist companies. Foremost among these is Billiken Shokai, which, along with rivals like M-1 and Bear Model, produces stylized retro toys for serious collectors; the kind who subscribe to monthly magazines such as Hyper Hobby and Figure Oh (Figure King).