The Ultraman legacy

Are you familiar with this character ?

• Height: 40 m (130 ft)
• Weight: 35,000 tons
• Age: 20,000 Earth years old
• Flight Speed: Mach 5
• Jump Ceiling: 800 m (2,600 ft)
• Running Speed: 450 km/h (280 mph)
• Swimming Speed: 200 knots (230 mph)
• Physical Strength: can lift a 100,000-ton tanker (Skydon was twice as heavy)

I guess most of us would instantly recognize it as he was a heroic icon when we were children. Ultraman !! It was a TV series that caught my imagination as long as i can remember , maybe even earlier than Superman , Batman and co. He was mute but spoke wisely with his body language. It came in two version ; the dodgy dubbing in English or Malay. Either way , the script was static , emotionless and illogical but it never bothered me when watching it. I will go to sleep dreaming of being ultraman fighting vicious monsters. My heart would be pounding when his blue bleep turns into red ; signalling the limited time he has left with to settle his enemy. I will go to the neigbourhood "padang" and act as ultraman.. crossing my hands and zapping the unlucky one chosen as the monster.
I guess the plot is simple enough for any 2 year old to understand and I was amazed when Dzaef recognizing Ultraman ( besides Thomas and Friends , Barney and Tom Tom Bak ) and started doing fighting stance "ultraman" style. Imagine , something that mesmerized me 25 - 7 years ago is having its affect on my 2 year old boy ! I never asked my father though if he did watch ultraman during his younger days.. ( Mind you.. The Ultraman mania started in 1967 !! ) .
Amazing isn;t it.. the magic of television. Some might argue the fighting scene might evoke violence in their young minds , but if you watch Ultraman closely ; it does not reflect that unlike the newer cartoon series. The fighting scene is honourable , muscle over muscle old school ! I guess he is here to stay and perhaps I would live to see my grandchildren gazing over ultraman all over again !!!

Clash of interest : This post is to justify me buying my son the Ultraman figurine this morning.