Ultraman Tiga

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Ultraman Tiga' was a tokusatsu series, part of the Ultra Series franchise, that lasted 1996-1997.

30 million years ago, beings of light came to Earth during mankind's infancy. Seeing the potential for humanity to become superior beings amongst the galaxy, the beings of light set up a colony to help and guide humanity. The beings of light also neutralize and control a horde of giant monsters who once roamed the Earth with their destructive ways. Using their powers, the beings of light either destroyed the monsters or tamed them, allowing humans to live with no fear of predators.

Malevolent factions within the colony began to oppose their own kind, stressing that they should remain the superior race and to subjugate humanity lest they rise and overtake them. A civil war erupts, destroying the colony and the beings of light, and regresses humanity to the point that it will take millenia for humans to achieve powers beyond their scope.

3 of these beings, which the pre-historic humans with their telepathic powers dubbed "Ultras" survived the war and imbued humanity with their DNA powers of light, hoping to one day jumpstart the humans back to greatness. The last of the great advanced humans, a woman named Yuzare, is chosen to be the keeper of the light, and leaves behind clues throughout time that one day, the monsters will rise again, and beings of light will be needed to combat them yet once more.

With various monsters rising from the Earth in modern times, the United Nations forms the T.P.C.--the Terrestrial Peace Consortium, a think tank looking for ways to neutralize the monsters. T.P.C. itself forms G.U.T.S.--Global Unlimited Task Squad, a strike team made up of combat specialists to counter the monsters if no other option but force is warranted.

On an archeological dig, T.P.C. discovers a pyramid-like device left by Yuzare fortelling the prophecy of the monsters, and that only the beings of light can beat them. The G.U.T.S. team heads out to a location given to them by Yuzare's message and discover a previously-invisible pyramid housing statues of the 3 Ultras that survived the war. A monster arises and destroys two of the three statues, but a beam of light contacts G.U.T.S. Officer Madoka Daigo, informing him that he is a true blood lineage to the DNA of the Ultras and awakens a power within him to save the entire world.

Using his inner heroism, his passion for justice, and his commitment for defending the innocent, Madoka Daigo accepts his heritage as the inheritor of the greatest power of them all--hope, as this era's Ultraman Tiga!

In 2002, Ultraman Tiga was dubbed in English by 4Kids in an attempt to revive Ultraman amongst U.S. audiences. Rather than a direct translation of the source material, this dub was an Affectionate Parody, paying homage to Peter Fernandez's terrible, yet unintentionally hilarious 1966 Ultraman dub. However, this time around, the dub takes it to another level, as it's filled with a plethora of lampshading humor. Take a glimpse at the 4Kids dub here and here.

Tropes used in Ultraman Tiga include:

• Big Bad: Gatanazoa in the series, although in The Final Odyssey it is revealed to be really Kamila, the queen of darkness and Tiga's former lover and the one that converted him into a giant of darkness.
• Bowdlerize: 4Kids! Entertainment's infamous Gag Dub of it. Fortunately, an uncut, subbed DVD set was released, sadly out of print.
• Clap Your Hands If You Believe: How Tiga is revived at the end of the series, complete with the power of children being responsible.
• The Comically Serious: The Gag Dub makes Munakata this for comedic effect. The deep, brooding voice in contrast to the tone of everything else doesn't help.
• Continuity Reboot: Completely and utterly. There are no Ultras from M78 to help Tiga.( Unless you count the team up between the original and Tiga in one ep.)
• Eldritch Abomination: Gatanazoa, the Ruler Of Darkness. He's actually heavily based off a creature from the Cthulhu Mythos.
• Evil Counterpart: Kyrieloid, the giant guardian of fire demons race Kirie - much like Tiga being guardian of humans. From their point of view, Kyrieloid is rightful protector of Earth since Kirie inhabiting Earth much longer. Its successor, Kyrieloid II even has ability to switch forms like Tiga. And then we have the Dark Ultramen from The Final Oddyssey movie.
• Golden Super Mode: Glitter Tiga, a form that Tiga obtains when every child on earth empowers him with their light. He gains it again in "The Final Odyssey" when the destroyed Giants Of Light send Tiga their power.
• Gilligan Cut: The Gag Dub has this.

Horii: "I'm just glad the other monster didn't show up today." *cut to a monster rising from the ground*

• Gratuitous English: The theme song
• Hey, It's That Guy!
  • Shinjoh has fought many kaijuu in many teams...
  • Hiroshi Nagano aka Daigo is a member of V 6, who recorded theme song Take Me Higher.
• Hey, It's That Voice!:
  • In the Latin-American dub, Daigo was voiced by Vegeta
  • In the 4Kids dub, Daigo was voiced by Joey Wheeler. Rena was voiced by Blaze the Cat. And to top things off, Seto Kaiba sung the opening theme.
• Hong Kong Dub: Much like the original 1966 English Dub, Tiga's Gag Dub naturally falls into this.
• It's a Small World After All: Lampshaded in the Gag Dub.

Daigo: "All that changed one night with the arrival of a meteor that seemed to steer its own descent to Earth. It aroused even more suspicion because of how close it landed to TPC headquarters."

• Just Testing You: In the Gag Dub, Daigo insists that the team must find Tiga to prepare for Melba and Golza's imminent attack. Megumi is convinced that the land of Tiga doesn't exist. Low and behold, Yazumi is able to pinpoint the exact location of Tiga...to which Megumi plays this trope straight.
• Kill It with Fire: Kilieroid.
• Mascot Mook: Golza
• Meaningful Name: Tiga means 'Three' in Malay/Indonesian.
• Multiform Balance: Tiga can switch between three forms, Multi Type, Sky Type and Power Type. He become Glitter Tiga in the last episode.
  • In The Final Oddyssey movie, it's Tiga Dark, Tiga Tornado and Tiga Blast. They're really Evolutionary Levels represent how Tiga Dark is slowly purging away darkness from himself.
• New Powers as the Plot Demands: Episode 13 sows that Tiga can transform to a human sized version of himself. This power is only seen a few times again as the series progresses.
• Older Than They Look: The Gag Dub lampshades this with Yuzare's appearance after the team views the holographic message.

Doctor: "I know that it may seem as if this time capsule is real but...she looks too good to be 30 million years old."

• Say My Name: "DAIGOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
• Taken for Granite:
  • The Gakumas in episode 2 also did this, but they were easily taken out.
  • Tiga is transformed back into a statue after he was defeated by Gatanozoa in episode 51.
• Time Traveler: Goldras