2016 inexplicably marked big anniversaries for all of Japan’s still-airing tokusatsu hero franchises, but undoubtedly the most monumental of all was Ultraman ’s. Last year the silver giant of light turned 50 years old, and with the franchise having gained new footing in the past few years Tsuburaya Productions did plenty to celebrate. Ultraman X kicked things off in 2015, leading into a movie which also featured appearances from both the original Ultraman and Ultraman Tiga . However the main event was Ultraman Orb – a brand new anniversary series which once again saw worldwide distribution via Crunchyroll   simulcasting . Although this main series only ran for a total of 25 episodes, it’s been immediately followed up with an Amazon Prime-exclusive prequel series as well as a movie due for release later in the year.

2016 is a pretty big year for tokusatsu anniversaries. Kamen Rider turned 45, Super Sentai hit the big 40 (though technically last year, the celebration comes with the 40th series) and GARO  is also celebrating 10 years on the scene. But there's one anniversary this year that's even bigger, as July 2016 marks the 50th anniversary of Ultraman - arguably Japan's leading toku hero. Of course such a milestone can't go by without a party, so Tsuburaya Productions are celebrating with Ultraman Orb , the latest Ultra Series instalment. Western fans will also be pleased to hear that Crunchyroll are simulcasting the series with English subtitles, expanding their rather impressive Ultraman back catalogue all the more. With the site expressing a further interest in toku AND plans to move into the home video business, things could get very interesting in the future should these simulcasts continue to be a success.