Saburo Shinoda is a Japanese actor. His real name is Haruo Otsuka . He is known for his role as Kotaro Higashi, the human host of Ultraman Taro's in his eponymous series. He is a member of the Ultraman Foundation.
Although he originally voiced Ultraman Taro, Hiroya Ishimaru voiced the character from 1984 to 2020. Saburo's grunts have still used in Taro's later appearances.
Personal Life[]
Saburo Shinoda married in 1975 and has a son and daughter. He became a grandfather on February 27, 2015.
Roles[]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | Ultraman Ace | Ichiro Shinoda | Episode 20 "Stars of Youth Is the Stars of Two" |
| 1973 | Ultraman Taro | Kotaro Higashi/Ultraman Taro | Voice (Ultraman Taro) |
| Ultraseven | Voice Episode 5 "Parent Star, Child Star, First Star" | ||
| Zoffy | Voice Episode 18 "Zoffy Died! Taro Died Too!" |
Stock grunts[]
This section refers to Shinoda's grunts being reused per stock audio in other Ultraman Series media:
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | Ultraman Taro | Ultraman | Episode 34 "The Last Day of the Six Ultra Brothers!" |
| Zoffy | |||
| Ultraseven | |||
| Ultraman Jack | |||
| Ultraman Ace | |||
| 2006 | Ultraman Mebius Gaiden: Hikari Saga | Ultraman Taro | SAGA 1: Arb's Tragedy |
| 2012 | Ultraman Retsuden | ||
| 2013 | Ultraman Ginga | ||
| 2014 | Ultraman Ginga S | ||
| 2015 | The・Ultraman: Jackal vs. Ultraman | ||
| 2016 | Ultraman Orb | Ultra Fusion Card | |
| 2017 | Ultraman Geed | Episode 1 "Welcome to the Secret Base" Ultra Capsule (King Sword) in other episodes | |
| 2020 | Ultraman Z | Episode 6 "The Man Returns!" Ultra Medal in other episodes | |
| 2021 | Ultraman Trigger: New Generation Tiga | Ultra Medal Episode 8 "The Propagating Invasion" | |
| 2022 | Ultra Galaxy Fight: The Destined Crossroad | Ultra Medal |
Video games[]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Ultraman Fighting Evolution | Ultraman Taro | |
| 2002 | Ultraman Fighting Evolution 2 | ||
| 2004 | Ultraman Fighting Evolution 3 | ||
| 2005 | Ultraman Fighting Evolution Rebirth | ||
| 2006 | Ultraman Fighting Evolution 0 |
Other Roles[]
- Silver Kamen - Kouzou Kasuga
- Godzilla vs. Mothra and Godzilla vs. Destoroyah - Professor Shigeki Fukazawa
Gallery[]
Saburo Shinoda's final appearance on the Ultraman Series as Kotaro Higashi
Saburo Shinoda & Peggy Hayama
Saburo Shinoda and Ryu Manatsu
Saburo Shinoda, Kohji Moritsugu, and Ryu Manatsu
Saburo Shinoda, Kohji Moritsugu, and Ryu Manatsu
Kotaro holds the Ultra Badge
Saburo Shinoda then and now
Saburo Shinoda with Yuki Inoue
Lined up from front to back: Jiro Dan, Kohji Moritsugu, Saburo Shinoda, Susumu Kurobe, and Keiji Takamine
Trivia[]
- After seeing Keiji Takamine on the set of Ultraman Ace wearing a white muffler, he wanted his character to have one during Ultraman Taro.
- During his time in Ultraman Taro, Saburo Shinoda stated that:
- His favorite monster is Depparas.
- Even Saburo himself was shocked to learn of Kotaro's decision to separate from Taro and continue his life as a normal human.
- Shinoda is friends with Ryu Manatsu, who portrayed Gen Otori in Ultraman Leo. Their sons were also classmates.
- Saburo Shinoda is yet to appear in the Ultraman Series after Ultraman Taro, though Kotaro Higashi was meant to return in Ultraman Mebius to assist the titular Ultra with the other Ultra Brothers' human hosts/forms, but couldn't make it as he was attending a funeral at the time. He was also going to voice Taro.
- Susumu Kurobe and Kohji Moritsugu admitted that Saburo's inability to return was a huge regret.
- In an interview with Yuki Inoue, Saburo stated that:[1]
- He was surprised when he heard about Taro's son, Ultraman Taiga, and wanted to know who his mother was.
- The ZAT uniform he used to wear was hot in the summer and cold in the winter, even though he was told that it would have the opposite effect.
- He used to be embarrassed at how showy the ZAT uniform was, especially when he went out to have lunch.
References[]