Saburo Shinoda is a Japanese actor and voice actor. He was born on December 5, 1948 in Tokyo, Japan. His real name is Haruo Otsuka (大塚 晴生 Otsuka Haruo). He is mostly known for his role as Ultraman Taro's human host named Kotaro Higashi and also was the voice actor for Ultraman Taro in the series only. He was also Silver Kamen (1971) and played in Godzilla vs. Mothra (1992). He is a member of the Ultraman Foundation.
Before casting as Kotari Higashi in Ultraman Taro, Saburo made a cameo appearance in Ultraman Ace episode 20. So far, he has yet to reprise his role, either as Kotaro Higashi or Ultraman Taro. He is the first voice actor for Ultraman Taro and yet to reprise it in the future. Currently, the role of Ultraman Taro is passed to veteran voice actor Hiroya Ishimaru. Although no longer the voice in for Taro, his grunts were still kept and reused in some of Taro's later appearances.
Roles
- Ultraman Ace - Ichiro Shinoda
- Ultraman Taro - Kotaro Higashi, voice of Ultraman Taro and Zoffy
Stock Grunts
This section here refers to Saburo's grunts being reused per stock footage on other Ultra Series.
- Ultraman Taro - Ultraman, Zoffy, Ultraseven, Ultraman Jack, Ultraman Ace
- The・Ultraman: Jackal vs. Ultraman - Ultraman Taro
- Ultraman Fighting Evolution 3 - Ultraman Taro
- Ultraman Mebius Gaiden: Hikari Saga - Ultraman Taro
- Ultraman Ginga - Ultraman Taro
- Ultraman Ginga S - Ultraman Taro
- Ultraman Orb - Ultraman Taro (Ultra Fusion Card)
Trivia
- Saburo Shinoda is married in 1975, he has a son and a daughter. He became a grandfather on 27th February 2015.
- Kotaro Higashi was meant to return in Ultraman Mebius to assists Ultraman Mebius, just like other Ultra Brothers' human hosts/forms, but he couldn't make it because Saburo Shinoda was attending someone's funeral at the time. Saburo Shinoda also was supposed to voice act for Taro but this decision was scrapped due to the funeral he was attending.
- Saburo's son was born after the end of Ultraman Taro and he tried to watch it when he got something, perhaps he recorded only one video on rebroadcasting. However, it was the way of finishing Ultraman Taro struggling in the first part of the second episode and continuing to the next round. From seeing this, his son never saw Ultraman Taro at all.
- After the end of Ultraman Taro, when Saburo appeared on the "Wife's Extracurricular Teaching" team on "TV Challenge Star Otama Ball Tournament" (Nippon Television System, January 5, 1986), the Space Science Guard member ZAT who appeared in Ultraman Taro he wear clothes and he showed off Taro's transformation pose. However, unlike other actors in the Showa Ultra series, Saburo have not appeared again in the Ultra series. In the sports announcement "Tsuburaya Pro 50th anniversary commemorative special issue (released July 10, 2013)" Taro "40th anniversary commemorative interview" to Kotaro Higashi want to keep it as a good memory of youth in himself"
- During his time in Ultraman Taro, Saburo Shinoda stated that:
- His favorite monster is Depparas.
- Even he himself is shocked of learning of Kotaro's decision to leave his Ultraman to continue his life as a normal human. Moreover, he thought that "I am doing my best as a human being for peace" after that by Kotaro Higashi that he does not respect this last.
- He is a good friend with Ryu Manatsu - Gen Ohtori's actor and Ultraman Leo's voice actor. However, Tsuburaya Productions is not coupled with co-star-winning deployment of the settings and the contents of the Ultra Brothers in the shooting of.
- Saburo Shinoda shares a few similarities with Masao Nakasone, the voice actor of Ultraman:
- Both only reprise two different roles on the Ultra Series, one of them is their noticeable role (Ultraman's and Ultraman Taro's voice actor).
- Both are actors and voice actors.
- Both their grunts for their Ultra (Ultraman & Taro) still kept and reused in the later apperance.
- However, unlike Masao, Saburo still alive and not retire yet.
Gallery
