Jumborg Ace

Plot summary

Young air delivery boy Naoki Tachibana is delivering a package for his grumpy boss Daisaku Banno when his older brother Shin'ya, commander of the defense force Protective Attacking Team (PAT), is killed by the giant monster King Jyglus, sent by the evil alien Antigone of the planet Groth. During a second monster attack, Naoki suicidally rams his air delivery Cessna into the creature. The plane is downed, and Naoki and his aircraft are teleported into an energy dimension by an Ultraman-like alien from the Emerald Star.

The Emerald Alien modifies the plane and Naoki's wristwatch. Back in the real world, Naoki hears the alien's voice instructing him to activate his watch and shout "Jum-Fight!!!", transforming his jet into the giant cyborg Jumborg Ace. Naoki pilots the robot from inside its head using a VR movement-control suit, destroying King Jyglus and beginning his ongoing battle against the Groth Aliens.

Cameos

A Mirrorman bank belonging to Kazuya appears in one episode. The series shares characters Chief Murakami, Yasuda, and Nomura with Mirrorman, linking their universes. Jumborg Ace later entered the M78 Canon as Jeanbot, a double-changing robot warrior who first appeared in the Belial Galactic Empire film alongside updated versions of Fireman and Mirrorman, fighting with Ultraman Zero.

Film

Jumborg Ace & Giant, known in Thailand as Giant and Jumbo A, is a tokusatsu film produced in 1974 by Tsuburaya Productions and Chaiyo Productions, directed by Sompote Sands. It was released theatrically in Thailand in April 1974 but not in Japan. The film teams Jumborg Ace with a giant stone idol called Yuk Wud Jaeng (simply "Giant"), star of the earlier Chaiyo film Tah Tien, against Ace's enemies. Some scenes reuse footage from the Jumborg Ace TV series.

This film and The 6 Ultra Brothers vs. the Monster Army were the only official collaborations between Tsuburaya and Chaiyo. Decades later, relations deteriorated, leading to a legal battle over rights to Ultraman characters and Jumborg Ace, which Tsuburaya won in 2008. According to Sompote, the film originated after Eiji Tsuburaya's death left the company $500,000 in debt; his son Noboru sought Sompote's help, and they agreed to co-produce a film instead of a loan.

The film's success allowed Tsuburaya to repay its debt, and as gratitude, the copyright to Ultraman was granted to Sompote.