[ComicGuy89]

Most Toku shows don't really get exported to the west, so it's not really too surprising that Ultraman is less popular here. Sentai is popular due to its association with Power Rangers, and Kamen Rider is generally popular in many markets where Toku has a presence. Like scikaiju said, Ultraman also isn't a yearly series, so that alone contributes to its lesser presence.

But don't fear, I'm sure it still does rather well in Japan, and in fact might be due for a resurgence. I was in Tokyo, and the major toy stores all had a dedicated section to Ultraman X. There was considerable promotion, it's not something tucked away and known only to fans. In fact, the Toys R Us I went to had a more prominent shelf presence for X than Kamen Rider Drive (but that may be because X is still new and Drive is finishing up).

Quote:

Originally Posted by Switchblade

Ultraman will persist. It's the original tokusatsu series and has a huge legacy. The problem is that its parent company, Tsubaraya, has been involved in a huge legal battle with Taiwanese company Chaiyo over the rights to the first six series for the last couple decades. The back-and-forth fight has put a big drain on Tsubaraya's finances and they don't really have the budget to go toe-to-toe with the Toie shows anymore.

Just a minor correction, Chaiyo is a Thai company.