Actually, I have to step in and say that originally, ULTRAMAN and other shows, like KAMEN RIDER, were made for viewing by the whole family, they weren't necessarily "kiddie shows." From the beginning, ULTRAMAN was always written for an older audience, but the monsters were what appealed to children. ULTRA SEVEN was even more "adult" in its approach, but children still loved the series. During the 1970s, the demographics began to change, and the shows -- such as TARO -- were made specifically for children. Then, we got ULTRAMAN LEO, which was incredibly violent and a lot more serious in the writing.
A lot of things have changed since the 1960s and 1970s in Japan. First off, the Sentai Series has always been, despite the early days of gratuitous violence, were aimed mainly at children, but the writers still tried to make it tolerable for adults, so while the monsters looked goofy, the scripts seemed like heavy drama. Depending on the writers involved, they would try to make the shows interesting for older viewers (parents), so that the whole family could watch.
In the 1980s, the Japan PTA started to complain, and Toei started to shy away from fatal violence, and then you've got the paradigm shift when Bandai started calling the shots. Kamen Rider basically remained the same, which shifted from grim to whimsical, with SKY RIDER and SUPER-1. This changed again with KAMEN RIDER BLACK, which was straight-faced and all business, but it went back to whimsical with BLACK-RX, which seemed aimed directly at children (and the proposed third BLACK series was cancelled). After KAMEN RIDER AGITO, it seems as though that Toei has made each successive series more silly -- while the plots and fights are serious, the characters are more whimsical (see DEN-O). It's not bad, necessarily, just an evolution.
Meanwhile, the theme of the Ultraman series was also altered starting with ULTRAMAN 80, which now became "Love and Hope Mankind." Many of the elements which are now canon in the Heisei Ultraman Series (from TIGA to MEBIUS) spring from ULTRAMAN 80. But, even so, the Heisei productions, such as ULTRAMAN TIGA and ULTRAMAN GAIA were far more "adult" in their approach than CARRANGER or GOGO FIVE. All you have to do is compare them and anyone will see the dramatic contrast between the two. Even though Bandai dictates the designs and other aspects of the shows as a controlling sponsor. Each of the Heisei Ultraman Series, starting with TIGA, have been more about this theme.
Now, just because one series is more juvenile than the other doesn't mean that they are without merit or aren't fun -- that's the point of these shows, they are ENTERTAINMENT, first and foremost, so I don't think that anyone will win a debate on which is more entertaining or of worth or value, because whether its ULTRAMAN or SUPER SENTAI, they've both been on television in Japan for decades, so they both have something going for them. Right?
As for arguing about superiority, Super Sentai or Sazer Series, its all apples and oranges, my friends, its all apples and oranges. It all depends on what you like, sweet or sour. Personally, I like them all!