Directed by Samaji Nonagase. Written by Tetsuo Kinjo and Shozo Uehara. Airdate Sep. 4, 1966.
In the previous episode, the Science Patrol flew off for a fantasy adventure in the Middle East. This week, they’re taking the Jet VTOL to a volcanic jungle island stacked with monsters. It’s classic Lost World and Skull Island stuff, and I’m surprised Eiji Tsuburaya didn’t find a way to cram in a giant gorilla among all the other kaiju. The King Kong influence is all over this half-hour.
The story is simple: the Science Patrol is dispatched to Tatara Island to locate a group of scientists who haven’t reported back in several months. When the Science Patrol reaches Tatara-jima, they discover the island is jammed coast-to-coast with monsters. Mayhem ensues. Action-packed doesn’t even begin to describe what happens. The “anarchy” of the title is probably the right word, and wow is it fun. The episode even has a touch of tragedy worked in, but nothing that will bring you down too hard. This episode swings and bops — the first full-fledged Ultraman classic.
How fast does it move? A monster vs. monster fight breaks out in the first three minutes. The battle gets brutal with blood and dismemberment. I love the occasional straight kaiju fight rather than having Ultraman face down every monster. Even the Science Patrol gets to have a monster-kill this time. Every character leaps into the action, showing the SSSP operating at their best and the individual characters having a chance to shine without slowing the pace.
We get a brief explanation for why Tatara-jima became, in Hayata’s words, “a monster zoo,” but it hardly matters. Monsters are already everywhere in this universe, what’s a few more on an island? Although … it’s more than a few. We meet not one, not two, but five new monsters. Most are built from reused costumes, but two have become legendary kaiju in the franchise, superstars in their own right.
Let’s take this menagerie monster-by-monster…
Suflan: Vampiric vines. I’ve said before I’m not fond of vegetation monsters, but that’s when they’re lead monsters. As another freaky obstacle on an island of bizarre flora and fauna, killer vines work to build the aura of a weird and dangerous setting.
Magular: A redesign of the Peguila costume from Ultra Q to create a bat-like creature. Magular is a warm-up act, fighting Red King early on and not doing too well. Don’t worry, Peguila, we still love you.
Chandlar: Another re-skinning of the Baragon costume, last seen a few episodes ago as Neronga. Chandlar’s job is to threaten the Science Patrol and put the squeeze on poor Hayata and Captain Murumatsu when they’re separated from the others. This is one of the better Baragon-based kaiju, with enough changes in color and texture to make it difficult to see the original monster beneath it.
Pigmon: This isn’t a re-designed costume; it’s just Garamon from Ultra Q with red paint. But Pigmon (short for “Pygmy Monster”) deserves to be considered a completely different creature: it’s human-sized, cute, friendly, and helpful. Pigmon brings a bit of heart among all the action and adventure, elevating the episode further. It’s such a perfect Eiji Tsuburaya creation — monsters need our love, too. We’ll see more of Pigmon in Ultraman and many shows to come.
Red King: A fully original monster and a Big Freakin Deal™, Red King competes with Gomora as the most popular enemy kaiju of the Ultra Series. This is one of the classic Tohl Narita creature designs that instantly gets in your head. Red King resembles an ear of corn crossed with the Michelin Man, topped with a pinhead with big spiky teeth. And nothing about it is red, go figure. Red King is a nasty bruiser and bully who does not mess around. Red King first appears battling Magular and inflicting some gory damage, so you know this is a kaiju to reckon with. By the time the climax rolls around, you’re primed to hate this monster. It’s immensely satisfying to see Ultraman deliver a rough-and-tumble smackdown that hurls Red King everywhere in easily the best fight so far in the show.
This is the first Ultraman credit for Shozo Uehara, a writer who would become one of the most important contributors to the early Ultra series. Like co-writer Testsuo Kinjo, he’s Okinawan, and it was Kinjo who brought him into Tsuburaya’s literary department. He wrote two Ultra Q episodes, “Space Directive M774” and “Statue of Goga.” He’d only contribute one other script for Ultraman, “Spaceship Rescue Command,” but he’d become a main writer for Ultraseven (penning the classic “Nightmare of Planet No. 4”) and then become the head writer for Return of Ultraman. Since then he has mostly worked on Toei shows.
“The Monster Anarchy Zone” has had a long legacy stretching through the decades to today. Several later Ultra shows have done remakes or homaged it in their titles, such as Ultraman Max’s “Monster Island Appears!”/“5 Seconds to Bombing” and Ultra Galaxy Mega Monster Battle’s “The Monster Anarchy Planet.” It’s now a tradition to send the defense team off to strange islands filled with monsters, looking to capture some of that original fun. Red King would come back many times, starting with another major Ultraman appearance, “Mysterious Comet Tsuifon.”
I loved rewatching the episode, and I’ve already seen it several times. Imagine the children who got to watch this for the first time on TV in 1966. They probably thought it was the greatest thing ever put on a television screen. It jams an entire mid-‘60s Toho monster flick into a half hour. I think everyone at Tsuburaya knew they had a winner. The love for King Kong and Edgar Rice Burroughs adventures tales comes through in every moment.
I salute you, “Monster Anarchy Zone.” Pour one out for Pigmon. Red King, you’re a jerk.
Rating: Classic
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