Directed by Hirochika Muraishi. Written by Chiaki J. Konaka. Airdate Sep. 21, 1996.
After two episodes without much character development for the GUTS team, we get a story focused on Captain Iruma and her personal and professional struggles. Megumi Iruma is my favorite character in Ultraman Tiga, and “The Devil’s Prophecy” shows how much she can shine. Defense team captains before her were stoic, occasionally boring, and at times borderline negligent. Iruma is the captain I’d feel most confident serving under. Maybe a tie with Captain Muramatsu from Ultraman, but I get to know far more about Iruma as a person.
Ultraman Tiga takes place in a near future that promises greater world harmony, but it seems gender equality still isn’t quite there. Iruma has to deal with sexism from Chief Yoshioka, a high-ranking TPC official. Yoshioka questions what he derisively calls her “women’s intuition” when she defends her recent statement on a talk show that she believes Ultraman Tiga is a protector for the Earth.
It’s clear from Iruma’s reaction to Yoshioka that she’s dealt with this brand of chauvinism for much of her career. This makes the steadfast loyalty of the other GUTS members to her leadership stand out: we see how much they respect and trust her. But she’s still fighting from a disadvantage with her old-guard male superiors.
Chief Yoshioka’s attitude reveals a divide among TPC members between the organization’s peaceful mission and its previous history as the more militant Terran Defense Force. Yoshioka, who’s in charge of TPC’s police force, is part of a faction that supports aggression. He doesn’t trust Tiga or believe Iruma has an accurate read on the alien hero’s motivations.
The more immediate concern of TPC and GUTS is the emergency threat of an ancient race called the Kyriel. The Kyriel first make themselves known during Iruma’s guest spot on the talk show, where they possess the host in a scene out of a 1970s horror movie — or, more recently, the retro-‘70s movie Late Night With the Devil. This horror slant makes sense considering this is the first show script from writer Chiaki J. Konaka, who has a background in horror and favored a Lovecraftian approach to Ultraman Tiga from the beginning.
The horror mood continues when Iruma searches on her own for the Kyriel messenger who mysteriously materialized in her quarters. There’s a dark, apocalyptic aura to these events: the Kyriel agent claims to be a prophet and speaks in grim religious terms, threatening “holy flames” to “burn away the impure” if their demands for respect from humanity aren’t met. This really means “blowing up buildings,” but “holy flames” sounds a lot creepier, doesn’t it?
The Kyriels’ motivation is weak compared to their fire ‘n’ brimstone proclamations. They claim to have been on Earth for thousands of years, although it’s unclear what they were up to during that time; there’s vague talk about humans turning to them for guidance. They’re miffed that Tiga has seized the spotlight as a guardian. Their anger extends to Iruma for mildly promoting Tiga on television. It’s a petty grudge, and not in a humorous way. It feels like an element of the script that got rushed. (We’ll see the Kyriel again, their religious side amplified to better effect, in the episode “The Devil’s Judgment.”)
The Kyrieloid, the giant form the Kyriels take on to oppose Ultraman Tiga, is the first genuine Heisei creature design. You’d never confuse it for a seijin or kaiju from an earlier show. Many design elements in the Kyrieloid, such as the spiky edges and embedded globes, will show up in future Heisei adversaries. The fight between Tiga and the Kyrieloid is full of quick maneuvers and close-contact martial arts. It’s a good curtain closer, but I’m also a sucker for giant monster fights set in cities at night. The lights in the buildings give more life and interest to the models.
Iruma doesn’t get the opportunity to do much in the climax, but her character arc stays steady through to the end. She earns the audience’s admiration and trust, even if she hasn’t yet convinced the TPC that Tiga deserves their admiration and trust.
Rating: Good
Previous: Legend of the Stone
Next: Goodbye, Planet Earth
The Ultra Project 