Directed by Hajime Tsuburaya. Written by Tetsuo Kinjo. Airdate May 26, 1968.
Several Ultraseven episodes have a tricky time balancing the mysterious science-fiction stories of its original premise with the spectacle of kaiju fights and space duels that viewers expect from something titled “Ultra.” Some episodes split the difference and go for mood in the first half, big action in the second. “The Vanishing City” executes one of the better mergers of Ultra Q eerie SF mystery and Ultraman supersized action. The tone of weirdness is consistent, even when the climax is Seven pursuing a roly-poly hedgehog monster through the labyrinthine streets of an empty city stolen by aliens who need real estate.
The strange mood begins when Dan and Soga vanish in a green glow while investigating an uncanny group of late-night construction workers. The next day, a whole section of the city from the same district disappears before the eyes of the terrified citizens.
The aliens responsible for this edifice theft communicate their motives to the TDF through a psychic (Annu Mari, who appeared in the Ultraman episode “Endless Counterattack”). The aliens claim they must temporarily relocate to Earth due to a cosmic disturbance. They’ve taken the buildings for their residences — no time to ask for permission! If the Earthlings leave them alone, the aliens promise everything will go smoothly and they’ll return Dan and Soga.
Keeping Soga and Dan offscreen in stasis creates shifts focus for the Ultra Guard. Anne and Furuhashi take charge of the main investigation to locate the missing city blocks. This change lets Anne have one of her best episodes: rather than get stuck at the TDF base handling medical issues, she’s out in the field showing that she’s a capable and tough agent of the Ultra Guard.
Anne and Furuhashi are an unexpected pairing. Anne usually works with Dan, while Furuhashi works with fellow action guy Soga. But this new pair clicks as the investigative center of the episode, which includes a major moment of friction: Anne gets sharp with Furuhashi for acting too cold and cavalier about the search for their missing friends. I don’t think Soga would’ve gotten so tough with Furuhashi, but Anne has the guts — and Furuhashi backs down immediately.
The vanished city blocks re-emerge on the Mitsuzawa plains, where Anne and Furuhashi discover Dan and Soga in stasis with the rest of the citizens. This is the pinnacle of the episode’s weird mood, which already hit an early high with the atmospheric scenes with the psychic. The frozen city is a true Twilight Zone scenario achieved mostly through camera work.
Anne and Furuhashi’s entrance to the city violates the aliens’ orders to keep away, so they unleash a mind-controlled Ultraseven to begin smashing stuff. This pulls us into the visual-effects-filled climax and the appearance of Kaiju Dancan, which is hinted at being the true form for the aliens.
The climax of Ultraseven vs. Dancan — a spiky hedgehog beast — is outrageous in the best way. The buildup, with the alien-controlled Seven wrecking buildings, escalates the danger; the switch to the fight with Dancan comes as a welcome catharsis to close out the action. Dancan rolling up into a ball and bouncing around the canyons of the stolen city blocks is the kind of beautiful ridiculousness I live for in these shows. The episode earns this kind of finale and stops short of letting it go too long. There’s still just enough of a serious tone, especially in the music, to hold everything together.
The episode contains a mild theme about the dangers of urban overdevelopment. If this were an Ultra Q episode (and it’s not difficult to imagine it as one), this would’ve been the main focus. It’s a theme that matches writer Tetsuo Kinjo’s interests and was apparently more prominent in earlier drafts.
Furuhashi, showing unusual introspection, makes the strongest statement of the urban growth theme: “The city is tired of smog and exhaust fumes. Giant buildings get built and subways and such are being dug all year. If it were a human, it would’ve died a long time ago. […] It probably makes the city feel like wanting to evaporate.” The narrator provides a summary at the coda, suggesting that an anthropomorphic city may wish to escape from itself. For the final curtain, this is a nice touch of thoughtful social commentary.
Because “The Vanishing City” deftly navigates the two styles of the show and delivers in a satisfying way with its special effects, this is one of the episodes I recommend as a starter for people who have yet to experience the joys of Ultraseven.
Rating: Great
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