Directed by Tsugumi Kitaura. Written by Hideyuki Kawakami. Airdate April 5, 1997.
An alien lifeform capable of imitating humans and absorbing their abilities infiltrates the GUTS base, posing a potential threat to all life on Earth. In other words, Ultraman Tiga is doing its own riff on the science-fiction classics The Invasion of the Body Snatchers (both the ‘56 and ‘78 versions) and John Carpenter’s The Thing. The premise also makes for a convenient money-saving “bottle show” that sticks to the standing TPC headquarters sets and doesn’t require any guest stars.
But a bottle show doesn’t necessarily mean a bad show, and a base-invasion plot is a smart setup for a story with limited locations. Whatever Tsuburaya Pro saved on sets and actors, they must’ve shifted to the visual effects, because the Ultra fight showdown is an exciting one that opens up the episode for the finale. It’s a strong, if basic, action-and-suspense story, and a good example of how Ultraman Tiga can deliver the giant monster goods with a dash of something extra. (A dash of The Thing is all a family-friendly show can support.)
The attack on the base starts from within. Several researchers in TPC’s bioengineering section come down with oxygen poisoning. GUTS traces the effects to an odd coral-like lifeform discovered at the South Pole. When Horii begins researching it, the lifeform takes on a gooey blob form and enters Horii’s computer to communicate with him. The lifeform explains to GUTS that it was genetically designed on Planet Bizarmo to purify the atmosphere by absorbing carbon dioxide and exhaling oxygen. It claims it means no ill will: it only wants to multiply and purify the atmosphere.
The Bizarmo lifeform has an interesting interpretation of “no ill will,” however. Its blobby extensions attack Horii and then form into a duplicate of him. The imposter Horii tricks Yazumi into connecting it to all the base’s computers so it can seize control and start sucking up power. It threatens to kill the real Horii if GUTS attempts to shut off its power.
Goopy alien fun ensues as the Bizarmo lifeform tries to drain enough energy to grow while GUTS attempts to stop it. The story doesn’t swing too far into paranoia territory with the body duplication, but there are a few effectively creepy moments: the alien-Horii is a greasy, scary automaton, and there’s a startling image of a possessed Daigo the alien projects through Rena’s communicator.
Once the lifeform has sucked up enough power to grow into its kaiju form, the episode switches into conventional Ultra battle territory. The fight doesn’t have any special twist or finale, no last-minute genius maneuver to save the day, but it’s big and fun. The giant Bizarmo is an appropriately icky opponent with a toothy Bemstar-like maw in its chest.
Although not a major character showcase, the episode gives some insight into Horii. When Horii first communicates with the lifeform through his laptop, he believes they’ve developed a special understanding. He’s enthusiastic about a possible partnership with an entity that can help cleanse Earth’s polluted environment. Shinjoh jokes that the two are practically in love. Well, Horii does always seem to be reaching out for companionship. Too bad he picked the wrong blob to get involved with.
During the episode’s wrap-up speech, Horii expresses sympathy for Bizarmo because it wasn’t malign — it was only trying to survive. But because it lacked a “heart,” it couldn’t find a way to coexist with other lifeforms the way Horii hoped it would. The message is a bit cheesy (and Bizarmo was blatantly manipulative, indicating a level of hostility that goes beyond mere survival), but it feels sincere coming from Horii.
By the way, Rena plays around with what appears to be a Tamagotchi virtual pet, a mid-‘90s fad that predicted a number of ongoing virtual reality trends. Bandai, one of Tiga’s major sponsors, created the Tamagotchi, so I suspect this is product placement. But the little digital device does serve a plot function as well as provide mild commentary on how humans project motives, good or bad, onto entities that lack it.
You know what? Rena should’ve given Horii the virtual pet from the outset. With all the time he’d dedicate to it, Bizarmo would never have a chance to get anywhere.
Rating: Good
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