Tag: Showa

Ultraman Ep. 38: Spaceship Rescue Command

~ Ryan Harvey

Directed by Hajime Tsuburaya. Written by Shozo Uehara. Airdate April 2, 1967.

Here we are, at the penultimate episode of Ultraman, and it’s enlightening to look back at the earliest episodes for comparison. At the start of the show’s run, the network and sponsor were tight with money, which kept the visual effects limited. The Tsuburaya Pro VFX team did fine work with what they had, but early episodes like “Five Seconds Before the Explosion” and “The Secret of the Miroganda” visibly suffer from the budgetary deficiency. 

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Ultraman Ep. 37: A Little Hero

~ Ryan Harvey

Directed by Kazuho Mitsuta. Written by Tetsuo Kinjo. Airdate March 26, 1967.

Friendly monster Pigmon debuted in “The Monster Anarchy Zone,” Ultraman’s first classic episode. The kids who watched the show loved the little creature. It was natural for Pigmon to return, even though the monster died sacrificing itself in its first appearance. With the series’ best writing-directing team at the helm — Tetsuo Kinjo and Kazuho Mitsuta — Pigmon’s return engagement is one of the most emotionally charged episodes. It also sets up the show’s upcoming conclusion, which raises heavy questions about the whole premise of Ultraman.

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Ultraseven Ep. 32: The Strolling Planet

~ Ryan Harvey

Directed by Samaji Nonagase. Written by Masahiro Yamada and Shozo Uehara. Airdate May 12, 1968.

A mysterious object is heading toward Earth. When Dan, Furuhashi, and Amagi investigate in the Ultra Hawk 1, they discover an asteroid one kilometer in diameter that’s sending out disruptive electromagnetic waves. An energy blast from the asteroid causes the Ultra Hawk to crash, trapping the three UG members on the surface of what they discover is a time bomb targeting Terran Defense Force HQ. Unfortunately, those electromagnetic waves prevent the trio from communicating with the rest of the Ultra Guard and make it impossible for Dan to change into Ultraseven — which might come in handy since there’s also a giant monster wandering around the deadly asteroid.

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Ultraman Ep. 36: Don’t Shoot, Arashi!

~ Ryan Harvey

Directed by Kazuho Mitsuta. Written by Masahiro Yamada. Airdate March 19, 1967.

Science Patrol Member Daisuke Arashi is one of the character templates of the Ultra Series: the action-oriented, shoot-first defense team member who’s always ready to rumble with the monster of the week, whether it’s a smart move or not. This archetype has shown up many times since. The action-guy In Ultraseven, Furuhashi, is even played by the same actor who plays Arashi, Sandayu Dokumamushi. Defense teams need a person like this to balance the more peaceful and utopian approach the shows often take. There has to be someone around to say, “Let’s just shoot the damn thing!” even if that tactic rarely works. And poor Arashi has so often been wrong about shooting first.

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Ultraseven Ep. 31: Flower Where the Devil Dwells

~ Ryan Harvey

Directed by Toshitsugu Suzuki. Written by Shozo Uehara. Airdate May 5, 1968.

Ultraseven takes another big swing at exploring new science fiction territory. Drawing inspiration from the 1966 film Fantastic Voyage, our hero Ultraseven reverses his usual tactics and shrinks to face a microscopic but deadly enemy within the strange battlefield of the human body. 

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Ultraman Ep. 35: The Monster Graveyard

~ Ryan Harvey

Directed by Akio Jissoji. Written by Mamoru Sasaki. Airdate March 12, 1967.

As soon as large numbers of children started to watch Ultra Q — a development TBS and Tsuburaya Productions didn’t predict — this episode was inevitable. Kids love monsters, and when Ultra Q changed into Ultraman, the kids got even more monsters. But as the youngsters rooted for Ultraman to defeat the monsters of the week, they also started to feel affection for those monsters. The show developed along with its young viewers, showing empathy toward these strange creatures in episodes like “Terrifying Cosmic Rays” and “Phantom of the Snow Mountains.” At last came “The Monster Graveyard,” a heartfelt and humorous memorial for all the innocent beasts who gave their lives in battle with Ultraman so children could be entertained. 

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Ultraman Ep. 34: A Gift From the Sky

~ Ryan Harvey

Directed by Akio Jissoji. Written by Mamoru Sasaki. Airdate March 5, 1967.

Have you ever watched an episode of Ultraman and thought, “This is fun, but I wish the show was structured more like a Road Runner cartoon?” Good news, there’s an episode just for you! Really, an episode for everyone, because “A Gift From the Sky” is a hilarious farce that flattens the show’s formula into a prolonged Sisyphean comedy. It’s the episode with the line “Aim for its butthole” and where Hayata mistakenly tries to use a spoon to transform into Ultraman. 

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