Tag: Tokusatsu

Ultra Q Ep. 13: Garadama

~ Ryan Harvey

Directed by Hajime Tsuburaya. Written by Tetsuo Kinjo. Airdate March 27, 1966.

Children in the countryside discover a strange rock that fell from the sky — not the only time this will happen in the Ultra Series. They dutifully turn it over to their teachers, who then turn it over to Professor Ichinotani to investigate. Ichinotani discovers this mystery meteorite (or garadama as the locals refer to such phenomena) is made from an alien material known as Tilsonite. It’s not a monster egg, however, but the control device for the monster arriving in a larger meteorite that splashes down in a lake near a hydroelectric dam. Monster Garamon, an artificial alien construction, breaks loose from its stone transport. It starts to wreak havoc, and then … oh, you’ll have to wait for Part 2 to learn the rest.

Continue reading “Ultra Q Ep. 13: Garadama” →

Ultraseven Ep. 8: The Marked Town

~ Ryan Harvey

Directed by Akio Jissoji. Written by Tetsuo Kinjo. Airdate Nov. 19, 1967.

After seven episodes of sporadic success sifting through the basics, Ultraseven at last comes together in one of the most memorable and imitated half hours in all of tokusatsu. There are episodes ahead I like more, but “The Marked Town” is a landmark and arguably the show’s essential episode. A simple case of “If you see only one Ultraseven episode, make it this one.”

Continue reading “Ultraseven Ep. 8: The Marked Town” →

Ultraman Tiga Ep. 3: The Devil’s Prophecy

~ Ryan Harvey

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. 

Continue reading “Ultraman Tiga Ep. 3: The Devil’s Prophecy” →

Ultraman Ep. 11: The Rascal From Outer Space

~ Ryan Harvey

Directed by Kazuho Mitsuta. Written by Tatsuo Miyata. Airdate Sep. 25, 1966.

The first time I watched Ultraman all the way through, “The Rascal From Outer Space” rewired my brain. The episode was so bonkers, so bizarre, so absurdly comic, I couldn’t believe what I was watching. Since I hadn’t seen any other Ultra shows — they were unavailable in North America at the time — I didn’t know this comic nuttiness was a series tradition. I hadn’t yet watched Ultra Q episodes like “Grow Up! Little Turtle” and “Kanegon’s Cocoon,” nor was I aware of the lunatic world of Ultraman Taro. Still, I was certain I was discovering a key part of the franchise, something essential about it, with “The Rascal From Outer Space.”

Continue reading “Ultraman Ep. 11: The Rascal From Outer Space” →

Ultra Q Ep. 12: I Saw a Bird

~ Ryan Harvey

Directed by Harunosuke Nakagawa. Written by Masahiro Yamada. Airdate March 20, 1966.

The simplistic title may sound like a children’s story. Which it is. But it’s not an ironic fairy tale like the hyper-looney “Grow Up! Little Turtle.” “I Saw a Bird” is a giant monster tale from the perspective of a child. The kaiju element is downplayed in favor of a bittersweet fable about a lonely boy and his bird. 

Continue reading “Ultra Q Ep. 12: I Saw a Bird” →

Ultraseven Ep. 7: Space Prisoner 303

~ Ryan Harvey
Alien Quraso about to kill a gas station attendant in Ultraseven episode "Space Prisoner 303.)

Directed by Toshitsugu Suzuki. Written by Tetsuo Kinjo. Airdate Nov. 12, 1967.

Another hostile alien has come to Earth. Not to conquer, just to kill. An alien murderer from an otherwise peaceful race has escaped from a prison on its homeworld. Now it’s landed on Earth to guzzle gasoline, strangle a few innocent people, and find another escape route before it’s caught.

Continue reading “Ultraseven Ep. 7: Space Prisoner 303” →

Ultraman Ep. 10: The Mysterious Dinosaur Base

~ Ryan Harvey
Godzilla vs. Ultraman in The Mysterious Dinosaur Base

Directed by Kazuho Mitsuta. Written by Tetsuo Kinjo. Airdate Sep. 18, 1966.

Ultraman vs. Godzilla! That’s it, that’s the review. Or as much a review as most people will need. 

Technically, Ultraman’s kaiju foe isn’t Godzilla. It’s a new monster named Jirahs (sometimes spelled Jirass). But … come on, it’s just a Toho Godzilla costume with a smattering of green paint and a neck frill. The frill eventually gets ripped off, making it even clearer you’re watching Ultraman vs. Godzilla. Using the Godzilla costume was a cost-saving maneuver, but nobody is going to complain about watching these titans of tokusatsu cross IP boundaries for a deathmatch.

Continue reading “Ultraman Ep. 10: The Mysterious Dinosaur Base” →

Ultraman Tiga Ep. 1: Inheritance of Light

~ Ryan Harvey
Ultraman Tiga Inheritance Light Ultra Statues

Directed by Shingo Matsubara. Written by Masakazu Migita. Airdate Sep. 7, 1996.

The first episode of an Ultra show has a heavy burden. It must establish the global situation, introduce a new defense team, merge the human hero with the Ultra Warrior, and then have enough time left over to celebrate with the action goodies. “Inheritance of Light” is one the best premiere episodes thanks to its efficiency, action, and visual effects that get the job done. It’s an impressive start, especially considering how fast the show had to come together. For viewers who may not have tuned into an Ultra show since the 1970s, Ultrman Tiga’s first episode was a reminder of why they loved Ultraman in the first place.

Continue reading “Ultraman Tiga Ep. 1: Inheritance of Light” →

Ultraman Tiga: An Introduction

~ Ryan Harvey
Ultraman-Tiga-Title-Card

The Dark Age for Tsuburaya Productions finally ended in 1996. Fifteen years after the last episode of Ultraman 80 aired, Tsuburaya Pro returned to the airwaves with a domestically produced full Ultra program. Despite a rocky development period, Ultraman Tiga gave the series a rebirth for the Heisei era. It has remained one of the most popular Ultra shows and defined the franchise for a new generation. For many people my age and younger, Ultraman Tiga is likely the first Ultraman show they knew. 

Continue reading “Ultraman Tiga: An Introduction” →