037: SoraRabbit Watches: Ultraman
Welcome back to my Ultra series of posts! This is going to be a long journey, but now I’m finally ready to discuss the second installment in the Ultra series, Ultraman! This is a post I’ve had in mind since the beginning of this blog, and I’m finally ready to tackle it. If you want to keep up, here are the main entries in this series of posts, not including my two deep dives into Ultra Q episodes.
The heroic Ultraman! (Credit: Tsuburaya Productions)
Ultraman was a tokusatsu (special filming) science fiction series produced by Tsuburaya Productions and airing from 1966 to 1967. It ran for 39 episodes. As with much Japanese media, the story has a beginning and an ending, wrapping up the tale in a satisfying way. Although this is the follow up to Ultra Q, none of the characters or stories continue into Ultraman. This series was the starting point for the formula that has endured for almost 60 years. Ultraman has inspired many properties that have come after, like Super Sentai (and by extension Power Rangers), Kamen Rider, and many many more. (Including the recently-covered Thunder Mask.)
Ultraman ended at the height of its popularity. The network and audience wanted more, but the production crew needed a break. They went straight from Ultra Q to this and between the two series they produced 67 episodes in a little over a year. Still, they didn’t break for long. The follow up series Ultraseven came out six months after the last episode of Ultraman aired.
39 episodes would be a lot for me to cover in depth in one post, so I plan to take the same approach I took with Ultra Q. I will outline the characters and concepts and then go over key episodes.
In my Ultraman overview post I already discussed my history with the series, so I won’t get into that much here. I will say that this was my second time watching it. The first time I watched a DVD set that I bought online. This time I had the pleasure of enjoying the series on Mill Creek’s Blu-ray set. As with the Mill Creek releases, the series was remastered, the sound and picture were very crisp, with brighter colors. The subtitles were clear and unobtrusive, and perfectly timed. The subtitles were different from the first time I watched it also, which made it a better experience. In contrast, the subtitles sometimes seemed a bit off in my old DVD set, not matching to what was going on and in several episodes they were slightly delayed, making it difficult to tell who was talking. Also, I did notice some of the humor seemed to have been lost in translation on my first watch-through. This set was a much better experience all around, and I’m glad I bought it again in this format.
Shin Hayata. (Credit: Tsuburaya Productions)
First, we’ll be discussing the characters. Ultraman himself has taken up residence of the body of Shin Hayata, a member of the Science Patrol, Earth’s defense against kaiju and alien invasion. Hayata is level-headed, heroic, and dependable. He’s often the first to rush off into danger. Unfortunately, his character is a bit lacking. Not much is known of him outside his identity as Ultraman. He doesn’t talk as much as the others and doesn’t seem to have a quirk. He’s basically just there to be the vessel for Ultraman. Although it’s never explained why, Hayata keeps his duel identity secret from his friends. (Although they do have their suspicions.)
From left to right: Captain Muramatsu, Ide, Arashi, and Fuji. (Credit: Tsuburaya Productions)
Hayata and his friends belong to a group called the Science Special Search Party. (Also known as the Science Special Investigation Team or just shortened to Science Patrol.) The Science Patrol is a worldwide organization with branches in Tokyo, India, New York, the Middle East, and Bolivia. The headquarters is in Paris. (I found it very strange that the writers decided on Paris. Why wouldn’t Japan have been the main branch?) The Japanese branch had been active for around 20 years before the events of Ultraman. Although mainly scientists focusing on research, when kaiju threaten Japan, the Science Patrol are the ones the government turns to for protection.
An interesting side note that my research uncovered: According to a PC game that may or may not be considered canon (Tsuburaya Productions signed off on it) Dr. Ichinotani from Ultra Q founded the SSSP, which would make Ultraman an official sequel to Ultra Q. I love this idea, but I can’t fully verify it, seeing as how the Doctor and the characters and events of Ultra Q were never once mentioned in the Ultraman series. In the Marvel comic Rise of Ultraman, which depicts an alternate dimension version of this series, Ultra Q was also the origins of the SSSP, so that could lend a bit of credence to the theory.
Cap is a master strategist. (Credit: Tsuburaya Productions)
The Japanese branch of the Science Patrol is led by Captain Toshio Muramatsu. He’s stoic and by-the-book, but able to adjust his strategy as needed. The others generally call him “Cap”. He was an astronaut before leading the Patrol. He’s all about duty and careful planning. Cap is quiet and tends to not show his emotions often, but cares for all the members of his team. More than once he’s shown his willingness to sacrifice himself to save others.
Ide is a goof. (Credit: Tsuburaya Productions)
Mitsuhiro Ide is often the show’s comic relief. He’s bumbling, clumsy, and silly. But he also may be the smartest of them. Ide is the one who invents all their weapons, often pulling all-nighters to complete them. He also is the most compassionate towards the monsters they fight, doubting if they’re doing the right thing.
Arashi, doing what he loves most. (Credit: Tsuburaya Productions)
Daisuke Arashi is the team’s marksman. Arashi is always serious, acting as a counterpoint to Ide. He’s impatient, rash, but an excellent shot. His favorite thing is shooting kaiju. He’s also adept at piloting the vehicles. A fighter at heart, he gets excited by Ide’s new weapons and eager to try them out.
Fuji at work. (Credit: Tsuburaya Productions)
Akiko Fuji is the communications officer, but often goes on adventures with them. She appears to have stronger feelings for Hayata than for her other teammates, becoming visibly upset when he’s in danger. (Although this is never explored in the series.) I mentioned in my Ultra Q post that the character of Yuri was also played by Hiroko Sakurai, who played Fuji. She plays just as strong a character here, as Fuji is shown to be as intelligent, brave, and capable as the other member of the Patrol.
There are only two other recurring characters of note. The first is Dr. Iwamoto, who designed the Jet V-Tol and the Phoenix No Rocket. He acts as a scientific advisor to the group, but only appears in a handful of episodes.
Secondly is Isamu Hoshino, a young boy who hangs around with the Science Patrol. He acts as their mascot and annoying little brother, inserting himself into the investigations. (He was basically the Wesley Crusher of Ultraman.) He’s troublesome and often gets into trouble. He stows away on the Jet V-Tol or their car. He tags along uninvited on dangerous missions, making everyone have to worry about him and protect him. (You say there’s a 300 year old well that could be haunted? Hoshino climbs right in!) Eventually he helps them enough to earn himself an official membership into the team, which comes with his own child-size suit and badge. His title at that point is Special Personnel Officer. After Episode 25, Hoshino was quietly written out of the show, because his actor hurt his leg skiing.
Ultraman, preparing for battle. (Credit: Tsuburaya Productions)
Although Ultraman is the show’s namesake and main focus, he generally only appears in the final few minutes of each episode. The reason for this (as the narrator loves to explain) is his Color Timer, the little blue light on his chest. This is essentially his safety gauge. The atmosphere and pollution of Earth is lethal for Ultraman, and the Color Timer lets him know how much energy he has left. Usually he can remain transformed for about three minutes. Using special moves and energy attacks or taking damage makes his energy drop faster. When the gauge turns red and starts beeping and flashing, he’s in the danger zone. If he remains Ultraman for too long after this, he will die. This lends a great sense of urgency to his fights.
Ultraman’s main method of attacking is physical. He has a very interesting fighting style that combines normal punches, kicks, and throws with Judo and wrestling. (The crew developed this hybrid style as a way to make Ultraman appear more alien during fights.) He uses strategy in his fights, learning how best to dispatch his opponent and changing his methods as needed.
Ultraman’s Spacium Beam. (Credit: Tsuburaya Productions)
Ultraman is a Warrior of Light from Nebula M78 and is a member of the Intergalactic Defense Force. He travels through space in a glowing red orb called a Travelsphere. He inhabits Hayata’s body while on Earth. Hayata raises a small device called a Beta Capsule when he wants to transform. Ultraman can grow to a height of 40 meters (131 feet) and weighs 35,000 tons. He is super strong and has a great sense of justice. His main purpose in life is to protect the people of Earth from the kaiju and alien threats that arrive. He rarely talks, but when he does it seems to only be by telepathy. A notable exception to this is his battle cry— “Shuwatch!“ He usually shouts this when launching into flight. Ultraman’s appearance changed slightly as the series went on, giving him a smoother face and more defined muscles.
Among his more fantastical abilities, Ultraman can change his size at will, fly, teleport, and use telepathy. When he crosses his arms, he can fire the Spacium Beam. (Side note, the subtitles called it the Specium Beam, but most other documentation I found spells it Spacium.) His Spacium Beam is his ultimate finisher move, defeating many foes in one hit. However it takes a lot of energy and so he generally weakens the kaiju first to ensure victory.
Over the course of the series, Ultraman has shown other abilities as well. He has been able to spray water from his hand to defeat Jamila, whose weakness was water. This is called the Ultra Water Stream. He has the Ultra Attack Beam, which is a powerful green beam. Ultra Slash is a ring-shaped energy attack that can cut into kaiju. Slash Beam is a rapid-fire attack. Ultra Psychic is a rarely-used telekinetic attack. Catch Ring is a move used to bind opponents in rings of energy. Not all of his moves are offensive… he also has some other useful tricks like the Perspective Beam that lets him see through objects and an energy shield. (I was unable to find the name for this, but it may be a variation of Ultra Slash.)
Zappy zap. (Credit: Tsuburaya Productions)
Although Ultraman is often the one who rescues everyone and defeats the threat, the Science Patrol also plays their part. They typically brain storm ideas on how to handle the danger, trying everything they can think of. Many times they are able to weaken the kaiju so that Ultraman can finish it off. The SSSP wear orange jumpsuits and white helmets, and communication badge with a shooting star symbol.
The main weapon of the Science Patrol are the Super Guns. This is their standard laser firearm that looks like a pistol. Combining three of the Super Gun’s energy beams creates a “triple shot” which can take down most Kaiju. It can have different attachments, all developed by Ide. One of these is the Spark 8, which allows for multiple shots and the Silver Arrow, which fires a small missile. The Spider-Shot is a rifle which is Arashi’s favorite weapon. Later on in the series more powerful weapons are created like the Mad Bazooka and the QX Gun. (QX stands for Quickly Extinguish.)
The Jet V-TOL. (Credit: Tsuburaya Productions)
The Patrol’s main form of transportation is the Jet V-Tol. The name stands for “Vertical Take-off and Landing”. They have at least 3 of them. The Jet V-Tol is equipped with lasers, missiles, and with modification it can go into space. They also have a Submarine V-Tol, which wasn’t used as often. Three other submarines were shown, but those appeared to be for exploration, not combat. They also have a subterranean vehicle called the Underground Tank Vellucidar, which is equipped with a drill. Much less fantastic is the company car, which is a 1961 Chevy Corvair.
The SSSP base is in Tokyo and houses a sophisticated network of computers to monitor kaiju threats from around the world. It also has a powerful radio transmitter that allows the members of the team to remain in contact using their personal communicator badges. This works at any distance, even in space.
The evil kaiju Bemular! (Credit: Tsuburaya Productions)
Ultraman’s main opponents are a rotating cast of kaiju. As mentioned in the Ultra Q post, several of the kaiju created for that series returned in this one, often as different kaiju altogether. Several kaiju suits were modified from other programs or movies to be used in Ultraman. For instance, Garamon from Ultra Q returned as the helpful Pigmon in Ultraman. Going along with this, many kaiju shown here go on to reappear in later Ultra series. Bemular, shown above, is a good example of this.
The gentle Pigmon, freaking everyone out. (Credit: Tsuburaya Productions)
As with Ultra Q, there are many origins for the kaiju. Some are alien invaders, others mutated, some awakened by man’s interference in their ecosystems. Not all kaiju are evil and destructive. Pigmon is the best example of this… he’s a gentle monster who wants to help mankind. Seabozu just wanted to return to the Monster Graveyard where it was peaceful. Other kaiju rampage because their homes were disturbed or to search for food. Some are just dicks. All of them are threats that need to be handled.
Ultraman saves Hayata’s life. (Credit: Tsuburaya Productions)
The story of Ultraman begins in Episode 1: “Ultra Operation No. 1”. While patrolling in the Jet V-Tol, Hayata witnesses two unidentified glowing spheres flying around and gives chase. In the process he crashes into the red sphere and dies. (That’s right, our main character dies in the first five minutes!) The red sphere contained Ultraman, and he was chasing the blue sphere of Bemular, a vicious kaiju on his way to the Kaiju Graveyard. (Which is like a monster prison in space.) Feeling bad that Hayata was killed, Ultraman merges his life force with Hayata’s, an act that resurrects him and also grants him Ultraman’s powers.
Showdown with Bemular! (Credit: Tsuburaya Productions)
Soon after this, Bemular attacks! The Science Patrol attack it with their lasers, V-Tol, and submarine. Nothing works. Hayata becomes Ultraman for the first time (after running to a secluded location of course) and defeats Bemular easily. The Science Patrol aren’t sure what to make of their new ally, but they’re happy for the assist all the same.
This was a solid start for the series. I’ve always thought Ultraman in this episode sounded just like Nibbler from Futurama. Maybe it’s a good thing Ultraman barely talks in this series. I’d probably laugh too much and miss the dialog. Some fun trivia: Bemular’s roar was a modified Godzilla roar played in reverse.
See ya’ Bemular! (Credit: Tsuburaya Productions)
Episode 2: “Shoot the Invaders!” is notable for being the first episode with the Alien Baltans. These red-eyed lobster-clawed aliens show up in Episode 2, 16, and 33. (Although that last one was just a copy made by Mefilas.) The Baltans have shown up in multiple Ultra series, films, and anime. In this episode, the aliens were cruising by in their ship and stopped to repair it, deciding on spur of the moment to conquer the Earth and move in. All 2.2 billion of them. The Baltans prove to be difficult opponents. They can vanish and teleport. They can make decoys, and even possess humans. (Arashi is briefly possessed in Episode 2 to act as messenger.) In their second appearance they had developed shields to guard against the Spacium Beam, making them even more difficult to defeat.
Ragon is another kaiju who returned from Ultra Q. (Credit: Tsuburaya Productions)
After a few episodes of a kaiju who eat electricity, misplaced atom bombs, a kaiju addicted to cocoa beans, and a genetically mutated flower, we reach the next episode I want to talk about. This is Episode 7: “The Blue Stone of Baradhi“.
Ooooh shiny. (Credit: Tsuburaya Productions)
A meteorite falls in the Middle East and Jim from Paris arrives to help. (I’m sorry, but the name Jim does not instill me with a lot of confidence. They don’t give him a last name or title. He’s just… Jim.) Teams of SSSP agents from around the world are vanishing in a wall of light. The Japan team (with Jim in tow) arrive at the site and find a city full of old people who worship a being they call “the God of Noah”. They realize instantly that the God resembles Ultraman. It turns out that 5000 years ago, one of Ultraman’s ancestors arrived on Earth to protect these people.
Wait, go back, I want to know more about this! (Credit: Tsuburaya Productions)
The city of Baradhi is under attack by a great kaiju known as Antlar, who not even Ultraman can defeat. Following the prophesy they end up having to use the mystical blue stone from the statue to defeat Antlar (all of which reminds me of the Antlion quest in Final Fantasy IV) and all is set right. But still, I feel like there’s a lot to explore here that they didn’t get into. The Ultraman everyone knows is not the first being from the Land of Light to arrive on Earth. Seems kinda huge.
Red King just rips off his opponent’s wing and throws it at him. (Credit: Tsuburaya Productions)
Next up is Episode 9: Monster Anarchy Zone. This one was one of my favorite episodes due to the extremely brutal kaiju fights in it. Blood, a torn off wing, broken limbs… these fights were awesome. There were also five kaiju, including one of the recurring monsters, Red King. This was also our introduction to Pigmon, who I mentioned earlier. This episode featured the only appearance of one of the oddest of the SSSP weapons— the Balloon Bomb. The Balloon Bomb is just a gun that shoots a balloon at someone. It clings to them and then when you fire at it, the balloon explodes. They used it to track Pigmon.
Pigmon with his little balloon. (Credit: Tsuburaya Productions)
The story behind this episode is that scientists are on an island investigating. Creatures on the island are mutating due to a magnetic field. The scientists stop contacting and the SSSP arrive to rescue them. Pigmon, a peaceful little kaiju, has been feeding the one survivor and leads the SSSP to his location so they can rescue him.
The poor little kaiju sacrifices himself distracting Red King and ends up being killed in an avalanche. Soon after this Ultraman defeats Red King. The fight actually goes by so fast that Ultraman’s color timer doesn’t go off. At the end they have a funeral for the three dead scientists, but don’t bother mentioning poor, brave Pigmon.
That sums it up, Cap. (Credit: Tsuburaya Productions)
The next few episode involves a kaiju that wants to eat uranium. Then Episode 10: “Mysterious Dinosaur Base” is about a crazy old man with a pet dinosaur in a lake, and the dinosaur looks like a moist, face-painted Godzilla.
Moist Godzilla’s name is Jirahs. (Credit: Tsuburaya Productions)
I really only bring this one up because Ultraman showed a lot of personality in his fight with Jirahs. He taunts the kaiju, trying to outdo him. Then he rips the frill from around his neck and uses it to do a mock bullfight with him. Ultraman even laughs at him at one point. Plus, I like how they reused a classic Godzilla costume with very little modification.
The next episode is a silly one about a rock that can fulfill people’s wishes and becomes a kaiju that enjoys pranks. Ultraman knocks his ears off, which are little satellite dishes.
Look at this goon. (Credit: Tsuburaya Productions)
Episode 12: “Cry of the Mummy” is mainly notable because of the 2000 year old goofy ape mummy. (See above. I once texted that picture to Cocoashade with no context while she was at work.) The monkey man goes on a killing spree before getting killed and then its friend, a kaiju named Dodongo (no relation to the Zelda boss) goes wild and shoots beams from its eyes. (Trivia time: Dodongo’s roar is actually reused Mothra cries.) Ide uses a new invention, a Barrier Machine, to protect them. Then they shoot out its eyes. The SSSP shows how well they work together as a team on this one. Ultraman rides Dodongo like a horse before defeating him. We actually get to see him turn back into Hayata in this one, which is rare… usually after the battle Ultraman shouts “Shuwatch!“ and flies off before Hayata comes wandering up, complaining that he missed all the fun. In this one, Ide showed some suspicion that Hayata may actually be Ultraman, but kept it to himself.
Dude looks like a Muppet. (Credit: Tsuburaya Productions)
The episodes go on, forcing the SSSP to face new threats: A bat-like kaiju who eats oil, a kaiju who eats pearls, and cosmic rays that bring children’s drawings to life.
In Episode 16: “Science Patrol Into Space” they venture out into space to save an experimental rocket. They also have an alien translator and they discover that the Alien Baltans from Episode 2 have returned! They thought they were all wiped out, but some of them survived the Spacium Beam. They live on Planet R now but still have their eyes on earth. They modify the Jet V-Tol to travel in space and head off to rescue the rocket. Ultraman battles a huge Alien Baltan, who has a Light Wave Barrier. Ultraman still manages to cut him in half, but the other aliens are on Earth blowing shit up. Ultraman uses a previous unseen power— teleportation. (He doesn’t use it often because it drains his life.) He destroys the barrier and the remaining aliens retreat.
Good ol’ Arashi. (Credit: Tsuburaya Productions)
The next episodes are about two meteorites that combine to become a kaiju named Bullton and an alien named Zarab who impersonates Ultraman and wants to take over the Earth.
Okay, I’m sorry but these guys look like dorks. (Credit: Tsuburaya Productions)
Next in Episode 19: “Demons Rise Again” we learn about liquid sealed away for 300 million years that becomes fearsome (and silly-looking) kaiju. I only bring this one up as an example of what I mentioned before with the God of Noah. Ultraman sets up huge sweeping concepts for just a single story. In this one we learn that an ancient race of humans lived 500,005,000 years ago (no, seriously, that was the number they decided to use) and were technologically advanced beyond humans in current day. They had the ability to trap kaiju and reduce them to liquid form. This concept and the ancient humans were never mentioned again, their culture and technology never explored.
Instead they move on to a child hit-and-run victim possessing a dragon, a race of subterranean humans with no eyes, a bird that breathes poisonous gas, and then an lost astronaut who mutated into a giant kaiju named Jamila.
This kaiju is a retired astronaut. (Credit: Tsuburaya Productions)
This happened in Episode 23: “My Home is Earth”. This one was actually pretty sad. Jamila was abandoned in space and the event was covered up so that people wouldn’t be afraid of space exploration. He came back to Earth for revenge and plans to to destroy the International Peace Conference. When the Patrol learns the truth about Jamila’s human origins, Ide begins to have a crisis of faith. He knows they’ve got to defeat Jamila, but this kaiju was once human like them. Ide tries to appeal to his humanity and for a moment Jamila seems to realize what he’s done, but he shakes it off and heads off to destroy the Conference. Even Ultraman has trouble fighting Jamila until they realize his weakness is water. He defeats the monster using his Ultra Water Stream and they erect a plaque in the astronaut’s honor.
SPLOOOOSH. (Credit: Tsuburaya Productions)
After this dark episode, we get an underwater adventure where they try to save a research base. And then the Red King returns (a different one, I’m assuming since the first one was killed in Episode 8) swallowing hydrogen bombs. Since the Spacium Beam would detonate the bombs, to defeat him Ultraman had to use his telekinesis to levitate him and then Ultra Slash to cut him into three pieces, which he flew into space to detonate harmlessly.
Episode 26: “The Monster Highness Part 1” is notable for two reasons. First, it’s the start of the only two-parter in the series. Secondly, it’s one of the rare times Ultraman fails. The kaiju Gomora is drawn by a young boy who is obsessed with kaiju. His classmates call him the Monster Highness and make fun of him. Scientists discover this kaiju in the wild and find that it’s the descendant of a dinosaur. They decide the best thing to do is to capture it and take it to the International Expo. (Sometimes they make their own problems.) Although the SSSP knows this is a terrible idea, they decide to help so that they can keep an eye on things. (Transporting a monster is a pretty common trope. This was used on the original King Kong, 1962’s King Kong Vs Godzilla, and a two-part episode of Clone Wars. It never turns out well.)
Yeah, this should be fine. (Credit: Tsuburaya Productions)
Of course the drugs they gave Gomora run out and they’re forced to set him down and battle him in the mountains. Ultraman does his best but gets absolutely thrashed by the kaiju’s tail before he burrows away. Ultraman’s color timer nearly runs out, so he has to escape. Then there’s a whole thing in Part 2 where he lost his Beta Capsule and the Monster Highness gives it back to Hayata, asking him to give it to Ultraman.
This is even more touching coming from Arashi. (Credit: Tsuburaya Productions)
The SSSP discover Gomora’s tail is its best weapon so they blast it off. Without the tail, Ultraman is able to defeat it by snapping off one of its horns and shooting it in the head with his Spacium Beam. (This was actually a pretty gory fight.) Ide and Arashi feel pretty bad for having to kill Gomora. It was their fault, after all for trying to transport it.
Soooo sparkly. (Credit: Tsuburaya Productions)
In the next episode they deal with a phantom-like alien named Dada who abducts people to use as specimens. Cap is nearly the next victim. The alien has a ray that can make things grow and shrink and temporarily shrinks Ultraman to human size.
Woo. No, that’s this kaiju’s name. Woo. (Credit: Tsuburaya Productions)
After that an underground kaiju is eating gold… what’s up with kaiju eating weird things? That’s the basis for several episodes. Then they face a snow kaiju who wants to protect a girl and may be the spirit of the girl’s dead mother. In this one we learn that Ide lost his mother when he was very young. In this one, Ultraman actually stops fighting the kaiju and lets it get away when he realizes it was just protecting the girl from the mean villagers.
I really do need laser eyes. They look like so much fun. (Credit: Tsuburaya Productions)
In the following episode a vampire plant impersonated a missing SSSP agent and tries to set the stage for the invasion of his evolved plant people. They hated mankind for overdeveloping the plant’s land. Next another agent on vacation from the India branch hangs out with Hayata. Her vacation (and gentle flirting with Hayata) is interrupted by a wildfire caused by a kaiju. This one is very action-oriented with lots of fire effects.
The pacifist Alien Mefilas. (Credit: Tsuburaya Productions)
In Episode 33: “The Forbidden Words”, we learn that Fuji has a little brother named Satoru. An alien named Mefilas arrives and abducts the little boy, trying to get him to hand over Earth to him. This was kind of weird… why did he think the kid had that sort of authority? Alien logic I guess? Anyway, Mefilas is very powerful and at first seems like a match for our heroes. He has a dangerous space ship, he destroyed several vehicles, he knows that Hayata is Ultraman and was able to freeze him to prevent him from transforming, he resurrected (or appeared to) three past kaiju that were under his control, and then he made Fuji into a kaiju. I’m not kidding.
The dreaded kaiju Akiko Fuji. (Credit: Tsuburaya Productions)
The only thing that prevents Mefilas from being the worst villain they have faced is that he’s actually a pacifist. After they rescue Fuji and her brother, Hayata manages to unfreeze himself and transforms. This is one of the rare times that Ultraman actually talks, psychically speaking with Mefilas. After fighting for a bit, with Mefilas counterattacking Ultraman’s every move, he eventually retreats and Ultraman lets him go. Mefilas promises that he will return. (Wait, I just realized that Fuji was made huge in Ultraman and Yuri in Ultra Q was made tiny. Interesting.)
Well said, Hayata. (Credit: Tsuburaya Productions)
I’m going to gloss over the next episode, since I’m already planning an in depth post on it. It’s a wild one. (It’s called “A Gift From the Sky”.)
After that is Episode 35: “The Monster Graveyard”. I mentioned this one a bit earlier. This may be the Monster Graveyard mentioned in the very first episode. It’s actually referred to as the “Ultra Zone” and the team discovers the ghosts of the kaiju Ultraman has defeated during his time on Earth. This is where he dumps them after the battles are over. This sight effects the SSSP greatly. Fuji feels very bad for them and Ide decides to hold a monster funeral for them, which they all agree to. Even Hayata is visibly upset.
Japan launches a rocket and a skeleton kaiju named Seabozu falls to Earth. They fight it but it soon becomes evident that it doesn’t want to fight. It just cries and wanders around. A sad song plays whenever it appears. The kaiju just wants to go back to the graveyard where it can be at peace. It took several attempts with a rocket, Ultraman trying to fly it up to space, and then another rocket dressed as Ultraman, but they finally got it back to the graveyard. (Ultraman still had to beat its ass to get it on the rocket.)
This episode is notable to me because it addresses the morality of what they’re doing. Although the kaiju are dangerous and must be defeated to protect human life and civilization, they’re still living beings. It’s easy to forget that in the heat of battle, but they must be respected as fellow life forms.
Poor Arashi. (Credit: Tsuburaya Productions)
Episode 36: “Don’t Shoot! Arashi” was a good one and was focused (obviously) on Arashi. A Children’s Center is in danger from a kaiju named Zaragus and Arashi quickly attacks it. Unfortunately he’s temporarily blinded in the battle. After they shoot at the kaiju it sheds its shell and becomes more powerful and angry. Before long they realize this is a kaiju that can evolve after every attack, become more violent and harder to kill. They know they will need to kill it in one shot, so Cap orders Arashi to not attack it. Arashi is struggling because whenever he sees a kaiju he loses control and has to fight. He feels worthless to the team being blind and unable to shoot.
Arashi, having recovered his sight, has to struggle with his patience as they save some kids. (He’s also carrying the newly-finished QX Gun, which can’t help. He was excited to try it out.) While Hayata carries the injured children to safety, Arashi loses his internal struggle and attacks, causing the kaiju to evolve again. Hayata is injured. Cap is pissed over his reckless insubordination and suspends him. They all have to follow orders and do their duty, after all.
Arashi is upset about the hurt kids and Hayata being caught in the attack. He steals the Jet V-Tol and flies off to fight the monster. Hayata escapes the hospital and transforms, arriving just in time to save Arashi. The monster blinds Ultraman and Arashi has to shoot the monster to give Ultraman time to recover. Ultraman dispatches Zaragus with his Spacium Beam.
Asrashi is reinstated, having learned his lesson. Ide points out that Ultraman likely wouldn’t have defeated the kaiju without their help. This episode showed that that was true… although Ultraman generally gets the win, the SSSP plays an important part in the struggle. Also we can see the SSSP are developing stronger and stronger weapons.
Ide the inventor. (Credit: Tsuburaya Productions)
Episode 37: “A Little Hero” features the return of Pigmon! Pigmon shows up in a department store and the SSSP bring him back to base to try to decipher what he’s telling them. They bring in an expert on dolphin language because why not? The dolphin guy makes zero headway. Ide is also working on a Monster Translator, and is nearly dropping from exhaustion. He’s neglecting his duties and depressed, saying that what he does doesn’t matter since it’s always Ultraman who saves them. Hayata points out that several times the SSSP helped Ultraman.
Finally Ide finishes the Translator and they learn Pigmon was resurrected by a kaiju named Geronimon. (Who’s totally wearing a Native American headdress and attacks by shooting feathers.) Geronimon is the Monster Chief and has psychic powers. He’s bringing kaiju back to life and must be stopped because his plan is to release 60 of them all at once.
The triple shot! (Credit: Tsuburaya Productions)
As they’re fighting the kaiju that Geronimon has already brought back, Ide freezes, waiting for Ultraman to save them. Hayata reprimands him, reminding him that Ultraman only helps when they fight as hard as they can. They use the triple shot to take down one kaiju and the other one is injured. Ide begs for Ultraman to come and Hayata chooses to not transform. Sadly the little heroic Pigmon distracts the kaiju and is killed. Again. (Pigmon is the Kenny of Ultraman.) Hayata is pissed and tells Ide he’s lost the will to fight. Realizing his mistake, Ide recovers and fires the Spark 8 which fully disintegrates the kaiju.
Geronimon appears and levitates the SSSP members except for Hayata. Hayata gives in and transforms, saving them. After using all he has to fight Geronimon, Ultraman’s color timer is going off. All he can do is lift the kaiju chief and hold him steady so that Ide can fire the kill shot with the Spark 8. Ide has regained his will to fight and realized their importance in the struggle for humanity. Afterwards they finally give Pigmon the respect he deserves by posthumously giving him an honorary membership in the SSSP.
I really liked this episode (despite the unfortunate and dated depiction of the kaiju as an “Indian Chief”) because it showed the SSSP working well together and learning from their fights. They took down two of the kaiju themselves before Ultraman even arrived. They didn’t disregard Pigmon and strived to understand him. They treated him as one of their own. And most importantly Ide grew as a character while dealing with one of the important points of the series. Ultraman is not their only resource. They have to count on themselves and each other first and foremost. (This will become very important after a couple more episodes.)
The lethal Spacium Beam. (Credit: Tsuburaya Productions)
Episode 38: “Spaceship Rescue Command” mostly takes place in space, as the Patrol launches off to save the inhabitants of a space station. They have to replace a fuse and their only option is to travel to Planet Q to fetch the fuse from an exploration vehicle. They have exactly enough time for the round trip before the space station explodes. As you can tell, this episode is pretty tense. There are, of course, kaiju on Planet Q but luckily Ide has developed a new weapon called the Needle Type S-80. One kaiju is dispatched in one shot with this weapon. The other kaiju, Kiyla, has the ability to blind people, and Arashi is blinded again, stopping him from firing. Hayata covers them while they escape and Cap has the idea of using their oxygen tanks to jump really high and get back to the shuttle. Meanwhile Hayata transforms and after a difficult battle he manages to stop Kiyla. They get back to the space station with no time to spare, replacing the fuse and saving the day.
This episode I mentioned for a few reasons. This is another example of how powerful the SSSP’s weaponry is getting. They’re starting to one-shot the kaiju by this point! Planet Q had really cool alien landscape. Also it was nice to see Cap in action.
I’M HUGE! (Credit: Tsuburaya Productions)
And so we finally arrive at the end of our journey. Episode 39: “Farewell Ultraman”. Ultraman’s greatest challenge. A bunch of UFOs manned by aliens called Zettons are heading for Earth in an invasion that had been planned for 40 years. The SSSP branches all over the world are alerted and they scramble to defend the Earth. The alien ships (which look a lot like fidget spinners) shoot down the human’s satellites before turning their attention to the air defenses. The alien Zetton’s targets are the Japan branch and Ultraman. An Alien Zetton infiltrates the base and captures Doctor Iwamoto, tries to choke out Fuji, and destroys their computers.
The other members of the SSSP in their V-Tols do well shooting down many of the Zetton’s ships. When Ide and Arashi return to base, they find out what’s happened. Arashi punches out the Zetton disguised as the doctor. The Zetton, before vanishing, commands the giant Zetton ship to land. From it emerges the Space Dinosaur Zetton, the last kaiju of the series. They try to fight it off with the Mars-133 gun, but their weapons are not hurting it.
Hayata transforms, spinning around really fast and tying it up with energy. Unfortunately Zetton can teleport. It evades all Ultraman’s attacks, causing Ultraman’s color timer to start blinking early. It even blocks the Spacium Beam before counter attacking with a beam of its own. The beam proves to be a fatal one, damaging Ultraman’s color timer and causing him to fall to the ground, unable to battle.
Ohhh snap. (Credit: Tsuburaya Productions)
That’s right, Ultraman has fallen! Ultraman lies in stasis, flashing back to previous battles. Meanwhile, Doctor Iwamoto gives Arashi a prototype weapon that he had just developed, an antigravity missile. Arashi fires it and it blows up the Zetton in one hit. They set about putting out the fire in the headquarters.
Another Ultraman! (Credit: Tsuburaya Productions)
A red travel sphere arrives and we finally meet another Being of Light! This is Zoffy, a high ranked Ultra who becomes a recurring character in the many series that follow. (He’s basically Ultraman’s supervisor.) Zoffy envelopes Ultraman in his red sphere and they talk. Zoffy informs Ultraman that he cannot remain on Earth. Ultraman’s only concern is for Hayata.
True, true. (Credit: Tsuburaya Productions)
Zoffy explains that the humans cannot keep relying on him, and Ultraman’s response is that Hayata was an innocent and didn’t deserve to die. Ultraman has lived for 20,000 years and is willing to give up his life so that Hayata may live on. Zoffy, impressed with his heroism, grants his wish, separating their life forces and allowing Hayata to live. (Note that while the book that came with this set was very good, it did incorrectly state that Zetton also defeated Zoffy, but they didn’t actually fight. Not sure what happened with that. I would have liked to see Zoffy in action. Maybe in a later series?)
They set off for the Land of Light together and Hayata awakens where Ultraman had fallen. He rejoins the others, having no memory of his time as Ultraman. They all realize Ultraman is leaving them and wave goodbye. Earth’s defense is now in their hands alone. The Ultras head off for Nebula M78 together. The end.
I have a feeling we’re being watched… (Credit: Tsuburaya Productions)
And that’s the classic original Ultraman series! It was a fun ride and I did my best to convey that in my breakdowns. I ended up having a lot more to say than I expected, but still glossed over some episodes. I want to make clear that the fact that I glossed over them absolutely does not mean they were bad. I just didn’t have as much to say on those as the ones I focused on. This whole series was fantastic and every episode had something memorable for me. I plan to revisit some of the episodes and moments that I skipped over on YouTube in the future and I will do a full post on “A Gift From the Sky” soon. And aside from that, our Ultraman voyage is really just beginning. Next up (hopefully before the end of the year) I’ll tell you all about Ultraman’s follow up series Ultraseven!
So back to Ultraman… what did I think? It’s probably pretty obvious that I loved it. Although this is a “Monster of the Week” style show, the human characters are not useless. They show growth and development. While Ultraman’s main character trait is that of a protector, his personality showed through at times. (Taunting the kaiju, using bizarre strategies to fight them, even laughing at one.) His movements and fighting styles leant him an otherworldly quality. As for the kaiju, I counted 43 distinct kaiju (not counting the redesigns of Red King, Baltans and more) and they were all different. They each had their own designs, powers, and fighting styles. This is pretty impressive at the rapid clip they released the episodes.
The scenes with Ultraman actually take up a very small portion of each episode, but they’re the climax of the story. The effects were quite good for the time, especially considering they used all practical effects. The fights were well done and interesting. Ultraman didn’t just use brute force to finish his fights— he used strategy. He learned the kaiju’s weaknesses and exploited them. The fights are often brutal— kaiju have their limbs broken, parts ripped off. They bleed.
Brutal. All this kaiju wanted was to eat a bunch of gold. (Credit: Tsuburaya Productions)
Just like with Ultra Q, I found myself really liking the characters in this. Before long, they became like friends. It’s the kind of familiarity that I didn’t feel with the characters in Ultraseven, but then again I only got a few episodes into that before getting distracted. I’m sure those characters will develop and become just as familiar. I look forward to finding out.
Since this series was mostly stand-alone stories, there wasn’t a great deal of continuity involved, however they did reference earlier kaiju and fights. The characters got focus in some episodes, which was nice. The character spotlight episodes were my favorite, since we got to learn more about them. Arashi dealing with his impatience and letting down the team. Ide overworking himself to make up for feeling useless in light of Ultraman’s superior assistance. Even Fuji got an episode, where she wanted to stop a kaiju from eating Japan’s supply of pearls. (I know, I know. The female’s episode had to be about jewelry. But even though she’s a badass member of the Patrol, she still likes pretty things and pearls are her favorite. It wasn’t done in an insulting way. At the end of the episode she splurged and bought some pearls for herself.) I feel like Hayata deserved more focus, seeing as how he’s Ultraman and all. But strangely enough he soon becomes a non-character, rarely speaking and just looking for opportunities to split off from the others so he could transform.
Some downsides: They made some odd story choices. Like keeping Ultraman’s identity a secret from his friends. I know they just did that for suspense, but it would have made things easier had they known. The characters, while being portrayed as very intelligent and capable, don’t really question who or what Ultraman is… why he’s helping them… anything. They don’t try to communicate with him. They don’t return to the secret village of Baradhi to ask more about the God of Noah. It seems like they should be doing more to understand their situation, but maybe that’s just something I wanted to see. I think it’s a little ridiculous that they don’t put two and two together. They occasionally seem to suspect something odd about Hayata vanishing during Ultraman’s fights, but they don’t press the issue.
I just realized I didn’t have any screen caps of Hoshino. So here you go. (Credit: Tsuburaya Productions)
The Science Patrol could have easily used Ultraman as a crutch, an excuse to be complacent. But instead he actually made them try harder. They realized they couldn’t rely on him fully. They had to stand on their own. They don’t wait around for Ultraman or hope for him to save them. They do their best with what they have until he shows up. They try their hardest at all times. Even Hayata uses Ultraman as a last resort, knowing his power is limited while on Earth.
They make mistakes, they doubt themselves. It’s their humanity that serves them best. Their determination to never give up, no matter how dire the situation appears. They keep thinking and fighting until they find a way out. The show strikes a balance between Ultraman and the Patrol and I feel like this was what they did the best.
Some lingering questions Ultraman left me with: Did Ultraman really wipe Hayata’s memories? Is Ultraman retired or on sabbatical to recover? Will Ultraman come back to Earth as he promised? Why did Ultraman not seem to know Zoffy? What was Noah’s story and will we ever learn about it? What is the Realm of Light like? Will the SSSP’s new weapons and experience be enough to keep them safe without otherworldly help? (I’m especially worried about Mefilas. What if he stops being a pacifist when he returns? Also the Baltans are still out there and they were powerful.)
This is what I imagine it’s like living in the Marvel Universe. (Credit: Tsuburaya Productions)
Ultraman was a lot of fun. It was a formulaic show that still retained its freshness all the way through. It never got boring or completely predictable. The writers threw in some curveballs, and the constant danger of Ultraman’s color timer gave the show suspense and stakes. Although the timer was flashing and beeping you knew he’d succeed… up until he didn’t. And that, I think, is what I liked most about this series. Ultraman and Hayata were essentially training the Science Patrol to function at a higher skill level, teaching them how to deal with the constantly escalating kaiju threats to Earth, knowing Ultraman’s time on the planet was limited. It was subtle, but by the last four or so episodes you could see the improvement in their weaponry and strategy. You get the sense that they’ll manage just fine on their own without a giant spaceman bailing them out. Especially now that they have one-hit kill weapons. Maybe they’ll even be able to deal with Mefilas if he ever returns.
Ultraman has been an enduringly popular series for over half a century, and for good reason. Rather than just being a cookie cutter superhero show, Ultraman combines action, storytelling, and solid characterization. The kaiju have personalities and motivations. (Usually hunger.) Ultraman, although an alien, represents the courage and resolve of the human spirit. Everyone who was helped by him became better versions of themselves and learned to step up in ways they wouldn’t have otherwise. He was a hero, a role model, and yes, a savior. In many superhero and kaiju properties, the humans seem superfluous, just there to give the hero someone to protect and eat up time between monster fights. This wasn’t the case in Ultraman, which had a cast of colorful and likable human characters.
Ultraman launched a half a century long franchise that is showing no signs of slowing. There are new series coming out constantly. Marvel is running a series of limited runs based on it. (I covered the first issue in a Short Hop!) Netflix has an anime and a new movie called Shin Ultraman is coming out soon that will be a retelling of this story. With every series coming out remastered on Blu-ray and easily accessible (and affordable), there has never been a better time to get into Ultraman and immerse yourself in the Ultra Universe. I hope that I have given some of you the interest to check it out if you haven’t already done so. It’s been around for so long for a reason. I’m excited to see what comes next. Even if the later series improve in story and effects, I’ll always have a place in my heart for the original.
What a goof. (Credit: Tsuburaya Productions)
Thank you for joining me on my trip back through Ultraman. This was a massive undertaking for me, but if you enjoyed it, it was worth the work. Like I said earlier, this is really just the beginning of our adventures with the heroes of the Land of Light. Let me know if you’d like to know more about any of these episodes or have any suggestions on Ultraman-related YouTube videos. Until next time, remember to try your hardest. You have people looking after you, but your best ally is yourself. Your humanity is the best tool you have. Thanks for reading!
So long and thanks for all the kaiju. (Credit: Tsuburaya Productions)
