Ultraman (Back to the Beginning)

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- Jeff of Earth-J > The Baron March 30, 2026 at 8:26am
  
  It's interesting how they show the Ultra Q logo before going into the theme song.
  
  I don't know if it's subtitled in the translation you are watching, but after the stinger, "Ultra Q" is replaced with "Ultraman: A Special Effects Fantasy Series." Watching with both dubs and subs reminds me of a MAD magazine feature I once read: "When They Say... They Really Mean..."
  
  I find Hoshino less annoying in his uniform than when he's deckout out in his red hat and shortpants.
  
  You've pointed out some of the flaws in this episode (and no, I don't have any answers), but here are a few more concerning Hayata's space flight. I probably didn't think about this when I was a kid, but Hayata's ship doesn't have an airlock. He enters the main cabin from the vacuum of space and immediately takes off his space helmet. Also, he wears his space helmet over his regular uniform helmet (the way Batman would often wear make-up over his mask and cowl).
- The Baron > Jeff of Earth-J March 30, 2026 at 9:15am
  
  The one I'm watching says "Ultraman Fantasy Tokusatsu Series", which means about the same thing.
Commander Benson March 30, 2026 at 11:20am

Episode 18: "Brother from Another Planet"

This is nice departure from the usual Ultraman formula, and it would've been one of the most exciting episodes of the series---if it hadn't been for the slip-shod editing, which I don't think was a result of the English dubbing. Before I get to my observations, let's start with the ones Jeff made:

I probably didn't think about this when I was a kid, but Hayata's ship doesn't have an airlock. He enters the main cabin from the vacuum of space and immediately takes off his space helmet. Also, he werars his space helmet over his regular uniform helmet (the way Batman would often wear make-up over his mask and cowl).

When I first saw this one in '67, the airlock business didn't occur to me, but it screamed out to me big time that Hayata was going out into the vacuum of space with only a space helmet. (The characters on Fireball XL-5 got around this by implying their oxygen pills protected them from the rigours of space; I bought it because they were marionnettes and I was five years younger at the time.) But in '67, with the space race on everyone's mind, I cried foul when Hayata failed to don an environmental suit. Even those cheesy space movies of the 1950's didn't make that mistake.

How did [Hoshino] know to bring [the beta capsule]? (Maybe he thinks it's a special tool that Hayata uses?) How did Hayata happen to forget it? (Maybe it fell out of his pocket again?)

It confused me as a youngster, but as an adult, it's obvious that it's a flaw in the editing of the episode. When Zareb confronts Hayata in his ship and demands the beta capsule, my first inclination was that Zareb was too stupid to check the inside pocket of Hayata's jacket---which really didn't make much sense, but I went with it. I assumed that, at some point, Hayata would get his hand free enough to grasp the beta capsule out of his jacket.

But, then, comes the scene in which Hoshino lowers himself into the room where the entrapped Hayata awaits. (And you're right, Baron---just how did Hoshino know Hayata was there? Or if he didn't, why was he scaling that particular building?) Hoshino lays out the tools he brought with him, and the beta capsule is among them. That made me re-think the earlier scene: It wasn't that Zareb was stupid in not finding the beta capsule on Hayata---it wasn't on his person in the first place. But why?

There has to be a scene that wound up on the cutting room floor, one in which, before leaving for space, Hayata decides to leave his beta capsule behind, probably in his quarters, among his usual set of tools. To iterate, but why? Hayata would've had to have anticipated Zareb's ambush in the VTOL, and he would have to be aware that Zareb knew of his connexion to Ultraman. That's a big chunk of necessary info to edit out. And it trips up the enjoyment of an otherwise exciting episode.

Hayata sends Hoshino on his way and transforms into Ultraman. He battles "Ultraman" and hits him with his Spacium Beam, revealing the impostor to be Zarab. They grapple and Ultraman uses the Spacium Beam again, finishing off Zarab.

The climactic battle between Ultraman and his evil double is most memorable and exciting (although Hoshino had to have had the strength of Hercules to hold onto that line while the two giant figures hand-wrestled for possession). I wasn't as dismayed by the council immediately turning on "Ultraman" as you were, Baron---there's a one-hundred-forty-foot-tall giant smashing your city; there's no time to ponder if it's the real Ultraman, or if Ultraman has gone bad somehow. Either way, he's got to be stopped.

Oh, and I have to admit, for once, Hoshino's presence was tolerable.
The Baron March 31, 2026 at 12:57am
Episode 19: "Demons Rise Again"
1. "Featuring Aboras and Banila"
2. A capsulle made of mysterious metal is discovered at a construction site. The SSSP and archaeologist Professor Fukuyama are called in. Professor F theorizes that it might be a time capsule and takes it back to his lab. After they leave, another capsule is dug up unnoticed and loaded into a dump truck and dumped at a disposal site.
3. Back at HQ, the SSSP members debate the age and nature of the capsule. Cap sends Ide and Hayata to Professor F's lab.
4. Ide accidentally discovers the secret of revealing the message on a plate that was contained in the capsule. (Ide is in "comedy mode" in this episode.)
5. A lightning strike opens the other capsule, releasing the monster Banila. Cap sends Arashi to fight Banila. Arashi's attacks have little effect. Cap sends Ide to help him while Hayata remains at Professor F's lab. The Professor tells Hayata that the text on the plate reveals that the capsules were prisons for the monster Aboras and Banila created by an ancient civilization.
6. Meanwhile, Aboras has broken free and begins moving toward where Banila is. Cap orders the SSSP backto HQ as the air force attacks to little effect. Cap, Ide, Arashi, Hayata and Professor F head for the site, leaving Fuji at HQ.
7. Aboras and Banila fight, while the SSSP and the Professor attack both monsters. Aboras finishes off Banila, and Hayata then transforms into Ultraman, ultimaterly finishing off Aboras.
Overall: Another OK episode, this story was later re-made as an episode of Ultraman Powered. (I note that there was no sign of Hoshino in this episode.)
- Jeff of Earth-J > The Baron March 31, 2026 at 1:02pm
  Dubs & Subs:
  
  In the subtitled version, the capsules are 300 million years old
  
  In the dubbed version, 900 thousand
  
  When Mura tells Ide/Ito that Arashi is already on the scene...
  
  In the dubbed version, Ito says, "Is that the captain's sense of humor?"
  
  In the subtitled version, Ide says, "That Arashi pisses me off."
  
  Tokyo hosted the Summer Olympics in 1964.
  
  In the subtitled version, the monsters fought at the Olympic grounds
  
  In the dubbed version, they fought "at the stadium"
RichardtheRaelian March 31, 2026 at 11:20pm

I kind of like the sound of it.
The Baron April 1, 2026 at 1:52am
Episode 20: "Terror on Route 87"
1. Note: There is no National Route 87 in Japan. There is, however, a Gifu Prefectural Road Route 87. I'm guessing that it's something like the difference between an interstate and a state highway.
2. "Featuring Highland Dragon Hydra"
3. One night, a security guard at Omuro Park and many animals are spooked by a green glow coming from a nearby mountaintop.
4. The SSSP are notified, and Muramatsu, Hayata and Arashi go to the scene. (It occurs to me to wonder whether our heroes are on call 24/7, or whether they have back-ups for when they're off-duty.) They ride ski-lifts tothe top of the mountain. Those things look so damned dangerous to me.
5. A kid appears at HQ and tells Fuji that the Highland Dragon of Omuro Park is going to go wild.
6. (A side note: In Japanese, "Hydra" is pronounced to rhyme with "Ghidorah". In fact, the Triune Terror's name is derived from the Japanese pronunciation of "Hydra".)
7. The kid leaves without giving a name. Ide arrives immediately after the boy's departure and says that he did not see him. Ide calls down to berate Security, but they say that they're certain that no one's been in or out.
8. The park guard tells Cap that there was a forest on top of the mountain, but that it mysteriously dried up six months ago. Hayata and Arashi found nothing unusual. Fuji calls Cap to tell him about the kid's warning. The park guard shows the three SSSP men the Hydra - a statue that was made to celebrate the Park's opening. It looks more like a griffin to me. The guard explains that the statue was based on a design submiited as part of a contest by a boy named Akira Muto, who lived in the Akebono Children's Home.
9. Fuji and Ide heard to the home to check it out. Back at the park, the animals start going wild.
10. At the Home, Fuji and Ide learn that Akira was killed in a hit and run on Route 87 six months before and that the culprit wasn't caught. They see Akira's picture and Fuji verifies that it was the boy that she saw. OK, we all saw this coming, right? None of us particularly astonished by this revelation, correct?
11. That night, Cap, Hayata and Arashi see the glow from the mountaintop and witness the Hydra emerging from the mountain. They fire on it, and it flies away. Soon, the Hydrs begins attacking vehicles on Route 87.
12. The SSSP attack the Hydra from the air, but it knocks Hayata and Arashi's plane from the sky. Hayuata is injured, but the unhurt Arashi gets him help at a nearby aid station.
13. Arashi charges the Hydra in the truck, then leaps out just before the Hydra grabs it. He then uses the Spider-Shot to detonate the truck, injuring and enraging the Hydra. A clever if risky trick.
14. Hayata sneaks away from the aid station, and transforms into Ultraman. They battle for a while. Fuji sees Akira's ghost riding the Hydra, and Ultraman lets it go.
15. Later, the SSSP gather at the Hydra statue, and we learn that the guy who hit Akira cnonfessed and was arrested, allowing Akira's spirit to rest. The question is raised as to why only Fuji could see Akira's ghost. She suggests that the pure of heart can see things that others can't, which gets a chuckle out of the others.
Overall: An interesting episode. According to the Ultra Wiki, it was made in reaction to an upsurge in traffic accidents involving children at the time. Now that I think of it, one of the kid characters in Gamera vs. Guiron (1969) seemed to regard traffic accidents as one of the world's major ills, so maybe it was connected to that. Oh, and no sign of Hoshino in this one, either.
Commander Benson April 1, 2026 at 2:46pm

Episode 19: "Demons Rise Again"

I don't have a lot to comment on this one, except I got a chuckle out of the scene in which Arashi takes a phone call to S.P. headquarters, and then reports to Captain Mura: "Captain, someone saw a monster!" And Mura sends him to investigate. It was done with all the blasé of a police dispatcher radioing a call about a suspicious person to a patrol unit. Obviously, Japan has been savaged by so many creatures, the report of one scarcely raises an eyebrow, now.
Jeff of Earth-J April 1, 2026 at 4:35pm

Episode 20: "Terror on Route 87"

The main difference between the subtitled and dubbed versions is the end.

SUBTITLED:

Muramatsu speculates that, if white herons are said to be the incarnations of young women, then perhaps the Hidora is the "incarnation of boys who die untimely deaths in car accidents." Hayata mentions that the driver who killed Akira turned himself in and has been arrested. Fuju comments that now Akira can go to Heaven.

DUBBED:

Mura speculates that the Hydra is the "guardian of children hurt in accidents by cars." Hayata comments, "That's a fine way of thining, even if I'm skeptical," and Fuji adds, "Although it's nice to believe a story like that."
The Baron April 2, 2026 at 2:47am
Episode 212: "Breach the Wall of Smoke"
1. "Featuring Poison Gas Monster Kemular"
2. A student discovers many dead birds on Mount Omu. He brigns them to teh attendtion of his teachers, who debate the cause.
3. Some women view the volcanic crater of the mountsin. Says one, "It's so bog! Yuo couldn't even commit suicude it (sic) that!" Wait, what?
4. One of the women drops an apple into the crater, and the water in the crater starts bubbling. Some gas and a monster (Kemular) appear.
5. The case is reported to the SSSP. Arashi is skeptical and says that it's a case for women and children, so Fuji volunteers to go. When she lewveess, she finds thar Hoshino has stowed aboard. They are met by a resort owner who fears that the publicity will drive away tourists. There is a mild earthquake, so they go to a nearby earthquake research center, where they learn that there have been low-level tremors for a while. Fuji reports in, and Cap orders them bsack to HQ. As they are about to leave, gas emerges from the crater, knocking them both out. the rest of the SSSP race to their rescue. Kemular appears and the SSSP attack it. The gas begins to overpower their gasmasks, so they withdraw. Hoshino recovers as Kemular approaches the VTOL, Hoshino contacts Cap by radio, and he talks the boy through launching the VTOL.
6. Back at HQ, Ide is working on a weapon. Hoshino tells him that he should just shoot Kemualr's weak spot on its bsck, (The Ultra Wikii says that there was a scene cut from this episode that would have explained how Hoshino knew where the monster's weak spot is.)
7. The army attacks Kemular, but it drives them off with energy beams and gas. Hayata attacks from the air, but his plane is destroyed, which enables him to transform into Ultraman. He wrestles Kemulsr, holding the beast where Arashi and Ide can hit it with Ide's "Mad Bazooka"..They hit the creature's wesk spot and it crawls back into the crater, oresumably there to die.
8. The episode ends with a comedy bit as they all visit Fuji in the hospital.
Overall: Another OK episode.

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