Ultraman Tiga Ep. 40: Dream

~ Ryan Harvey

Directed by Akio Jissoji. Written by Akio Jissoji, Akio Satsukawa. Airdate June 7, 1997.

Director Akio Jissoji is primarily interested in the visual style of his episodes, less in their narratives. His greatest Ultra Series episode, Ultraseven’s “Nightmare of Planet No. 4,” is essentially a guided tour rather than a full-fledged story. His previous Ultraman Tiga episode, “Flower,” is an exercise in stage aesthetics stretched over the thin framework of an alien invasion. “Dream,” Jissoji’s second Tiga episode, comprises his usual visual hallmarks: image collages, canted angles, diffused lighting, off-center framing, cartoonish sound effects, and classical music. But it also has a strong story driving it. Not a complex story, but one that supports and enhances Jissoji’s preferred style. The result is arguably the director’s best work for the Heisei Ultra shows.

Continue reading “Ultraman Tiga Ep. 40: Dream” →

Ultraman Ginga S Ep. 10: The Holy Sword of the Future

~ Ryan Harvey

Directed by Yoshikazu Ishii. Written by Akio Miyoshi. Airdate Nov. 11, 2013.

Watching this episode brought into focus a recurring problem with the New Generation Heroes shows: they frequently struggle to deliver major emotional payoffs in stories with big stakes. This issue isn’t as noticeable or grating as the prolonged, numbing fight scenes or the glut of transparent merchandising. But it’s still a major stumbling block that keeps me from feeling fully engaged with this phase of the Ultra Series. “The Holy Sword of the Future” is the first of the New Gen episodes that sets up a shattering moment — a significant story event in a semi-serialized narrative — only to then settle for a six-out-of-ten execution. For a story this important, that’s far too low. 

Continue reading “Ultraman Ginga S Ep. 10: The Holy Sword of the Future” →

Ultraseven Ep. 47: Who Are You?

~ Ryan Harvey

Directed by Tatsumi Ando. Written by Shozo Uehara. Airdate August 25, 1968.

We’ve arrived at the last episode of Ultraseven before the epic two-part finale. What better way to pass the time than with a throwback to the beginning? “Who Are You?” feels like it could’ve been developed from an unused Ultra Q script, and it wouldn’t take much work to turn it back into one. This moody, low-key episode is a pleasant reminder of the franchise’s origins — to the point that I almost wish it were even more like Ultra Q. 

Continue reading “Ultraseven Ep. 47: Who Are You?” →

Ultraman Tiga Ep. 39: Dear Mr. Ultraman

~ Ryan Harvey

Directed by Kyota Kawasaki. Written by Keiichi Hasegawa. Airdate May 31, 1997.

Another kaiju, Galra, has come to wreck the city. Galra belongs to the same ancient monster group as Golza and Melba, able to tunnel underground and materialize suddenly. It has high resistance to damage, making it a tough opponent for GUTS and Ultraman Tiga to stop.

Galra, however, isn’t the episode’s main adversary. A man who lives in a shabby apartment is the real enemy.

Continue reading “Ultraman Tiga Ep. 39: Dear Mr. Ultraman” →

Ultraman Ginga S Ep. 9: A Life to Regain

~ Ryan Harvey

Directed by Yoshikazu Ishii. Written by Hisako Kurosawa. Airdate Nov. 4, 2013.

Ultraman Ginga S returns after a two-month break to start its second half, and it has plenty on its agenda. One of the leads from Ultraman Ginga, Misuzu Isurugi (Miyatake Mio), drops in as a guest star. Alien Chibull openly plots to animate and control the corpse of Dark Lugiel on the Moon. Most importantly, Android One Zero is now liberated from Alien Chibull’s control after her master rejected her as a “useless piece.”

Continue reading “Ultraman Ginga S Ep. 9: A Life to Regain” →

Ultraseven Ep. 46: Showdown of Dan vs Seven

~ Ryan Harvey

Directed by Toshitsugu Suzuki. Written by Shozo Uehara, Shinichi Ichikawa. Airdate August 18, 1968.

Among Earthlings, Dan’s secret identity as Ultraseven is secure. Among every other alien species, however, it appears to be a matter of public record. That turns Dan into Target #1 when the next extraterrestrial invasion plot swings by our little planet. Once again, the invaders of the week kidnap Dan before they execute their scheme. These aliens, however, have a nifty twist on the standard plan: rather than using a super weapon or a guardian giant monster against Earth, they’ve got an imitation Ultraseven! An “Imit-Ultraseven.”

Continue reading “Ultraseven Ep. 46: Showdown of Dan vs Seven” →

Ultraman Ginga S Ep. 8: Desperate Battle in the Sunrise

~ Ryan Harvey

Directed by Kiyotaka Taguchi. Written by Yuji Kobayashi. Airdate Sep. 2, 2013.

The mid-show finale is a tradition in the New Generation Heroes era. Since these shows are semi-serialized, with ongoing villains and subplots, it’s natural to build to a peak midway through the run to shift the status quo, retire some characters, introduce others, and deliver a major revelation or two. Ultraman Ginga established this with a two-parter that was only a modest increase in spectacle. Ultraman Ginga S goes bigger, resulting in one of the most enjoyable action installments in the New Gen era so far. Best of all, it opens up a new avenue for a character who, until now, has been a literal device. 

Continue reading “Ultraman Ginga S Ep. 8: Desperate Battle in the Sunrise” →

Ultraseven Ep. 45: The Saucers Have Come

~ Ryan Harvey

Written and Directed by Akio Jissoji.1 Airdate August 11, 1968.

Our favorite lunatic artist, Akio Jissoji, is back for one last blast in the Showa era. After this, Jissoji won’t direct another Ultra television episode until 1997: “Flower” for Ultraman Tiga. For his temporary farewell, he’s brought along his usual stylistic hits that make his episodes visually rich and strange. He’s got some classical music, too. That’s become another Jissoji trademark. 

Continue reading “Ultraseven Ep. 45: The Saucers Have Come” →

Ultraman Ginga S Ep. 7: Activate! Operation Magnewave

~ Ryan Harvey

Directed by Kiyotaka Taguchi. Written by Sotaro Hayashi. Airdate August 26, 2013.

Ultraman Ginga S ramps up toward its mid-season finale (followed by a two-month hiatus) with an action-filled episode that introduces a seemingly unbeatable kaiju and promises a reveal about the scheme driving Alien Chibull’s theft of Victorium Crystals. 

Continue reading “Ultraman Ginga S Ep. 7: Activate! Operation Magnewave” →