From Beyond Television: Ultraseven Episode #33

Episode 33: THE DEAD INVADERS (SHINRYAKU SURU SHISHATACHI) ***1/2

Directed by Hajime Tsuburaya

Paris's division of the Earth Defense Army ships a top secret document to the Ultra Garrison via submarine. While this secret mission unfolds, strange incidents take place topside. A pale-skinned man with no ID and wet hair that smells of Formalin walks out into the road and is struck by Furuhashi and Dan on their way to base. A number of other men with the same symptoms arrive at the TDF base. The Ultra Garrison soon learn the ten men on ice were already dead and stolen from a lab. Meantime, Furuhashi and Soga keep guard on the vault where the secret document, a microfilm with a list of all the secret bases of the EDA around the world, is being kept.

To their surprise, the list is stolen anyway; although the only thing sighted was a shadow. Dan figures out the corpses are being controlled by a telekinetic force. At that time, he's attacked by the zombies and, after changing into Ultraseven, is shrunk to minuscule size after being blasted with a mist-like weapon. Dan manages to escape after setting off a fire alarm that alerts Captain Kiriyama and the others. The Garrison members find out too late the otherwordly intruders have transferred the information from the microfilm and it's a race to stop them before they can transmit it to their base in outer space.

Eiji Tsuburaya's son, Hajimi Tsuburaya, directed this, his third of four U7 episodes. Becoming president of Tsuburaya Productions in 1970 after his father's death, he too would die three years later after suffering a cerebral hemorrhage upon waking up on the morning of February 9th, 1973. He died a short time later in hospital. He was 41 years old. 

Aside from directing, Tsuburaya was a writer of screenplays and lyricist of many theme songs on these programs. Sources state that Hajime encouraged directors to write scripts for the shows they directed, usually under a pseudonym. Tsuburaya was said to have contributed to ULTRA scripts, but remained anonymous so as not to take away from the credited writer.

Hajime was at the helm of the series opener (actually the fifth produced but first aired), 'The Invisible Challenger' and the fifth episode, 'The Lost Hours' prior to this one. His last work before his death was supervising the production of ULTRAMAN ACE (1972-1973).

Uehara Shozo's script is one of the best of the series, accentuating an atmosphere of horror and tension other episodes weren't always successful at maintaining. Nearly the entire segment takes place at night or in darkened hallways and rooms. Some creative editing using rapid cuts is a unique choice to heighten the mystery present in this episode. This mystery extends to the origins of the villains since we never learn exactly who they are; nor are they actually seen. Prior to filming, the alien antagonists were indeed visible, so to speak.

Aside from a reference as "invisible enemies", the enemies are never truly visualized. In Uehara Shozo's script, however, the galactic villain was called 'Shadow Man'; although it's never referred to as such during the episode. In the original draft, the antagonist was described as the Uley Alien. Ultimately, Iketani Senkatsu's creation was never seen onscreen, opting instead for a more mystifying approach. However, the design for the Uley Alien (see insert) can be seen in the Time-Slip Files book and DVD (runs 30 minutes) on the making of the U7 series. There are two images of the design in the book, a 120 page hardback edition featuring dozens of behind the scenes photos and concept art from every episode of U7.

In the episode, the invisible alien or aliens initially use unclaimed male corpses to get inside the Ultra Garrison base. They then use the souls, or shadows, of the dead men to steal the top secret files. The alien powers are a mist-like spray that can either shrink an opponent or render them unconscious. It's a unique villain and opting to not reveal who and what they are, or where they come from, was a novel approach that adds to the appeal of this segment.

In the last ten minutes, the sinister aura switches to typical SciFi trappings when the action shifts outside Earth's atmosphere for a battle in outer space. U7 and the Ultra Hawk 2 engage the alien spacecraft and its fleet of ships for a satisfyingly old-fashioned finish to an enjoyable segment of this often adult-accented series.

MONSTERS: Unnamed invisible alien beings

WEAPONS: Submarine S; Ultra Hawk 2

To be continued in Episode 34: THE VANISHING CITY

 

From Beyond Television: Ultraseven Episode #32

Episode 32: THE WANDERING PLANET (SANNPO SURU WAKUSEI) ***

Dubbed title: ISLAND IN THE SKY

Directed by Samaji Nonagase (Nagase)

Space Station V2 sends an urgent message that a UFO is headed towards Earth. Dan, Amagi and Furuhashi are sent out on the Ultra Hawk 1 to investigate. Finding what appears to be a flying island in the sky, the three TDF members are caught in a tractor beam and pulled onto the enormous, asteroid-shaped vessel. Captain Kiriyama and the others lose track of Ultra Hawk 1 and find no trace of the "flying island". Later, Dan and his companions awaken to find what looks like the source of the ship's power--an unmanned alien base.

Meanwhile, Captain Kiriyama and the others finally locate the island and learn that it has incapacitated their weapons capabilities and is headed towards their base. Unable to use any aircraft, the TDF decide to use a new secret weapon. Meanwhile, Dan learns the island is actually a mobile time bomb just before a giant monster appears. Unfortunately, Dan is unable to transform into Ultraseven due to the island's magnetic powers. Instead, he uses one of his capsule monsters till he can disable the ship's electromagnetic waves; thereby allowing him to transform and the TDF to mount an air attack.

Nonagase, a former AD to Akira Kurosawa, is at the helm of this exciting episode. Kids will especially enjoy this one for the higher monster quotient. Nonagase was a frequent writer, and used the pseudonym Ryu Minamikawa on the episodes he wrote and directed like U7 episode 19, 'Project Blue'. He worked on several Tsuburaya programs including the first three ULTRA series' as both a writer and director. He reportedly enjoyed doing the kid-centric programs and it shows in 'The Wandering Planet'.

Written by Masahiro Yamada and Uehara Shozo, the story is straightforward, but still muddles some details. It doesn't matter much because this is the sort of episode kids were giddy for on those early Saturday mornings back in the day. There's no mention of where the asteroid comes from although reportedly, the original script referred to the airborne time bomb as Planet Din, a flying weapon created by what was referred to as the Mandalan aliens. They also manipulated the dino denizen of Din, but all these references were curiously removed.

The U7 monster this time is the alien beast Rigger (Riggah), a monster that apparently operates the enormous asteroid spacecraft. A modified version of the dinosaur tank from episode #28, Rigger moves really fast, wildly flailing its tail and neck. There's not a lot of detail on this suit nor much allowance for movement for Yoshihiro Kato inside of it (one of two suit men who donned the Giladoras costume in episode 20). It goes unexplained, but Rigger is electronically connected to the ship; so when U7 decapitates him with his Eye Slugger, he takes to the sky with Rigger's head, luring the ship into the Earth's atmosphere where it explodes without harm to the TDF.

After passing on other, previously seen capsule monsters, the writers opted for a new one. 'The Wandering Planet' is the first of two appearances of Dan's capsule creature Agilla (or Agira). The design of Senkatsu Ikeda, the monster resembles an upright Triceratops. Suzuki Kunio is inside the Agilla suit.

The battle between Rigger and Agilla is a generous one. Since Kato doesn't have much leeway for movement, the fight is mostly a lot of thrashing about. Suzuki's Agilla fares better in the motion department even if he is throttled the duration of the fight. Same goes for the melee with U7. Kids won't care, though.

The adult slant that dominates this series is relaxed for a typically busy monster-fest. Armed with a brisk and entertaining storyline, it's business as usual for those who can still enjoy Japan's old school brand of small screen SciFi.

MONSTERS: Rigger; Agilla

WEAPONS: Ultra Hawk 1,3; Pointer; Electro-H Gun

To be continued in Episode 33: THE DEAD INVADERS!!!

From Beyond Television: Ultraseven Episode #31

Episode 31: THE DEVIL WHO DWELLS IN A FLOWER (AKUMA NO SUMU HANA) **1/2

Other titles: The Flower of Death; The Flower of the Devil; Blood-Thirst

Directed by Suzuki Toshitsugu

A young lady named Kaori finds a peculiar flower in a field that, upon sniffing it, falls ill and unconscious. Having mysteriously lost a great deal of blood, Kaori desperately needs a transfusion. Amagi of the TDF has the same blood type so he is instructed to help save the young lady. Moroboshi sees the flower petal still clutched in the girl's hand and recognizes it from somewhere before. That night, Kaori awakens in a trance-like state and injures both a nurse and Amagi who is left with a strange puncture mark on his jugular vein.

After intensive study, the TDF discover the cause of Kaori's malady is a space bacteria called Dally that is living off of her blood and is taking over her body and turning her into a vampire in the process. It soon becomes clear there's no way to save the girl. Moroboshi, though, knows a way. He will transform into Ultraseven and shrink himself to the size of a germ and battle the blood-sucking parasite from within Kaori's body.

Director Suzuki's 10th of 14 episode mirrors some of his other efforts in tone--relying on suspense or horror with little monster action. However, Suzuki's U7 outings are hit and miss; even the traditional ones with plenty of action. His first one being #7, 'Space Prisoner 303', is arguably the weakest of the entire run; while his work on #26, 'Super Weapon R1', is among the most provocative--as well as featuring one of the most shocking scenes of monster violence ever. Suzuki's 'Suspicious Neighbor' of #10 touched on a horror motif that he explores further in the horrifying 'The Human Ranch' of episode #22. The director's penchant for melding SciFi with Horror dominates the segment in review--combining interplanetary vampires with the American hit movie FANTASTIC VOYAGE (1966).

Uehara Shozo's script is another case of an intriguing idea clumsily put together due in part to the confines of a 30 minute time frame. Some of it is just sloppiness. There's no explanation as to how Amagi survives the vampire bite; it's simply dropped after a bizarre carousel sequence. The script hints at some potential relationship blooming between the two but it doesn't go anywhere either. At another point in the episode, it's revealed there's nothing the doctors can do for the young girl. This leads to Moroboshi shrinking to minuscule size to save her. When it appears U7 is near defeat at the foam-spitting mandibles of Dally, the scientists suddenly enter the room with a green serum we're never told about that miraculously cures the girl and saves U7 all at the same time. Uehara has devised a good premise just one that's not well thought out; not that there's a great deal of time to explore these ideas anyway.

This is one of the episodes that detours from convention by not having a giant monster or any major action set piece. One of a few compact U7 segments, there's no flying vehicles or anything. It takes place mostly in a single location. The special effects consist mainly of sets meant to look like the inside of a human body where the monster has taken up residence.

The confrontation between Dally and U7 is fairly brief and inconsequential. They never come into physical contact with one another. Dally uses his poisonous foam spray weapon and U7 counters with a silly Ultra Bubble that finishes the creature off after it's weakened by the TDF scientists and their mystery serum.

As for the monster, Dally is a vampiric space germ that travels inside an embryo in the shape of a flower petal. The creature has no particular agenda, it's just an interplanetary parasite that wrecks havoc with any victims it comes into contact with. 

This was the first monster design of the series for art director and future award winner Iketani Senkatsu. Basing the design of Dally (or Darii) on a tick, the creature resembles a beetle but is a parasite that can control its host whilst feeding off of it. The use of fog does well in hiding the fact there's an actor inside the monster suit.

Iketani died October 25th, 2016 from cancer at 76 years of age. Child actor Tetsuo Yamamura is inside the Dally suit. He was 16 at the time and did suit action only three times in U7, performing monster roles in several other Tsuburaya programs.

The last few episodes up to this one saw a decline in ratings and that slump would continue towards the finale when viewership would gradually improve, but not to the impressive degree of the show's first two to three cours.

'The Devil Who Dwells In a Flower' is another episode with exceptionally good material but poorly realized. The idea is there for a stronger show if only U7 was 60 minutes as opposed to 30. If any of the ULTRA programs needed a 60 minute running time, it's ULTRASEVEN.

MONSTERS: Dally

WEAPONS: Stun Gun

To be continued in Episode #32: THE WANDERING PLANET!!!

From Beyond Television: Ultraseven Episode #30

 

Episode 30: Whom Takes the Glory (EIKO WA DARE NO TAME NI) ***1/2

Other titles: Trial By War (English dubbed title)

Directed by Shunsetsu Suzuki

With battle maneuvers scheduled for Ultra Squad members in spite of strange earthquake phenomena in the area, Furahashi and Amagi brush up on their guns skills at the shooting range. There they meet a crack shot named Aoki, who happens to be a new Garrison trainee. When an unidentified ship is detected, Aoki eagerly wishes to be the one to investigate. Furahashi tags along in case something goes wrong. It's all part of the maneuvers--with Commander Kiriyama and Dan masquerading as the "enemy ship". The brash Aoki is a little too much of a Top Gun, though. 

Acting on impulse, he later ditches Dan while setting a radar sensor and begins using the Pointer's Missile Defenses against a strange burrowing vessel emerging from the ground. Curiously, Aoki never reveals to Dan what he saw. Unknown to everyone else, Aoki sets a transmitter aboard the Magmalizer as a beacon for the unseen enemy that ultimately costs some lives. During the maneuvers, alien invaders hijack the Magmalizer and tank formations in an attempt to wipe out Ultra Squad.

Unlike the previous episode, #30 is a perfect balance of characterization and action. This is an explosion-heavy installment with lots of planes, rockets and tanks. The Pointer gets more screen time showcasing some of its futuristic hardware, too. The alien invaders even utilize similar weaponry (see insert) to the Ultra Guard's Magmalizer. Curiously, the monster department is where 'Whom Takes the Glory' is lax.  

Alien Plachiku is a peculiar creation. In the annals of Japanese Tokusatsu there have been some seriously wacky monsters; but their outrageousness was part of the design. Plachiku was from monster creator Toru Narita and the suit built by Ryosuke Takayama. Curiously, Narita's original design heavily emphasized the skeletal features. The final monster appears slapped together, looking like an exfoliating bath sponge with two big breasts on its face. Neither Narita nor Takayama envisioned the sponge-like plastic bits stuck all over the skeleton-like suit; this was reportedly done by others in the art department. Kunio Suzuki is inside the monster suit.

We learn nothing about the alien's origins since there's not a lot of time between Aoki's self-aggrandizing actions and the constant display of guns, rockets, and other military hardware invading the screen (this is a good thing, though). According to sources, Alien Plachiku's homeworld is made of plastic. The monster's weapons include a mist that petrifies its victims.... including Ultraseven. This is a rare occasion where the monster is seemingly destroyed, but upon reduced to its bony form, it's still alive.

Aside from the plethora of action, the highlight is the character of Aoki--whose attitude is referenced in the title. You're not sure where he stands at first, but his penchant for being a hot-head is established from his first appearance. A "Shoot First, Ask Questions Later" kind of guy, he ultimately suffers for his impetuousness. Actually, others suffer for it as well. Keisuke Fujikawa's screenplay is well over the top in depicting Aoki's erratic, narcissistic behavior, but actor Yamaguchi Takehisa harnesses the character's mannerisms and makes Aoki one of the most memorable of the series.

The year prior to appearing on U7, Takehisa starred in an episode of the popular AMBASSADOR MAGMA (1966-1967) series. He would share the screen with actress Chie Yamaguchi, the lady he would make his wife in 1972. In 1973, Takehisa was Riderman, Joji Yuki in MASKED RIDER V3 (1973-1974), a role he would reprise several times over the course of that wildly popular Tokusatsu series.

Sadly, Yamaguchi Takehisa would die at just 41 years old on April 6th, 1986 from liver cancer just 4 days after leaving hospital. His last work was in BIRTH OF THE 10TH! KAMEN RIDERS ALL TOGETHER! (1984).

Director Suzuki got his start as an actor, but later became an AD for Eiji Iwaki at Toho. Iwaki himself had been an AD on GODZILLA RAIDS AGAIN (1955); and a film where Suzuki had been an actor. Suzuki later became a director in his own right--predominantly in television work. Invited by fellow director Kazuho Mitsuda to work at Tsuburaya Productions, he became an AD on ULTRA Q and later was given command of the directors chair on ULTRAMAN beginning with episode 25. Both Suzuki and Mitsuda helmed 14 U-7 episodes.

Beginning with episode 29, the series began a slow dip in the ratings that would last for a good stretch of episodes before ascending to levels from earlier in the run.

If it weren't for the lackadaisical monster, this would be a near perfect piece of small screen SciFi escapism. Still, it's an enormous amount of fun--being that rare occasion where a human character is more interesting than the monster.

MONSTERS: Alien Plachiku

WEAPONS: TDF Pointer; Ultra Guard F-4 Fighter Plane

To be continued in episode 31: THE DEVIL WHO DWELLS IN A FLOWER!!!

From Beyond Television: Ultraseven Episode #29

Episode 29: THE FORSAKEN EARTHMAN (HITORIBOTCHI NO CHIKYUJIN) **1/2

(other titles: The Hijacked Satellite; The Apprentice Alien)

Directed by Kazuo Mitsuda

A privately owned Japanese university launches David, its first satellite, into orbit. Professor Niwa designed the satellite, but when the TDF intercept some messages of an alien origin, they suspect the professor may be from another world. Ultra Garrison member Soga convinces his fiancee to try and get information from the professor's mysterious assistant, Ichinomiya. A disgraced scientist who was laughed at over his plans for a transportation device, he's been collaborating with the professor to build his revolutionary machine. A Protean alien under his human guise, Niwa has been using Ichinomiya so his people can mine pertinent information on Ultra Squad from all around the world for a planned invasion.

Twenty-six minutes doesn't give you a lot of time to expound on a storyline with potential. This story (combined with elements of episode 10 of ULTRAMAN) formulated a major plotline in Toho's last Showa Godzilla movie, TERROR OF MECHAGODZILLA (1975); that of a tortured scientist who, because of his ridicule, has forsaken the human race. It's more of an afterthought in this U-7 episode while the alien professor takes center stage. It's slightly disappointing for what amounts to an average piece of Japanese SciFi entertainment.

Novelist and school councilor Ichikawa Moriichi penned this one; working primarily in kid-friendly entertainment before delving into more adult material by the mid-70s onward.

The Protean Alien shares some similarities with the popular Alien Baltan from the previous Ultra series. Deriving its name from Prometheus in Greek mythology, the interplanetary invader can turn invisible and create multiple holographic images of itself; so likely its preference for trickery was pilfered from the Greek Titan. Yamamura Tetsuo was inside the Prote Alien suit. Featuring in several ULTRA series', Tetsuo's suit acting career lasted till 1981 culminating with ULTRAMAN 80. Reportedly, he became dissatisfied on set of one of the two U-7 programs he did for director Shunsetsu Suzuki, who talked him out of quitting.

Outside of a lot of optical effects, the big monster battle isn't much of a fight--just Prote using his deceptive abilities to both antagonize and avoid any physical contact with U-7. There's a miniature set of the private university where the story takes place, but only the Pyramid Building--modeled on the Gakushuin University in Tokyo--is destroyed. This moment in the episode is a bit of foreshadowing since this unique construct was demolished in 2008.

Another plot thread depicting Ultra Squad member Sogo having a fiance (played by Sanae Kitabayashi) is inconsequential to the story and dropped after this episode.

The actor playing the title Earth man, Kinshoku Takinori, was a prolific television performer. Some of his roles include the popular action series G-MEN '75 (1975-1982); Katsu's NEW ZATOICHI (1976-1979); and Sonny Chiba's KAGE NO GUNDAN III (1982). 

Director Kazuo Mitsuda helmed various episodes of many other Ultra series'. This was his 10th of 14 U-7 episodes that bore his name.

ULTRASEVEN is distinct among others in the series in that it often had brilliant writing underneath foam rubber monster fisticuffs. This episode just misses the mark with its decent plot, but middling execution; and not much in the way of monster action to satisfy the kid in you.

MONSTERS: Alien Prote; Protean Spacecraft

WEAPONS: TDF Pointer; Ultra Hawk 2

To be continued in episode 30: FOR WHOM TAKES THE GLORY!!!