A Gift From the Emerald Star (エメラルド星からの贈り物) – A solid start to the series, showing how brash Naoki is, but certainly giving him sympathy considering what happens to his brother. The Emerald alien of course bears a strong resemblance to the Ultramen, but to this date, there has been no official word on a relation between the two. 4/5
Great Counterattack! Antigorne – Rubangar King Appears – (大逆襲！アンチゴーネ ― ルバンガーキング登場 ―) – Another good episode showing just how brash and stubborn Naoki is, blaming his brother’s death on the members of PAT for not helping him, and refusing their assistance, even when blinded and needing to deliver blood to a hospital. Though Tachibana’s “nearly blinded” look apparently means shutting his eyes completely, it is an effective scenario. Naoki develops a particular rivalry with PAT member Kumai. Some flashbacks are shown of Naoki boxing, with his brother coaching him. Banno claims to have been a member of the Earth Defense Force, and is able to have PAT do a little favor (Find Naoki) for him. Antigorne turns a broken toy of the monster Tigris from Silver Kamen into the monster. 4/5
Destroy the Creature! Jum Fight – Chitangar Appears – (倒せ怪獣！ジャンファイト― チタンガー登場 ―) – Yet another good episode, wit Noaki’s recklessness and determination to beat PAT at killing monsters really at display here, to the point where he is scolded by both the members of PAT (Including a real heated exchange with Setsuko, where Naoki displays some mild 70s sexism) and Shigeko, who feels Naoki’s behavior is a bad influence on Kazuya. And they aren’t wrong. The ending sends a bit of a mixed message, with Kazuya sneaking aboard PAT’s Fighting Star to “avenge” his father. While that action is portrayed as a bad thing, Kazuya’s eagerness to fight (Including standing up to a bunch of bullies), learned from Naoki and Jumborg Ace is suddenly portrayed as a good thing. Slightly confused moral aside, a good episode. 4/5
Danger! Jumborg Ace – Giant Robot Appears (危うし！ジャンボーグAジャイアントロボット登場) – A solid episode, with some themes hearkening back to Ultra Seven‘s Super Weapon R-1 (And subsequent Ultraman episodes dealing with similar ideas), with the creation of an all-powerful rocket that’s set to destroy a desolate planet. Though Naoki certainly questions it and the repercussions such a powerful weapon will inevitably have, the episode doesn’t spend too much time on it, instead focusing on the scientist behind it’s paranoia of any information leaking, not letting anybody leave the research center, including his injured son for hospice care. The guy’s pretty detestable, but perhaps not irredeemable. And while his son doesn’t deserve the fate he nearly gets, he should have seen it coming considering how close the boy gets to the monster, seriously thinking he could take it on. Antigorne’s robot monster bears a strong resemblance to Noa from Mirrorman. The research center is the Nagasawa Filtration Plant, a commom filming location for classic Toku shows, most notably used as Jonan University on Kamen Rider. Though the episode’s decision not to dive too deep into the repercussions of such a powerful weapon may disappoint some, a good episode. 4/5
Shout Noaki! – Death Kong King Appears – (絶望！売られたジャンセスナ ― モンスロボ登場 ―) – Not quite as strong as the previous few, but still a good episode. At long last, the trauma of losing his father finally hits Kazuya, with him skipping school on a “parents’ day”, moping around other kids with fathers and befriending a girl who’s parents are neglectful and carries around a panda doll to compensate. Kazuya seems to be angry at his late father for choosing such a profession that would get him killed. This would almost seem to contradict the (admittedly mixed) message he learned back two episodes ago to fight back, prompting him to vow avenging his father when he grows up, but perhaps not. Madgorne’s scheme of bringing Kazuya and his friend, who’s panda has been turned into a monster, to a power plant he wants to destroy is pretty clever. PAT feature very little, with the story focusing almost entirely on Naoki, Kazuya and his friend. 3.5/5
Despair! Jumborg Ace Sold – Mons Robo Appears – (絶望！売られたジャンセスナ ― モンスロボ登場 ―) – A strong episode showing Naoki’s dedication to Eagle and Kazuya’s dedication to Naoki, desperately trying to prevent the Eagle from being sold, despite the large amount of money offered for it, as that would mean the end of Jumborg Ace. A lot of great scenes with Naoki trying hard to save money to possibly buy it back, and Kazuya attempting to get it back. Kazuya has a Mirrorman bank, which is a nice nod, especially when it will later be established the shows are set in the same universe. 4/5
Stand Up! Lone Hero Naoki – King Deadgone Appears – (立て！孤独の英雄ナオキ －キングテットゴン登場－) – A fairly creepy episode with Antigorne and his Gross aliens taking over a hospital and reanimating corpses for a pretty disturbing purpose. There are certainly comparisons to be made with Mirrorman‘s S.G.M vs. Mirrorman, with the hospital denizens (All Gross aliens or corpses) acting purposefully suspicious around him Naoki, while putting on a completely straight face for PAT when they come to investigate, therefore making them accuse Naoki of being crazy. What’s less clear is if this was intended from the get-go (Given how stubborn Naoki can be), or if everything just happened to go this way (With Kazuya sustaining a really violent head injury and needing medical attention). The Gross aliens are seen for the first time, and are The Invaders from Mirrorman. Whether they ARE The Invaders (Perhaps the remaining members conquered by the Gornes) or a sister race is never revealed. A few head-scratching bits, but a fun episode. 3.5/5
Performance at Sunset! Trumpeter – Glass King Appears – (夕陽に唄え！トランペッター－グラスキング登場－) – Easily the best and most emotionally-driven episode up to this point, with Naoki put on a date by Setsuko with a girl with leukemia. Naturally, there are a lot of emotional moments between the two, with Naoki promising to take her flying while she plays violin. Though the segments with the monster may feel removed from the plot at first, it’s clear the monster represents the spectre of death to the girl, who constantly has visions of it. The use of violin and classical music for most of its soundtrack gives it a unique feel. A fantastic episode, with the only flaw being there just isn’t enough time to dive deeper into it. 5/5
Desperation! Jumborg Ace/Echo! The Trumpet in Battle – Two Great Cyborg Monsters Appear – (絶体絶命！ジャンボーグA/響け！戦いのトランペット ― 二大サイボーグ怪獣登場 ―) – The first two-parter of the show, and a fun one at that, if a little light on substance. Essentially a “competition” story, with a hotheaded vagabond named Ippei wanting to become Hawk’s pilot, with word on its amazing flight capabilities apparently making the rounds. Much of the two-parter has Naoki and Ippei trying to prove to Banno (Who in a moment of desperation, told Ippei he can become his new pilot) which should be Hawk’s pilot. Naoki certainly displays his love for Hawk, and is heartbroken to let it go, but the fact that it would mean he can no longer use Jumborg Ace really isn’t brought up at all, weirdly enough. Of course we all know that, but the episodes choose to focus solely on Naoki’s love for Hawk. Naoki feels responsible for Ippei taking Hawk, feeling he should have gotten there faster to rescue it from the monster attack. But really, Naoki rushed to save it as fast as he possibly could as soon as word got out that the airfield was under attack (In an effort by Antigorne to lure out Jumborg Ace), with Ippei simply being closer when it happened. Noaki and Setsuko are shown to go out on a date together, with Setsuko later arriving at the airfield to support Naoki, hinting at a romance between the two that will sadly be tossed away. Antigorne’s first monster King Ginger (Who doesn’t have red hair like his name would suggest) is clearly based off of Return of Ultraman‘s Twin Tail. While a bit simplistic for being two parts, an enjoyable affair. 4/5
Heroic! Strike of Tears – Dokuros King Appears – (壮烈!! 涙の一撃― ドクロスキング登場 ―) – An adequate episode, if nothing spectacular. Featured is possibly the most tragic kid character, who’s parents were killed during the King Jaigras attack that also took Captain Tachibana’s life, and now has his dog turned into a monster by Antigorne. Present are themes of avenging both his parents and his dog (Who’s life is said to have ended once Antigorne turned him into a monster), encouraged heavily by Naoki. 3.5/5
Death in Osaka! Jumborg Ace/Revive Now! Jumborg Ace – Two Great Cyborg Monsters Appear (大阪に死す！ジャンボーグA/よみがえれ今！ジャンボーグA― 二大サイボーグ怪獣登場 ―) – A bit of a “game changer” two-parter, with Emerald telling Naoki Jumborg Ace is going to have to cooperate fully with PAT to defeat Antigorne’s latest monster. Being the arrogant chap he is, its a lot easier said than done for Naoki, especially after he meets Captain Kishi’s visiting brother from PAT’s Europe branch, Koichiro, who’s nicknamed the “Prince of PAT”. Naturally, things go wrong, resulting a big loss that Naoki honestly doesn’t get enough blame for, even if the Emeralds do give him a severe punishment because of it. Some great dramatic moments are to be had, particurally in the second part with Naoki and Koichiro, who go from bitter rivals (With Koichiro even discovering Naoki’s little secret) to forming quite a mutual respect. Among the most notable parts of the episodes is Koichiro’s actor – Nobuyuki Ishida, who is of course great, but in hindsight, it is perhaps a bit of a shame he was chosen for the part, as we’ll later learn Mirrorman and Jumborg Ace share a universe. The episodes mark Antigorne’s final appearance as the villain, bringing with him two monsters. The first is extremely powerful, as warned by Emerald, but the second’s just a joke (Though it is outright mentioned to be an adolescent). In his place comes who will be the longest-lasting villain of the show, his big brother Madgorne. 4/5
Terror! Hell Flower Dances in the Night Sky (恐怖！夜空に舞う地獄花) – The debut of Madgorne as villain, along with the introduction of some new PAT members. Madgorne barely appears, and leaves no real impression, though plants flowers across the industrial area that are fueled by pollution, in a very Spectreman-esque plot. Introduced are new PAT recruits Kenji Ohba (No relation to Battle Kenya, DenziBlue or Gavan) and Ippei, Naoki’s rival, who apparently was inspired by his bravery and joined PAT. In addition, Hamada has been promoted to captain, by an Earth Defense higher up played by Kenji Sahara, reprising his Ultraman roles in all but name. PAT’s car is shown with the ability to hover like the Ultra Garrison’s Pointer. Though more noteworthy for its introductions more than anything else, still a good episode. 3.5/5
Madgorne Causes a Storm – Mighty Gross Appears – (嵐を呼ぶマッドゴーネ― マイティーグロース登場 ―) – Madgorne’s first proper plan, with him brainwashing a man to infiltrate Hawk with Naoki and learn the secrets of Jumborg Ace, while a monster attacks PAT’s headquarters from the underground. A pretty clever scheme and a solid episode. It’s not exactly clear what “secret” Madgorne hopes to get considering he knows all about Naoki and Hawk being Jumborg Ace, but the two together in the plane lead to some tense, perhaps even a bit claustrophobic scenes. Naoki is about as carefree as they come – one minute he’s nearly killed on the plane, and the next he’s ready to take Kazuya to a science museum (Until a monster cancels that trip). 4/5
Mystery! Witch Monster Appears – Demon Star Appears – (怪奇！魔女怪獣現わる― デモンスター登場 ―) – A “superstitious villagers” story, with Madgorne using their superstition over a witch over the hills as a means of building a base, apparently intending to stay a while on Earth. It’s not exactly clear if said witch has been a legend among the villagers for some time (With Madgorne taking advantage of it) or if it started with Madgorne. Not quite a series highlight, but still an enjoyable episode with a somewhat nice message at the end about heeling the village. 3.5/5
Kain from Emerald Star (エメラルド星から来たカイン) – A good episode that introduces Kain, the son of the Emerald that gave Jumborg Ace to Naoki, and reveals more about the Emerald race. They are apparently in the midst of an invasion by the Gross aliens as well, and have had large numbers wiped out by Madgorne’s monster Freezekiller, due to their weakness to freezing (Not unlike Ultras). This reveals just why the Emeralds have never actually helped Earth directly, instead just dumping Jumborg Ace on Naoki – they’re preoccupied with their own home and small in numbers. There’s an overarching theme about not relying on others, first with Kazuya and some bullies and later with PAT’s reliance on Jumborg Ace. Those are played in contrast to Jumborg Ace not able to ask the Emeralds for assistance given their situation. It’s not a bad message, but it does seem to imply the Emeralds no longer being available is a recent thing that Naoki will have to adjust to, when they’ve never really helped from the start. Regardless, a solid episode with some important mythos. Freezerkiller is very similar in design and execution to Ultraman‘s Pestar. 4/5
Terror! Antron’s Trap (恐怖！アントロンの罠) – A serviceable episode, though one that borrows elements from several past ones, including Madgorne capturing Kazuya and his friends in order to get close to Naoki and learn Jumborg Ace’s secret (Madgorne Causes a Storm), Madgorne creating a secret base out in a secluded mountainous area (Mystery! Witch Monster Arrives) and Naoki being the only to witness the base’s construction and the kids being taken away, causing him to rebel against PAT and investigate it on his own (Stand Up! Lone Hero Naoki). Not a bad episode, but all of those elements have simply be done better already. The monster Antron is comprised of seven Gross aliens, which further indicates their ties to The Invaders from Mirrorman (Who also often combined to form monsters). Speaking of, an illustration of Mirrorman can be seen on a flyer Naoki was supposed to deliver. 3/5
Danger! Deadly Hydrogen Bomb Missile – Valentine Appears – (危うし！死の水爆ミサイル― バレンタイン登場 ―) – The final appearance of Ippei, and a pretty good closure to his character. Ippei’s mother pays a visit, where it’s revealed Ippei told her that he is PAT’s chief, prompting the members and Noaki to play along, until Ippei makes a brash move during a fight with a monster. There are some nice scenes with Ippei’s mother and Naoki (Which is certainly fun given the rivalry he and Ippei had), where she states it doesn’t matter what her son does as long as he works hard and honestly, something Ippei certainly wasn’t doing prior to him joining PAT. Naoki reveals his mother to be dead. A subplot involves Madgorne getting his hands on some super missiles, which he intends to destroy Tokyo with. The monster is one of the very weirdest, being a flying mouse/octopus hybrid named Valentine. A good episode and a solid sendoff to Ippei with some fairly emotional bits. 4/5
The Great Used Car Rebellion! – Dump Kong Appears – (ポンコツ自動車の大反乱!― ダンプコング登場 ―) – A pretty sub-par episode with a real predictable and just pretty weak plot. Madgorne’s plan is easily his most senseless, with him rigging a bunch of old clunker cars and trucks to drive around Tokyo and cause mayhem (It is apparently quite successful though, putting deaths in the hundreds). One said vehicle is an old truck driven by the father of Kazuya’s friend, who considers it family, having been there since the day he was born, resulting in a minor race of sorts to get it back. It’s all pretty ho-hum, and the ending is kind of a cop-out, though it seems to imply that inanimate objects turned into monsters can be turned back (Like the panda doll) while living creatures are done for. We see the Gross aliens in action, with several merging with the truck to form the monster. 2.5/5
Mystery! The Monster Graveyard in Space (怪奇！宇宙の怪獣墓場) – Another very solid episode, with a pretty dire dilemma. The EDF has apparently discovered a Gross base on the Emerald’s home world, and intend to launch a missile at it. Of course, they don’t even consider the consequence of it killing innocent civilians, something that was pretty topical back in 1973 (Certainly in the US) and is just as relevant now. Worth noting is PAT and EDF’s obliviousness to the Emerald race as a whole (Apart from Kain’s brief in-person appearance). Madgorne is pretty thrilled about this, showing no concern for the Gross that will be killed, and prevents Jumborg Ace from stopping the missile with a Monster Graveyard, not to be confused with the Monster Graveyard from Ultraman, apparently resurrecting some past monsters in order to prevent Jumborg Ace from reaching it. Kenta, the orphaned boy from Heroic! Strike of Tears is back, and is really just along for the ride, as his presence adds the very little, if anything to the episode. He is present when a revived King Jaigras appears, and has some words for him along with Naoki, as the monster killed both his parents and Captain Tachibana. Dokuros King, the monster that was formerly Kenta’s dog also shows up, but by that point, Kenta is passed out and doesn’t get addressed. Though the return of Kenta is a bit strange (It’s certainly nice to see him again, but this was just an odd episode to do it in), a solid affair. 4/5
PAT Annihilation Strategy!! – TerroKing Appears – (パット全滅作戦!!― テロキング登場 ―) – Another solid episode with Madgorne, in what seems to be a last-resort, holding Tokyo hostage, giving them a chance to surrender or be faced with his latest monster (And his own destructive powers which he demonstrates a bit). At least some of the public are keen on surrendering, helped no doubt by some disguised Gross aliens putting the opinion into their heads. EDF staff officer Onodera (Played by Kenji Sahara) features prominently, even going out into the battlefield with PAT, as his son is injured in Madgorne’s attack. Onodera makes Naoki an offer he apparently can refuse in the end. A good, teamwork-oriented episode. 4/5
Celebration! The Mikoshi Transformation – Stone King Appears – (祭りだ！おみこし大変身― ストーンキング登場 ―) – A simplistic, but enjoyable episode. Madgorne has gotten his hands on the inner workings of PAT’s headquarters, and intend to destroy it from within, choosing to strike right in the midst of an annul festival held by PAT (It’s not clear just how long PAT has been around for). Starmen is smuggled in in possibly the silliest way imaginable – they’re shrunken down and hide inside a monster mikoshi for the festival, though not before they do a goofy dance around it. Said monster bears a resemblance to Ultraman‘s Dodongo is both design and execution. Hamada suggests canceling the festival given the security breach, but Commander Onodera insists on having it. What’s never addressed is the fact that Hamada was in the right – the Gross may not have been able to get inside through such a simplistic mean had they canceled the festival. 3.5/5
Desperate Struggle! Secret Underwater Base – ChameleonKing Appears – (死闘！海底の秘密基地― ガメレオンキング登場 ―) – Another basic, but mostly enjoyable episode, with Madgorne wanting to construct yet another base, though this time undersea in Atami. Both Naoki and Kumai investigate, resulting in Kumai being placed under Madgorne’s control, where he really hams it up as a crazed killer. It is nice to see Naoki and Kumai respectfully working together given how often they bicker, though their comradery is short-lived given what happens to Kumai. Kumai is assigned to place a time bomb in PAT’s headquarters, which could be considered a continuation of Madgorne’s plan from the previous episode. Setsuko and Ohba get trapped underwater with limited oxygen, a plotpoint seen often with attack team members in Ultraman shows, though it really isn’t explored too much. 3.5/5
Gross Great Operation 1 – Remodel Children (― グロース第1号作戦 ―チビッコどもを改造せよ) – A pretty mediocre episode, with nothing inherently awful, but nothing really unique of interesting. Madgorne creates a cyborg monster that he apparently wants to feed the brains of children, a pretty disturbing concept, though the more horrific aspects of it are glossed over (And apparently, he intends to swap their brains with the mechanical ones inside the monster). A group of children out hiking are targeted, with Kazuya of course being among them. Some fun scenes of Kazuya escaping the attempting to foil the Gross aliens are present, but overall a pretty forgettable affair. Very weirdly, Madgorne proclaims this to be his first “great operation”, and all subsequent plans carried out by him until his demise will be numbered in order. 2.5/5
Gross Great Operation 2 – Strange! Nonbirigon’s True Colors (- グロース第2号作戦 ―
気ちがい星とノンビリゴン) – A pretty zany episode that feels right out of the concurrently airing Ultraman Taro, with Madgorne unleashing a lazy monster that turns adults lazy with his rays (Children’s brains aren’t affected, in the only real connecting point with last episode), similar in concept to Return of Ultraman’s I’m Taking the Earth. Though nowhere near the brilliance of that episode, still a lot of fun, with a still very poignant plot point about adults are responsible for all of the pollution and violence in the world children just want to live peacefully in, with the kids viewing the monster as their friend for him getting adults out of their hair. 4/5
Jumborg Ace 2 is Born! The Name is Jumborg 9 (ジャンボーグA-2号誕生！
その名はJ-9) – The introduction of Jumborg 9, a new super robot from the Emeralds housed within Noaki’s new Honda Z, with the Emeralds apparently realizing how inconvenient Ace being within a plane can be when Naoki is far away, not to mention the increased power of Madgorne’s creations. What exactly was wrong with his Mazda Cosmo that prompted Naoki to buy a new car is never revealed (A scene of the Cosmo being destroyed in the previous episode or so would have been good), but his Honda Z apparently cost enough for Shigeko to pawn off her wedding ring to help pay for. Madgorne’s monster JumKiller (Arguably the show’s most iconic monster) is easily his strongest, plowing through both Jumborg Ace and PAT, and badly injuring Shigeko. Given the immense power of JumKiller, it’s no wonder Jumborg 9 was made stronger than Ace, though at the cost of agility and speed. A solid episode that ends on quite the cliffhanger. 4/5
Revival! Jumborg Ace – Gross Great Operation 4 – (復活！ジャンボーグA
― グロース第4号作戦 ― ) – Picking up where the episode left off, with Hawk totaled, rendering Jumborg Ace inoperative. This provides problematic when a flying monster captures a scientists working on an ultra-advanced radar system for PAT, with Jumborg 9 not being able to fly. Some very good moments with Naoki desperately trying to repair Hawk and prevent it from being sold for scrap. The brand-new Jumborg 9 is pretty downplayed, with his flight incapability rendering him useless in the episode. 4/5
Gross Great Operation Number 5 – The Sending of Imitation Jumborg Ace (― グロース第5号作戦 ― にせジャンボーグAを送りこめ!) – An “imitation” story seen almost annually in Ultraman shows, done here with Jumborg Ace. The reactions by PAT and especially Kazuya at their hero suddenly attacking (Including stealing plutonium from PAT) are very powerful, with Kazuya revealing he views Jumborg Ace as essentially the reincarnations his father. Once again, Jumborg 9 is given the shaft, with him unable to beat the impostor Ace. A very good episode. 4/5
Jumborg Ace and Jumborg 9 Executed! (J-A J-9を処刑せよ！) – A very simplistic, but still pretty effective episode. Madgorne creates two powerful monsters to take on both Ace and 9, and manages to actually succeed in doing so. Rather surprisingly, Ace and 9 do not tag team the two monsters, despite a shot of them shaking hands appearing in Madgorne’s montage – that will happen in a few episodes from now. Some Ultraman-esque Christian imagery is present, with Jumborg 9 being crucified, and resurrected, in a very contrived way – a bolt of lightening. Could that have been a gift from the Emeralds? Who knows. It is a bit of a shame that Jumborg Ace is apparently healed in the end, as Jumborg Ace being out of action for a few episodes would have made for a good plot point, especially as we’ll soon see Jumborg 9 take up much of the spotlight (With Ace not even appearing in some episodes). 4/5
Race to the Frozen Hell! (氷の地獄へつっ走れ！) – A very good “race against time” episode with Naoki attempting to deliver an anti-freeze device to an EDF facility frozen by Madgorne before it freezes over. Naoki volunteers to deliver it, not wanting any PAT members (Who Madgorne would expect to show up) to risk their lives, something Onodera approves of. Naoki takes his car rather than Hawk, which is odd considering it’s said to be a 3 hour drive, though that may be to avoid detection (Not to mention the Hawk may be under some repairs still given how beaten Jumborg Ace got last episode). Jumborg Ace does not appear at all. Hawk still plays into the plot, with even Banno getting a chance to shine. Just why Madgorne doesn’t use his freezing bomb on anything else isn’t clear, but a very fun and suspenseful episode. 4/5
Big Explosion! The End of Madgorne (大爆発！マッドゴーネの最後) – The final appearance of Madgorne, who overstayed his welcome a little bit, even if his last several plans have all been pretty effective. Madgorne is directed by HIS superior to go all out and kill Jumborg 9 and PAT. Once more, Jumborg Ace does not appear, nor is he even mentioned, despite Hawk still playing a role. Introduced is the new captain of PAT, as Hamada has been transferred to the European branch – Hiroshi Murakami of SGM, solidifying Mirrorman and Jumborg Ace as being set in the same universe. SGM have apparently been in Africa for undisclosed reasons (Some leftover Invaders?). Yuki Nomura also joins him, though this will be her only appearance, perhaps realizing two women named Nomura in PAT would be confusing. Murakami immediately tries to curve PAT’s recklessness and criticizes their over-reliance on the Jumborgs. He and Captain Tachibana apparently had a history together, with Tachibana once saving his life, with Murakami vowing to retain the honor he brought to PAT. A pretty decent sendoff for Madgorne, and an excellent re-introduction to Murakami. 4.5/5
Santa Rings the Devil’s Bell (サンタが悪魔の鈴鳴らす) – The debut of Demongorne, and possibly the strangest episode up to this point, featuring an evil Santa Claus (There’s nothing else Christmas-related in the episode) delivering a gift to children that trap them is die toy monsters, which Santa apparently intends to turn into real monsters. The toy monsters are all Bullmark figures of Ultraman monsters including Sartan, Gomess, Miclas, Gomess and Mirrorman’s Inbera, which could hint at the ships sharing a universe with the Ultraman series, but Mirrorman has mostly debunked that. A just plain weird episode, with PAT not doing much other than chasing the Santa around. There is some fairly unique cinematography, a staple of Demongorne’s episodes. The way in which the children are freed is about as lazy as they come, with Jumborg 9 pulling some random power out of his butt. A strange start and just a strange episode. Kaori, Kazuya’s friend from way back in Shout Noaki! (Played by the late Kyoko Togawa) returns, in a nice touch. She seems to be over her panda doll, however. 3/5
The Murderous Phone Call from Death! (死神からの殺人予告電話!) – A very different, dreamlike episode, but a successful experiment by all accounts. A fairly disturbing concept, with “Shinigami” attempting to get her hands on an infant child, who is the son of a scientist that was working on biological weaponry to combat the Gross aliens (The blueprints have apparently been implanted within the baby in a somewhat disturbing fashion). The baby falls into PAT’s (Via a somewhat contrived way of Naoki just finding him abandoned), where Kazuya forms a bond with him, having always been an only-child, in a touching element. Some very creepy and atmospheric scenes, along with some spiffy cinematography, notably the scenes of the now-childless mother wandering and the climactic chase sequence. Though some shots of the fake baby put American Sniper to shame, a unique and entertaining episode. 4/5
Mystery! Golden Monster of Death (怪奇！死の黄金怪獣) – The final appearance of Jun Tazaki as Banno, and a pretty decent sendoff, with him and Kazuya being captured by Gross aliens and trying to escape. Unfortunately, the rest of episode is pretty bad. There’s essentially no plot whatsoever, with the capturing of Banno and Kazuya seeming like a ploy to get Naoki to come and face Satangorne’s latest creation…except said creation is perfectly capable of finding Naoki and PAT, making their whole kidnapping really pointless. The creation is a set of floating gold chains that strangle people, with a jingling noise that’s enough to drive both Setsuko and the audience mad. Their combined form, a two-headed gold dragon is admittedly cool, and for the first time in a while, Jumborg Ace is dispatched to fight it. Murakami finally ditches his SGM uniform for a PAT one. A few good scenes, but a weak episode. Perhaps most disappointingly, the episode marks the first to be written by the usually-reliable Bunzo Wakatsuki (Who had recently finished working on Fireman), making it all the more lousy. 2/5
Fear! Secret of the Mountain (恐怖！蛇が岳の秘密) – Another dud, sadly, albeit more competently made…until the ending anyways. A kid (Who is OF COURSE friends with Kazuya) attempts to pick the legendary “Emerald Flower” from the top of a mountain to cure his mother’s sickness, but gets scared away by a monster that PAT is unable to locate, leading a very ho-hum portion of the kid trying to prove what he saw. Given the name, the Emerald flower is of course from the Emerald homeworld, though just how one made its way to Earth is not clear. The ending is extremely frustrating (spoilers), involving Jumborg Ace traveling all the way to the Emerald homeworld and grabbing a flower. Not only does he somehow know the directions to get there, but the planet has been explicitly stated to be a Gross-dominated warzone, yet not a bit of peril is shown. Also, him taking only one flower to cure one person is awfully inconsiderate, considering they’re rumored to cure any disease (Though we never do see if it works). A mundane episode made worse by its ending. 2/5
It’s Here! Horror of the Electric Bird Monster (出現！恐怖の怪鳥エレキバード) – A pretty silly, but fun episode, involving Satangorne attempting to bring monster statues to life with an electric bird monster at a “monster fair”. Said fair not only features some past monsters statues, but also several from Ultraman shows, most notably a giant Earthtron seen prominently. Even if the shows aren’t set in the same universe, it’s safe to say some Ultra monsters exist in the universe of Mirrorman and Jumborg Ace. A statue of Nonbirigon appears in a “monster graveyard”, which is odd as he is the only monster to explicitly survive, though kids later acknowledge him, telling him to come back to Earth soon. The ending is guaranteed to shock. 3/5
Destroy Cyborg Command! – PAT’s New Weapons Appear – (サイボーグ・コマンドを倒せ！― パット新兵器登場 ―) – The introduction of PAT’s new spaceship Hunter Q along with their new land vehicles Vamos 1 and 2, based from Honda Vamos vehicles (If you can’t tell, there was some Honda promotion going on). A very solid episode with Demongorne sending a group of cyborgs to Earth to spread a virus across Tokyo. Said cyborg suicide squad bear a resemblance to The Invaders of Mirrorman. Exactly why he sends cyborgs to carry out the virus instead of just sending the virus in capsules isn’t clear, but it allows for some great scenes of Naoki and PAT search all over the city for the cyborgs before the virus in unleashed. The climax is set at the Tsurukawa Haunted Mansion, known best for its frequent appearances in Kamen Rider. 4/5
Screams of Fear in Skull Lake (なき叫ぶドクロ湖の恐怖) – A mediocre episode, with only a few fun bits. Satangorne attempts to birth a monster at a lakeside, where IT JUST SO HAPPENS Kazuya and his friends we’ve never seen before and will never see again are camping near. Anyone who even hears the monster being created is killed…but Kazuya and his friends are still spared. You can’t say killing children is too low even for Satangorne, considering how eager to kill a baby he was just episodes ago. It’s not even clear if he knows Kazuya is camping or if it’s just one big coincidence. Those killed are turned into crazed skeletons, which does lead to a few fun scenes of marionette skeletons (Who still retain bits of flesh on them) attacking the kids and Naoki, but a pretty weak episode. Satangorne’s distinctive looking soldiers are revealed to just be ordinary Gross starmen in “costumes”. 2/5
Desperate Battle! Vamos I, Vamos II (大奮戦！バモスI世 バモスII世) – A pretty enjoyable, if simplistic episode. A creepy concept, with people in a small village being killed to serve as food for a monster, though threat aren’t too many creepy bits apart from the intro (Most of the episode is set in the daytime). What IS creepy is the monster (Named Skeleton, which would have been a lot more fitting for the monster of the previous episode) who emits a downright freaky cry. Naoki seems resentful and eager to outdo Vamos 1 and 2 which is just odd considering they helped him greatly two episodes ago. The whole thing feels a bit like an earlier episode, with Naoki competing with PAT to get to the village and solve the mystery (By this point, they all seem to be on good terms). It’s that reckless behavior that causes some issues with his car, and later Jumborg 9. 3.5/5
Space Witch Babaras’ Robot Operation (宇宙魔女ババラスのロボット作戦) – The introduction of Space Witch Babaras, the grandmother of Satangorne who has awakened from her thousand year slumber to find how poorly the Gornes are doing trying to conquer Earth. So she decides to take it into her own hands, first wanting to infiltrate PAT’s headquarters. She does so by summoning a dog-disguising robot to befriend Kazuya, therefore giving him access to PAT’s inner-workings. Ernesto, the robot, and Kazuya form somewhat of a bond, though its mostly just due to him granting Kazuya’s wish of a bike (Something he previously begged his mother for, citing how she pawned her wedding ring to buy Naoki his car), and his cute fluffy dog form. The ending puts Ernesto in a surprisingly sympathetic light, indicating he wasn’t always bad, though a few more scenes of him and Kazuya bonding would have gone a long way to make it more impactful. But as it stands, a pretty fun episode with a crazy cliffhanger. 4/5
Cursed Pins! Babaras Strikes Back (呪い針！ババラスの逆襲) – A follow-up the previous episode, with the penny farthing given by Ernesto capturing Kazuya and taking him to Babaras, where she intends on using him as a bargaining tool against Naoki for him to reveal the secrets of Jumborg Ace and 9. It is kind of a shame Babaras didn’t stick around a bit longer, or maybe even be the main villain instead of the dull, Madgorne 2.0 that is Satangorne. Babaras certainly has a thing for torture of both disturbing, like Naoki bening subjected to torment via voodoo-like powers in the forest, and goofy, like Kazuya being attacked by flesh-eating mice, qualities. A certain PAT member meets his end here, in a very powerful sequence. It’s just a bit of a shame it kind of comes out of nowhere, with said character not really doing much, if anything prior to his demise. 4.5/5
Assassin Robot – Deadly Trap (殺し屋ロボット・必殺の罠) – The return of JumKiller (In the form of JumKiller Jr.), revived by Satangorne out of revenge for Babaras. He of course wipes the floor with Ace like last time, resulting in 9’s assistance. Perhaps taking note of Babaras’ capturing of Kazuya of last time, a bunch of children are captured (Via a creepy clown and his van) and used as bait to lure Jumborg Ace. The whole bit feels rather unnecessary, as JumKiller Jr. simply appearing and wrecking havoc would have been more than enough to get the Jumborgs out into action. Perhaps the most notable part of the episode is another returning SGM member – Yasuda, who’s since ditched the glasses. Light on plot, but a fun time. 3.5/5
Haunted Robot – Hell’s Mirror (妖怪ロボット・地獄の鏡) – Once again, an episode with Kazuya being taken hostage, though this time he’s joined by his mother, in exchange for a new weapon designed by PAT. They’re trapped within a mirror-like dimension, though any relation to the Mirror Dimension of Mirrorman is not known. Shigeko has dreams about her late husband being taken away, and at one point flat-out asks why the Gross are so hellbent on tormenting her family. Gross star men are once again smuggled into PAT’s base via shrinking, though this time they hide in the ornaments of a Christmas tree. A bit generic on the plot side, but a pretty good episode with some powerful moments for the Tachibana family. 3.5/5
Roaring Insect Monster – Sand of Hell (ほえる昆虫怪獣・砂地獄) – Yet again, an episode with Kazuya being kidnapped, though this time he is returned, though acting a little strangely, showing interest in PAT’s confidential documents. Shigeko’s views on the Gross constantly tormenting her and her son from last episode are at full display here, with her announcing her resignation from PAT’s cafe, no longer wanting her son put in danger. And after all they’ve been through, it’s hardly unjust. More children from the small village Kazuya disappeared in are also kidnapped, and while it shows that the Tachibanas are far from the only families terrorized by Satangorne, there is no real explanation as to why others were targeted. The scenes of Kazuya’s disappearance in the desert are very dream-like and filled with mirages. Though the subplot with other children being kidnapped doesn’t make much sense from a logical perspective, (Nor does Satangorne keeping them alive), a solid and pretty emotional episode. 4/5
Satangorne’s Final Great Attack! (サタンゴーネ最後の大進撃!) – The final appearance of Satangorne, who’s given one last chance by HIS superior. A series of tremors hit Tokyo and PAT’s base, and all signs seem to point to another monster, but the twist of what (or who) it actually is is so goofy, it’s kind of amazing. Killer rats inflate PAT’s headquarters, though they aren’t the killer rodents used by Babaras, but rather Gross aliens in disguise, in what seems like a real last resort attack. We get our first look at PAT’s headquarters in a while, and it would seem they’ve moved from their mountainous location to somewhere within the city. 3.5/5
Desperate Battle! Ace vs. 9 – Demongorne Appears – (死闘！エース対ナイン？― デモンゴーネ登場 ―) – The introduction of the final villain Demongorne, who is apparently two genders at once (Kind of like Mazinger Z’s Baron Ashura, though Demongorne’s changes at will). They come meaning business, launching an attack on Tokyo, and putting Jumborg 9 under their control. At long last, we get a proper battle between the Jumborgs, which borderline traumatizes Kazuya and even PAT. Of course, that eventually leads to a team up we’ve all been clamoring to see since 9’s introduction, though it’s sadly pretty brief. For the first time in what feels like forever, Naoki plays his trumpet. A good episode. 4.5/5
Great Counterattack! Demongorne (大逆襲！デモンゴーネ) – An offbeat episode that’s light on plot, but pretty disturbing. Demongorne proves they don’t mess around, with all those close to Naoki (Along with Hunter Q) being kidnapped in exchange for Naoki to turn himself in and face execution. The kidnapping scenes involve Demongorne’s long hair and eye on their stomach pulling them away, bring to mind The Black Hair segment Kwaidan. Demongorne still prefers to kill Naoki the old fashioned way by hanging, though intends to make it long and painful, citing the deaths of Antigorne, Madgorne and Satangorne. They state this in front of Kazuya, Shigeko and Setsuko, totally spilling the beans on Naoki’s identity, though this is never brought up. The torture sequence is really disturbing and Demongorne’s constant, maniacal laugh is bound to creep one out. 4/5
Mystery! Demongorne’s Spell Destroys Time (謎！デモンの呪いが時を裂く) – A bit weird with Demongorne actually having a “plan” that doesn’t directly involve killing Naoki/the Jumborgs. Said plan involves manipulating all of the clocks in the world (Or at least Tokyo), which while somewhat goofy, does shown the serious repercussions such an incident would have. Not a great episode, but a fun enough romp with some pretty creepy bits towards the end. Worth watching to see if it syncs with Pink Floyd’s “Time” (Since said song features in Mars Men). 3.5/5
The Last Day of Tokyo (トウキョウ最後の日) – A good, but not great finale, mostly due to it feeling simply like the end of Demongorne as opposed to the whole show. Demongorne creates a machine on the moon that emits deadly light beams across the world, though we’re really only told the amount of damage it does. Jumborg Ace puts up a fight with them, but is totaled, resulting in 9 (Who is incapable of flight) needing to go to the moon to put a stop to it. That right there is a bit disappointing for the series finale – Jumborg Ace, the titular hero, is given the shaft. It’s not clear just how severe the damage is, but perhaps the two Jumborgs joining forces via an Emerald controlling one would have been fun. In a lot of ways, Jumborg Ace & Giant outdoes this, with Demongorne resurrecting some past monsters and Jumborg Ace being center-stage (Well, and Yak Wat Jaeng). Still, one can make the argument the Jumborgs are simply robots (The show usually treats them as so much more, but whatever) and Naoki is all that really counts, and in that case, it is a decent ending for him, with him ready to sacrifice to his life to put a stop to Demongorne, knowing Jumborg 9 won’t be able to return home. There is a montage towards the end featuring the Tachibana family, the PAT members (Including Ippei, Ohba and Commander Onodera) and Banno that certainly gets emotional and is a nice cap to the series. A good episode as a whole, but a bit underwhelming as the finale. There is a cliffhanger that still has not been settled 45+ years later. 3.5/5
Beta Capsule Reviews 