Reunion With Light (光との再会) – A better introduction than The First Contact for sure, though First Contact does still seem somewhat mandatory viewing, with Musashi’s time with Cosmos being recollected, along with several people knowing of Ultraman. By this point, the SRC has expanded, with the sub-group EYES in charge of protection and handling monsters. Musashi has joined SRC as a pilot, no doubt as a result of his time spent with them as a child. An enclosed island for monsters has been created, similar to Monsterland from Destroy All Monsters. The strange light virus leaves a fairly good impression, possessing a peaceful monster and making it commit violent acts, which will be a staple of the show. Not a great start, but certainly shows promise. 3.5/5
Shadow of the Chaos Header (カオスヘッダーの影) – A pretty good episode that raises the question of how far EYES should go to protect monsters, and when it is alright to attack. Musashi is brought on to join EYES not for his combat or flight skills, but rather his monster knowledge, in a nice twist. Haruno’s bond with monsters is further exemplified, with Lidorias, the monster from last episode, coming to assist in fighting the re-awakened Golmede, a monster SRC failed to capture in the past, apparently. Doigaki is the one to coin the name “Chaos Header” for the strange virus. 3.5/5
Fly! Musashi (飛べ! ムサシ) – Another decent episode dealing with much of the previous’ themes. Musashi’s pacifist attitude towards monsters begins to irk some EYES members, notably Fubuki, who comes off as real unlikable here. The monster’s rage is not a result of Chaos Header, but rather the load, aggressive-sounding noises of aircraft, not helped by the fact it has something it wants to protect. 3.5/5
The Fallen Robot (落ちてきたロボット) – A “feelgood” episode for sure, with a robot from space befriending children. There’s sort of a clever twist to it, with the robot in fact just being a children’s toy made fro REALLY big aliens that we sadly never see. Apparently to Cosmos, even machines deserve a chance at being purified, with him trying to calm the robot during its inevitable rampage. Nothing amazing, but a cute episode. 3.5/5
Revenge of the Fireflies (蛍の復讐)– A good episode, with Musashi and Fubuki being put on a mission together, needing to put aside their differences once and for all. Though there’s plenty of bickering to be had, the two wind up having decent chemistry. Featured is the first unsympathetic monster, being a creation of Chaos Header comprised entirely of junk that attacks Fubuki’s hometown. 4/5
Monster Fishing (怪獣一本釣り) – A Doigaki-centered episode with him taking command of the mission, using his fishing skills to fish out the underground monster. Pretty funny with some great character moments, though it can also be somber, with Doigaki’s estranged relationship with his father (Who wanted him to take over the fishing company rather than join EYES) being revealed. The mole monster is one of the show’s more memorable, being super cute when on all fours, and super strange when standing upright. 4/5
Present from the Sky (空からのプレゼント) – A cutesey, “monster in my closet” (Or in this case, children’s center) episode but still enjoyable, with the monsters being references to both Garamon and Pigmon, with them arriving via meteorite, and with the ability to grow giant sized and become aggressive, or remain in their natural, friendly human-size. Though technically not Pigmon, the design still remains pretty ugly, albeit not as ungodly hideous as the Powered incarnation. It won’t be until Ultraman Max that we get a truly cute looking Pigmon again. 3.5/5
Sleeping Maiden (乙女の眠り) – An Ayano-focused episode that showcases her childhood, thanks to a sheep monster possessing her dreams, revealing her first love, who is a young man a lot older than her, and also her penchant for frogs and frog toys. Some dramatic moments and decent development for Ayano, though nothing especially breathtaking. 3/5
Friends of the Forest (森の友だち) – A take on the Yeti/Bigfoot myth, and a quite emotional episode, with a man returning to his hometown’s history with the beast during his childhood being detailed. Rather like the yeti from Toho’s Half Human, this one too likes to care for the injured. The whole element of only children with pure hearts being able to see the monster is somewhat confusing, but does add to the mythological aspect of the beast and results in Haruno recounting his time spent with Cosmos as a child, when no adults believed in his story. A very good, emotional episode. 4/5
The Bronze Devil (青銅の魔神) – A pretty fun episode with a pretty fun concept – a statue that absorbs stress from people, in turn using the stress to grow larger. Some good moments for the EYES team and the stresses they face, while also citing the importance of occasional stress. The prominent Jonan University is revealed to be Doigaki’s college, and where said statue is held by his crush. 3.5/5
Move! Monster (動け! 怪獣) – A very fun episode with the EYES team competing for the first spot in their annual summer vacations. The monster is a clear Seabozu homage (With definite Stegon influence as well), and is clearly non-violent, with the whole team agreeing on getting it out and taking it to the island, via all sorts of crazy schemes. Though a comedic episode, the ending is borderline tear jerking, even if it’s accomplished via a very crazy power of Cosmos’. 4/5
The Organism of Light (生命の輝き) – Another fine episode that really teaches one to value every moment of life. The monster is certainly among the show’s most tragic, with Fubuki of all members lobbying hard to let it live, with him being reminded of his late sister. The JADF SHARKS are back, and make for pretty effective antagonists, wanting the monster dead regardless. A strong episode. 4/5
Daughter of Time (時の娘) – The first two-parter of the show, and a solid one, dealing with themes of co-existence, and criticizing xenophobia, with it being said to be the cause of human extinction. The darker side of SRC is certainly showcased, with them more than willing to kill the mysterious amnesic woman Reni after a breach into EYES’ computers (Thanks to a chip inside controlling her), despite her clearly not intentionally wanting to cause harm. The SHARKS are back again, with them arguably causing more damage than the monster they attempt to kill. Said monster, Galbas, was apparently encountered and tamed by Musashi and EYES before, with his violent nature (And not as a result of Chaos Header) being a surprise, and all apart of the mysterious alien behind everything’s plan. The subplot of the recently-constructed residential space station, which Reni used to work on, does feel slightly distant from the main plot, but certainly contributes to its themes of expansion and diversity. 4/5
Deep Sea Fight (深海の死闘) – Another Musashi and Fubuki buddy cop episode, with both being in a tight situation – trapped in a monster’s grip below sea, running low on oxygen. The concept of one or more members trapped without oxygen has been seen before (Perhaps most notably in Ultraman Tiga‘s finale, which also has them underwater), but is always effective, especially here, where Fubuki, despite all of his arrogance, shows what a great guy he truly is. The Chaos Header-infected monsters is one of the stranger, being a cross between a clam, an angler fish and Jar Jar Binks. 3.5/5
The Flying Whale (飛ぶクジラ) – Some interesting ideas, but a pretty lousy episode. Chaos Header is revealed to have the ability of possessing more than just monsters, and in this case, possesses a young, troubled girl with a serious obsession with whales. The whole reason for her “troubles” is pretty dumb, likewise the boy’s reasoning for acting like a jerk to her in the first place. The titular flying whale (Which is represented via some poor early 2000s CGI) can remind one of Thunder Gei from Spectreman, though it’s monster form is certainly unique. Not very good. 2/5
The Different Dimensional Trap (異次元の罠) – A great episode that’s a big homage to all of the best alien invasion stories of the classic shows, notably Human Specimens 5 & 6, with multi-faced, zebra-striped aliens shrinking people, and Shoot the Invader!, with said aliens having a large migration plan. There may even be a bit of The 1/8 Humans in there too. Some nice focus for Captain Hiura, along with an old flame of his in the form of SRC scientist Sawaguchi. Just a fun time from beginning to end. 4.5/5
The Legend of Mt. Nibito (二人山伝説) – A Shinobu-focused episode that dives a bit (Though perhaps not quite as much as it should) into her past, and introduces her former superior officer, whom both obviously have feelings for one another. While it’s certainly believable that two could feel that way given their shared background, we never really see their relationship bloom, with a flashback even showing him hitting Shinobu. In addition, the man’s daughter worrying about Shinobu “taking away” her father, while certainly understandable and resonating with many children, is somewhat under-cooked, with her coming off as kind of a brat. The vengeful god of starcrossed lovers Renki was said to have been buried by the samurai Kagegatsu Nishikida, whom just so happens to have been the samurai to duel the demon Sakunaoni in Ultraman Tiga, in a very fun nod. Renki is one of the very few Cosmos monsters to have life outside the show, appearing in Ultraman Orb as Gurenki. A little underdeveloped in places, but a good episode with a strong message about accepting the outcome of love. 3.5/5
Star Lover (星の恋人) – Though perhaps a little similar to Ultraman Dyna‘s The Kind-Hearted Lover (Which is rather funny considering the alien spaceship in the episode bears a resemblance to Gransphere from Dyna), with Ayano (In the place of Mai) falling for a handsome man that’s so clearly an alien, a massive improvement over said episode, and just a good episode in general. The alien is certainly sympathetic, suffering the consequences of a man-made accident deep in outer space. Some fairly deep themes that feel right at home in Ultra Seven. A solid episode. 4/5
Musashi’s Sky (ムサシの空) – A good, Musashi-centered episode showcasing just how overworked he has become, to the point where he is threatened with a transfer over to SRC. Some great moments for not only Musashi, but also the other EYES members, with them clearly upset at his leaving, including Fubuki. Doctor Kimoto, last seen in First Contact returns. The monster is shown to have attacked Paris and Shanghai prior to Japan. In a really fun nod, a drawing of Gomora being carried away by aircraft (As seen in The Monster Prince) is seen in Musashi’s guide for catching monsters. Another solid episode. The final appearance of Kaya Komiki as Doctor Nimi. 4/5
The Battle with the Tech Booster (テックブースター出動せよ) – A solid two-parter that really harkens back to the classic shows, perhaps most notably Ultraman Leo’s Showdown! The Leo Brothers vs. The Ultra Brothers/The Leo Brothers, The Ultra Brothers, The Moment of Victory, and Mirrorman‘s finale, with another planet (Juran, perhaps named after the giant flower from Ultra Q‘s The Mammoth Flower?) on a collision course with Earth. There’s perhaps some of Ultraman‘s The Spaceship Rescue Command in there as well, with EYES going on said planet in order to rescue Mitsuya, a stranded SRC pilot exploring it, who just so happens to be a close friend of Musahi’s. Their past is a bit contrived, and while it adds a bit more emotional weight undeniably, EYES having to rescue a stranger to them comes off as equally, if not more heroic and the emotional impact would be all the same, as long Mitsuya is given enough development to make us care for his survival. There’s maybe even a bit of The Blue Stone of Baraji in there even, with stories of a “giant of light” protecting the planet in the past. A decent amount of peril and just a fun pair of episodes all around. 4/5
Luna v.s. Luna (ルナ対ルナ) – A “doppelganger” episode, and like most others, a fun time, made extra fun by Musashi and Fubuki disguising themselves as college students in order to track the doppelganger monster. The typical, college movie cliched “occult girl” makes for a fun supporting character who we have not seen the last of. Unsurprisingly, Cosmos himself is imitated, though it only occurs during the climax and is hardly vital to the plot, as with pretty much the entirety of the doppelganger element. Still, a pretty fun, lighthearted episode. And for those disappointed in the imitation Cosmos’ minimal role, rest assured, another is coming. 3.5/5
Warm Memories (ぬくもりの記憶) – An Ayano-centered episode, with a spectre of her childhood coming back to warn her of the trouble ahead. The flashback sequences featuring young Ayano and said spectre are fairly touching, if a little brief and maybe a bit questionable that a moment like that would resonate with him so much later. An alright episode all-in-all, if unspectacular. 3/5
Alien Girl (異星の少女（ひと）– The introduction of the skirt-chasing loser Dr. Kawaya (Played by series veteran Shigeki Kagemaru), who while a bit of a perv, is shown to be a kind-hearted fellow. A good episode, with perhaps one of the more paranoid alien races – ones that want ANY planet that poses a threat obliterated. But in a way that’s understandable – the SHARKs certainly use excessive force, which is more than showcased here. 3.5/5
The Power to Defeat the Chaos (カオスを倒す力) – A solid episode with Chaos Header at it again, this time capturing and possessing random humans, in an attempt to extract information about their thought process, feelings and the like, clearly looking to target them in a deeper level (Previously, it did posses the whale obsessed girl, but that’s about it). The subplot of the young boy, whom reminds Musashi a lot of himself as a child attempting to retrieve his missing father gives decent emotional weight to the episode. For the first time, Chaos Header manifests itself in a psychical form, though rather annoyingly, the fight between it and Cosmos is filled with constant “fade” transitions. A solid episode, and perhaps a bit of a game-changer in regards to Chaos Header. 4/5
A Space Monster is Born on Earth (地球生まれの宇宙怪獣) – A cute episode with a cute concept – a pregnant monster. Lots of fun sequences of the EYES team desperately trying to get said monster to give birth properly in the ocean. Just a fun, charming episode. Ayano’s wish for a baby herself will finally come true in Ultraman Saga. 4/5
Strength and Power (強さと力)/Dreaming Courage (夢みる勇気)/Eclipse (エクリプス) –
A great three-part story with Musashi and EYES learning what the right balance between strength and kindness is. Apparently still worked up from his fight with Chaos Header, Musashi craves more strength, even beating Fubuki in a duel, only to demonstrate the Peter Principle, with Hiura even saying Musashi worked better as not so strong. Eligal, a monster from EYES’ past that they failed to protect comes back to haunt them. Musashi’s friend Shoji from First Contact pays a visit, along with Musashi’s old robot buddy Gon, who has been lent to Shoji’s kid brother. Weirdly, Musashi states he would tell Gon of his stories about Ultraman when nobody else believed him, which is odd, considering Musashi was given Gon by the time Ultraman was pretty much confirmed real. Chaos Headers’ origin is hinted at. Though the message is maybe a little messy, a very solid trio. 4/5
Rescue Gon (ゴンを救え) – A Gon-centric episode that takes the Crazygon homage to the extreme, with Chaos Header possessing the robot and turning it giant, originally targeting Musashi, perhaps having learned of his secret identity. Another good episode with a lot of the themes of courage and trust from the last being revisited, along with some genuinely touching moments between Musashi and Gon. 3.5/5
The Nightmare Experiment (悪夢の実験) – Yet another solid episode with Musashi facing a real nightmare – having to pick a monster on the island to test a potentially lethal sedative on, created by the SDF for future use in combat. It’s certainly a real dilemma with some emotional weight to it. Seeing all of the monsters back on the island is real refreshing from just the usual Lidorias. Another, more aggressive Golmede appears, enraged not because of Chaos Header, but something else. A very good episode. 4/5
Monster Hunter (怪獣狙撃手（ハンター) – A good episode that somewhat amusingly vilifies a character what would be pretty par-for-course in most other Ultraman shows before this – Nagare, a member of SDF’s newly formed GALLUS, who believes in the rapid extermination of monsters, driven by the death of his younger sister at the hands of one. Plenty of tension is to be had between him and Team EYES, particularly Musashi and Fubuki. A fairly predictable episode, but still good. The ending is a bit different than one would expect – there’s certainly a mutual respect, but not necessarily an agreement. 4/5
Wrath of the Sea God (海神の怒り) – A Doigaki-centered episode that features the return of his crush Yukari from back in The Bronze Devil. A pretty good episode, with a plot involving the titular “sea god” wrecking havoc upon humanity for polluting the ocean. Its just kind of a shame we don’t see much of humankind’s polluting, other than a mention of fish being sparse. Still, a good episode with a lot of great moments for Doigaki. 3.5/5
The Magic Stone (魔法の石) – Another emotion-eating monster like back in The Bronze Devil, though this time with it eating ALL emotions, in exchange for high-level intellect and abilities to people, essentially brainwashing them into a cult that keep coming back for more power in, giving up their emotions. It would certainly be a disturbing concept, especially if they were 100% willingly doing it, but the brainwashed state of everyone affected sort of kills it. Still, not a bad episode, with some good moments for the the hopeless romantic Kayama and Shinobu. A subplot involves Doigaki attempting to create a faster aircraft, correlating with the enhanced speed of people affected by the monster, which will come back in a few episodes. 3.5/5
The Mountain of Yōkai (妖怪の山) – The return of Yamawara, and while not quite as heartwarming as his first appearance, still a cute episode that certainly ups the action. Pretty much another “monster in my closet” story with a group of children befriending the beast and hiding him from the authorities, though with the added subplot of an oni monster, eerily similar to one in a prophecy being celebrated in the small village, attacking at the same time. Ayano gets some time to shine, going out to investigate Yamawara all by herself while the remainder of EYES deals with the oni monster. 4/5
Fubuki Retires?! (フブキ退任?!) – A good, Fubuki-centered episode that shows just how far he’s come since the show’s start in regards to monster protection. Shown is an incident before Musashi joined EYES where Fubuki fired a bomb at a monster, only for it to latch on to the monster’s tail, with the ability to detonate on any sudden movement. Certainly a concept that hearkens back to Return of Ultraman‘s Monster Time Bomb. 4/5
Alien Old Man (オヤジ星人) – A decent, if insignificant episode. A bit more on the comedic side, with a wacky father who runs a failing microwave noodle business being suspected as the controller of a giant deadly object. A few similar themes to Ultraman Dyna‘s Ndamoshite X are present, though aren’t nearly as deep or tragic here. The supposed titular alien dad is played by frequent Tokusatsu guest actor Shoichiro Akaboshi. 3/5
Light of Evil (邪悪の光)/Giant of Evil (邪悪の巨人) – Another two-parter, with Chaos Darkness only getting more and more intelligent, now knowing for certain Ultraman Cosmos’ true identity. EYES, under orders of the SDF, have upped their game in combating it too, developing a possible antidote, and Doigaki completing his newest aircraft, as teased back in The Magic Stone. Perhaps a bit similar to The Ultra Seven Assassination Plan, with Cosmos/Musahi captured and EYES having to find a way of freeing him while also defeating the enemy. With Musashi in its hands, Chaos Darkness is able to create its own evil Cosmos, who easily ranks as one of the coolest of imitation Ultras and has an awfully dastardly scheme up his sleeve involving Kapuya island. Another Neldorand, who appeared just six episodes ago, shows up, in a somewhat lazy monster choice. Introduced are SOAAG moonstones, a possible weakness of Chaos Header’s. A very good pair of episodes. 4/5
The Green Fugitive (緑の逃亡者) – In an unexpected comeback, the return of Kasumi, the occult girl from Luna vs. Luna. Unusual as it is, her comeback is a welcome one, with her chemistry with Fubuki only getting better, with perhaps a slight hint of a romance between the two of them. Being such a lighthearted character, it’s certainly shocking to see Kasumi be affected with an alien virus, slowly transforming her into one ala The Quatermass Experiment, thanks to the last of its kind (Apparently wiped out by a race of killer androids) planting its seed in her body to keep the race alive. A good episode. 4/5
Friend (ともだち) – A somewhat different, more low-key episode with a lonely teen befriending a lonely alien teen warning of an approaching monster via a super futuristic video-chat program. Not too surprisingly, the once peaceful monster approaching Earth is possessed by Chaos Header, reaffirming its presence across the universe. The lonely teen is pretty sympathetic, having recently moved in to a new place. A fine episode, though nothing really worth (or Skyping) home about. 3/5
Puppet Monster (操り怪獣) – A very good episode, with a very interesting concept – aliens wanting Earth’s monsters for labor work on their world. The viewpoint of the alien that monsters are simply tools is of course heavily criticized, with it being reinforced that the monsters of Earth are just as apart of nature as other animals and plants. Taildas, and ONCE AGAIN Neldorand (Who’s been used so much recently, you’d swear this was a New Generation show) are used to demonstrate the alien’s abilities, presumably being different individuals than the ones on Kapuya. Present are quite a few callbacks, including Sleeping Maiden (Regarding Chaos Header’s ability to infiltrate dreams) and The Magic Stone (In an admittedly confusing plot twist). The final fight set at industrial docks at sunset is also a clear homage to The Targeted Town, and the alien’s human disguised bears more than a passing resemblance to Commander Black (Fortunately, EYES isn’t devoured by Silver Bloome). The ending is quite a shocker. A very good episode that’s both fun and deep. 4/5
Gigi vs Gon (ギギVSゴン) – The return of the Gigi aliens, and like their first appearance, an awesome episode from start to finish. Even if they’ve apparently found a habitable dimension for their race to move to, the Gigi higher ups are apparently hellbent on conquering Earth, clearly not over their defeat last time. Despite this, they are portrayed more sympathetically this time around, with it being revealed that not all of the race agrees with their wanting to conquer Earth, prompting a very uneasy alliance between a scientist (Who there’s a pretty fun twist to) and EYES. Sawaguchi from the previous Gigi episode is back, and continues to have great chemistry with Hiura. Though the titular “Gigi vs. Gon” only lasts for a few seconds (But it is fun!), a great follow-up. 4.5/5
The Amusement Park Legend (遊園地伝説) – Competently made, but a kind of lousy episode, mostly just due to it being pretty uninteresting. A bit different from your average “monster in my closet” story, in that the monster is known by locals, albeit in more a legendary sense, with it only visiting distressed children, pretty similar to Yamakawara, and slightly creepy. The theme park setting, which is about to close due to poor sales, is somewhat unique, though probably could have been put to more fun use. It certainly gives one Giro vibes with the monster is playing with or helping children, including a young Ayano. The SDF are at their nastiest, putting the park under martial law in order to destroy a wormhole they insist in Chaos Header. Nothing inherently bad, but nothing of much note. 2.5/5
The Miraculous Flower (奇跡の花) – Another episode focusing on Doigaki and Yukari’s relationship, with Yukari suffering from amnesia. Like the previous two, their chemistry is great. The actual plot involving a begin alien being turned into a rampaging monster ala The Hulk thanks to the pollen in certain flowers is interesting, but doesn’t get explored much. Surprisingly, the infected pollen is not due to Chaos Header. A likable episode, if nothing spectacular (Aside from the ending). 3.5/5
Sorceress of the Sky (空の魔女) – A Fubuki-centered episode with a spectre from his past returning in the form of Ai, a former teammate during his SDF days that was lost at sea. The outcome is pretty predictable, but still a good episode with some good moments for Fubuki. Apparently, a full-fledged alien armada is approaching Earth, but we never see anything, and its called off in a somewhat contrived way. And just what would Kasumi think about Fubuki’s reunion with Ai? 3.5/5
Waroga Counterattack (ワロガ逆襲) – The return of Waroga, who apparently survived the events of Daughter of Time, who’s out for revenge. His deadliness prompts a joint mission from the JSDF and EYES, who work surprisingly well together, though perhaps that’s due to bout parties agreeing Waroga is evil. Musashi spends much of the episode in a coma, while Shinobou is injured, though hardly ready to give up. The team up between EYES and the JSDF is quite cool, and it’s honestly a shame there weren’t more scenes of them just getting along while devising strategic measures. Not a whole lot in the way of plot, but a decent episode with a lot of time for Shinobou to shine. 3.5/5
Snow of Space (宇宙の雪) – A pretty standard episode dealing with the usual themes of human/monster co-existence and all of that mushy gushy stuff. Fubuki believes in a distinction between good and bad monsters, which by this point, feels a bit out of character. Had this been set before Fubuki Retires?, it would have been fine and even in-character, but he seems to know the score on monsters by this point. There are slight vibes with Doctor Who‘s The Mutants, with there being an ugly blue insect-like monster that serves only as an intermediate stage of something much different that changes people’s perspective of it. 3/5
Monster Smuggling!? (怪獣密輸!?) – A Musashi/Fubuki buddy cop story, the first in a while, and a pretty fun one that’s certainly critical of the animal smuggling industry, along with the sleazy pet shops that take the animals. Fubuki questions if taking animals away from their natural habitat is really any different than what EYES does with monsters. A fun episode with some funny moments and a good message, if nothing spectacular. This was the first of several episodes to be unaired during the show’s original run due to Sugiura being tangled up in a super complicated assault and extortion case. In the meantime, 2000’s direct-to-video show Ultraman Neos was aired. Sugiura was ultimately exonerated, but several episodes were still left unaired and unseen until their release on home video. 3.5/5
Enemy of Chaos (カオスの敵) – A very good episode with what seems like a miracle to EYES and the whole world – a monster that eats Chaos energy! It’s just too bad JADF are feeling extra dickish, and want to use an instant-kill device (Created by a friend of Hiura’s, no less) on a monster. Some pretty powerful scenes with Hiura’s friends horrified reaction to the JADF’s (Particularly this one bloke, Saijo) usage of his creation and EYES’ attempt to convince them that this sort of monster could potentially rid the world of Chaos Header. A good episode, with a real downer ending. 4/5
Transformation Impossible!? (変身不能!?) – Another serviceable, but kind of unmemorable episode. A bit similar to some Ultra Seven episodes, with the Cosmos Black being stolen from Musashi by an alien girl for her pet monster. The girl believes Cosmos and EYES kill monsters, which would normally be pretty silly, but the events of last episode do give it some merit. Lots of talk about the usual idea of humans and monsters co-existing and all of that jazz. Not much to say. Initially unaired during the show’s first run. 3/5
Future Monster (未来怪獣) – A good episode, that like the title suggests, deals with a monster from the future making its way to the present. It being from the future (The year 5000 to be precise) would seem to prove monsters have lived on, certainly making EYES happy that their work wasn’t in vain. The Nowar aliens are back, this time wanting the monster for its time-traveling abilities for their own nefarious deeds, even bringing Ragstone with them. A fun episode. 3.5/5
Human Transporter (人間転送機) – The introduction of Tablis, the first monster to be sparred by the military after saving and befriending a young crippled girl 12 years ago, elevating the public’s perception of monsters and leading to the creation of SRC. After so many episodes, it is neat to finally get a bit of history on SRC and just how they came to view monsters as beneficial to mankind. The episode itself isn’t bad either, with Tablis desperate to reunite with his old friend after so many years, but just doesn’t feel as emotionally gripping as it probably should, for whatever reason. The crippled girl’s reluctance to reunite with Tablis after years of being hounded by the media for her relation to the monster is understandable, but doesn’t really have much impact, apart from her not having friends because of it…for some reason (Wouldn’t kids WANT to be friends with a girl that’s friends with a monster???). A projection device that creates psychical replicas of things is created, and is theorized to be the source of Tablis being in two places at once…but apparently ISN’T, leaving it unexplained just how he is (Other than it being a crazy power of his). Initially unaired. 3.5/5
Final Test (最終テスト) – The return of the Mienin duo, and like their debut, a cute episode. This time, the friendly Mienin is turned to Gamoran, whereas the one that was Gamoran last time is the ally. Gamoran’s reason for visiting Earth in the first place is revealed – to test out mankind, see how violently they react to a monster and determine whether or not they’re “worth” invading”. A completely unrelated subplot involves the return of Sawaguchi, who’s at an airport wanting Hiura to arrive for an important announcement. It has no connection whatsoever to the main episode, but is a nice subplot with a pretty surprising ending. 3.5/5
Kappa Village (かっぱの里) – A take on the Kappa legend, with this one naturally being friendly. Fairly heartwarming, with said kappa residing in a very small village that’s practically been abandoned, being essentially apart of a family with he few left. The “fight” between it and Cosmos may remind some of Sumo Boy from Ultraman 80. A very low-key and laid-back affair, which is perfectly fine, but not much to say. An unaired episode during its original run. 3/5
Door of Snow (雪の扉) – A beautiful episode showcasing the importance of memories and that the best are only made unexpectedly. Undoubtedly the best and most important part of the episode is it’s guest star, Hideyo Amamoto in one of his very final roles, in a way reprising his very first Ultra Series-role in Ultra Q‘s Open Up! As a man desperate to leave the world for another dimension. Here though, it is the world of memories, where he hopes to join his late family and relive a moment with them for eternity. The old man’s befriending of a teenager, who like him has a wanted career that may not be going the path he wanted it to (In the old man’s case a violinist, and in the boy’s case a runner), but learns to accept his fate is touching and the usage of Jules Massenet’s “Meditation” throughout gives the episode a feel that’s both sorrowful and optimistic. A great episode, and a perfect swansong for Amamoto. 4.5/5
The Sky of Revenge (復讐の空) – The return of Giragas, who are out for revenge over the death of their comrade. This female specimen also takes the form of Fubuki’s deceased partner Ai, though Fubuki himself doesn’t feature too much. Some interesting talks about how the female portion of Giragas feels the need to stay symbiotically connected to the far more bloodthirsty male counterpart along with talk about the importance of companions (Something Dr. Kawaya is more than happy to remind Shinobu of), but a kind of unengaging episode overall. 2.5/5
Maximum Invasions (最大の侵略)/Chaos War (カオス大戦) – A two-parter that signals the end is near, with poop really hitting the fan. Chaos Ultraman is back, this time to target the Chaos chimera (first devised back in mushroom monster) from being completed. Quite a bit of despair is it play here, with just about every EYES member being badly injured, especially Musashi. Similar to the Ultra Seven finale, Cosmos reveals all this fighting on Earth has worn him out, and he can only take so much more. There a few hints of feelings between Musashi and Ayano. 4/5
Forbidden Weapon (禁断の兵器) – A real clever way of bringing back Hellzking, the alien robot from the somewhat forgettable Alien Old Man, with it being modified by the JADF to combat the oncoming Chaos Header (With there also being a delay in the creation of Chaos Chimera), a concept to similar to TDF’s creation of their own King Joe in Heisei Ultra Seven‘s The Imitated Man, but done a lot better here. A lot of the usual talks of wielding such deadly power and what it could lead to, not to mention how untested a giant alien robot is. A very good episode and quite frankly how The Imitated Man should have been, especially when that would have had an additional 25 minutes or so to flesh things out more. 4/5
Cry of the Earth (地球の悲鳴) – An episode leading up to finale, with Chaos Chimera complete. Musashi begins to question if Chaos Header should be killed or not, something fellow EYES members prefer not to think about. Some more romantic moments between Musashi and Ayano are teased. Junya, the monster hunter, returns in a nice surprise, solidifying EYES’ partnership with JADF against Chaos Header. 4/5
Chaos’s Violent Attack (カオス激襲)/Deathmatch on the Moon (月面の決戦)/True Hero (真の勇者) – A very solid, three-part ending to the show that hits about all the right marks of a good finale. The origin of Chaos Header is revealed (Provided by a returning Mitsuya, Musashi space-explorer friend from way back in The Battle with the Tech Booster) and is quite interesting, being well-intended but ultimately ill-conceived and corruptible. It’s only kind of a shame this wasn’t revealed sooner in the show, allowing for more backstory as it progresses. This of course leads to more questioning from Musashi about if killing them is the right thing or not. Lots of great character moments for just about everyone, notably Hiura and Fubuki. The finale “fight” with Chaos Header involves Lidorias, Mogrudon and Bolgis, and while isn’t as awesome as the multiple monsters that partake in Ultraman Gaia‘s final fight, is still pretty fun and shows what loyal allies they really are. The farewell scene is one of the more touching, especially after all of this time spent with the characters. 4.5/5
Beta Capsule Reviews 