Ultraman Dyna

Originally reviewed August – October 2022

A New Light (新たなる光) – A fine start to the series, which acts as the first truly direct sequel to a previous show (whilst most of the Showa shows were all set within the same universe, they all largely acted as standalone). Set seven years after Ultraman Tiga, TPC has brought forth the “Neo Frontier” era, with Earth at its apex in space exploration/colonization. General Sawai has stepped down due to health reasons, and has been replaced by General Fukami. Old Tiga-era GUTS Wings are used for training potential Super GUTS recruits, in a really neat touch. Our new protagonist, trainee Asuka (whose father was a former TPC pilot who disappeared during a test flight), comes off as a total putz, albeit one with a heart of gold (as per usual). The space aerial battle between the trainees and the mysterious new Sphere foe does a fine job at showcasing Asuka’s bravery and the threat of the Spheres, though the CGI has not aged well. That said, him being recruited into Super GUTS does seem to happen awfully fast. The first battle between the new Ultraman, Dyna, and the monster created by the Spheres is set on a colonized Mars, a very unique setting, and a type we’ll see some more of as the series progresses. Asuka goes through the usual phases of a new-recruit, acting brashly and then questioning just what it is he’s fighting for. That said, the comradery immediately on display between the members of Super GUTS is impressive; they’re clearly a well-trained crew (and as The Final Odyssey would show a few years later, they’ve all known each other for a long while). While maybe not the most ambitious of two-part openers ever, an undeniably solid one. 4/5

Awaken Asuka (目覚めよアスカ) – Another solid episode, albeit one that can’t help but feel like somewhat of a retread of what Asuka learned in the previous episodes. Asuka is once again full of himself after a succesful training, and once more defies orders by attacking a crashed meteor. He later acts against Captain Hibiki’s orders, causing the Captain to crash. There’s a fine lesson to be learned here about acting brashly and by ones’ self, but as stated, it feels somewhat redundant given Asuka learned a pretty similar lesson last episode. Speaking of redundancy, the monster of week is an Earth-based one that winds up mutated by the aforementioned meteor. This is kind of similar to the Spheres’ possession, albeit there is enough different to make it stand out. The monster, Grossya, was apparently encountered by GUTS 10 years prior. The final battle between Dyna and Grossa is filled with some weird fades that don’t really add up to anything. 3.5/5

Battle! Underground City (決戦! 地中都市) – Another good episode with a neat premise, albeit one with a few questionable plot developments. Obviously inspired by the Neo Frontier project into space, a businessman begins the “Geo Frontier ” project to colonize the underground…despite him outright stating only 30% of the habitable surface world is even used. The project, which uses “PW Rays” to dig, winds up disturbing a subterranean monster, something the guy refuses to believe. His greed is solidified when he downright defies Super GUTS by increasing the rays, resulting in the meat-eating monster’s emergence. By all accounts, this guy should be a scumbag, but the episode takes a turn when Asuka becomes trapped underground with him. He explains his lifelong fascination with the underground (stemming from his obsession with ants) and genuine desire to explore unexplored areas. But it’s made worse when it’s revealed the monster was intending to emerge to feast to begin with, with said PW Rays merely distracting it. While none of these developments ruin the episode overall, the notion of the guy being well-intended does feel a bit doubtful, especially from a 2022-perspective (the show itself is set in 2017), where billionaires are pouring endless money into projects under the guise of “research” that are really just pathetic vanity projects (see Bezos; Musk). Still, the episode has an undeniably neat premise with a great monster. 4/5

Winning Shot (ウイニングショット) – A very simplistic tale of Asuka’s high school baseball buddy, who has happened to become a world famous player in America returning to Japan while being down in the dumps. Having once been the one to inspire Asuka to never give up on himself, Asuka now has to do the opposite. Their scenes together are good, if a bit brief. Shiledron is another great monster. A tad bit of development for Mai, who mostly just fangirls over Asuka’s buddy. 3.5/5

The Land’s Ultimate Monster (地上最大の怪獣) – A sort of cross between Ultra Q’s Mammoth Flower and Ultraman Taro’s Danger! The Poisonous Mushroom of Lies, with a giant space fungi making its home in the middle of the city. Said ‘shroom has plans to hack into computer systems all across globe, starting with TPC. Surprisingly not super 90s “woah computers”; it’s still a very relevant threat. The episode serves as the introduction to TPC’s Clarkov NF-3000 satellite. The Mushroom man is a modified Muzan from Ultraman Tiga. A very good episode all around. 4/5

Friend Inside the Box (箱の中のともだち) – A fairly typical “kid and monster” story with a bit of a twist to it. Revealed is an orphanage for children whose parents/guardians were lost in monster attacks, an interesting concept that’s sadly only briefly visited by Asuka and Ryo (an episode set largely at it, with GUTS bonding with some children might have been great). The relationship between the seemingly-harmless little monster and an orphaned girl is pretty underdeveloped, with her just immediately taking a liking to it due to it being cute, though this is perhaps for the better given the episode’s twist. A perfectly serviceable episode, albeit nothing too special, barring the usual interesting monster. 3/5

Bao-on from Afar (遥かなるバオーン) – A delightful episode that feels almost out of Ultraman Taro. A bovine-like monster (Toshiro Ishido surprisingly had nothing to do with the script) shows up in small rural village, putting people to sleep with its roar. The episode in general has a very nice, cozy small village feel. Super GUTS decidedly don’t want to harm the monster, as its otherwise totally harmless. Guest character Dr. Mustafa, who wants to study the monster in a one-on-one fashion in Alaska, is mildly annoying, and the stereotypical “middle eastern” music that plays during his intro is a bit problematic, but he’s not around enough to spoil this fine episode. 4.5/5

2000 Attacks (二千匹の襲撃) – A solid episode with a fun premise – a monster that’s destroyed, only for it to break into thousands of (roughly human-sized) pieces. Just a great, action-packed episode with some light commentary on man’s overreliance on electricity. Nothing groundbreaking, but just a real solid episode all around. 4/5

Forbidden Picture on the Ground (禁断の地上絵) –   A surprise Kariya-focused episode (making this the first episode to focus primarily on a Super GUTS member without Asuka playing a major role), who reveals himself to be quite knowledgeable on archeology. Some interesting concepts throughout, namely a race of ancient aliens that apparently once ruled over Earth with their monsters. Exactly where this fits into the Ancient Giants of Light’s tenure as Earth’s rulers is never clarified. What remains of these alleged ancient rulers include hieroglyphics and artifacts in the andes, which a former mentor of Kariya’s winds up toying with. Plenty of interesting world-building that’s only lightly touched upon, but does help to make these threats feel more unknown. 3.5/5

The Phantom Shooting Star (幻の遊星) – A very 60s-esque episode (with a particular resemblance to UltraSevn‘s The Wandering Planet) with a rogue planet, seemingly inhabitable to humans one day popping out of nowhere. The planet’s true nature is certainly a good twist, albeit Nakajima’s piecing of it all together is a bit unbelievable. Apart from being a very good episode with an intriguing mystery and a fantastic monster in the form of Mons-Ahgar (who recently made his grand comeback in Ultraman Decker), the episode is most-notable for serving as the introduction to series “mascot” Hanejiro. 4/5

Mysterious Thief Himala (怪盗ヒマラ) – An absolute delight of an episode featuring one of the franchise’s most-memorable (yet still obscure) aliens in the form of the titular Himala. He indeed wants the Earth…but only specific parts he finds beautiful, in this case a few small towns at sunset. Some fantastic cinematography and genuine funny moments throughout, in addition to it providing praise for small towns. The solution to the entrapment in Himala’s chest of treasures is perhaps a bit abrupt, but given the lighthearted nature of the episode, it doesn’t matter. A fine little gift-wrapped chocolate truffle of an episode. 4.5/5

Monster Factory (怪獣工場) – Another delightful episode from start to finish. A classic “Boy who cried wolf” tale, with a UFO-obsessed kid stumbling across a factory inhabited by a rather unearthly trio. The Miji alien trio (played by comic actors Kinzo Sakura, Shinichi Sato and Shu Nakajima) are absolutely hilarious, and seem also to be targeted the Earth for its beauty. The factory they run seems to be producing Kaiju figurines, which are represented via bootleg “Dino Super Monster” Pachimon toys, produced in the 80s/90s (the proprietor of this site happened to be an owner of several as a kid, well-before he knew what Ultraman even was). Asuka’s taking of the boys’ manga (which is apparently hysterical enough to result in a scolding from Hibiki) serves as a perfect Chekov’s gun. Just another fantastic episode that manages to be both hilarious and genuinely clever. 4.5/5

The Supreme Ruler Who Sleeps on the Moon (月に眠る覇王) – A pretty cool episode once again focusing on Kariya. Being somewhat of an archeologist, he’s assigned on an expedition to explore pyramids on the moon (something we’ve apparently known of since the 1970s), only to bring home an ancient evil overlord. While obviously Lovecraftian in nature, said ancient overlord brings to mind Sutekh from the 1975 Doctor Who serial “Pyramids of Mars”. Some good action (and very minimal Asuka) makes this a solid, if a little simplistic episode. 3.5/5

The Kind-Hearted Target (優しい標的) – The first Mai-centered episode, and while there are some interesting ideas and good moments, a bit of a dud. The premise is fine, with an alien crash-landing on Earth, and Mai attempting to befriend it while in GUTS custody. There seems to be a lot of buzz surrounding the alien’s human-like appearance, despite him being hardly the first to look that way in this universe, much less this very show. But of course the “catch” is the guy’s hunky appearance, which is why Mai immediately takes a liking to him. Now over the course of the episode, her goodwill is what prompts her to trust the alien’s words despite skepticism from higher-ups, but her initial schoolgirl-esque reaction to his good looks kind of kills the purity of her mentality. In general, it kind of feels as though the episode was written with a child in mind, something Mai is not (Mariya Yamada was only 17 when the episode was released, but Mai is a young adult). This is best exemplified by its ending, where information is withheld from Mai in order not to hurt her feelings. As a member of Super GUTS, she of all people should be prepared for harsh truths. The anti-discrimination message of the episode is fine, and the “big sister” relationship established between Ryo and Mai is rather nice (despite the poor ending), but its overall the weakest episode up to this point. Essentially a poor man’s In Between a Devil & Angel. The basic premise of a good-looking alien befriending the team’s youngest (and female) member would later be reused for Ultraman Cosmos, to much better results. 2/5

Battle! Monster Island (激闘! 怪獣島) – A fun, action-packed episode that harkens back to classic adventures such as The Lawless Monster Zone. The episode features a whopping four monsters including a returning Silvergon and Shieldron and a new monster, Neosaurus. Hanejiro is back, now living at a TPC research facility. When the facility’s director disappears with Hanejiro, GUTS investigates, winding up on a mysterious island in a forbidden zone where said director is all up to all sorts of mad scientist hijinks. With the structures only getting larger with the Neo Frontier era, said scientist comes up with the idea of turning monsters into slaves for mankind to help construct said structures. While the guy’s obviously off of his rocker (though he has some loyal followers, as we’ll learn much later on),it is an interesting idea nonetheless. 4/5

Ghost Spaceship (幽霊宇宙船) – A episode with the disturbing premise of a flying phantom ship draining the plasma out of everyone’s bodies, rendering them lifeless zombies. There are some very minor talks from a drained Ryo about never truly appreciating life until after its been taken away, though its brief. Perhaps the creepy premise is balanced out with one of the show’s goofiest monsters, who’s almost a cross between Akumania and Dodongo. The episode serves as the introduction of Super GUTS’ Connery–07. In hindsight, they should have named it after Roger Moore given he passed in 2017 (the year this show is set in). 3.5/5

The Girls Who Call on Darkness (闇を呼ぶ少女たち)– An occult-centered story involving students in an all-girl’s school using their black magic to extract misfortune upon anyone who wrongs them. Decent enough, but unspectacular. The large female-cast is welcome, with Ryo being the one to solve all of the mysteries in the episode (Asuka is kind of an idiot throughout), though this marks the second episode in a row where her soul becomes trapped within the MOTW. Asuka acts a little pervy around teen girls, which can get a bit uncomfortable. 3/5

The Phantom Bird (夢幻の鳥) – An unexpected sequel to Tiga’s The Phantom Dash, featuring the return of not only Mayumi Shinjo, but also motorcyclist Takuma Aoki. Along with Takuma Aoki (a mere year before an accident would paralyze him waist-down) reprising his role as Mayumi’s deceased fiance, his real-life brother Haruchika also appears as the character’s brother (whom Mai takes a liking to). Despite them only being two years apart in real life, Haruchika is portrayed as Takuma’s kid brother due to Dyna being set 7 years after Tiga’s finale. While Gazort does not return, there are plenty of callbacks to him and the many unknown lives in Earth’s stratosphere, including Kokakucho (based on a creature from Chinese folklore that was subsequently adapted into the Yokai Ubume), a supposed harbinger of death composed of plasma. While it’s great to see Mayumi again and even get a bit more closure on Takuma (not that it was really needed, but it’s still nice), the episode can’t help but feel like a ratings-grab with the Aoki brothers and all. 3.5/5

The Alien Boy (少年宇宙人) – An unusual, fairytale-like episode. After a distant planet is destroyed, refugees from it spread across the universe, including one in the form of an Earth boy. Through an admittedly convoluted pact, all survivors are set to meet at a certain point in order to rebuild their society. Which means the boy saying goodbye not only to his adoptive mother, but also two best friends. Bittersweet in concept, but a very pure episode, with the friends not only being accepting of the boy’s alien status, but actively working to hide him from GUTS and get him into space, despite it meaning the loss of their friend. 4/5

Fever Monster – 3000 Degrees (発熱怪獣3000度) – Another delightful, lighthearted episode that manages to be quite heartwarming. GUTS’ base is experiencing a heat wave, and it turns out that there’s a monster wedged in their hangar, in almost a temperature-reversal of Seven’s Showdown at 140 Degrees Below Zero. Said heat-emitting monster is named Sodom, meaning there is a Sodom and a Gomora in the Ultraman franchise. Believed to be ancient creature said to feat in volcanos, perhaps helping ease eruptions. Lots of funny scenes with the crew dying of heat at the base. 4/5

The Soldiers of Tsukuyo (ツクヨの兵士) – Another episode with Super GUTS encountering an ancient god, one that supposedly helped ancient warriors quell their fears. Unsurprisingly, it’s a lot more malicious than the ancient hieroglyphics made it out be. While noted archeologist Kariya features a decent deal in the episode, the scientist studying the ancient relic is shown to be classmate of Ryo’s, who is the focus of the episode. Nothing wrong with that, though it is an odd decision given their different fields. Despite fear being a major plot point in the episode, there really isn’t a message about overcoming it. Instead, it’s acknowledged that fear is a natural thing that makes us human. While Ryo (or any other members for that matter) doesn’t have any specific fear, her line of work is bound to frighten her from time to time. Not a series highlight, but good. Last few seconds are super goofy, though. 3.5/5

Fortress of Dreams (夢のとりで) – A Kohda-centered episode (about time!), once more involving an old colleague who has recently completed an undersea research base as part of the Neo Frontier project. Unlike Ryo’s friend, who is merely injured, Kohda’s friend is killed during a monster attack at the undersea base. In almost a Moby Dick-type story, Kohda spends much of the episode out for vengeance. While the serpentine monster isn’t exactly sympathetic, which is fine given it killed Kohda’s friend and all, it is pretty clear that man’s tampering with the sea (first the aquatic base and later GUTS’ submarine) are responsible for its aggressiveness. Whether or not such consequences are worth it in the name of exploration is never really addressed, but that’s fine. A solid episode all around with a unique monster/setting. 4/5

Vampire of the Lake (湖の吸血鬼) – The third episode in a row centered on another Super GUTS member, this time Nakajima. His fishing vacation is ruined by the presence of a new species of blue Marimo algae. Apparently, despite it killing fish, this discovery is outside of GUTS’ jurisdiction, with Nakajima being shooed away by scientists. A lighthearted episode that will randomly hit you with some horrific bits, namely the Marimo attacking people. The battle between the Marimo’s combined form and Dyna is just plain goofy, however. Hattori Hanpei himself, Shun Ueda, guest stars! Given how Nakajima’s actor, Joe Onodera, is the son of Shotaro Ishinomori, it makes me wonder if those two had any interesting conversations on the set. 4/5

The Clarkov Won’t Surface! (移動要塞浮上せず！) – The second double-length episode of the series after the intro, and a solid one at that. The plot concerns Super GUTS assisting in the creation of an artificial sun (this ain’t the M-78 universe), set to serve as a sort of beacon for the future colonized parts of the galaxy. But they put a halt to that when they’re called to analyze sudden drop in ocean’s temperature (I guess this falls under their jurisdiction, whereas deadly algae doesn’t?). The fact TPC has bases set up all over to monitor climate change shows what an over-optimistic prediction of the 21st century this was. Turns out, there’s an evil life form planning to destroy us all, via melting the North Pole. Said lifeform, whose “main” form is the giant crab-like Reicubus (one of the show’s more memorable monsters) controls an army of fishmen in a very Lovecraftian fashion. While cool, it is a little strange that the episode would create a whole new parasitic lifeform when the Sphere exist. Mai features prominently, finally getting the chance to prove her combat abilities. Scientist Dr. Ejiri is tasked by TPC to lead Super GUTS during the mission, and winds up being a whiny coward with a serious stick up his ass. While you’re obviously supposed to feel that way about him, his antics can get a bit aggravating after a while. The ending theme, “You Alone I Want to Protect” features prominently during the climax, which is fitting given this marks its last regular usage during the end credits. 4/5

Ultraman Tiga & Ultraman Dyna: Warriors of the Star of Light (ウルトラマンティガ＆ウルトラマンダイナ 光の星の戦士たち) – One of the better Ultraman movies, but like almost all others based on shows, it still drags in places (despite its short runtime). It certainly has an epic scope (no doubt heightened by the widescreen format) and a solid storyline involving TPC’s creation of a new battleship equipped with a “Neo Maxima” cannon, the Prometheus. The project is headed in complete secrecy by hardline TPC Commander Kihachi Gondo (and as we’ll later see, this will be far from the last time he does such a thing) and scientist Dr. Kisaragi (Aya Sugimoto), with the intent on outright replacing Dyna as Earth’s main line of defense. Not surprisingly, things don’t go so well, with the battleship being possessed by terrible CGI aliens that would make Eiffel 65 chuckle. Deathfacer, the possessed form of Prometheus, is easily one of the best movie-exclusive enemies (it’s no wonder it was homaged in the form of Ultraman Decker‘s Terrafacer). Mai sustains an injury whist defending herself, which puts Asuka in a slump for much of the film, once more questioning his worth/what he’s fighting for. It’s fine stuff, but feels a bit tired by this point. Iruma features fairly prominently throughout, now as a high-ranking TPC commander, in addition to a few other cameos. The return of Tiga is handled the best it can be, but I still maintain that the character should have never been resurrected, even if he’s merely in a sort of spiritual form. Unlike a lot of other movies, this one is essential viewing, as major plot elements return for the series finale.

Monster Game (怪獣ゲーム) – The obligatory 90s “woah, computers” episode (made all the worse by the show being set circa 2017), or in this case, video games. Fortunately, it’s a lot of fun. Children all over Japan are obsessing over a monster fighting game, which allows you to either play as existing monsters or create your own (elements of Gymira and Zetton II can be seen as optional add-ons). Tokusatsu superstar Hiroshima Watari plays the CEO of the company wrangling these wining kids, in addition to an alien doppelgänger. The alien’s twist is an odd one that doesn’t add much to the episode, but makes him more unique than usual. 4/5

Forest of the Ape-Man (猿人の森) – A just plain goofy episode, and not in a good way. Super GUTS is tasked with handling giant apes in West Asia area with large quantities of plutonium. There are some potentially racist connotations, with the darker skinned, turban wearing individual being all wrong in wanting to kill the monsters, and only his Japanese assistant/lover (and GUTS, obviously) being in the right. The episode seems to hint at a “capitalism corrupts” message with the head’s behavior, but it’s later revealed he acts this way to impress his assistant, something that gets mirrored with the apes. It could be a critique of toxic masculinity, but it mostly just gets relegated to stupid monkey jokes. The female ape’s vocals are downright creepy. The climax involving Dyna letting the male beat him up in order to impress his mate almost makes it worthwhile. But it’s overall just stupid. 2/5

In the Light of Fate (運命の光の中で) – A “game changer” episode of sorts, with Asuka being recruited by TPC’s moon base to test a newly recovered spacecraft. Said spacecraft happens to be the very one Asuka’s father disappeared in years ago. One of the main goals is testing out an experimental system known as Zero Drive, which could perfect lightspeed travel. An emotional journey, with Asuka wanting to surpass his father. But not so much out of spite. Asuka holds little grudge, fully recognizing his father’s duties and the risks involved. Flight instructor Mishima (played by the ever-lovable Edo Yamaguchi), as seen in the first episode, is back, and introduced is stern commander Daimon, a colleague of Asuka’s father who seems to resent his son…but there’s obviously more to it than that. Just a great episode filled to the brim with heroism and sentimentality. 4/5

Invasion Scenario (侵略の脚本) – The return of the Miji trio, and like their first appearance, a laugh-out-loud time that’s on-par, possibly even superior, than its predecessor. A hilariously meta episode, with a scriptwriter being told to tone down his scripts for a superhero/kaiju show due to the recent string of monster attacks in real-life. The Miji trio, down on their luck, get wind of the guy’s script and opt to use it as the basis for their great counterattack. It’s as funny as it sounds. There are a of of weird cartoonish effects throughout that may be distracting to some, but suite this particular episode just fine. 4.5/5

Battle to Death! Dyna vs. Dyna (死闘! ダイナVSダイナ) – A rightfully iconic episode. A challenger (a revived Mons-Ahgar) appears and is quickly defeated by Dyna…Dyna acts all boastful about his victory…meaning he cannot be the real deal. The plucky photographer girl initially seems annoying, but winds up playing an integral role in both the episode’s mystery and morale. Dyna is a hero. But never would he boast about it. Hanejiro remembers Mons-Ahgar, is especially engaged during the fight. With a fine message and gorgeous sunset battle, this episode’s a winner. But it would never boast about it’s high-quality. 4.5/5

The Singing Exploration Robot (歌う探査ロボット) – A Mai-focused episode, that while better than her first, still feels a bit degrading towards her, kind of making her out to be an obsessive freak. Said thing she freaks over is Lovemos, a rover-esque robot exploring one of Saturn’s moons, which has gone on to become a sort of idol. A funny idea and I can buy Mai falling in with the trend, but her obsessiveness gets a little disturbing after a bit. Lovemos is possessed by weird, pitcher plant-esque things that emit music audible only Lovemos, and possibly Hanejiro’s, ears. It’s just weird. Perhaps Sphere being responsible for its possession would have worked? 3/5

Star of Peace (平和の星) – A very different sort of episode, focusing largely on a reporter who’s got some criticism of Super GUTS. Chief among them is the increased militarization (and perceived brutish soldiers), almost harkening back to the pre-TPC Earth Defense Force. And into his life comes a young girl who, for whatever reason, wants him to investigate the sudden change in her friends’ behaviors. The plot of bratty kids suddenly becoming smart bookworms is reminiscent of Ultraman Ace‘s Shoot That Hot-Air Balloon!, or really any 80s Toei show. Very noir-ish feel with some great city lights throughout. The concept of Minus Energy once again appears, though here it’s portrayed as perhaps not inherently-bad. Or at least a necessary evil that makes us human. Lots of GUTS throwbacks in photographic cameos. The episode actually received a novelization in 2018. 4/5

The Time of Decision (決断の時) – A Kohda-centered episode, and one that showcases his dedication to his work as a Super GUTS member. Via a great cameo at the beginning, we learn of Kohda’s desire to be christened vice captain. But said position requires some bold decisions, which comes to fruition when Hibiki, visiting a TPC satellite, is devoured by a monster. The monster, a clear Bemstar homage (the notion of the trapped captain is a bit similar to ZAT’s last captain, albeit Hibiki isn’t the coward like that ZAT guy was), feasts upon electricity and emits (or I guess farts) electromagnetic waves, which render GUTS’ hardware useless. A very solid episode with Super GUTS at their very best. Daisuke Ban guest stars as the engineer behind the satellite whose trapped with Hibiki. 4/5

The Uncanny Smile (滅びの微笑) – A two-parter that marks not only the return of the Sphere, but quite a few familiar GUTS faces. A strange smile-like glacier found on Pluto winds up being none other than the Sphere, intentionally luring a spacecraft, whose crew is headed by GUTS’ Shinjo, so they can take it over for themselves. The craft heads straight for Mt. Rokko, which puts the Super GUTS crew in Osaka. These two episodes serve largely as a remake of Ultraman‘s The Monster Prince, with the Osaka setting, an etra-powerful monster, and Asuka losing his Lieflasher during battle. And it’s a great time. While many GUTS members return, this two-parter really belongs to Horii, whose now working with a company in the creation of the “Cosmonet” system. He’s happily married to Michiru with two kids. His kids are fun characters, though their ages are a bit of a headscratcher; Tiga is set circa 2010, while Dyna is now set in 2018. The two kids, especially his son, definitely appear little older than 8. There’s maybe a bit of pro-surveillance vibe going on with the Cosmonet, with Michiru using it to locate their children. While desperate times call for desperate measures, the ramifications of such an advanced surveillance system are never really addressed. Director Kihachi’s rears his semi-fascist head once again, proposing mankind harvest Dyna’s powers for their own usage…a bit of foreshadowing for things to come. 4.5/5

Yumenokatamari (ユメノカタマリ) – A message against man’s overproduction of waste (something that will never not be relevant), told in a very Jissoji-esque way (more on that later). This is the first of two episodes written by prolific anime scribe Sadayuki Murai, perhaps best known for his work with the late great Satoshi Kon. The massive amount of trash merely thrown or left in the streets one day starts coming to life, something an eccentric professor, played by frequent franchise guest star Minori Terada, seems awfully interested in. There are some slight similarities to Takeshi Miike’s The Great Yokai War in the villain’s plot of bringing trash to life out of revenge. A great episode, though the direction does feel a bit flatter in places than it should be. Jissoji would have been a great fit to direct…wait a minute…4/5

Monster Drama (怪獣戯曲) – And like that, another Akio Jissoji-directed episode, in what might be his least cohesive (which is certainly saying something). Alchemy is taken too far, with the contents of an avant-garde stage play being turned into a monster. The whole episode constantly breaks barriers between dream and reality, something that will be better explored in Ultraman Max’s Butterfly Dream. Jissoji’s signature tanuki plush (first seen in Ultra Q the Movie) pops up donning a Super GUTS suit. While still a unique, visually-stunning episode, it’s undeniably incoherent. It is a crying shame Ai Oota’s “The Magician’s Forest” script, written to be directed by Jissoji, was unproduced (though light elements from it would appear later on in the series). The playwright with the cult-like following (including Kariya, oddly enough) is played by Tokusatsu-regular Koji Shimizu. 4/5

The Light and Shadows of Youth (青春の光と影) – Certainly a continuity-heavy episode, opening with the return of Daigerun, only for it to be revealed as a distraction for a disciple of Professor Otomo (from Battle! Monster Island) to steal Evolu cells (as seen in several episodes of Tiga) from TPC’s base. The one to help stop them is none other than the brother of Super GUTS trainee Fudo, who rescued Asuka way back in the second episode. Director Kihachi’s shadiness shows no limits, with it being revealed he has created a top secret force (composed of modified GUTS wings) behind everyone’s back, which Fudo is a part of. Fudo, whose brother has since died in a training accident, holds resentment toward Asuka, upset that this fool is the one who took his late brother’s dream job. In a lot of ways, this parallels Otomo’s disciple. Once a man of ambition, the loss of his mentor has driven him hateful, with plans to spread Evolu cells all over Earth and turn everyone into “perfect beings”. 4/5

Tree of Jagila (ジャギラの樹) – A decidedly average Nakajima-focused episode, with him reconnecting with an old flame who’s suspicious of a tree near her home. Said tree, which is the source of an ancient legend, has apparently been turning people into zombie-like slaves (something all plants tend to do in these shows). The episode provides a closer look at Nakajima’s personal life, which is nice, but it’s otherwise very unremarkable. The twist villain is pretty weak and its plan is not only goofy, but feels a bit redundant when compared to the villain of the previous episode. Nakajima’s “alien detector” device originates from the unproduced Akio Jissoji-directed “The Magician’s Forest”. 3/5

We Want to See Our Earth (ぼくたちの地球が見たい) – Definitely a “feel good” episode. A shuttle full of children born on Jupiter’s moon that have never seen Earth on their to finally see it for the first time, only to be intercepted by a giant space dragonfly. Said dragonfly plants its seed in the ship, resulting in some larvae terrorizing the crew and passengers. Thankfully, doesn’t go the route of Galaxy of Terror. It goes without saying that we want to see these kids rescued. Good old Director Kihachi advocates destroying the shuttle completely (as the larvae arriving on Earth would spell doom), actually harkening back to Hibiki’s mentality that the many outweigh the few. Not the most complex episode, but a strong, positive feeling one. 3.5/5

A Vanishing Dream (うたかたの空夢) – A very pulpy episode with the returning Reguran race declaring war on Super GUTS after the discovery of spacium (yes, that spacium) on Mars. The aforementioned war isn’t just a single alien attacking, it is a full-scale invasion. Asuka and Mai are sent to Mars to retrieve the cannon and assist the TPC base, where they’re introduced to a new weapon. Mai acts like an irresponsible brat throughout most of the episode, until she is tasked with piloting TPC’s new toy, that is. Lots of returning faces that get crazier and crazier as the episode progresses. An absolutely wild ride that’s a ton of fun from start to finish. 4/5

Captain Long-Legs (あしなが隊長) – The return of Golza (who now sports quite the pinhead) in a Hibiki-centered episode. There are plenty of nice throwbacks to Tiga‘s Golza Strikes Back, where Hibiki is shown to have been apart of the TPC crew evacuating and rescuing people, where he befriended a young girl whose parents were lost in the attack. It’s not clear if this Golza is the same merely revived (possibly by the Sphere?) or another that just so happens to be residing in the same spot where one was killed. An alright episode that certainly shows what a good guy Hibiki is, but there’s not a lot to it. The kids at the daycare are needlessly mopey. Hibiki’s old TPC buddy is played by Eiichi Kikuchi. 3.5/5

Venus Snow (金星の雪) – A Neo Frontier-focused episode with most of the GUTS crew paying a trip to Venus to investigate a destroyed device set to make the planet inhabitable. Some talks about how just the Neo Frontier project truly is, with said device tampering with Venus’ natural nature. There winds up being a surprise returning foe, which while cool, kind of defeats the whole discussion. Super GUTS and Dyna are at a disadvantage thanks to the atmosphere. A good episode with some great unique set design, even if it isn’t quite a standout. 3.5/5

Churasa’s Tears (チュラサの涙) – In a surprising move, an episode focused on TPC commander Miyata. Miyata has certainly always had a presence, thanks mostly to him being played by Hiroshi Tsuburaya, but an episode focused solely on him is an unusual (but certainly welcome) move. A monster he’s apparently had a history with reappears. Said history involves him during his TPC test pilot days (pre-Tiga, presumably), where a malfunction supposedly landed him on a desolate planet. It is there he encountered the monster and befriended a native female. Everyone has brushed his story off as nonsense. But exactly why he remains in such a high position of authority despite everyone believing him to be a liar is anyone’s guess (perhaps a line stating he brushed it off as a hallucination would have helped). Most of the episode involves Miyata trying to prove his story and take the matter into his own hands. The last act is almost a Predator homage, with Miyata hunting in the woods, in an…interesting turn of events. Exactly why it’s taken 10 years for this monster to extract its revenge is not clear. Some interesting ideas, and the fact the episode is centered around a seemingly insignificant character is neat, but kind of a mixed bag. Written by legendary scribe Shozo Uehara. 3/5

The Power of Love (君を想う力) – The second episode involving Ryo and an enemy that thrives off of fear. But fortunately, it sets itself apart from the previous one (though that monster actually cameos at one point) with the presence of Ryo’s childhood friend, whom she has a…contentious relationship with. Flowers planted all over make people hallucinate fears…sans one white one. Neat idea, though why random civilians are hallucinating past monsters (some from Tiga) is anyone’s guess (unless they were victims in their attacks, perhaps). The flashback scenes of child Ryo standing up against bullies definitely indicate her future as an upstanding GUTS member. 3.5/5

Farewell, Hanejiro (さらばハネジロー) – As suggested by the title, the final appearance of Hanejiro…until a special came along a few years later. What starts out as a run-of-the-mill alien infiltration takes a turn when the two invaders recognize Hanejiro as a harbinger of good fortune from their homeworld. Their home was originally destroyed by the mobile planet, as seen in The Phantom Shooting Star, with the two intending to migrate their entire race to Earth Baltan-style. The two aliens tasked with the mission are certainly sympathetic, though one decidedly less so. But rather than conquest being what corrupts him, it’s said to be a gem obtained from the Muzan (as seen in Tiga‘s The Released Target) homeworld that has turned him into a cruel being. This does quite cheapen the whole point of the episode, albeit I suppose it makes him more redeemable in the end. Regardless, a still good episode with a tear-jerking finale. 3.5/5

N’damoshite X (ンダモシテX) – The surprising (but certainly welcome) return of TPC moon base captain Hayate (originally hailing from Tiga‘s Fugitive from The Moon), which only makes sense given the episode was written by his actor, Masaki Kyomoto (a noted franchise fan). A quite offbeat episode, involving a monster swallowing the titular element, which was planted by a warmongering race Hayate has been pursuing. The main focus is on a seemingly-ordinary father whom Hayate seems especially interested in. Given the incident with the Menjura back in Tiga, it only makes sense Hayate would have a bone to pick with body-snatching aliens. However, the case featured here is far more well-meaning, even if the exact morality of living on a lie is a bit questionable. The episode has lots of Bandai vinyl figure cameos, namely Booska (who canonically exists in this universe, as we’ll soon find out), King Ghidorah and plenty of Showa Kaiju, in addition to figures of Ultramen, most noticeably Taro and Powered. 4/5

Ultraman Dyna: The Return of Hanejiro (ウルトラマンダイナ 帰ってきたハネジロー) – The direct-to-video reunion special (you can immediately tell this was filmed a few years later thanks to Mai’s haircut), and easily the best of the three (which includes Tiga’s Revival of the Ancient Giant and Gaia’s Gaia Again), albeit the competition isn’t super strong. As suggested by the title, Hanejiro is back…which really sort of cheapens his departure, which (assuming this is watched chronologically) occurred very recently. The worst part is that Hanejiro doesn’t even play that large of a role in the story, really feeling shoehorned in for marquee value. Also returning, and playing a far more significant role, are the Miji aliens, who are as hilarious as ever. For a change, they aren’t the ones behind the latest alien threat, merely being accused of such after running into Kariya during evacuation. Given they’re the main focus here, the special is very lighthearted and low-stakes, but that’s fine given it manages to be entertaining. The main foe, an android woman content on creating the ultimate soldier, uses a monster to merely study Dyna’s abilities, ala Guts and Nackle. The new monster designs are a bit weak, feeling a lot more at home in the then-running Cosmos than Dyna. The cast of Booska! Booska, including Booska himself make an extended appearance, which would seem to indicate that series is set in the Neo Frontier timeline (Yuiko Masuda appears on the series and cameos in this special as that character, meaning Horii has a doppelganger out there). The special’s long length can account for the slightly crowded nature, though there are still parts that drag slightly (namely the extended Super GUTS takeoff sequence). Had the Hanejiro stuff been better integrated, or just outright removed (though the brief reunion is nice, it cheapens his departure coming so soon), the special would rate a little higher, but it’s an overall fun time. 4/5

Final Chapter I: A New Shadow (最終章I 新たなる影)/Final Chapter II: Destruction of the Solar System (最終章II 太陽系消滅)/Final Chapter III: To Tomorrow… (最終章III 明日へ・・・) – The three-part series finale, and, in spite of a few flaws, a sweeping epic that remains one of the franchise’s most memorable. Each part, while still interconnected, can certainly stand on its own, with each having an induvial focus. The first part once again focuses on the ever-lovable Kihachi; this time, it’s revealed he’s been involved with a top-secret project to create his very own artificial Ultra. This is a concept that future shows will continue to explore, and never to good results. Iruma mentions it as a revival of of a secret TPC project, which would later be explored in the prequel film Ultraman Tiga: The Final Odyssey. Kihachi’s secret police again play a role, with a rather strange focus on new recruit Saeki. She’s a fine character with a decent little arc, but it is perhaps a bit strange for the finale to put that much focus on her. As if all of that wasn’t bad enough, the Sphere return in full-force. A major plotpoint of the second part involves the reinstallation of the Neo Maxima cannon (as seen in the Tiga & Dyna movie), with Dr. Kisaragi even returning. While it certainly makes sense, I can’t help but find it a little cheap requiring viewers to see the film in order to follow the finale. But a fantastic cameo makes up for just about any of the episode’s faults. The reason as to just why the Sphere are targeting Earth is revealed; we’ve committed all sorts of grave mistakes (including one in just this very arc) and therefore must be eliminated. And indeed, humanity is flawed and has made vast mistakes. But we learn from mistakes (at least ideally). Flaws are what make us human. Erasing us at the snap of a finger will solve little in the grand scheme of the universe. The final act is a complete tearjerker. While a bit inconsistent in spots, a fantastic sendoff. 4.5/5