Ultraman Max Arrives! (ウルトラマンマックス誕生!) – A solid start to the series that builds the world and sets up our protagonist well. Monsters have apparently been appearing across the world, and are hypothesized by the UDF’s Dr. Yoshinaga (Played by Hiroko Sakurai) to be mother nature’s way to balance the ecosystem – mankind has become overpopulated, and monsters are here to curb it. Kaito is well established as man wanting to protect others, volunteering as aid after the volcano eruption, rushing to rescue a child, helping DASH member Mizuki out of her crashed vehicle, and having applied (Only to fail) to become a DASH member himself. It’s no wonder Ultraman Max, said to hail from none other than Nebula M-78 would choose him. Directed by Shunsuke Kaneko, still hot off his work on the 90s Gamera Trilogy Godzilla, Mothra, King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All Out Attack. 4/5
The Girl Who Keeps a Monster (怪獣を飼う女) – The return of Eleking, the first of the several classic monsters revived for the show. Here, he is portrayed in a much more manipulative fashion, essentially possessing a lonely, overworked woman to keep him hidden during the daytime. It almsot feels reminiscent of Return of Ultraman‘s Femigon. There are some decent character moments for Kaito, Mizuki and android Elly, who’s slowly learning of human emotions. It’s not quite clear why Kaito opts not to tell his fellow DASH members abotu the electric burn received on his arm by the woman when they investigate the monster signal in her apartment complex, other than to perhaps draw too much attention. Eleking sports a slight redesign that looks very nice and would be great to see revised someday. 4/5
Proof of a Brave Man (勇士の証明) – Another solid episode that involves Kaito learning not to rely upon Max. Though the UDF accepts the help he’s provided, they’re still weary of Max and label him as a potential threat, much to Kaito’s (justifiable) anger. But he goes in way over his head when he purposefully endangers himself during the monster’s first attack, in hopes of summoning Max and proving his heroism, only for it to backfire and him to get suspended from DASH. There may be hints that DASH, or at least Captain and Mizuki are onto Kaito’s identity, scolding him for believing Max needs to “prove” he’s a hero as opposed to simply performing acts without expecting fame or glory. The scene of Kaito coming to his senses at a park where all kinds of people and life thrive is great, if a bit sappy. Just a strong episode all around. 3.5/5
Infinite Invaders (無限の侵略者) – The first “alien invasion” story of the show, and while very simplistic, still entertaining with good moments for Kaito and Mizuki. The Sran aliens apparently want the Earth because they believe they can do a better job at taking care of it than the humans have, citing pollution and other environmental damage. They also cite the ecosystem’s natural order, as stated back in episode 1, saying its simply time for humans to go. Their actual plan to conquer the Earth isn’t elaborated upon, with simply one alien disguising his ship as a sports stadium, but he could perhaps be a scout. Sran is arguably the show’s best-known original creature, having gone on to appear in several New Generation shows. 4/5
Monster Island Appears! (出現、怪獣島!)/5 Seconds Before the Bombing (爆撃、５秒前) – The show’s first two-parter, marking the return of Pigmon (Who sports a cuter redesign that has since become the character’s default look) and Red King. It is in a lot of ways a remake/reimagining of The Lawless Monster Zone, with Kaito and Mizuki stranded on a remote island with monsters galore, though there is much more of a mythological aspect at play, with said island appearing out of the blue apparently due to mankind’s tainting of the ecosystem and whatnot. The previously origin-less Pigmon is heavily implied to be an ancient race possibly responsible for the development of human civilization, with various ancient shrines found across the world. There are apparently conversations between Kaito and Pigmon that seem to confirm a telepathic form of communication, though it goes untranslated. Present are a pair of explorers on the island, one an Indiana Jones-wannabe (Played by Tokusatsu regular Yukijiro Hotaru), who’s well-meaning, wanting to learn the truth of Pigmon, and another who’s just in it for the money, and pays the penalty early on. While mostly a fun monster romp, there are some genuinely dark moments, including a situation, which commences after a Pigmon idol said to be guarding humanity is broken, that feels very reminiscent of the dilemma in Ultra Seven‘s Dark Zone. UDF Commander Tomioka tells DASH to leave Kaito and Mizuki behind, which is made all the more upsetting considering he’s played by none other than Susumu Kurobe. While nothing inherently thought-provoking minus a few teases, a very enjoyable pair of episodes. 4/5
Destructor of the Star (星の破壊者) – A Mizuki-centered episode that showcases her commitment to protecting others, even if it means defying DASH’s orders. Said individual is an injured alien, Kesam that doesn’t wasn’t the rest of DASH showing up given their hostile nature towards aliens, which is certainly understandable. But of course, there’s a catch. Kaito and Mizuki comment on how the beautiful forest they’re investigating will soon be used for land development, and while it seems pointless at first, it does tie rather nicely into Kesam’s true goal. Said goal is certainly extreme, but not entirely unjust. And in the year 2020, Earth is more deserving than ever of such a treatment. 4/5
DASH Annihilated!? (DASH 壊滅!?) – A “base under siege” story involving a parasitic insect monster raiding DASH’s base and draining the lifeforce out of people after hatching from a meteorite. There is a heavy focus on Kaito and his desire to defend others. It actually opens on his birthday party, which doesn’t add too much, other than his wish being the safety of others. The whole concept of DASH chasing a monster only a few meters tall in a pipe-ridden basement almost feels like a leftover from Nexus, though the episode does more than enough to differentiate it from an episode of that show. Not spectacular, but a solid episode. 3.5/5
Dragon Lover (龍の恋人) – A fairly typical “land development on sacred lands” plot that’s been seen numerous times (Perhaps most successfully in Ultra Q: The Movie), but is still as poignant as ever. Said land is apparently where a dragon was sealed by an ancient warrior, with the dragon originally attacking thanks to the clan’s damaging of the land. The whole “greedy developers” angle is made slightly more tragic by said developer being none other than the mayor’s son. While far from a bad episode, without a doubt the most notable aspect is said dragon, Natsunomeryu, who is absolutely amazing looking. It’s a crying shame he never returned in any subsequent shows, save for a bit of his tail (as carcass) in Ultra Galaxy NEO. 3.5/5
Young DASH (少年DASH) – Somewhat of a Koba centered episode, though it focuses equally on the titular “young DASH”, a kid present on a tour of the UDF base (Rather similar to the children touring UGM’s base in Ultraman 80‘s Alien Baltan’s Fearful Zoo Operation). Koba constantly showing up late and missing the shoot at a monster (Right after boasting about being DASH’s great marksman), disillusions said DASH-loving kid, with much of the episode involving Koba getting his grove back. The monster has ability to travel between dimensions at will, harkening back to Ultra Seven‘s Icarus, right down to its arrival evading DASH’s radar until its too late. It feasts upon microwaves emitted by radiation, particularly targeting cellular towers, bound to give crazy 5G conspirators field day in these times. A decent episode, if unspectacular. 3/5
Prophecy of Baraji (バラージの予言) – The return of Antlar and a very good updating of The Blue Stone of Baraji, moving the scenario to a modern city. Most of the mythos is the very same as the original, with Antlar attacking the lost city of Baraji eons ago, only to be repelled by a mysterious blue stone given to its peoples by a being known as Noa. This would certainly seem to be imply Ultraman Noa has visited the universe this show is set in during its past, though it (wisely) isn’t elaborated upon. Being set in a city, there are great sequences of it being swallowed in sand and cars, airliners and other metallic objects being taken in by Antlar’s magnetic powers, in addition to it affecting the electricity. An element not present in the original is the daughter of the scientist to originally discover Baraji’s ruins and the prophecy of Antlar (Who is said will attack humanity in 4,000 years if they continue bringing about war and destruction), with her being resentful after her father was shunned for claiming the prophecy to be true. Her disillusionment with mankind and their environmental destruction, at one point citing how peaceful the city is without cars, planes and electricity, certainly isn’t unjust. Once more, the episode is directed by Shusuke Kaneko, with signs for “Kaneko Oil” plastered throughout. In an extra-meta bit, sadly deleted from home video/streaming releases, two kids are seen playing with Godzilla and Gamera figures, from Kaneko’s own GMK and Gamera Trilogy. If that wasn’t enough, the archeologist’s daughter is played by Ayako Fujitani, well-known for her role as Asagi in the Gamera Trilogy. 4.5/5
Pursuit at Supersonic Speed (超音速の追撃) – A fun episode involving a rock ‘n roll hating monster. More specifically, the song “Not So Bad” by the fictitious band Bad Scanners, which apparently sounds like an enemy cry to the monster. With a concept like that, it’s bound to be silly fun, and its delivers, with some real funny bits throughout, especially Captain Hijitaka and his hating of rock ‘n roll. The song’s frequency being nearly identical to that to the experimental DASH Bird Beta is pretty absurd, as the monster simply hating the song would have been more than sufficient. Regardless, a very entertaining, lighthearted romp. 4/5
Daughter of Zetton (ゼットンの娘) – The return of Zetton, written by the legendary Shozo Uehara. Certainly a large-scale comeback, with the Zetton race practically announcing their invasion of Earth and destruction of UDF’s brand new protective satelites, though not before UDF is notified via a psychic girl named Natsumi (Played by Tokusatsu fan favorite Nao Nagasawa), who has been on Dr. Yoshinaga’s radar since she was a child. The Zettonians seemed to plan for this invasion WELL in advance, extracting DNA into humans a mere 10,000 years ago to act as sleeper agents of sorts. There’s naturally something up with Nat-Chan, especially after she’s struck by a car (Requiring a blood transfusion from Kaito) right where DASH picks up an alien signal, but her goodwill and innocence make it real hard for anyone to want to suspect her. During the battle with Zetton, who remains just as powerful as he was nearly 40 years ago, a new Ultraman appears – Xenon, and comes bearing gifts for Max. And this will wind up being the only noteworthy appearance of the character in not only this show, but the entire franchise. Apparently, Zoffy was originally supposed to return before being replaced with a new character, and while I’m glad we got Xenon, an established character appearing for only one extended cameo does make more sense. 4/5
Love and King Joe (恋するキングジョー) – Picking up from the last episode, with Kaito on Natsuko’s trail after a tragic, but inevitable revelation. Despite her true nature, Nat-Chan remains cheerful and kind, and forms quite the bond with Kaito, much to Mizuki’s dismay. There are plenty of themes of battling one’s inner demons present with Nat-Chan, which are all good. As suggested by the title, King Joe is back, now a weapon of the Zetton, managing to slip through the cracks via its splitting abilities during the time UDF’s satellites were disabled. This King Joe’s origin seems to lie within a man-made robot who’s appearance it takes in order to hide, being made of “Zettonium”, which allows it take different forms and change sizes. Made all the more confusing is early on, when DASH is in pursuit of a component, it emits the words “King Joe”. A few plotholes aside, a solid return for both Zetton and King Joe and a decent swansong for Shozo Uehara’s Ultraman work. 4/5
Miracle of the Third Planet (第三番惑星の奇跡) – The first of two episodes directed by the famed Takashi Miike, and an absolutely beautiful experience that a simple review cannot do justice. Just watch the episode. 5/5
Who Am I? (わたしはだあれ?) – …I don’t remember…4.5/5
Ice Beauty (氷の美女) – An episode similar to Ultraman‘s Cry of the Mummy with a supposedly ancient human being unearthed, and awakening a guardian monster in the process. Said ancient human is a 100,000 year old woman found frozen in the arctic, who forms a psychic link with Koba. There are some interesting, if slightly underdeveloped talks of mankind’s evolution and how poorly they have treated the Earth since the woman’s last appearance, though nothing especially groundbreaking. But as it stands, a fine episode. 3.5/5
Bright World (アカルイセカイ) – Another laugh-out-loud episode with an Shaman alien (Who’s mannerisms were apparently modeled off of Jim Carrey’s) coming to Earth and bringing another sun, making it forever day unless mankind surrenders. He’s essentially a less-subtle Mephilas, and his partner joins the surprisingly large list of farting monsters. There are louds of laughs to be had, primarily from him but also Captain Hijitaka. Though big on laughs, there are a few plotpoints that could have been explored further, like the repercussions endless daytime would have on society, such as a montage of car accidents (We get a brief montage of people overworking, but that’s it). It’s also not quite clear why it took DASH three days to figure out how to strike at the artificial sun, other than sleep depravation perhaps. Kaito and Mizuki are shown going on a dinner date, hinting at a romance between the two. 4/5
Person Coming from the Door (扉より来たる者) – An episode that has it all, with an intriguing, world-building plot, great action and an awesome guest star. Thanks to all the natural disasters, ancient ruins are apparently being found left and right, including a plaque featuring what looks like Ultraman Max battling another giant. The archeologist behind the discovery is played by none other than Koji Moritsugu, who shares plenty of screentime with Dr. Yoshinaga and Commander Tomioka, being an old colleague of his. The Tarla aliens (Who look like they belong in Babylon 5, Star Trek Enterprise or some other American Sci-Fi show from the period) are among the show’s most interesting, having lived alongside humans in Jomon era Japan, accomplished via their portals, before becoming paranoid at man’s rapid evolution, creating a god to put them in their place. Considering the Pigmon were implied to be partially responsible for man’s growth, one could cite them as being responsible for the Tarla’s cruel actions, though this goes unmentioned. The plaque and dreams had by Kaito would seem to imply Ultraman Max visited Earth during Jomon era Japan, later confirmed by the Tarla alien, which does provide a bit of problems considering it’s established in later media Max is from the M-78 universe seen in the Showa timeline and is simply “visiting” this universe, but it obviously doesn’t affect the episode. In addition to the mythos and guest star, there’s even a bit of fanservice, with Mizuki spending much of the episode in a tank top and Elly even showing some skin when her “attack mode” is activated. If there’s one problem with the episode, it’s that there’s simply too much to take in at once. Though it holds up together perfectly fine, perhaps it being two parts could have further expanded the backstory and provided even more greatness. But as it stands, an awesome episode. 4.5/5
Drifting Monster (怪獣漂流) – Another winner of an episode, with almost nonstop laughs. Reminiscent of episodes like Present from the Sky, we have an absurd monster and DASH employing absurd measures to stop it. Said monster, not unlike Skydon from the aforementioned episode, just wants to sleep, and as long as its asleep, it peacefully floats. But if awakened, it will sink to the ground and potentially cause mayhem, thanks to the plasma in its body. The reason for its abilities is pretty out-there, being unleashed from a subspace due to a plasma field, caused by a change in sunspots disrupting Earth’s ionosphere, to the point where the convolution had to be intentional. Unlike the Science Patrol, who seemed hellbent on destroying poor Skydon, DASH is keen on returning Cloudos (A name proudly given to the beast by Tomioka) to his subspace home, though this requires keeping him asleep. There are numerous hilarious scenes throughout, including, but certainly not limited to a school band playing DASH’s theme to cheer them on, Captain Hijitaka growing grey hairs from stress, Mizuki’s car sickness and the whole city being forced to stay quiet in order to prevent awakening Cloudos, a concept similar to that of Ultraman 80‘s Operation Silent Tokyo. A suburban family, who’s house Cloudos first appears directly above, feature prominently throughout the episode, giving the otherwise absurdist tale a human feel still. The son even watches Ultraman Max on TV early on, suggesting there’s been a show based off the hero’s exploits. 4.5/5
Challenge from Underground (地底からの挑戦) – The return of Gomora, here slightly reinvented as a race of small dinosaurs called Gomorasaurus native to a small nation smuggled by a terrorist group known as GSTE (God Save The Earth) to be turned into biological weapons. The idea of a terrorist group breeding giant monsters is certainly an interesting one, but it’s mostly set aside in favor of the daughter of the group’s leader trying to make amends for her family’s name by ending it once and for all. Indeed, we don’t even see said group outside of flashbacks – their base has been destroyed thanks to their tampering with the Gomorasaurus. Not to say her plight isn’t engaging and sympathetic, but it is perhaps a bit odd to see the iconic Gomora play second-fiddle (Though this has become pretty par-for-course with returning monsters in New Gen. shows). Though perhaps more a fault of the runtime, more emphasis on GSTE’s cruel treatment of the Gomorasaurus would have further made the viewers empathize with the daughter and her wish to see the organization crushed. There are still plenty of open-ends regarding GSTE, including just where there funding is coming from and how they smuggled the Gomorasurus that the episode seems to imply will be resolved in the future, but that sadly doesn’t come to fruition. The Gomorasaurus being almost human-sized makes for some odd imagery, especially when their designs are the exact same as the giant Gomora. Though it is the weakest “returning monster” story up to this point, there’s still plenty to enjoy. 3.5/5
Butterfly Dream (胡蝶の夢) – The return of Akio Jissoji, in an episode that raises one question – have I been writing about this show and its characters, or am I merely a figment of their imagination? An insanely meta episode, with all of Jissoji’s usual complex camerawork and themes. 4.5/5
Youth Again (甦れ青春) – A Tomioka-centered episode that has him traveling to UDF’s pacific ocean base to meet up with Dr. Yoshinaga and their old friend Dr. Date, played by Masanari Nihei, who also comes bearing a new submarine for DASH. The whole episode is really just a big excuse to have the three together, but it is great. It’s reveled the three were in the airforce together before UDF’s formation, which might get a bit complicated when we learn of Yoshinaga’s background in a future episode. Though the three sharing scenes is by far the episode’s highlight, there are some other good scenes, primarily Tomioka and Kaito’s interactions (Essentially a meeting of hosts), with Tomioka bearing responsibility for the surge of monsters, given how the reasons for their awakening (Climate Change, Pollution, Overpopulation, etc.) were all his generation’s doing. 3.5/5
The Untargeted Town (狙われない街) – The final episode to be directed by Akio Jissoji, and fittingly, a sequel to The Targeted Town, one of his most beloved stories. Once more, people are randomly being turned into crazed, violent maniacs, with cigarettes being the prime suspect, but perhaps there’s another commonly-used source responsible. The plot point of humans becoming consumed by their cellphones has only become more relevant by the day, though it is once more bound to give 5G conspirators field day. The decline of our society is sensed by the surly detective Ken and returning Metron (Who’s human form is played by character actor Minori Tereda) – all that’s happening is a little boost in-advanced. As stated, the episode serves as a sequel to The Targeted Town, with stock footage from the Ultra Seven episode even being used (Though Seven himself isn’t shown). This gets complicated considering Ultraman Max is established as being separate from the mainstream Showa timeline. It’s best to assume the basic events of Targeted Town still occurred (Only without Seven and possibly the Ultra Guard), though with Metron surviving the encounter (Him surviving in the “main” timeline certainly would have made his son’s attempts at revenge in Ultraman Ace’s Monster vs. Choju vs. Alien/Life of the Sun, Life of Ace pointless). Still, the confusing continuity doesn’t bring the episode down at all, making it a perfect swansogn for Jissoji. 5/5
A Distant Friend (遥かなる友人) – Easily one of the darker episodes of the show, showcasing just how cruel UDF can be to an alien despite him having nothing but peaceful intentions. Said alien, Kiff is the lone survivor of his homeworld and turns himself into DASH in order to prove he means no harm, after hearing so much negative buzz about aliens. But unfortunately, the UDF use his captivity to their advantage, running all sorts of tests and horrible experiments on him, despite protests from DASH and Dr. Yoshinaga. It’s as messed up as it sounds, and isn’t the easiest episode to watch as a result, but it is powerful. Unfortunately, being an Ultraman show there needs to be a fight at the end, in this case some random alien that comes to Earth to wreck havoc. Said alien to implied to be after Kiff, but there’s hardly any build up, which is unfortunate. Kiff’s desire to be the first alien to be friends with a human is a bit odd considering the very previous episode involves that very concept, though I suppose that was a very isolated incident kept secret. Ironically, a toy of Metron can be seen in the room of the boy Kiff befriends. 3.5/5
Christmas with Elly (クリスマスのエリー) – As suggested by the title, a Christmas episode focusing on Elly. There are similarities with Ultraman Cosmos‘ Door of Snow (Also penned by writer Ai Ota), with Elly befriending an old man (A former scientist shunned by the community) determined to capture an angel-like monster that’s said to appear on Earth once every twelve years. The chemistry between the two is fun, especially early on when Elly’s programming tries convincing the man to not commit any acts that could be deemed crimes. The angel monster’s time-bending abilities don’t really do anything other than complicate its origins somewhat. It simply being a monster that appears ever-so-often and little more would have sufficed. Though the episode certainly does not have the emotional core present in Door of Snow (Though that’s not to say there aren’t some emotional bits), it’s cute, if unspectacular. 3/5
The Taken Max Spark (奪われたマックススパーク) – The return of Eleking (Still sporting that great redesign), this time bringing the Pitt sisters, who in true fashion, steal the Max Spark. There are multiple Elekings throughout the city this time around, once more taking advantage of weak-willed, lonely people, though now they’re feeding off human brainwaves to grow. It just so happens Mizuki is one to be affected, which would seem to imply her as weak-willed. That is more than a little disappointing (And maybe concerning with her as the token female and all), and is implied more through her stating she only joined DASH because of her UDF pilot skills, whereas Kaito joined to protect others. This seems to indicate she needs to “prove” her heroism, when she’s done it countless times already. However, there is also the loneliness element of those affected (Well-established in the previous Eleking episode), which is certainly showcased with Mizuki early on, indicating she may beyearning for a fellow teammate. Nevertheless, it might have been more interesting had an Eleking leached onto Sean or Koba, especially given their lack of development in comparison. The episode is loaded with action, with martial arts between he Pitt sisters and a pretty dynamic aerial battle (Even if some of the CGI hasn’t held up greatly). There are some problems, but it’s still a good Eleking episode. 3.5/5
Attack of the Evil (邪悪襲来) – A “New Years” episode once more focusing on Kaito’s desire to protect others. The focus in on a young alien woman who fled her homeworld’s destruction and has since taken a job working at an orphanage Kaito used to volunteer for, which is a heck of a coincidence. Both her and Kaito taking such a job of course showcases their care for others. The reason for Kaito’s strong urge to protect those in despair is revealed to stem from his parents dying at the hands of a natural disaster. The monster responsible for the girl’s planet being destroyed is INCREDBLY over-the-top in its appearance, looking as if it was designed by a child. And that’s because it was, apart of a contest held by the show. 3.5/5
Why Do Monsters Appear (怪獣は何故現れるのか) – A loveletter to Ultra Q, commemorating the show’s 40th anniversary, and a great one at that. Dr, Yoshinaga, of course played by Hiroko Sakurai features heavily along with a sci-fi writer/monster enthusiast played by Kenji Sahara and a café owner played by Yasuhiko Saijo. The three of them are revealed to have been actors during the 1960s working on a science fiction show titled Unbalance, where they encountered a monster on the set. The three actors playing their younger counterparts do a mixed job at emulating the actors, with Sakurai’s probably faring the best, but the scenes of them on and off-camera are a terrific homage to Ultra Q and 1960s Japanese film/TV in general (Including scenes of the Kenji Sahara-expy citing his experience with Kaiju films). Yoshinaga’s past as an actress might be a bit contradictory to her past as a UDF pilot revealed in Youth Again, though its safe enough to assume she joined UDF after quitting acting (With perhaps her monster encounter prompting her to join). The monster, named Geronga, is an homage to the several monsters seen in Q and Ultraman made from a modified Baragon costume, and feels right at home with them. Though hardly complex and light on story, a great celebration of the seminal 1966 program that started it all. 4.5/5
Courage Is from the Heart (勇気を胸に) – The return of Lagoras, who in a really grotesque touch, has devoured his natural prey Grangon, and now has fire abilities. Though presumably a different beast from the previous one, this Lagoras apparently holds a grudge against DASH, with them feeling genuinely intimidated by it. Aside from the returning monster, there are a lot of callbacks to the first episode, primarily a nightmare had by Kaito where Max does not bond with him during his fateful rescue-attempt in the DASH Bird. There are some talks of Kaito relying too heavily on Max, but the primary question poised throughout is why Max chose to stay behind on Earth. Kaito’s desire to protect others, once more citing the loss of his parents is addressed throughout, primarily during a chat with Sean, who begins to question his purpose when Max always winds up saving the day (Not unlike Ide’s view in The Littlest Hero). Good stuff throughout, if a bit sappy. 3.5/5
Burn! Earth!! (燃えつきろ! 地球!!) – Another hilarious episode that’s in vein to classics like Return of Ultraman‘s I’m Taking the Earth!, with an alien coming to Earth and filling people’s hearts with rage, which temporarily gives them a serious energy boost, only to completely drain them within minutes. There are lots of laughs to be had during the first half with everyone going nuts, but things do take a slightly darker tone once the energy wears off and said alien’s plan becomes more apparent. Said rage-filler is in fact a virus that feeds off people’s metabolism. There’s a decent focus on Tomioka and Yoshinaga (Plus a surprise appearance from an old friend), who work to find a cure for the virus, citing their older age as being less effected initially by the rage virus. There’s a real funny gag early on with Tomioka and his bonsai tree that harkens back to Present from the Sky. Just another great episode with the right balance of laughs and heart. 4.5/5
Elly Destruction Directive (エリー破壊指令) – As suggested by the title, an Elly-focused episode, though Koba is arguably the protagonist. Featured is the return of Kesam’s race, hellbent on destroying any planet considered hazardous to them. Unlike Kesam before him, this member has no second thoughts, hijacking Elly to put Base Titan under lockdown and planting a missile control system within her, with said missiles being directed towards UDF’s bases. How exactly they managed to access Elly is anyone’s guess. Much of the episode focuses on Koba pursuing her, with lots of action. There are some powerful scenes of DASH being ordered to destroy Elly due to the controls planted in her and Elly herself asking them to destroy her, only for them to not even consider it – despite being an android, they consider her a valuable member of the team. Despite her playing a supporting role at most, there are a few callbacks to Mizuki’s encounter with Kesam. Though maybe not a standout, but a solid episode nonetheless. 3.5/5
Welcome to Earth!: Part 1: The Science of the Planet Baltan (ようこそ! 地球へ 前篇 バルタン星の科学)/Welcome to Earth!: Part 2: Farewell! Alien Baltan (ようこそ! 地球へ 後篇 さらば!バルタン星人) – The return of Baltan (and written and directed by veteran Ultra Series scribe Toshihiro Iijima), and to date, their last major appearance in any Ultraman show, sans a few occasional cameos. Unfortunately, the episodes are a mixed bag, but when Baltans have become so scarce, one must take what they can get. Present are two races of Baltans – the pacifist Tiny Baltans and the warmongering Dark Baltans, who wish to conquer Earth thanks to the various misdeeds and damage its residents have caused to its environment. A Tiny Baltan (aptly named “Tiny”) befriends a local boy and pulls all sort of supernatural shenanigans with her apparent magic in order to lure DASH and warn them of the oncoming invasion. The scenes with them are sort of cute, but feel like they belong in a completely different episode. This is presumably to differentiate them from the evil Dark Baltans (Who are really just the original designs), and indeed, they do make a good impression, even if their reason for conquering Earth has been done prior, most notably with Kesam’s race seen literally an episode before. Throughout both episodes, people don’t seem to believe in the existence of alien life despite the Earth being invaded countless times now. The episodes in general seem a little too comedic despite the apparent stakes, with the aforementioned scenes of the boy and Tiny, but also a prolonged sequence of Koba attempting to reset Elly by acting romantic towards her after Baltan tampers with DASH’s gravity. Max pulls two pretty absurd powers during both fights, though the latter seems to have been helped with some of Tiny’s magic. Among the most frustrating elements is the Baltan’s true form – prior to the nuclear war on their homeworld, they all resembled microscopic humans, which is just lame. Them being the Cicada People from Ultra Q (as seen in the Ultraman Story 0 manga) would have been much more believable. There’s certainly fun to be had, and as stated, one must savor what Baltan material we’ve got, but not exactly the grandiose return one might hope for. Ryu Manatsu and Sandayu Dokumamushi cameo as local police officers involved in Tiny’s magic, in addition to an old UDF friend making one final appearance (In a hilariously contrived scene). 3/5
Adam and Eve of M32 Nebula (M32星雲のアダムとイブ) – Another “cutesy” episode involving two kids getting their hands on baby monsters while DASH have their mother in custody. There are complaints from the media and civilians about DASH not immediately exterminating the monster in the case it is a threat despite being peacefully sleeping. This understandably make the kids reluctant to report their findings to DASH. The brother and sister duo with the baby monsters are a likeable pair and the monsters (both the babies and the mother) are cute. Not much substance, but a fine, child-friendly episode. Shunsuke Kaneko returns to the director’s chair, with legendary anime and occasional Tokusatsu scribe Keisuke Fujikawa writing. 3/5
Alternate Dimension World (イジゲンセカイ) – The return of the dastardly Shaman alien, who brings along with him Red King and Pigmon. Like Shaman’s previous appearance, a fun romp with countless funny scenes. Shaman is back posing as a scientist (Who just to be a dick, constantly orders expensive food, running up UDF’s bills) tasked with creating a device that can have Base Titan retreat to another dimension in the case of an attack. Given the direct attacks on the base seen recently in Elly Destruction Directive and Welcome to Earth!, it is logical UDF would commission such a project. Surprisingly though, the monster’s dimension-hopping powers in Young DASH aren’t referenced. Of course, Shaman’s scheme is just a big sham (It’s in his name after all) to get revenge on Max, with the dimension device unleashing Red King and Pigmon. We sadly don’t get any more backstory on the Pigmon’s role in human development, though there are plenty funny moments with him, who’s essence winds up getting trapped inside Elly, and gets REALLY clingy towards Kaito. Just a fun time all around. 4/5
Constellation Thief (星座泥棒) – A very dreamlike episode focusing on Mizuki and her ancestry. We’re introduced to yet another alien race partially-responsible for human development, in particular teaching them the beauty of the stars, a race that apparently has descendants on Earth. Mankind’s major industrialization, particularly the city lights that obscure the stars don’t sit particularly well with said descendants, prompting them to send a monster. The relationship between Kaito and Mizuki is further teased, with the other DASH members wondering when it will get serious. As stated, the episode is very dreamlike with frequent poetic statements of man’s facision with the stars being derived from their alien ancestors, and a heavy usage of Clair De Lune. 4/5
Prelude to Ground Annihilation (地上壊滅の序曲)/Hold On To! Future (つかみとれ! 未来) – Wile maybe not one of the very best finales in the franchise, a solid conclusion to the show that brings its thematic elements to full circle and concludes character arcs well. We have yet another race hellbent on destroying Earth for the damage caused to its environment, only here they aren’t doing it out of mere spite – humans are responsible for the destruction of their society, as they hail from Earth’s underground. And like all good finales, Max’s energy is depleting, giving him a very limited amount of time to handle the giant situation at hand. There is plenty of tension and action to be had, The blooming romance between Kaito and Mizuki finally comes to a decent closure, though the very last scene is slightly embarrassing, reminiscent to the final scene of Gosei Sentai Dairanger (Albeit not NEARLY as cringe-inducing as that). 4/5
Beta Capsule Reviews 