A Fateful Encounter (運命の出逢い) – A very solid start to the series. Its established that monsters have not attacked Japan for 25 years (Albeit this will get somewhat contradicted later on), so naturally the attack tram GUYS is extremally inexperienced. Case in point occurs when a monster suddenly appears, killing all but one member (Ryu) of the team, including its captain. Rather than it simply being the Ultra host that displays act of braveness that gets him his position, we see a group of young people rescue rabbits, in the form of a preschool teacher, soccer player, rich medical student and motorcycle mechanic. This sets the template for the show, which will treat the fellow team members with just as much importance as the Ultra host. Early on, GUYS member Ryu recites the Five Ultra Pledges, saying his captain had a friend during his childhood that taught them to him, almost certainly meaning Jiro. Unlike past Ultras, the collateral damage caused by Mebius doesn’t go unnoticed. The prologue with Mebius being sent to Earth and christened an Ultraman has the Father of Ultra’s mouth move via CGI, and it looks very creepy. Fortunately, the show will drop that in his next appearance. 4/5
Our Wings (俺達の翼) – Picking up from the last episode with Mirai suddenly a member of GUYS (This abrupt revelation will be addressed later into the show), and eager to have those brave young folks seen last episode join. Ryu is less enthusiastic, still salty over his captain’s death and unwilling to give ordinary civilians a chance. However, the sequence in which the group of civilians work together to help Ryu paint his aircraft begins to change his mind. Said scene and the flame emblem on the jet will become a recurring image throughout the show, perfectly summing up the teamwork and friendship among the members of GUYS. Gudon returns, with plenty of callbacks to his debut including mentions of Twin Tail and the setting sun background during the climactic battle. Introduced is METEOR technology, limited-use tech installed in GUYS’ aircraft studied from alien technology. 4/5
Only One Life (ひとつきりの命) – The return of Birdon, who once more proves to be a formidable foe, poisoning Mebius (albeit to a much lesser extant than Taro) and rendering Mirai inoperative for most the episode. Only three episodes in, and already GUYS need to act on their own without Mebius’ assistance. While the incidents of Ultras dying only to return are brought up, Mirari tells the crew to not take such events as a given – one day, it could be permanent, and they must fight as if that will be the case. The symbiotic nature of Mebius and GUYS that will become the show’s staple in well on display during the climax. The previous occupations of the newfound GUYS members’ still haunt them, as shown by early scenes of them struggling to concentrate. 3.5/5
Broken Bonds (傷だらけの絆) – A Konomi-centered episode, with her needing to face her fears. GUYS’ reverse-engineered METEOR technology is further explored, with them having the ability to create their very own Capsule Monsters, the first being a recreated Miclas, albeit one not nearly as brave as Seven’s original. Miclas forms a bond with Konomi, in part due to her warm nature having been a Kindergarten teacher, and there are plenty of parallels between the two needing to confront their fears. Mirai attempts to prep Konomi by recreating Dan Moroboshi’s Ultra Eye pose (complete with a “Duwa!” chant) with her glasses, a gesture that will be seen again much later in the show. The new monster Kelbeam is one of the most memorable from the later-Heisei period, with a design that’s a perfect balance of a classic Showa and a more modern look. Nothing groundbreaking, but Konomi’s likability makes it well worth your time. 3.5/5
Reverse Shot (逆転のシュート) – A George-centered episode concerning his arrogance and lack of cooperation, something he indulged in during his soccer career, and seems to be aping with GUYS. His apparent missing of the monster prompts him to leave the team in a huff, resulting in Mirai and Marina trying to convince him to stay, especially once George’s dream of wanting to be a hero like Ultraman is revealed. Its a bit schmaltzy, but effective, though the “Meteor Shot” soccer ball sequences with added cartoony effects can get excessive a feel out of place. Sadora is the returning monster here, bringing along with them lots and lots of fog. There is more focus on the mysterious long-tongued lady seen since the start, and perhaps most notably, the episode introduces a blue Ultra-like being. 3.5/5
Two From the Deep Sea (深海の二人) – A Marina-focused episode showcasing her great skills, one of which also becomes a drawback in the form of her supersensitive hearing. Said ability in the past caused her to be suspicious of her motorcycles when she heard anything abnormal sounding, relegating her to stay as a mere tester and not a championship racer like she dreamt of. There’s a bit of a “trust the machine” message to the episode after she hears something abnormal about the GUYS Sea Winger only for it to be fine which is of…questionable morality, albeit one can surmise GUYS’ mech is the best in the whole world. Marina and Ryo really begin to butt heads here, which is fun to watch. Twin Tail returns, and for the first and only time, we see it in its natural undersea habitat. It is a bit surreal, given how associated with setting-sun desert imagery the monster had been by that point. The true nature of the mysterious woman is revealed at last, and more is revealed about the mysterious blue being, someone Mebius seems to be familiar with. 3.5/5
Fanton’s Lost Item (ファントンの落し物) – A lighthearted episode with a friendly alien arriving on Earth in search of an organic element that serves as a food source for his impoverished race, that will only grow larger the longer it lasts in Earth’s atmosphere. It’s a fun episode, if insignificant…until the climax that is, which features not only Bogal but the blue giant and his purpose for arriving on Earth. And unlike Mebius, who’s since gone out of his way to prevent any damage, the blue giant has no qualms in destroying buildings and quite possibly lives. The talks of humankind becoming allies with aliens races are nice, albeit there have been instances of cooperation (and not just Ultras) between mankind and aliens in this timeline before. Perhaps nothing else became of their partnerships after those incidents? 3/5
Terrible Predator (戦慄の捕食) – Continuing off from last time, with Tsurugi still on the hunt for Bogal, no matter the cost. We get more insight on Ryu’s respect for his former Captain, which one could certainly interpret as being more than mere comradery. The flashback in which Serizawa encourages the reluctant Ryu to keep on fighting with GUYS despite the perceived notion of Ultraman always saving the day, is rather reminiscent of the talk between Hayata and Ide in The Littlest Hero, but remains just as powerful. Ryu isn’t the easiest guy to like, but you can feel for him knowing the captain he loved and admired so much doesn’t even recognize him, not to mention has since become a being willing to destroy human life if it means achieving his goal. Perhaps to lighten the mood, a subplot involves GUYS’ METEOR project upgrading Miclas to give him electrical powers extracted from Eleking DNA. Thanks to a leak, adorable mini Elekings appear, which Konomi (and the viewers) take an immediate liking to. Konomi initially pulls up the ZAT file on Eleking II, only for Teppei to tell her that’s a different Eleking from the original…except it isn’t, as the Taro episode explicitly makes references to Eleking being revived by the moon. Looks like someone needs to brush up on their Kaiju studies. 4/5
Armor of Vengeance (復讐の鎧/Pride of GUYS (GUYSの誇り) – A two-parter picking up right where the last episode left off, with Bogal at large and Tsurugi still hungry for vengeance (As if the title didn’t suggest that). We learn more about Tsurugi’s past and just what’s fueling his quest to destroy Bogal – a race known as the Arb annihilated by the predatory lifeform visited by Tsurugi (This is further elaborated upon in the Hikari Gaiden). When asked by Mirai why a being so hellbent on avenging one race is unfazed by the loss of human life, “Serizawa” flatout admits to finding the Arb “superior”, in a pretty disturbing moment, though one that does make you wonder if past Ultras have felt that about Humans towards other races. We continue to explore Ryu’s grief at his beloved Captain having become a mere vessel for Tsurugi, which only further seems to indicate his feelings for him were more than mere respect/admiration. Natural prey and predator Gudon and Twin-Tail return together, though their fight is quickly broken up by an even bigger fish. After realizing Bogal contains energy within her that’s powerful enough to destroy large chunks of the Kanto region, GUYS devises a scheme to trap her inside a force field and destroy her there, but a question soon arises – what if Mebius and/or Tsurugi is within the barrier during her detonation? That would almost certainly means their demise, so GUYS gets to work on figuring out a way to let them escape, citing their gratitude towards Mebius in the short span of time they’ve been active. It’s a very heartwarming scene, albeit it does raise a plothole – if the barrier is impenetrable, how did they expect either of them to get in once it’s been turned on? Do they already have a clue as to Mebius’ identity? A solid pair of episodes all around. 4/5
Mother’s Miracle (母の奇跡) – Once more picking up shortly after the previous episode, with a horde of Dinozaur approaching the Earth. All are taken care of by space minefields set up by GUYS, in a rather cruel scene, sans one, who makes its way to Earth’s surface. In a pretty disturbing feat, this Dinozaur has its head blown off, only to flip itself upside down and grow two new ones. Another classic Capsule Monster is recreated with METEOR technology, this one being Windom, who doesn’t wind up doing anything of importance in the episode. Ryu seems willing to let a dam be destroyed if it still means the Dinozaur’s death, something Mirai scolds him over. Most notable is the fate of Tsurugi after being taken away by Mother of Ultra. “Hikari” is quite a generic name that might have been more suited for the original Ultraman (in order to differentiate him his other fellow Ultras), but at least all the GUYS members dislike the name too. 4/5
The First Errand (初めてのお使い) – A comedic episode focusing on Aide Toriyama for a change…who proves himself to be completely inept at his job, losing a METEOR capsule containing a liquid he was tasked at delivering. Said liquid is none other than cells from Grotes (From Return of Ultraman), which turned the small inanimate statue into the monster Kodaigon. Naturally, the cells fall into the wrong hands, specifically a fisherman who starts selling worthless knick-knacks brought to life with the cells. A fun romp all around with Toriyama, Mirai, Teppei and Konomi (all of whom were secretly selected due to their more forgiving nature) to retrieve the cells before its too late. The fisherman is played by Shun Ueda, best known as the legendary detective Hattori Hanpei in Android Kikaider. 4/5
Marina of the Wind (風のマリナ) – A Marina-centered episode involving her, her former boss (Played by franchise regular Shigeki Kagemaru) and an old acquaintance getting lost in the woods, unable to contact GUYS and being chased by a returning Mukadendar. Some good scenes for Marina to showcase her skill, especially in front of her former boss, though her extreme hearing borders on being a superpower here. Said acquaintance isn’t someone from her motorcycle days, but rather another GUYS applicant she met off-screen. She doesn’t add very much to the episode (Apart from flipping Marina’s ex-boss into a lake on their first encounter), as she doesn’t seem to express much jealousy/animosity towards Marina getting the GUYS gig as opposed to her. Sadly, the stuntman is not visible inside Mukadendar this time. An alright episode, if unremarkable. 3/5
One Path (ひとつの道) – A Teppei-focused episode with his overbearing mother discovering his status as a GUYS member, something he’s been attempting to hide from her. It seems initially he was keeping it from her due to her wanting him to become a rich doctor like her husband, and while there is still truth to that, we do get an anecdote from Teppei’s childhood where an injury sustained caused his mother to have a heart attack. It’s obvious he doesn’t want to frighten his mother with having such a dangerous job (Even if he’s behind the desk more often than not), which is rather touching. The remainder of the episode is decent with a unique new monster. 3.5/5
Phoenix Stronghold (不死鳥の砦) – A deeper dive into GUYS’ history, introducing the chief mechanic Araiso, who’s established as having worked on all attack team aircraft since the Science Patrol’s VTOL. Ryo’s “trust the machine” attitude, which was essentially the message of Two From the Deep Sea is actually challenged, with Araiso specifically stating the Gun Phoenix’s METEOR system is still in need of repairs, something Ryo (along with Aide Toriyama) flat out ignores. Araiso resents the kamikaze-type attitude displayed by Ryo, insisting the attack team aircraft were built to keep its pilots alive. A montage of the various ships is shown, though amusingly, MAC is omitted, perhaps because there were members who died within the ships. Though he seems resentful of METEOR, Araiso is soon revealed to have been the chief engineer behind the project, with it only finally being implemented after a certain tragedy (One he and Ryo could certainly bond over) he feels partially responsible for. Hikari is clearly getting exhausted, and is paid a visit by an old friend. 4/5
A Sword Master from Space (宇宙の剣豪) – A complete gem of an episode with awesome action, a nail-biting plot and great direction from Tomoo Haraguchi all around. One side of the episode involves a cluster of meteors rapidly approaching the Earth and needing to be taken out by GUYS before its too late, while simultaneously, a space swordsman arrives wanting to challenge Tsurugi. These two stories sound like polar opposites that wouldn’t fit together, but they do. Zamusha, the space swordsman is to thank for the amount of meteors, having broken a larger one into pieces during a battle without any thought or care as to what damage they would be to Earth and its residents. His sole objective is to battle Tsurugi and win, with no other desires or motivations within him. Toriyama and his assistant Maru actually manage to be useful, helping set up GUYS’ meteor-eliminating SHARK system. Some great action throughout, particularly the intro with the swordsman Zamusha slaying Magma aliens (One of whom claims to have had a friend that attempted to invade Earth, an obvious nod to the Magma of Leo), and later a Valkie. In a way, the episode feels more at home in Ultraman Max with its fast-pace, darker tone and “bottle” setting relegated to GUYS’ base, but perhaps the message at the end better suits Mebius. 5/5
Formation of Our Vow (誓いのフォーメーション) – The return of Salamandora and the final regular appearance of Hikari for a time. Ryu is once more moping about Serizawa, and recites his belief that had he been in charge, GUYS wouldn’t need Mebius’ assistance. He surmises that even without Serizawa, GUYS still doesn’t need Mebius, and convinces the team to take out Salamandora on their own. The summary makes Ryu sound antagonistic, but he really isn’t, and there’s the usual great message about GUYS and Mebius working together. There are some cool 80 nods throughout such as the mention of Formation Yamato and the return of the UGM. Without a doubt the strongest part is the ending with Hikari bidding farewell for now. 3.5/5
Pressure on Ultraman (ウルトラマンの重圧) – As usual after big events, picking up where the previous episode left off with Hikari gone and Mebius eager to protect by himself. Unfortunately, he winds up being a little too eager, destroying a perceived threat before GUYS even get a chance to confront it, rightfully ticking them off. There are the usual good messages about GUYS and Mebius being a symbiotic force that fight alongside each other, albeit it does feel we’re treading on ground already covered several times. Bemstar returns (With another having been defeated by Hikari and Zoffy in the second Hikari Gaiden), with its devouring stomach as grotesque as ever. 3.5/5
The Isolated Grandstand (孤高のスタンドプレーヤー) – A George-centered episode with him coming into possession of a new METEOR-based gun potentially capable of firing at three targets at once. And it just so happens, a monster from space arrives capable of splitting itself into three (What are the odds?). Much of the episode has George essentially moping about how nobody understands him after the team scolds him for attempting to use the untested gun, calling back to his “lone wolf” persona during his soccer days. There’s an alright lesson about letting those do their own things if they’re confident while still remaining a team, but its kind of a forgettable episode ultimately. 2.5/5
Connecting Message (総監の伝言) – Another lighthearted Toriyama/Maru-centered episode with the two trying to get to the bottom of just who the Inspector General of GUYS is. During this entire time, its been his aide Misaki reporting to GUYS, with the elusive head never once being seen. Toriayama sends Maru off with Misaki to witness an experimental sound wave that may control monsters, and also get a possible glimpse at the Inspector General. It is a bit unbelievable that someone as (supposedly) high-ranking as Toriyama wouldn’t even know who he is, but it makes for a fun mystery that will prevail for much of the show. Said monster-controlling sound waves are tested on Windom, and while it is a really funny scene, it does seem odd to try it out on a robotic monster (Old stats for Windom highlight how its brain is a computer). Naturally, those waves wind up backfiring, hatching a new Kelbeam, who in turn uses the waves for itself to control a returned Earthtron. The scenes of Kelbeam bossing around Earthtron (Something Maru likens to Toriyama’s attitude towards him) are funny, though one must wonder why Ghostron wasn’t used instead given its slightly more comedic nature. An enjoyable episode nonetheless. 3.5/5
Cry from Space (虚空の呼び声)/Future Days (日々の未来) – A two-parter that gives us insight on Mirai’s true nature, which is certainly reminiscent of the revelation how Dan came to be in UltraSeven‘s Underground! Go! Go! Go!. GUYS receives a distress call from a Mars vessel (Which mined Spacium on the red planet) crashed six months ago (near the start of the series) and are sent to investigate, despite the slim chances of the inhabitant’s survival. Mirari pushes particularly hard to see, clearly having some sort of connection to the sender, who was the son of the ship’s captain, sacrificing himself to save the other passengers. The ship crash-landed right outside the Monster Graveyard, where we’re treated to some monster cameos including Seabozu with him still on his beloved rocket. A set of smaller, human-sized Bogals appear outside the Graveyard and later on Earth, with their presence being revealed as the reason for continued monster attacks despite the first’s demise. The “sacrifice” flashback itself is perhaps a bit sappy, but Hiroto Ban, the young man who sacrificed himself to save his father and the crew is an admirable character, and its easy to see why Mirai would idolize him in more ways than one. The scenes between Mirai and Ban’s father are likewise powerful, and finally gives us an explanation as to just how Mirai was recruited by GUYS. It also indicates Sakimori knows more about Mirai than we think. 4/5
Ocean Waves of Time (時の海鳴り– A Marina-centered adventure with her being specifically chosen to assist a detective in determining a missing persons case thanks to her superb hearing, which of course winds up being something out of the ordinary. Said thing is a giant space slug that toys with people’s deep memories when they encounter a place or object from their past, trapping them in another dimension. While a cool concept, it is a little hard to swallow it being responsible for the demise of the entire homeworld of the Angel aliens. Still, it gives us some touching scenes of Marina’s childhood and the loss of her grandfather, while also showing us just how she came to be the brave warrior she is. In addition to exploring her childhood, we also meet Marina’s brother, who’s frankly a dolt. Makes for a trilogy of sorts with Ultraman Cosmos‘ Door of Snow and Max‘s Elly of Christmas given the presence of an angelic figure and the theme of reliving memories in each. And it only figures all share the same writer, Ai Ota. Perhaps his own attempt to reliving a memory? 3.5/5
Ultraman Mebius & the Ultra Brothers (ウルトラマンメビウス&ウルトラ兄弟) – The feature-length motion picture, and a real mixed bag, which possibly would have been better as a two-part episode, though it would devoid us some grander fight sequences (Well, prior to the climax) and the 1:78 scope. After only being mentioned in the show, the status of the Ultra Brothers revealed – back in 1986 (presumably the last monster attack for 20 years), they sacrificed their abilities to transform in order to trap U-Killersaurus, the latest Terrible Monster from Yapool, with them all living in Kobe now. It is of course an absolute delight to see all of the hosts back and together, all older and wiser but still the same guys we know and love (Though it is a little ironic to see Goh of all people tell Mebius he’s fighting too aggressively at one point). Some of their professions are a bit on the random side, with Hayata as an airport director (Somewhat of a random choice, but perhaps a response to his commandeering persona), Dan a rancher (Seven did seem to display sympathy for a lot of creatures), Goh a race car mechanic (Naturally) and Hokuto a chef (Presumably a nod to his bread delivery boy job, though it is a little unusual). With the returning brothers and a plot involving a group of aliens (Temperor, Nackle, Guts and Zarab, all with fresh redesigns) attempting to awaken U-Killersaurus and revive Yapool really makes the movie sound like a grand old time for Ultraman fans, but its sadly bogged down by a lot. Probably the biggest downside is the presence of this kid who’s disillusioned with Mebius and GUYS after they failed to save his dog during Kelbeam’s attack (which Kelbeam that was isn’t specified). If the dog actually died, it would certainly hold more weight, but somehow the dog survived, and the kid is just a mopey little twerp that eats up time. The GUYS crew also feature very little, which is also a shame, albeit was probably done in order to prevent less-familiar viewers from being alienated. The action is very solid until the climax, which is an ugly, PlayStation 2-quality CGI fest. Obviously an essential watch for those watching the series, and still worth seeing for even more casual Ultraman fans (largely due to the presence of the past hosts), but not one of the stronger Ultraman movies, sadly.
The Resurrection of Yapool (復活のヤプール) – The return of Yapool, as suggested by the title, not even an episode after the movie (This episode actually aired the very same day as the movie’s release), which kind of ruins the surprise. It actually isn’t explicitly stated how long its been since Brothers, so perhaps some time elapsed offscreen between the movie and this episode. Regardless of timing, a great episode with the returned Yapool making a super menacing impression, taunting Mirai (Where in dastardly alien fashion, only he can here it) brining along his red rain and possessing Ryu, in order to sabotage GUYS. The bond between Mirai and Ryu really begins the show itself, with Ryu’s possession (Complete with him wearing a creepy Noh mask) causing Mirai grief. At one point, the fellow GUYS members actually believe the two to be in a romantic relationship! And neither of them deny it (Albeit, Ryu was possessed and Mirai was telepathically communicating with him). After months of heartbreak from Serizawa, perhaps Ryu is ready to move on? Early on, GUYS holds a public festival that features all sort of fun set pieces, including flights by the Ultra Hawk and a Science Patrol VTOL. 4/5
The Poisonous Moth’s Program (毒蛾のプログラム) – The second in the trio of Yapool episodes, with the infamous Doragory returning. The episode actually serves as a sequel to Monster vs. Terrible-Monster vs. Alien/Life of the Sun is the Life of Ace, with it being explicitly stated that this is the same Doragory, revived and still determined to carry out his mission of destroy TAC’s Maria 1 missile, even if that was 34 years ago. Introduced is the eccentric GUYS scientist Professor Fujisawa, played by series regular Kei Ishibashi, who comes brining a device to trap Yapool within their own dimension. Her and George immediately become smitten with one another (Much to Marina’s dismay), and indulge in an extended flamenco dance. The scenes of those two together are funny, but perhaps overstay their welcome a tad bit. Doragory (Whom Teppei claims isn’t among the brighter Terrible-Monsters) seems to believe Fujisawa is involved in Maria 1, and possess her to prevent it’s launch, much like how Metron Jr. possessed Maya 34 years back. While the callbacks are certainly fun, they be feel a bit arbitrary, as the episode would have worked just as well, if not better, with Yapool simply trying to prevent Fujisawa’s device from being unleashed. 3.5/5
Flying to Tomorrow (明日への飛翔) – The third and final installment in the Yapool trilogy, with GUYS set to use the Dimensional Dissolver to trap Yapool within their dimension. To do this, Sakomizu plans to fly Phoenix Nest, their base which is revealed to be capable to flight. Problem is, he’s critically injured by Velokron’s missile, leaving the mission in the hands of aide Misaki, the only other person capable of flying the base. The remaining GUYS members don’t want to endanger her, and vow to learn to fly the base in time to lock Yapool out of their world once and for all. As expected, there are some great, triumphant scenes as expected with GUYS fighting for what they believe in. The revelation of Misaki being a capable pilot seems like buildup to her partaking in missions in the future, but sadly this never occurs, with her remaining sidelined throughout the show. Despite some wasted potential, she remains a likable character who’s definitley given some solid development here. 4/5
Champion of the Fierce Fight (激戦の覇者) – After a movie and epic set of episodes, we have a nice, lighthearted breather, which is pretty ironic considering the main villain of the episode is none other than Zetton, or at least a capsule monster of it from METEOR. The episode involves Toiryama asking for GUYS’ (Well, Teppei anyways) for input on new capsule monsters, having taken samples from various monsters that previously attacked. Much of the episode is a clipshow showcasing the selected monsters with commentary by the GUYS crew, but its fun enough. What’s interesting is among the beings with DNA extracted to become a potential bio-weapon for GUYS is none other than Mebius. The idea of a governmental organization creating their own Ultra was seen previously in Ultraman Dyna, to disastrous results, and would later be revisited in Ultraman Z, to an equally catastrophic outcome. Here, it isn’t really explored much, with the artificial Mebius merely being incompetent and being quickly killed by Zetton. The real Mebius reveal he has the power to enter GUYS’ grid, as if he’s Gridman in order to destroy the recreated Zetton, whom having been born from the original, still holds a grudge and attempts to destroy GUYS’ systems internally. 3.5/5
Konomi’s Treasure (コノミの宝物) – A Konomi-centric episode, as suggested by the title, with a childhood friend coming to visit. Said friend, whom she hasn’t seen in a good decade, helped her through tough times during schooldays, with his inspiring words being her titular “treasure”. Of course, there winds up being a twist to their meeting, with a guy randomly arriving to visit a friend he hasn’t seen since he was a child being more than a little suspicious. It’s all more than a bit soap opera-esque, but Konomi is such a bubbly, lovable character, its hard not to sympathize with her. Mirai officially destroys any rumors of his heterosexuality by taking Konomi out shopping for clothes for her date, with Misaki even joining the spree. She doesn’t add much to it, but its nice to see her out. Nova returns, though it latching off the sad emotions like in its original appearance actually don’t come in to play, despite the whole focus of the episode being a sad event happening to Konomi. 3.5/5
Day of Farewell (別れの日)/The Flame of Promise (約束の炎) – A definite “game changer” two-parter, with Mebius being told to leave Earth in anticipation for an arriving threat. Mirai giving his goodbyes to the GUYS crew, telling them to follow their dreams (Teppei a doctor, Marina a racer, Konomi a teacher, George a soccer star and Ryu a GUYS captain) is pretty heartbreaking. Beans are spilled regarding Mebius’ true nature, which is something that hasn’t ever been done at the midway point of the show in the franchise, with Ryu being the first to find out. The robotic threat Imperializer is all-powerful, but seems to only be a herald for something bigger. Mebius’ mentor Taro appears throughout (having only had an extended cameo in the movie), apparently intending to take Mebius’ place in defending Earth from this foe, ready to sacrifice himself. Noticeably absent however is Saburo Shinoda as Kotaro, or indeed ANY sort of host for Taro, with him only appearing in giant form when the time for battle comes. Apparently, scheduling conflicts prevented Shinoda from returning to the show, though some sources claim him turning the part down, wanting Kotaro to forever remain a “youthful” figure. Regardless, the lack of Kotaro would seem to confirm their permanent separation, with them never having remerged (like in the case of Ultraman and Hayata), nor does Taro ever once assume Kotaro’s form in homage (as will later seen with Ultras such as Max). 4/5
Thoughts of Friends (仲間達の想い) – Picking up right where the last episode left off, with Mirai exhausted from the previous battle, but his heart heavier than ever. Most of the episode is essentially an assurance of GUYS and Mebius’ new relationship, which is nice, if a bit unneeded. Without a doubt, the episode’s highlight is the new monster Roberuga, a new Saucer Beast that ancillary media would state was born from the remains of Black Star, though this tidbit sadly doesn’t make it into the episode. GUYS celebrates Sakomizu’s birthday, perhaps homaging the celebration of MAC member Matsuki’s birthday before their fateful encounter with Silver Bloome? 4/5
The Monster Master’s Legacy (怪獣使いの遺産) – In what may be seen as sacrilege to some, a sequel to The Monster Master and the Boy, with another Mates alien coming to Earth with peaceful intentions. However, having learned about his predecessor’s experience, this one comes armed with his own Muruchi (The original episode seemed to imply Mates had simply trapped Muruchi, whereas here states the monster belongs to the alien, though one could surmise they created this Muruchi based on the original Earth-bound creature). There’s some serious hypocrisy in GUYS immediately believing the Mates to be hostile just because he’s carrying a monster, despite them to be loaded to the gills with weaponry. But of course, humans just cannot wrap their heads around that, with Ryu almost immediately opening fire on the Mates who was merely trying to talk to Mirai. We see recreated scenes from the original episode involving the original Mates and the boy, which are admittedly a bit awkward, and probably would have been more effective as just stock footage (Though we do see some original shots of the two bonding, which is nice). However, we get a scene of the boy several years later as a teenager, still digging that hole. Despite the horrific experience he went through, he remained optimistic about humans and aliens one day living in harmony. It’s clear that the orphaned boy’s words had an impact on at least one person, who in turn taught them to her peers. Small steps perhaps, but proof that humankind is not all bad. While not a perfect sequel, it’s more optimistic ending puts a nice cap to the extremally bleak original. The episode won awards. 4/5
Lady of the Blue Fire (青い火の女) – A Tepppei-centered episode featuring the return of Femigon, who this time comes possessing the sister of Teppei’s classmate. Unlike her previous possession, where she only revealed her true form at the end, this Femigon is constantly switching back and forth between girl and monster, certainly upping the severity of the situation (She can emerge and disappear at only moment) and making it all the more hard for GUYS and Mebius to attack the monster. Teppei gets into a heated exchange with his teammates about attacking Femigon, especially once he and the girl hit it off somewhat, and while GUYS vow to try their best to cure her, Teppei needs to know there will be causalities in this line of work. The solution is a bit of a deus ex machina (It would have been fun had Fujisawa been mentioned as the device’s creator), but a good episode all around, with an ending that’s quite sad but still optimistic. 3.5/5
The Man Without a Home (故郷のない男) – Perhaps to make up for his lack of presence in comparison to the previous six Ultra Brothers, a full-fledged Ultraman Leo tribute episode, and an excellent one at that. Follows in the same essential formula as many of Leo’s early episodes, with Mebius being defeated early-on by an alien and needing to undergo harsh training in order to defeat him. Some great Leo callbacks are present throughout, including GUYS first meeting Ryu on Kuroshio Island (the island decimated by the Gilas Brothers and home to Momoko). Ryu considers Earth his true home, more so than M-78 despite him having joined the Ultra Brothers’ ranks, and isn’t pleased with how Mebius has been protecting it, criticizing his overreliance on GUYS. Indeed, Leo almost always did things by himself, with MAC being among the franchise’s most useless crews, but his individualist mindset doesn’t go unchallenged – while it is good not to solely rely on others, teamwork is a core ingredient to success. This message essentially mirrors Taro‘s 5 Seconds Before the Great Explosion on the Land of Ultra!/The Last Day of the Six Ultra Brothers! (despite this being a Leo loveletter), giving equal credence to both sides and finding a way to balance them perfectly. 5/5
Azure Waves of Light and Shadow (群青の光と影) – After a notable absence, the return of Hikari, who returns in his Tsurugi armor wrecking havoc despite having been redeemed. Of course, there’s a catch to it, said catch being a Babalu alien out to frame Hikari after a humiliating battle (See episode 3 of Hikari Gaiden). The episode isn’t so much about trying to figure out which is the real Hikari, but rather for Hikari to prove that he is a changed man despite his past history of violence. Tsurugi’s violent behavior has apparently resonated in the general public’s heads, with them being distrustful of Hikari, something Babalu takes full advantage of. Apparently, Hikari being a blue Ultraman, something which hasn’t been seen by humans (in this timeline of course) plays a part in their distrust of him, too. Ryu, at least by his standards, is surprisingly reserved about GUYS’ treatment of Serizawa, confining him due to their suspicions of Tsurugi. 4/5
Mirai’s Younger Sister (ミライの妹) – A smaller-scale episode, with a group of teenage aliens coming to Earth solely to cause mischief. One of the aliens befriends GUYS and even begins to refer to herself as Mirai’s little sister, something that touches his heart. Apparently, another species referring to itself as the sibling of an Ultra is worn as a badge of honor to them, after all of the close bonds they’ve found with Earthlings. The time spent with her and GUYS is too short-lived for the twist to really leave much of an impact sadly, but its not bad. Perhaps the most notable part of the episode is the ending, revealing a space-time wave that surrounding Earth that brought the race to it. In addition, the Mysteller-Ateria War is said to still be going strong, and Planet Varduck apparently exists still, which would indicate the astronomical body destroyed by Ultraman Jack was not their homeworld. 3/5
Father’s Return (父の背中) – Though he has been seen throughout the series, first christening Mebius and a few times since expressing concern, a full-on Father of Ultra-centric episode. Father has apparently become a beloved figure in human culture, with an annual celebration being held on the anniversary of his first appearance (Presumably the events of Annihilation! The Five Ultra Brothers/Miracle! The Father of Ultra). The three-faced baddie Jashrine makes for a unique foe that manages to turn Mebius into solid gold. The stuff with the little boy and his overworked father whom he believes is neglecting him is schmaltzy, but that’s aright every once in a while. Making the father the taxi driver’s son as seen in Annihilation! The Five Ultra Brothers/Miracle! The Father of Ultra might have been a fun touch, albeit not a necessary one. 4/5
Isana of the Ocean (オーシャンの勇魚) – A “crossover” of sorts between GUYS Japan and GUYS Ocean, with Ocean member Isana coming to assist the Japan crew in defeating a monster. Isana is cocky and hotheaded, but aside from some bad blood with Araiso, he surprisingly doesn’t butt heads with the GUYS crew, instead gladly cooperating with them to lure the monster via echolocation. Some funny scenes of GUYS trying hard to not let the beans spill on Mirai’s identity. 4/5
An Invincible Mother (無敵のママ) – A change of pace, focusing on GUYS’ cook, in the form of mother-of-six Sayuri. Its certainly nice to have an episode from a blue collar point of the view, and said cook, a tough, hardworking mom is very likeable, which makes the scene in which she’s struck by a moving vehicle all the more tragic. That is, until she is selected for her bravery (Or is it her GUYS access) by the mysterious Serpent alien, in an obvious homage to Ultraman and Goh’s merging in All Monsters Attack. Some fun to be had, even if the climax gets a little too goofy. Serpent is a great design, harkening back to Seven aliens, particularly Shaplay. 3.5/5
Lonely Paradise (ひとりの楽園) – A slightly more lowkey episode than usual, with a plant lifeform targeting lonely people throughout the city. The concept of lonely people being harvested as a power source for a monster was utilized back in Max with Eleking, but is nonetheless effective. The main focus is on a lonesome teenage girl, who’s so-called “friends” take advantage of her money. The scenes with them feel like a tacky teen drama, but the girl is nevertheless sympathetic. We actually see Mirai out on his day off, where he still attempts to be a voice of a reason when confronting said group of friends. 3.5/5
Teacher’s Memories (思い出の先生) – The Ultraman 80 tribute, and like the Leo one before it, a fantastic love letter to the character of 80 and his series. Though it only lasted for the first twelve episodes, the schoolteacher aspect of 80 remains its most defining aspect, so as a result, the episode centers on a reunion of students from the soon-to-be-demolished Sakuragaoka Middle School, all of whom were students of Yamato’s (and one of whom now teaches there). Though they aren’t played by their original actors (Though there apparently was an attempt to track them down), seeing the students reunited and reminiscing about Yamato is an absolute delight. Yamato’s short tenure is noted by the students, and while it can be presumed he left in-part due to his UGM duties, 80 himself cites his failure to prevent students from concocting monsters with minus energy as being his reason for leaving. Despite his short time there, the impact Yamato left on his students is unmeasured, with various students now living successful lives, thanks in no small part to Yamato’s encouraging words. Said reunion sequence is a complete tear-jerker, and anybody who doesn’t feel that way simply cannot be human. The monster 80 chases to Earth is a revived Roberuga, which is a little odd considering said monster was an homage to the Saucer Beasts of Leo. Though its a very tough-call as all (with one possible exception) tribute episodes are great, a good contender for the show’s best. 5/5
An Old Friend’s Visit (旧友の来訪) – Featuring the return of a fairly deep-cut character in the form of UltraSeven‘s Takenaka Jinguji, who’s since become the Supreme General of GUYS. It only makes sense for Kenji Sahara to be featured in the show given his long association with the franchise, but to bring him back as an established character is a real nice touch (Especially given how many authority roles he played). As a little homage to Jun Majome, the Ultra Q “swirl” can be heard during his entrance. His longstanding friendship with Sakomizu is established, which certainly raises some eyebrows given their age gap. More is revealed about Sakomizu’s past, and hints are given at just who GUYS’ Inspector General is. Gomora and Red King both appear, being quick and easy reuses of their Max suits, though a returning force is clearly behind them. The lack of UMA or WINR memorabilia in Sakomizu’s office seems to confirm Towards the Future and Ultimate Hero as not having occurred in this universe, unless you want to say they’re just offscreen (Or that Sakomizu is a fervent nationalist). Teppei also claims Gomora’s appearance at Johnson Islands is the first monster attack on the Southern Hemisphere outside of Japan, though he’s presumably referring to just since the start of this show, as past shows have made numerous references to monsters appearing in other parts of the world. 4/5
Threatening Mebius-Killer (脅威のメビウスキラー)/Ace’s Wish (エースの願い) – After teases from the previous episode, the beginning of the show’s endgame arc, featuring the return of Yapool, bringing along with him Ace Killer (Now known as Mebius Killer) and Lunatyx. Yapool is revealed to be one of the “Four Heavenly Kings”, serving a great emperor. Yapool considering themselves a servant of anyone does seem a bit out-of-character, but it certainly makes one wonder just how powerful said being must be…which makes the end results a bit more disappointing. GUYS discovers the source of the space-time wave – on the moon, which results in them venturing off without Mirai, who’s trapped in Yapool’s dimension. Along with Yapool, Aya from the movie returns, revealing herself to be Jinguji’s granddaughter (Fortunately, her brother is absent) and clearly suspecting of Mirai’s identity. Also back is, in an unexpected move, the tabloid “journalist” from Konomi’s Treasure. His presence may seem head-scratching at first, but it comes into play during a crucical scene in which Yapool tests Mirai’s faith in humanity, in addition to a shocking ending. If all of those returning characters weren’t enough, the second part puts a lot of focus on Ultraman Ace, with Hokuto giving inspiring words to Mirai and GUYS, with a certain other host even returning. Hokuto’s voice is only alos heard by Marina, which seems to confirm her hearing abilities as being supernatural in nature. If the Ace homages weren’t good enough, Yapool’s human form (Who’s dressed remarkably similarly to Commander Black) is played by Koji Shimizu, who played the Yapool-affiliated manga artist in 30,000 Year Terrible-Monster Appears. 4.5/5
Deathrem’s Plot (デスレムのたくらみ) – Continuing from the previous episode, with the next Heavenly King Deathrem taking a stab at things. The episode quite literally starts off with a bang, with GUYS’ Phoenix Nest exploding while returning from the moon. Its soon revealed though that they’re merely being held hostage by Deathrem, who promises to let them go only if Mebius turns himself in. There’s certainly a big dilemma at play here, as letting the GUYS crew go means Mebius’ death, all but assuring Deathrem’s victory. The public is quick to catch on to this, basically telling GUYS to accept their fate. Those scenes can certainly be dark, albeit the overacting from some of the civilians may hamper it a bit. As the previous episode was a love letter to Ace, Jack features this time around, first with Goh giving Mirai prep talk and later joining in for the final fight. While his scenes are great, his presence can’t help but feel a little tacked on when compared to Ace’s (While he plays a key role in the climax, said position probably could have been filled in by George or even Misaki with just a few tweaks to the script). That said, there is a cool Return of Ultraman homage in the form of the ham radio operator who receives GUYS’ call, with him being played by Jack suit actor Eiichi Kikuchi. 3.5/5
The Immortal Glozam (不死身のグローザム) – The arrival of third Heavnly King Glozam, who freezes Mebius (which also puts him in an obligatory crucified state). With only Marina and Konomi fit for duty (All other GUYS members are still injured from last time), all hope seems lost, at least until Konomi gets prep talk from a certain Mr. Dan Moroboshi. Much of the episode is a big to homage to Seven Assassination Plan, albeit with a more “girl power” twist. Fujisawa returns, having developed a METEOR technology derived from Mangelim Energy (the same element used to free Seven during his imprisonment by Guts), which Misaki, Konomi and Marina hope to use to free Mebius from his icy state. Konomi meeting Dan and being encouraged in-part by him to overcome her fear and not give up really brings things full circle, with the episode harkening back to the pool scene between her and Mirai and them imitating the “Ultra Eye” pose all the way back in Broken Bonds. 4/5
Mephilas’ Game (メフィラスの遊戯) – The fourth and final Heavenly King, being none other than Mephilas. Like his first appearance (And not counting that buffoon Taro incarnation), he opts to take over Earth using non-violent methods, instead wanting to humiliate Mebius and break his spirit. He does this via mindwashing people including GUYS, putting them in a topsy-turvy situation where Mephilas is Earth’s savior (with GUYS answering to him as if he’s an almighty being and not an ally) and Mebius is just another invader. Seeing the GUYS view Mirai as an intruder and potential threat is certainly heartbreaking given all they’ve been through together. It’s abundantly clear this is meant to be the original Mephilas, with Ultraman pursuing him, with his identical mannerisms and voice actor Seizo Kato reprising the role. This should be set in stone, but for some inexplicable reason, Tsuburaya released a Tweet on April Fools Day claiming the Mephilas seen in this episode is in fact the brother of the one from the original show. This is frankly absurd and is best ignored (Granted, there is the segment in Ultraman Story where the Taro/Mephilas battle is repurposed as being Taro fighting a returned Mephilas, but the canonicity of the movie is ambiguous at best). This will be only further complicated by the presence of a Mephilas in Ultra Galaxy NEO who’s also voiced by Kato and is a servant of Empera, but cannot be this one for several reasons. Perhaps a way of looking at it is the Mephilas from this episode and The Forbidden Words being one and the same and the Ultra Galaxy Mephilas being his brother. Fortunately, none of this confusion makes it way into the episode, and it remains a fantastic follow-up to the original episode and a great loveletter to the original series that started it all. 4.5/5
Advent of the Emperor (皇帝の降臨)/Dark Clouds of Despair (絶望の暗雲)/Words from the Heart (心からの言葉) – Final Trilogy (最終三部作) – The three-part series finale, properly introducing Empera, the lord of darkness first mentioned in Ultraman Taro and the mastermind behind many of the supernatural events in the series. With Mirai’s secret out of the bag thanks to a certain tabloid “journalist”, he gives the Earth the option of turning Mebius in exchange for their lives. The episodes certainly have an optimistic view of humanity, which the whole series has built up on, making it a real fitting closure to the present-Earth Showa timeline (The Ultra Galaxy shows and any subsequent series/movies are set in the far future). The GUYS members all get to shine, as they should – the series has treated them as nothing but equals to Mirai – they’ve played just as important a role in defending Earth as Mebius. Without one, the other would have fallen at the show’s start. Even Toriyama and Maru get to shine, proving themselves as heroes despite their occasional incompetence. Humanity aren’t the only ones grateful for the work Mebius and GUYS have done, as the second part features several aliens from throughout the show returning to assist them in the battle against Empera, notably a certain swordsman. The identity of GUYS’ elusive Inspector General is finally revealed, and while perhaps a bit improbable, it’s a great twist nonetheless. These episodes really do have the working of a perfect finale, but the only real drawback is Empera himself, who while menacing enough, winds up feeling very generic, especially after all this buildup. His typical “villainous” design, basically a cross between Sauron and Darth Vader, doesn’t help either. Reportedly, the climax was originally intended to be even more epic, with the GUYS members each merging with the four Ultra Brothers, but the high-number of stuntmen that would have required was apparently out of their budget. The Brothers of course still play a part in protecting the sun, the source of their energy when on Earth, and includes Astra’s only real appearance in the show (despite him featuring in the intro). Regardless, its still a very solid conclusion that hits all the right, gushy marks you’d come to expect from the series, with a real tear-jerker of an ending scene. 4.5/5
Beta Capsule Reviews 