Hi, everybody! Sailor Q here again!! Today's
episode review is of one of the most important Ultraman episodes ever done!!!
The episode that was actually shot first in production order and the
introduction of the Ultra's greatest foe, Ultraman Episode 2: Shoot the
Invader, first shown on July 24th, 1966.
After the title sequence, we are brought
right into Science Patrol headquarters and..wow..is Ide ever sporting a shiner!
After a talk on a telephone with someone who doesn't have anything to do with
the plot and won't appear in the episode, the cast suddenly decides to break
the fourth wall on us as our comic relief member decides to tell us all about
how he got his magnificence black eye. SHIMMER SHIMMER SHIMMER! We get our
first look at the science patrol sleeping quarters here and apparently everyone
likes to sleep in their uniforms! After being saved from the hell that is
Arashi's snoring, we find out that straaaaange things are going on. An unknown
object has appeared and apparently has landed somewhere near the science
center, a building which somehow appears in almost every other episode. After a
bit of comedy involving Arashi's footware, our strong man heads out to
investigate and oh god no....Hoshino has followed him. Time for some annoying kid
comedy! Hang in their folks! Entering, arashi finds to his horror that someone
has been messing around with the green paint! Actually they've been paralyzed
by unknown means. It's soon after this that we get our first look at the alien
villain, appearing and disappearing behind Arashi and then paralyzing him.
Creepy alien is creepy!
Introducing
Baltan-Seijin!
COMMERCIAL! Hayata shows up with troops who are very good at
being picked off one by one by the alien. Hayata encounters the alien himself
but finds his weapons are no good. After another commercial break, we return to
a defense meeting where Captain Murasashi suggests we talk to the aliens, offer
them a beer and show them the best clubs. The defense force of course says no
but since the rest of them are just extras and don't have any actual extra
lines, they go with the captain. After some more comedic moments with Ide and
language barriers, Ide and Hayata go to the science center again to face the
alien. After a lot of awesome special effects moments, the two science patrol
members finally face the creature who is using Arashi as its personal voice
actor. They reveal themselves Baltan-Seijins (seijin = star man = alien)and
have come to earth to..what else..TAKE OVER THE WORLD! When Hayata offers them
to move to Mars, they simply say they don't like it and let go of Arashi.
Growing to giant size, the Baltan knocks out Hayata, who convently drops his
beta capsule over the side of the building.
Hail our new
cicada overlords!
When the army fails to take down giant cicada man, Hayata
decides to get back his beta capsule the only way he can: by throwing himself
off the side of the science center. MANLY! Transforming, Ultraman chases after
the flying Baltan, mangrabbing him. Meanwhile, the captain figures that the
uber rare element specium is what the Baltans are so afraid which...surprise
surprise...is the main power source of Ultraman's Specium Ray (wow plot point
convence at it's max!). Smoting the Baltan really good and destroying the
Baltan's ship with the rest of the baltan population on it, we return to the
headquarters of the Science Patrol, where Ide still hasn't told us how the hell
he got his black eye. Lo and behold, he fell off the bed while sleeping!
Hahahahahahahahah...HA! My sides are splitting. However, I'm sure we'll NEEEVER
have to worry about these aliens again! Right?....right?......
“Seriously kid,
why do you hang out with us?”
Sailor Q's
Thoughts
As an episode, Shoot the Invader is probably
one of the most important in the Ultraman mythos, introducing to use the
eternal foes of the Ultras, Baltan-Seijin. These space ninjas would be seen on
and off through the course of almost every show, always returning with that
same spooky laugh of FWO FWO FWO FWO (see below). The laugh itself came from
an eailer Japanese film called Matango, also known in the states as Attack of
the Mushroom People. The costume was also recycled from the previous show ULTRA
Q, originally taking the form of The Cicada Man. It is also worth noting that
this episode was the first actually made in the series, preceding Ultra
Operation 1 in production. This can be seen in the large amount of special
effects work that went into the Baltan's disappearing and multiplication
powers. The episode is also great for giving Masanari Nihei a chance to shine
with the comedic character of ide. The scene of between him and Hayata as he
desperately asking him to come into building with him is priceless. Overall it
ranks as an above average episode and a must see for any person wishing to
explore the world of Ultraman.
What you learn
from Ultraman
·
It's always best to sleep in your uniform
·
Space cicadas are creepy
·
It's super easy to speak SPACE LANGUAGE!
·
Space cicadas are REALLLLLY creepy
Stay tuned for next week when we encounter invisible
monsters and Hoshino tries to be a hero...we're doomed.
