The Kaiju of the Week Begins Here!
The world is filled with mystery and monsters. As Japan finds itself under assault from multiple creatures, reporters Jun (Kenji Sahara), Yuriko (Hiroko Sakurai), and Ippei (Yasuhiko Saijo) try to find the facts and expose the reason behind the attacks. The monsters continue to rise and the terror grows.
Ultra Q is a Japanese black-and-white science-fiction horror anthology thriller series. The series is considered the first season of the long running Ultraman series. It aired from January 2, 1966 to December 17, 1967 on JNN.
Ultraman was mostly just an image growing up. When the Super NES came out, the character appeared in his own video game. Now with readily available streaming and more easy access, the Ultraman series is readily available…and this first season is a fun ride.
All hail the glory of Gamaron!!!
The season isn’t really an Ultraman season. The show became a giant robot battling a giant monster series, but this season is more of a precursor to shows like Kolchak and The X-Files…but with kaiju. Some of the episodes are more along the lines of The Twilight Zone, but generally it still winds up with a monster of some sort. Sometimes it feels natural, and sometimes it feels forced…but with the anthology format it is pretty smooth.
The weird thing about the season is the quasi-continuing storyline of the investigators Jun (Kenji Sahara), Yuriko (Hiroko Sakurai), and Ippei (Yasuhiko Saijo). Shows like Jonny Quest and The X-Files always had their characters…even The Twilight Zone always had Rod Serling. In Ultra Q it is sometimes a toss-up if the characters will show up. Sometimes they play a prominent role, and other times, they almost are just cameos. It isn’t very consistent.
Sometimes you just need a giant attacking a doll
What sells Ultra Q is that Ultra Q is a kaiju show. Godzilla was a favorite growing up, but Godzilla is limited in that it was a movie, and it didn’t get to have tons of different kaiju. Some of the kaiju are stupid, some are scary, some are underused, and some like Garamon and Ragon are perfect. With long seasons, you get fun weird stories like giant moles and haunt house spiders. The black-and-white probably helps the show and due to the high quality nature of present day prints, you can definitely see the strings pulling some of the puppets.
If you are a Godzilla fan, you have to seek out Ultra Q. Ultraman feels a bit more niche in that you have to really commit to robots vs. monsters, but Ultra Q has variety, fun, and a classic “early TV” style from another country that you don’t always get to see in the United States. It is a fun and fast ride. Ultra Q was followed by Ultraman (which introduces the popular character).
Ultraman—Season 1: Ultra Q Complete Episode Guide:
“Defeat Gomess”
1.1 Defeat Gomess! Airdate: 01/02/66
A mining tunnel between Tokyo and Asaka accidentally unearths two monsters. Jun (Kenji Sahara) and Yuriko (Hiroko Sakurai) find themselves trapped in the tunnel with a monster named Gomess while a boy named Jiro (Junji Muraoka) and Ippei (Yasuhiko Saijo) are faced with a giant egg that could harbor another beast. Gomess is a creature bent on destruction, and Litra is the only monster who might stop it.
“Goro and Goro”
1.2 Goro and Goro Airdate: 01/09/66
Goro is a giant mutant monkey that has evolved on Amagi Mountain and his only friend is a mute human named Goro (Kazuo Suzuki). When Goro goes on a rampage, the authorities might be forced to kill the creature if Seki (Yoshibumi Tajima) and Ippei cannot find a way to save it.
“The Gift from Space”
1.3 The Gift from Space Airdate: 01/16/66
Jun and Yuriko witness a space capsule crashes to Earth after scientists think it was lost on a mission to Mars. Two gold objects are found in capsule which transform into giant slugs called Namegon when accidentally released by a thief.
“Mammoth Flower”
1.4 Mammoth Flower Airdate: 01/23/66
A colossal killer flower has taken root under Tokyo, and the Juran threatens to destroy the city if the vines are not stopped.
“Peguila Is Here”
1.5 Peguila Is Here! Airdate: 01/30/66
Jun and Yoko Kuhara (Nami Tamura) travel to Antarctica and learns Yoko has ulterior motives involving her missing fiancé. When a mystery develops involving a monster named Peguila, the team must find a way to survive the frozen attack.
“Grow Up! Little Turtle”
1.6 Grow Up! Little Turtle Airdate: 02/06/66
Taro (Kazuo Nakamura) loves turtles and when his pet turtle Gameron is accidentally taken by robbers, Taro finds himself on an adventure to get him back. Taro hopes Gameron can grant his wish and take him to the Dragon Palace…but even if he does, will anyone believe him?
“S.O.S. Mount Fuji”
1.7 S.O.S. Mount Fuji Airdate: 02/13/66
A real life Tarzan is living in the woods of Mount Fuji, and Yuriko is investigating with the help of Mitsuko (Kazuko Ichikawa) who suspects Takero (Eishiro Takashima) could be her long lost brother. When Mount Fuji begins to erupt, a rock monster named Gorgos is born and only Takero can stop it.
“Terror of the Sweet Honey”
1.8 Terror of the Sweet Honey Airdate: 02/20/66
Kimura (Susumu Kurobe) has created a super nutrient to feed to bees, but when the nutrient is ingested by a mole, Mongula is born! Jun, Yuriko, Ippei, and Dr. Ichinotani (Ureo Egawa) find Kimura is being blamed for Mongula’s destruction, but a mystery surrounding the mole could prove otherwise.
“Baron Spider”
1.9 Baron Spider Airdate: 02/27/66
Becoming lost in the countryside, Jun, Ippei, Yuriko, and their friends find themselves in an abandoned house…and the Tarantula is lurking in the darkness.
“The Underground Super Express Goes West”
1.10 The Underground Super Express Goes West Airdate: 03/06/66
Itachi (Tetsuo Yamamura) wants nothing more to ride the new rocket train between Tokyo and Kyushu. Sneaking aboard, Itachi finds himself in danger when an experimental jelly is transformed into an ape-like creature called M1 which accidentally takes control of the train.
“Balloonga”
1.11 Balloonga Airdate: 03/13/66
When Jun, Ippei, and Yuriko go to investigate the crash of a spaceship, they discover a strange energy absorbing balloon called Balloonga. Balloonga is getting bigger and the city is shut down. When Ippei is injured, his only hope is to get Balloonga to leave so hospital services can be restored.
“I Saw a Bird”
1.12 I Saw a Bird Airdate: 03/20/66
A terror is striking Japan and the only clue could be a dying man’s claim that he “saw a bird”. A little boy named Saburo (Akihide Tsuwaza) finds a bird he names Kuro, but Kuro could be a danger…as a prehistoric monster named Larugeus.
“Garadama”
1.13 Garadama Airdate: 03/27/66
An asteroid lands in a small town, and Dr. Ichinotani discovers that it could be leading to a bigger mystery. When a second larger asteroid crashes into lake, the threat becomes real in the form of Garamon.
“Tokyo Ice Age”
1.14 Tokyo Ice Age Airdate: 04/03/66
Peguila is back and this time he is threatening Japan! As the country starts to freeze, the only hope could be a boy named Haruo (Hideaki Sato) and his father (Masahiko Arima), alcoholic World War II pilot on the run.
“Kanegon’s Cocoon”
1.15 Kanegon’s Cocoon Airdate: 04/10/66
Kaneo Kaneda (Satoshi Tsujisawa) discovers himself transformed into a creature named Kanegon by a magical object, and Kanegon only hope could be his friends.
“Garamon Strikes Back”
1.16 Garamon Strikes Back Airdate: 04/17/66
The theft of the Tilsonite meteor leads to the return of Garamon…but the secret of the thief might never be found if Garamon destroys Tokyo.
“The 1/8 Project”
1.17 The ⅛ Project Airdate: 04/24/66
The 1/8 Project seeks to shrink people to deal with overcrowding and supply chain issues, but when Yuriko accidentally discovers the project, she could be trapped forever.
“The Rainbow Egg”
1.18 The Rainbow’s Egg Airdate: 05/01/66
The loss of a truck transporting uranium leads to the discovery that a monster called Pagos has risen from the ground. Meanwhile, a group of children search for the Rainbow’s Egg to help cure an old woman in the village…As a girl named Piko (Hikaru Shirakawa) seeks the egg, the danger of Pagos could be growing.
“Challenge from the Year 2020”
1.19 Challenge from the Year 2020 Airdate: 05/08/66
The appearance of a UFO in the skies above Japan leads to strange disappearances around the country. A man named Udagawa (Kan Yanagiya) could hold the secrets to the disappearances, but the resemblance to a science-fiction novel called Challenge of the Year 2020 could undermine his theories.
“The Primordial Amphibian”
1.20 The Primordial Amphibian Ragon Airdate: 05/15/66
Yuriko is sent with Jun to report on new volcanic activity and meets with Professor Ishii (Jirô Ishizaki) and his sister Fumiko (Megumi Tama). Ishii fears Japan is going to sink into the sea, and the arrival of a monster called Ragon could prove his theory correct.
“Space Directive M774”
1.21 Space Directive M774 Airdate: 05/22/66
Yuriko receives a warning from the Planet Ruparts from an alien named Zemi that the Bostang will attack Earth soon.
“Metamorphosis”
1.22 Metamorphosis Airdate: 05/29/66
An entomologist named Koji (Kôzô Nomura) disappears while hunting a rare butterfly in the mountains. Koji’s fiancée Ayako (Machiko Naka) seeks help from Yuriko when reports of a giant abominable snow man come from the area.
“Fury of the South Sea”
1.23 Fury of the South Sea Airdate: 06/05/66
The sinking of a ship by a giant octopus called Sudar has Jun investigating the island near where it occurred while Yuzo (Akira Kubo) hopes to avenge his father.
“The Statue of Goga”
1.24 The Statue of Goga Airdate: 07/12/66
The kidnapping of a child named Tami (Reiko Yamagata) is tied to the theft of a statue…but the statue has a curse in the form of a monster snail called Goga.
“The Devil Child”
1.25 The Devil Child Airdate: 06/19/66
A magic performance surrounding a child name Lily (Noriko Sakabe) slight of hand…but true magic. Professor Ichinotani suspects the type of hypnosis used on Lily is created a ghost child, but her father Akunama (Yoshi Kosugi) doesn’t believe it is the cause.
“Blazing Glory”
1.26 Blazing Glory Airdate: 06/26/66
Dynamite Joe (Kentarô Kudô) is the hottest boxer around. When he abruptly quits to secretly become a clown, Yuriko, Jun, and Ippei investigate and learn about Joe’s pet Frank who has a power of his own.
“The Disappearance of Flight 206”
1.27 The Disappearance of Flight 206 Airdate: 07/03/66
Jun and Ippei are on a new supersonic jet flight. When 206 enters a dimensional portal, Jun and Ippei are stranded and trapped with an escaped criminal as the chances of the plane’s return tick away.
“Open Up!”
1.28 Open Up! Airdate: 12/17/67
A strange flying train has appeared over Japan. Those who enter the train learn that it is a means to escape the lives they’ve grown tired of…but it also can lead to madness. Jun and Yuriko investigate a writer named Kenji Tomono (Hideyo Amamoto) who might have created the world as an escape.
