Review: Ultraman Episode 19 - Demons Rise Again

 

Ultraman Episode #19

Demons Rise Again

Directed by: Samaji Nonagase

Screenplay by: Masahiro Yamada and Ryu Minamikawa

Review by Toku Tom Fool

This episode begins with Ivan Ooze unearthing his Ectomorphicons. Okay, that's not what's happening but it's a similar setup. A construction site unearths some kind of capsule and of course our SSSP members are there to give their thoughts. They also have  a Dr. Fukuyama with them and he's an expert on anthropology.  Fukuyama claims this is a time capsule from 300,005,000 years ago which is an oddly specific number. I wasn't sure it was being translated right but that use that number a few more times in the episode. The time capsule is broken and missing a part but it does include a smaller capsule with blue liquid inside as well as a metal plate. Ide and Fuji discuss what could have happened to the broken part of the time capsule and we learn pretty quickly as another smaller capsule is unearthed by an excavator. This one is a smaller capsule with red liquid and dumped out onto the ground away from the excavation area.


 

Back at HQ, the SSSP discuss the time capsule and what Earth was like 300,005,000 years ago and I don't think they have any of their history right. Fuji even claims there was an advanced human civilization living during this time. That proves to be true for the Earth in Ultraman but my Earth isn't that exciting unless the ancient alien theory is true. Arashi thinks the blue liquid could be explosive and blow up while Ide thinks it's just a nice time capsule like the ones we make today. I admire Ide's positivity but this a show with giant monsters so he's wrong. Muramatsu gets a call and is told the metal plate has writing on it. He then sends Hayata and Ide join Dr. Fukuyama in finding out what it means. Ide rubs this in Arashi's face which I find funny. 

At Fukuyama's laboratory, Ide, Hayata, and Dr. Fukuyama examine the metal plate. Fukuyama can't figure out how to read it until Ide drops it and the plate reflects words on the wall. Fukuyama tells Ide and Hayata that his people will try to decipher it. Meanwhile, a storm develops and a bolt of lightning strikes the capsule containing the red liquid. The lightning strike releases a big red monster. Ide and Hayata are being forced to wait for Fukuyama to decipher the plate. Hayata has a bad feeling about all of this while Ide is falling asleep. I'm with Ide on this one.

Muramatsu sends Arashi in the Jet VTOL to attack the red monster and he calls Ide to help him in one as well. Hayata is left to wait on answers from Dr. Fukuyama. Dr. Fukuyama comes out and tells him that two monsters, Banila the red and Aboras the blue, were sealed away by the advanced society from 300,005,000 years ago. Unfortunately, Fukuyama's people accidentally release Aboras and he wrecks the lab because he is a giant.


The SSSP regroups at HQ where they discuss what they should do with two monsters. Dr. Fukuyama feels stupid that he had his people open the capsule before he deciphered the metal sheet. He should feel stupid about that one. It seems the monsters are being drawn together and Muramatsu is worried about them working together. The two monsters meet at Olympic Stadium and they aren't working together at all. They'd rather kill each other. This poor Olympic Stadium won't be hosting any Olympics anytime soon because it gets destroyed by these two monsters. 

Banila and Aboras battle it out for a few minutes. It's a lot of hug fighting so not too many exciting moments there. The SSSP tries to shoot at them both and don't have much success until Arashi is able to blast Banila in the face. Banila falls to the ground and Aboras uses this moment to kill Banila with his evil breath. The SSSP run out of energy for their weapons so that means Hayata has to get off his butt and transform into Ultraman. Aboras gets Ultraman to the ground but Ultraman fights him off and gets back up. Aboras then uses his evil breath move to blanket Ultraman with suds. I think it's supposed to be acid but Ultraman looks like he was out washing a car and dropped the bucket on himself. This just angers Ultraman and he hits his patented chops and kills Aboras with a Spacium Beam. Everyone celebrates and Ultraman flies away for the next episode.


You'd think a movie with two monsters would be more exciting but it's just an okay episode for me. It has a decent setup but I don't feel like it reaches the full potential it could have. The fight between Banila and Aboras is a letdown especially compared to the monster fight in episode 8. The Ultraman fight also isn't anything to write home to mom about. I actually wish the monsters had teamed up to take on Ultraman because that would have been more exciting. There are some decent character moments in the episode from Ide, Arashi, and Hayata that I liked. My final thoughts are that it's just a mediocre episode of Ultraman. 

"Terror on Route 87"is the title for episode 20 of Ultraman. Will a monster cause a 20 car pileup and Ultraman has to clean it up? I hope so. Follow me on Twitter @TokuTomFoolery where I will live tweet episode 20. See you there!

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