We’re up to episode 11 of The Ultraman. This one is called Old Friendship Revived in the Himalayas. That might not sound like a very action packed episode but in a twist, it is!
In the Himalayas, a giant drilling machine named Hector is being tested. It has drills and shovels and just about everything you would need to bore through the Earth. It also has horns that give it a look like it is wearing a viking helmet. However, it isn’t designed for that. No, this was designed by a man named Ogawara to combat monsters. The Science Defense Squad hears about it and goes to investigate after Captain Akiyama realizing the builder is his old friend.
You see, Ogawara used to be in the SDS too. But all of his ideas were turned down by command so he left to go build them on his own. Upon reuniting, Captain Akiyama does what any good friend would do and tells him to knock that shit off. Ogawara of course refused and decides to take Hector down into the ground for more testing. The captain gives him a radio to remain in contact with them so maybe he’s not such a bad guy.
Ogawara reports that he has found a cavern underground, so of course he expects a monster for Hector to fight. Unfortunately for him, the monster finds him and it is a purple slime monster that Hector is powerless against. Even worse–it takes over the mechanical marvel. A cave-in makes pursuit impossible so the team tries to dig their way down. Ogawara’s son is worried but Pig is there to sooth him with hot noodles made in the gas burning stove in his stomach that Marume installed for convenient hot noodles.
No, I’m not joking.
Hector appears on the surface, destroying the town and sending the residents off running from its thunderous might. The SDS gives chase and heads underground to find it and see what happened to Ogawara and Pig and the son follow. They find Hector but not Ogawara. At the same time, a smaller part of the purple slime infects Pig and takes him over. However before he can do any damage to Marume outside of a headbutt, Ogawara reveals he is alive by restraining the robot. They turn on the gas stove in Pig and the slime (now called an amoeba) oozes out where Hikari blasts it.
The return topside as Hector wakes up and attacks again. Hikari turns into Ultraman but seems to be outmatched by his mechanical foe. Can he survive? Will the friendship be revived in the Himalayas? Find out by watching! But yes, it all turns out well in the end thanks to some quick thinking by the team.
I always like it when super machines get taken over and used by the enemy. Usually it is by an invading alien force so it is nice that this is just a random giant amoeba chilling that happens to be able to take over mechanical things. The slime is a fun foe too. In live-action it would just be dripping down walls and the like but here it can actually do a bit of hustling. Hector looks a little goofy but proves to be formidable in action, so much so that it is a shame they didn’t use it to fight a less goopy monster.
It’s nice to have some focus on the Captain too and see what makes him tick by revealing some of his past and his friendships, too. A rounded out team is a happy team, after all. Or something like that.
That’s all for this one. Until next time, Ultra fans!
