Ultra Q Series Review

If you would have told me that the 2020s would begin with most of the world huddled up like lice in a burning wig I'd say you were nuts, entirely correct, but nuts all the same. Yes like, I assume, a good many of you out there I'm doing my best to stay housebound in order to keep older family members safe. Classes have shifted to being entirely online and I now have the perfect excuse to sit on my ass & play video games all day. Still; each of us is supposed to do whatever they can to make life a bit more livable so I'm gonna try to pick up the blogging pace and share some different items to help you all stay festive during this dull time. Given how we're living in the perfect conditions to binge entertainment I thought we might begin with a new feature reviewing the various installments of the Ultra series starting with Ultra Q.

Unlike other tokusatsu brand names Ultra has multiple formats for the different shows, almost like different branches of the same tree. The most prominent is of course the Ultraman line of shows with a giant hero battling alien invaders. Mega Monster Battle shows, as far as I can tell, are what would happen if you threw Star Trek, Godzilla, and Pokemon in a blender. Then there are the biography series which function as serialized clip shows. The original branch is comprised of the Q shows that function more as weekly supernatural mysteries.

Much like later shows in this field, think Friday the 13^th The Series, Ultra Q often functions like an anthology only with a primary cast to hold it all together. Still; it’s not uncommon for the core group to largely sit out an episode while something else fills the time. This format makes for a lot of wiggle room when it comes to the overall tone with some installments feeling like classic universal horror pictures while others make attempts at surreal comedy, by and large those comedy episodes stink. Overall quality as a whole can swing wildly which made it tougher to get into this particular show than its superhero successors. Eventually it won me over with enough time left over to make the short span of only 28 episodes a little melancholy.

There's little point in discussing a primary plotline as there is none. The world presented here is simply unbalanced which allows for the emergence of ancient monsters, interdimensional shenanigans, or alien invasions at a moments notice. Our core trio of characters along with some supporting players are our only anchor. Jun Manjome is the closest thing to a classic hero. He's a pilot with a love for science-fiction and some mean fighting skills. His close friend and co-wroker Ippei Togawa serves as the young goofy guy. The pair are frequently hired out to help reporter Yuriko Edogawa, played by Hiroko Sakurai who would return to the franchise the following year as Akiko Fuji in Ultraman. As one might guess with this being a 60s series her character can change from one episode to the next as she goes from spunky and reliable to the trope of an overemotional woman.

As the series lacks an overarching narrative or deep character development the real quality comes down to individual episodes which means the viewer is in for a roller coaster with some fantastic heights and miserable lows. Like other shows I've covered I'm gonna give you a list of some favorites but it is vital to understand that for all the decent entertainment on hand there are also embarrassments like the truly painful, Grow Up! Little Turtle. The sixth episode of the show, Grow Up! Feels like what would happen if David Lynch decided to make a whacky kids comedy and no one had the good sense to stop him. Long, pointless, powerfully unfunny, and downright irritating, this singular installment ranks among the worst stand-alone bits of tokusatsu I’ve ever seen. Should you dive into this series do consider skipping that episode. With that outta the way let’s talk about the good stuff.

Open Up.

The final installment of this series is a bit of an odd duck that serves as a sort of head-trip drama about a flying train that whisks people away from their current lives and transports them to another dimension. There’s little in the way of traditional narrative here, nor are there many satisfying answers. Most of the usual aspects of the show are missing as will with nary a single giant monster or explosive military confrontation to be seen. Instead we get to witness something quieter that asks questions about the risks of wishing for a different life while neglecting what we already have.

Baron Spider

I mentioned earlier how some of the show has that classic universal monster feel. Nowhere is that more evident than this spooky tale where our cast along with some friends are sidetracked during a road trip and must seek shelter within an old manor that may be home to a massive spider.

Much like the film The Living Skeleton which I reviewed a few years back, Baron Spider is just oozing with classic horror atmosphere to the extent that it’s gurateed to get replayed come October. The sights, sounds, and extra characters all feel like a decent late night flick smashed down to fit inside a half-hour. Loads of fun for classic horror fiends.

Gift From the Sky

The third episode was the first I found genuinely interesting as it tackles the notion of alien objects that may have been sent to deal with the growing threat humans pose to the galaxy. The fact that this interplanetary squabble involves a giant slug beast only makes things better. More than any of the others on this list, Gift From the Sky is the most traditional installment of Ultra Q but it offers such a fine balance of character interactions and crazy monsters as to flow almost perfectly. Oh and the ending is something else.

The Undersea Humanoid Ragon

Once again veering towards universal monster territory we’re treated to fish people on the prowl. There’s just so much good in this one that it could easily take the top spot. The Ragon creature is a total joy to watch terrorize a fishing village populated by interesting characters. Our core trio has a lot to do here as well with Manjome luring a monster with the power of classical music. It’s the sort of effortless entertainment that makes us love these sort of genre shows.

Challenge from the year 2020

For as much as the Ragon episode rocked this immediate predecessor is the winner in my heart. The story concerns how a rash of disappearances may be linked with the insane ramblings of a missing author. Already a decent set-up but what makes this one soar is how the entire crew just seem to be firing on all cylinders. The scary parts are crazy atmospheric, the acting is better than the norm, the visuals are awesome, and those bits of unintentional comedy are somehow all the better for being part of such a great production. If you’re only willing to check out one episode as a test viewing I’d absolutely take this one over everything else. If you have a massive admiration for fish people however you know what to do instead.

If I’ve managed to peak your interest in this or any of the other Ultra series then you’re in luck as they’ve recently become much easier to obtain. After decades of poor dubs and scattered low-quality home video release the whole franchise was picked up by Mill Creek Entertainment. Since last fall they’ve been pushing out some nifty blu-rays of these shows which is what has inspired me to make this a recurring feature as I work through each individual series. This show in particular wont appeal to everyone, even some sci-fi fans, due to the wild changes in quality and tone. However; a low asking price alongside plenty of fun episodes means there’s enough here to make it worth a shot. And if you’re currently stuck indoors with like-minded folks you’ve got real viewing party potential.

The Ultra releases aren’t the only recent push for tokusatsu as a streaming channel dedicated to the genre kicked-off this past week and Toei is starting a new youtube channel to upload some of their classic material. As a fan of this sort of storytelling it is downright heartwarming to see our side of the pacific start to catch on to what a wonderful genre this is.

That’s all for today but as I mentioned at the start of this post I plan to pick up the pace on posts for a little while. Figure that’s the best way to help keep the days from running together and if it helps everybody out there keep there butt in one spot then all the better. Keep it together out there everyone. Before long we’ll be back to staying indoors by choice rather than social responsibility.