[Fish Sandwich]

Episode 3 was my favorite so far by a long shot. The premiere was Ultra-solid, of course, but I have a feeling that in the future, if someone asks for a single episode that really represents what Z was all about, this is the one I'm going to point to.

From the way Tsuburaya described it before it started airing, emphasizing that Z is a "hot-blooded" character, and likewise making martial arts a big part of Haruki's background (plus Alpha Edge's fighting style), it's evident this is meant to be The Action Ultraman Show, and that really clicked in my brain watching this one. The thing about STORAGE having giant robots instead of jets and cars means an entire episode can be almost entirely dudes in suits wrestling, and I'm finding that massively changes the flavor in a way I'm all for. You're getting a lot of bang for your buck with Z when it comes to watching giant humanoid aliens and monsters throwing down.

Where this particular episode takes things to the next level is in how it does another thing I'm always game for, which is placing a huge focus on contrasting the fantastic and the mundane. If you ignore what the context is, the plot is entirely about a bunch of blue-collar workers trying to impress the higer-ups to make sure they give them what they need to do their jobs properly, all while dealing with comedic, poorly timed mishaps like the guy with the most important role in the scheme dealing with allergies. If it weren't for the giant robot and monster, this could conceivably be an episode of any workplace sitcom out there.

Taguchi's direction really shines here, as usual. I expected a bit more use of the live TV news footage gimmick, but I suppose he had his fill of that back on X. Instead, he shows off a much wider variety of tricks. My favorite shot in the whole episode comes right at the start, when Gigass is getting pushed back by Sevenger's Rocket Punch, and you can see a bunch of trees zooming by in the foreground. Taguchi is an absolute master at giving these giants a proper sense of scale and weight, and the clever use of perspective in that scene is a perfect example of why.

Beta Smash's debut is obviously another big talking point. It's probably going to end up being my favorite of Z's forms, if it isn't already. The muscles suddenly made a lot more sense when I remembered how OG Man has been on steroids for the past decade or so, and making the classic Taro style entrance of flipping a few times before landing a kick is a great touch. Sure, Burnmite did it too, but that's exactly why! If you've got a form with Taro's powers, you have to do some sick flips! Natrually, it all makes for an entertaining scene, and I don't know whether to credit the wrestling style "bell" being rung at the start to clever direction or writing. Presumably it was both coming together to make an episode that's basically already perfect that little bit more so.

I mean, did you see all those foreign dudes watching? They were getting pumped. It's good to see Ultraman's western fanbase is growing even in-universe.