[GrandComplete]

Episode 6 "The Ridiculing Eye"

Ultraman has a giant legacy. That’s an understatement, but one of the major contributing factors to this is the Kaiju. Many Kaijus have transcended their own shows and have become as popular as or even more popular than the Ultras themselves. And Gan-Q is one of these Kaiju. This episode is significant because it marks the debut of this iconic monster 25 years in the making, which has appeared in many New Generation shows.This episode disappointed me. Initially, let me explain. While various kaiju have gone on to become popular and reappear frequently, it is frequently Showa Era kaiju from the first six Showa Era shows.Not a lot of Heisei Kaiju get a second look. Gan-Q wasn’t just popular; he was iconic. reaching up to the same level as Gomora, Zetton, Eleking, Pandon, etc. Gan-Q was the only Kaiju from Gaia that ever crossed over to anything else. So there was an expectation in my mind when I first watched Gaia because of how much of a legacy this guy had cemented for himself. The truth is that no matter what this episode did, it would never have met the expectations of the mind.




But what do I think of the episode now? This is a good episode that deals with many established elements in play. Greater bonding with the various teams with Gamu, playing Gamu's insecurities revealed in the last episode as well as Fujimiya being Ultraman Agul, Gamu briefly returning to his university and old college buddies, and even a brief mention of Team Crow, who hasn’t debuted yet, at the very end of the episode—Gaia’s a smart show that makes every second count. The show is making do with what it has, and Harada's atmospheric directing is producing some killer visuals that perfectly complement Gan-Q's creepy vibes.The practical effect of the giant eye absorbing the missiles, and of course, as usual, the exploding Kaiju, are staples but all very good.

But who wrote this episode? Give it up for another new writer joining the fray. Hideyuki Kawakami, a writer with a flair for historical dramas, got his start with Ultra with this trilogy and worked on everything up until Mebius (with the exception of Nexus). (Which is a shame, because I think the guys' sensibilities would’ve meshed well with that show.)


(Side note: I had a real hard time finding a photo of this guy. This is the only real concrete photo of him from some historical drama he played in. If anyone has a better photo I would use that.)

And honestly, he works for this episode. Many of his episodes on Tiga and Dyna have a horror film feel to them, and pairing him with a monster like Gan-Q is like peanut butter and jelly.(Though he was no stranger to comedy as he wrote everything involving Alien Miji’s in Dyna.)


Gan-Q's design alone makes me understand why he’s become such a star. It's creepy and cool, and the fleshy parts are grotesque and beautiful to look at. The growls are these high-pitched laughs and screams that unnerve even the characters in the show. And if nothing else, showing up so many times in the years following allows us to see more of this beauty, and you know what? That's alright in my book. 10/10 kaiju.

The track of the episode has to be “City Defense Order” as we’re talking about staple kaijus in Gaia. The track I choose has to be one of the main tracks played whenever something catastrophic happens in an episode. The tension played from the strings and horns bring this piece all together.