While enjoying a day off at the beach, Dan and Anne witnessed the explosion and sinking of the Undersea Development Center's offshore base, the Seahorse. Just before the incident, a boy named Shinichi had warned of the event, claiming it was caused by the native inhabitants of Earth, the Nonmalt.
According to him, present-day Earthlings had once driven the Nonmalt into the depths of the ocean, claiming the Earth as their own...
This episode is considered one of the most controversial in the series. It depicts the conflict between humanity and Earth's indigenous inhabitants, as well as Ultraseven/Dan's struggle amid genocide.[1][2][3]
Kazuho Mitsuta proposed the episode. During a casual drinking session with Tetsuo Kinjo, Mitsuta posed the question: "Are humans, Earthlings, as we call them, the original inhabitants of Earth, or do we have another origin?" Kinjo responded, "This topic could make for an interesting plot." This sparked the initial outline for the episode.
After finishing the first draft, Kinjo and Mitsuta planned to meet at a pub in Shibuya to read the script. However, there were two pubs with the same name in Shibuya, so they ended up at different places and missed each other. Kinjo went home, reread the manuscript, and found it unsatisfactory. He burned it.[4]
Due to Kinjo's Ryukyuan heritage, the episode is often viewed as a critique of the modern historical relationship between Okinawa and Japan. However, in the 2011 documentary Thorough Verification!, Ultraman Legend, Shozo Uehara stated that "Kinjo did not express emotions influenced by war or his Okinawan homeland." Additionally, in other publications, production staff and cast members have denied any connection to the Okinawan issue. They emphasize that the plot was originally intended to portray the "unbalanced" world envisioned during the planning of Ultra Q. Thus, the episode is widely regarded as an example of Kinjo incorporating indigenous peoples into science fiction storytelling.[5]
Shinichi's name was inspired by Ichikawa's. Ichikawa recalled Kinjo asking him, "Can I borrow your name? I'll turn you into a ghost, okay?" Though puzzled, Ichikawa agreed. It was not until the preview screening that he understood the context.
Later, Ichikawa asked Mitsuta about the inspiration behind the Nonmalt. Mitsuta said that Kinjo had not intentionally linked it to Okinawan or Ryukyuan imagery. However, Ichikawa suggested that a creator’s emotions and memories often influence their work unconsciously. Reflecting on his own Christian faith and memories of Nagasaki, Ichikawa speculated that Kinjo’s feelings for his homeland may have shaped his creation in a similar way.
In earlier drafts, Guyros was depicted as a small monster aboard a ship called the Kuroshio Maru. This design originated from the "Idea Alien Contest" organized by Yomiuri Shimbun, and the original concept, "Alien Guyros (ガイロス星人, Gairosu Seijin)," was created by six-year-old Yasuyuki Iriyama from Nagoya. Noriyoshi Ikeya later revised this design. Initially, the monster was named Guyros, but in later scenes, it was changed to Galons (ガロンス, Garonsu).[8][9][10]
During the scriptwriting phase, Kinjo initially envisioned Shinichi as a ghostly figure. However, in the final version, director Mitsuta emphasized Shinichi's role as an envoy of the Nonmalt, leading to some interpretive differences.
Several scenes were edited out of the final version, including one in which Dan and Anne return to the TDF Far East Base. In this scene, Dan pilots the Ultra Hawk No.1, while Anne pilots the Hydranger. The team members wait anxiously.
In the scene where Dan rushes to help the team members being attacked by Nonmalt, only Dan is shown running to help in the main sequence. However, according to the script, Anne accompanies him.
The final scene, in which they gaze at the sea, was originally written as follows: "Shinichi has transformed into a spirit and appears as Nonmalt's messenger." However, this line was deleted from the final version.
The primary coastal scenes in this episode were filmed at Iridahama in Izu[11], while the final beach scenes took place at Yumihama.[12] Due to poor weather during production, many of the TDF scenes were also filmed at Yumihama. However, the scene in which Dan, Anne, and Shinichi's mother reunite was shot at Iridahama.
The scene in which the TDF members are attacked by the Nonmalt was filmed at Kurosakinohana on the Miura Peninsula[13], while additional shots of the Nonmalt’s appearance were filmed in Izu.
The school scene was filmed at the Kurokawa Branch School[14], which has since been demolished. The harbor scenes were shot at Nagai Port.
In these scenes, Dan and Anne drove a Nissan Cedric instead of the Pointer. This change was reportedly due to logistical issues with transporting the Pointer to the remote shooting location.
The interior of the underwater base was filmed at the Shimoda Floating Aquarium. The production team set up equipment panels in front of aquarium tanks to create the setting.[15]
Composer Toru Fuyuki chose the ocarina as one of the instruments for the episode's soundtrack. He explained that, as a type of flute, the ocarina has been a traditional instrument for over 2,000 years. He also felt it was fitting for the episode's background.[16]
Yuriko Hishimi said this episode was her favorite because Anne played a more prominent role and looked stylish in vacation-themed attire. Hishimi recalled that most of the clothes Anne wore during filming were her own, and this episode was no exception. She even added a hat to create more variety in her looks.[17]
In this episode, Anne wears a sweatshirt with the official logo of the popular Japanese band, "The Tigers".
Hishimi had grown dissatisfied with Anne's short-haired look from earlier episodes. To achieve a new look, she styled her natural hair upward and wore a wig, exposing only her bangs as her real hair. Director Mitsuta approved the change, and Hishimi maintained this hairstyle for all episodes directed by Mitsuta until the series finale.[18][19]
For the opening scene, the staff suggested Hishimi take a bath while buried in the sand. She enjoyed a relaxing soak in the hotel’s spacious public bath alone, unaware that it was surrounded by aquariums filled with fish. This allowed the staff outside to see her. Hishimi later realized that the staff knew about this but still recommended that she use the bath.
Additionally, Anne's pink swimsuit in this episode was reportedly a gift from Watanabe Productions.[20]
The cover of the Tetsuo Kinjo Scenario Masterpiece Collection
This episode was selected for inclusion in the Tetsuo Kinjo Scenario Masterpiece Collection and published on September 29, 1984.
At the 35th Tokyo International Film Festival held on October 26, 2022, to commemorate the 55th anniversary of Ultraseven, this episode was screened in 4K format.[21][22]
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