Field training by the TDF was planned. Aoki who was assigned to the TDF the day before was bragging his excellence and showed strong competitive spirit to Dan.
Aoki found Alien Platic's space tank on his patrol, but did not make a report. He intended to hog all the glory.
In this episode, the guest character Aoki is portrayed by Takehisa Yamaguchi, who later gained fame for his role as Joji Yuki/Riderman in Kamen Rider V3.[1]
According to director Kazuho Mitsuta, Yamaguchi's subsequent role as a regular cast member in Fight! Mighty Jack was not solely due to his appearance in this episode but also because the producer of that series had worked on Phantom Agents, another project in which Yamaguchi starred.
Regarding Aoki's personality, there is little difference between the draft and final version. Both portray Aoki as having an extreme, competitive, and ambitious personality, willing to go to any lengths to achieve his goals.
In this episode, Aoki repeatedly disregards the safety of his team members, even sacrificing lives to further his own personal gain. This is evident in several actions: he shoots down the fighter jet piloted by Dan and Kiriyama during a simulated battle; to enhance his status, he conceals the truth about the existence of Alien Platic, leading to an attack on the TDF forces that results in numerous casualties; and he installs a launcher on the Magma Riser, causing the deaths of two members.
Aoki exhibits an unusually strong sense of rivalry towards Dan. Kohji Moritsugu once mentioned that "Dan suddenly became a member of the Ultra Guard, which might have caused jealousy among other TDF members." Aoki, in particular, may have felt that his position as a "team member" was taken by this unexpected "Wanderer," sparking his jealousy.
In the original draft, Aoki's name was Araki, and the person introducing him to the staff was not Manabe but Takenaka. Additionally, the script originally included a scene where Araki, after independently deciding to attack the Space Tank, is injured and goes to the medical center for treatment by Anne. Another scene had Dan and Araki exiting the staff room, with Kiriyama remarking to Araki, "Something's missing. He's a strange one."
This episode marked the final work of Tohl Narita's involvement with Tsuburaya Productions, as he officially left the company after this installment. He was succeeded by art director Noriyoshi Ikeya, who took over the role of monster designer.
According to an interview with screenwriter Keisuke Fujikawa by Yoichi Iwasa:[3]
Fujikawa mentioned that the primary requirement for the episode was to feature the "Magma Lizer" and give it a functional role. While there had been previous stories involving rescue missions that led the Magma Lizer underground, he wondered how to integrate the vehicle without it going beneath the surface. He considered that, in the real world, tanks are part of the Self-Defense Force's regular training exercises, and as a component of the TDF, the Magma Lizer would logically take on a leading role in such drills. This led him to the idea of a scenario where an alien attack disrupts these exercises.
Additionally, Fujikawa introduced the character of a young team member, driven by ambition and competitive jealousy towards the protagonist. While this type of character is a common trope, he felt it was particularly effective in this story, providing an opportunity to highlight the character's motivations.
As for the Alien Platic, Fujikawa explained that he often used non-animal or non-biological monsters in his designs, such as green monsters, Bruton, and Annan. He saw the concept of a plastic alien as a fitting and innovative choice, especially as plastic products were becoming increasingly common in everyday life, inspiring his design.
For the location shooting, the shooting range for the training scenes was set at the Gotenyama range in Hachioji City. The "Hoshigahara area" used as the training site in the show was actually filmed at the Higashimura Beach in Tateyama City, Chiba Prefecture. This location was recommended by assistant director Tatsumi Ando.[4]
