Moonlit Memories

Moonlit Memories
Ultraman Blazar, episode 14
Information
Airdate	October 14, 2023
Directed by	Kiyotaka Taguchi
Written by	Keigo Koyanagi
Continuity
Previous	SKaRD Nocturne
Next	Betwixt Morn and Dusk

Moonlit Memories is the fourteenth episode of Ultraman Blazar.

Synopsis

Reported by Choryu News

The kaiju, Deltandal, is demolishing the city as it flies through the skies at Mach 9. Because Earth Garon cannot keep up with Deltandal's speed, SKaRD is unable to catch it.

Meanwhile Emi finds out confidential information on the GGF labeled "V99" about space kaiju such as Bazanga and Gebalga. It seems to be related to a certain experiment that was conducted in the past.

Cast

• Gento Hiruma : Tomoya Warabino
• Emi Aobe : Himena Tsukimiya
• Yasunobu Bando : Hayate Kajihara
• Anri Minami : Konomi Naito
• Teruaki Nagura : Yuki Ito
• Retsu Haruno : Masaya Kato

Guest Actors

• Komatsubara : Kenji Shio
• Man in Black A : Daisuke Terai
• Yu Dobashi : Minori Terada

English Dub

• Gento Hiruma: Johnny Yong Bosch
• Emi Aobe: Madeline Dorroh
• Yasunobu Bando: Ricco Fajardo
• Anri Minami: Madeleine Morris
• Teruaki Nagura: Nicholas Andrew Louie
• Retsu Haruno: Keith Silverstein
• Yu Dobashi: John Swasey

Suit Actors

• Ultraman Blazar : Hideyoshi Iwata
• Earth Garon : Shinnosuke Ishikawa
• Deltandal : Yuto Nagachi

Appearances

Ultras

• Ultraman Blazar

Kaiju

• Earth Garon
• Deltandal

Trivia

• This episode marks the true beginning of the series' main storyline involving "V99."
  • Director Kiyotaka Taguchi commented on this shift, noting that since this storyline might be complex for younger viewers, he aimed to capture their attention through visually impressive battle scenes.
  • Episode 14 also represents a tonal shift, serving as a pivotal turning point for the central character, Emi. To ensure clarity in portraying this change, Taguchi took the time to explain the narrative intent to Emi's actress, Himena Tsukimiya, especially for her dialogue scenes with Masaya Kato. This includes the one-on-one confrontation scene where Emi defies Retsu, which was crafted with particular attention to their dynamic.
• For the first time in the Ultraman series, this episode features a continuous, single-take battle sequence from transformation to aerial combat.
  • The entire sequence—from Gento's transformation into Ultraman Blazar to his aerial clash with Deltandal—was executed with intricate compositing techniques to achieve a seamless, single-take effect.
  • According to Taguchi, this scene was developed directly from the script. He explained, "The main storyline was something I discussed with Keigo Koyanagi. As for selecting the kaiju, I let Koyanagi choose his favorite from a range of pre-prepared kaiju designs, and he was given freedom to decide the events and combat style for this episode. However, upon reading the script, I discovered that Koyanagi had chosen Deltandal—a kaiju that does not land on the ground."
  • While aerial kaiju are not uncommon, it is rare to feature a kaiju that remains airborne throughout the entire battle. Considering the high difficulty of fully CG-animated flying kaiju in a television series, and the labor-intensive demands of puppet manipulation, it's typical to bring kaiju to the ground to engage in terrestrial combat. Usually, it's recommended to have the final showdown on the ground, but Taguchi had long wanted to attempt a continuous shot capturing the entire fight from transformation to conclusion, resulting in the unique battle sequence of this episode.
  • In a joint interview with Keigo Koyanagi, Taguchi added that the script did not specifically call for a "one-take" approach, but that his interest in long takes dates back to Ultraman Orb episode 1 "The Sunset Wanderer". Taguchi is also fond of the "Itano Circus" style popularized by Ichiro Itano in ULTRAMAN and Ultraman Mebius & the Ultra Brothers, and he had always hoped to incorporate similar elements. He even had the chance to learn directly from Itano in the past. This episode’s aerial battle thus combines the long-take technique and the dynamic "Itano Circus" style, making it a culmination of these influences.
• The SCLA-streaming version of the episode features a slightly extended sequence for Emi and Dobashi:
  • While identical to the international streaming version, Dobashi's dialogue was redone and slightly altered.
  • An extended deleted scene of Emi asking whether Dobashi knew about Tatsuki Aobe.