The Dragon's Capital is the eleventh episode of Ultraman Gaia.
Synopsis[]
The investigation into a water shortage in Tokyo leads to the appearance of multiple dragon-like heads from underground, and Gamu has to guide Team Hercules to the location of creature's body.
Cast[]
- Gamu Takayama : Takeshi Yoshioka
- Akio Ishimuro : Hiroyuki Watanabe
- Tatsumi Chiba : Sei Hiraizumi
- Seiichiro Tsutsumi : Takashi Ukaji
- Atsuko Sasaki : Ai Hashimoto
- Georgie Leland : Maria Theresa Gow
- Reiko Yoshii : Yukari Ishida
- Michifumi Inoue : Eisuke Tsunoda
- Satoru Yoshida : Masaru Matsuda
- Mitsugu Shima : Kei Kagaya
- Takanobu Kuwabara : Koji Nakamura
- Atsushi Koyama : Shunsuke Gondo
Guest Actors[]
Voice Actors[]
- Narrator : Hiroshi Isobe
Suit Actors[]
- Ultraman Gaia : Takanoshin Seki
- Mizunoeno Dragon : Junpei Mukaihara
Appearances[]
Ultras[]
Kaiju[]
Mecha[]
- Government/Military
- Peace Carry (x1)
- XIG Fighters
- Exciter (x1)
- MLRS-Bison (x1) (Stock Footage Flashback)
- GBT-Stinger (x1)
- Civilian
- KCB Television Production Van (x1)
- Relayer; Honda CR-V; Shinagawa 88 Se 20-02
- KCB Television Production Van (x1)
Home Media[]
- Ultraman Gaia Volume 3 features episodes 9-12.
Trivia[]
- According to special effects director Hiromasa Mitsudome:[1]
- The initial draft of the script for this episode focused on the theme of feng shui, with the monster originally envisioned as an octopus-like creature whose tentacles would appear in various locations around Tokyo. However, considering that the story revolves around the concept of "Dragon vein," the production team suggested that using a dragon would be a more fitting representation. The design inspiration for the dragon came from the frustration experienced while creating the "faceless monster" concept. The lack of clear facial features made it difficult for the staff to evoke emotional resonance. Additionally, the concept of "Radical Destruction Bringer" was deemed too abstract, so a more tangible monster design was chosen.
- The battle scene between Gaia and the Mizunoeno Dragon was filmed using a city-scale miniature model based on the Marunouchi. To simulate natural lighting, special reflective boards, known as "cookie boards," were suspended above the model. In order to capture the precise atmosphere of the scene, Manami personally visited Marunouchi for on-site research.
- During filming, the scene of Gaia attacking King Dragon from below featured a miniature construction site beneath Gaia, created by art assistant Tomoya Sasaki. In the initial planning and composition, the scene was envisioned with a green hill symbolizing nature as the background, contrasting with Gaia, representing human technology and future development, as he confronted King Dragon. This setup reflected the thematic conflict, as Mizunoeno Dragon was portrayed as protecting Tokyo, while Gaia was defending the Earth. The clash between these two forces encapsulated the dramatic tension of this episode.
- The shot of GBT-Stinger’s container approaching and falling from the corner of the blue sky was filmed using a mini-model with green screen effects. Using digital visual effects (DVE) for simple scaling would not have achieved a realistic feel. Although CGI could enhance the visual effects through speed control and blur, due to tight production schedules, the number of CGI shots was strictly limited. The production team ultimately chose to use mostly horizontal movement during compositing, avoiding changes in perspective to ensure the scene’s visual consistency.
- This episode features a temple scene set in the underground world of Tokyo. Mitsudome explained that this scene was not originally in the script. He speculated that it may have been a structure built by powerful figures during the Edo period, designed to worship dragons underground. Considering the location near Kanda Shrine and Yushima Seido, both close to Edo Castle, the production team referenced places mentioned in the works of Japanese naturalist Hiroshi Aramata to create the scene of the dragon's head emerging from the water. Initially, there were discussions about constructing the temple from wood, but this idea was abandoned due to budget constraints.
- In the city destruction scene, the original script called for an explosion of flames, but this was later replaced almost entirely with water. art director Yuji Terai explained, "Since we’re using water, let’s just use all water." Flames not only posed a risk of damaging the miniature models, but water also suited the overall visual better. However, using water presented a challenge of wetting the backdrop. To address this, the production team filmed the water effects scenes at Toho's Studio 3.
- Based on information from a TV magazine:[2]
- Scriptwriter Kenji Konuta revealed that feng shui was initially introduced as a hide element in the storyline. The script incorporated the detail that Kenji Tabata had previously worked on feng shui-themed programs to provide context and explanation. However, as Director Harada proposed integrating more prominent feng shui elements and introduced the character of Megumi, the story gradually shifted to focus on feng shui as its central theme. The decision to change the monster from an octopus design to a dragon-like form was a suggestion by Mitsudome.
References[]