A microfilm containing information about TDF secret bases worldwide was transferred to the Far East base. At the same time, strange traffic accidents began to occur frequently around the TDF base.
All the victims were unidentified corpses, and someone or something was reviving and moving them. That night, spirits escaped from the contained corpses and began to take out the microfilm from the safe!
This episode marks the first installment in the series that does not feature aliens or kaiju as the main characters. Moreover, there are no appearances of any kaiju suits in this episode.
By the third season of Ultraseven, Tetsuo Kinjo was overwhelmed with responsibilities, as he was also managing another production, Mighty Jack. His role in Ultraseven scripts became limited to providing initial guidance and attending early meetings with writers. The detailed development of episodes was entrusted to his trusted collaborators, and Kinjo would only step in during the final script review, where he made minor edits or cut lines of dialogue. Despite his workload, Kinjo maintained meticulous oversight of scripts he personally wrote.
According to Shozo Uehara, the episode's screenwriter, who was interviewed by Yoichi Iwasa:[1]
Budgetary constraints were a primary concern during the episode's production. At the time, GeGeGe no Kitarō was immensely popular, sparking a trend for mysterious and yokai-themed stories. The TBS requested that elements of mystery and supernatural imagery be incorporated into the episode. Uehara chose ghosts as the theme, avoiding the need for expensive puppetry. He crafted a storyline involving the manipulation of the dead, a concept born out of necessity but one he found satisfying. This idea later inspired his work on other series, such as the Inazuman F episode "Dead Troop Path 047."
The episode is also regarded as a test for the later Tsuburaya series Operation: Mystery.[2]
This episode and the next, The Vanishing City, feature a distinctive scene transition technique. According to research materials, this approach was influenced by Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons. The technique is characterized by the use of timpani sound effects and rapid flashes of the next scene's imagery at the end of the current one.[3]
The script cover titled "The Invading Dead"
In the draft, this episode was titled "Invading Dead" (侵略する死者, Shinryaku suru Shisha).[4] In the script, Alien Uley would manipulate the souls of the deceased to attack the TDF.[5][6]
The early draft of the script included a scene where “Alien Uley” appeared, controlling Tokyo's K District through "Frequency 4.16" to launch nuclear missiles at the TDF defense base. In the final version, the K District was repurposed as a relay station, with the source of the attack revealed to be a space station. This shift redirected the episode's climax to outer space.
In the draft, Alien Uley was depicted manipulating machines to project information about the TDF defense base and preparing to launch nuclear missiles to destroy it. Ultraseven intervened, grabbing Alien Uley from behind. However, Alien Uley released a surge of electricity and sparks, paralyzing Ultraseven. Laughing coldly, Alien Uley taunted, "Take your time enjoying the destruction of the TDF defense base." The missiles launched with a roar as Ultraseven struggled to break free but remained immobilized.
When Alien Uley attempted to load another missile, spectral images of the dead, engulfed in flames, appeared and surrounded him. These "flaming spirits" merged with Alien Uley, causing him to scream in agony as his body was consumed by fire.
Another scene described TDF members burning corpses in coffins with flamethrowers in the base plaza, where semi-transparent spectral remnants of the dead writhed in the flames.
Alien Uley's Concept Art
By the final script, printed on March 28, Alien Uley had been removed entirely. His presence was neither mentioned in the final episode nor acknowledged in dialogue. However, a design sketch of Alien Uley, drawn by Iketani, does exist. This sketch, first revealed in the 2009 book Showa 42: Ultraseven is Born (published by Geneon), depicts the character as a masked alien.[7][8]
The mothership and saucers of Alien Uley were created by Gunji Models.[9]
