Scientists capture a monster in order to put in on display at the World's Fair. Their attempt fails and the monster is on the loose. After the monster begins tunneling underground, the Science Patrol must track its location so they can prevent it from harming nearby populated areas.
However, when the monster attracts the attention of Ultraman, inexplicably, he loses the Beta Capsule. A boy by the name of Hajime finds it.
Ultraman The Complete Series features all episodes.
1999 version
2009 version
Ultraman The Complete Series
Trivia[]
This episode and the next are marked as the first "two-part story" in the Ultraman series, as well as the first time Ultraman experiences defeat in battle.
Additionally, this episode signifies the series' first on-location shoot outside of the Kansai region, cleverly tying into the theme of the upcoming 1970 Expo. However, while the story is set in Osaka, not all scenes were filmed there. For instance, Osamu's apartment complex was filmed at the Tamagawa Housing Estate in Chofu.[1]
As a two-part story, the episodes were initially conceived as a single cohesive draft, though the finalized script introduced several key changes:[2]
The draft title was "Monster Airlift Operation"(怪獣空輸作戦, Kaijū Kūyu Sakusen). Since the scriptwriter Bunzo Wakatsuki hailed from Osaka, the characters in this draft spoke in the Kansai dialect. The final title, "The Prince of Monsters," shifted the focus to themes of children's dreams and vitality, resulting in a tonal change for the story.
In the draft, Osamu had not yet become a central character. The focus of the story was more on the exploration team discovering an ancient site on Johnson Islands in Micronesia that was dedicated to the worship of Gomora.[2]
During the investigation, the team collected moss samples from a wetland and discovered inscriptions on a rock. A linguist translated the text as "Fortress of Gomora" (ゴモラの砦, Gomora no Toride). As Arashi explained, the name "Gomora" originates from the Bible where Sodom and Gomorrah are mentioned. In addition, Gomora was also the name of a legendary creature in the region, symbolizing the unknown and the terrifying. That night, Professor Nakaya opened an illustrated guidebook and showed Arashi a speculative reconstruction of the "Gomorasaurus" (ゴモラザウルス, Gomorazaurusu), a creature from over 100 million years ago. The following day, while excavating at the Fortress of Gomora, the fossilized remains of the Gomorasaurus were uncovered. Suddenly, a cliff collapsed, revealing the full figure of the living Gomora.[2]
In the draft did not include the idea of preserving Gomora's body for display at the Expo. Instead, Professor Nakaya proposed transporting Gomora back to Japan as a specimen for biological research. He believed that Gomora, despite its massive size, was gentle in nature and posed no threat, similar to ancient creatures like the Coelacanth or the Loch Ness Monster. As a result, he requested SSSP to carry out an airlift operation.[2]
Originally, SSSP attempted to transport the anesthetized Gomora using a large helicopter. However, due to a malfunction in Ide's helicopter, it almost crashed into the sea. They managed to lift the helicopter using Jet VTOL and continued flying. It wasn't until the next morning that the issue with Ide's helicopter was resolved. As the helicopter entered Mount Rokkō, the carbonic gas from the Arima Onsen triggered a reaction in Gomora, causing it to suddenly wake up.[2]
After falling from a height of 2,500 meters onto Mount Rokkō, Gomora transformed into a rampaging monster heading toward Osaka. Using Osaka Tower as their base, the SSSP and Professor Nakaya devised a plan. Nakaya's assistant prepared the "BAR Ray," intended to destroy Gomora's brain cells. The ray was fired from the tower's tip but proved ineffective, only further aggravating Gomora, who continued advancing toward Osaka.[2]
According to producer Takashi Kakoi, the decision to film this episode on location in the Kansai region was made in response to a request from the local Asahi Broadcasting Corporation. Kakoi recalled that both Tetsuo Kinjo and Hajime Tsuburaya were deeply invested in crafting the story for these two episodes. Together with the newly joined writer Wakatsuki, they collaborated to produce a cohesive two-part story spanning an hour-long runtime. While the monster did not breathe fire like Godzilla, its overwhelming strength was enough to put Ultraman in serious jeopardy. The monster's design and modeling were exceptionally well-crafted, and its sheer power and intricate detailing ultimately made this two-part arc a landmark in Ultraman history, cementing its status as a symbol of the show's popularity.[1]
Regarding the significant revisions in the final script, Yoichi Iwasa speculated that they were likely influenced by TBS rather than being personal decisions made by Kinjo or Kakoi. He believed that while the original concept was created in response to ABC's request to showcase Ultraman and the monsters' exciting activities in Kansai (not just in Kanto) TBS likely saw the show as a nationwide program and wanted to avoid regional linguistic bias. To cater to a broader audience, TBS might have pushed for the use of standard Japanese over regional dialects. As a result, the production team may have been instructed to adjust the script in accordance with this overarching policy.[1]
Iwasa also speculated TBS's influence in the decision to rename the episode's title. He suggested that TBS may have aimed to use the title "The Prince of Monsters" to convey the message that this two-part story was a “special New Year's gift from TBS to children,” the show's primary audience. This theory aligns with Kakoi's account and reflects the relationship between TBS and Tsuburaya Productions at the time. However, Iwasa emphasized that this interpretation was merely his personal speculation.[1]
The illustration of the "Gomorasaurus" in the encyclopedia that Professor Nakaya showed to Arashi is actually a repurposed concept art of Gomora.
Many past Kaiju appear in this episode besides Gomora and Suflan:
Osamu, the Monster Prince in the title, wears a Gango mask at the start.
When talking to his mother, Osamu invisions Aboras attacking a city.
When Arashi and the college group go to Johnson Islands, they hear a roar that will be used for Muruchi.
According to an interview with Bin Furuya, he shared his thoughts on filming the scene where Ultraman confronts Gomora for the first time in an open lot of a residential development. Beneath Ultraman's mask, he couldn't help but marvel, "This monster is so cool—now this is what a monster should be!"[4]
Reflecting on the iconic scene where Ultraman is defeated by Gomora, Furuya admitted that he had wondered, "Can Ultraman really beat such a powerful monster?" While it was clear this wasn't the final episode and Ultraman would ultimately prevail, designing a way to weaken Gomora's overwhelming strength was a significant challenge for the production team.[4]
One of the biggest difficulties during the filming of the battle scenes was dealing with Gomora's claws. Furuya recalled how sharp and hard they were, posing a real danger. On one occasion, Gomora grabbed his shoulder with its claws, causing him to cry out in pain, "Wow, that hurts so much!" After the shoot, he even went to complain to the designer, Tohl Narita, saying, "Gomora's claws are just too painful!"[4]
In this episode, the Osaka Tower, which was used as the shooting location for the Gomora detachment, is actually the ABC TV station's broadcasting tower. However, it was demolished in 2009 after the TV station relocated.[5]
![[4]](/wiki/File:The_Prince_of_Monsters_12.jpg "The Prince of Monsters 12.jpg (184 KB)")
![[4]](/wiki/File:The_Prince_of_Monsters_13.jpg "The Prince of Monsters 13.jpg (149 KB)")
![[4]](/wiki/File:The_Prince_of_Monsters_14.jpg "The Prince of Monsters 14.jpg (111 KB)")
