NASA was studying Planet Q when suddenly all the people who were watching it got blinded! The Science Patrol was called into duty and went to Space Station V2. They encountered a meteor shower when they were close to the Space Station. When they went to the Space Station they found another problem the BM fuse was dead. They had 24 hours left or the Space Station would explode! Arashi thought of going back to Earth but it would take a 60hr round trip. Then Ide thought of going to Planet Q and get the BM fuse from the Prospector and it had to take 23 hr with no screw ups.
They flew to Planet Q and found Saigo and Keylla fighting! Saigo was beating Keylla then Keylla used the blinding flash attack and Saigo dug away. The Science Patrol landed on Planet Q and were moving via tank. They found a weak Saigo and killed it! They finally got to the prospector but then Keylla came.
This episode was an important part of TBS and Tsuburaya Productions' exploration of space as a central theme. The entire story is set in space-based environments.
It was the second script that Shozo Uehara wrote for the series. He finished it ahead of schedule because he was working on another series, Kaiju Booska, at the time. Before Uehara began writing, Tetsuo Kinjo had already prepared a design document outlining the story's basic structure, which Uehara then developed into the final script.
In his book Ultraman Takes Flight, Masahiko Shiraishi noted that the episode felt like "a promotion for the next project" and asked Uehara why. Shiraishi observed that the story clearly required a larger budget. Uehara agreed, explaining that Hajime Tsuburaya wanted to show that Tsuburaya Productions could excel at space-themed works with a focus on mecha.[2]
Hajime Tsuburaya had hoped to create a second "Monster Anarchy Zone" featuring a wider variety of monsters, but budget limitations prevented this. These constraints also delayed Saigo's design, resulting in a less polished final product.
During the planning phase of the series, Uehara wrote an unused script titled "Space Rescue Command" (宇宙基地救助命令, Uchū Kichi Kyūjo Meirei), which had a similar name and space-oriented theme. The story follows a group of scientists who discover a celestial body called the "Hoshino-Ide Star" (ホシノ・イデ星, Hoshino Ideboshi). However, it is actually debris from Venus carrying a giant space bird named Garth (ガース, Gāsu). Garth attacked Space Station S7, destroying its nuclear reactor. In a tense moment, Hayata, Arashi, and Ide chose to risk their lives to save the station's crew, knowing they might not survive. This ambitious story would have required a large budget, which may explain why it was never produced.
In the original draft of this episode, Arashi was supposed to use a Space Tank to fire the Needle Type S80 (ニードルS80型, Nīdoru Esu Hachi Jū-gata) at Saigo to defeat him, but this was replaced with SNK rockets in the final version.[3] Concept art for the Needle S80 still exists. According to the original script, Ide said it was "about 10 times more powerful than the Spider Shot."[4]
In an interview with Yoichi Iwasa, TBS producer Takashi Kakoi reflected on the episode's production, noting that Ultraman was clearly influenced by foreign shows like Thunderbirds or Lost in Space. He cited episode 16 as a prime example. At the time, news about the Apollo program was everywhere, and the world was excited about the approaching "Space Age." Ultraman and Ultraseven were shaped by the idea of space as the next great frontier.[5]
There was strong enthusiasm within Tsuburaya Productions to show audiences that they could produce authentic space-themed stories. This explains why the studio produced an episode set almost entirely in space as a precursor to Ultraseven. The episode also served a promotional purpose, building anticipation during the six-month period when Toei's shows dominated the schedule leading up to the launch of Ultraseven.
The scenes on Planet Q were filmed on location at Onioshidashi Volcanic Park near Mount Asama in Gunma Prefecture. The area's lava formations, which were created by past eruptions, provided a desolate landscape that was perfect for Planet Q. Although the scenes were filmed during the day, filters were used to make it look like a starry night in space.[6]
Tohl Narita designed both Saigo and Keylla. He said Saigo had no specific inspiration; he created it while sketching and loosely imagined its head resembling a vise. For Keylla, Narita wanted to rethink what a monster could be, giving it large eyes and internal lighting to break away from traditional design conventions.[7][8][5]
Saigo was the last monster costume created for the series. After finishing the costumes for Keylla and Zetton, the production team decided to add Saigo as a last-minute opponent.
The name "Saigo" was chosen to mean the "final monster" created by Ryosaku Takayama, who handled props and design. The Saigo suit was added to the schedule unexpectedly, and in his February 27 diary entry, Takayama wrote, "Are you trying to kill me?!" showing his frustration[9]
There is no definitive record confirming whether or not Saigo was originally intended to appear in the series finale.
According to Takayama's diary, Narita submitted designs for Saigo, Keylla, and Zetton to the production team on February 25, 1967. However, the production of Saigo was initially canceled, likely due to budget constraints or the need to prioritize other monsters. Just two days later, the project was revived, and all three monster suits were completed and delivered by March 12. The suits were crafted in just two weeks.
Plans for a fourth season of Ultraman were halted during the production of this episode, and the project was transferred to Toei, which dealt a major blow to Tsuburaya Productions. In an attempt to compete with Toei's upcoming Captain Ultra, Tsuburaya brought in Toho's Sadamasa Arikawa as the special effects director. Arikawa created film-quality effects for the space scenes, which came at a high cost.[10]
Keylla reappeared in episode two of the TV series He of the Sun, titled "Beat the Monsters!", which aired the same year. In this episode, Keylla faced Gaira from Toho, marking the first time monsters from the two companies' franchises appeared together on screen.[11]
