An English assassin has been snuffing out various foreigners in Japan. It's learned that all the victims were secretly part of the Washington Terrestial Defense Force Scientific Team. After an observation rocket studying the "dark planet" of Pedan was mistaken for a pending invasion, the aliens intend to counterattack with their robot King Joe.
One of the most important of these undercover Science Team members with a target on them is Dorothy Anderson, a young woman who knows all the information regarding the Pedan civilization. Commander Morabe orders Captain Kiriyama to send Moroboshi, Furuhashi and Soga to escort Dorothy Anderson to an important conference at the Rokko Defense Center before she, too can be assassinated. On the way to the conference, the UG are intercepted by Melvin Webb the assassin, who turns out to not be what he was first perceived.
This episode was actually the sixteenth produced after the official start of the series' filming.
This episode marked the first Ultraseven broadcast of 1968, as well as the series' first two-part story. It also stood out for its extensive on-location filming in the Kansai region.
According to the episode's director, Kazuho Mitsuta, this was largely due to the influence of the series' sponsor, Takeda Pharmaceutical Takeda Pharmaceutical Company, whose headquarters were in Osaka. They requested a story set in Kansai, prompting the production team to conduct research and develop an original script from scratch.[3]
The opening title sequence was also updated for this episode. The previous design, where the title Ultraseven emerged from scattered sand particles, was replaced with a rotating text style, reminiscent of the classic design from Ultra Q.
The two-part episode was filmed on location in Kobe.[4] According to director Mitsuta, the week-long shoot went smoothly, with the entire production team and cast staying at the same inn. There were no night scenes, though some sequences were shot early in the morning. Notably, the Pointer was driven all the way from Tokyo to Kobe. Mitsuta had doubts it would make the journey.[3]
In this episode, Ultraseven and King Joe first clash near the Kyoto International Conference Center. This location was chosen by the production team after actual site visits, as they found it to be an ideal setting. The building is well-known for hosting numerous important international conferences and as the site where the Kyoto Protocol was signed.[5]
However, for the indoor scenes, the production team was unable to film at the actual conference hall. The actual filming took place at the Ashiya City Hall.[3]
Kohji Moritsugu recalled that although they referred to their accommodations as a hotel, it was actually a traditional Japanese inn. The curfew was at 10 p.m., and anyone returning late had to climb in through a window. He and Yuriko Hishimi expressed frustratio with the inn's rigid rules and the staff's unaccommodating attitude, which made the stay less enjoyable.[3]
According to Hishimi's recollections, Linda Hardisty was specifically assigned to stay in a luxurious room, which she had all to herself. Meanwhile, Hishimi and two other actors had to squeeze into a small room to sleep. Director Mitsuta asked Hishimi to teach Hardisty Japanese, so Hishimi brought the script to Hardisty's room. Upon seeing the spaciousness of the room, Hishimi was impressed. Later, the two of them chatted into the night, and Hardisty suggested, "Why not just sleep here?" So, Hishimi ended up sleeping in Hardisty's room. The next morning, a hotel staff member scolded her, saying, "Your room is over there!" and Hishimi had to pay an additional fee.[3]
According to an interview with producer Ken Kumagai by Yoichi Iwasa:[10]
Producer Toshimichi Miwa reportedly expressed concerns after watching episodes 6 "Dark Zone" and 7 "Space Prisoner 303," saying, "At this rate, kids won't want to watch anymore!" He strongly urged the production team to include more intense battles between Ultraseven and monsters to maintain the show's excitement. Around the same time, Takeda Pharmaceutical conveyed a request through Asahi Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) for more scenes filmed in the Kansai region. ABC itself seemed eager to showcase Kansai locations on television, especially after the successful on-location shoots in Osaka for Ultraman episodes 26 and 27 (The Prince of Monsters: Part 1 and Part 2).
Following these requests, Tsuburaya Productions embarked on a "scenario hunting" mission. After discussions, they chose the Kyoto International Conference Center as a key location. Once the setting was decided, the next challenge was determining the right kind of formidable opponent that could push Ultraseven to his limits, similar to Gomora in Ultraman. Miwa reportedly suggested, "A worthy adversary for Ultraseven should be a robot." This idea drew inspiration from Miwa's earlier work on 8 Man, where he had created several robotic enemies. This concept ultimately led to the creation of King Joe and the decision to produce a two-part storyline.
As for the name "King Joe," it is believed to have originated from a nickname or wordplay related to Tetsuo Kinjo's father. However, during filming, the crew simply referred to King Joe as "Super Robot" or just "Robot."
Additionally, due to the consecutive drop in viewership ratings below 30% for episodes 7 and 8, the production team decided to bring in Koichi Takano's special effects team as a key strategy to regain popularity.[11]
The script cover titled "The U Guard Goes West"
The final draft of this episode was originally titled "The U Guard Goes West"(U警備隊西へ, U Keibitai Nishi e), but it was later changed to its current title.[12]
In the early draft, Dorothy was not a researcher but rather a civilian who had her face stolen, feeling like "she was no longer herself." Her ship was sabotaged, and her life was targeted by someone, prompting her to seek protection directly from the Ultra Guard. Captain Kiriyama promised to protect her, expressing concerns that she might be related to a series of consecutive murder cases, thus escorting her to the base. Later, Dorothy's true identity as an underling of the Alien Pedan was revealed, and she perished in the explosion alongside the silhouette of the Alien Pedan in the final scene.
Additionally, in the draft, Marvin was not an American intelligence agent but the chief of a scientific team at the Washington base. He possessed exceptional combat skills, effortlessly overpowering Furuhashi and Soga. Driven by a desire to avenge his fallen colleagues, Marvin disguised himself as a woman to assassinate the Alien Pedan impersonating Dorothy.
In the draft version, the unrealistic settings for both Dorothy and Marvin were adjusted in the final version to involve espionage activities, making the plot clearer. Additionally, in the first half of Part 1 of the final version, the observation rocket was already considered an invasion of Planet Pedan, prompting a declaration of retaliation.
This episode, along with the next one, was featured in Ultraman Retsuden episode 56 "Defeat King Joe! Westward, Ultra Guard!!".
This episode was temporarily made available on the official Ultraman YouTube channel two days after Ultraman Z episode 9 "The Unidentified Object Convoy Order" aired, due to both featuring King Joe.
A trailer for this episode narrated by Hiroki Touchi was released on October 1, 2022 as part of a series of trailers created to celebrate the 55th anniversary of Ultraseven, that also promoted the episode being made free on TSUBURAYA IMAGINATION for a month.[13][14]
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![Ashiya Catholic Church[7]](/wiki/File:The_Ultra_Guard_Goes_West_04.png "The Ultra Guard Goes West 04.png (2.98 MB)")
![New Rokko Bridge[8][9]](/wiki/File:The_Ultra_Guard_Goes_West_05.png "The Ultra Guard Goes West 05.png (3.33 MB)")
