The background for this episode's creation was influenced by the unmade film Island Song of Nebula M78: 37-Year-Old Kinjo—At That Time (M78星雲の島唄―金城37才・その時―, M78 Seiun no Shimauta—Kinjo 37-sai・Sono Toki). This film was initially proposed in 1995, conceived by director Tetsuya Senga and producer Yuko Uemoto from Nippon Television, who approached Shozo Uehara to discuss a biographical film centered on Tetsuo Kinjo. The film was to focus on Kinjo's return to Okinawa after leaving Tsuburaya Productions. Shiro Sano, who played Kinjo in My Beloved Ultraseven, was set to star as Kinjo, and the script preparations were completed.[2][3]
Initially, Uehara declined Masato Oida's request to return as a scriptwriter for Ultraman Tiga, arguing that "future Ultraman stories should be written by younger writers." However, Kida suggested that since Ultraman Tiga marked the 30th anniversary of the Ultraman franchise, it could serve as an opportunity to reflect on the past and honor the original creators of Ultraman. Additionally, introducing a character based on Tetsuo Kinjo in the episode could also help promote Island Songs of the Nebula M78. Ultimately, Uehara was moved by Kida's enthusiasm and decided to set the story in the 1960s, portraying the collaboration of Eiji Tsuburaya, Kinjo, and Uehara in the creation of Ultraman.
In January 1997, Tetsuo Kinjo's father, Tadao, was hospitalized with lung cancer and passed away in September of the same year at the age of 85. After his death, the film adaptation of Island Song of the M78 Nebula was canceled and never realized. The script was later adapted into a novel titled "Tetsuo Kinjo: Ultraman Island Song" published by Tsukuma Shobo in 1999, and the script was published in the "Shozo Uehara Script Collection" in 2009.[4][5]
According to an interview with Shozo Uehara in 2000:[6]
Uehara stated that Eiji Tsuburaya often referred to himself as a "Venusian" in real life, which is why the connection between Tsuburaya and Ultraman felt natural to him. To visually represent Tsuburaya's essence, Uehara believed that the lakeside interaction between Tsuburaya and Ultraman in this episode was the most genuine portrayal.[7]
The "Ryugamori Lake" featured in the episode is located in Tsuburaya's hometown in Fukushima Prefecture.[8] Director Kazuho Mitsuta explained that this lake was Tsuburaya's favorite, making it a fitting choice for the scene. Originally, there were plans to film at Tsuburaya's villa in Izu Fukuyama, but the setting was ultimately changed to the lake.
The line "How nostalgic," spoken by Charija upon seeing Ultraman, was a spontaneous addition by Mitsuta during filming. Similarly, the line "Heroes are essential, Kinjo," spoken by Eiji Tsuburaya to Tetsuo Kinjo, was a late addition to the script.
Regarding the monster "Yanakargie" introduced in this episode, its name comes from an Okinawan word meaning "plain woman." Mitsuta had suggested using an Okinawan dialect for the monster's name, saying, "Since we're restarting the Ultraman series, why not incorporate it?" Uehara then chose the name accordingly.
According to Supervisor Sawai's dialogue, the Neo Frontier Space includes in-universe adaptations of the Godzilla and Mothra series and their spin-offs.
The ending theme features a special version that highlights scenes from Ultraman. Specifically, it includes episodes directed by Kazuho Mitsuta and Toshitsugu Suzuki.
In this episode, there is a poster for the new program "Chaos Seven" scheduled to be broadcast at 7 a.m. on July 7 in the lobby of the Tsuburaya Production Building.
This episode opens with a black-and-white scene set in 1966. As the camera pans to a film studio and the lights turn on, the visuals gradually transition into color. Harada mentioned in an interview that this stylistic choice was inspired by a technique used in the movie Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Since this episode recounts a story set in the past but needed to naturally transition into the reality of the show's present timeline, the shift in color was intended to subtly guide the audience into accepting the transition seamlessly.
Critic Risaku Kiridoshi noted that while the episode reflects Tsuburaya Productions' introspection on its own history, it does not feel heavy or oppressive. Harada recalled Shinichi Ooka once remarking, "Perhaps it's because you don't project excessive emotional attachment onto Ultraman that the work feels so refreshing." This comment made Harada ponder, "Is that really the case?"
Furthermore, the snow scene in this episode faithfully recreated the production techniques of 1966. At that time, no ready-made artificial snow materials were available, so they crafted snow using corrugated metal sheets sprayed with white paint. To replicate this effect authentically, Haraguchi specifically requested the art department to follow the original process and recreate the props accordingly.
In the design of the ending, a special edit was made to include classic scenes from Ultraman as a retrospective. Normally, the episode's ending theme would play followed by the preview for the next episode. However, the director made a request to the TV station to shorten the ending theme by 15 seconds. This allowed for the inclusion of iconic Ultraman moments, which smoothly transitioned into scenes featuring GUTS. After the credits, an additional 15 seconds of new footage was added, ending with Daigo and Rena piloting an GUTS Wing 2.
