Hello and welcome, Ultraman Connection readers! We’re back with Ultraman Omega, following the adventures of the titular Giant of Light and his newfound friends on Earth. In between the previous episode and now, we had a recap looked at the reactions of ordinary civilians who have witnessed the events of the show. Even though things started off with a bang (quite literally) with Omega’s first fight against the Kaiju Graim, the everyday people on this version of Earth have more or less settled into a new “normal” that also happens to include sightings of giant monsters and aliens fighting every week now.
Not everyone is content with just watching these events from a distance, however. When investigating the appearance of yet another Kaiju, Kosei, Sorato and Ayumu all stumble upon the plans of a big business CEO claiming the property around it. Oddly enough, he doesn’t seem to be mad about a massive unknown creature being unearthed on his land – quite the opposite! Mr. Kanenari, of the Kanenari Corporation, instead wants to protect the Kaiju… so he can build an amusement park around it!
If your first thought was “that seems like a bad idea”, you’re not alone! Kosei immediately is disgusted with the plan, but Mr. Kanenari is quick to assure him, and the others, that he wants to take every precaution possible to make sure the park is safe.
Of course, assurances are one thing, but if your goal is just to maximize the profits from an unknown Kaiju’s appearance, then things are bound for disaster sooner rather than later. Many Ultraman series have loads of examples of plans from short-sighted billionaire capitalists going up in literal flames when the Kaiju they want to exploit turn out to have a mind of their own. Heck, you don’t even have to look back to the origins of this franchise, if you’ve been paying attention since 1964, you probably know what’s coming next.
Speaking of the origins of the franchise, the Kaiju this week is another classic from the original 1966 Ultraman, the giant drill-tusked whale known as Gubila! It’s developed a bit of a reputation among fans for being downright ubiquitous in Ultraman shows since it was featured in the 2012 movie, Ultraman Saga. Those fans might be surprised to learn that it had no appearances in the decades between the movie and its first debut in 1966!
Okay, technically part of its suit was in the 2009 Mega Monster Battle film. But other than that!
Gubila went on to appear in six other Ultraman series afterwards, including Ultraman X, Orb, Geed, R/B, and a land-based variation called “Oka-Gubila” in Trigger and last year’s Ultraman Arc. So why was it so common? Other than the practical purposes of having a Kaiju suit on hand that can be reused in multiple productions, what’s so appealing about it?
A lot of the interest in Kaiju, both in-universe in these shows and among fans, comes from the fact that Kaiju… are interesting! They’re weird, they don’t fit in with our scientific assumptions about the world, and they represent a much wider, more fantastic view of that world as a result. At the same time, it’s easy to fall into a stereotype of Kaiju, thinking that they all look like big, stomping bipedal lizards.
No shade against fan-favorite classics like Red King and Gomora, of course. But they do have similar silhouettes, so to speak.
On the other hand, there is no way to mistake Gublia for anything else. It’s not even just a giant narwhal either. Its fins and flippers, the spinning horn, and its bright colors give it an instantly memorable appearance to represent the bizarre diversity of Kaiju as a whole taxonomy.
In previous episodes, the biologist Ayumu has kindled her desire to study Kaiju for precisely these reasons. She’s fascinated by the creatures, and even takes Mr. Kanenari’s offer to work under his supervision so she can study Gubila further. Unlike her erstwhile employer however, Ayumu doesn’t care about the money he offers. She’s doing it because she loves what studies – and also sees herself as a public servant first.
At the end of the day, everyone is motivated by different things. Kosei and Sorato both have bonded over their passion to help others, Ayumu wants to learn more about Kaiju, and even Mr. Kanenari is motivated to gain wealth as a type of insurance, to provide for his own happiness and security.
Even Gubila has its own motivations – unfortunately, it turns out to be eating people. Its feigned slumber was only to attract prey around itself, and Mr. Kanenari’s new attraction has set up a world-class buffet for the Kaiju. Thankfully, Omega and the Meteokaiju are able to step in and save everyone from the most disastrous opening day since Jurassic Park.
Even though the park itself becomes a failed pipe dream, and Kosei and Sorato go back to their humble jobs at the warehouse without a single cent as a reward, our heroes can rest easy knowing they’re still following their dreams into the future. It’s almost certain that we’ll see Gubila in other Ultraman shows in the future as well, but until then, stay tuned right here to Ultraman Connection!
