Undefeated middleweight boxing champion Dynamite Joe disappears before his biggest fight. He disguises himself as a clown and becomes an alcoholic. Jun, Yuriko and Ippei recognize the boxer beneath his disguise when they see him during Billy Oyama's Marine Phantom Show. When Joe's pet alligatortus, Peter, is taken during the show, the frightened creature scares the entire audience away.
Plot
Joe Aikawa, better known as Dynamite Joe, takes Japan by storm as he rises through a series of decisive victories to become the country's new boxing champion. Prior to the match for the world championship title however, Joe mysteriously disappears from the sports world, creating controversy towards his promoter.
Some time later, as the investigative trio enjoys an evening of entertainment at a seaside resort, Jun recognizes a cavorting clown as Dynamite Joe in disguise. In his dressing room, Joe keeps his beloved pet, a small alligator named Peter, in a tank of water. When Joe's manager accidentally removes Peter from the tank, the creature suddenly grows large, frightening the man and escaping from the resort in the process. Jun confronts Joe, who can no longer hide his identity.
He explains that his life was changed when he first caught Peter while fishing off the Phillipines. Joe discovered that not only could the small creature assume a larger form when out of water, but that it could telepathically communicate with him as well. Peter was also able to force the future for Joe, predicting all his boxing victories.
When Peter predicted Joe's defeat at the World Championship however, Joe lost all his ambition to continue boxing. He now drowns his apathy in liquor between his performances as a clown. That night, Peter returns to the hotel and Joe tries to lead the creature back to water. Peter, however, accidentally overturns an oil barrel, causing a huge fire. Alone, Joe sets out to create his own destiny, now realizing that knowing the future destroys the ambition that drives us to realize out dreams.
Ultra Q Volume 7 features episodes 25-28, and Volume 7 Total Natural Color Blu-ray features episodes 26-28.
2001 release
2009 release
Total Natural Color Blu-ray
Trivia
This episode is labeled as "No.19" on the script cover. However, due to adjustments in the production process, it was actually the eighteenth episode filmed, with production taking place from June and July 1965.[3]
It marks the directorial debut of Kazuho Mitsuta, who was previously an assistant director for the series. Toshihiro Iijima wrote the script under the pen name Kitao Senzoku for the first time.
The episode's initial draft was titled "Joe the Dynamite"(ダイナマイトジョー～Joe the Dynamite～, Dainamaito Jō)[4] and was originally planned to be directed by Hajime Tsuburaya. However, due to his involvement in the planning of Spy: Parallel Line World,[5] the production plans changed, and Kazuho Mitsuta took over as director.
Kentaro Kudo was cast as Joe Aikawa due to his friendship with Mitsuta. At the time, Kudo was an action star, and he took on the role to fulfill a promise he had made to Mitsuta.[6]
Michio Hazama, who played the Play-by-play Announcer in this episode, later became well known for dubbing Sylvester Stallone in the Rocky films.
Kinya Morikawa, who portrayed the Sports Reporter, later voiced Tetsuo Akiyama in the 1979 anime series The☆Ultraman.
For the script, Iijima drew inspiration from an episode of Getsuyoubi no otoko portraying the struggles and loneliness of a boxer. The early draft placed more emphasis on the warmth and support Joe received from those around him, particularly his interactions with young fans, which deeply influenced him.
According to Toshihiro Iijima, the inspiration for Dynamite Joe came from the Japanese boxer Piston Horiguchi. A defining figure in Japan's early Showa-era boxing scene, he was widely regarded as a "Boxing Saint."[7][8]
Given its boxing theme, the episode naturally incorporated elements of Japan's boxing culture of the time. Joe Aikawa's dressing room featured posters of real-life Japanese boxers, including Katsutoshi Aoki, Lee Dong-chun, Mitsunori Seki, Tetsuya Yamagami, and Katsuo Yoshizawa.
The original draft featured a tragic conclusion for Joe and Peter, including the following scene:[9]
As Peter, engulfed in flames, wandered in agony, Joe desperately called out, "Go to the sea, Peter! Let's go together!" Guided by Joe's words, Peter slowly advanced toward the ocean. When the burning figure entered the water, a massive wave of steam and sound erupted, and Joe's silhouette vanished along with it.
However, this ending was significantly altered in later script revisions. Instead, Joe survived and was later seen leaving the seaside inn after hearing Jun and the others call for him.
The change was made primarily because Ultra Q was aimed at a younger audience, leading to a toned-down tragic element. Additionally, scenes involving Bill Oyama and Rintaro Okui were reduced to avoid overly mature content.
According to Iijima, audience surveys following the show's broadcast revealed that the actual viewership skewed younger than expected. As a result, later episodes were adjusted to better suit a younger audience. This shift in direction also led to changes such as revising the ending of "Blazing Glory" and the removal of "Open Up!" from the broadcast lineup. Producer Takashi Kakoi later stated that these changes were largely driven by TBS, ensuring the series remained accessible to children.
The small alligator Peter featured in the episode was actually a spectacled caiman hatchling.
Peter's design was created by Toru Narita, originally based on a chameleon. However, Narita later admitted that the design went against his own artistic principles. Peter's suit was later modified and repurposed for Guesra.
