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Super Weapon R-1

"That's a sad marathon that you keep running as you cough up blood."

―Dan Moroboshi

Super Weapon R-1 (超兵器R1号, Chōheiki Āru Ichi-gō) is the twenty-sixth episode of Ultraseven.

Synopsis

R1, a weapon made for attacking other planets to protect Earth, was fired. The target was Planet Gyeron, a planet observed to have no form of life. The experiment was successful, but Dan was not happy for excessive strategic development of weapons by human being. Before long, there was a shadow flying to Earth from Planet Gyeron. It was Star Bem Gyeron, mutated from the radiation of R1!

Cast

Guest Actors

  • Ritsuko Maeno (前野 律子, Maeno Ritsuko): Nami Tamura (田村 奈巳, Tamura Nami)
  • Professor Segawa (瀬川博士, Segawa Hakase): Junichiro Mukai (向井 淳一郎, Mukai Jun'ichirō)

Voice Actors

  • Space Observation Vessel No. 8 (宇宙観測艇8号, Uchū Kansokutei Hachi-gō): Akira Shimada (島田 彰, Shimada Akira)
  • Narrator (ナレーター, Narētā): Hikaru Urano (浦野 光, Urano Hikaru)

Suit Actors

  • Ultraseven (ウルトラセブン, Urutorasebun): Koji Uenishi (上西 弘次, Uenishi Kōji)
  • Star Bem Gyeron (ギエロン星獣, Gieron Seijū): Kunio Suzuki (鈴木 邦夫, Suzuki Kunio)

Appearances

Ultras

Kaiju

Home Media

  • Ultraseven Volume 7 features episodes 26-29.

Trivia

Star Bem Gyeron HD 004
  • This episode is a satire on the Nuclear Defense Strategy during the Cold War.
  • Two confirmed scripts exist for this episode, though there are notable differences in certain plot details compared to the final version:
    • Regarding the characters, the early script featured Minister Yamaoka as the representative of TDF, but this was changed in the final version to Staff Officer Takenaka. Additionally, a scientist named Kiriya Claire (キリヤマ・クレア, Kiriya Kurea) was introduced in the draft, but in the final version, this character became Dr. Ritsuko Maeno.[3]
    • In the draft, Claire is depicted as feeling regretful for the irreversible actions she has taken, while Segawa is portrayed as being trapped by a compulsive, fanatical belief in science (blind faith).[3]
    • In the conclusion, the draft included a conversation between Claire and Yamaoka. Yamaoka says, "Dan has been talking nonsense, saying, 'That's a sad marathon that you keep running as you cough up blood,'" to which Claire responds, "Minister Yamaoka, is humanity truly foolish enough to continue running such a marathon?" The scene ends with both characters deep in thought. However, this dialogue did not appear in the final version.[3]
    • Additionally, the final scene differs: in the draft, after Minister Yamaoka tells Segawa to stop the development of weapons, the scene ends with Segawa escorting Yamaoka to the command center before departing. The final draft version concludes with Dan's inner voice, as he gazes at a squirrel, saying, "Stop, it's enough, you too..."[3]
    • Regarding the battle with the Star Bem Gyeron, in the broadcast version, Seven struggles to defeat the enemy due to an injury to his hand. Unlike the final version's flower field duel, the script originally depicted a snow-white ground covered in deathly ashes.[3]
Urakami Cathedral
  • The scene featuring a small-scale architectural model in this episode was designed to resemble the Urakami Cathedral, which was destroyed during the atomic bombings of Nagasaki. The cathedral, having been rebuilt in 1958, no longer existed in its original form when the episode aired. The production team deliberately incorporated this imagery to convey the episode's central message.[4]
    • Regarding the set decoration for this episode, the production team, in collaboration with art designer Senk Ikegami, referred to various photographic collections and other materials. Kiyoshi Suzuki mentioned that the intention for this episode was to "depict the beautiful Earth." As a result, elements such as graveyards and flower fields were used to convey this theme. Ultimately, a simple flower field was chosen as the backdrop.[5][6]
  • According to Satoshi Higashino's account from either Noriaki Ikeda or director Kazuho Mitsuta, this episode corresponds to Ultraman 80 episode 19 "Directive: Destroy the Planet." It is said that screenwriter Bunzo Wakatsuki, during his involvement in the series, specifically requested to write a story similar to this episode. The conception and creation of this episode were influenced by Wakatsuki's fondness for this particular episode, stemming from his inability to forget the death scene of Star Bem Gyeron.[3]
  • As of March 2011, this episode has been banned from television in Japan due to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster. This is due to a scene where Gyeron wipes out a power plant with a giant wave after he lands in the sea. This makes Gyeron the second of two characters from Ultraseven to have a banned episode, with the other one being Alien Spell. However, Gyeron has appeared again, unlike Spell, who only appeared in their debut episode. The episode is also readily available online, and appears to still be popular among both American and Japanese viewers.[7]
  • The figurative statement quoted by Dan, "That's a sad marathon that you keep running as you cough up blood", was later used in the Heisei Ultraseven 1999 episode, "Legends and Glory", to cite the TDF's ongoing implementation of the Friendship Plan aggression plot following Furuhashi's demise at the hands of Alien Valkyrie.
  • According to Tsu Aoyama's research, this episode features the use of Toru Fuyuki's music, specifically M49 "Sadness of Death." This piece is used four times in the episode, a rare occurrence for a single track to be reused so frequently. The four scenes in which the piece is used are as follows:[8]
    • The conversation between Dan and Furuhashi about the Super Weapon (03:09–04:16)
    • Anne reflecting on Dan's words after hearing the news of the destruction of the Planet Gyeron (07:00–07:30)
    • Dan regretting his choices while flying in the Ultra Hawk (09:10–09:24)
    • The discussion between Dr. Segawa, Dr. Maeno, Takenaka, and Kiriyama and Dan's hospital room (22:27–24:37)
  • Regarding other music used in the episode, M-14 "Monster" begins playing when Star Bem Gyeron arrives on Earth. M-14 is a version of M-15 with a bass-enhanced timpani solo. When Ultraseven defeats Star Bem Gyeron among the beautiful flowers, the Ultraseven theme is played. Fuyuki mentioned that he does not recall the specific intentions behind selecting this track. Finally, when Takeuchi proposes halting the production of R2, M49, which had been playing for over two minutes, is replaced by M55 "Joy of Relief."
  • A trailer for this episode was released on September 1, 2023 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.[9][10]
  • According to a 2022 interview with Kohji Moritsugu:[11]
    • This episode left the deepest impression on him. According to Moritsugu's recollection, he was still in his twenties at the time and couldn't fully grasp the significance of Dan's lines. He believes that it is remarkable how Dan could deliver such meaningful words so casually. He pointed out that possessing weapons changes people, and this "sad marathon" shares similarities with the situation of the Russo-Ukrainian War.

References

  1. ↑ https://cocreco.kodansha.co.jp/telemaga/news/feature/kaijubiyori/QawLG
  2. ↑ https://cocreco.kodansha.co.jp/telemaga/news/rTwFD
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 https://x.com/sandae2356/status/1774561628065014204
  4. ↑ https://magmix.jp/post/129401/2
  5. ↑ https://eiga.com/news/20221029/10/
  6. ↑ https://2022.tiff-jp.net/news/ja/?p=60222
  7. ↑ http://blog.livedoor.jp/smj_ohkanda/archives/51687621.html
  8. ↑ https://note.com/navyblueaoao/n/n190c45547ea6
  9. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20240402194049/https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwDaeL3aOb-zH6V-0fcDuxEYGBoCXKtaQ
  10. ↑ https://x.com/seven55th/status/1697535323516150164
  11. ↑ https://www.sponichi.co.jp/entertainment/news/2022/12/01/kiji/20221201s00041000201000c.html/

Ultraseven Episodes
Ultraseven 1. The Invisible Challenger | 2. The Green Terror | 3. The Secret of the Lake | 4. Max, Respond! | 5. Vanished Time | 6. Dark Zone | 7. Space Prisoner 303 | 8. The Marked Town | 9. Operation Android Zero | 10. The Suspicious Neighbor | 11. Fly to Devil Mountain | 12. From Another Planet with Love | 13. The Man Who Came From V3 | 14. The Ultra Guard Goes West: Part 1 | 15. The Ultra Guard Goes West: Part 2 | 16. The Eye That Shines in the Darkness | 17. Underground Go! Go! Go! | 18. Escape Dimension X | 19. Project Blue | 20. Destroy Earthquake Epicenter X | 21. Pursue the Undersea Base! | 22. The Human Farm | 23. Search for Tomorrow | 24. Return to the North! | 25. Showdown at 140 Degrees Below Zero | 26. Super Weapon R-1 | 27. Operation Cyborg | 28. The 700 Kilometer Run! | 29. The Earthling All Alone | 30. Glory for Whom? | 31. The Flower where the Devil Dwells | 32. The Strolling Planet | 33. The Invading Dead | 34. The Vanishing City | 35. Terror on the Moon | 36. A Lethal 0.1 Seconds | 37. The Stolen Ultra Eye | 38. The Courageous Battle | 39. The Seven Assassination Plan Part 1 | 40. The Seven Assassination Plan Part 2 | 41. Challenge from Underwater | 42. Ambassador of the Nonmalt | 43. Nightmare of Planet No. 4 | 44. The Terrifying Super Ape-man | 45. The Saucers Have Come | 46. The Showdown of Dan vs Seven | 47. Who are You? | 48. The Biggest Invasion in History: Part 1 | 49. The Biggest Invasion in History: Part 2
Unproduced Episodes
23. Revenge of 300 Years | 43. Aliens 15 + Monsters 35
Heisei Ultraseven NTV Specials
1. Ultraseven - Operation: Solar Energy | 2. Ultraseven - Planet of the Earthlings
Ultraseven 30th Anniversary Memorial Trilogy
1. Lost Memory | 2. Eternal Earth | 3. Betrayal Sun
The Final Chapters
1. Legends and Glory | 2. The Sky-Flying Iron Colossus | 3. The Day the Fruit Ripens | 4. The End of the Contract | 5. The Duplicated Man | 6. I Am an Earthling
Ultraseven 35th Anniversary: EVOLUTION
1. Dark Side | 2. Perfect World | 3. Neverland | 4. Innocent | 5. Akashic Records
Ultraseven X 1. DREAM | 2. CODE NAME "R" | 3. HOPELESS | 4. DIAMOND "S" | 5. PEACE MAKER | 6. TRAVELER | 7. YOUR SONG | 8. BLOOD MESSAGE | 9. RED MOON | 10. MEMORIES | 11. AQUA PROJECT | 12. NEW WORLD