Taganular

Taganular^[1] (タガヌラー, Taganurā)^[2] is a species of beetle-like Kaiju native to Earth who first appeared in the third episode of the series Ultraman Blazar.^[3]

Subtitle: Coleopteran Kaiju (甲虫怪獣, Kōchū Kaijū)^[4]

Conception

Design

Taganular was designed by Kengo Kusunoki, who had also worked on Bazanga.^[5] According to him, Taganular's design was based directly on the impression he got from reading the plot, but Kusunoki also wanted to use the kaiju's two-mode appearance to evoke different impressions; Taganular naturally has a strange and funny-looking demeanor, but this changes when its trunk is lifted to reveal a grotesque mouth. This was inspired from the Makai Beasts from Space Sheriff Sharivan.^[6]

History

Ultraman Blazar

Months before the Bazanga and Gedos operations, Taganular had been feeding off liquid teaterium storage tanks around the globe, including Germany, France, the UK, and most recently the Texas Teaterium Plant in the United States. The GGFJ Command had been stretched thin handling the aftermath of previous operations, so the SKaRD took it into their own hands to prepare for the arrival of Taganular, with Emi tasked to investigate through undercover work at the Teaterium facility in the Energy Fusion Institute at Kutsuba City, Ibaraki Prefecture.

Emi's intel revealed that Taganular had been increasing in size from feeding off other storage plants and was making its way to Japan. Under Anri's input, the SKaRD devised a strategy to draw Taganular away from the Teaterium facility with minimal firepower to reduce the risk of inducing energy fusion, deploying Earth Garon in response to Taganular's appearance at the plant.

The GGFJ air forces, unaware of the risks associated with Teaterium, launched a full-on assault on Taganular as it approached the plant. Nevertheless, under Gento's persuasion the GGFJ yielded the airspace to Earth Garon, who engaged Taganular in CQC mode. After a brief scuffle, Earth Garon managed to dismember one of Taganular's sickle arms using the Earth Fire, but Taganular's sudden detonation brought the mech down. The Blazar Brace then appeared to Gento, who transformed into Ultraman Blazar.

Initially, Taganular ignored Blazar and proceeded to feed off the Teaterium plant, and Blazar struggled to grab onto the monster due to its body heat. Eventually, Blazar managed to get Taganular's attention but was struggling until Earth Garon's Tail VLS, manually operated by Yasunobu, managed to topple the kaiju over, giving Blazar a chance to turn the tables. Blazar managed to immobilize the kaiju in a hold, but its internal temperature began to rise rapidly. Fortunately, Taganular's fusion beam shot into the sky without hitting anything, leaving its body cooled down and removing the risk of explosion. In Taganular's moment of weakness, Blazar impaled the kaiju point blank with the Spiral Burrade, destroying the monster at last. ^{The Name is Earth Garon}

Later, while not physically appearing, Taganular appeared as an illusion of Anri's greatest fear created by Mogusion, used to hide its true appearance. ^{Terror from the Underground} Taganular would later reappear as a wandering spirit before being vanquished by Zangill.^{The Wandering Zangill}

In response to the arrival of the Third Wave, multiple 15-to-20 meter class Taganulars would appear across the globe in countries with teaterium facilities. As the local GGF forces handled the smaller spawn, a 60-meter class Taganular appeared in Koarai City, with the SKaRD deploying Earth Garon Mod.2 to engage the kaiju. However, another Taganular would then emerge from the Mojave desert in Nevada, USA. With Earth Garon preoccupied, Gento was forced to abandon his post and transform into Ultraman Blazar to meet the kaiju on the other side of the planet. Despite this, the Taganulars shrugged off both their opponents and fed on the teaterium tanks.

As Blazar transformed into his Firdran Armor, the SKaRD found that the first Taganular wasn't sporadically attacking Teaterium facilities; instead, its fusion beam was meant to deter Gebalga. Relaying this information to Blazar, the two intercepted the thermobaric missiles that were coming for the kaiju, allowing the Taganulars to safely fire their fusion beams towards their intended target. While successful, their beams were reflected back at them, and both Taganulars perished in a fiery explosion.^{Visitor 99}

Trivia

• Suit actor: Shun Takahashi
• An Ultraman Connection article directly compares Taganular to Antlar, as both are powerful insect kaiju.^[7]
• In Ultraman Blazar episode 23 "Visitor 99", the fight between Blazar and Taganular appears to take some cues from Gamera and Legion's battle in Gamera 2: Attack of Legion.

Ultraman Blazar The Movie: Tokyo Kaiju Showdown

Taganular and its young will reappear in the movie.^{Ultraman Blazar The Movie: Tokyo Kaiju Showdown}

Ultraman Arc

Many Taganular were used by the Infernal Dark Shogun, Hellnarak, to invade the world where Ultraman Arc exists.^[8]

The first wave of monsters hatched from their eggs and made their way to an energy fusion plant, guided by the remnant instincts of their previous lives, seeking to feed on the energy produced there. Zangill attempted to engage them with his Demon Slicing Meteor Sword, but began to falter due to their overwhelming numbers and his deteriorating health.

Hiroshi Ban from SKIP halted the hatching of more ghostly eggs by playing the sound of Zangill's sword through loudpseakers throughout Hoshimoto City, using the unique frequencies of the sound to stop the eggs from hatching.

Zangill was saved by the timely appearance of Ultraman Arc, who had learned the ways of the Demon Slicing Meteor Sword to "slice from the heart" and cut through the Taganulars with his Arc Galaxer. Another swarm of Taganulars came from the sky, but were easily shot down by Arc who used his Galaxer Diffusion Arrow to eliminate the whole horde. ^{Demon Slicing Meteor Sword}

Hellnarak continued to use many more Taganulars over the next few days to wear down the GDF and Ultraman Arc while stalling their plans to close the dimensional rift. The monsters were defeated each time, but the continuous battles left the fighters exhausted. ^{Arc Cooperation Request}

Data

Stats

• Height: 15 ~ 60 m^[2]
• Weight: Unknown ~ 50,000 t^[2]

Powers and Weapons

• Burrowing and Swimming: Taganular can travel underground and underwater over long distances, circling the globe in a few days to reach various Teaterium plants.
• Scythe Arms: Taganular's forearms are large curved blades which it uses to slice its enemies.
  • Energy Tendrils: If Taganular's scythe arm is severed, it can grow whip-like tendrils made of energy to replace them.
• Tail: Taganular's enlarged abdomen/tail can be used as a blunt weapon.
• Sharp Proboscis: Using its long trunk-like nose, Taganular pierces and sucks Teaterium from the storage tanks in research facilities.^[1]
• Teaterium (ティーテリウム, Tīteriumu): The energy substance Taganular feeds on grants it several abilities:
  • Growth: As it consumes more Teaterium, Taganular gradually grows in size.
  • Body Heat: Inside Taganular's enlarged abdomen, the consumed Teaterium undergoes energy fusion, causing its internal temperature to rise to the point where even touching the creature becomes difficult.^[1]
  • Energy Detonation: If hit too hard by an attack while charged up by Teaterium, Taganular will discharge energy into the attacker, enough to severely damage Earth Garon. Were it to detonate completely, Taganular at maximum temperature could cause an explosion with a blast radius of 10 kilometers.
  • Fusion Beam: The increase in internal temperature eventually reaches one million degrees (enough to achieve nuclear fusion), and the flickering in the kaiju’'s abdomen eventually moves to its chest and the horn on its head, from where it releases sparks internally. The resulting beam of ultra-high heat emits a brightness that turns the night into daylight and can penetrate the sky, even reaching into space.^[1] This expends the Teaterium's charge and cools down Taganular's body, leaving the monster unharmed rather than causing it to melt down or explode. When hitting a target, it creates a massive explosion of blue flames, and can reveal space kaiju by stabilizing the distortions surrounding them.
• Flight: Taganular has a pair of wings that enable it to fly and hover in the air.

Merchandise

Ultra Monster Advance

• Taganular (2023)
  • Release Date: July 22, 2023
  • Price: 2,178 yen
  • JAN/ISBN: 4549660982173
  • Materials: PVC

Released for its debut in the third episode, Ultra Monster Advance Tanagular is a soft vinyl figure that stands 155mm tall (1mm taller than the Ultra Hero Series (2016) toy). Aside from his rotating arms, legs, and waist, Tanagular also features similarly rotating front clawed legs, and pivoting Sickle Arms.

Gallery

Ultraman Blazar

Ultraman Blazar The Movie: Tokyo Kaiju Showdown

Ultraman Arc

Miscellaneous

References

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3} https://tsuburaya-prod.com/encyclopedia/taganular
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} https://m-78.jp/character/blazar-3/
3. ↑ https://www.ultramanconnection.com/news/ultraman-blazar-monster-bulletin-taganular/
4. ↑ https://tsuburaya-prod.com/encyclopedia/taganular
5. ↑ https://twitter.com/erohoshi/status/1682556067836841986?s=20
6. ↑ https://twitter.com/erohoshi/status/1682979715798433795
7. ↑ https://www.ultramanconnection.com/news/taganular-and-antlar/
8. ↑ https://m-78.jp/character/arc-17-1/
9. ↑ https://cocreco.kodansha.co.jp/telemaga/news/feature/arc/GV2Qk
10. ↑ https://cocreco.kodansha.co.jp/telemaga%2Fnews%2Ffeature/arc/XEWRg?page=2