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Takkong
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RATINGS
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A fun new design makes Takkong is a great first monster in the series, one of the best. He is actually more original than most of the kaiju in the show. Perhaps the first tiny-head-down-by-the-actor's-crotch monster suit design. Also makes a great squealing sound.
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originality: 10 |
| personality: 7 |
| coolness: 9 |
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Zazan
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RATINGS
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Cool seaweed monster that fights Takkong in episode 1. A good contrast to the bulbous Takkong.
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originality: 4 |
| personality: 3 |
| coolness: 6 |
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Astron (Earthtron)
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RATINGS
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A very well designed yet basic dinosaur type, which balances out the previous two monsters perfectly. (three monsters in one episode!)
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originality: 1 |
| personality: 6 |
| coolness: 5 |
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Sadora
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RATINGS |
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Threadbare cross between Gomora and Barutan-Seijin, this kaiju is not as tough or impressive as he should be. He is a nice design, but somehow feels like he's falling apart, though not NEARLY as much as his co-star in the episode...
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originality: 4 |
| personality: 3 |
| coolness: 3 |
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Deton
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RATINGS
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The costume of this Teresdon (from the original Ultraman) ripoff seems to be falling apart constantly. Is he the same species as Teresdon? Was he supposed to be Teresdon originally? Possibly the lowest-rent kaiju in Ultra-history.
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originality: 1
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personality: 5
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coolness: 1
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KingZaurus III
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RATINGS
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Very powerful quadraped monster with many energy abilities. One of the better designed four-legged suitmation kaiju. Somewhat basic design but very memorable character. Kind of 'happy' looking.
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originality: 4
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personality: 8
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coolness: 7
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Gudon
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RATINGS
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Emaciated kaiju with lashing whip appendages. Probably looked very impressive on paper. In reality, the monster turned out to be skinny and gawkish, but still very memorable.
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originality: 7
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personality: 8
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coolness: 8
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Twintail
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RATINGS
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One of the most famous kaiju from this series. Revolutionary upside-down monster design. (I recall Kumagoras from Fireman and King Ginger from Jumborg Ace from that were kind of built this way, but other than that, I can't recall any others. Well, maybe Litomarus from Ultraman Tiga)
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originality: 10
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personality: 7
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coolness: 10
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Gorubagos
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RATINGS
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One of a series of very plain, standard kaiju in Return of Ultraman. There seems to be a run of them. In fact, there are a number of stories back-to-back that feature plain, standard, somewhat boring monsters in strictly mountainous areas (in other words, no property destruction). Gorubagos is extremely typical. He is also pathetic and like MANY monsters in this series, more of a victim than a monster, easily slaughtered by Ultraman Jack after a short fight, and dies a sad, lonely death which he probably doesn't deserve. Many of these monsters are actually spending much of the fight trying to get away from Ultraman! Even though these monsters are visually typical, most of them make up for it with memorable personalities.
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originality: 2
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personality: 4
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coolness: 2
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Ghostron
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RATINGS
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Another standard, basic monster, but one with a funny, likeable personality. Actually, I wonder if that was a priority anyway with the monsters. Perhaps a conscious effort was made to keep the designs simple but keep the personalities distinct. Makes sense.
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originality: 2
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personality: 5
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coolness: 3
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Danga
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RATINGS
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Strangely guant creature with dangling sausages from its head. Like most japanese monsters, Danga is given an idiosynchratic movement behavior to enhance his personality and make him 'different'. He also dies pathetically like so many others.
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originality: 7
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personality: 6
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coolness: 3
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Stegon
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RATINGS
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Like KingZaurus III, Stegon is a great depiction of a quadraped monster. In fact, he may be one of the best ever, with four legs that move realistically (as opposed to the rear legs crawling on their knees like many kaiju). Stegon is also very very pathetic. He is an already dead dinosaur, after all, like Seabozu, but even more disgusting. He spits some dreadful matter from his maw while making a disturbing rattle with his head. He is a sad creature.
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originality: 7
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personality: 9
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coolness: 9
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Mogunesun
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RATINGS
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Probably the most boring, typical monster in the series. Seems a lot more like a Mirrorman or Fireman kaiju in that it is derivative. It also moves extremely frantically, which is a shape of things to come in later Ultra-Series (such as Taro). Covered with spikes but we all know that spikes on a monster like that could never hurt Ultraman, since they are so floppy.
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originality: 1
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personality: 2
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coolness: 2
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Shugaron
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RATINGS
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With a puffy (supposedly rocky?) body cover, simulated boxing mitts, and funny paint job on his rubbery face, Shugaron seems more like a toy of Shugaron than the real thing. It's a great episode with a great, tragic story and Shugaron is a good complement to the drama. He does, of course, die pathetically. At least the monsters' body parts aren't being chopped off yet....
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originality: 8
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personality: 9
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coolness: 7
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Seagoras
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RATINGS
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Very tough sea monster in the great 2-parter where Japan faces monstrous tidal waves. Seagoras is the mate of Seamons. Seagoras is very powerful, having command over the sea itself. His is not an especially revolutionary design, however. He is one of those monsters with a piece that you know will be broken off at some point during the story. In this case, it's his giant nasal horn.
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originality: 4
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personality: 8
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coolness: 7
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Seamons
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RATINGS
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Mate of Seagoras, Seamons is a similar design, though more quadrapedal.
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originality: 4
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personality: 8
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coolness: 6
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Eredotas (Eldertortoise)
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RATINGS
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Kind of sloppy quadrapedal kaiju. The costume is just falling all over the place. Invisibility gimmick that works like Neronga (from Ultraman)
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originality: 5
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personality: 5
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coolness: 2
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Bemustar
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RATINGS
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The reign of the boring kaiju ends with arrival of Bemustar, a strange flying monster that swallows energy sources into its chest. (This is a pivotal episode also because Ultraseven shows up and delivers a new monster-slicing weapon to Ultraman Jack). Anyway, Bemustar is amusing when he flies because the flyng miniature looks very very different than the costume version of the monster. The proportions are very different. Although Bemustar looks a little threadbare, he seems much slicker when he returns in a later episode as Nokooru-Seijin's 'revived' version and also in an episode of Ultraman Taro.
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originality: 9
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personality: 9
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coolness: 9
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Terochirus
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RATINGS
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This is the one I truly hate. Terochirus may be the only kaiju I despise totally. Just a big, dumb bird. Dreadful costume, design and overall concept. To make matters worse, this monster story is a two-parter. What were they thinking? The focus is very much on the human drama, so maybe the monster was supposed to be 'downplayed'. In any case, I have never seen a more boring giant bird monster except in maybe an old American B-movie.
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originality: 1
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personality: 1
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coolness: 1
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Sahtan
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RATINGS
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Okay, back to the cool, imaginative monsters. Sahtan is a giant Doctor Seuss creation run amuck. He roars so much like Godzilla it's not even funny. Interesting pachydermian nose and covered with strange clumps of hair. Cool invisibility gimmick, too. Another wierd monster crashlands on Earth and simply rampages. PS - I have no idea how Sahtan flies, but it is a neat surprise when he does. (There is a longstanding convention of japanese monsters being able to fly even though they probably shouldn't be able to)
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originality: 8
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personality: 6
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coolness: 8
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Magnedon
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RATINGS
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Remember when every superhero or sci-fi show had to have an enemy with magnetic powers. Well, here's one. Magnedon is an okay quadraped design accentuated by gigantic red plastic horns. (see Oxster in a few epsisodes for more of those red plastic horns). The real selling point of this episode was the cool battle on another planet at the very end.
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originality: 4
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personality: 4
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coolness: 4
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Beacon
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RATINGS
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One of my persoanl favorites from this series! Beacon proves that the monsters are getting wierder. First of all, he spends most of his time simply hovering in the sky. He floats horiziontally most of the time, even during his fight with Ultraman Jack. (He does stand upright but only briefly). He is basically a monster remote camera with eye-lenses. He is covered in strange coloured spikes and has tiny, ineffectual flippers. The general impression is that of a monster that 'wades' through the air like a fish swims through water! Makes disturbing echo-like noises too.
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originality: 10
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personality: 7
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coolness: 10
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Gokinesura
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RATINGS
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Funny monster with big baggy thighs, a funny frill around his neck and floppy flaps on his head. Amazingly, he can catch MAT's missiles and throw them back! Gokinesura seems very much like something from an old Warner Bros. cartoon, comical with eyes that roll up all of the time. He lives in a landfill and seems kind of trashlike himself.
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originality: 7
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personality: 9
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coolness: 4
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Zanika
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RATINGS
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Fat crab-monster (actually the embodiment of the constellation of Cancer) which spends much of the episode in pain, spewing foam from its mouth. It also loses a claw very early on. Just a vicitm really, that Ultraman Jack saves at the end. It's a decent crab-monster design; just so fat and kind of immobile.
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originality: 4
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personality: 3
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coolness: 4
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Vacuumon
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RATINGS
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The real star monster of the episode with crab kaiju Zanika. Vacuumon is a giant star-swallowing space entity that Ultraman Jack easily destroys from the inside. It's mostly an amorphous entity, not really seen in its entirety, though when Jack is inside the monster, the interior seems like many-coloured trashbags etc. Just your typical star-swallowing space blob.
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originality: 3
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personality: 1
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coolness: 5
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Kingstron
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RATINGS
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A monster that I learned to like as the episode went on. Starts off as a cute, stuffed-animal-like baby monster, (Kupukupu) then a drawing, then eventually comes to life. Seems like a typical, kind of boring quadraped at first (like Eldertortoise), but becomes interesting as more of its appearance and powers are revealed. Kingstron has a strange squat, stubby design. He almost seems like half of a monster. A good example of a kaiju brought to life by great characterization.
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originality: 6
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personality: 7
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coolness: 5
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Zagoras
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RATINGS
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Something is appealing about this somewhat comical kaiju. Zagoras isn't as purely cartoon-like as Gokinesura. but he close in many respects. He has the definite appearance of one of those cheap rubber dinosaur toys with the bug-eyes you used to be able to buy at dimestores. (For an even better example of this, see Kuishyo / Quizzshow? from Ultraman Leo, who looks exactly like one of those toys. The Zagoras story is good, and one would expect a more 'serious' monster, but for me, that's one of the joys of tokusatsu: the line between serious and comedic does not exist most of the time.
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originality: 4
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personality: 8
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coolness: 5
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Nokogirin
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RATINGS
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First the Barutan-Seijin, then Antlar, now we get a new bug-on-the-block. Nokogirin is simply a very cool monster. His design isn't that unusual, but he is just perfectly conceived nonetheless. Disturbing beam weapon-firing proturbance on his head, bright red plastic claws, this guy is an example of why tokusatsu excels in insect-themed characters and kaiju. After all, there were the three B-Fighter metal hero series which featured nothing but insect-armored characters!
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originality: 4
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personality: 5
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coolness: 9
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Gronken
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RATINGS
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Great idea! Monster with buzzsaws. Better than Gaigan... with buzzsaws all over his body! Anyway, Gronken looks impressive but gets chopped up more than most monsters in this series. Body parts flying everywhere. Jumborg Ace did a lot of that stuff too if you've ever seen it.
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originality: 6
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personality: 5
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coolness: 8
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Varicane
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RATINGS
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Truly bizzare, Varicane is cute and muppetish, with a mushroom-like body, spinning top part that also lights up, and dangling pieces of material, like a vacuum cleaner! Whereas Sahtan seems like a Dr. Seuss monster and Zagoras seems like a plastic bug-eyed monster toy, Varicane looks a lot like one of those mascot characters from a stupid children's TV show from way-back-when. He's one of the most imaginative kaiju in the series, and probably in the whole Ultra-Series. It's funny to watch the entire body jiggle from the massive centrifugal force created by the whirling mechanism that makes the top part spin. Anyway, Varicane also explodes in a funny way. Actually, he pops. PS - Varicane is loaded with cool powers!
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originality: 10
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personality: 8
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coolness: 8
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Yadokarin
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RATINGS
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Also an amusing kaiju, this vaguely hermit crab-like creature does some comical moves during its fight scene, plus it spends much of its time hiding under a space capsule. The design is inherently sad and pathetic. Yadokarin seems more afraid than anything and it seems kind of miserable that Ultraman Jack has to destroy him.
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originality: 7
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personality: 8
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coolness: 5
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Oxster
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RATINGS
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The red plastic horns are back again! Oxster is an new type of design (with the arms of the actor used tor controlling the horns). Doesn't look so good in close-ups (like many of these kaiju). Strange fur on back, a lot like a bison. Is Oxster a quadraped; his back end seems to just disappear somewhere...The story was very creepy, and Oxster made it even more disturbing.
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originality: 9
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personality: 5
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coolness: 6
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| Prooma |
RATINGS |
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Funny dinosaur-like kaiju with a hooded carapace. Gets its head cut off in a very graphic manner. Moves in an extremely distinctive manner, but this does NOT distract the viewer from noticing the breathing holes in the costume's neck. Honestly, this may be the frst kaiju where NO attempt was made to hide the breathing holes.
|
originality: 5 |
| personality: 6 |
| coolness: 5 |
| King Maimai (both forms) |
RATINGS |
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Has two forms. The first is a reptillian form, then King Maimai sheds his skin to reveal the insect-like second form. Very cool in both forms, and very powerful! His first form has a funny flatulence power.
|
originality: 9 |
| personality: 8 |
| coolness: 9 |
| Muruchi |
RATINGS |
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Spiked head dinosaur-type. Very memorable kaiju for reasons I cannot explain. A good part of it has to do with the story. Muruchi had these wierd 'vents' or gills on the sides of his head.
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originality: 6 |
| personality: 7 |
| coolness: 7 |
| Priz-Devil |
RATINGS |
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From the Bullton school of monster design, another rock-like, mostly immobile creature. Priz-Devil was a bizarre entity with a haunting sound, wierd powers, and produced psychedlic optical effects! One of the best in the series. Has a 'head'-like part that actually is shaped like Baruran-Seijin (just a little)
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originality: 104 |
| personality: 4 |
| coolness: 10 |
| Reogon |
RATINGS |
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Cool dog/yak-like kaiju with giant horns on its back. Chopped up into pieces rather graphically. Great, depressing story (again.....so many Ultraman stories are!)
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originality: 8 |
| personality: 6 |
| coolness: 6 |
| Dracuras |
RATINGS |
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Not as bad as some fans would claim, Dracuras was pretty lame though. The entire bottom half of the creature seems unfinished, just sloppy nondescript costuming. A decidedly female monster, Draculas could also fly. I personally find most vampire-themed stories boring in tokusatsu, and the monsters in such stories unimaginative. Dracuras was no exception.
|
originality: 5 |
| personality: 5 |
| coolness: 3 |
| Black King |
RATINGS |
|
Inspired by the famous Red King (same basic body type) but not actually related. Black King was amazingly tough though not actually very interesting as far as personality. This 2-part episode represents the famous change in tone that the series underwent. Part of this change involved monsters with less personality, often reduced to living weapons being used by invading aliens of the week. The series still remained fun, but the classic nature of the personality-driven monster was fading.
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originality: 5 |
| personality: 4 |
| coolness: 8 |
| Nakuru-Seijin |
RATINGS |
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The bad guy who killed Goh's friend and girlfriend! The bad guy who controlled Black King and almost killed Ultraman Jack! An alien in pajamas! Great seijin-design. This is where the alien invaders of the week formula became most familiar. Now we get monsters AND aliens to review in most episodes! Note: like almost ALL aliens, Nakuru-seijin has blinking lights on his head. The tradition continues...
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originality: 8 |
| personality: 7 |
| coolness: 8 |
| Barudaaku-Seijin |
RATINGS |
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Very cool design! This seijin (who grows into the monster later), has a massively bulbous head, funny, protruding beak, and frantically flopping fingers. I think Barudakku moves in one of the strangest manners of any kaiju (or alien). He seems to actually move in a sloppy way, not so intentional as others.
|
originality: 9 |
| personality: 5 |
| coolness: 8 |
| Black-Seijin |
RATINGS |
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Seijin that summons Snowgon. I firnly believe that this space-clown-like alien is simply a redressed Barutan-Seijin suit. Anyone disagree?
|
originality: 3 |
| personality: 4 |
| coolness: 4 |
| Snowgon |
RATINGS |
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Chops poor Ultraman Jack into pieces! Very cool hybrid of a standard dinosaur-type and a wooly snow monster type.
|
originality: 6 |
| personality: 4 |
| coolness: 6 |
| Barutan-Seijin Junior |
RATINGS |
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Where's the familiar, haunting, Barutan laugh? This one actually talks like anybody else! Despite that annoying fact, it is great to see the Barutan back, albeit in such a diminished role. The costume is fine, but Idon't understand how he can be 'Junior', since all Barutan were part of a collective species (or so I thought). Why would this guy have a revenge motive. It's not like he would have had a specific father, would he?
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originality: N/A |
| personality: 6 |
| coolness: 8 |
| Birugamo |
RATINGS |
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Fun giant robot that Barutan-Seijin Junior builds. Golden colour just like King Joe or Crazygon from Ultraseven. Maybe all giant robots should be golden colour. (Hey, didn't that start with Magma Taishi?) Birugamo looks slightly like a chunky, mechanized Barutan-Seijin, and is formed of separate pieces....just like King Joe!
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originality: 9 |
| personality: 7 |
| coolness: 7 |
| Paragon |
RATINGS |
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OK quadraped monster with illusion powers. Tiny little eyes. Interesting costume design idea, like Oxster and others, where actor's head is in a straneg place. Actually, I think it's a 2-person costume.
|
originality: 5 |
| personality: 4 |
| coolness: 4 |
| Stora-Seijin |
RATINGS |
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Strange alien that slides back and forth on an (off-camera) platform of some kind to make it look like it's hovering. He's just keeps sliding like that....don't know why.
|
originality: 6 |
| personality: 6 |
| coolness: 6 |
| Kodaigon |
RATINGS |
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Animated statue (such as Giant Majin and others). Pretty cool I guess, but doesn't feel like it's made out of stone at all.
|
originality: 4 |
| personality: 4 |
| coolness: 6 |
| Grotes-Seijin |
RATINGS |
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Surprisingly comical alien that summons Kodaigon. Has a somewhat Aztec feel to the design.
|
originality: 9 |
| personality: 9 |
| coolness: 5 |
| Granodas |
RATINGS |
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Great flashing eyes in an episode with more explosions that most entire seasons of an Ultra series. Another monster with a hood (such a Plooma) Also has great hooks on his appendages and two funny teeth.
|
originality: 6 |
| personality: 6 |
| coolness: 6 |
| Kendaurus-Seijin |
RATINGS |
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You only get a brief glimpse of this female alien creature, but she looks cool. Lots of red feathery fur.
|
originality: 7 |
| personality: 7 |
| coolness: 7 |
| Robonezu |
RATINGS |
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Pretty acceptable giant rat robot monster that becomes infinitely more interesting when it gets destroyed and desintegrates into a skeleton form, which then falls apart in slow motion.
|
originality: 3 |
| personality: 5 |
| coolness: 5 |
| Mess-Seijin |
RATINGS |
|
Very strange big-headed alien type (the typical green man from outer space!), complete with bulging eyes and mysterious yellow plastic/rubber triangles sticking sideways out of his back. What possible evolutionary advantage can those triangles represent?
|
originality: 8 |
| personality: 7 |
| coolness: 8 |
| Zuru-Seijin |
RATINGS |
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You only get a breif glance at this alien as he desintegrates. Decent enough design with a frill-collar.
|
originality: 7 |
| personality: 5 |
| coolness: 5 |
| Red Killer |
RATINGS |
|
Dinosaur with crescent blades on his hands. A creature that moves in the FUNNIEST way possible, by constantly 'shirking' (that's my word for it) Pretty standard otherwise. Would be cool in a fight against Gronken!
|
originality: 4 |
| personality: 7 |
| coolness: 5 |
| Femigon |
RATINGS |
|
Pathetic giant rooster-like monster with many parts that seem to serve no true function. Colorful yet sad.
|
originality: 9 |
| personality: 5 |
| coolness: 2 |
| Yametrance |
RATINGS |
|
Extremely memorable monster that seems like a squeezy toy (or like some kind of stress-relieving rubber item). Makes dreadful squeak noises and has no legs, just a potato sack-like body!
|
originality: 10 |
| personality: 10 |
| coolness: 10 |
| Sasahira |
RATINGS |
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The alien that summons Yametrance. Cool manta ray-like creature with an amusing 'twirl' motion that it does with its skinny appendages when it shoots gas.
|
originality: 9 |
| personality: 8 |
| coolness: 9 |
| Mystera-Seijin (A & B) |
RATINGS |
|
Both of these guys are like something out of an American B sci-fi movie, I think. They are a little embarrasing, and don't feel much like Ultra kaiju at all, but they are a nice change of pace, i suppose.
|
originality: 3 |
| personality: 5 |
| coolness: 4 |
| King Bakuru |
RATINGS |
|
Seems much cooler in still photos than in the actual show. Interesting mask-like head and weapons sticking out of its back, but this monster from deep beneath the earth just seems awkward, almost as if its was slapped together at the last minute because it wasn't really finished.
|
originality: 6 |
| personality: 6 |
| coolness: 6 |
| Baat-Seijin |
RATINGS |
|
What if the Barutan-Seijin cross-bred with a housecat? That was my impression when I first saw this alien monster. Funny wings under his arms and highly ineffectual fangs. I can't believe this guy was part of a race that actually intended to invade the Land of Light.
|
originality: 7 |
| personality: 9 |
| coolness: 6 |
| Zetton II |
RATINGS |
| See oroginal Ultraman kaiju reviews for details, since this is the same monster back again from that show, except that this time, Zetton seems weaker and his costume looks like its falling apart. Actually, he also seems fatter, or pudgier, or something. Not a high note to end the series on...
|
originality: N/A |
| personality: N/A |
| coolness: N/A |