FIRE AND FIREMONS
Disguising himself as Dan’s dead uncle Saburo, Fire plots to destroy TAC’s new Silver Shark weapon. And to show he means business, he actually manages to have his monster, Firemons kill Ultraman Ace with a special, flaming sword. However, Ultraseven is able to revive his fallen brother, and Ace and TAC are able to prevent the alien’s plans for world domination.
Fire has always been a character I’ve felt torn on, but over time, I find myself growing more and more fond of the character. He might not be one of the best designed aliens in the series, but we’ve seen worse, and I actually like the aesthetic Suzuki was going for when designing him. The ribbed body and geometric head really fit well with the fire motif he has going on. Originally, Fire was going to have both hands be vice-like, but the one on the right was changed so the character could hold the flaming sword for his final battle with Ace.
His chojuh, Firemons, I can’t say I have much enjoyment for. Once you get past the novelty of a monster wielding a flaming sword as a weapon, there’s just not much to him really. I find the design by Suzuki to be a little too rigid and artificial. In fact, Suzuki himself stated this is one of his rushed designs, and in all honesty, I can feel that here. You also just have to wonder how Fire got ahold of a chojuh. Did he steal it from Yapool? Is he a former Yapool agent? It feels like a story from a different show really.
STEAL
An alien otherwise unrelated to the whole chojuh/Yapool business, Steal is invading Earth not to conquer it, but to steal pandas. Yes, apparently Steal has taken notice of how popular pandas are on Earth, and he wishes to start a craze like that on his homeworld. Upon arriving on Earth, Steal lives up to his name by stealing all sorts of panda merchandise and even try to abduct one of the bears. Makes me wonder if at the end of the day, due to how relatively harmless his plans were compared to other alien invaders, if Ace was justified in blowing him up.
Steal is such a goofy and out there concept, I can’t help but love the character. It’s just really goofy, and there’s a genuine sense of fun about the episode, that even though it’s out of place, Steal easily becomes a memorable, funny villain.
Steal’s design was created from the first Ultraman Ace suit seen in the first two episodes, and it’s a pretty decent makeover. I like how Steal looks like a robot, making me wonder if his name is a pun on ‘steel’. One really goofy thing about his design are the large, bulbous pointer fingers he’s got. Seriously, why are they like that?!
Steal’s human form is played by Chikichi Omura, who has appeared in numerous tokusatsu films and television shows such as King Kong vs. Godzilla, Half Human, The Mysterians, Silver Kamen, Mirrorman, Zonefighter and Fireman.
KAIMANDA AND SISIGORAN
A chojuh that was once the idol of the god Kaima, Kaimanda manipulates the father of Dan’s friend Shin. The monster in addition, transforms Shin into the chojuh Sisigoran.
Kaimanda’s alright design wise in my eyes. It doesn’t come as good as a lot of monsters we’ve seen in the show, but the fire motif on the body looks pretty good, and the giant metal wheel on his back gives the monster a unique look, especially when it spouts fire and it’s pretty fun when Ace rips it off during the final battle.
Sisigoran in terms of design looks the better of the two, and I like the red and blue color scheme, and the lion mask face. One neat thing about this monster is that he doesn’t turn back into Shin after Kaimanda has been defeated, instead, TAC has to destroy the father’s drums in order to restore the boy to normal which is a nice twist.
The episode plays off of the Japanese lion dance, or shishi-mai (which Sisigoran derives his name from). The lion dance originated in China before arriving in Japan, and becoming absorbed into Japanese culture, with several different variations on it existing.
ICERON AND WOO II
A chojuh with freezing powers that dwells in Iida Pass, eating every human being he comes across. The locals believe the creature to be the angry winter deity of the Iida Pass. Iceron attacks a man and his daughter, and while the daughter survives, the man’s spirit is transformed into Woo II, who does battle with Iceron, but unfortunately fails to stop the monster. Thankfully, Hokuto, who was on his winter vacation in the area, vanquishes Iceron, and Woo II is able to have one last goodbye to his daughter, before vanishing into the mountains.
Iceron is a monster that’s fairly underrated by Ace kaiju in my eyes. He’s not anything super special, but I’ve always found this guy pretty fun. I think it really comes down to the design, which reminds me equally of the Ice King from Adventure Time, and the Giant of the Poles from George Melies’s The Conquest of the Pole. He’s just a solid looking ice monster, and Suzuki has stated that he had a lot of fun drawing him, which I think shines through the design. Suzuki based Iceron’s design off of icicles and snowflakes and originally gave the monster a red face.
Woo II here isn’t anything too different from the monster’s earlier stint in Ultraman, albeit here Woo is an out-and-out ally of the heroes and not the monster of the week. The new suit, while definitely cheaper, and not as elegant as the original Woo, doesn’t look too bad, and it’s a little more muscular to show that this is a male version of the wintery spirit. While the story here isn’t as heartbreaking as the one Tetsuo Kinjo wrote, Woo II being a father who was killed trying to protect his daughter is one that is still pretty emotionally resonant. In addtion, we also get to see how this version of Woo is born from the man’s soul, which is very neat.
FUBUGIRARA
The show’s third ice and snow themed monster, Fubugirara is a chojuh from the third planet of the constellation Leo summoned to Earth by a hermit angry at a ski resort. Fubugirara soon creates a massive blizzard, intent on turning Earth into a frozen wasteland like his homeworld.
Fubugirara of the three snow monsters seen in Ace, feels the clunkiest. The story of the episode feels like an awkward melding of the Woo episode of Ultraman and the Varduck episode of Return mashed together without really making either elements of those stories work. In addition, the monster is given a more complex than normal origin compared to other Ace monsters, being a chojuh from another planet, but also being born from a hermit’s grudge. We’ve already seen chojuh born from negative emotions quite a few times already, so adding the fact this monster is from another planet too just feels awkward.
Fubugirara is another one by Suzuki, being based off of the legendary yeti said to haunt the Himalayas. The creature’s design is also based around the concept of it wearing armor, similar to how Suzuki conceived of the design for Cowra.
Interestingly enough, this is also the final episode with Dan Umezu and his sister. You’d think Fubugirara would’ve been the cause of this in the story, but he isn’t, and the characters are inexplicably absent for the rest of Ace.
ONIDEVIL
An oni-based chojuh, Onideviler is connected to the mysterious red beans that appear during Setsubun. Ingesting the red beans causes one to lose their strength, and having consumed one, Hokuto and Ace both have trouble with the monster. Thankfully, Ultraseven is able to restore Ace’s power, and the hero is able to make mincemeat out of Onideviler.
Onideviler is a pretty decent take on an oni chojuh by Iguchi, and it’s one of those Ace monsters that feels like it stepped out of a yokai textbook. The red skin really contrasts well with his long, black beard, and while he’s not super unique, he’s well designed for sure and sets a good standard for which future oni based monsters will be based.
The episode focuses on the Japanese holiday of Setsubun, or the first day before the beginning of spring. Celebrated on February 3rd, one big part of the holiday is the mamemaki, or bean scattering. The mamemaki has the head of the household throw beans at someone wearing an oni mask to drive out evil spirits, and bad fortune, with it ending with eating the beans in order to bring good luck.
GASEGEGON
Gasegegon’s origin is a more complex one. Apparently it was a chojuh without a body living in outer space, that combined with the satellite Jupiter 2, which fell to Earth to combine with a gas tank, forming an egg that he hatches out of….yeah, this guy’s origin is just about as complex as your average enemy monster from the 90’s Godzilla flicks.
I can’t say I’m too fond of Gasegegon in terms of design or story really. His origin is stupidly complex for a monster who just exists to spit out fire and gas, and the design by Iguchi just feels too plain. I do like the whips he’s got for arms though, and the bird-like face oddly fits him (even if he does look like a morose Crow T. Robot from MST3K). The spherical cheeks, probably the most noteworthy part of the design, are based on Hortonspheres, those big, spherical gas tanks, which is pretty fitting.
DAIDARAHOOSI
A time-traveling chojuh, Daidarahoosi slips back in time to the Nara Period of Japan, taking TAC members Mikawa and Yoshimura with him. Hokuto and Capt. Ryu are able to follow the monster back in time using TAC’s experimental time machine.
The idea of a time-traveling monster is a really fun one, and Daidarahoosi isn’t a bad take on the concept. The monster’s got a really fun personality to him, and he seems more mischievous than outright evil or malevolent compared to so many other chojuh we’ve seen. I dig the design by Iguchi too, which is wonderfully goofy, but with a hint of eeriness, and he overall has the vibe of a demented Dr. Seuss critter hopping through time.
Daidarahoosi is based on the legendary daidarabotchi, a gigantic yokai that is mistaken for a mountain range when it sleeps, as well as leaving large footprints which become lakes once they fill with water.
HANZAGIRAN
Normally a giant salamander, when exposed to sunlight, the amphibian transforms into the chojuh Hanzagiran to wreak havoc. Normally the pet of an old man who is angered by the deaths of the giant salamanders due to pesticides, the man views Hanzagiran’s attacks as a sort of divine justice and controls Hanzagiran using a flute.
When I was a child, salamanders were probably my favorite animal, and I still have a lot of fondness for them, so a chojuh based on a giant salamander is easily up my alley. I think in terms of design, Hanzagiran is a real winner by Suzuki, being a good quadruped kaiju with some cool features like those red eyes, silver skin and golden spikes on his back. He’s really just one of those chojuh that looks really nice.
Unlike many chojuh we’ve seen, Ace is able to transform Hanzagiran back into a regular salamander, and seal it in a cave so it can’t transform again. Curiously, despite being spared, the monster becomes a component of Tyrant in Ultraman Taro.
VELOKRON II AND YAPOOL WOMAN
Disguised as a dentist, the remnants of Yapool place a transmitter in Hokuto’s teeth when he comes in to get a cavity filled. The transmitter causes Hokuto to hallucinate that Velokron II is attacking the city, which makes Hokuto run around, guns blazing.
It’s been a long time since the Yapool have really been a part of the show, but having them return is such a welcome reprieve from all the independent chojuh and alien invaders. Their plan of making Hokuto hallucinate isn’t on the level of some of their earlier plans, but it certainly fits with Yapool being petty as all hell. In addition, there’s a lot of creepiness going on with the Lady Yapool too, as when she’s killed by Hokuto, the dentist’s office turns out to be ruined and abandoned just like something out of a ghost story. Makes me wonder if one the writers got their inspiration from a bad trip to the dentist.
Velokron II, starting off as a hallucination before the real one shows up, is a bit of a downgrade from the one we saw all the way back in episode 1, but he’s an alright, alternative version of Velokron, being made from the Machless suit. I kinda like the fact he looks different, sorta like the Yapool were only able to make an imperfect recreation. Velokron II also has an acidic foam he can spit out called the Velokron Solution which is an odd addition to the monster’s arsenal.
While Velokron II has been otherwise relegated to the dustbin of redesigned Ultra monster history, he did return alongside Sabotendar, Yapool, and a redesigned Bemstar for a two-part storyline in Ultraman Taro.
AQUARIUS AND UNVERLAGES
Hailing from the 3rd star of Aquarius, the chojuh Aquarius and space jellyfish Unverlages head to Earth, pretending to be gods to a village as the first step in their scheme to colonize Earth.
Another “monster in rural village” Ace‘s final portion seemed to be obsessed with. The idea of aliens pretending to be gods isn’t a new concept, so it feels a tad tired here, even with two monsters (especially since we’re not given much on either of them aside that they’re both from Aquarius). Aquarius herself is alright, feeling a bit like a redux of Aprasar from earlier in the show. The design is pretty busy and if anything, reminds me of a monster you’d see in a more recent Super Sentai show. This was one done by Akihiko Iguchi, who was basing this chojuh off of the Greek hero Ganymede, who was abducted by Zeus in the form of an eagle, hence the bird-inspired face.
Unverlages is interesting, seeing how he’s the first puppet monster since Ultraseven, so he’s fairly unique right off the bat. Albeit aside from that, there’s really not much to him, and the design doesn’t feel too unique or striking. He’s also one of the few monsters killed by TAC and not Ace, so I guess he’s got that going for him.
SIGNALION AND LEBORL
A race of aliens plotting the conquest of Earth, the Leborl take control of Tokyo’s traffic lights, creating mass chaos, and threaten unleashing their monster, Signalion onto the city if humanity resists.
The Leborl as far as the alien designs go for Ace, honestly don’t look too bad in my eyes, and I dig those insect-looking heads they got. The Leborl suits were made from the suits used for the Yapool from way, way, way early on in the show, and their human forms were played by Takanobu Toya, who has a huge list of tokusatsu credits to his name such as Spectreman, Fight! Mighty Jack, Diamond Eye, but most importantly, he played many of the monsters in Return of Ultraman, and going off of the Return connection, Eiichi Kikuchi, Ultraman Jack himself, is playing a Leborl as well.
Their monster, Signalion, looks really goofy, feeling more like a candy-themed monster than a traffic light one, but he’s another I can’t help but find endearing. As silly as it is, traffic light themed monsters in tokusatsu always seem to be ones I really enjoy for some reason, and Signalion ain’t a bad one in my eyes at all. One thing I really like about the guy is that how his head looks sort of like the Leborl a teeny bit, almost if he was a giant, mutated version of them.
GEEGON
A chojuh that possesses a boy’s violin, whoever plays the violin will create beautiful music, but at the cost of having their soul sucked out. As the violin claims more and more victims, it grows larger and larger, before finally transforming into the monster Geegon.
Geegon is pretty damn ridiculous, but I do find the concept of a killer violin very fun, and definitely the kind of strangeness Ace deals out. I do think they did a good job in designing a violin monster, easily making their inspiration recognizable, but at the same time, not making it just a violin with legs and arms. I really do like the bird-like face he’s got, as having bird attributes definitely fits the musical instrument theme of the monster.
SIMON AND JUMBOKING
The last survivor of the Simon aliens, wiped out by the Yapool, a lone child of the species tries to find refuge on Earth. TAC finds the poor alien after finding him being bullied by some children dressed as the Ultra Brothers.
After rescuing the alien, the spirits of Mazerews, Unitang, Cowra and Mazaron combine into the ultimate chojuh, Jumboking. Soon, Hokuto uncovers that the Simon alien is in reality, the last remnant of the Yapool, who is responsible for the creation of Jumboking. Yapool boasts that Hokuto cannot kill Simon without revealing his true identity as Ultraman Ace in front of his teammates and the children, which would force Ultraman Ace to travel back to M78. Hokuto, knowing it would mean he would have to leave Earth, destroys Yapool and Jumboking, and urges the next generation to hold onto their kindness, no matter what.
The final opponents of Ultraman Ace are a different breed than ones we’ve seen previously, but they’re ones that perfectly encapsulate the themes of looking for the best in humanity, and also bring the Yapool story thread to a close. Simon is a pretty goofy design, but it fits, looking sympathetic and akin to a children’s TV show mascot, the perfect disguise for the Yapool to use for their final plan.
Jumboking himself, looks incredibly busy, which is the perfect endcap to the just bonkers nature of Ace as a show. I love how the final chojuh we see is just all the previous ones mashed together in some horrible pantomime horse creature. Jumboking just rocks, and is just a really memorable final boss. He also sets a precedent for future seasons, as many shows and films will feature chimera kaiju, but none of them are as wonderfully bonkers looking as Jumboking.
Easter's Kaiju Kompendium 