The Secret of the Miroganda (ミロガンダの秘密, Miroganda no Himitsu) is the fifth episode of Ultraman.
Synopsis[]
A group of scientists and reporters have went on an expedition to Oilis Island, and find a rare Miroganda plant, but were almost attacked by a huge green plant-like monster.
Summary[]
One night, a Car crashes beneath an overpass as a result of slipping on an unusual green substance on the Road. When the driver gets out to see what happened though, he is attacked and eaten alive by a green plant-like monster! The Plant Monster also invades the home of a scientist and eats him alive too! The next day, news of the two men's passing (whom were revealed to be a reporter and a geologist respectively) gets out to the Science Patrol, and Ide and Arashi are sent to investigate the home of another one of the Plant's victims prior, Dr. Yamada, while Hayata and Captain Mura go to investigate the crime scene. Arriving at the scene with fellow scientist Dr. Iwamoto, Iwamoto informs Hayata and Mura that the green substance is a type of Mucin, but it filled with Chlorophyll, revealing that whatever killed both men is both Plant and Monster at the same time.
Meanwhile in the Omuro Highlands, Ide and Arashi visit an aquarium where Dr. Yamada use to work as a Botanist, studying plant life. There, they learn from one of the Doctor's former assistants, Miss Maki, that Dr. Yamada and several other scientists and reporters (including the reporter and the geologist from before, a zoologist, a photographer, Miss Maki, and Dr. Yamada himself) had went on an expedition to Oilis Island sometime ago, where they discovered a Flower known as a "Miroganda," before they were killed. Learning that both the Plant is gone, and that the zoologist has been killed during their investigation, Ide and Arashi return to the Science Patrol to inform Dr. Iwamoto of what they learned. After learning from Iwamoto of the Monster's Mucin trail, they deduce that Dr. Yamada had used Radiation to work on both the Miroganda and his Plants for research, and thus believing that it had an adverse effect on the Miroganda, turning it into the Monster they are searching for.
With the photographer being all that is left of Dr. Yamada's expedition team left to question, the Science Patrol go to visit her for information. The Photographer, named "Setsuko Hamaguchi," reveals that during their expedition, they were attacked by the same Plant Monster in the same vicinity as where the Miroganda was located, revealing that the Plant Monster is an adult form of the Miroganda, and that when Dr. Yamada used radiation on the flower, it accelerated it's growth, transforming it into the same Life-Form that has been killing people. Knowing that the Monster will come after her, the Science Patrol agrees to watch her through the night to ensure her protection against the Life-Form. Sure enough, the next day, Arashi is attacked by the Monster as it attempts to eat him. Luckily, the rest of the Science Patrol arrives on the scene, rescuing Arashi and firing on the Life-Form with their Superguns, knocking it into a nearby Pond.
Unfortunately though, later that night, the Science Patrol learns that the Monster is still alive and is attacking Marunouchi. Having grown to enormous proportions due to absorbing the energy of the Science Patrol's Superguns, the Life-Form (named "Green Monse") begins attacking the city. This time, Green Monse easily shrugs off the Science Patrol's opposition and manages to paralyze Arashi during its rampage. Luckily, Arashi is rescue by Hayata, who takes him to a discrete location so that he can transform into Ultraman to fight the Life-Form himself. Green Monse immediately attempts to subdue Ultraman by paralyzing him too, but Ultraman manages to fight through his paralysis, and he strikes Green Monse with his Spacium Beam, setting the Life-Form ablaze until all that was left of the Plant Monster are Ashes.
With their task fulfilled, the Science Patrol immediately heads out, only for Ide to comically ask where Hayata has disappeared to...
Characters in Order of Appearance[]
Cast[]
- Kōji Ishizaka as the Narrator
- Susumu Kurobe as Shin Hayata
- Akiji Kobayashi as Captain Toshio Muramatsu
- Sandayū Dokumamushi as Daisuke Arashi
- Masanari Nihei as Mitsuhiro Ide
- Hiroko Sakurai as Akiko Fuji
- Akihiko Hirata as Dr. Iwamoto
Guest Cast[]
- Keizō Sasagawa as Dr. Yamada
- Tadashi Okuno as Dr. Matsuo
- Akiko Wakabayashi as Setsuko Hamaguchi
- Hiroshi Yamanaka as Jiro Kobayashi
- Michiru Maki as Miss Maki
Suit Actors[]
- Bin "Satoshi" Furuya as Ultraman
- Haruyoshi Nakamura as Green Monse
Notes[]
- Despite being the 5th episode of the series, this was the 2nd episode to be made during production.
- Green Monse's name is never mentioned at all in the episode.
- When Ultraman sets Green Monse on fire, the actual suit for Green Monse was burnt away for good after the Green Monse suit itself was visibly worn out from its excessive usage throughout the episode's shooting.
Errors[]
- Although brief, a zip-line can be visibly seen when Ultraman kicks Green Monse at the start of their fight.