Hoshino and his friends find a tiny meteorite which displays incredible mental powers. It transforms into any object or person into which the person holding it at the time commands it to transform. Further study is approved, and that study is being conducted until a man with a limp steals the unusual stone.
This man, though not truly evil, is mischievous. He uses the rock from space to create a monster, called Gango. The man uses Gango to play tricks on people, steal money and cause practical jokes within a hotel, but he soon ends up wishing Gango to grow to a giant size. Injured, He ends up in a coma, leaving Tokyo at the mercy of Gango, who proceeds to act like a child who plays much too roughly. Gango is met by the JSDF and the Science Patrol, but all their weapons can do is sever one of his radar-like ears, which sends Gango into an enraged frenzy. Finally, Shin Hayata, one of the Patrol's members, has his Jet VTOL knocked into water near the hotel location; while under water, he ignites the Beta Capsule and is transformed into Ultraman, who then fights Gango. But owing to Gango's cowardly nature, the "fight" takes up enough time for Ultraman to weaken. As Gango sees Ultraman running out of time, as his (Ultraman's) warning light indicates, the criminal awakens from his coma. Seeing what his creation is doing, he wishes the creature away. The towering monster re-transforms back into the softball-sized meteorite, which Hayata calls a "telepathic stone" and says "doesn't belong here." It is gathered by Ultraman and taken back into space.
In this episode, the guest role of the reporter is played by Yukio Aoshima, who, at the time, was already a well-known actor. Later in his career, Aoshima became a member of the Japanese Senate and the Governor of Tokyo.
Aoshima's appearance in this series was made possible through his close relationship with producer Takashi Kakoi and screenwriter Tetsuo Kinjo.[2] According to producer Ken Kumagai's recollections, Kinjo and Aoshima had a very close bond. Both were cheerful and had similar personalities, and despite their busy schedules, they would occasionally meet for drinks.[3]
It is said that on one occasion, they had planned to meet at a bar near Tsuburaya Productions. Aoshima arrived a little earlier than expected, so he waited in front of the company's main entrance. Someone invited him inside, but he declined, saying he preferred to wait outside. When Kinjo arrived a bit late and rushed to apologize at the entrance, he found that Aoshima had already begun an impromptu autograph session. A passerby had recognized Aoshima and asked for his signature. Afterward, the two went together to enjoy their drink.
The screenwriter for this episode, Tatsuo Miyata, was one of the Nikkatsu screenwriters who made the transition from the Japanese film industry to television. Although Tsuburaya Productions had no direct relationship with him, Kakoi invited Miyata to write this episode in order to enrich the style of the series.[4]
The actress who played the bride in this episode was Maki Wakayama. She had previously appeared in several Toho special effects films, and later also made appearances in episodes of Ultraseven and Operation: Mystery.
Ren Yamamoto, who portrayed the villain Onita, had previously appeared in numerous Toho kaiju films and later made multiple guest appearances in the Ultraman series.
According to Yoichi Iwasa's recollections, when he was making his first film, he asked Fusako Aihara, who played Miko in this episode, to help with casting. Later, he sought her advice on some of the memories related to the filming of this episode. Aihara recalled that during the shoot, there was a particularly large cake, and everyone assumed they would get to eat it after filming was done. However, they discovered that it was just a prop cake covered in cream, with a polyurethane model underneath. This disappointed all the child actors involved.[3]
According to the initial drafts from the Renman period, the episode was originally titled "The Trickster from Outer Space"(宇宙から来た悪戯者, Uchū kara Kita Itazuramono). Gango was described as a gorilla-like monster, with Onita using it to harass people in parks and forests.[5]
Since Gango's suit would be based on modifying an existing monster suit, the design underwent a complete change. As for using Bemular, it was because the monster lacked arms, making it unsuitable for stage performances.[1]
In the early drafts, Onita's hatred and despair toward the world were emphasized, shaping Gango into a brutal monster. However, in the final version, this depiction was softened.[1]
In the second draft, Dr. Iwamoto appeared and said to Onita, "The demon in your heart has disappeared. As proof, the monster has also vanished." This hinted at the resolution of the conflict. In the third draft, Dr. Iwamoto was changed to Dr. Yamamoto, but he still delivered the same line: "That small stone probably accidentally came from space. However, as long as humans misuse such powers, they will never truly progress. This is a great lesson for us."[1]
In this episode, the battle between Ultraman and Gango lasts over three minutes, reaching even four minutes in duration.
According to an interview with Bin Furuya, this showdown was filled with comedic elements. Ultraman made provocative gestures during the fight and displayed movements reminiscent of boxing footwork. Although Furuya wasn’t fond of boxing-style combat, he deliberately included such movements to better convey the comedic tone and light atmosphere of the battle with Gango. This approach made Ultraman’s actions appear more agile and enhanced the entertainment value of the fight.[6]
During the filming of this battle, the famous "drowning incident" occurred. Since Ultraman’s mask and costume lacked drainage features, water would not exit the mask once it entered. Furuya recalled that when Ultraman was knocked into the water by Gango's flying kick, water entered the mask through the eye holes, causing it to fill up. Furuya feared he might drown. He frantically moved his arms and legs, eventually managing to reach the edge of the pool.[6]
Although the crew maintained a tense atmosphere on set, they considered fire and explosive effects to be more dangerous than water, and therefore did not treat the incident as an emergency. After filming wrapped, Furuya protested to the director, stating that he would never again be willing to film a fight scene in the water.[6]
Additionally, this episode marks the first time in the series that the SSSP and Ultraman do not directly defeat the monster.
In Daiji Ikeda's manga adaptation, the story was reworked: Onita was portrayed as a ruthless scientist willing to conduct human experiments, and also a fugitive. Having been arrested by SSSP before, he sought revenge by using Gango, obtained from a meteorite. When Gango attacked the SSSP headquarters and fought fiercely with Ultraman, Gango suddenly disappeared. Since Onita and Gango were mentally connected, the pain Gango experienced was transmitted directly to Onita, causing him unbearable suffering. After the event, Ultraman sent the meteorite back to space.
Gango's mischievous actions are cut in the English dub.
