With Ultraman Zero going Beyond, why is this show still called Ultraman Geed?! The answer to that question is, Tsuburaya Productions’ staff is freaking crazy, and probably because it is easier to get Mamoru Miyano for voice-acting exclusively. Never the less, episode 9 looks to be an interesting episode pertaining to Reito, his daughter Mayu, and Laiha’s past! Automatically that means less time for Riku, and more time for the real stars of the show…
Summary:
Mayu is playing in the park as Reito explains to Riku and Laiha that Mayu has an Ultra Capsule. Laiha realizes that the group must hide Mayu someplace safe to protect her from Kei, and other kaiju. Their only opinion is to use the Nebula House. Meanwhile, Moa and Zena begin to run a background check on Kei Fukuide, as Zena notices the parallels to Belial and Zero in the novels. At the Nebula House, the group tries to convince Mayu to stay with them for a few days, but she runs away thinking her Dad is trying to break his promise to play with her. Laiha manages to convince Mayu to stay with them, and play with Pega. However, she does not reveal how she accomplished this feat.
REM soon alerts the team that the kaiju Tyrant has appeared overhead, and attempt to dig up the base. Riku and Reito rush to combat Tyrant, as Geed and Zero while Laiha attempts to search out Kei who may be nearby. During the battle with Tyrant, Moa is clued into Laiha’s past as the sole survivor of the first kaiju appearance since the Crisis Impact. However, Skull Gomora appears in the Mitsuse Foothills with Laiha rushing to area, as Ultraman Geed also leaves to fight it. While watching the battles Mayu becomes concerned for Laiha, and teleports to her location. Reito and Zero transform into Ultraman Zero Beyond to finish off Tyrant, as Zero proclaims Mayu to be his daughter.
Ultraman Geed struggles with Skull Gomora, as Mayu tries to convince Laiha to leave for her safety since Laiha told Mayu everything about her past. Geed defeats Skull Gomora, as Kei appears to reclaim his Ultra Capsules, but is caught by Laiha. The two begin to duel, as Mayu explains to her father, and Riku the situation at hand. They rush to stop Laiha as they realize she will attempt to kill Kei to avenge her parents. Yet, before she can strike the killing blow an entity stops her from doing so. Zero attempts to capture Kei, but he retreats and revealed to be an Alien Strum. Later that night, REM analyzes Laiha to see what could happened to her Little Star from years ago…
My Thoughts:
“The Sword of an Oath” is the first real episode that begins to piece together the events following the Crisis Impact with the present day. Viewers already knew Laiha was in search of a monster who turned into a man, that man obviously being Kei. However, Laiha did not know the identity of Kei at the time, even though some viewers could have misinterpreted that she did know. I was one of the few originally that were on the fence of whether Laiha knew or did not know her attacker’s identity. Yet, we did not know the depth of the attack she often references, it was only now that we saw she lost her entire family. In addition, we discover she had a Little Star, one that is either connected to Father of Ultra, or Ultraman King to foreshadow either of Geed’s future forms. Furthermore, this entire revelation further connects all main cast members to end goal of defeating Kei and Ultraman Belial.
Another element I began to enjoy about this episode was AIB’s involvement with the current plot. Having Zena be aware of the situation, and having Moa investigate Kei further assists the connection to the prologue to the day. With AIB’s direct involvement in the plot moving forward it will better the chances of filler-like episodes to not occur. However, Moa discovering Laiha’s connection to their investigation may lead to their rocky relationship to worsen, or be calmed to respectable level. Yet, the issue between Moa and Laiha is built around an awkward love-triangle that Moa kick-started in the first place. Never the less, this love-triangle is shown to already be a focal point in the next episode, as seen in the preview.
Now, as for the on-screen action, it is incredible! However, flinging Tyrant into the show as a monster of the week was a little sad. Tyrant is one of the strongest kaiju ever made, but as of late the creature’s hype has slightly died down along with its power. Tyrant still is depicted to be troublesome for a single inexperience Ultra like Geed, but does not stand a chance against two Ultras, or Ultraman Zero by himself. When Ultraman Zero went into his Beyond form, Tyrant was completely outmatched; even then when Zero Beyond appears nothing apparently rivals him. Eventually the series is going to de-buff Ultraman Zero, but that is awhile away. Aside from Zero Beyond vs. Tyrant, the battle between Geed and Skull Gomora was interesting. Skull Gomora seems to constantly match Geed in battle to some regards, as if this Fusion Beast is adapting with each battle.
Yet, the true show-stealer was Laiha vs. Kei because duels on bridges are some of the best fights that tokusatsu can offer. Originally from the preview, and my initial viewing of the episode I believed Kei’s cane concealed a sword before realizing it was simply a mere cane. That realization came to be a bit of a shock since I would have though Laiha could simply cut through it. Fan theory as to why Kei’s could have managed to endure the duel was either to the type of wood, or how he deflected the attacks. The true highlight of the battle was the typical interaction, as to when Kei questioned his own defeat with Laiha’s response, “I wanted to win to more!” That line is always the kicker because it sounds cool, but is contradicting since in a matter of life-and-death both parties should want to win in general. Also, the battle led to Laiha realizing that sometimes an eye for an eye is not the true course of revenge.
Never the less, “The Sword of an Oath” is one of the more enjoyable episodes of the series thus far. Episode 9 is currently tied with Episode 3, and Episode 7 as I feel these three really began to shape the world that the audience is viewing and able to enjoy. Our next episode is the tenth in the series, which brings us down to fifteen episodes remaining! Aside from it featuring Moa, and the kaiju, Zandrias, it does not look to be pivotal to the main plot. Does that mean it will automatically suck? No, because it could be a comedic charactering developing episode, and be the calm before the storm. That storm I am referring to is the debut of Pedanium Zetton, and Ultraman Geed Magnificent!