Alternative Medicine and the Ultraman Mystery

As a child, angry doc used to enjoy watching 'Ultraman'.

Maybe it was the monsters, maybe it was the fact that the internet hadn't been invented yet, or maybe it was the sight of a masked man in a tight, shiny bodysuit...

For readers who are unfamiliar with 'Ultraman', here's a succint summary of the TV series:


The show seemed to follow a formula that was set in stone. The Science Patrol is summoned to investigate strange occurrences and encounters a monster. They battle the creature for a while with their rocket plane or hand weapons, but find that they cannot stop the giant menace. At that point Hayata figures out a way to separate himself from the group and transforms into Ultraman. The rubber monster's lifespan can be measured in minutes once Ultraman appears.


What typically happened was that Ultraman would fight the monster-of-the-week using karate until a warning light on his chest beeped - indicating to him that he was low on energy - whereupon he would decide to sod all that martial art stuff and utilise his Death Ray instead. This powerful mode of attack (officially known as the Specium Ray, it seems) would instantly vapourise the opposition, after which our hero would fly off into the sunset.

Even at that age, however, angry doc could not fathom why, seeing as how effective the attack was, Ultraman did not choose to use his Death Ray at the first instance but risked dangerous hand-to-hand combat instead.

Time after time.

Episode after episode.

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So what has 'Ultraman' got to do with alternative medicine, other than the fact that they both involve mysterious men from the east with strange powers to save us that science cannot yet understand?

Well, one of the justifications from proponents of alternative medicine on their use is that if western medicine has done all that it could and the patient is still not cured, why not try alternative medicine since is harmless and may in fact provide a miraculous cure?

It kinda makes sense in a 'what does he stand to lose anyway, right?' sort of way, until you realise that if alternative medicine therapies were indeed harmless and may provide a miraculous cure, it would be more logical to use them as the first line of therapy instead, wouldn't it?

Or is there some mysterious reason that eludes angry doc as to why we should 'save the best for last', as Ultraman always did?