If you’ve been following Ultraman Arc on social media, you may have seen talk, and maybe even a few screenshots of “Shu Ishido’s Diary,” a special column written in-universe from the perspective of the GDF agent Shu Ishido, now that he is working with SKIP. These “journal entries” actually contain some interesting information, so going forward, Ultraman Connection will be bringing these diary entries, translated into English, for you! Here are the first three, and we’ll continue catching up until we are matching the weekly releases. In addition, tomorrow we will be posting our notes of these entries, and what we think the information released within may mean. Check it out!
Entry 1
Date: xx/xx
From today onwards, I’ll be stationed at SKIP's Hoshimoto City branch. Mr. Nibuya’s orders are always sudden, but this was really out of the blue. But such is the life of someone in the Special Investigation Unit. To me, it’s just a matter of giving my all and completing the mission.
For this assignment, I’ll be writing a diary for the first time in my life. It will serve not only as a record for all kaiju matters, but also about the situation at SKIP and since I’ll be living here until further notice, I might as well note any intel about Hoshimoto City. I don’t know how long my duty will be here, but I believe this diary will become a truly valuable asset for me.
A lot has happened on my first day, but allow me to first note about the first time I visited Hoshimoto City. Yes, it was the day when, due to the influence of Oo-ze (the extraterrestrial parasitic organism), Shagong, the armored shell kaiju, grew rapidly and went berserk. Not only was it the first time Oo-zes appeared in Japan, but they managed to parasitize a kaiju with a violent disposition like Shagong. It was the worst possible scenario. Thanks to SKIP’s quick action and the help of the Giant of Light, Ultraman Arc, the damages were kept to a minimum. However, had they made a single wrong move, the consequences might have been catastrophic. We might have been amidst a worldwide fight against the spreading Oo-zes. I get chills just imagining it.
Also, I’m not sure if it’s just a response to this fear, but the arc left behind when Arc flew away is a beautiful, unforgettable sight. Perhaps it’s because he has saved my life, but I still see that same arc every night, when I close my eyes. Of course, my position doesn’t allow me to harbor these sorts of emotions, much less allow them to be noticed by others (though I did partially let them slip out to Yuma). Especially since I was the one to suggest the title of “Ultraman Arc” to the top brass. Mr. Nibuya would berate me for that, if he knew I was doing so out of personal affinity. But in this diary, I can write my thoughts freely. I now understand the enjoyment of writing a diary.
Anyway, back to the topic at hand. That day, I visited SKIP’s Hoshimoto City branch for the first time, and was blown away by many things. Namely the fact they had no coffee the difference in equipment compared to the GDF. For example, they only had a non-lethal weapon called the Soniter, a Supersonic Intimidation Device. Depending on the species and size of the kaiju, it might be possible to drive them away from the scene, or even make it lose consciousness, but its overall effectiveness is highly questionable. In fact, when the Shagong appeared the second time, Yuma was unable to handle the attacks from a large number of Oo-zes. SKIP is specialized to perform investigations, but they do come face-to-face with dangerous situations regularly. I understand that they must be legally restricted, but there is definitely room for some discussion regarding the scope of weapons they can use. Besides, even the items used for investigation, such as their computers, are outdated and made me realize the immense difference between them and us at the GDF.
However, seeing the SKIP members doing their very best, even in an environment that requires a lot of improvement, honestly inspired me just as much as seeing Ultraman Arc in action. As I’ll be stationed at their branch, it might become an important part of my job to support them with my investigation equipment and the Elemagun.
Of course, we cannot forget about the Hoshimoto City branch’s original goal: To investigate and solve the mystery of why Hoshimoto City has seen so many kaiju appearances in the past year. First, we must thoroughly investigate the Monohorn and its connection to spatal affairs. Speaking of which, the other day the Space Science Division’s laboratory sent me a report on the cells I gathered from the Oo-zes. Just as Yuma suspected, they had been in suspended animation inside the Monohorn since K-Day, 16 years ago. The laboratory is also currently investigating the unimaginable external reasons for this incident. It's intriguing that they phrased it as "unimaginable." Taking the attached documents into consideration, my theory is that — Oh, would you look at the time! Let’s finish my first diary entry here, so that I can enjoy my last coffee of the day.
Entry 2
Date: xx/xx
It’s been a while since my first entry to this diary. My initial intention was to write about my first day stationed at the Hoshimoto City branch, and all the things related to Leodo, the ancient kaiju. However, due to the unfamiliar environment and intense work, I faced many sleepless nights, which left me no time to write. I now admire the mental strength of those who manage to write in their diaries every single day. I will work hard not to slack off from now on.
With the Leodo incident, I was able to expand my knowledge of SKIP and Hoshimoto City quite a lot. I especially can’t forget Yuma’s words: “It all starts with a little trust.” If they came from someone in the GDF, I might have brushed them aside for being too naive. However, Yuma’s eyes conveyed his almost overly innocent straightforwardness and deep desire to protect people, making quite an impression on me. Inspired by him, I put in a request to the Space Science Division to use the SAR Satellite, but that might have been a bit overkill. No, if it were not for that decision, not only Hayato and his father, but the entire city of Hoshimoto would have been on the verge of a more severe crisis under the threat of Leodo. Therefore, no matter how much Mr. Nibuya reprimands me (honestly, asking me to write a 30 page written apology was unnecessary), I want to believe that was the correct course of action.
On the other hand, the Leodo incident certainly brought up a lot of issues regarding how we handle kaiju disasters. One of the issues was the fact that the ground survey, which should have taken place before the construction started, was unable to detect Leodo. This is because these current investigation methods (drilling survey, surface wave analysis, etc) weren’t used on the premise to detect kaiju in the first place. It’s been 16 years since K-Day and kaiju appearances have become part of our daily lives, so it’s essential to improve the Building Standards Act to match the current state of affairs as soon as possible. Another issue that came up was the “altar discovery” that delayed SKIP’s first response. The bottom of Leodo’s feet had a distinguishing shape…Truly an imaginable turn of events. Now, I understand there are construction rules regarding relics, in order to protect cultural assets, but ironically this also became an obstacle to us when trying to contain the damages. Thanks to Yuma discovering a 1200-year-old medicine, YouPi You-bot and Pi-body’s actions and the reappearance of Ultraman Arc, we were able to avoid the worst, but it’s just that we had enough manpower to handle it this time. These rules were created to protect people, but ended up doing the exact opposite.This paradox reveals a difficult and complex issue that SKIP, and consequently Hoshimoto City and society needs to overcome. After seeing Hayato and his father holding hands under the arc of light, I fully believe this can become a reality.
Nevertheless, this new incident happened not long after the Shagong appearance. The frequency of kaiju appearances in Hoshimoto City is, indeed, considerably higher compared to other cities. Considering the readings I got from the new measuring instrument at Leodo’s appearance’s location, the reason for this might be… No, this is related to top secret information from the GDF. Even though this diary is private, I should refrain from carelessly writing down my personal conclusions when the analysis results are not even out yet.
PS: The smell of Leodo’s medicine stunk up the office for several days. It was so bad I made sure to evacuate the coffee beans to safety so that the smell would not transfer to them. Yuma and the other members did not seem to mind it much, so I also feigned ignorance, but… It might sound presumptuous coming from me, but I just think my palate and sense of smell are more sophisticated.
Entry 3
Date: xx/xx
Today I walked from my newly-rented apartment in Hoshimoto City to the SKIP branch for the first time. The breeze blowing through the riverside road was refreshing and the passing people all had smiles on their faces. With a calm view like that it was easy to forget about the frequent kaiju appearances. I believe my observations and thought process are due to my curiosity regarding the region and probably the fact I also bumped into Yuma on the way. His excited “Good morning” had a completely different ring to it from my other colleagues. It managed to blow away all my drowsiness from my lack of sleep due to writing reports. I’m unsure if I was able to greet him back properly, though.
However, Yuma had been yawning quite a bit. When I asked about it, he told me he kept dreaming about his first day on the job, and couldn’t sleep properly. Makes sense. After all, on his first day of work, three months ago, there was an especially unique incident that will likely leave its mark in the kaiju disaster history. This is a memory that will stay with him for the rest of his life.
On that day, Digelos, the galactic beast appeared. It got its name from the GDF’s Kaiju Control Unit, as it was similar to Monogelos. It has two big horns, and releases a destructive beam from each of its organs. It can also create a transparent flat barrier in order to stop attacks from its enemies. So far, our only knowledge is that it appeared from the rift in the sky of the Oinu Ward of Hoshimoto City, it resonated with the electromagnetic waves emanating from the Monohorn and that, according to the analysis results from the collected cell samples, it’s definitely an extraterrestrial organism. I don’t have much more information on it, but what we can say for sure is that Hoshimoto City would have suffered some great damage if it was not for the mysterious giant that appeared that same day: Ultraman Arc. Of course, I do believe that, if we had the GDF’s assets we would have been able to drive Digelos away. Even so, the combat capabilities and beams shown by Ultraman Arc shocked me (and the GDF). I clearly remember the member’s faces from the Space Science Division focusing intensely on the live stream after we received the first report. I also remember the applause that naturally spread once Digelos was defeated.
I think it’s best to leave a quick review of the Monohorn here as well. “Monohorn” is the name given to the giant horn left by Monogelos, the galactic beast, 16 years ago. On that day, now known as “K-Day,” Monogelos suddenly dropped from the sky above Mt. Shishio (that footage was recorded by a surveillance satellite and features another luminous body within it, but the source of light was too strong to perform an analysis). Afterwards it exploded. The GDF attributed this to a sudden increase in the oxygen levels and named the horn that was left as “Monohorn.” There was much discussion amongst scientific institutions around the globe and local governments regarding what to do with the remains. Even after 16 years have passed, discussions still arise, but we continue to preserve the site for observation and research.
After checking the location myself, however, I have to say that leaving the management of the Monohorn almost entirely to SKIP and the current monitoring system is perhaps not the most appropriate. Considering Digelos, Shagong, the Oo-zes and so many other kaiju disasters involved with the Monohorn, a structural change is essential. Also, I found quite interesting materials while looking through the database, regarding the civilians affected by the Monogelos disaster… I must carefully check them some other day.
Back to the topic at hand. When I met Yuma this morning he said “on our way to school,” instead of “on our way to work.” Afterall, he is still a newbie fresh out of school even after much experience at SKIP. Since I’ve always been surrounded by experienced seniors, hearing those words made me feel like a “senior” myself. The happiness mixed with the weight of responsibility created a strange feeling. I immediately corrected myself, though. Yuma and I are from different organizations, so there shouldn’t be a hierarchical relationship between us. I cannot forget we are simply temporary colleagues for the duration of my mission.
… Oh, it’s already this late. I’ll brew another cup of coffee and wrap up for the day.
