May 17th, 2025 was the final showing of Ultraman Arc the Movie: The Clash of Light and Evil in Japanese theaters, and theatergoers received a special surprise when Yuki Totsuka (Yuma Hize) and the rest of the cast of Ultraman Arc appeared! Director Takanori Tsujimoto, Sho Kaneta/Shu Ishido, Kaho Mizutani/Rin Natsume, Koichiro Nishi/Hiroshi Ban, and voice of YouPi Yuya Hirose all made appearances, with one extra actor present: Shiori Kondo, freshly announced as Sorato Okida, AKA the new hero Ultraman Omega!
In the presence of the final theatrical audience, the various cast members had plenty to say. Totsuka, filled with gratitude, stated “Since [the movie] released on February 21st, I’ve been to various places to give stage greetings, but I feel a little sad that today is the last one. Thank you for coming!” Kaneta chimed in, saying “I’m also very sad, but today marks the end of only one chapter, so let’s enjoy this to the fullest!”
“I’d like to enjoy today with everyone who supported SKIP the whole time!” remarked Mizutani, while Nishi continued, “So many people came today. I feel like Arc is really loved.”
Director Tsujimoto, feeling bittersweet at the end of his work, but proud of what it has meant to the attendees, said “I’m glad to be able to get together with everyone from SKIP, after all this time. Let’s enjoy this final day and stay positive!”
Continuing the discussion, the cast was asked about their the last 10 months of Arc, and what they’ve thought about the time. Kaneta, funnily enough, mentioned his regret at never getting to wear the SKIP hoodie; Shu had only ever worn suits in the office, after all. Immediately, Nishi offered Kaneta the hoodie he had on, and he immediately got his wish! “I’m so happy…” he mentioned dreamily, “...So that’s what it’s like!” Such a display of camaraderie and friendship earned a warm round of applause from the audience!
As the night went on, more characters, including YouPi and even the Dark Warrior Guil Arc made appearances! Speaking of YouPi, this was the first time Hirose, a voice actor who recorded his lines in a booth, had been able to stand alongside his “teammates,” and proudly stated “I’m so happy to be able to stand alongside you as a member of SKIP!” With the full team assembled, they did a one-time-only set of SKIP calisthenic exercises with the audience.
Finally, Kondo made his appearance, flanked by his character’s alter-ego, Ultraman Omega. This was Kondo’s first appearance in full of a crowd, and Totsuka, regarding his junior hero, passed the baton from Arc to Omega to signify the new story! The two heroes are very different, with Omega/Sorato Okida being an amnesiac alien with much to learn about how “Earthlings” live. With little formality, he introduced himself to his new fans, saying “Hello hello! I’m Sorato Okida, nice to meet you!”
With the two heroes on stage together, there was only one thing to do; for perhaps the only time, Yuma Hize and Sorato Okida transformed together, into Ultraman Arc and Ultraman Omega, just in time for a photo session and a standing ovation!
As the shoot ended, Totsuka and Kondo made their final remarks. "Thank you for coming today! The story of Ultraman Omega is about to begin. Because of our predecessors from Ultraman Arc, we at Ultraman Omega can do our best. Please continue to support us," asked Kondo, calling for support for the new story. In response, Totsuka continued, "I think everyone has the same imagination. I believe that in a future Ultraman show, a cool Ultraman with imagination will be born. I can imagine Ultraman Arc standing next to them someday. Today marks the end of the series, but please continue to enjoy Ultraman Arc! Thank you!"
With that, a final photo session of the collected cast, Arc, Omega, Guil Arc, and YouPi took place, and that was that. At least, in Japan. Tomorrow, 5/31, will mark the North American premiere of the Ultraman Arc movie here in America, at Kaiju Brooklyn in Industry City, New York! Make sure to go to Kaiju Brooklyn's website to get your tickets, and we’ll see you there!
