The end is nigh! Join Sean for the full recap and review of the endgame for Ultraman Arc in Shuwatch to Watch.
Hey all, Sean here, and we’re back with the endgame arc of Ultraman Arc! As an ally of Arc brings Yuma a warning, an old foe returns, how will SKIP do? Will they win without Arc, or will Earth fall into chaos?
Without further delay, let us begin.
Recaps
Episode 22: The Man in the White Mask
The episode opens with Yuma and YouPi playing a game, as Yuma’s shoe lands on heads for the 11th time. Rin, who’s cleaning the SKIP car, calls their prediction game weird as the two continue the game. Later, as the trio enter SKIP HQ, Rin asks Ban if he got the damage to the car fixed, as Shu reminds him it’s from when he hurt his arm in the last kaiju attack. The team starts to talk about how there hasn’t been a kaiju appearance since the prior month, with the kaiju Hotline having been silent. Ban jokes about the possibility of SKIP Hoshimoto Branch getting disbanded, as Rin says she wouldn’t know what to do without the job, as Ban reveals he’d open a café, something he planned to do for when he retires. Yuma then enters, asking if anyone has seen his umbrella, but Rin and Ban mention it’s been clear skies for a while, and Shu mentions how the humidity of rain ruins coffee beans. Later that night, as Yuma stops by a shop, he asks if they had any umbrellas in stock, to which the woman responds with confusion, as if she didn’t know what he was talking about. The next day, as Yuma arrives at SKIP HQ, they find that the branch office is gone, and the space is for rent. Shu then arrives, and they find Ban, working at a café, something he mentioned the day prior, as Ban, who seemingly doesn’t recognise them, invites them inside. Ban is confused as to why the trio are calling him “Chief”. Yuma mentions YouPi, who is shown to be Ban’s dog. Later, Yuma, Rin and Shu are talking about how it feels like SKIP doesn’t exist, with Yuma bringing up how when he tried to buy a new umbrella, it was like nobody knew what it was. Shu then asks if any of them can remember the last time it rained, with Rin then looking up rain, only for it to come up with nothing, as Shu adds he can’t remember the name of the kaiju that wounded him, as he theorises that kaiju and rain have been erased from existence, which would explain his arm healing and the car being fixed, as well as the disappearance of SKIP, with it possibly being the doing of an alien with immense power. Shu then calls the GDF and heads off.
Later, Yuma and Rin are walking together, as they stop by a plot of land, with Rin mentioning how she remembered a building originally being there, but she can’t remember which one. Yuma mentions it was an art school he went to as a child, recalling a teacher giving him a chalk set that he began to draw with outside for hours until the sun went down, however, he can’t remember what he had drawn. Yuma recalls that it did rain right after he finished drawing, as everything got washed away. As Rin began talking, Yuma spotted a man, in a black suit, wearing a white mask, and when he turns around, Rin is gone. Yuma then calls Shu, telling him what happened, confirming Shu’s theory. Yuma asks if Shu got to the GDF, but Shu seemingly can’t remember how to get there, with it either being erased or his memory of it erased. As Shu began to head to Ban’s café, the Man in the White Mask appears before him, and Shu disappears too. Yuma eventually sees the man again, running after him, asking him where Rin went. The man then asks Yuma what lies beneath his feet, revealing a river used to run beneath the path they stand on. When Yuma asks who the man is, he calls himself “a man who dreams of paradise”. The man reveals that he spent years researching paradise, having finally found his answer in an artifact, with Yuma looking up to see a floating pillar, as the man teleport the two atop the pillar. The man reveals the pillar has the ability to absorb sufferings like anxieties and fears, the man deciding to use the pillar to erase what he deemed as anxieties to create a paradise. The man adds that Yuma is the one obstacle in his plan, or more exactly, Ultraman Arc is. The man demands Yuma give Arc’s power to him, as Yuma declines, but the man persists, saying Yuma can give Arc up, just as he gave up his name and his face, taking off his mask to reveal a void with an apple in it, where his face should be, walking towards Yuma, who then falls from the pillar. W then see the SKIP team in Ban’s café, all working as if this was their actual jobs, as the man sits in the café, commenting that it is time to finish what he started.
Yuma, meanwhile, walks past the plot of land where the art school used to be, he reaches out his hand, touching what appeared to be a forcefield, looking down to see chalk on his hands. With his powers restored by this, Yuma transforms into Ultraman Arc, and goes towards the pillar. The pillar tries to stop Arc, but Arc manages to fire the Arc Finalize beam, destroying the pillar and restoring the world to its natural state.
The episode ends with the team exiting HQ, as it starts to rain, with Shu adding that sometimes, rain is a good thing.
Episode 23: Calamity Thrice
The episode opens with Yuma, typing away on his computer at SKIP HQ, as Shu enters, commenting that Yuma’s arrived early, as Yuma explains he’s finishing a report he was working on the day prior. Yuma goes to open an energy drink, but somehow, he can’t, his hand trembling as the camera goes out of the window, showing an anomaly in the sky. Later, we see SKIP looking at a picture of the anomaly, as Ban recalls how it looks similar to the one from the Digelos incident, as Shu adds that the GDF theorise it may be involved with the Onyx, despite belief that it had disappeared. As the team get ready to go, Yuma stumbles, concerning everyone, despite telling them he’s fine. Despite this, Rin and Ban tell Yuma it’s best for him not to come and for him to go home, but Yuma persists, so Ban tells him to stay at HQ. Later, as Yuma is at HQ with YouPi, he thinks back to K-Day, and the events that led to Arc bonding with him, what Sweed told him, and Arc’s fears that he couldn’t fight. Just then, the phone rings, and as YouPi picks it up, he deactivates, and as Yuma goes to see what’s wrong, YouPi begins talking, his voiced mixed with another, something Yuma thinks is a joke. The voice then takes over completely, telling Yuma that he’s a being who shares Arc’s objective, introducing himself as Biorno. Yuma turns to his monitor, and sees Arc giving a small nod, confirming Biorno’s claim. Biorno explains that he and many others have learned about Yuma through Arc, manifesting himself near Yuma, as he starts to tell him something of great importance.
Meanwhile, the rest of the team is analysing the anomaly, as Shu detects reading similar to Digelos. The scene then cuts back to Yuma and Biorno, who explains that his people have found a promising method to quell the expanding Star Sonia, however, Ze Su is trying to force his plan into motion, being uncertain the new plan will work, wanting to open the Ze Su Gate. Yuma then adds that they got rid of the Ze Su Gate, as Biorno learns that it’s called “Onyx” on Earth, but just as Biorno was about to reveal the true fate of the Onyx, his communication cuts out, as YouPi then reactivates, noticing Yuma has left. Back with the team, they’re helping evacuate civilians. Just then, a siren goes off, as a kaiju enters from the anomaly, revealing Trigelos! As Trigelos begins his attack, Yuma arrives on the scene, with the kaiju causing a soundwave, revealing a glowing light within Yuma, who begins to piece together what Biorno was trying to say, that the Onyx still existed, but inside Yuma. Trigelos takes a swing at the distracted Yuma, who’s saved by Shu, as they escape in the SKIP car. As the pair drive, they talk about what just happened, but before Yuma can say anything, Shu adds that he understands, that he may have said something different in the past, but that it’s also important to empathise, which is something that Yuma taught him. Shu adds that Yuma has rubbed off on him, and he doesn’t want to lose him. Yuma begins talking, saying that he needs to keep running forward to protect the future, and Shu and SKIP have been by his side the whole time, telling Shu to stop the car.
Shu stops the car, as Yuma runs back to Trigelos, transforming into Ultraman Arc, fighting the alien kaiju. Arc and Trigelos are evenly matched, dealing blow after blow against each other, as SKIP watches from the sidelines, commenting that it’s as if Trigelos was designed purposefully to defeat Arc. Arc then summons the Luna Armour, but Trigelos is able to match the speed of Arc perfectly. As Arc switches to the Solis Armour, seemingly knocking the kaiju out of the sky, however, Trigelos manages to forcibly revert Arc back to his base form via a powerful beam. Trigelos then uses an energy bar to life Art up, slashing at him. As Shu goes to help Arc, Ban manages to stop Shu, just as the GDF arrives, firing at the kaiju and giving Arc some much needed backup! Arc manages to get free of his restraints, summoning the Galaxy Armour, before finishing Trigelos off with the Arc Finalize beam, however, this triggers a massive explosion.
The episode ends with Shu, Ban and Rin standing over a massive crater, with Arc nowhere to be found.
Episode 24: The Descending Dream
The episode opens with a recap of episode 23, before picking up where we left off, with the SKIP team looking over the crater left from Arc and Trigelos’ battle. Meanwhile, Yuma awakens in a void, with Arc by his side, who begins telling him not to worry anymore, and that everything has been a dream. Arc goes on to say that a camping accident left a young Yuma buried under rubble, so he dreamed up the events of the show, as well as the 16 years before it, adding that the kaiju attacks, the Onyx and even Arc himself were never real, and just figments of Yuma’s imagination, Yuma asks if he’s dying, but Arc claims that he isn’t, and that a rescue team is coming to help bring him back to his parents, as Arc asks him to say goodbye with a smile, just then, Yuma’s watch begins beeping. Meanwhile, SKIP and a rescue team are searching the rubble and wreckage for Yuma, as Shu informs Ban that the GDF has detected a giant body of energy passing through the wormhole Trigelos came through. Shu then passes some rubble, and Yuma hears him calling out, and reaches his hand up, as Shu calls the other members of SKIP, “Arc” is revealed to be an imposter, reverting back to their true form, Sweed! Just then, Yuma wakes up outside the void, as Ban, Rin and Shu get him out from the rubble.
As Yuma tries to get up, a kaiju appears, Rin theorising that it was the energy from the wormhole, as Sweed appears, taunting SKIP. Shu tries to shoot at Sweed, but she fires back, YouPi shielding the team from the blast. Ban orders YouPi to get Yuma to safety, as the kaiju, Guilebaku, gives chase. As Yuma and YouPi find a hiding spot, Biorno once again communicates through YouPi, who reveals the light in Yuma’s chest is the Onyx, and that Arc only took apart the Onyx and reassembled it as a cube, Ze Su caught wind of this, and began sending pollutants through the Ze Su Gate, which have been eating away at Arc and Yuma, while the energy of the Onyx reaches critical mass. Biorno adds that Arc didn’t know, and as he lacks the strength to speak with Yuma, he sent Sweed once more, with Guilebaku, a dream controlling kaiju. Biorno gives Yuma a final warning that if Yuma’s heart drifts apart from Arc, the Earth will fall,telling Yuma, just as Arc has, to unleash his imagination. YouPi reactivates as Yuma collapses. Elsewhere, we see Sweed, communicating with Ze Su, who reprimands Sweed for letting Yuma escape, warning her that if the need arises, her “key” will be unlocked.
Back at SKIP HQ, Yuma is asleep on the couch, as Shu goes to check on him, expressing his regret that he let him run towards Trigelos, as Yuma wakes up. After a brief conversation, Yuma goes back to sleep, as Shu sees the light of the Onyx glowing in Yuma’s chest. Meanwhile, the GDF is combatting the kaiju, as Ban tells the team that it’s heading for the office, as Rin mentions Sweed, Shu adds that he failed to take her down during the Zadime fight. As Ban is about to say a theory he has, Shu says that what they have to do now is protect Yuma as he has protected them. As Guilebaku lays waste to Hoshimoto, the team go to check on Yuma before they go, only to find him gone. They head outside, finding him heading towards the kaiju. Despite the teams pleas, Yuma transforms into Ultraman Arc, and goes to fight Guilebaku. Arc summons the Galaxy Armour, but the armour begins attacking Arc rather than Guilebaku. The kaiju then throws everything it has at Arc, forcing a detransformation from the armour, as well as freezing Arc in place.
The episode ends with Sweed commenting “Sweet dreams, kid”.
Episode 25: Time to Run, Yuma!
The episode opens with Yuma in bed, waking up to find he’s running late for work, and that his parents are alive. Just then, the family watch a news report about the removal of the Monohorn after 16 years, with Yuma’s father commenting that it’s a miracle they survived K-Day and were able to lead a somewhat normal life. However, Yuma is able to see through this illusion, much to Sweed’s anger, as she rants about how “lower life-forms” can get lost in their imaginations, while intelligent species can’t. Yuma asks what happens to all the people he’s shared a life with if he stays in the dream, as Sweed adds that should the dream become a reality, then reality becomes a dream, with Yuma’s parents telling him he doesn’t need to fight anymore, as they try to manipulate Yuma into saying “goodbye, Arc”. Yuma runs out the door, only to end up 16 years in the past, during the events of Arc’s battle with Monogelos, only to see his parents get up from the rubble and comfort him, with the illusion of Yuma’s father turning to him and telling him that he’s proud of Yuma for being so strong, as the world changes to have the two atop a roof. Yuma counters b saying he hasn’t gone a single day without reliving the pain of losing his parents, but living by what his dad said, to keep running forward, no matter what happens. Yuma’s dad once again asks him to say “goodbye, Arc”, as Yuma thinks back to his drawing that gave Arc a physical body, but before he can say anything, Arc, having taken the form of Yuma’s dad, puts a hand on his shoulder, as the illusion disappears, Arc tells Yuma that it’s time to run, as Yuma’s mother appears beside him, they both tell him it’s time to run, as Yuma transforms into Ultraman Arc, engaging in a mental battle with Guilebaku.
In the real world, YouBot is scanning the forcefield the kaiju has put up to trap Arc with it, as SKIP discovers Guilebaku is generating high frequency waves from the blue organ in its chest, and that if they destroy the organ, the forcefield goes away. Rin then enters with a device, one that uses Onyxium particles that should amplify to give the device some explosive power, as Shu puts it on his back. As Arc’s mental battle continues, Shu arrives ridding PiBody, and fires at Guilebaku’s organ, weakening the kaiju, and, as the forcefield goes down, Shu orders the GDF to fire at Guilebaku with everything they’ve got. Back with Arc, he talks with Yuma via a reflection of a building, as Arc tells Yuma that since they’re in a dream, imagination can change anything, even reality, not to change the past, but to make the future! Arc and Yuma then unleash their imagination, summoning the Galaxy Armour, fighting Ze Su’s pollutants, and giving rise to the Miracle Arc Cube, using its power to defeat Guilebaku inside and outside of the dream. Sweed talks to Arc, calling him stubborn, as the Ultra turns to his foe, Sweed concludes that now, with the Onyx gone, she must become the Ze Su Gate, as she lets her master unlock her “key”, turning her into her Dark Galactic Warrior form.
Arc and Sweed fight, taking to the skies, dealing blow after blow to each other, with Sweed seemingly having the upper hand, but then, Arc gets an idea, looking at the very thing the brought him to Yuma, the Monohorn! Arc flies at Sweed, throwing multiple energy slashes, and then, a cube of light flies at Sweed, unleashing the Monohorn as it stabs her right in the chest, sealing the gate, as he then fires the Arc Finalize beam, using every bit of power he has, sending him around the entire planet. Ze Su briefly appears, cursing Arc by his true name, Rution, as Sweed explodes, ending the threat of the Ze Su Gate for good.
After the battle, we cut to Yuma, who has chosen to leave SKIP, as he has decided to help Arc save his planet, just as Arc has saved Earth. Arc says goodbye to Shu, giving him his watch. Yuma then transforms into Ultraman Arc and then flies off into the sky.
The episode ends with a three-month timeskip, where a news report states that in the 3 months since Arc left, kaiju disasters in Hoshimoto have decreased to pre-K-Day levels, as Shu is packing his things to return to the GDF. Rin then brings up that the night before, up west, there were beautiful lights twinkling in the sky, and then, the SKIP Kaiju Hotline gets a call, Yuma is back.
And so, ends the story of Ultraman Arc!
Extra Lore and Fun Facts
You all know the drill by now, we’ve done this for many an article now, time for kaiju and lore!
Starting off with episode 22, we have the enigmatic Paradise Dreamer, the Man in the White Mask and the Relic of the Paradise Dream, the Pillar. The Man, who appears to be a human who discovered the Pillar, began using it to create his twisted version of Paradise, well, until Arc stopped the plan entirely.
Moving on to some behind the scenes fun facts, this episode’s colour filter was in homage to both Ultra Zone and Neo Ultra Q, while elements of the episode reference Belgian surrealist artist René Magritte, particularly the appearance of the Man in the White Mask being based on the painting “The Meaning of Night”.
Next up, we have episode 23, staring off, we have Biorno! A companion of Arc/Rution, who came to deliver a message to Yuma, revealing that the Onyx still exists, only now, it’s inside Yuma himself! Biorno is similar in appearance to Arc, specifically Arc’s true form. Next, we have the Galactic Beast, Trigelos! This alien kaiju possesses the horns that both Monogelos and Digelos possess but is also capable of matching Arc in strength and speed!
Now for a behind the scenes detail, Biorno was supposedly inspired by “Chief of Ultraseven” from the 1967 entry of the Ultra Series, “Ultraseven”, in his role as another member of Arc’s species, being a rank above him as well as the fact that only Yuma can see him.
Following that, we have episode 24, and the return of Ze Su’s follower, Sweed! Believed to have died following Zadime’s defeat, it is revealed she has survived, now sporting an eyepatch, alongside her leader, the Dark Space Lord, Ze Su, creator of the Onyx/Ze Su Gate! Finally, we have the Dream Beast, Guilebaku, a kaiju capable of manipulating dreams, and is now, by far, the toughest opponent Arc has had to face.
Finally, episode 25, we have Sweed’s Dark Galactic Warrior form! A Dark Ultra-like form Ze Su grants to Sweed for her to become the Ze Su Gate herself, giving Arc one last fight on Earth, and a final battle that next season will need to top!
Sean’s Thoughts
Starting off with episode 22, I liked the surreal vibes it brought, which is something that for me, sets Ultraman apart from most other Tokusatsu shows, as it’s not afraid to do strange or “out there” concepts, which is what this episode encapsulates. I also love how the “kaiju” of the day was mainly the work of someone who was once human, corrupted by the pillar, and with such a simple outfit, I might try cosplaying the Man in the White Mask.
So, I give this episode a 7/10.
Moving along, we have episode 23, and wow! Not only did we get a strong implication that Shu knows Yuma is Ultraman Arc, but the fight with Trigelos had me on the edge of my seat! One thing that made me happy was that the GDF came through, giving their all to help Arc as he’s helped them.
And for that, this episode gets an 8.4/10.
After that, we have episode 24, the final battle is upon us! The return of Sweed was something I never saw coming, and personally, I was expecting Trigelos from the episode prior to be the final kaiju, but Guilebaku is clearly final boss material.
This episode gets a 7.5/10.
Finally, we have episode 25, and what is there to say? This was one of my favourite finales in a while, it reminded me of Ultraman Z, with the host leaving Earth along side the Ultraman their bonded to, and Yuma deciding to help Arc’s people the same way Arc has helped Earth is just a nice touch.
This episode gets a 10/10!
And my final score for Ultraman Arc? 10/10! This is in my top 3 Reiwa Tokusatsu shows, which includes:
- Ultraman Arc
- Avataro Sentai Donbrothers
- Kamen Rider Geats
But what did you, our readers, think? Did you enjoy the episodes? What were your final thoughts on Ultraman Arc? Let us know your thoughts, and until then, this is Sean, SKIP agent for The Toku Source, signing off.
