the real komon kazuki

Publication: July 10, 2026

A Blue Light shining towards the Future

Mitsuishi Ibuki, a third year student of the department of veterinary medicine at Meishin University. He was the only one who managed to escape from the destroyed planet H12 to Earth, where despite feeling lonely at times, is living a peaceful life. One day, a space kaiju that destroyed Ibuki's homeworld attacks from a fallen meteorite, causing Earth to fall into chaos. As a fear stricken Ibuki gathered up his courage to protect the lives that were right in front of him, his figure changed into that of a shining blue giant!

This work, which is also the commemorative production for the Ultraman series 60th anniversary, explores the theme of encounters and bonds between those of different species. This is a subject that's been frequently depicted in previous series, but by having the main focus of the story be on young people studying about life at the same university, a drama with a new feeling will be woven. Despite being inexperienced in battle, make sure to pay attention to Ultraman Teo's heroic figure, as his body shines vibrantly while confronting the kaiju.

Ibuki encounters the mini kaiju Pucchi and members of the Astronomy Association, where he ends up facing off against kaiju and threats from space. As he comes face to face with various forms of life, the lonely alien will grow into a hero.

Iwasaki Aoi (Mitsuishi Ibuki/Teo)

-Teo's a hero you'll want to cheer for-

"Please tell us your memories of the Ultraman series."

Iwasaki: My first Ultraman was "Ultraman Zero The Movie," which I saw around the time I was in kindergarten, so until I reached the point where I had the cognitive ability to comprehend things, I seriously believed that such a world existed. I watched "Ultraman Arc" when I accepted my audition, but despite the fact that I'm now an adult, it was so realistic that I almost believed that it was set in a real city and was completely drawn into its worldview.

"Do you have any vivid memories of the audition?"

Iwasaki: To conclude the audition, I was handed a stone and told, "Please perform your own transformation pose," which was an unprecedented experience for me. I vividly remember that when I first entered the waiting room, Tomabechi Wataru's Morimoto Ryoma-san had a smile on his face, so I went over to talk to him. It makes me really happy that we were able to make it to the very end together.

"How did you feel when you found out that you had been cast as Ibuki?"

Iwasaki: When I heard that I'd been chosen, I couldn't believe it, and wasn't sure how to react. Of course, within my heart I had this desire like, "Maybe it is possible for me to become Ultraman?," and I had also thought, "If I could become a hero, maybe that would be a way to show some kind of appreciation to my parents," so I was really happy. After that, as things like costume fittings and script readings began, the realization that "I was going to become Ultraman" gradually started to settle in.

"At the time of this interview, your appearance has yet to be announced, but have you informed your family?"

Iwasaki: Yes. When I told my mother, her reaction was sorta like, "Ah, I see," but the next day she asked me tons of questions, so maybe she just hadn't fully grasped the situation yet (laughs). My father had heard about it from my mother, and before filming started he told me, "Do your best," and "I think it'll be tough, but see it through to the end."

"For your role as Ibuki, what kind of person do you personally think he is?"

Iwasaki: Ibuki does things that are unconventional by Earth's standards, and while it's funny and gets a laugh out of me, rather than thinking he's strange just for being an alien, I tend to view it more as him simply not being able to grasp what's considered normal on Earth. Despite holding onto his past trauma and being in a pitiable state, he hasn't completely given up hope, as when he arrives on Earth, he's able to talk with strangers and animals. The word "kindness" feels abit too light, but I think he's a thoughtful young man.

"What were you conscious of when performing?"

Iwasaki: In scenes where Ibuki's faced with something he doesn't know and his alien side comes out, I acted by recalling the questions and feelings that came up when I experienced new things in my own life, and approached it with the mindset of, "Let's try to match it with this kind of feeling here." I thought life on Earth for Ibuki would be a series of unfamiliar experiences, so I also took the initiative to try out new things on my own. And, since I personally have the impression that heroes have good physiques, I got a gym membership and started training.

"There are running scenes starting from the first episode, so it seems your training produced results, huh?"

Iwasaki: Yeah. I used to hate the way I ran, so in order to fix it, I ran on a treadmill while checking my form in a mirror that was in front of me, studying how to run like a hero. I never would've imagined that I'd be running to the extent that I did, so I'm really glad I worked on it (laughs).

"(laughs). How do you feel regarding Teo's visuals?"

Iwasaki: I also like blue, so I genuinely think it's cool. At first glance, the design doesn't really look like Ultraman, but it's fitting for Teo, who gradually becomes more like an Ultraman as the story unfolds, and I feel that he's different from the Ultramans we've seen up to now.

"His somewhat young, or rather, gentle face is also distinct, isn't it?

Iwasaki: I get that! With a gentle face that seems to hate conflict, it somehow reminds me of Ibuki. Even though his expression doesn't change, his vulnerable demeanor suits him, and his Suit Actor really portrayed the trauma Ibuki carries, as rather than being captivated by how cool he is, I feel that it's more like I can't take my eyes off him because I want to cheer him on.

-Acting born from a homey atmosphere-

"Were there any memorable interactions you had with Main Director Ninomiya Takashi?"

Iwasaki: I clearly remember him mentioning not to think of him as an alien just because he's strange, and to put emphasis on the fact that aliens are living beings. We talked about various things, including the areas where my acting was lacking, and he would give me hints based on what I did. He'd even take me out for meals after filming, so he was like a father figure.

"Please tell us your impressions of the Astronomy Association's cast members. First, let's start with Emma's Kamiya Amane-san."

Iwasaki: I first met the president during a lesson that Director Ninomiya had put together. From that moment on, I knew she was serious, but she wasn't cold or blunt, as I could sense something of an indescribable kindness coming from her, so I thought she was a suitable fit for a president.

"What about Kanna's Nakada Noa-san?"

Iwasaki: Kanna-san has a unique aura to her, and I initially had the impression that we were the most different in terms of personality. However, when we started talking, we discovered that we shared things in common, like our love for reading and competitiveness, so I started to feel a sense of familiarity with her.

"Now, what about Rintarou's Uemura Yu-san?"

Iwasaki: Rintarou-san has a cool appearance, and his everyday clothes are just like his costumes. I thought he was just meticulous, but during filming, he was a real mood maker who livened things up, and my impression of him changed to that of a senior I respected.

"What about Morimoto-san, who you met during the audition?"

Iwasaki: Ever since we spoke at the audition, I've felt that Becchi-san and I have similar ways of thinking. If Becchi-san has the image of the kind eldest son, then Rintarou-san's the responsible second eldest who keeps a watchful eye on those around him, and I felt spoiled by both of them.

"Based on what you've said, it sounds like the set had a homey atmosphere, huh?"

Iwasaki: Yes, it really was. There were alot of scenes where I was alone, and I'd often be there before everyone else, or they'd go home ahead of me. I felt lonely when everyone wasn't there, but on the other hand, I felt reassured when they came, and I think the fact that we became such good friends really came through in our acting.

"The first episode featured many scenes with animals, but tell us about your memories of the film shoot."

Iwasaki: It was my first time filming with animals, but there were quite a few mishaps, like when they wouldn't quite look my way or went off in unexpected directions. Episode 1 featured many scenes where Ibuki would try to talk to people, but they'd just walk away, while dogs would actually pay attention to him. I feel like I'm the opposite, as I can talk to people, but animals ignore me, and I was filming while thinking, "Ibuki must feel the same way when dealing with people, huh?"

"The scene where Ibuki gathered up all of his courage and transformed into Teo for the first time on Earth was the highlight of the first episode.

Iwasaki: For the transformation scene, I was constantly talking about it with the Director by saying, "That scene's on this day, right?," as I was worried and wondered, "Can I pull it off?" For me, it was important to convey just how terrifying the kaiju was for Ibuki. I put effort into things like his frightened expression, and was conscious of just how uncool and pathetic I could make it look. We shot it around the time where I felt as if I had built up a certain amount of experience as Ibuki, so my ideas seemed to work out nicely.

"Which scene do you feel you put the most effort into during the first episode?"

Iwasaki: It would of course be the transformation scene, where he protects the child from the fire breathing kaiju. At that point, he didn't even know how to transform yet, so you could say that he was on the verge of death, you know? The Director had also mentioned that he "wanted this scene to be really impactful," but I've never experienced any sort of near death situation, so I seriously struggled with how to express it. Then, and I know this is gonna sound crazy, but right before filming, I had a dream where I was shot and killed (laughs). It's just nuance is all, but I based my performance off the fear I felt at that moment.

"Finally, please tell us what key points we should pay attention to from episode 2 onwards."