Ikuo Hasunuma

Ikuo Hasunuma (蓮沼 征夫) is a writer affiliated to Tsuburaya Productions, working as part of staffs of Ultra Series Ultraman Max. In a brief moment, he swicted places with Kaito Touma and becomes the host of the titular Ultra.

Ultraman Max
The writer of Ultraman Max, Ikuo constantly finds himself dreaming as Kaito and meet the monster sculptor, a middle-aged woman. This encounter provided him with inspirations to write a new script for an episode. However, little by little, Ikuo realized too late that he was lead into making a story where Madeus was given birth as an unstoppable force to both DASH members and Ultraman Max. As part of her final plan, the middle aged lady switched both Ikuo and Kaito's place in each others' dimensions. Kaito used this opportunity to finish Hasunuma's script whereas the writer himself becomes Ultraman Max in the former's place.

The next day, Ikuo submitted his finished script to his colleague and was awakened after his short nap caused the entire building of Tsuburaya Productions to experience tremors.

Trivia

 * The monster sculptor compares his naming sense for her monster, Madeus, to Tetsuo Kinjo, the writer of Ultraseven.
 * Ikuo's situation is based on The Butterfly Dream from the Chinese text Zhuangzi.