"We put our sweat and tears, trying to make the machine perfect...so they may come back alive."
- ―Chief Maintenance Araiso talking to Mirai about meaning of his work, Phoenix Stronghold
Araiso is a supporting character who appeared in Ultraman Mebius. He is the Chief Maintenance of GUYS JAPAN.
Personality[]
Araiso possesses a determined and inherently just personality, which manifests as unwavering determination in his actions. His top priority is ensuring the safety of passengers, leading him to uphold utmost safety principles when carrying out maintenance work. He approaches the upkeep, repair, and enhancement of machinery with a rigorous craftsman's spirit.
During the process of integrating the "METEOR" into the Gun Phoenix fighter jet, he similarly adheres to the core principle of safeguarding the lives of pilots. The concept of "ensuring a safe return" permeates every step of his work execution.
History[]
Pre-Ultraman Mebius[]
Araiso in the past.
Since 40 years ago, Araiso has been active as a fighter jet mechanic in various defense teams and, following the establishment of GUYS, he assumed the role of Chief Maintenance at the Japan branch.
Some time ago, there was a young man named Hiroshi Isana who served as an apprentice mechanic at GUYS JAPAN. His exceptional development skills caught the attention of Araiso, who saw his potential for future growth. However, on one occasion, Hiroshi secretly participated in the GUYS OCEAN enlistment exam without informing Araiso. This led to a period of estrangement between them. After Hiroshi left the apprentice repair division, he still held strong trust in Araiso and applied the experiences gained as an apprentice mechanic to various missions as the GUYS OCEAN team leader. Nonetheless, according to Araiso, Hiroshi still had some slight misconceptions about certain techniques despite this.
In the preceding years of the series, he provided guidance to Serizawa, who was a test pilot in the METEOR testing team, to participate in crucial tasks. However, the initial testing process encountered a series of failures.
Faced with this situation, headquarters raised questions, as monsters hadn't reappeared on Earth for over 20 years. This left them puzzled as to why, considering that the disasters had ceased, there was still a need to specifically focus on the safety of the crew members' lives. Araiso's objective was solely "to save the lives of the team."
Ultraman Mebius[]
Araiso's first appearance.
Currently, Araiso remains responsible for the maintenance of GUYS' fighter jets. However, when Dinozaur once again attacked the Earth, resulting in the explosion of the Gun Crusader piloted by Serizawa and his presumed death, Araiso felt guilty for Serizawa's demise. With the introduction of new generation mechas like the Gun Winger, he took on the task of deploying and maintaining these combat aircraft.
To prevent a recurrence of such a tragedy, Araiso made a pivotal decision to equip the Gun Winger with the METEOR weapon system, aimed at countering the threat of disaster posed by monsters. He thoroughly considered the potential dangers of METEOR, leading him to establish stringent operational conditions that limited the usage time of METEOR to no more than one minute.
In one incident, the GUYS Space Station promptly subdued and defeated the encroaching space monster Gromite within a mere 12-hour timeframe. However, suspicions arose that Gromite's central airway had escaped and reached Earth's surface after sustaining damage. Detecting signs of life, GUYS received orders to investigate the scene. However, Araiso pointed out that the METEOR and engines of the Gun Winger were still in the maintenance phase and were not ready for deployment. Nonetheless, with Toriyama and Maru's persistence, GUYS proceeded with the mission as planned.
During the confrontation with Gromite, Araiso sternly warned against activating the mobile mode. After an investigation, it was discovered that Gromite formed a hardened armor on its body surface by consuming debris and rubble, enabling it to withstand enemy attacks. In the midst of this battle, Ryu independently activated the Gun Winger's mobile mode, but due to mechanical failure, he found himself in danger of being attacked by Gromite. He was ultimately rescued by Ultraman Hikari, who arrived in time.
Afterward, he sternly reprimanded Toriyama for allowing the activation of METEOR and Ryu for taking unilateral action in deciding the countermeasure. Ryu countered by asserting that if he could use the mobile mode, he could defeat the monster. He taunted Araiso, claiming that the previous aircraft had inadequate capabilities and would only crash without METEOR. The dispute escalated, leading Araiso to request a team member from Sakomizu. After selecting Mirai, Araiso brought him to the maintenance center. Despite Mirai's statement that "Ryu values the machine too much. No matter how dangerous it is, he will never give up the chance to escape. For Ryu, Gun Phoenix is very special," Araiso responded, "So you can't bear to part with it? Then don't fly, just leave it in the warehouse!"
Araiso introduces Mirai to the mecha that was repaired in the past.
Mirai then inquired whether he had an aversion to METEOR. Araiso appeared puzzled and, together with Mirai, gazed at the mecha photos on the wall. He communicated, "Whether it's METEOR or anything else, as long as it carries a living person, there's only one objective." Due to differing philosophies, Ryu learned the truth behind the scenes from Sakomizu's explanation. He began contemplating whether he had always relied on Araiso. In order to prove that he could fight relying solely on his own abilities, they chose to personally maintain Gun Phoenix. However, being novices in maintenance, when confronting Gromite again, they were unable to utilize METEOR.
Accompanied by Mirai, Araiso boarded the GUYS Special machine and journeyed to the New York headquarters. Their mission was to assist in piloting the new "Gun Booster" aircraft back to Japan, providing support to the team members in their battle against Gromite and facilitating a smooth transition among the team. However, when shifting winds and the dynamics of the battle created challenges for Ryu during the handover process, Araiso on the ground stepped in to provide guidance and assistance from the sidelines. He ultimately witnessed Ryu's success and the pivotal moment when Gromite was defeated by Ultraman Mebius. After the mission concluded, he maintained a strong relationship with the members of GUYS.Phoenix Stronghold
Some time later, as GUYS delved into the study of the dimensional structure of matter and developed the METEOR technology capable of semi-permanently preventing Terrible-Monsters from entering Earth, Misaki visited the hangar and found Araiso. She expressed her hope that he would take good care of the GUYS team. She believed that "the flight mode of the Phoenix Nest Base is GUYS' ace in the hole, making this mission even more dangerous than before. I don't want any team members to sacrifice themselves during this mission." However, Araiso, who by now had developed a strong trust in GUYS, wished for her to have more faith in the team members.
When the GUYS team collectively expressed their desire to utilize the flight mode of the Phoenix Nest to complete the mission of eradicating Verokron, he joined the other members in persuading Misaki. They successfully convinced her to reconsider her plan to activate the flight mode. After witnessing the recovery of Sakomizu and participating in the battle, he also joyfully witnessed the moment when GUYS members, together with the higher-ups, defeated Verokron.Flying to Tomorrow
Soon after, when Hiroshi visited the Phoenix Nest Base as the GUYS OCEAN team leader, he encountered Araiso once again. Previously, Hiroshi had invited Araiso to participate in a submarine maintenance project, but Araiso declined the invitation, citing the need to take care of the mechas. Their conversation was accidentally overheard by Konomi, prompting her to inquire further, and Araiso gradually revealed the shared memories of his past with Hiroshi. Despite his anger towards Hiroshi for leaving the apprentice repair department without notice, Araiso also realized that if everything were restricted, how could one find stories of risking their own lives and not regretting it? In that case, life wouldn't be so fulfilling.
Araiso motivates Hiroshi before he leaves the base.
After witnessing the deep camaraderie among the members of GUYS, Hiroshi approached Araiso before leaving the base. He expressed to Araiso that he finally understood the reasons behind Araiso's decision to stay at the base and praised the unwavering dedication and integrity behind every aircraft Araiso had repaired. Following Araiso's words of encouragement, the two of them restored their past relationship.Isana of the Ocean
Gallery[]
Ultraman Mebius[]
Miscellaneous[]
