Doglf

Doglf
Data
Category	Kaiju
Height	60 m
Weight	42,000 t
Home World	Earth
Affiliation	Motoki Mukawa
First Appearance	Ultraman Arc The Movie: The Clash of Light and Evil

Doglf is a kaiju who first appeared in Ultraman Arc The Movie: The Clash of Light and Evil. A specific individual of the same species named Mugon appears in the film.

Subtitle: Dog-Wolf Kaiju

Conception

Etymology

The name Doglf is a combination of the words "dog" and "wolf." The name Mugon is believed to be inspired by director Takanori Tsujimoto's pet dog, Mu-chan. Additionally, Tsujimoto hinted on his official X (formerly Twitter) account that Mu-gon's design was inspired by his pet dog, making it a deliberate choice.

Regarding the choice of Mugon's name, Tsujimoto explained that since the name "Mu" had already been used in Ultraman X episode 18, he wanted to avoid repetition. He began considering other options but ultimately decided to keep the "Mu" element. Tsujimoto also referred to the classic monster naming convention in Ultraman Series, where names often end with "〜gon," like "Shagong." As a result, the kaiju was named "Mugon".

Design

Doglf was designed by Takanori Tsujimoto, who incorporated his love for dogs, particularly Shiba Inu, into the kaiju's appearance.

In the TV series, Tsujimoto had long wished to include a canine-inspired kaiju. Initially, the idea of a "dog-like kaiju" was not part of the main concept during the early stages of the film's planning. However, as the story developed, a kaiju with a strong affinity for humans was needed, which led Tsujimoto to propose the idea of a dog-like kaiju to producer Okamoto. Tsujimoto then sketched his concept, ultimately creating the design for Doglf.

For the close-up shots of Doglf's expressions, Tsujimoto paid special attention to the kaiju's performance, particularly the eyes. Although kaiju performances often rely on costume acting and CGI effects, Tsujimoto wanted to combine both to create more vivid and realistic emotional communication. As a result, many CGI effects were added to the eyes during post-production to achieve an effect that couldn't be accomplished through costumes or CGI alone.

In the film, when Arc strokes Mugon, its tail quickly curls up from a drooping position into a round shape, mimicking a dog's emotional reaction. Tsujimoto emphasized that he wanted the kaiju to express animal-like reactions during emotional exchanges with Ultraman, ensuring that viewers, especially those who have owned dogs, could relate to the emotions being conveyed.

History

Ultraman Arc The Movie: The Clash of Light and Evil

Doglf is a kaiju confirmed to have appeared on Earth multiple times. Although it seems docile, it is actually a highly aggressive carnivorous creature known to attack humans and livestock. Since its first appearance, other individuals of the same species have been sighted and subsequently destroyed by humans.

Ten years ago, a young Motoki Mukawa became lost while hiking the slopes of the Mt. Akiyoshi, but by chance met a different Doglf in the mountains, which did not hurt him, but took care of him in a cave for three days, until he was rescued. Mukawa named him "Mugon" and visited him often.

Years later, as the first test issued by Sascal to Yuma, Mugon's body became abnormal. Mukawa went to SKIP to ask for help in treating Mugon, but left in anger after the counseling was unsuccessful. Almost at the same time, SKIP receives an alert from the GDF that a kaiju attack has occurred at the foot of Mt. Akiyoshi, and that the kaiju has escaped by going underground; SKIP then goes to the scene to investigate. When Mukawa urged Mugon to flee. Suddenly, another kaiju Shagong appeared and attacked. The real culprit behind the attacks was Shagong. Mugon tried to defend Mukawa, but a second Shagong joined the assault.

Yuma arrived and transformed into Ultraman Arc, fighting alongside Mugon against the two Shagong. During the battle, Mugon bit into Arc's Luna Saucer and launched it with his heat ray, setting it ablaze and helping Arc in defeating the pair. However, Mugon collapsed and died from exhaustion after the fight.

A follow-up investigation revealed that Mugon's death was due to natural aging, and SKIP discovered that Mugon had been quietly guarding the area around Mt. Akiyoshi for years, repeatedly driving away invading kaijus to protect Mukawa and the nearby villagers. When Mukawa learns that Mugon has been secretly protecting him and chose to be by his side at the end of his life, he can't help but burst into tears.

Trivia

• Suit actor: Shun Takahashi
• Mu-chan's photo also appears in the TV series, including on a SKIP poster and in a photo displayed by Hiroshi Ban.

Data

Stats

• Height: 65 m
• Weight: 65,000 t
• Origin: Forests adjacent to Mt. Akiyoshi

Powers and Weapons

• Enhanced Reflexes: Despite his advanced age, Mugon was capable of catching Arc's Luna Saucer in his mouth.
• Heat Ray: Mugon charges energy from the spikes on his back before firing a blue heat ray from his mouth. It was used in tandem with Arc's Luna Saucer to ignite it and easily cut through the two Shagongs.

Gallery

Ultraman Arc The Movie: The Clash of Light and Evil