Internet Kanegon

Internet Kanegon
Ultraman Arc, episode 8
Information
Airdate	August 31, 2024
Directed by	Tomonobu Koshi
Written by	Ryo Yoshigami
Continuity
Previous	The Full Moon's Answer
Next	Goodbye, Rin

Internet Kanegon is the eigthth episode of Ultraman Arc.

Synopsis

Hoshimoto City is in financial trouble!?

It seems that the popular digital currency "HoshiPay" has been devoured by a digital kaiju! It's time for SKIP to spring into action! But wait... How can a digital kaiju be handled!?

Yuma and Arc will need the help of HoshiPay's developer to stand up to this kaiju!

Shu Ishido's Diary

Expand to read Shu Ishido's diary entry.

The other day I was called to the GDF headquarters to discuss the livestream incident.

Mr. Takeda, our deputy unit chief officer from the Special Investigation Unit was in charge of the hearing. All videos from my stream with Yuma, “US Brothers”, had been saved and honestly, seeing them with my boss standing next to me was a hellish experience. As there were no information leaks, it was not considered a transgression, however, considering my position, I was asked to refrain from engaging in activities that might lead to misunderstandings among the civilians. Bottom line: They ordered me to stop the streams.

If Mr. Nibuya was in charge of the hearing, it would have been much worse. So I accepted the order and kept my mouth shut. Even so, I don’t think I have ever been this embarrassed in my life.

Now that I think about it, I was a bit out of control when I first started streaming. I was worried so much about the lack of subscribers that I even considered using SKIP’s name officially and releasing kaiju information to the public. Insane. If Yuma and Chief had not stopped me, I might have gone through with it. Though it’s a bit late, my heart is aching with regret and gratitude towards them.

The original reason for all this was the sudden inflation which forced us to reduce our expenses. (I could only drink 3 cups of coffee a day!) From that, I realized something very important: Healthy economy, healthy mind. From there, it seems I started to try to win people over, much like in a live stream, and I was unable to stop. It’s like some sort of devilish attractive trait. This experience too has become a great learning opportunity.

Internet Kanegon, the virtual kaiju, is still popular, and has been called to numerous events and collaborations. Since Arc fed it learning data, Kanegon now doesn’t accumulate the coins it receives, but gives it back to the community, participating in Hoshimoto City’s economy. The CEO of HoshiPay, Miss Dogane, regrets the mess she caused and is now focusing on creating a plan to assist in Kanegon’s studies. I have no doubt there might be another virtual kaiju in the future, but SKIP has definitely gained some experience from this incident, especially Rin and YouPi. If this sort of incident were to happen again, they should be more than ready to face it.

Of course, us at the GDF will also need to take preemptive measures towards the many virtual kaiju that may appear around the world, by creating and improving tactics. There are some who argue the validity of applying the word “kaiju” to a being that has no physical body, and that it may not even be the GDF’s job to handle it in the first place.

However, our duty is to prepare for all possibilities and prevent unknown disasters. Especially considering our current society, where all sense of normality has fallen apart, we could say that our world is out of balance.

…By the way, if I’m being honest, the days we spent as the “US Brothers” were really fun. Up until now, I’ve written about my remorse for my actions, so it feels like I’m contradicting myself. However, creating a show that mixed the latest digital technology to practical work felt like the exciting school presentations from my childhood.

Alpha and Omega’s, no, Yuma and my techniques improved every day, and the reactions of the audience increased remarkably. After a satisfying performance, it was thrilling to see the response in a form of sparkling rush of tips raining down! I even had an urge to bite into the coins. (Oops, I’m just like Kanegon now)

It was also really fun planning the show with Yuma during breaks and on our way to work. Speaking of which, when I was having trouble with the material, I asked him about his hobbies but Yuma simply said he did not have any in particular, which left an impression on me. The only thing he does is check new information about kaiju. He only reads academic books and doesn’t listen to music or play sports. He did say that he likes to ride his bike, though. Apparently, he’s the happiest when he’s working with everyone at SKIP.

When I think about it, he is somewhat of a workaholic like myself. I at least read mystery novels and drink coffee for a break, though.

Oh, I got it! I’ll try introducing Detective Bon Hebon to Yuma next time. No, introducing an international novel all of a sudden might be too much…

Ask TsuPi

This week's "Ask TsuPi" is about Ultraman Arc and YouPi!

Yuma's Ultraman Arc Navi

Yuma's Ultraman Arc Navi #9

Today, Yuma shares how Shu and he became V-Tubers, though he is unsure if they will continue in the future. He also introduces the Kaiju for the next episode, Neronga and Pagos.

Cast

• Yuma Hize : Yuki Totsuka
• Shu Ishido : Sho Kaneta
• Rin Natsume : Kaho Mizutani
• Hiroshi Ban : Koichiro Nishi

Guest Actors

• Kanao Dogane : Ryo Ogawa
• Sporting goods store owner : Norio Tsumura
• Cleaning shop owner : Toshio Tateoka
• Interior shop owner : Miduki Takenaka
• Sporting goods store customer : Jumpei Kishikawa
• Cleaning shop customer : Tomoe Seki
• Interior shop customer : Hirosuke Kuribayashi
• Kanegon fanboy : Soji Omine
• Kanegon fangirl : Yui Ikeda
• Desperate citizen (photo) : Tomoyo Tanaka

Voice Actors

• YouPi : Yuya Hirose
• Internet Kanegon : Fumiko Orikasa

English Dub

• Yuma Hize : Paul Castro Jr.
• Shu Ishido : Micah Solusod
• Rin Natsume : Dani Chambers
• Hiroshi Ban : Tony Oliver
• YouPi : Brandon McInnis
• Internet Kanegon : Brittany Lauda
• Kanao Dogane : Michele Knotz
• Sporting goods store owner (スポーツ用品店店主, Supōtsu yōhin-ten tenshu): Reuben Lack

Suit Actors

• Ultraman Arc : Hideyoshi Iwata
• YouPi : Daiki Yazaki
• Internet Kanegon : Hiroyuki Arai

Appearances

Ultras

• Ultraman Arc

Kaiju

• Internet Kanegon

Trivia

• To portray Kanegon faithfully, scriptwriter Ryo Yoshigami read Tohl Narita's books, visited the Aomori Museum of Art (where Tohl Narita's works are displayed), and watched the original Ultra Q, before he began to write the episode's script.
• This episode features Easter eggs referencing Gridman the Hyper Agent and its related series:
  • The scene where Ultraman Arc enters the information space mimics the digital tunnel from the opening sequence of Gridman the Hyper Agent. According to Naoyuki Uchida, the most challenging aspect of this episode was the design concept of the information space. Building on the foundation of Gridman the Hyper Agent, the production team held numerous discussions with Tomonobu Koshi to gradually construct this world view.
  • The scenario where SKIP watches the battle through a computer on his office desk is similar to scenes in the series where Naoto Sho, Yuka Inoue, and Ippei Baba operate "Junk".
  • YouPi’s transformation sequence from human size to giant size in the information space is the same as Gridman’s, and additionally, YouPi’s voice actor, Yuya Hirose/Brandon McInnis, also voiced Yuta Hibiki in SSSS.GRIDMAN.
  • The initial plan did not intend for YouPi to appear in the information space. Influenced by Gridman and the auxiliary weapons, as well as the desire of this episode's director, Tomonobu Koshi, to see YouPi fighting alongside Arc, a request was made to the writer, Ryo Yoshigami, to create a scenario that necessitated YouPi's presence. Although the final result did not involve a fusion into a new form like Gridman, this concept was subtly realized through the integration of a walking mode.
  • The "VTuber" avatars "Alpha and Omega" used by Yuma and Shu during their live stream bear a resemblance to Yuta Hibiki and Sho Utsumi from SSSS.GRIDMAN.
  • The sound effect for HoshiPay used by Internet Kanegon to donate to Yuma and Shu is similar to the intro of the opening theme "Yume no Hero" from the series.

• The cyberspace where Kanegon resides is based on "the incorrect depiction of Japan as seen in Hollywood movies", particularly highlighted by the presence of traditional Japanese memorabilia (such as the maneki-neko, daruma, and Tengumasks), the Japanese dry garden, and the view of Mount Fuji and Tokyo Tower which can be seen from any angle on the set. With the addition of LED light strips, the set was thus transformed into a traditional Japanese cyberspace.
• In the final scene of this episode, Shu, who received a donation from Kanegon, transforms into Kanegon himself. This references the ending of Ultra Q episode 15 "Kanegon's Cocoon," where Kaneo Kaneda reverts from Kanegon back into a human and returns home, only to find that his parents have turned into Kanegon.
• A photo of Mukadender can be seen pasted next to Yuma's desk.

References