Noriko Mikawa is one of the main characters of Ultraman Ace. She is a member of TAC.
History[]
Ultraman Ace[]
Mikawa's first appearance.
Since her high school days, Mikawa has been an outstanding elite, thus becoming one of the primary members of TAC. Her main responsibilities include serving as the team's communications officer and acting as the deputy adjutant. She is also the team's most proficient member in handling explosives, often wearing homemade small bombs and gas bombs as accessories.
Throughout the series, Mikawa frequently pilots the Tack Arrow alongside Captain Goro Ryu. In her capacity as the deputy adjutant, she holds the authority to temporarily lift disciplinary actions imposed by the captain on team members, indicating that her leadership abilities are substantially trusted by Ryu.
Shortly after the series began, Yuko Minami, while piloting the Tack Arrow on patrol, accidentally reversed the aircraft in response to a waving boy on the ground. At that moment, the sky suddenly split open, revealing the Terrible-Monster, Vakishim, which led to an attack on and subsequent crash of a nearby passenger plane. When TAC arrived at the scene, there was no evidence to support Minami's claim of witnessing the Terrible-Monster, leading to her being accused by Ryu and subsequently suspended from duty for a week.
While Minami was suspended, Mikawa remained at the base on standby and assisted Minami and Seiji Hokuto in communicating intelligence. However, the sudden appearance of Vakishim threatened the TAC base. With TAC members outside unable to respond immediately for defense, Mikawa made the immediate decision to lift Minami's suspension. She then assisted Yoichi Kaji and other scientists in attacking Vakishim using Gas Rounds outside the base. Her command indirectly enabled Minami and Hokuto to transform into Ultraman Ace, leading to the successful defeat of Vakishim.Go Up in Flames! Terrible-Monster Hell
Mikawa arrived at Kuri's luxurious mansion and saw the manga of the monster "Garan," inspired by late Devonian fish, created by Kuri.
One day, a prehistoric fish estimated to have lived three hundred million years ago was discovered in a state of living hibernation. TAC was tasked with transporting this ancient fish to the Biological Science Center. Meanwhile, Mikawa, who was on vacation, received an invitation to a high school reunion and visited Mushitaro Kuri, now a renowned manga artist, at his designated mansion venue. Just two days earlier, Mikawa and Kuri coincidentally ran into each other amidst the crowd at a department store.
However, upon arriving at Kuri's mansion, he explained that their reunion was not coincidental but rather a result of his "telepathic connection" with Mikawa. In fact, on the day of their high school graduation ceremony, Kuri had given Mikawa a love letter, which she had returned unopened. Kuri had kept the letter all these years and handed it to Mikawa again. When Mikawa finally opened the long-unopened envelope, she found not only a letter but also a monster drawing inspired by creatures from the Devonian period. Later, Mikawa read Kuri's manga manuscript.
Meanwhile, Hokuto and the others were in the process of receiving the discovered ancient fish and heading to the Biological Science Center. However, the truck carrying the ancient fish was suddenly lifted by the wind and disappeared into the air, without a trace. This scene precisely mirrored the plot described in the manga that Mikawa was reading at Kuri's mansion. Additionally, Mikawa found it strange that other TAC members were also depicted in the manga. When she realized that it was all part of Kuri's plot, she lost consciousness due to the drink she had consumed being drugged.
Captain Ryu realized that the prehistoric fish had been stolen by Yapool and began directing the members to patrol. Simultaneously, in an attempt to retrieve the lost contact with Mikawa, he dispatched Yamana and Yoshimura to Kuri's mansion. However, Yamana and the others were obstructed by the Terrible-Monster, Garan. After impeding TAC's attack, Garan vanished without a trace.
Mikawa was kidnapped by Kuri.
Upon awakening from unconsciousness, Mikawa found herself trapped in the attic of Kuri's mansion, where a room with a peculiar structure hindered communication with the outside world. Inside the room, a female body was found, already skeletal. Mikawa sensed Kuri's madness and took the opportunity to use a bomb disguised as an accessory to destroy the door. Just then, Yoshimura, a team member who had visited Kuri's mansion but was deceived and left, heard the explosion and entered the mansion. He witnessed Mikawa being attacked by Kuri and rescued her in time.
After Kuri fell unconscious, Mikawa and the others returned to the TAC base. Captain Ryu learned from reports that Kuri had claimed to have received "psychic resonance from the devil," realizing that Kuri was the controller of Garan and noting his inner obsession. Meanwhile, Kuri woke up and began drawing manga. When Kuri depicted Garan's appearance, Garan actually appeared in the city, initiating destructive activities.
Although Captain Ryu ordered Mikawa not to leave the base to ensure safety, Mikawa felt that she was the target of the enemy and believed it was her responsibility to act. Without permission, she took off in the Tack Arrow. Hokuto followed suit, but his Tack Arrow was seized by Garan. Hokuto managed to escape and, along with Minami, transformed into Ultraman Ace mid-air. Ace engaged in battle with Garan. However, as Kuri depicted Garan gaining the upper hand in the manga, the actual battle mirrored this. Ace severed Garan's right arm, but this injury reflected back onto Kuri, causing him intense pain that prevented him from continuing to draw the manga. Ace unleashed successive beams, successfully defeating Garan.
After understanding that the entire incident was manipulated by Kuri's desires and evil intentions, Mikawa decisively burned Kuri's artworks.
Upon rereading Kuri's manga, Mikawa understood that the mastermind behind turning prehistoric animals into Terrible-Monsters was not Yapool, but rather the product of human desires and evil thoughts. After burning Kuri's artwork, Mikawa then smiled with relief.A 300-Million-Year-Old Terrible-Monster Appears!
Mikawa was killed in an attack by Space Mask, however, Space Mask used this opportunity to revive her, gaining Mikawa's trust in the process.
One evening, a special agent dispatched by Yapool, known as "Space Mask", infiltrated Earth aboard a spacecraft disguised as a meteorite. His mission was to eliminate TAC and Ultraman Ace, who had been hindering Yapool's invasion of Earth. Space Mask swiftly penetrated the TAC base but found himself cornered by TAC's security measures, forcing him to flee on a motorcycle. Yamada and Mikawa pursued him. During the confrontation, Mikawa was unexpectedly pushed off a cliff by Space Mask's telekinetic power. Yamada rushed to the bottom of the cliff and discovered Mikawa severely injured and dead on the spot. He quickly regrouped with the captain and others to report the situation. When they arrived at Mikawa's location, however, her body, which had appeared lifeless earlier, had vanished without a trace.
Mikawa developed a fondness for Sakai due to his assistance and couldn't believe any suspicions about him.
Mikawa was actually saved by a young sculptor named Sakai who happened to be passing by the scene, and she received treatment at the hospital. Yamada, who had initially confirmed Mikawa's death, raised doubts, but the captain and Mikawa expressed gratitude to Sakai. However, Hokuto noticed that Sakai wore a bracelet identical to the one worn by Space Mask, leading the members of TAC to begin suspecting Sakai's true identity. Yet Mikawa, the only one rescued by Sakai, held onto an innocent trust in him like a child. Sakai gave her a stuffed dog named "Boo-wan" as a gift, which was actually a listening device used by Space Mask to monitor TAC's movements. It turned out that Sakai was a disguise of Space Mask, who began using human children to create the Terrible-Monster, Black Satan.
At the final moment of crisis, Mikawa decisively fired her gun to thwart Space Mask's plot.
Mikawa pretended to give Sakai a special pendant as a gift, attempting to prove his innocence by examining his biological tissue. However, the final results showed that Sakai was not human. Sakai then revealed his true identity to Mikawa as Space Mask and enlarged the sculpture of Black Satan, which had been completed by the children, initiating the destruction of the city. Ultraman Ace began to battle Black Satan, but as long as Space Mask retained control, Black Satan would revive once again. However, in Mikawa's judgment, Space Mask was ultimately defeated by Mikawa, and Ace succeeded in defeating Black Satan.
Following this, with Minami's departure from the team to return to the moon, Mikawa assumed Minami's position within the team and frequently partnered with Hokuto in combat engagements.Vengeance Demon Yapool
TAC's last appearance
During the final battle with Jumbo King, she and other TAC members learned that Hokuto's true identity was Ultraman Ace. After a fierce battle, they witnessed the moment when Ace finally defeated Jumbo King. However, unable to transform back into his human form, Hokuto conveyed his wishes to the TAC team before departing from Earth. Against the backdrop of the setting sun, the members bid farewell to him.You Are the Ace of Tomorrow!
Merchandise[]
- Noriko Mikawa (2009)
- Release Date: July 2009
- Price: ¥770
- Materials: ABS, PVC
- Mikawa was announced as part of the second batch of figurines in the Ultra Heroine Fantasy Movies Girls Dictionary series. This product features an anime-style design and comes in two versions: with and without a helmet. Additionally, the product includes information cards about each defense team.
Gallery[]
Ultraman Ace[]
Miscellaneous[]
Trivia[]
- The casual clothes worn by Mikawa in the episodes 4 and 22 are actually personal attire owned by the actress Keiko Nishi, and they were made by her biological father.
- Among all the TAC members, she is the only one who knows about the former MAT member, Hideki Go.Duel! Ultraman Ace vs. Hideki Go
- According to a 2013 interview with Keiko Nishi:[3]
- In 1972, she decided to leave Nikkatsu and become a freelance actress. Her role in Silver Kamen caught the attention of producer Ken Kumagai, ultimately leading to her inclusion in the cast of that series.
- Since the pacing of the series was vastly different from the TV dramas she had acted in during her time at Nikkatsu, she made a deliberate effort to prepare for her role. She recorded episodes of Return of Ultraman and practiced delivering lines quickly while studying how to convey intensity through her gaze.
- In the first few episodes of filming, Nishi admitted she had no idea what she was doing. Most on-set directions were vague, such as "React while looking at the sky!" She had no understanding of how the various scenes would connect or how her performance would come across. It wasn’t until the episodes aired that she saw the final result, which left her stunned.
- Regarding the costume, she described the TAC uniform she wore as designed for action scenes, with a certain level of elasticity. However, the nylon material made it uncomfortably hot in summer and poorly insulated during winter. She recalled that during outdoor snow scenes filmed in Nagano, the cast stuffed themselves with heating pads to endure the cold. Additionally, since her residence was only five minutes by car from the studio, she often wore the TAC uniform’s jacket home after shooting, sometimes forgetting to remove the holster. On one occasion, the holster even tore her car seat.
- In the series, Mikawa’s brooch was actually Nishi’s personal purchase, and she still keeps it to this day. Furthermore, the kimono worn by Mikawa in one scene was handmade by Nishi’s father. After she showed him the script and sketched a rough design, he immediately bought fabric and completed the piece that very evening.
References[]