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What did you think of Ultraman Arc episode 19?

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Ultraman Connection – Official Site

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Blog Version of Review

Going Ultra! Ultraman Arc Episode 19: The Transcending Wish – A Blazar Crossover Analysis

By MJ Muñoz – Author, Artist, Analyzer – MJMunoz.com

Introduction: The Blazar Crossover Conclusion

Ultraman Arc Episode 19, “The Transcending Wish,” originally aired November 23rd, 2024, serves as the conclusion to the Ultraman Blazar/Ultraman Arc crossover connection. And I have to say, I liked the episode a lot! It was a very good conclusion to this mini-series and packed with fun moments.

There’s something almost melancholy about this episode. It doesn’t quite feel like it’s setting up the end game for Arc. I’m not sure if it’s wrapping up the A-story before moving on to the final arc or what, but the tone was intriguing, especially for a four-episode crossover.

Blazar’s Long-Awaited Appearance

It was really exciting to finally see Blazar here. Initially withheld from the crossover, we first got EarthGaron, and then finally Blazar appeared. In this episode, Blazar wakes up in Hoshimoto City before returning to his world. This episode is self-contained with both EarthGaron and Blazar present, unlike Episode 18.

I’m a big proponent of Ultraman Blazar. In fact, after this episode’s analysis, I’ll be releasing my Blazar series retrospective review before continuing with Arc. I’ve already recorded the Blazar review – it’s done, ready to go, “in the can” as they say.

While I like Ultraman Arc, I find myself especially drawn to Ultraman Blazar. By the end of that series, we developed this really strong family vibe with the entire Skard team.

Parallel Worlds: Hoshi-Moto City

In this episode, we get to see the Hoshi-Moto City that exists within Blazar’s world – Gento’s world. There’s a tight-knit family dynamic with the captain, Rin, Shu, and even a counterpart for Yuma who works for the defense organization.

It’s fascinating seeing the larger world, the Skard group, and watching the rest of the Defense Force doing what they do. Throughout Blazar, we’ve seen a decent amount of this organization, and now we’re seeing our Hoshi-Moto crew represented in this other world, doing something similar. They’re the same type of people – noble and heroic – with those traits crossing over between dimensions.

There’s even a Yuma there who is a squad mate of Ishido. One hilarious detail: Ishido in Blazar’s world doesn’t like coffee and prefers tea, which is a great contrast to Shu Ishido in Arc’s world. That was a fun little tidbit that made me smile.

Kaiju Designs and Connections

We get to see Bazanga again in this episode. I noticed that Hellnarok has Gedos’ head as almost a pauldron on his left shoulder. Hellnarak also has this interesting design reminiscent of Blazar as a Kaiju, split down the middle with different sides.

The design of Hellnarak seems to suggest a fusion of Blazar and the Vallaron character into Kaiju form, which is an interesting design choice.

Power Transfer and Parallel Fights

One of the most significant interactions comes when Blazar reaches out and grabs Arc’s hand, transferring some of his chaos energy. Later, Arc is able to use the red and blue streaks in battle.

Arc gets a little cube (likely a Blazar cube toy tie-in) and can use his Sunglass Slasher (Arc Eye Sword) as a javelin, similar to Blazar’s weapon from the black hole in his hand. That was really cool!

We get to see them fighting simultaneously – Blazar fighting Mazanga while Arc was fighting Helnarok on his side of the rift. There’s a cool moment where, from Arc’s side, they push Helnarok back through the rift without really understanding what’s happening.

Thematic Parallels: Nobility and Sacrifice

Interestingly, people in Blazar’s world understand there’s another world on the other side of the rift. Ishido hints that they don’t want to push Hellnarak onto this other world and cause harm to its inhabitants, even if it would save their own world.

This noble sacrifice parallels Arc’s own story, where his solar system or galaxy faces destruction from an exploding sun that would kill trillions. Lord Ze Su’s plan involves shunting the energy to different points, which would destroy Earth. Arc comes to stop this, refusing to sacrifice billions of Earth people even though it could save trillions elsewhere.

This gets to the core of what Arc is about: nobility and the willingness to find another solution rather than sacrificing others out of fear and ignorance. The parallel between Arc’s mission and the Blazar world’s decision not to push their problems onto Arc’s world really drives this point home.

Time Dilation and Resolution

When Yuma returns to his Hoshimoto, he’s been gone for five days due to a time dilation effect. Somehow, he, Arc, and Blazar fight against Bazanga (birthed from Hellnarak) simultaneously despite this time difference.

When Hellnarak is destroyed in Yuma’s world, all the eggs that Hellnarak had laid in Blazar’s world are destroyed or resolved as well, providing a convenient but satisfying conclusion.

The Final Battle

In a desperate moment, Arc slams his left fist into the ground, and red and blue lines start traveling up his arm as he channels Blazar’s power. Using his newly acquired Blazar cube, he transforms his Arc Eye Sword into a throwing javelin, which ultimately kills Hellnarak and destroys the egg-producing sac within its body.

Behind the Scenes

The episode was written by Toshinozo Nemoto, who has done several Arc episodes (5, 9, 16, and 19). Interestingly, he was also the series composer for Macross Delta (2016) and Log Horizon (2013).

The director, Masayoshi Takesui, worked on multiple Arc episodes and Blazar episodes 11, 12, 20, and 21. It seems they may be a collaborative team, working together on both series.

Closing Thoughts

Overall, this was a good episode of Ultraman Arc, though its positioning feels a bit unusual. Is it wrapping things up before the endgame starts? I’m not entirely sure, but it would make sense.

What’s Next: Mockwing Mayhem

I’ve been very busy writing and have finished my book Mockwing Mayhem. I’m doing final checks for typos and developing a cover soon.

What’s the book about? Magical bugs battling monsters. Here’s the one-sentence pitch: “Guided by their starglow, a brave band of magical warrior bugs battle sinister fiends to protect children and their own hidden world from relentless evil.”

Visit Grobugs.com to learn more, sign up for bonus content, and get a guide to the world of the Grobugs. If you enjoy my story analysis, I think you’ll like this book – I’m pouring as much Tokusatsu goodness into these books as possible.

Here’s the back cover blurb: “Sinister Grimlings lurk in the shadows, always hunting for children. Only the Grogugs stand in their way. When a Mockwing, a Mistborn Grimling, discovers a hidden Grobug fort, it doesn’t attack alone. It calls an entire flock. Now Chirp the Bold and Quiver the Cautious find themselves in a battle they were never trained for. Outnumbered and outmatched. Can they survive the Mockwing’s onslaught and save their master? And even if they survive, how can two young Grobugs stand against an entire deadly flock?”