Anne Yuri(友里 アンヌ, Yuri Annu), aka Ultra 5, is one of the main characters of Ultraseven. She was the youngest member of the UG and the only female member.
Anne is from Tokyo and has been on the force for two years and served the team primarily as a medic. In addition to working in the medical center, she often participates in actual battles with other members and is occasionally involved in mysterious cosmic cases.
Anne has a kind, simple and gentle personality. When she encounters people who need help or aliens, even though she can't determine the motives and identities of the other party, she will listen to their requests the first time and try to find ways to help, treat, and protect them. Dark Zone
Despite her beautiful appearance, she also has a brave and decisive side in battle. In private, she also has a girly side, such as placing dolls and stuffed animals in the room.
Anne is the UG member who has the closest relationship with Dan and has a firm trust in him. The two also often act as partners, and sometimes they travel together. As the series progresses, she seems to be in "love" with Dan.
History
Ultraseven
When Anne makes her first appearance, she is administering first aid to a TDF soldier. In the wake of the sudden disappearance of people in the city, and to safeguard Earth from attacks by extraterrestrial invaders, TDF orders UG to investigate the incident. Anne and Amagi remain at headquarters to study the enemy's movements.
Upon discovering that the true mastermind behind the events is Alien Cool, who urges TDF to disarm and surrender, Furuhashi and Soga bring a young man named Dan back to headquarters. Anne then informs Dan of the imminent crisis Earth faces and inquires if there is any way to repel the invaders. Dan proposes a strategy and, while assisting UG, secretly transforms into Ultraseven to repel the invaders. Afterwards, Anne and the other UG members warmly welcome Dan as the new member of UG. The Invisible Challenger
In the subsequent series, Anne frequently becomes the target of alien attacks or abductions, often being rescued by Dan or Ultraseven in critical moments. She gradually becomes one of the UG members who trusts Dan the most and is the first character in the entire series to directly address Ultraseven by his full name. The Green Terror
One day, a mysterious shadow suddenly appeared in Anne's room, prompting her to seek Dan's assistance in investigating its origin. Together, they unveiled the shadow's identity – an Alien from a distant city. The Alien expressed a desire to stay on Earth discreetly for a while. Anne and Dan chose to conceal the extraterrestrial's presence, opting not to report to Captain Kiriyama.
As the health of the Alien improved, he initiated discussions about Earth and space with Anne and Dan, expressing gratitude for their assistance. However, he remained unwilling to disclose his true identity. Later, Dan learned that this extraterrestrial was Alien Pegassa from Pegassa City. Simultaneously, TDF received a warning that Pegassa City was approaching Earth, with a high likelihood of a collision. However, upon realizing that humans couldn't alter Earth's orbit, Alien Pegassa fell silent. Subsequently, all UG personnel gathered in Anne's room armed with weapons, but, at Anne's request, they refrained from launching an attack.
Following the destruction of Pegassa City by TDF, Alien Pegassa informed Anne about his intention to take her and Dan away from Earth. He revealed himself as an operative with a mission to destroy Earth. When Alien Pegassa unveiled his true form, Anne, frightened, alerted Dan to return to Earth and confront Alien Pegassa. Dark Zone
During a hunt for Alien Quraso, also known as Prisoner 303, she got accidentally kidnapped by Alien Quraso while on standby and transferred to a fighter jet as a hostage. Fortunately, under Dan's actions, she quickly got rescued. Space Prisoner 303
Not long after, Anne's uncle, a civil aviation pilot named Shojiro Yuri, tragically lost his life in a plane crash involving 130 passengers. Anne, Dan, and her family came to offer their condolences at the funeral. However, upon learning that a cigarette vending machine in Kitagawa Town might be causing people to experience mental distress, Anne and Dan went to her uncle's house to inquire about when Shojiro had purchased cigarettes. Her nephew, Hiroshi, confirmed that he had bought them from a vending machine in front of the station during his walk on the day of the accident. Suspecting the unusual vending machine in front of Kitagawa Town station, the two observed it from a coffee shop near the station.
While the TDF was in the process of developing the new super weapon, R-1 , Anne was the only person capable of understanding Dan's thoughts. As she recalled Dan's words, "It's like running a marathon while coughing up blood," she fell into contemplation. Super Weapon R-1
One day, Anne and Dan were enjoying a vacation by the seaside when a boy with a mole on his left cheek approached Anne urgently, saying, "Requesting the TDF personnel at the underwater base to leave the ocean." After relaying the boy's message to Dan, massive explosions occurred at sea and the TDF base. Following Captain Kiriyama's orders, Anne and Dan started searching for the boy, checking a fishing village and school and inquiring about his whereabouts from local residents. Unfortunately, their efforts proved fruitless, and they couldn't locate the boy.
On their way back to the base, Anne noticed the boy playing a ceramic flute on the beach and ran towards him. When Anne asked for his name, the boy introduced himself as Shinichi. Anne then proceeded to inquire about the situation. However, she received responses from Shinichi, stating, "Nonmalt is very angry," and "Nonmalt is the true Earthling." Despite Anne's belief that Shinichi was a human being, which seemed natural from a human perspective, Shinichi insisted that Nonmalt was more important. With that, he jumped into the sea and disappeared, leaving Anne standing at the scene in shock.
Amid UG's destruction of Nonmalt's underwater city, Anne stood nearby, her unease evident. The words spoken by Shinichi lingered in her and Dan's minds. Upon returning to the beach, they observed a woman placing flowers on a small grave. This woman was a mother who had lost her child at sea two years ago. Dan and Anne were taken aback when they saw the engraved name on the small grave, "May Shinichi rest in peace." Witnessing this shocking truth, she was profoundly shaken. Ambassador of the Nonmalt
During a mission, Anne and Dan visited the monkey research center where Anne's acquaintance Dr. Mayama was. However, Dr. Mayama and his assistant kidnapped Anne in an attempt to turn her into an Ape-man using an EEG switch. After Gorry, bound in the same room, tore off the chains and attacked them, just as Anne, who was running away, was about to be taken away by Gorry, she was rescued in time by Dan, who regained consciousness. The Terrifying Super Ape-man
When Earth came under attack by Alien Ghose, with the help of a child named Akio, Anne successfully located Dan in an abandoned warehouse. However, through her conversation with Dan, Anne indirectly learned that Dan was the true identity of Ultraseven. Despite this revelation, she wasn't afraid and sincerely understood and accepted Dan's identity.
However, once his true identity was revealed to humans, Dan would have to return to his homeland. In order to rescue Amagi and engage in the final battle, Dan decided to transform, but Anne stopped him, urging him to consider his well-being. Despite Anne's concern, Dan, running out of time, bid her a final farewell and transformed into Ultraseven to confront Pandon.
After regrouping with other UG members, Anne informed everyone about Dan's true identity and his ongoing fight for Earth as Ultraseven, even being willing to sacrifice his mission. She emphasized that this battle would be the "final one" because Dan had to return to his own planet.
When Ultraseven successfully defeated Pandon, TDF witnessed the historic moment of the largest-scale termination of the invasion. Ultraseven soared into the dawn sky, and members, including Anne, gazed at the morning star. It was as if they could see a smile on Dan's face. The Biggest Invasion in History: Part 2
Ultraseven X
In an alternate timeline that continues the worldview of the original series, the elderly Anne appeared in Jin's mind, seemingly waiting by the lake for someone to arrive.
She reunited with Dan at the lake following his departure from the series' alternate universe. NEW WORLD
Ultraseven IF Story "The Future 55 Years Ago"
Some time after the events of episode 5 in the original series, Dan Moroboshi, piloting Ultra Hawk No.1 on a routine patrol mission, was unexpectedly drawn into the 'Dark Zone' and went missing. This phenomenon was triggered by the time-space transfer technology of the Alien Pegassa, which sent Dan 55 years into the future—arriving in the year 2023. Meanwhile, Anne, piloting Ultra Hawk No.3 in an attempt to locate Dan, was also swept into this future timeline.
In this parallel dimension, Anne encounters a young boy who recognizes her as a member of the 'Ultra Guard' by the uniform she is wearing. The boy leads her to a café, indicating that its owner, Maya, might be able to help her find Dan. Maya, an alien stranded on Earth after being abandoned by her home planet, reveals her connection to Dan. She shares how, during her darkest moments, Dan had told her, "Live on this planet. With this planet." These words inspired her to stay on Earth, build a life, and help others in need. Maya then pledges to help Anne in her search for Dan.
Maya informs Anne that she is in the future of 2023 and explains that her accidental entry into this dimension has disrupted its balance. To restore it, Anne must return to the past. Maya further clarifies that a singularity—an anomaly responsible for Anne's arrival—might allow her to return to her original timeline. When Anne expresses her desire to locate Dan, Maya attempts to use telepathy to establish a connection. However, no response from Dan is detected. After learning the details of Anne's arrival, Maya concludes that Anne should not exist in this dimension.
Soon after, the two worlds begin to collapse. Anne's arrival is identified as the catalyst, putting her at risk of being erased along with the disintegrating dimension. In the other dimension, Alien Pegassa urges Dan to intervene, suggesting that the singularity could serve as a bridge to rescue Anne and restore both to their original universe.
In the timeline of the World of the Land of Light, years later, when Dan returned to Earth, he attempted to locate Anne's whereabouts, but information about her after the Ultra Guard remained unclear.
In an incident, a cosmic being named Uringa disguised himself as an ordinary child and caused abnormal events within the town. Upon receiving the intelligence, MAC dispatched Dan and Gen Otori to the scene. After learning from Toru Umeda that Uringa was an extraterrestrial being, Dan began tracking him. However, during the pursuit, he encountered a woman bearing a resemblance to Anne. Nonetheless, the woman turned around and denied, saying, "I am not Anne."
Despite this, Dan persisted in calling her Anne and continued to search for her at the harbor, hoping to get the truth from her. However, when he learned that Uringa had reappeared and was causing havoc by sabotaging facilities at the amusement park, Dan engaged in a fierce psychic battle with him, using his "Mental Abilities." Due to physical discomfort, Dan collapsed, and the woman rushed to his side with concern.
Subsequently, the woman seemed to have made up her mind and started talking about Uringa's existence: "He is not my child. He is an abandoned child from another planet. Everyone opposed raising him. But he is a very mischievous kid, and I can't just abandon him." Despite this, Dan still insisted that she was Anne, but the woman denied it and said, "I am not Anne, Captain. I want to raise him to be a good person like you."
As Uringa reverted to his original giant form and began rampaging, Ultraman Leo swiftly resolved the situation and restored him to his humanoid state. While Dan was still in a semi-conscious state, he faintly regained consciousness, and the woman seemed to breathe a sigh of relief as she walked towards Uringa, who was searching for her. When Dan fully regained awareness, he lowered his voice and called out Anne's name. The woman paused, attempting to turn around, but when Uli called out, "Mom!", she silently walked towards Uringa's location. Finally, Leo carried Uringa and the woman together, flying them into space, leaving Dan behind, grieving in the same spot.
In the timeline set 30 years after the events of the original series, Anne retired from the Ultra Guard to start a family with Dr. Kusuhara. There, she had a son named "Dan," named after her teammate, Dan Moroboshi.
It appeared that Anne was appreciated in having her son sharing his hobby, such as that of astronomy. When he left for adventure and forest photographing, she was met by 2 newer members of the UG, which was now led by her former comrade, Furuhashi. They offered her to pick her son up. The following day, she introduced them her home and it was revealed by Dr. Kusuhara that it was solar-operated.
As her son was later kidnapped by a pair of disguised Alien Pitts, she became worried of what will happen to him. Later, after Ultraseven defeated Eleking, the Alien Pitt's ship arrived near him. Anne found out that her son was kidnapped and confined there and asked Seven to rescue him, to which he did.
With Dan being rescued safely by Seven, the mother and son were finally reunited. When Furuhashi and his teammate, Kaji, arrived in the scene, Anne introduced him her son and they along with her relatives, his other teammates and the crowd, watched Seven leaving Earth for the second time. Ultraseven - Operation: Solar Energy
Trivia
While Anne was only mentioned and appeared in flashbacks in Ultraseven EPISODE: 0, a Nonmalt disguised herself as Anne in order to trick and persuade Ultraseven (Dan) into her side.
Superior 8 Ultra Brothers
In this film, Anne is an ordinary woman living in Yokohama. She is the wife of another Dan, and they currently run a Hawaiian restaurant together.
When monsters began attacking Yokohama, she evacuated alongside Akiko Hayata. Before the final battle, she reminisced about her experiences in the "Ultraseven" world. Anne bid farewell to her husband Dan, who was about to join the battle. She witnessed the moment when he along with seven Ultras joined forces to save the world.
Several years later, at the commissioning ceremony of the Nippon Maru space vessel, she and Dan boarded Ultra Hawk No.1, embarking on a journey to explore the M78 Nebula in space with other friends. Superior 8 Ultra Brothers
Powers and Weapons
Marksmanship: Anne was skilled with the laser pistol the Ultra Guard used.
Pilot Skills: Anne was capable of flying any of the Ultra Guard vehicles by herself if needed.
Medical Training: Anne was a trained medical practitioner. Besides First Aid, her knowledge and skills were that she could assist more specialized doctors with operations.
Merchandise
Medicom Toy
Anne Yuri (Real Action Heroes, 2006)
RAH Number: 271
Release Date: May 2006
Price: 13,440 yen
Materials: ABS, PVC (doll), Fabric (clothes)
Accessories: Helmet, Ultra Gun, Video Ceiver
Released as part of the Real Action Hero Series, Anne Yuri is a 300mm tall action doll complete with fabric clothes, and she utilizes the RAH301 Kai Doll body. She also comes with a removable helmet, an Ultra Gun which can be wield by his hands. The Video Ceiver on his left arm can be opened and closed.
Anne Yuri (Nurse Variant) (Real Action Heroes, 2007)
RAH Number: 291
Release Date: April 2007
Price: 13,440 yen
Materials: ABS, PVC (doll), Fabric (clothes)
Accessories: Transparent syringe
Released as part of the Real Action Hero Series, Anne Yuri is a 300mm tall action doll complete with fabric clothes, and she utilizes the RAH301 Kai Doll body. She also comes with a removable clear syringe.
Ultra Heroine Fantasy Movies Girls Dictionary
Anne Yuri (2008)
Release Date: December 2008
Price: ¥770
Materials: ABS, PVC
Anne was announced as part of the first 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.
Trivia
Similar to the case of Mitsuhiro Ide, the original actress cast as Anne was not Yuriko Hishimi, but Toho actress Yoshiko Toyoura. However, after the role was confirmed, Toyoura unexpectedly received an opportunity to appear in a film and had to withdraw from Ultraseven.[1][2][3][4]
According to Hishimi's recollection, one day the company suddenly called her and said, "You need to go to Tsuburaya Productions tomorrow." This made Hishimi think she was going for a camera test or audition. However, when she met with director Kazuho Mitsuta, he told her, "You have already been selected for the role of Anne." The staff at Tsuburaya Productions also showed her footage from Ultraman, which made her realize that she would be participating in a similar series.
After confirming the role of Anne, Hishimi went to Tsuburaya Productions' company building on July 14, 1967[5], to take promotional photos. Since it was also the day of Kohji Moritsugu's first scene as Dan, and Hishimi had previously worked with Moritsugu on the television drama Tennka no Seinen, she was somewhat surprised to see him there.[6]
Since the costume for the TV series Ultraseven was originally made for Toyoura, Hishimi had to wear a small sized male costume.
In the early stages of the series, Hishimi's habit of frequently drinking straight whiskey and smoking heavily affected her voice work the following day. Despite being reminded by the production staff, she did not listen, which led the team to drastically reduce Anne's screen time. Hishimi herself felt that having fewer lines made her work much easier, which is why she did not appear in episodes 11 and 13.
It is said that during the airing of Ultraseven, Hishimi, paired with Bin Furuya, participated in the snow festival in Hokkaido. During the winter season, while parading in Otaru in her UG uniform, Hishimi took a break and went to a bar. When Furuya asked where she had gone, Hishimi nonchalantly replied that she went to the bar and mentioned that it was so cold she ended up standing in the bar drinking sake.[7]
In the planning documents for Ultraseven, Tetsuo Kinjo proposed that the central theme of the series would be "the subtle romance between Dan and Anne," a theme that remained consistent throughout the storyline, even up to the final episode.
Kazuho Mitsuta once mentioned that the decision to center the relationship between Dan and Anne as a narrative axis stemmed from this theme in the planning documents. However, Mitsuta noted that only he and Kinjo truly adhered to this idea. In the later stages of the series, after it was confirmed that Mitsuta would direct the final episode, he aimed to gradually close the emotional distance between Dan and Anne before the story's conclusion.[8]
According to Hishimi, from around episode 42, Mitsuta and the director instructed her to "treat Dan like a lover." This required her to arrive at the set an hour earlier than others to receive Mitsuta's guidance in interpreting Anne's character.[9][10]
Regarding Anne's hairstyle changes throughout the series, Hishimi has mentioned in several interviews:[11][12][13]
In episode 3 of Ultraseven, which was Hishimi's first scene in the series, Anne's hairstyle was initially styled up. However, Director Mitsuta commented that "this looks like Harumi Miyako; it's better to let the hair down." Following his suggestion, the hair was let down. Due to the high cost of film, retakes were not possible, leading to inconsistencies between the morning and afternoon shots. To address this, she pretended to let her hair down during the performance for a smoother transition.
In the later stages of the series, Hishimi's hair had been cut short and permed. Therefore, she styled her hair up, wore a wig, and kept only the front bangs as her real hair. She told Director Mitsuta, “I don't like my current hairstyle, so I want to change it to this.” Mitsuta responded, “Oh, that looks good.” Ultimately, the long-haired style was maintained until episode 49.
Regarding the enigmatic woman portrayed in Ultraman Leo, Hishimi revealed in an interview that she was not fully aware of the character she was playing during filming. She had asked the director if she was portraying Anne, but all she received was a vague response of "I don't know either." As for interpreting the character, Hishimi believed it fell somewhere in between the two possibilities and did not have a definite designation.[14]
The original Ultra Guard uniform worn by Anne during the series' filming has been preserved. The inner lining bears the name "Anne" as a dressing marker, and the back features Yuriko Hishimi’s handwritten signature. This uniform was displayed at the Tokusatsu DNA: ULTRAMAN Genealogy Exhibition in 2020.[15]
Hishimi’s signature dates back to a previous owner. At the time, Uchusen magazine had a project to produce replica uniforms. The owner acquired the original uniform through related channels and had Hishimi sign it during their possession. In 2021, the uniform was auctioned for 3.9 million yen, ultimately selling for around 4 million yen.[16]
According to Kiyoshi Osaki, the uniform was rediscovered 30 years ago in a warehouse near Tsuburaya Productions' filming studio. Using the original as a reference, additional replicas were created with the same fabric and materials.[17]
In chapter 118.5, "Ultrafight" of ULTRAMAN, when Dan contemplates the women in the SSSP he even speaks with, were Fuji, the lunch lady, and a certain shorthaired combat division "Member Yuri." Given the depiction, she is very likely to be a reference to the canon Anne Yuri.
In the Cinar dub, she was renamed Donna Michibata. She was the only member of the Ultra Guard to have her name changed.
