Junkichi Ito is one of the main characters of Ultraman 80. He is the chief of UGM transferred from the Paris branch to the Japanese Far East branch, and is the junior of Kazuki Oyama.
Personality
Ito has a strong sense of responsibility and a strict attitude, but compared to Dashan, he has a more friendly personality and occasionally shows a funny or confused side.
History
Ultraman 80
When he was a trainee in the UNDA in the past, he used to hunt down the aliens who participated in the Earth invasion plan by himself, so he was promoted by the headquarters to become the chief director of the European region.
To track Zarudon, Ito learned the fighter teleportation technique before being transferred to the Japanese branch as director, but it was also because of this technique that he was initially mistaken for an alien. After Zarudon was defeated, he was welcomed by the team. Teleportation! The Man From Paris
To find monsters, he once went to the island where his fiancee Sawako Hoshi lived on a mission. He and Sawako found the cave where Gymaira was located. He was hit by Gymaira's monsterized light, causing the cells in his body to mutate and become Lavras. Even though he turned into a monster, Lavras still retains the consciousness of being Ito. Flight to the Eerie Monster Island Part 1
Later, in the battle with 80, Lavras finally got rid of Gymaira's control by relying on tenacious mental strength, launching an attack on Daron, and protecting 80. When Lavras died, Sawako sacrificed herself to keep Ito alive, giving her life force to him, which made Ito successfully resurrect. Flight to the Eerie Monster Island Part 2
In the series finale, he and all UGM members throw a farewell party for Takeshi and Ryoko. Like Oyama, he also learned early on that 80 was Takeshi's identity. Ah! The Giraffes and Elephants Turned to Ice!!
Gallery
Ultraman 80
Miscellaneous
Trivia
- According to Masaaki Daimon's 2022 interview with Brett Homenick:[2]
- Regarding his character, Ito, he explained that the role was that of a "chief," but not the captain—positioned between the soldiers and the captain. He joined after one season had already aired, meaning there were three cools remaining for him. The team mentioned that they brought him in for the purpose of "empower," though he was unsure of what that entailed. Nevertheless, he was happy to take on the role.
- Speaking about his co-stars, he noted that Hatsunori Hasegawa trained diligently to achieve a physique resembling that of a bodybuilder, practicing with great dedication.
References