Yu Dobashi is the former Director of GGFJ and the overarching antagonist of Ultraman Blazar.
History
Pre-Ultraman Blazar
Dobashi was born on October 16, 1942. He previously held the position of Director of GGFJ. At the time of his retirement, his military rank was Branch Director and Special General. Despite having stepped back from the front lines, his influence remains significant.[2]
In 1999, Dobashi, then the First Commander of the 1st Space Defense Missile Group, learned of the appearance of an unidentified object near Earth's orbit. The object emitted mysterious sound waves transmitted to Earth. These waves caused significant discomfort to humans. Dobashi concluded that the meteorite was, in fact, an extraterrestrial spacecraft posing a threat to humanity. Consequently, he initiated a preemptive strike to shoot down the target.
Subsequently, GGFJ assigned the codename "V99" to this incident and began concealing the event and its related discoveries. During the investigation, it was also discovered that the scout vessel possessed super-technologies created by an extraterrestrial civilization. Dobashi kept the secret of V99's existence for an extended period, and after retiring from the frontline, he became the manager of Test Facility 66 at the Space Systems Research Center. In this role, he supervised the research on V99 scout vessels and the progress of the wormhole experiments.
During the explosion incident at Test Facility 66 on September 9, 2020, Dobashi was inside the facility, and SMB unit personnel were tasked with providing him VIP protection. At 19:30, a significant explosion occurred at the experimental facility, causing temporary chaos in the vicinity. Dobashi was safely evacuated to the outdoors by the SMB. While the subsequent fire was relatively small, there were concerns about potential radioactive leakage. Consequently, the facility was eventually classified as a restricted area, and the explosion resulted in the disappearance of several researchers.
Ultraman Blazar
Three years later, as GGF raised suspicions about regulating online discussions related to cosmic kaiju, Emi Aobe came across Dobashi's name and the existence of Test Facility 66 while reading the "V99 Case Investigation Report" in GGF's files. She also discovered that the missing persons from the explosion incident included her father, "Tatsuki Aobe." However, Emi's actions had already caught Dobashi's attention. He instructed a subordinate to bring Emi to the sports gym where he was located.
"You knew about my father, didn't you?"
- ―Emi Aobe
During his meeting with Emi, Dobashi responded to her inquiries with frankness. He explained that he himself was not entirely clear about the truth. Regarding Emi's father, he commented that Emi was much like her father—outstanding but rebellious. Eventually, he deliberately inquired about the progress of her investigation. Just before the conversation was about to conclude, he mentioned the fact that he was "saved by Gento Hiruma" during the explosion incident three years ago and told her to convey his regards to Captain Gento.Moonlit Memories
After a while, following the surveillance of Emi's actions, he learned about Emi's meeting with Tsutomu Nishizaki.The Towering Terror
When Emi discovered Tatsuki's diary, he suddenly appeared before the two and confiscated the diary. Simultaneously, he informed them that Retsu Haruno had been subjected to a suspension, resulting in the cancellation of SKaRD's disciplinary measures. Confronted with Emi's angry inquiries, he asserted that his actions were "for the sake of Earth's peace." Under the protection of his subordinates, he calmly left the scene.Light and Flame
While reading Tatsuki's diary, Dobashi learned through subordinates' reports that Varallon was producing more bombs on the moon, with an anticipated impact on the lunar orbit. This infuriated Dobashi, leading him to angrily toss the diary into the bonfire.
As SKaRD embarked on their mission to confront Varallon on the moon, Dobashi forcefully gained access to the GGFJ CP, leveraging his past authority. Seating himself in the commander's position, he took control of the permissions. Subsequently, he issued orders to SKaRD members, compelling them to launch a ground attack on Varallon. Simultaneously, he deployed his subordinates to apprehend Emi, who was in the midst of searching the V99 files.
However, due to Varallon's intense attacks, Earth Garon eventually succumbed to a shutdown. Upon learning that Varallon was advancing directly towards Earth, he issued orders to GGFJ to ensure the target's elimination outside the Earth's atmosphere.The Approaching Third Wave
After Varallon's crash in Tokyo, it began attacking the city. At that moment, a fleet of thirteen spherical vessels appeared in moon orbit, forming a combat formation. Dobashi believed this was a sign that V99 had lost patience and sent out a fleet for retaliation. He requested Commander Minoru Genkawa to transmit the message "The fourth wave is coming" to the highest commander at GGF's U.S. headquarters. This prompted GGF forces worldwide to target the V99 fleet in preparation for a counterattack.
At a critical moment, Emi and Haruno arrived at GGFJ CP. With Genkawa's permission, they revealed the truth about V99. They pointed out that the V99 fleet above Earth was actually composed of fellow beings from the spacecraft that GGF had shot down years ago. Dobashi, at this point, also acknowledged his command decisions from that time. However, he believed that by shooting down these spacecraft once again, Earth could avoid a looming disaster.
Upon learning that V99 had no aggressive intentions, Dobashi had to publicly disclose the truth that he had initially attempted to conceal. In this situation, Dobashi posed a crucial question: even with the truth revealed, how could the current impasse be broken? Emi proposed a solution: to request a global cessation of the GGF's interception posture against the V99 mothership.
Facing the imminent approach of the V99 mothership, Dobashi, despite his eagerness for retaliation, was met with a clear statement from Haruno: "In the past, you chose to open fire, but now we cannot repeat such actions." After this statement, Dobashi ultimately acquiesced to Emi's proposal, relinquishing control to Emi for the decision-making process.
After the V99 fleet withdrew from Earth, Dobashi asked Emi why she chose "future" as the response to V99's message. Emi believed that the V99, who had been searching for a new homeland, might understand the meaning of this term. After the understanding was reached, Dobashi voluntarily left the CP site.The Ones Who Embrace the Earth
Gallery
Ultraman Blazar
Trivia
- In an online interview after episode 25, director Kiyotaka Taguchi discussed the character positioning of Dobashi. He mentioned, "In real life, we are often influenced by various disturbances and historical backgrounds, but we hope that through the character of Dobashi, we can make these complex things clearer." He also mentioned that Dobashi mistakenly attacked an opponent who shouldn't have been attacked, leading to the outbreak of conflict. This reflects the conflicts that often occur in real life, which are often due to misunderstandings between each other. Sometimes, a heated argument arises due to harsh words, but then it becomes difficult to apologize. The subsequent development and outcome depend on whether we insist on our own opinions, apologize, and accept the other's ideas. This has a significant impact on the story's development.[3]
- In the initial stages of setting up the series, the character of Dobashi was designed with the actor Minori Terada in mind. During the scenes set in the gym, Terada proposed several interesting ideas, such as trying to have Dobashi wear mirrored sunglasses and so on.[4]
- In the series, Minori Terada's wrap-up scene involved Dobashi burning Tatsuki Aobe's diary in the stands of the cycling stadium. Upon its completion, Kiyotaka Taguchi cautiously handed him a DVD version of the film "Akutoku no Sakae," directed by Akio Jissoji. Terada kindly remarked, "You brought something nice," and graciously signed his DVD.[5]
- The character marks Minori Terada's final role in the Ultra Series prior to his passing on March 14, 2024.
References
- ↑ https://twitter.com/BrittanyLaudaVO/status/1715790086602678502
- ↑ https://twitter.com/ultraman_series/status/1713343956057288740
- ↑ https://www.cinematoday.jp/news/N0141485
- ↑ https://twitter.com/TaguchiKiyotaka/status/1771492200834113723
- ↑ https://twitter.com/TaguchiKiyotaka/status/1771493296071708784