The Ubiquitous Society, Viewed from an Imaginative and Scientific Perspective

As great as they are, most geniuses have had help in their endeavors. We all need assistance every once in a while, even the best of us. Take Albert Einstein, for example. He is said to have perfected the Theory of Relativity by himself. This was quite a different situation than, say, quantum mechanics, which was discovered through a series of research studies conducted by different scientists. However, investigation reveals that Einstein was not a solitary thinker. In the latter stages of his research where mathematical systems were involved, even he, with his huge intellect, needed help. And Einstein got it from his friend, mathematician Marcel Grossman.

Interestingly enough, tendency toward collaboration is yet more evident in the Dream Science world. For example, Mazinger Z was able to repair his battle wounds because he had the great support of the Photonic Research Institute. Ultraman, likewise, was able to rush to sites using the Science Patrol's Jet Beatle. Batman had Robin, Sherlock Holmes had Doctor Watson ― and the list goes on.

Which makes me wonder: Have all of these fictional sidekicks received their due respect? Some of them may have been judged as being "relatively weak" or just simply as "assistants". For once, let's put the spotlight on the guys who live in the shadows of their respective heroes. Let's now give credit to the sidekicks.

The last episode of Ultraman was really shocking. Who would have thought that Ultraman, who had protected the Earth by casting away monster after monster, would unexpectedly fall at the hands of Zetton. For those kids who watched that episode way back then, it was a truly shocking conclusion. Pro wrestler Akira Maeda, 9 years old at the time, decided to get into the world of martial arts as a result of this fictional end, and it is said that his dream growing up was to defeat Zetton.

As to what happened to Zetton in the actual story, he was smashed up into pieces by a small missile that was invented by Dr. Iwamoto. So the one who saved the Earth at the end was not Ultraman. Ironically enough, it was Dr. Iwamoto. In fact, just thinking of what could have happened to the Earth if it were not for Dr. Iwamoto gives me the shivers. With all due respect to Ultraman, I think Dr. Iwamoto should be given more respect for everything he did. The show ends with the inspirational ringing of "Sayonara Ultraman, Sayonara Ultraman." But it may have been more appropriate if it had ended with "Arigato Doctor Iwamoto, we appreciate your efforts from now on as well".

Daisuke Shima, the captain in "Space Blazers" is another character who probably isn't given the credit that he deserves. Largely responsible for protecting the control yoke of Yamato by himself, he also piloted the galaxy-saving spaceship 148,000 light years to the planet Iscandar. Before embarking to Iscandar, Queen Starsha had informed him that the destination was located somewhere in the "Large Magellanic Cloud". Later, when Starsha came back to him, he was told that "Iscandar is 0.8 light years from your current location". Taking into consideration that the Large Magellanic Cloud has a diameter of roughly 50,000 light years, it is quite remarkable how Daisuke had guided Yamato to within 0.8 light years of Iscandar, especially without any real directions. To compare that to a situation in the real world, it would be the same as coming within 50 meters of a destination in which the directions were vague, such as being told that "the destination is in Japan." Maybe he was just lucky ― who knows. Nevertheless, the results prove that the Earth's peace and well-being were preserved solely as a result of this man's efforts.

In the fictional world, even the bad guys have had hidden contributors worthy of praise. For example, "Yatterman" had Boyacky, the scientist for the Dorombo Gang who was responsible for creating robots. He was a genius in robotics, able to design combat-bots from any kind of material. What is especially interesting is that, in the story of Yatterman, a new robot appears and is subsequently defeated in every episode. In other words, Boyacky had to design a new robot every time (every episode, in this case). This is quite remarkable. Just think, how would you react if you had to continuously design, develop and create a new product on a weekly basis?

Making things even more extraordinary is the fact that Boyacky had his hands tied pursuing other activities, such as funding the gang and fighting in the field. In the real world, this would be similar to a businessman who had also must do accounting and work in sales. With those multiple responsibilities, I can only call Boyacky's contributions as being unparalleled.

Batako-san in "Anpanman" is a fictional character who symbolizes diligent work. Because Anpanman's face is a bun that can actually be eaten, if it is dirty or wet Anpanman loses health and strength. In such situations, Batako-san rushes to Anpanman's side with a new "head" which is baked by Jam Oji-san.

What is interesting is Anpanman's head size. It spans a diameter of over 70 centimeters. Matching this with an anpan in real-life, Anpanman's head would weigh around 30 kilograms. Making things particularly interesting is the fact that Batako-san actually throws the anpan to Anpanman! If we take a closer look at this feat, the anpan is tossed at an of angle 30 degrees with a hang time of 4 seconds. With this assumption, Batako-san throws a 30 kg anpan at 144 km/h, covering a distance of 135 meters!

To compare things, an Olympic-level woman shot-putter who can record a throw of 23 meters would be pretty much guaranteed a gold medal. This means Batako-san would easily win gold if she participated in the Olympics, and a national Medal of Honor might not be out of question. Even with such glory within her grasp, Batako-san continues to nonchalantly work at the anpan factory again today. I take my hat off for her.

There are also women who have deeply contributed to heroic acts with their enduring love. Pinoco from "Black Jack" perfectly fits this bill.

Being Black Jack's sidekick, she makes a fuss about a lot of things, for instance when Black Jack treats a female patient. However, causing a ruckus is not the only thing she does. In one of the episodes where Black Jack is treating a boy with reverse organs, she pulls out a mirror to assist the progress of the complicated operation. With her help, the operation ends successfully, and the boy's life is saved. As a result of this, Black Jack's trademark of using a mirror while operating is born. Because she is not only a helper but also an innovator, I must admit that Pinoco is a brilliant assistant.

Speaking of love, an enormous amount of this emotion can be attributed to Yuriko Misaki, known as the "Electro Wave Human Tackle" in "Kamen Rider Stronger." Partnering with Shigeru Jo (Stronger) to save the world, Yuriko was rather weak compared to Stronger. My initial impressions of her were not so good, as I found her to basically be a liability in combat.

However, after looking over things, my initial thoughts were wrong. The Electro Wave Human Tackle used "love" as a weapon, and did the best she could despite the limitations that existed, and her efforts eventually led to fruitful results.

Consider the final battle of the story, for example. Yuriko is poisoned by Doctor Kate and told that "she won't live much longer." Despite this hindrance, she acts as if nothing is wrong, knowing that she would makes things difficult for Stronger if he knew she was poisoned. During a short respite in combat, Yuriko murmurs to Stronger, "When the world is safe and rid of monsters, I hope we can go somewhere far away and beautiful." Unfortunately, this would become an unattainable dream.

When the battle resumes, she throws her poisoned and immobile body to Doctor Kate, sensing danger on Stronger's side. She then decides to sacrifice her body once and for all to save Stronger. A short moment later, she eliminates Doctor Kate and herself in a big explosion with the deadly "Ultra Cyclone" move. As result of this heartbreaking loss, Stronger vows to gather more strength and then get revenge. As most fans of the show know, eventually he is able to defeat the Black Satan forces. Yuriko's enduring love was no doubt the catalyst behind bringing peace to the world. Thus, it's not hard to not understand why there are so many Yuriko fans out there.

Regardless of where the spotlight may be shining, each of us can contribute greatly to the success of great causes in our own way. That goes for organizations, too. In the world of electronics, suppliers like Renesas Technology play important roles every day as they provide resources that contribute to their customers' business triumphs.