Christopher Sean: Becoming the Hero in Ultraman: Rising

Japan’s greatest hero, Ultraman is back with a fresh, new tale in the 44th film of the titular franchise, Netflix’s Ultraman: Rising. With the incredibly vibrant and colorful animation by Industrial Light & Magic alongside a relatable and compelling story, the movie features a reluctant hero who by an unexpected turn of events becomes the adoptive father of a 35-foot-tall, fire-breathing baby Kaiju. To say that Ultraman: Rising is one of the best animated films of the year and among the best family stories of all time is an understatement. The journey that baseball star Ken Sato goes through–from apparent selfishness to ultimate selflessness–is something truly special. This unlikable character slowly opens up to his family by learning how to love again, all thanks to arguably the cutest baby creature in pop culture, Emi. Japanese American actor Christopher Sean revealed his powerful connection with the character, diving into his childhood memories watching his hero on TV and years later actually becoming Ultraman himself in the Netflix film. “Growing up as a kid in Japan, I remember watching Ultraman on my grandparents’ television in their living room. To me, [Ultraman] is the epitome of Japanese culture … a hero of light, a genuine, authentic hero who fights for what’s right. Everybody who is a part of it really put their heart into this project. Every time I watch it I notice something new, and that’s what I think is beautiful about Ultraman: Rising. It’s a story being told twice–the first time as a single parent, figuring out how to raise a baby Kaiju, then having his father’s guidance in the second half, doing the same type of motions … It’s a completely different view. And as he’s going through this process, he learns to love again, not only his family, his father and his child, but also himself. I think that is such a beautiful character arc. I’m so honored to play one of the coolest superheroes out in the world.”

Christopher Sean dove deep into characterization, confessing that his life and the one of Ken Sato/Ultraman are parallels at so many levels: “There’s so much that I relate to about Ken Sato. He’s Japanese and American, so he’s a mix, and he doesn’t really fit in either culture. You see his struggles as he comes to Japan. I used to believe that I’m not American enough to be American; I’m not Asian enough to be Asian. Now I’m like, you know what? I’m both cultures man, I’m 100% both, take it or leave it. So to me that’s what Ken is. He doesn’t need other people’s opinions. He just cares about his family. Now, I’m a stepfather of three kids … they’re amazing, I’m so proud of everything that they do. And that goes right back to Ken being this newfound father, adopting this new life and this baby. There’s so much about this story that I say if you were to break up a puzzle of what this movie is and just rearrange the pieces, that’s the same story of mine just in different places.”

How does such an unlikable character for so long become likable? That was one question Sean asked himself as he was portraying the character in Ultraman: Rising, revealing that despite his concerns about how his character eventually becomes so relatable as the story progresses he had complete trust in the film’s writers, Shannon Tindle and Marc Haimes. He said, “They did such a great job of making this unlikable character become someone that we can all relate to. Through communication, you grow. I think it was just honest interactions with those around him and even with himself that he was able to break through being a punk and ultimately becoming this amazing superhero. At the very end of the movie, without thought, without hesitation, he dives on the bad guy, and he protects not only his family but everyone, the entire city that he grew to love. They pulled it off on an entirely different level. It’s so beautiful.”

Before Ultraman: Rising, Christopher Sean was the lead actor in the animated series Star Wars: Resistance, which he confirmed was an important stepping stone for his career that prepared him to take on the role of Ultraman. “Star Wars: Resistance absolutely helped me develop Ken Sato because through Kazuda Xiono, I learned how to be a number one. Dave Filoni said to me, ‘You’re the Luke Skywalker, you’re the Ahsoka Tano, you’re the Ezra Bridger, you’re Kazuda Xiono. So it’s up to you to really carry the burden of the show and to make sure that when you’re doing this, you don’t worry about what anyone says. Follow your heart and you’ll find your audience.’ I’ve applied that same principle to everything that I do. The importance of being number one on a call sheet is to make sure that everyone feels seen and heard. It’s not that I’m the most important; I have to make sure everyone feels important. I learned that from Star Wars: Resistance and many other shows I worked on, and through that I was able to find Ken Sato and bring this performance to life. I think [Ultraman: Rising] is the best acting that I’ve ever done in my career,” Christopher Sean said.

The actor ended the interview with a wish for the Ultraman fans (old and new) and his hope to continue Ken Sato’s journey: “I want the fans to be happy, to truly absorb Ultraman: Rising and love Emi like Ken Sato does. I want them to embrace Ken in every facet, from him being a very bad person to learning to become an actual hero. I want the fans to love this as endearing as I do and to be a part of this family. To me, that’s a success. If Netflix wants to create sequels, then by all means, I’m in! I would love to see this journey unfold in its own cinematic universe.”

Make sure to watch and rewatch Ultraman: Rising on Netflix and don’t forget to follow Christopher Sean on Instagram!