บท 262: The New Nexus Host
Although the arc featuring Jun in Ultraman Nexus has been over for a while, fans are still debating online. They are split into two camps.
Both sides are arguing in forums about the hero's death. Although they've seen similar stories before, it's the first time they've encountered a situation where the protagonist dies after just resolving his inner conflict and before reaching the final showdown.
Strictly speaking, they've already guessed that Komon is likely to be the final protagonist, aligning with the current narrative direction. But many fans still prefer Jun's character. Especially after his final battle with Dark Mephisto, he gained a lot of admiration.
However, amidst this argument, a new group emerged. They called themselves the "Rational Analysis Group." They believe that Jun, as Nexus, didn't necessarily die after defeating Dark Mephisto and transforming into light.
But does the story explicitly say Jun is dead? Not really. The only evidence for Jun's death is the scene where he appears in front of Komon at the end. In many stories, such a scene often represents a character passing on their legacy, with Jun's appearance being more of a guiding spirit.
But just because Jun showed up doesn't necessarily mean he's dead. After all, no one saw a body.
Encouraged by this theory, some fans are once again eagerly awaiting the next episode of Ultraman Nexus.
However, Daniel, a manga reviewer, thinks this analysis is nonsense. He believes that the evidence so far clearly points to the fact that Jun is no longer Nexus.
Komon is the next likely host, given the heavy focus on his perspective. And the marketing material even hinted at it with phrases like "light is a bond," which matches the line Jun said to Komon after defeating Dark Mephisto, passing on his will.
But after watching the next episode, Daniel was shocked. Nexus did indeed return to the battlefield, but Komon wasn't the one to transform. Instead, he continued flying his jet, taking on a support role.
"Did those guys actually guess right?" Daniel wondered, suddenly less interested in his bag of chips, his mind swirling with confusion.
After all, Komon was supposed to be the next Nexus host. If not Komon, then logically, it should be Jun.
But then, on screen, Nexus appeared in a new color. Instead of transforming into the familiar red form, Nexus took on a brand-new blue form.
Did this mean that in the critical moment, Jun acquired new powers—a blue form that saved him from death?
But soon, Daniel dismissed this idea. The Precursor on screen said to the blue Nexus, "Welcome, you are the third generation."
This meant Jun was indeed the second... But who was the first?
Daniel paused, counting on his fingers. Three comes after two, so Jun is second. But who was the first Nexus host? Could it be that the Precursor misspoke?
But Daniel dismissed that thought too. A show goes through multiple layers of editing, reviewing, and approval before airing. It was unlikely that such a mistake would slip through.
So, the mystery remained: who was the first host before Jun, and how did they fit into the story?
"This is getting interesting!" Daniel thought, his excitement renewed.
During the commercial break, Daniel quickly checked online comments. As expected, everyone was discussing the identity of the blue Ultraman and speculating about the first Nexus host.
"The blue Ultraman must be Jun, right?"
"No way. The Precursor clearly said he's the third host, so it can't be Jun."
"But the Precursor only mentioned the third generation, not necessarily a new host. Maybe it just means this is the third color! Doesn't that add up now?"
"Come on, stop twisting things. It's obviously not Jun. What's surprising is that Komon isn't the third Nexus."
"Exactly, I also thought Komon would be next. But if he's not, and this new guy is the current host, with Jun as the second, then who's the first?"
"Maybe it's like Ultraman Tiga, and the first Nexus was from millions of years ago?"
"Interesting..."
Soon, fans settled the first question. The new Nexus wasn't Jun. Instead, the story began focusing on a character named Ren. Naturally, Ren turned out to be the new, blue Nexus host.
In this world, Ren and Felix (Ren's apprentice) had streamlined some parts of the story, cutting unnecessary scenes, like the transitional ones between Jun and Ren.
Scenes that didn't push the plot forward were trimmed wherever possible, so by episode 26, fans got to see blue Nexus in action.
Blue Nexus fought quickly and skillfully, consistently overpowering the latest Space Beasts. However, Ren, the host, still got hurt during the battles.
Yet, something felt off to Daniel. Before this, Ren was portrayed as a cheerful and kind person, not someone who seemed like they could fight fiercely. But as Nexus, Ren fought like a berserker.
Did Ren have hidden depths?
Meanwhile, Komon continued his investigation and eventually found Ren's home. After explaining his intentions, he and Ren became friends, and Komon promised to keep Ren's secret. But after hearing some things from Ren's friends, Komon started doubting Ren's true identity, only to find out that Ren's information was encrypted.
This piqued Daniel's interest again. Ren clearly had a big secret. But what could it be?
For now, they couldn't know.
But that's what made Ultraman Nexus so exciting. Unlike Ultraman Tiga, Nexus wasn't episodic but rather a continuous story with plenty of mysteries.
And that's precisely why Daniel loved watching it.
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