Atsuko Sasaki

is an XIG operator and one of the supporting characters from Ultraman Gaia.
==Personality==
Atsuko has a straightforward and cheerful personality. Even when working, she often happily communicates with her colleague Georgie and sometimes shows a girlish and innocent side.
However, when emergencies or missions occur, she will inform the command center of the accurate information of the scene in a professional tone and is also responsible for providing instructions to the XIG frontline members.
Initially, she often regards Gamu, who is only a year younger than her, as an immature child and frequently nags him with a more aggressive and arrogant attitude. As the series progresses, she gradually realizes that she has developed feelings for Gamu. However, she still disguises her confusion with insincere dialogue, and their relationship does not progress until the final battle.
As she has a close relationship with her older sister, she often genuinely supports her sister's stance and decisions.
==History==
===Ultraman Gaia===
In the past, due to her weak and sickly condition, Atsuko was isolated from society as a child. Feeling lonely without the opportunity to communicate with her peers or close friends, she turned to play arcade games as a source of comfort and learned electronic skills as a result. At one point, she possessed a doll named Lilia but lost it sometime later. Lilia once appeared as a little girl by Psycho Mezard II in a plot to influence her. The monster's plan failed, however, by her sister and Kajio's persuasion. 
As an adult, she decided to join XIG and became an operator at the Aerial Base, responsible for communicating with external units and controlling the deployment of XIG's fighter planes. She also met Georgie, and the two became close friends. Initially, she had a crush on Katsumi Kajio from Team Lightning but quietly withdrew when she found out about his relationship with her sister.
Atsuko always gave Gamu, XIG's analyzer and recruit, a cold shoulder, although she did show her warm side towards him, to the point where she broke her pen twice when sensing "something wrong" with Gamu while he was in Germany. 
After she found out that Gamu was Gaia, she saw Gamu off before he left to fight Dobishi and confessed her feelings to him before he left. 
In the final battle, she and Georgie supported Team Hercules on the GBT-Stinger to the front line to cover Gamu. 
===Ultraman Tiga, Ultraman Dyna, & Ultraman Gaia: The Decisive Battle in Hyperspace===
Upon hearing the news that Gamu plans to pilot the XIG Adventure to a different world, she and the other members of the Operation Crew witness the XIG Adventure's test run in the command center. She was displeased with Gamu's reckless behavior because she was worried about Gamu's safety. 
===Ultraman Gaia: Gaia Again===
In response to the Gakuzom incident, she and Georgie resumed their role as operators at the Geo Base and assisted the XIG team on missions. In addition, she still maintains an ambiguous relationship with Gamu. When she learned that Gamu had gained Gaia's power again, she showed a relieved side and witnessed the moment when Gaia and Agul defeated Gakuzom with the members of the Operation Crew. 
==Counterparts==
===Great Decisive Battle! The Super 8 Ultra Brothers===
In this film, Atsuko is a civilian woman living in Yokohama City, working as a guide alongside Gamu at the Nippon Maru Memorial Park. They are responsible for introducing the nearby exhibition ship Nippon Maru, and they maintain a harmonious relationship.
Upon her initial appearance, she witnesses a mirage appearing over Port of Yokohama alongside Gamu. Shortly after, when Ultraman Mebius appears and battles Pandon within the city, Atsuko and Gamu work together to evacuate visitors inside the Yokohama Maritime Museum. While leaving the museum, they narrowly avoid being hit by the flame projectiles launched by Pandon.
Amidst the ongoing monster attacks in Yokohama, Atsuko located Gamu aboard the Nippon Maru. During her conversation with Gamu, she recalled the past interview with Professor Fujimiya discussing his anti-gravity theory and inferred that Fujimiya's mention of another person assisting him in anti-gravity research was referring to Gamu. Through her interaction with Gamu, Atsuko gained further insights into his emotions.
Gamu had once pursued his dreams fervently, but the weight of apprehension had compelled him to relinquish those aspirations. Nevertheless, as Gamu discovered the unextinguished yearnings within his heart, he expressed to Atsuko that he still believed in the possibility of realizing his dreams someday.
Just before the final battle, Gamu realized that he might be one of the other seven Ultras that Daigo mentioned. He confided in Atsuko about his decision to seek his own answers, which she supported, emphasizing the importance of his safe return. She witnessed the transformation of Gamu and other Ultras, culminating in their collective victory over the Black Silhouette, thus saving the world. This series of events deepened her understanding and trust in Gamu.
Several years later, during the commissioning ceremony of the Nippon Maru space vessel, she reunited with Fujimiya and Reiko, who were guests at the event. Eventually, she joined Gamu and others boarded the ship, embarking on a journey to explore the M78 Nebula in space. 
==Gallery==
===Ultraman Gaia===
Atsuko's first appearance.png|Atsuko's first appearance
Atsuko in ep 1.png
Atsuko & Georgie in ep 1.png
Atsuko Sasaki 001.png
Atsuko & Georgie.jpg
Atsuko Sasaki 002.png
Atsuko Sasaki 003.png
Atsuko Sasaki 017.png
Atsuko Sasaki 004.png
Atsuko looks at Agul.png|Atsuko looks at Agul
Atsuko Sasaki 005.png
Atsuko Sasaki 006.png
Atsuko Sasaki 007.png
Atsuko Sasaki 020.png
Atsuko Sasaki 021.png
Atsuko Sasaki 022.png
Atsuko Sasaki 008.png
Atsuko Sasaki 009.png
Atsuko Sasaki 010.png
Atsuko Sasaki 011.png
Atsuko Sasaki 012.png
Atsuko Sasaki 023.png
Atsuko Sasaki 013.png
Atsuko Sasaki 014.png
Sasaki atsuko.jpg
Atsuko and her sister.png|Atsuko with her sister Ritsuko.
Atsuko Sasaki 015.png
Atsuko_Sasaki_3.png
Atsuko Sasaki 016.png
Georgie_Leland_12.png
===Ultraman Tiga, Ultraman Dyna, & Ultraman Gaia: The Decisive Battle in Hyperspace===
Atsuko_Sasaki_movie_1.png
Atsuko_Sasaki_movie_2.png
Atsuko_Sasaki_movie_3.png
===Ultraman Gaia: Gaia Again===
Atsuko_and_d_Georgie_OV.png
Atsuko_Sasaki_OV_2.png
Atsuko_Sasaki_OV_3.png
===Great Decisive Battle! The Super 8 Ultra Brothers===
Atsuko_Sasaki_Movie2_1.png
Atsuko_Sasaki_Movie2_2.png
Atsuko_Sasaki_Movie2_3.png
Atsuko Sasaki Movie 4.png
 Atsuko Sasaki Movie 5.png
Atsuko_Sasaki_Movie2_4.png
===Miscellaneous===
Atsuko Sasaki.png
Atsuko Sasaki II.png
Atsuko Sasaki I.png
Atsuko Sasaki III.png
Atsuko Sasaki IV.png
Atsuko & Georgie 2.png
==Trivia==
*Atsuko's personality towards Gamu is best described as Tsundere, meaning a person (commonly an anime character) who is initially cold and even hostile towards another person before gradually showing their warm side over time.
*In the end of episode 31 of Ultraman Gaia, Atsuko forced Gamu on a date with her after he was seen hanging out with Georgie at a restaurant in the beginning.
*Despite retiring from the entertainment industry in 2001, Ai Hashimoto returned to portray her in Great Decisive Battle! The Super 8 Ultra Brothers.
Category:Ultraman Gaia
Category:Human Characters
Category:Female Characters
Category:Allies
Category:Ultraman Gaia Characters
Category:XIG
Category:XIG Members
Category:Heroines