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cynicalruins · 6 months

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Changérion Bible - Aizawa Kazunari interview

Translation by Windii, scans by me

(Spoiler alert for a few episodes)

Hayami Katsuhiko is a just and handsome hero cadet who failed to become the righteous hero Changéríon. He is a hot-blooded and frank guy with seriousness as his strong point, but he is quite a klutz. He is supposed to save the day, but is instead saved, and he partners up with Akira in an odd but funny two-man team before he knows it, yet he's a superhero who dreams big… In reality, however, he is an aggressive and fiery young man who moved to Tokyo when he was drunk.

"I honestly can't believe that Changéríon was such a memorable work for so many people."

-Like Hayami, who played the role in the past, he says so with a mysterious look on his face. However, contrary to his own feelings, he says he is still receiving feedback from various sources.

"The other day, I was participating in a theater workshop."

-It was a full-fledged one, inviting a teacher from England for professionals.

"There were about 10 participants, some of whom were from Bungeiza, Daisan Erotica, and former members of Yume no Yuuminsha, so it was quite exciting. On the last day, one of them told me that they had seen Changéríon. I was surprised. They seemed to have been thinking for a long time about when they were going to say it, since it was the last day. That's when I realized that someone had seen it."

-It was the same thing on stage.

"Sometimes people who have been fans since the Changéríon days come to watch me, which is kind of incredible."

-He confesses that he never intended to become an actor in the first place.

"I know I'm being cheeky, but I just didn't like the normal routine."

-It all started with a movie. He happened to see a film on holiday that was so romantic and interesting that he wanted to play such a role.

"The name of the work is too faddist, so I won't tell you. But I like romantic stories. That's why I often watch romantic movies."

-He was born and raised in Miyagi Prefecture. After graduating from high school, he took it for granted that he would work for a local company.

"That was a very nice place to work, everyone was kind, and I was blessed."

-He was assigned to a factory. He wore a uniform and did the same work day in and day out.

"…I am embarrassed to say this, but one day I saw my reflection in the glass as I was working in my uniform. I am now living with my parents, and I can see a future where I will get a wife, build a house, and have children. And I wondered if that was what I wanted."

-He went for a drink with agonizing thoughts and then went straight into action.

"I drank until morning and took the bullet train to Tokyo first thing in the morning (laughs)."

-It was truly an "impulse."

"One thing I remember very well was the news of the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait that was playing at Tokyo Station. It was still early in the morning, but people were gathering around the TVs in the storefronts, and I wondered what was going on. Oh, it's war, they said."

-That day the Gulf War broke out. Unbeknownst to others, his life also changed dramatically.

"That was when I was 20 or 21. I moved in and lived at my senior's house for a while, but my parents scolded me. They said, "It's your choice to go to Tokyo, but you should do the bare minimum as a human being," and that was a good point. I had no more money, so I went back to my parents' house to visit my workplace and sell my car to make money… It was a great place to work, and I still feel bad about it, and I am grateful to my parents for not stopping me."

-Thus, he finally arrived in Tokyo. However, even at that point, he did not have a firm goal in mind.

"Since I was tall, I had been told since high school that I should model, so I decided to try modeling in Tokyo. So I looked at magazines and looked for an agency… Then I saw a movie, and I had a goal of becoming an actor. I guess I couldn't allow myself to make an escape route, so I gave up on the modeling agency. But I didn't know how to become an actor, so I asked for introductions and auditions. When you are alone in Tokyo, you have to help yourself to survive, so in that sense it is a tough city, although you can get by with your own efforts."

-However, he decided to live here.

Scouted out in the hallway?! First serial drama!

"I went to Toei's headquarters with my office manager to say hello."

-It was on the production floor, where the desks of the producers belonging to the company were lined up.

"While the manager was greeting the executives, I was waiting in the hallway and my shoelace came undone, so I had to sit down and tie it back on."

-Then a man appeared (he seemed to be a very important guy).

"He suddenly asked me who I was, and when I told him I was an actor, he said, 'I see, now come with me.'"

-He didn't know why, but he was called in for an audition for Racing Squadron Carranger that was being prepared at the time. Unfortunately, he was too tall to fit in with the other members and was rejected. He then decided to take on Super Shining Soldier Changéríon.

"When I received the script for the first episode, I thought that if it was going to be a choice between Akira and Hayami, I should be Hayami because of my personality. I heard that the two of them were competing with each other until the very end, but they decided on me at the last minute."

-However, he confesses that he did not really feel it.

"I mean, I was readily selected to appear in a serialized drama series, and I wondered if it would be so quick and easy."

-However, after that, he ended up having to work very hard (laughs).

Changéríon was a "playground"

"At first, Hayami was supposed to be more cool and carry the shadow of not being a hero. But before I knew it, he turned out to be such a serious fool."

-It was your own fault, said scriptwriter Inoue at the time, or not (laughs).

"I guess it's my fault. I was often told by Mr. Shirakura and Mr. Inoue that Hayami was not really this kind of guy. It is true that I was a bit aware of it, and there was a part of me that got carried away. It was my first acting job, and I had the strength of not knowing, you could say, or the feeling that it would be fine if it was funny. And I went overboard."

-However, his fearless vigor has created an image of Hayami as a hot-blooded, upright, stubborn, and good-natured person. In episode 9 "The Radiant Hayami!", for example, he transforms into the long-sought Changéríon in place of Akira, but his good-naturedness causes the dark creature, who begs him to change his ways, to flee. The hero is unable to wield his sword in the face of the apologetic opponent… Akira was an unconventional hero too, but is it our imagination that Hayami has also created a stir in the image of heroes of the past? Indeed, a hero is a being who slaughters his enemies in the name of justice. The antithesis of this attitude seems to have led to the current Kamen Rider Ryuuki.

"I feel that Mr. Inoue and Mr. Shirakura have successfully created an amusement park or, well, a more primitive park or playground for us. It's like we were just playing there. For example, "We made swings. But this is a swing set, so how would you play on it?" So we all thought hard about what we would do. We were really just having fun playing. If you could see the antithesis of that, I think it was because Mr. Shirakura and Mr. Inoue were so great."

-The only regret he has is that the program, which he says he played around in with all his might, was terminated in the middle of the cour. To be precise, it was not cancelled, but rather not renewed for a fourth cour, which was a shock to him since he thought it would continue.

"I guess I wanted more of a sense of convergence from everyone, because it ended without any. But now I think that last episode was good. The idea of a loop between a carefree daily life and a serious battlefield is amazing, isn't it? But I also think that maybe that's the way life is. As for myself, I wanted to settle things as Hayami. I think Hayami has always been a guy with a very negative attitude, thinking that he was supposed to be the one to make it. Just as it would have been nice to have a hero who was not cool and had no sense of justice, which Akira symbolized, it would have been nice to have someone with darker thoughts. Likewise, I think it would have been okay for Kuroiwa (Ogawa Atsushi) to be a villain and still fall in love with Eri (Kochihira Chika). …When you think about it like that, it was certainly a work that broke a lot of stereotypes."

-Hayami, who was in the midst of a conflict, however, finally achieves his longed-for transformation in episode 32 "Enter the Second Warrior!"… but this is Changéríon, after all, and Hayami transforms by eating dried plums (is he Suppaman?).

"For a long time, there were rumors. I wondered how it would turn out, and then it happened (laughs). I like the fact that Hayami is unaware of it, it's just like him."

-We asked him about his memorable episodes.

"I was happy to see the transformation. The scene where he eats Chief Munakata's seed of darkness and gets down on his knees saying, "That was delicious!" was funny. Then there was the scene where Akira and I switched places in "The Radiant Hayami!" That was a difficult episode. We were looking at each other and laughing, thinking, "This is not how it's supposed to be!" From that time on, I learned to do small acts in the frame, and we would restlessly do things together in the background. And the dubbing was separate, so it was mostly wasted (laughs)."

-What he did not like was dubbing.

"I hated it. When I saw the first episode, I thought it was so robotic. I thought that was so bad. I had a very hard time getting into the right mood for each episode."

-It was also around this time that he received his first fan letter.

"There was a one-time event called 'Cinefan' at Toei's Ooizumi Studios, and I wasn't scheduled to perform, but I went for one day and was surprised by the huge crowd. It was the first time for me to see fans in person, and I was surprised and happy to be called Hayami by a little kid, which was a strange feeling. I didn't really feel like I was playing the hero. I was more like "Detective Story" or "Tired Detective," which Akira likes, and we had said we would do something like that. So I was unexpectedly happy."

What Aizawa, an actor, thinks

"This job is more often hard and painful than fun, and there are more times when I don't do well, but sometimes I feel very fulfilled, and I want to savor it even more. At the time of Changéríon, I didn't think about these things, I was just playing like crazy, and I probably didn't wake up until later. But I learned a lot of things to wake up. Akira really has something that only he can do. I was very jealous of him because he had something that I could never have… but I was sure that there was a role that only I could play, so I decided to find it, because no matter what I played, I would always be me. I left because I didn't want to live a normal life, but at my age, when I interact with people from different professions, I often find myself empathizing with them, and I think that being an actor is not special. I hope that this will be a source of fertilizer. For me, Changéríon is like a "park where I went to during elementary school." I remember playing in the mud in the daytime, and I remember the dusk and the night scenery—If I had to give a word to my fans… I would say thank you. That's all I have to say."

-Thank you for a good time, too. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

Akira & Hayami

Akira: The snakeskin jacket I'm wearing in Kamen Rider (Asakura) right now is my own. Hayami: Oh, I've seen it before! Akira: It's in my room, you know? I'm not wearing it outside. Hayami: No, I saw it outside! You were walking around with it on. Akira: You're lying! Totally lying! Hayami: Just kidding. ♡ Akira: (laughs) You know, I was thinking that if you found out that I was playing a Rider wearing such a thing, you would say, "Akira, what the heck… I'm so upset!" (*) Hayami: You're right (laughs). Rider, huh? I'm so sad, Akira. Akira: Actually, I know you're worried. ♡

Hayami: At the time, I was just so absorbed in things, so I'm glad that people still remember me after 6 years like this. Akira: Yes. But now, when I hear people say that my acting has improved as a rider, I'm like, "What?!" But it's true, we weren't very good at acting (laughs). The director would joke that if we were better, we would be able to do the long takes on camera, and the cutaways were very detailed. Hayami: Yes, there was a time when I was quite particular about getting a long take someday. Akira: Then, in the middle of the series, Director Konaka started making long takes of your scenes. Hayami: That made the acting more exciting. Then, I would make mistakes and get yelled at. Akira: And I get depressed (laughs). And it shows on my face. I can't smile when I should be smiling, and that's not good. Hayami: But I know that he is angry with me with love. I'm going to do my best.

Hayami: We've been talking about making a movie together for a long time, but it's not easy. Akira: But I would love to make a film! Let's really make it happen. *Editor's note: Actually, there was an initial plan for Hayami to visit Akira's Rider shooting site to correct his ways (?) as a hero. But unfortunately, it did not come true.

Aizawa Kazunari: Born August 1, 1969 in Miyagi Prefecture. After working as a model, he was scouted (?) in the hallway of Toei's headquarters and auditioned, making his debut as Super Shining Soldier Changéríon's Hayami Katsuhiko. Since then, he has been active in film and stage. He appeared in the movie "Dolls" directed by Kitano Takeshi, which will be released in the fall, and in the movie "SEMI" directed by Yokoi Kenji, which will be released at the end of the year.

#changerion #changerion bible #tokusatsu #Aizawa Kazunari #my scans #long post

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cynicalruins · 7 months

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Changérion Bible - Toshiki Inoue interview

Translation by Windii, scans by me

-SPOILER ALERT FOR THE ENTIRE SHOW-

Scriptwriter: Inoue Toshiki

Inoue Toshiki, a scriptwriter who wrote all but two of the 39 episodes by himself, convinced everyone who knew of the work that Changéríon was of the Inoue World. How did he create this unique series that is unparalleled in the history of television?

―Was the birth of Changérion a request of the times?!

"I think the first time I met Shirakura was on location in Nagano for "Jetman". At that time, I only had the impression that we were just smiling and drinking whiskey together, and I had no idea that we would become such close friends (laughs). Later, there was the movie version of "Hakaider", but at that time, we were still finding out each other's real intentions and didn't trust each other. It was only with "Changéríon" that we came to a kind of mutual understanding."

―How did you come to work on the plot for "Changéríon"?

"At first, the idea was to do "Hakaider" for TV. So I was supposed to do the plot from the beginning. Then we decided to do something original instead of "Hakaider," and Shirakura and I came up with the idea of doing something like "Detective Tale'"."

��In your interview with "Uchusen," you mentioned that you had a project in which the main character was a fugitive.

"Yes, there was also an idea that it would be like "The Fugitive," a foreign drama. But both ideas disappeared during the course of our discussions, and we decided to make the main character a cram school teacher. But when I tried to make it into a script, it was boring, so I forced it back to a detective, and it got a lot of traction. We decided from the beginning to make it a comedy. Both Shirakura and I felt that the traditional handsome hero with a frown on his face, carrying his troubles on his back, was outdated and uncool. It was the demand of the times, or rather, something inevitable."

―Another characteristic of Changéríon is that it doesn't present any particular theme.

"It is annoying when a work is preachy or pushes a theme to the forefront. It is not good to start with a theme. It's the creator's complacency. It's just enough to look at the whole picture and see what's there and what's emerging. Writers have a bad habit of wanting to make a theme look like a work of art, but that's a big mistake. Everyone knows that love and friendship are wonderful, and viewers don't want to see that anymore."

―There is more slapstick than comedy in Changéríon, isn't there?

"To tell you the truth, when I wrote episodes 3 and 4, I knew that this is what Changérion was all about, and I wasn't sure about it at the time of episodes 1 and 2 (laughs). But after episodes 3 and 4, the staff was on board, and we decided to go with this route, and things just escalated. Slapstick works in animation, but I experimented to see how far I could take it in live action. It went surprisingly well. Director Konaka did a great job. For my part, I was surprised that Mr. Nagaishi found it interesting. I've known Mr. Nagaishi since "Supernova Flashman", and he was the first person to reject my scripts (laughs). I thought he was good at love, flowers, and other stinky stuff, and wasn't interested in comedy or slapstick, but that wasn't so at all. I thought he was a great guy."

―You have listed your challenging works, favorite works, and worst works in the "Changéríon Memorial" on Toei's website. Could you tell us about them in detail?

"The first one I had a hard time with was episode 10. I needed a lot of ideas, and slapstick is difficult to structure. And episode 14. I was kind of tired at the time (laughs). I wasn't a writer who worked that much at the time. I only wrote up to six episodes in a row for Jetman, and I heard that Mr. Suzuki (producer Takeyuki) told Shirakura that I was limited to a maximum of six episodes (laughs)."

―The inspired works are most interesting!

"My favorite works are episodes 10, 12, and 25. That's because they are interesting (laughs). Before I write a script, I write a structure chart, and in my case, I make it very carefully, as if the script is ready when the chart is finished (laughs). I think that's where episode 10 came from. When you make a chart and throw away the excess, you get inspired. The inspired works are most interesting. In episode 25, the exchange between the two disguised as old men in the last scene is great. I think it was inspired by something else… I wonder what it was."

―Which works left you dissatisfied?

"Episode 14 is well done, but in Changérion's world, it's trite. It's a story that could have been written by anyone but me, and I don't like that. For episode 13, I like the title, but it was a bit tawdry. Episode 11 had a diluted plot. The lack of length in the script made the pacing a little sluggish. They tacked on the lines after the fact, the stuff about Kuroiwa's profundity. It's like it came about by accident. I wrote Kuroiwa as a guy who is obsessed with things, but I didn't expect him to become such a man of extensive knowledge. Mr. Nagaishi was suspicious of the direction and added classical music, which was well received. I think the music was very important. The person who chose that music was great."

―Looking back on each of the characters, do you have any thoughts?

"Akira is representative of what everyone cares about. Like, you wish you could live like that. It's a man's dream, like James Bond in that sense. You don't want to be Kamen Rider #1, but you want to be Akira, right? (laughs)"

―Akemi and Rui were cast in contrasting ways, weren't they?

"I wasn't involved in the casting. Shirakura and I don't seem to have the same tastes, so he wouldn't invite me (laughs). Akemi is definitely better as a secretary. Akemi has her stuff together and can put the brakes on Akira. Rui is the type of person who is weird and presses the gas pedal together with Akemi, so the scheme is wrong, but when Akemi is gone and we need a new secretary, there's no point in having the same type of person. It was a desperate measure to create a more impactful character that would eclipse Akira."

―The verbal tics at the end of their lines are also memorable.

"I don't think that went over very well (laughs), but Akemi is a firm person, so it's not cute when a girl like that talks the way she does (laughs). I think it's just right for her to add "maybe" and make it sound lighthearted. For Rui's style of speech, she's the ultimate posh lady, so she's repressed and wants to be someone she's not. She has a bit of a split personality thing. As for Hayami, Aizawa's acting got better and better from the middle of the show, and it was great to see how serious Hayami became. Ichiyama, who played Munakata, was also interesting, but I didn't change Munakata's character to suit him. I was going to make him a strange old man from the beginning. Come to think of it, there is not a single decent guy in this show (laughs)."

―As for creating the character of Kuroiwa?

"I had a lot of trouble making that one, because he was going compete with Akira, so I was thinking about a guy who would set up a consulting office at DarkZide, who would have an office in the apartment across the street, and who would be enthusiastic about stuff, and that's how I ended up with that one. Ogawa was good at it, too. When he first appeared, he had a strong impact, but it was difficult to decide what to do with him after that, so I made him the governor of Tokyo. It's interesting, isn't it (laughs)? Kuroiwa was crazy about Eri until the end. He said he was going to conquer humans, but he really wanted to be a human. Sayoko is a character that was really created at the last minute because of the deadline. Shirakura told me that if I didn't write by tomorrow, we wouldn't be able to shoot."

―Not only Kuroiwa and Sayoko, but many of the DarkZide is very obsessive.

"They are all enthusiasts. You could call them single-minded or pure."

Which is reality in the last episode?

―What made you decide to make the last episode the way it was?

"It is often said that the "it was all a dream"-ending is a forbidden technique, but I have always wondered if it is really so. I thought it would be crazy if I did it for the whole series, but if I did it for one episode, it would be a mere "it was all a dream"-ending. I told Shirakura about it, and he was stupid enough to think that was the way to go (laughs)."

―It's often discussed which is more real, the world of the story you've been telling or the serious world.

"Well, that would be less interesting if the dream wasn't more beautiful. It is better that Akira in reality admires Akira in the dream."

―The world DarkZide is trying to destroy is the real one?!

"Of course it is. In the structure, the point where the story ends is reality. It means it was all a dream. That's why Changéríon is ephemeral."

―Looking back on the work that is Changéríon now, what do you think?

"Everyone was in a groove. It was strange that we were all going in one direction and no one was there to stop us (laughs). It is rare to see such a united group going in a different direction from what was expected, isn't it? The greatest asset for me was that I was able to meet the staff. I knew Shirakura and Nagaishi from before, but getting to know Kimura (YOMIKO Advertising) and Iwata (TV Tokyo) was a big deal."

―When looking at Changéríon, it feels like individual ideas and inspirations were highly respected, rather than a parliamentary system.

"Programs are more interesting when they are made that way. If one person says no, the initial fun will fade away. I think that not only dramas but also TV programs as a whole should be allowed to run amok. I think it's boring because everyone is satisfied with making a mediocre product."

―How was Changéríon able to run amok?

"Because my episodes were funny (laughs). No, seriously. Everyone was fooled. Iwata from TV Tokyo said he was fooled by me at the wrap party. But the deceiver wins."

(Here comes Kochihira Chika.)

Kochihira: I have known Mr. Inoue for 10 years.

Inoue: She was in the same office as Wakamatsu Toshihide, who played Gai in Jetman, and we have known each other since then. I have known Kochihira since she was 19 years old.

Kochihira: But Changéríon was a regular audition and I passed. I knew that it was your work, though.

Inoue: So when I heard about that after it was decided, I was surprised, too.

―What do you think of Kochihira from your point of view?

Inoue: Well, she has an attractive face and figure, and has been admired by everyone since she was a child…

Kochihira: You really think so? (laughs)

Inoue: It got interesting when your, or rather Eri's, feisty side came out in episode 3 (laughs).

Kochihira: After that, Eri got cuter and cuter, and in the end, she even became Elisa (laughs).

Inoue: It was fun, wasn't it?

And so the fun night continued. Unfortunately, we'll end it here for the sake of this issue of the magazine.

Inoue Toshiki: Born November 28, 1959 in Saitama. Made his debut in 1981 with Dr. Slump Arale. Since then, he has been active in both live-action and animation. His latest work, Masked Rider Ryuuki EPISODE FINAL, will be released on August 17.

Works: Supernova Flashman (86-87), Birdman Squad Jetman (91-92), Mechanical Violator Hakaider (95), Masked Rider Kuuga (00-01), Ironclad Machine Mikazuki (00-01), Masked Rider Agito (01-02), Masked Rider Ryuuki (02-on air)

#changerion #tokusatsu #changerion bible #long post

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cynicalruins · 6 months

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Changérion Bible - Hagino Takashi interview

Translation by Windii, scans by me

(Mild spoilers for a few episodes of the show)

Carefree, but manly! Suzumura Akira, a descendant of a family of weird (?) detectives whose ancestors have been venerable for generations, has somehow become a hero of justice. Where in the world would there be an ally of justice who would use "being a hero" as a way to pay his debts…? Ah, here he is. So we talked to Hagino Takashi, who played Akira, and who has created a stir in the way heroes are supposed to be.

"Actually, last year when I was in a drama called Love is Justice, I went to the scene very depressed. I had a chance to think a lot about what kind of job it is to be an actor and what kind of actor I am…"

-The trigger was an encounter with two actors.

"Takahashi Katsumi and Tayama Ryousei, both of whom have stage backgrounds and have a great deal of skill and experience. And since it was a drama about lawyers, there were many courtroom scenes, and I was in the audience as a detective. Every time I was in the courtroom behind the fence, I would watch the various performances and think, 'Oh, they are so good, I wish I could be a part of that.' I was very envious of the high tension and flexibility of the actors. The two of them have taught me that the world is a big place. I am sure they went through a lot of hardships, but when they talk about it, it all becomes a charming boastful speech. I admired their personalities. When I look back on my own acting, I think, what have I done? I have done many things in my life, but what is my own acting? I enjoy being on set. When the courtroom scene starts, I become a spectator. I am the first person in the audience to see the two perform. But on the other hand, it's like, what about me? So it was a lot of fun, but also a lot of pain."

-Is it the actor's desire to perform on an equal footing?

"Yeah. At the time, I thought about many things. I wondered what was wrong about my acting, why was I so troubled, what on earth was bothering me, and so on and so on, rinse and repeat."

-Escape from that conflict came suddenly one day.

"It wasn't triggered by anything. I met a lot of people, read a lot of books, watched a lot of movies, and gradually I thought, 'Ah, I have no choice but to do this.' I was troubled and suffered a lot, but I arrived at that answer. As I worked consistently, even in one or two scenes of a two-hour drama, I talked with the director every time, and as I acted, I came to be able to separate the role from the real me."

-It was the beginning of a new awareness of the need to "manipulate roles at will."

"In interviews and such, I was told that I was just as I was, even though there were usually some differences from the role I played in Changéríon. I thought the same thing. But finally, I came to think that no matter what role I play, a role is a role and I am me. But since I am the one playing the role, I am more determined than before to always give it my all, but I have also come to have a sense of calmness about it. That's why I was able to play the role of Ouja in "Kamen Rider Ryuki" with a very detached attitude. I don't know if "detached" is the right word, but I hope to be able to play the role even if I don't have the role in my mind. If I have to play a role that is completely different from me again, I may feel conflicted, but be that as it may, I would like to see myself in that role as soon as possible. And I hope to complete it before I die. I think I have come to be able to look at things from a longer span of time, rather than immediately judging whether or not something is "not in me" or "not possible." For example, if there is a costume that I would have thought "what the heck" before, now I can say "yes, I will wear it" if that is what I want. I am not so much asserting myself anymore. In that sense, if I played Akira now, it would be different. That was a role I was able to play because I was doing it then as it was, and I don't think I can play it anymore. And now I am playing completely different roles, and when I receive fan letters, some of them say they were betrayed in a good way, but I'm not really conscious of that. I'm just thinking, that was then, this is now, and I'm me."

-Are you now experiencing fulfilling days?

"But of course! But sometimes, when people around me say that they're so scared of Ouja, I think, 'Shut up, I get it' (laughs)."

-It is said that you are impersonated by all of your co-stars at the scene.

"It's like, oh my God, they're all so cocky in a way. Everyone was quiet at first, but then they started to rebel (laughs). But it's fun. I used to work with a lot of senior actors, but this time there are a lot of younger actors, and it's a lot of fun. I think of myself as everyone's big brother. ♡"

-He describes his position in the midst of that as follows.

"I do what I'm given, and I think everyone else does the same. I think it's important that we do our best to create one thing properly."

-It is not about not losing to anyone, but about not losing to yourself. Not to be aware of others is actually very difficult, but it is a very big deal.

"Really? That makes me happy. Apparently, everything seems to take a long time for me, and there were times when I had a hard time being aware of other actors my age, but recently I finally got there."

-Now that you are in such a state, did you have any resistance to "transforming" again?

"I have to admit that I was a bit embarrassed by the transformations. But at the same time I wondered if it was appropriate for a 29-year-old. Still, it was a big deal to get a transformation at the end of my twenties. But, well, the people who knew me invited me, so I felt the most motivated to do my best."

Changéríon Memories

"We were just filming episodes 30 and 31 when we heard that the show was coming to an end. Episode 30 was the one where the dark creature in the form of a Zen priest appeared, and his end-blown bamboo flute was so loud that everyone had insomnia. The cries of 'I can't sleep!' were filled with a sense of 'Why did this get cancelled?!' (laughs). So I was very excited about episodes 33 and 34. But in the preview for episode 36, there was a voiceover saying, 'I don't care about this show anymore,' (laughs) and I'm sure the staff was determined to give it their all."

-In episode 35, Akira was abducted by Zafia, a dark creature who is in love with and obsessed with him, and somehow in the middle of the desert, he was tied up naked and whipped in a crazy fantasy scene.

"That was crazy, wasn't it? We shot it in front of a blue background and composited it, and the director praised my panting (laughs). It was kind of absurd."

-That desperation (?) is said to have been a bit unusual to be before the final episode.

"There was a break before we shot the final episode, and I had a lot to think about, so I got sentimental. But now I think it was all for the best."

There After All! Auditions

"The first time I met Hayami (Aizawa Kazunari) was when we rode together in the elevator at Toei's headquarters when I was going to an audition. I asked him what floor he was on and he said "…the 8th floor." I remember thinking, "You should use polite language when you meet someone for the first time," but he insisted that it was polite language. I had the worst (laughs) impression of him. So after I passed the test, we had a costume fitting, and I told him that the guy who played Hayami would be there, and he came. And when we were shooting the first episode, he asked me what he should call Akira, and I said, "Just Akira" while thinking that he seemed like such an upright guy."

-Legend has it that you were in your best personal attire at the audition.

"Well, um… I went to the audition on the way home from some party. I was wearing a really nice suit at the time, and I remember the manager telling me why I was wearing that…"

-It was a flashy double three-button men's Bigi suit.

"At the time, I loved Shouken's Wounded Angel, and I had made everything up, from the accessories to everything else, and of course I had my shirt bare, and my pants were a little thicker, so my whole body had a tight vertical line. The theme song was playing in my head, and I felt like Shouken, so I opened the door and said, 'Ah, hello ♡.' I had read the script for the first episode beforehand, and I didn't go in thinking, 'Oh, I really want to do this,' so I didn't really prepare for the role. Looking back on it now, I am horrified. That's the work of ignorance, isn't it? (laughs)"

-As a result, you passed the test with flying colors, perhaps thanks to (?) your appearance. However, the new attempt at casting, aimed at creating an unprecedented hero show, (seemingly) caused a ripple in every quarter.

"I was told for a long time that it wasn't decided (laughs). I was told, "It's not decided, but we're going to take the camera test, we'll introduce you to (suit actor) Jirou, and we're going to greet the big guy." Toward the end, I was like, 'Do whatever you want. ♡' But the producer, Mr. Shirakura, and the director, Mr. Nagaishi, both smiled and said, 'Well, I guess it's okay.'"

-The real challenge, however, was the final audition.

"I was told that there would be no dialogue test, so I was very relieved. Then one day, they handed me the script and said, 'Well, let's try to get this together,' and I read the lines with my heart pounding… By the way, that was for the first episode, when I disguised myself at school."

-The next day, to his surprise, the manager was summoned to Toei's headquarters. According to him, "He asked a certain producer with whom he had been in contact for some time, "What do you think of that?!' (laughs)" (according to the manager) From those words, you can guess how good the acting was…

"But, you know, from my point of view, it was so perfect that it couldn't have been any better. But Mr. Shirakura said, 'Next time I decide to go with this guy, I'll never let him read another script.' and I was like, 'Huh?' and he said out of the four who were left, I was the worst."

-In the end, rumor has it that Mr. Shirakura and the entire staff pushed through the company until the very end, using only photographs and visual materials.

"Well, I mean, I guess my performance was amazing, making everyone say that much! (laughs)"

-That's true… In other words, you had "something" that made people say the role of Akira belonged to Hagino Takashi, even though you had gone that far (laughs).

"But actually, I found that out around episode 20, when I was having a drink with Mr. Shirakura, and now that he finally told me about it, now I'm depressed about it! So, if it were to be released on DVD, then I would have to rerecord the dubbing… No, I'm sure it would be painful to watch… but, it's a good memory in that sense, so let's leave it as is! Yeah, let's!"

-Mr. Hagino was convincing himself on his own. In fact, this program is the first Toei tokusatsu work to be released on video while on the air, and it's incredible (laughs). It is said that it also set a sale record. It may be because the times were too early.

"Most heroes start out as bad boys but become good guys toward the end, but Akira was like that until the very end. In the script for episode 28, there was something about "Akira turning into a cat" (laughs). We don't have shows like that, do we?"

-He borrowed money from the bank, went on binges, and was lectured by monsters about the true image of a hero. It is not difficult to imagine how much friction there was at that time to dare this program. However, the voices of the third party did not enter the scene at all.

"For me, I thought I was just doing something fun rather than doing something great, and I didn't think about whether the numbers were bad or how it was. It was just fun anyway."

-That atmosphere was definitely palpable.

"That's why I'm glad that even after six years, there are still people who say they like it. I'd be happy if you could keep it as a secret treasure."

Akira (Hagino Takashi) & Rui (Matsui Yuka)

Rui: I hear you're doing Kamen Rider now? Akira: Oh man, I transformed again! It was called "Sanzen" at the scene, but I told them it was "changing." Rui: That's great, you guys are so close. Akira: The staff is all together, after all. The other day, my brother showed up, and his name is Akira, and we have the same name spelling. And of course, it was written by Mr. Inoue (laughs). Rui: Ah, I'm sure the fans will be happy to know that there is a connection like that.

Akira: It's been a long time. But you haven't changed at all. Rui: You too, Hagino. I had to drop out of the role due to a car accident, so it's been about five years since we've seen each other. Akira: That's right. That was a surprise. I'll never forget the tree-lined street in Aoyama! You didn't show up at all, but we were all talking about how it wasn't like you to be late, and then we got a call that you had been in an accident, and all hell broke loose. There was a lot of dialogue by Rui in that episode, but we tried to do something about it, and in the end, we had Hayami say one line (laughs). Rui: I see… I'm sorry. Akira: Was your head okay? Rui: Hmm… maybe I hit it a little and lost some of the contents? Akira: Maybe there was nothing to begin with… (laughs) Rui: That's mean… but that may be true (laughs).

Akira: My first impression was that you looked much younger than your age. I thought you were in junior high school… Rui: I was nervous because I was in the middle of the show… and you looked really scary (laughs), so I wondered what kind of person you were, but when I greeted you, you smiled at me, and I was happy. Akira: Really? (happy) It was a pity that there was an accident just when we were all getting to know each other. Rui: I hope we can play together again someday. Akira: Yeah. If we work hard in the same world, there will be opportunities. I'm looking forward to it.

Hagino Takashi Born May 27, 1973 in Tokyo. He made his acting debut in "Lipstick Message" (TBS) in 1991. After acting in "You're the Only One I Can't See" (Fuji) and "I Like You" (TBS), he was selected for the role of Suzumura Akira, the main character in "Super Shining Soldier Changéríon." Since then, he has been active in TV dramas and V-Cinema. Currently, he appears in "Kamen Rider Ryuki" as Asakura Takeshi, aka Kamen Rider Ouja.

#changerion #changerion bible #tokusatsu #hagino takashi #my scans #long post

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