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Uchusen Vol. 182 (Autumn 2023) Ohsama Sentai King-Ohger | Detail of Super Sentai Main Cast Member Interviews (translations below)

Publication: October 2, 2023

Taisei Sakai x Watanabe Aoto x Kaku So x Masashi Ikeda Interview

The story has entered a new chapter! The actors who play the kings have grown just as much as their characters through more than half a year of filming. In this issue, we asked Taisei Sakai, Watanabe Aoto, Kaku So, and Masashi Ikeda about stories from filming and their enthusiasm for the new chapter.

"First, we'd like to talk about the battle against the Earth Empire, Bugnarak, which was depicted in episode 26. While filming, did you notice any growth in your characters?"

Ikeda: Jeramie has grown significantly. Gradually, he's become more human, and has shown new sides and changes in his feelings, which gave off the feeling that he was being "updated" as I played the role.

Sakai: Gira hasn't changed much in terms of his character, but I felt that the feelings he has for his people have changed greatly since becoming king.

Watanabe: The impact of Yanma's first appearance was strong, so I think the way he's depicted is to show the various sides of him. As an actor, it was fun to see developments continue, allowing me to play new aspects of his character.

Kaku: There was a big change in Kaguragi with the absence of Racules……I enjoyed acting and having conversations with (Masato) Yano-chan, who plays the role of Racules, and many people complimented us on our performance by saying, "It's like something out of a Taiga drama,* only more profound." However, I get the strong impression that Kaguragi remains the same, and is as relaxed as ever. Perhaps more impressive than the change in character, is the growing friendship between the cast members over the past six months. We even go out to eat after filming finishes….. (*annual historical drama by NHK)

Watanabe: With the exception of our days off, we're always together.

"Looking back, please tell us about any episodes that left a particularly strong impression on you."

Kaku: It would have to be episode 26. It's the last episode of the first chapter, and I was moved by the scene where Gira and the others resolve things with the Bugnarak. The one that was most fun to play was episode 24, which was the summer festival episode. Wearing a yukata in that worldview was also fun.

Ikeda: Episode 26 is definitely memorable, but if I had to choose the best one, I'd say it's episode 11. I think that the scene where Jeramie made his first appearance, taking off the spider mask he's worn for 2,000 years, was the first step in his new life. I'll never forget that scene.

Watanabe: The first film shoot I had was together with Gira. From there, everyone came together in episode 5, and after Legend King-Ohger arrived, Jeramie joined us…..When I think back on the process, the most memorable moment was when all 6 of us were together for the shoot. In particular, I was moved by episode 19, when it was announced that we were, "The Five Kingdom Unusual Incident Countermeasure Lifesaving Force," abbreviated as, "Ohsama Sentai King-Ohger!"

Sakai: The 6 of us transforming together in episode 19 left a deep impression on me as well. I was amazed when I saw the finished video for the first time. I was impressed by the wonderful effects of the screen cracking at the moments of impact.

Ikeda: It was fun to see everyone fighting together, and gave off an atmosphere unique to the Sentai series.

"We'd also like to ask about the retainers who support the kings. What are everyone's impressions of Douga, Shiokara, Kuroda, and Gerojim?"

Kaku: Despite the fact that he hides his face, I'm glad that Kuroda is very popular. I discussed with (Hajime) Kanzaki-san, who plays Kuroda, that the relationship between Kaguragi and Kuroda is that of a lord and a spy, but Kuroda's personality became alot more prominent, and he's since come to the forefront. Before I knew it, he became an essential part of King-Ohger.

Ikeda: Gerojim is so cute! When I watch the broadcasts, I can't help but laugh when Tomokazu Seki-san (Gerojim's voice actor) interjects between my lines. I never thought I'd have a retainer, or that he'd even ride in God King-Ohger. I did alot of acting with monsters, especially scenes with (Riichi) Seike-san, who plays Desnarak VIII. Seike-san is a really passionate actor, and before we performed the farewell scene between Desnarak VIII and Jeramie in episode 26, Seike-san encouraged me with, "Come at me with everything you've got!" In the beginning, I wasn't used to acting with Suit Actors, but thanks to Seike-san and the others, I was able to act naturally, which made me very happy.

Watanabe: Shiokara and the others are a good group of friends who react to every single thing Yanma does. On our days off, Chiwata Yuhei-kun, who plays the role of Shiokara, takes the initiative in arranging dinner parties for the N'Kosopa team. I'm very grateful that communication is connected through Chiwata-kun, and I'm also happy that just like in the show, Shiokara plays the role of connecting me with our citizens.

Sakai: Episodes between Douga and Gira haven't really been depicted, but it seems like a strong relationship was formed over the 2 years between episodes 26 and 27. They must have thought of ways to ensure that food would reach the children, and how to run the country while coming up with ideas together on how to better serve the people.

"Did the staff tell you about any changes that occurred during the span of those 2 years?"

Sakai: I haven't been told the specifics, but Director Kazuya Kamihoriuchi told me that he wanted Gira to be the same as before, but to show a casual composure when performing final attacks.

Ikeda: Although Jeramie's 2,000 years old, on the inside, he's as innocent as a child and is inspired by every single thing that happens to him. So, I think he's taken in alot during those 2 years. Especially in the new chapter, we can see his growth as he tries to express his feelings to the other kings in a straightforward manner. The biggest change was that Jeramie became king, so he must've been busy building a nation for the past 2 years, right? That's what I think atleast. Personally, I'm happy that my country is finally being projected on the LED wall.

Kaku: Kaguragi was arrested for using an underground cultivator called "Arijigoku," which could also be used as a weapon, but he was probably conscious of the fight against Racules, so was making agricultural machines that could be converted into weapons. However, even after 2 years, I still don't know what he's thinking. I wonder what forms of communication he'll start to use……Now that Racules is gone, it seems easy to deceive anyone, so I'm looking forward to seeing what he'll do (laughs).

Watanabe: Not only Kaguragi, but Yanma was also arrested for monopolizing electricity to create the Ultra PC called, "Under Heaven and Earth, I'm the only one." This just shows that even 2 years later, the kings can't sit still.

"The imprisonment of the kings was a surprise, but at the same time, the new chapter has brought changes in hairstyles and costumes."

Watanabe: I was told that the visuals would change when we started depicting what was happening 2 years later. So, I suggested a more mature haircut, thinking it’ll help Yanma settle down, but Director Kamihoriuchi immediately rejected it. Then came the blonde pompadour, and I thought that he was far from settling down, and that his "peak" was yet to come. I actually had the opportunity to suggest a new visual to the Director, and as it was also one of the choices for Yanma's original costume, the short gakuran was chosen

Kaku: Kaguragi has black hair, but I thought it would've been better if he had brown hair….but, that didn't work out (laughs). I'm looking forward to letting my hair down and seeing how the viewers react.

Ikeda: Jeramie now wears a cloak, which makes him look more dignified as a king. Also, the fact that he can now proudly show his Bugnarak hand is a sign that humans and Bugnarak have become closer over the past 2 years, and that the world has become more peaceful. This also seems to have had a significant change in his personality.

Sakai: My changes were left up to the make up artists (laughs). My hair is longer and parted down the middle, and I'm wearing the same clothes as Racules…..I've made a bunch of suggestions myself, but nothing's been approved (laughs). I wonder, will the reason for why he's wearing Racules's clothes and his hairstyle change be revealed in future episodes…..? That's what I imagine.

"By the way, when was everyone made aware of the new chapter?"

Kaku: I think it was right after the dubbing for "Adventure Heaven." The costumes were going to change from episode 27, and there were discussions of, "What are we going to do about it?"

Watanabe: It was about 2 weeks before we started filming, so we didn't have alot of time.

Ikeda: When they said it took place 2 years later, I had the image of a new development in an anime, so it made me very motivated.

"Episode 28 featured a difficult episode of switching roles. Gira and Jeramie, Yanma and Rita, Kaguragi and Hymeno switched, how did you like each of the roles you played?"

Watanabe: I tried to play the role in my own way without asking Yuzuki-chan too many questions. I tried to exaggerate Rita's image by keeping my distance from them except for the physical part, and I wonder, did it come out good? On the other hand, Yuzuki-chan asked me various questions, but since we didn't have many scenes where we talked to each other, I didn't know what was going on until I watched the broadcast.

Kaku: I was also looking forward to seeing how Marie (Erika-san) would play Kaguragi. In my case, I discussed this with Marie, and we began to imitate each other, starting with our finger movements one by one. However, at the start of filming, Director Kamioriuchi told me that it, "Wasn't interesting." I panicked when I heard his comments. The Director wanted her to play the role as if she were an exaggerated imitation of "Hollywood Zakoshisyoh,*" and from there, he expanded on the image he had for Hymeno. But, was I really becoming Hymeno? I was worried at first. Marie's performance as Kaguragi was so far out there, that it was almost too much. She would say, "Ro~Yal~Arms~!!" and I would respond with, "I've never said it like that!," and so she had to try again (laughs). (*Japanese comedian)

Sakai: It’s really difficult for one person to come up with a performance that took about six months to create. Ikeda-kun taught me in detail about Jeramie's gestures, the way he walked, and even the tone of his voice, and I studied and consulted with him alot during filming.

Ikeda: I could tell that we were thinking about the various elements of each other. I kept in mind that we should try to respect each other and exaggerate the other person's character to make it just right.

"We'd also like to ask you about the "Kingdom Dance Competition" that became a hot topic when it was released over the summer. What’s the story behind that video of you dancing "Zenryoku King" in a decisive competition?”

Kaku: It was difficult in many ways! (laughs). I thought I only had to do the scenes where I appeared, but then I realized that I had to dance to all of them. It was very hard, partly because we were filming the movie at the same time.

Sakai: But, that was the first time all the cast members got together for filming. King-Ohger had alot of filming done in the different countries, so it was rare for everyone to gather together, including the entourage. That's why filming it was lively and fun.

Ikeda: I personally have something to say about the distributed video! I was told that since it was being done in one take, even if we made a mistake, it would still be used. However, the other members mistakes weren't included, and only my mistakes were picked up......(laughs). This is to the staff! Couldn't you have just changed the order of the shots?!

Watanabe: But, the Bugnarak team's dancing was wonderful.

Ikeda: That's because Seike-san gathered the team's Suit Actors and even held a strategy meeting.

Kaku: The sexy poses of Rita and Morfonia in Gokkan were ordered by Director Kamihoriuchi. It was interesting to see that Morfonia didn't seem too happy about it (laughs).

"Finally, can you tell us about the development of the new chapter and its highlights?"

Kaku: I think that the pasts of Kaguragi and Suzume will be further explored, which will deepen your love for the characters. I'm looking forward to the future of this story, not only as an actor, but also as a viewer.

Ikeda: I think that not only the pasts of each king and their retainers, but also the mysteries of the world of King-Ohger will continue to be revealed. I want to know the ending as soon as possible, so I can't wait to receive the next script!

Watanabe: Not just Yanma, but past stories related to N'Kosopa will also be depicted, so I hope you'll continue to watch King-Ohger every week!

Sakai: Gira is especially mysterious. He was born into a royal family, and yet he ended up in an orphanage, and we don't know why he knows about the Wrath of God. Even I don't know the truth behind it, but I've been imagining alot of different things as I play the role. I hope that from now on, you'll continue to support King-Ohger! _

Murakami Erika x Yuzuki Hirakawa Interview

Following the male cast members, we asked Murakami Erika, who plays the role of Hymeno Ran, and Yuzuki Hirakawa, who plays the role of Rita Kaniska, to talk to us. The two of them will talk about everything, from the changes they went through during the six months of filming, the costume changes that accompanied the start of the second chapter, and even the untold story of the body swapping episode depicted in episode 28.

"With episode 26, the battle against the Earth Empire, Bugnarak, has come to an end. Having played Hymeno and Rita for six months since the first episode, how do you feel your characters have changed?"

Murakami: Hymeno was the type of queen who wasn't suited for collective actions, having led people according to her own selfishness. But, when the Bugnarak attacked, she decided to join forces with the other kings to save Chikyu. In episode 7, there's a scene where Hymeno couldn't respond immediately to Gira saying the words, "Let's be friends!" After that, I think she gradually developed a mutual relationship with Gira and the others, and was able to grow toward her goal of saving Chikyu.

Hirakawa: Rita has slowly begun to depend on others. I think that they're gradually becoming able to express their honest feelings. In the beginning, Rita was building walls against others on their own, but as the story progressed, their barrier against the other kings gradually grew smaller. As a result, their self control to suppress their feelings have weakened, which is why they've started to sometimes scream in front of others.

"Hymeno has her retainer Sebastian, and Rita has their retainer Morfonia. As Hymeno and Rita, were there many scenes where you interacted with those two characters?"

Murakami: Sebastian is the one who listens to Hymeno's every request and spoils her. But, when taking God King-Ohger into battle in episode 25, although she was afraid that she might get them killed in battle, she asked Sebastian and the others, "It's incredibly selfish, but will you hear me out?," as if begging them to fight with her. It really was a lovely moment where I felt the relationship of trust between the king of Ishabana and her entourage.

Hirakawa: Originally, Rita and Morfonia had a professional relationship only. Then, during episode 10, Morfonia approached Rita, and the distance between them changed. In episode 25, Rita asked Morfonia for a favor outside of work, and I think this showed that the relationship between the two of them has grown even deeper.

"How is your relationship with Hiroto Yoshimitsu-san, who plays Sebastian, and Kasumi Hasegawa-san, who plays Morfonia?"

Murakami: Yoshimitsu-san is really sweet to me (laughs). He's always buying me something tasty.

Hirakawa: It was daifuku the other day (laughs).

Murakami: It was delicious~ (laughs). Also, when I would raise my voice during a scene, (Mizushima) Marina-san, who plays Elegance Moun, would become worried and give me throat lozenges…..Since the members of Ishabana's entourage are all older than me, they spoil me as if I were their daughter.

Hirakawa: Kasumin (Hasegawa-san) is like a kind big sister who's always looking out for me. Possibly due to both of us being from Kyushu, we became good friends the more we started hanging out in our private lives. Recently, we've been doing live streams together, and have become closer than ever.

"Looking back up to episode 26, what were the most memorable scenes?"

Hirakawa: Rita's past being portrayed in episode 16 was the most memorable for me. Rita's past was hard to imagine and rather mysterious. Although not everything was explained, I think that episode 16, which explained why they became king and what happened to them in the past, was the episode that impacted me the most in the past six months.

Murakami: We've been filming for six months, but the most memorable was episode 3. Hymeno's selfish, but she's also a king, so she has her beliefs. I'm most attached to episode 3 in the sense that it depicts Hymeno's inner self. But, after learning in episode 7 that her parents deaths were caused by scorpion poison, she can no longer hold back her feelings…..This development was also important for Hymeno. Although she expresses her own strength, she also feels resentment toward the unsolved case, and I acted while thinking about Hymeno's inner thoughts.

"Has anything changed in the relationship between the cast members?"

Murakami: After about four or five months, everyone would laugh at me no matter what I said. I can now speak my mind without worrying (laughs). I'm not really good at expressing my opinions in front of other people, but I've become able to do so with confidence. My mother, who watched "King-chan" (TTFC talk show), even said to me, "I think you've become more comfortable with the other cast members, and your sense of humor has improved, hasn't it?"

Hirakawa: You really make us laugh over trivial things. I was surprised at first, because Marie's wasn't the comedic type. Now, I'm also in the mood to play along.

Murakami: Recently, Kaku-san, Aoto-kun and I went out for dinner, and we ended up going to 4 different places. We were having so much fun, that I didn't realize we were moving from one restaurant to another. I've come to trust them both with all my heart, and I even surprised myself at how well I could get along with people.

Hirakawa: I may not have changed in any way, but……What do you think? Have you noticed anything?

Murakami: In the beginning, Yuzuki didn't complain at all, right? But lately, she's started mumbling things like, "It's painful," and, "I'm tired."

Hirakawa: I'm not good at telling people that I'm having a hard time. I'm mindful of not saying anything because I'm concerned about worrying or bothering others. But, I think I've gotten too close to Marie and the others, so it comes out unconsciously. Because we're together every day, I feel like I don't have to care anymore, as we share the same physically and mentally demanding times.

Murakami: That being said, the stage greeting held in Fukuoka for "Adventure Heaven" was like a field trip. Even though it was work, everyone was having fun and it felt like being on vacation.

Hirakawa: Marie joined us on a different plane, but she was wearing big sunglasses and looked like a celebrity going overseas. I took a bunch of pictures of Marie and sent them in the group chat…..

Murakami: I suddenly noticed that there were alot of hidden photos taken of me in the group chat (laughs). As revenge, next time, I'll take lots of cool photos of everyone…..It was really fun. The cast of King-Ohger is friendly regardless of gender, so it really makes you feel like you're back in high school. Until now, I haven't had the opportunity to work with so many colleagues who are aiming for the same goal, so it's very refreshing,

"Episode 27 onward will be the second chapter, and will depict the battle against the Uchu Five Jesters in the world 2 years later. What was your impression when you first heard about the new chapter?"

Murakami: We know what happens next when we receive the scripts, so I was really surprised when I read the scripts for episodes 27-29. It's 2 years later, but worst of all, we're out of the picture (laughs). As I read on, I realized that we were imprisoned! I thought that was an interesting angle.

Hirakawa: I've never heard of time skips in the middle of a story within the Super Sentai series, have you? I was also told that the visuals would be changing. I felt very honored to be able to participate in a production that provided such a rare experience.

Murakami: I'm really happy because there are so many new things happening within King-Ohger, including filming with an LED wall.

"We'd like to hear more about when you learned about the new costumes."

Murakami: If I'm remembering right, I was having a review meeting with Director Kamihoriuchi at a yakiniku restaurant, when he casually said to me, "Think about what kind of visuals you want." At the time, I thought it would be for a one time episode, so I thought, "Gira with a shaved head?" or something…..I was thinking things like that, but then I heard that they were asking about new visuals to be used from episode 27 onward. In Hymeno's case, up until now it's always been about cute things, but I talked about how it'd be cooler to express herself with natural elements, rather than to dress her up. As a result, I ended up with a costume like that of a female knight. The hairstyle, which used to change each episode, was shifted to include more hair extensions and different colors

Hirakawa: Rita's costume has changed only in that the length of their jacket has become shorter, but their hairstyle has changed alot. Actually, I've been saying that I wanted to cut my hair since the beginning of filming. However, this wasn't allowed in the beginning, and filming proceeded with my long hair. Director Kamihoriuchi remembered this and suggested that, "Rita should cut their hair after two years." Rita was given a short hair cut and was able to turn their visuals in a cooler direction.

"Does this mean that the costumes were made lighter to accommodate the summer shoot?"

Murakami: I don't think so. It was still hot (laughs).

Hirakawa: It was hot……(laughs).

"2 years later, Hymeno was charged with arson, and Rita was imprisoned in Gokkan for violating the Labor Standards Law. How have Hymeno and Rita changed during the span of 2 years, and how will you interpret these changes through your performance?"

Murakami: I felt that we were able to fight while being aware of our respective roles. In the beginning, the kings weren't well organized, but over the past 2 years, they seem to have developed a sense of camaraderie.

Hirakawa: Their resolve as a king has become stronger, and I think it shows in their visuals. However, Rita has grown in their ability to talk with the others as friends, while also taking their feelings into consideration.

"Episode 28, the most recently aired episode, depicted the body swapping of the kings. Murakami-san plays Kaguragi and Hirakawa-san plays Yanma. How was the filming for that?"

Murakami: I'm so tired! In all my time in the entertainment industry, I've never acted in such a disorganized manner, so I'm worried that everyone will be turned off by my performance. Kaku-san is very kind, so he said, "It was fun!," but I was still worried about it! (laughs). I think the most obvious way to express Kaguragi's performance is through his eyes, so I tried my best to open my eyes while spreading my legs, but I overdid it and we had to reshoot. However, the reason I was able to do such a disorganized performance may be because I get along so well with everyone and am able to tell jokes and make funny faces.

Hirakawa: I didn't really prepare for the role of Yanma that much. That's because I'm abit like Yanma in some aspects of my everyday life (laughs). I studied yankii like postures, but other than that, I tried not to think about anything other than playing a passionate guy named Yanma. More than that, when I was playing the role of Yanma, I was showing my entire face, so I was very conscious of that. I've been performing with my face hidden for more than half a year, so I was surprised at how embarrassed I felt showing my face (laughs). While checking the monitor, I thought to myself, "This is what I look like……"

"What did you think of Hymeno being played by Kaku-san, and Rita being played by Watanabe-san?"

Murakami: I was surprised to realize that this is what Hymeno looks like from other people's perspective. When Hymeno couldn't accept Kaguragi's body, I think I would've wanted to say, "I can't take it!," and run away. However, Kaku acting all depressed was very cute. I was very happy that he opened up a side of Hymeno that I didn't have.

Hirakawa: Aoto just did whatever he wanted (laughs). Even though I thought to myself, "They wouldn't open their eyes that wide, would they?," I felt that Yuzuki Hirakawa's performance broadened the range of Rita's character. Due to the stress of having their body swapped, Rita's emotions are more tense than usual. It made me realize that I could show these kinds of facial expressions. It made it easier for me to do my future performances.

Murakami: Now that I think about it, during filming for episode 27, Director Kamihoriuchi was laughing while watching the monitor the whole time (laughs).

Hirakawa: Before I knew it, I became more determined to make the Director laugh.

"It was because of that determination that it turned into such an outrageous episode. Now, we're anxious to see what'll happen next, but what would you two like the fans to pay attention to when watching the show?"

Murakami: The foreshadowing from previous episodes are gradually being revealed, and there are episodes in which each character's pasts are explored in depth. For example, Sebastian's real name, which hasn't currently been revealed, may be mentioned, and even if you haven't watched it up to this point, I'd like you to watch King-Ohger, even if you start from the new chapter!

Hirakawa: Also, there's an all out action episode by Director Sakamoto Hiroshi. Although filming hasn't started yet (at the time of this interview), I've heard that there'll be lots of action, so I'm really looking forward to doing the performance. It'd make me happy if you could continue to watch every week!

Shinichiro Miki (Kamejim Voice Actor)

Ohsama Sentai King-Ohger has entered its second chapter, but there's only one enemy leader that's survived from the first chapter. His name, is Kamejim Unka! He was the one behind the 2,000 year battle between humans and Bugnarak, and is one of the Uchu Five Jesters who serve under the Uchu King, Dagded Dujardin. The voice is provided by veteran voice actor Shinichiro Miki, making this his first performance in the Super Sentai series. Miki is a big fan of King-Ohger himself, so how does he approach the role of Kamejim Unka?

"Miki-san is also known for his role as Sieg in "Kamen Rider Den-O," but this is his first performance in the Super Sentai series. What are your impressions of the series?"

Miki: I love tokusatsu productions, and have been watching them since "Himitsu Sentai Goranger," which is from my generation. But, after I started working as a voice actor, whenever I heard the voice of someone I knew who was appearing in those shows, I stopped watching them out of jealousy (laughs). It was only after I started working on Den-O that those feelings toned down abit, and I was able to watch them again. These days, I listen to the voices of my juniors and think to myself, "(Yuki) Kaji-kun is really doing his best~." Even so, I still get jealous (laughs).

"What was your impression when you first heard about the setting of King-Ohger, and the role of Kamejim that Miki-san plays?"

Miki: I felt that there were alot of new elements, and thought, "This is interesting and different from previous Super Sentai!" When I first saw Kamejim's design, my impression was, "It's really cool!" I was told that he was a, "Sharp intellectual, and a faithful subordinate of King Desnarak VIII," although, I expected him to have something happening behind the scenes (laughs). I got the impression that he was polite with his words, but I couldn't understand his true feelings, and during the audition, I was conscious of trying to convey the nuances of that part well.

"There seems to have been various decisions made as recording progressed, so were there any changes in the way you created the role compared to the beginning?"

Miki: As the story progresses, we're learning more about his character, and there are alot more parts of him that, "Dare to say the opposite of what he means, but still holds true." Along with this, the range of my speaking style has expanded, and I try to be aware of the thought behind the dialogue as I go into recording.

"You said that you expected, "Something to be happening behind the scenes," and we have the impression that Kamejim evolved into a character with one or two quirks as a result of Miki-san's performance."

Miki: Thank you so much. Well, things just turned out that way (laughs). That being said, I think the result is from a good mix of not only my voice acting, but the performance of Suit Actor (Masato) Tsutamune-san acting out my character. Even though the meaning of the dialogue doesn't change, we're recording while focusing on the way he speaks during the action scenes. For this reason, during dubbing scenes, I try to pick up on the movements of Tsutamune-san's hands and fingers as much as possible from the footage.

"Capturing the theatrical elements from a Suit Actor's performance requires a different skill set from that of an anime."

Miki: In the sense that Tsutamune-san plays the role and adds his voice to the finished video, it's more similar to dubbing a foreign film than to an anime. However, being able to go and observe filming and talk with Tsutamune-san, and being able to work with the actors to create the show, is what makes it different from foreign films. I believe that communicating in this way is one of the most important aspects of perfecting a character.

"What kinds of conversations did you have at the recording studio with Shimura Tomoyuki-san, Desnarak VIII's voice actor, who Kamejim served until episode 26?"

Miki: I call him "Shimu-nii," as we've known each other for over 20 years. So, from the first recording session, we said to each other, "This is reassuring!" However, Shimu-nii is a "doer." When the Director asks him to do something on set, he does so many things that it becomes too much. Because of his personality, he brings smiles to everyone on set. The true character of Desnarak VIII……Although he's not a person, I think the kindness towards his fellow comrades is linked to Shimu-nii's kindness.

"Also, speaking of characters played by actors rather than voice actors, don't you have alot of interactions with Jeramie?"

Miki: We've never done the recording together. Kamejim doesn't have much to do with Jeramie, so there weren't many scenes where we had direct conversations. It's like we just talked to ourselves…..Jeramie has lived for 2,000 years, but he has a more child like side to him compared to Gira. From Kamejim's point of view, I think he thought that part of him is adorable.

"From episode 27, the story enters the second chapter, where the King-Ohgers confront Kamejim Unka and those from the Uchu Five Jesters. When did Miki-san learn of these developments?"

Miki: I had heard beforehand that, "There's an even more powerful enemy in the universe, and that Kamejim was a spy sent by that enemy," but when he was defeated by God King-Ohger and exploded in episode 26, I was worried that he wouldn't be coming back (laughs). In order to prepare for the role, I was given alittle more information than the viewers, and was shocked by the scripts around episode 27. After receiving a new script at the office, I often look them over while having a drink, and there were many moving developments, including the scene where Desnarak VIII defends Jeramie. I cry every time I read it. If I hadn't been able to participate after episode 27 though, I might've cried in a different way. I survived, so at that time, my tears were that of relief (laughs). The storytelling in King-Ohger has a wonderful way of creating a story that can also resonate with the hearts of adults.

"Now that Kamejim Unka has been revealed as one of the Uchu Five Jesters, how did you react to his change in position?"

Miki: I think he's most comfortable in a position like that, as a second in command. I think he's the type of person who leaves the big things to someone else and enjoys doing what he wants to do. The way he reappears in episode 27 is also typical of him. Objectively, I think of him with, "He always looks like he's having fun," and, "I wish I could live like that."

"Since your position changed, did your role change in any way?"

Miki: There were basically no changes. There's a change when the person he supports is nearby and when they’re not, but up until episode 26 and from episode 27 onwards, there's no change in personality, just a change in the person he serves. However, since his comrades of the Uchu Five Jesters have appeared and are in the same position as him, I think there’ll be new aspects in the interactions with them that have never been seen before.

"Characters in the same position consist of Goma Rosalia, Hilbil Leech, and Minongan Moth. What kind of conversations did you have with the cast members who play them?"

Miki: The Uchu Five Jesters cast has a great lineup, with (Kazuhiro) Yamaji-san and (Miyuki) Sawashiro-san. I don't have much of an opportunity to talk with them, but I talked to Tomokazu Seki the other day, and he said, "It seems like they picked me since Minongan Moth is a character who doesn't talk much" (laughs). Then I remember telling (Ishida) Akira-kun, "I'm happy we're working on the same program again."

"On the other hand, you were in charge of the narration for “The Secret of King Racules,” which is available on the Toei's Tokusatsu Official YouTube Channel."

Miki: In the main show, Jeramie narrates the story, but since "The Secret of King Racules" is the story of the "Worst King," it was decided that since I'm on the evil side, I would be in charge of the narration. However, if I did it as Kamejim, it would be too obvious, so I tried to do it in a calm manner, keeping the narration style in mind.

"What do you think about the story in "The Secret of King Racules?"

Miki: I cried. It's alittle more mature than the main story, and the final scene was especially emotional. I also liked the screen composition, where the faces of King Racules and Vedalia are alternately shown in close ups in the background. It was also very emotional that Kofuki, who appeared in that work, rode the 20 person combined God King-Ohger in episode 25 of the main story.

"Miki-san said he cries as he reads the script, but which scenes in the episodes that have aired so far have been most memorable?"

Miki: There's too many! Like the scene in episode 16 where Rita says, "Thank you," in a small voice after receiving the Moffun from Hymeno, or the scene in episode 25, where the retainers of each country expressing their feelings towards the kings is depicted…..There are really too many to choose from. I watch the broadcasts 3 times every Sunday. First, I watch the reactions on SNS in real time, saying things like, "I can see why people would react this way here," and, "I see!" (laughs). Then, while drinking, I would do it a second and then third time. Afterwards, while reading the script for the next episode, which had already been dubbed, I'd think, "This is what happens after this, huh," and then start to cry (laughs). Even though I didn't appear in it, I went to the theater to see "Adventure Heaven" as a fan.

"You're looking at this from a genuine fan's perspective, rather than from a performer's perspective."

Miki: Of course, there are things I can reflect on about myself, but that's something I can make use of in my next job. While I want to reflect, I also want to have fun with the fans. In all my years as a voice actor, this may be the first work that makes me feel this way.

"Why are you so enthusiastic about King-Ohger?"

Miki: There's one reason for participating in it, but I think there's also many other reasons, such as the story, the wonderful character designs, and the fact that the filming method is different from what we've seen before. Maybe it's the excitement and sense of being with everyone in an era and worldview that's different from usual.

"King-Ohger continues to have unpredictable developments, Miki-san, please tell us what you think we should focus on going forward."

Miki: The development of Gira's involvement with the Kyoryuger's has become an even newer development within the new developments of the second chapter. I'm sure that these developments will continue to go beyond the expectations of the fans who have been watching the show. Although I know the story alittle earlier than you readers, I'd like to look forward to the future developments with a passionate attitude. When I see words related to King-Ohger trending on SNS every Sunday morning, I feel happy as if they were my own, and this show has taught me how to enjoy watching it with the fans. I hope you'll continue to enjoy your time with me!

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cazzam · 2 years

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THE NEW AND IMPROVED CASSANDRA CAIN READING GUIDE

Cassandra Cain is the daughter of assassins David Cain and Sandra Wu-San (better known as Lady Shiva), and was raised by Cain. She is an expert hand-to-hand combatant, and able to read body language to the point of interpreting complex thoughts, but learning to communicate better through speech and text. She has operated as a vigilante under the names of Batgirl, Kasumi, Black Bat, and Orphan, and is currently sharing the title of Batgirl with Stephanie Brown and Barbara Gordon.

Basic Reading

Batgirl (2000)

Batman: Gates of Gotham (2011)

Detective Comics (2016) #934-987

Batman and the Outsiders (2019)

Batgirls (2021)

Spirit World (2023)

Birds of Prey (2023)

Cassandra's major appearances are listed in chronological order (mostly) under the cut. My favorites are bolded.

No Man's Land

All issues collected in Batman: No Man's Land (2011) vol. 2-4. I recommend reading the entire event.

Batman (1940) #567 [first appearance]

Detective Comics (1937) #734

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #120 [Cassandra takes up Batgirl mantle]

Azrael: Agent of the Bat #56-57

Batman (1940) #569

The Batman Chronicles #18

Azrael: Agent of the Bat #60-61

Robin (1993) #73

As Batgirl

Issues that are part of events may be confusing out of context.

Batman: Gotham Knights #2, 5

Batman: Gotham City Secret Files and Origins [first story]

Batgirl (2000) #1-2

Young Justice (1998) #21

Batgirl (2000) #3-11, 12 [Officer Down start]

Birds of Prey (1999) #27

Catwoman (1993) #90 [Officer Down end]

Batgirl (2000) Annual #1, #13-19

Harley Quinn (2000) #10

Robin (1993) #88 [first meeting with Stephanie Brown]

Batgirl (2000) #20, 21 [Joker: Last Laugh start]

Joker: Last Laugh #3

Supergirl (1996) #63 [transphobia cw, Joker: Last Laugh end]

DC First: Batgirl/Joker

Batgirl (2000) #22-23, 24 [Bruce Wayne: Murderer? / Fugitive start]

Robin (1993) #98

Batgirl (2000) #25-29

Batman (1940) #605 [Bruce Wayne: Murderer? / Fugitive end]

Batgirl: Secret Files and Origins

Batgirl (2000) #30-32

Batman: Gotham Knights #33, 35

Batgirl (2000) #33-38

Batman: Family #7

Detective Comics (1937) #782 [backup], 790

Nightwing (1996) #81

Superboy (1994) #85 [first meeting with Kon-El/Conner Kent]

Batgirl (2000) #39-44

Batman: Gotham Knights #42, 45-46, 48-49

Robin (1993) #119

Batgirl (2000) #45-47

Superman/Batman #5

Batgirl (2000) #48-50

Birds of Prey (1999) #61, 63

Batgirl (2000) #51-53

Solo #10 [third story]

Detective Comics (1937) #796 [backup]

Robin (1993) #127-128

Batgirl (2000) #54

War Games

All issues collected in Batman: War Games (2015). I don't recommend reading the entire event.

Detective Comics (1937) #797

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #182

Nightwing (1996) #96

Batgirl (2000) #55

Batman (1940) #631

Batgirl (2000) #56

Nightwing (1996) #98

Batgirl (2000) #57

Batgirl in Bludhaven

Robin (1993) #132 [Fresh Blood start]

Batgirl (2000) #58

Robin (1993) #133

Batgirl (2000) #59 [Fresh Blood end]

Batman Allies: Secret Files and Origins 2005 [third story]

Batgirl (2000) #60-73

With the League of Assassins and Deathstroke

I don't recommend reading anything in this section except Batgirl (2008) #6.

Robin (1993) #148-151, 161-162

Supergirl (2005) #14

World War III #2

Teen Titans (2003) #43-46

Batman and the Outsiders (2007)

Batgirl (2008) [recap of this era. Bruce adopts Cassandra]

As Black Bat

Battle for the Cowl: The Network

Batgirl (2009) #1 [Cassandra gives Batgirl mantle to Stephanie]

Red Robin #17

Batman Incorporated (2011) #6

Red Robin #25

Batman: Gates of Gotham

As Orphan

The New 52 reboot changed Cassandra’s origins, personality, and relationships with other characters. Rebirth was a soft reboot that kept New 52 canon but brought back elements from the previous continuity.

Batman and Robin Eternal #1-9, 11-14, 17-26 [New 52]

Detective Comics (2016) #934-940 [Rebirth]

Batman (2016) #7 [Night of the Monster Men start]

Nightwing (2016) #5

Detective Comics (2016) #941

Batman (2016) #8

Nightwing (2016) #6

Detective Comics (2016) #942 [Night of the Monster Men end], 943-962

Red Hood and the Outlaws (2016) #15

Detective Comics (2016) #963-964

Batgirl and the Birds of Prey #15-17

Detective Comics (2016) #965-981, 983-987

Batman and the Outsiders (2019)

DC: The Doomed and the Damned [seventh story]

Batman: The Joker War Zone [second story]

Batman (2016) #104

Return of Batgirl

The Infinite Frontier reboot considers all past continuities canon.

Infinite Frontier #0

Batman Secret Files: The Signal

Batman: Urban Legends #3, 5, 7, 8, 10, 14

The Joker (2021) #3-4, 7, 11-12, 15

Detective Comics (2016) #1038 [backup], 1049, 1052, 1057

Batman (2016) #112 [main], 115-116 [backups]

Nightwing (2016) #85-86

Batman (2016) #117 [backup]

Batgirls #1-6

Task Force Z #8

DC Pride: Tim Drake Special

Robin (2021) #15

Detective Comics (2016) #1061

Batgirls #7

Catwoman (2018) #45

Batgirls #8-12

Batman One Bad Day: Two-Face

Tim Drake: Robin #4

Batgirls Annual 2022, #13-19

Lazarus Planet: Dark Fate [fourth story]

Spirit World (2023)

Birds of Prey (2023) #1- [ongoing]

Detective Comics (2016) #1084 [backup]

Other Appearances

Ghost/Batgirl [Dark Horse Comics crossover]

Batman: Outlaws #2

Batman: City of Light [not recommended]

Justice League Elite [as Kasumi]

Wonder Woman (2006) #600 [second story]

Batgirl (2016) #50 [third story]

DC Festival of Heroes [first story]

Truth & Justice #6 [#16-18 digital first]

Alternate Universes

Tiny Titans #33, 39, 43, 45

Batgirl: Futures End

Convergence: Batgirl

Harley Quinn and the Birds of Prey (2020)

DCeased: Unkillables / Dead Planet #5 / War of the Undead Gods

Shadow of the Batgirl [YA graphic novel]

Dark Knights: Death Metal Robin King [backup]

Future State: The Next Batman #2, 4 [second stories]

Batman: Wayne Family Adventures [webtoon]

DC vs. Vampires

Dark Knights of Steel #9

Thanks for reading! If you have any questions, feel free to ask.

Last updated: April 23, 2024

#dcedit #comicedit #cassandra cain #batgirl #batgirls #wayne family adventures #batgirl 2000 #black bat #orphan #reading guide #reading list #reading order #batman

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longitudinalwaveme · 9 months

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Best and Worst Comic Appearances of the Rogues

Note: Keep in mind that some of these choices are very subjective and based on personal taste. In particular, it's difficult for me to know if the storylines I list as the "best" for a given character are actually the best, or if they're just the ones that appeal the most to me personally. I feel like the "worst" choices are more objective (or at least more likely to be shared by a majority of the fanbase).

I'm also only judging stories that I've actually read for this list.

Captain Cold

Best Pre-Crisis Appearance: While I like his debut story from Showcase #8 a lot, I think my favorite Pre-Crisis Len story is Flash vol. 1 #150, "Captain Cold's Polar Perils". Ayesha, Len's stalkee-girlfriend du jour, is a fun character, and Len's powers are at peak Silver Age insanity, which is always fun. It's really the perfect encapsulation of what Pre-Crisis Captain Cold is like.

Best Post-Crisis Appearance: Flash vol. 2 #182. This is the famous Rogue Profile issue for Len, and it is legitimately really, really good (even if its treatment of Lisa is frustrating at times). It's a very solid examination of the character and the backstory provides a lot of depth that Len really needed. Basically, if you want to understand modern Captain Cold, this is one of the best issues you can read.

Worst Appearance: Flash: The Fastest Man Alive #10-13. Every character in F: TFMA is poorly written, and Len is no exception. From having a murder retconned into one of the periods where he was supposed to be reformed to letting a teenage speedster take over the Rogues for no good reason, this story just does not understand Cold.

I will also note here that I generally don't like Joshua Williamson's take on Len. I have trouble putting my finger on exactly why, but if I had to take a stab at explaining it, I think I would say that Williamson's Len is too ambitious and too hands-off. Having him take over first Central City's underworld, and then Central City, seems out-of-character for Len, who's usually smart enough to understand that escalating crimes to that level is a great way to attract a horde of superheroes, and having him sit back and organize crimes without going out into the field himself, which Williamson did more than once, likewise seems out-of-character for Cold. Johns' Len wasn't always the best leader in the world, but at least he was always in the field with the other Rogues. Williamson's Len seems a lot more willing to sit back and let other people do the work for him, and he comes across as a worse leader because of it. Effectively, then, I think my problem with Williamson's Len is that his Len seems younger, less experienced, less practical, and less likely to inspire loyalty than any previous version of the character (except the one that was being written around the time of F: TFMA.)

Captain Boomerang Sr.

Best Pre-Crisis Appearance: Flash vol. 1 #310-311, or Batman #322. The first story has Captain Boomerang getting double-crossed by Colonel Computron and sent back in time (on a giant time-traveling boomerang!), whereupon he has to team up with the Flash to fight pirates. It's delightful, and is made even more so by Digger's determination to save his ex-employer, W. W. Wiggins, from the vengeance of Colonel Computron. The second story features Captain Boomerang fighting---and nearly defeating!---Batman, who narrowly escapes death on Digger's "doomerang". Batman really needs to take Flash's villains more seriously....

Best Post-Crisis Appearance: Suicide Squad #44. This gives us Digger's modern backstory, establishes that he's actually W. W. Wiggins' biological son, and generally serves as an interesting character study of a generally unpleasant character. Flash vol. 3 #7 is a very similar retelling of the same basic backstory, this time by Geoff Johns, and would have been tied with Suicide Squad #44 if not for the gratuitous scene of Digger killing his assumed father (for my money, Geoff Johns is a bit too fond of gruesome deaths).

Worst Appearance: I don't read a lot of Suicide Squad, so I'm not familiar with the terrible Digger appearances that may have happened in the various Suicide Squad runs. Because of that, my nomination for the worst Digger story is Identity Crisis #2-5, the story that killed him (and poor Jack Drake and Sue Dibney) for the sake of earning grimdark edgelord points. What makes it even worse is that the story's scenes of him interacting with Owen are actually pretty good, so we got teased with a really interesting plot for him right before he was pointlessly axed.

Heat Wave

Best Pre-Crisis Story: Flash vol. 1 #266-267, or Flash vol. 1 #312. The first story gave us the first version of Heat Wave's backstory (specifically, it established his cryophobia due to having been locked in a meat freezer as a child), presented him as the main villain of a story basically for the first time (all his previous appearances had him teamed up with another villain), and was full of delightful Pre-Crisis pseudo-science, like heat-seeking fire. It also featured a panel of Mick totally freaking out at the sight of ice cubes. The second story was Mick's first reform, and it was a solid, if slightly goofy, tale of Mick proving that his parole officer was framing him for crimes. It also led to him and Barry becoming friends (and temporary roommates) a few issues later!

Best Post-Crisis Story: Flash vol. 2 #218. It's one of the few Post-Crisis issues that uses him as a lead character, and it establishes his now-iconic tragic backstory and pyromania. Even though it's a bit excessively grimdark (did he really need to burn down the circus where he worked as a fire-eater?), it's a solid story nevertheless.

Worst Story: The Flash: The Fastest Man Alive #11-13, or the "Three of a Kind" crossover (Green Arrow #96, Green Lantern #130, and Flash #135). Everyone was terribly written in F: TFMA, and Mick was no exception, as he was portrayed as an idiot and then killed Bart Allen.

In the crossover, Mick teamed up with two random villains that he had no prior connection to, for some reason decided to try to revive Dr. Polaris with them via hijacking a cruise ship, and ended up killing a bunch of people. It really felt like he just got shoved into the story because they needed a Flash villain in it, and they didn't think about which one would actually make sense in the plot. It makes even less sense when you remember that Mick would go back to being reformed directly after this.

Also, the New 52 introduced us to the Hothead McAngryman version of Mick, and it unfortunately took over five years for him to finally get back to normal. Having the character with fire powers be hot-headed and aggressive is probably the most boring choice they could have made, and it hurt Mick's overall character for quite some time.

Mirror Master I (Sam Scudder)

Best Appearance: Flash vol. 1 #126, or Flash vol. 1 #146, or Flash vol. 1 #306, or Batman #388 and Detective Comics v1. #555.

The first two stories are delightful Silver Age nonsense. Flash #126 features Sam traveling to a mirror world where the inhabitants essentially make him their king, but he quickly gets fed up with the fact that he's given whatever he wants means that he has no opportunities for dramatic theft, and he summons the Flash to help him escape from his boring life as king. Flash #146 is the story where the Mirror Master switches his legs with the Flash's legs. It also features Barry and Sam attending the same self-help class without knowing it!

Flash #306 has disco-dancing Sam, and, more importantly, it's one of the very few stories to try to give Sam an interesting motivation: specifically, he's fallen in love with a woman who's trapped in a mirror and is desperately trying to free her. The ending of the story is a sad one for Sam, but it's also surprisingly touching.

Finally, the Batman two-parter features Sam at his overconfident, flashy, hilarious best as he tries to prove that he's a better criminal than Captain Boomerang (incidentally, this is also a great Captain Boomerang story). It features such highlights as Sam freaking out at the sight of Batman, Sam getting freaked out by Gotham muggers, and Sam deciding to rob a bank because it's across the street and he doesn't have any better ideas. The first part of the story also features some of the best facial expressions he's ever made.

Worst Appearance: For a single story, it's either Flash Rebirth #2 or that issue from Joshua Williamson's run where Sam wore his socks and underwear in the hot tub. Weirdly, Flash Rebirth #2 featured Sam only briefly, and in a flashback, but it retconned a murder into his early past in a way that would darken all of his fun Silver and Bronze Age adventures. It's one thing to have the Rogues become more dangerous in the present, and another to retroactively make all of their early, light-hearted stories grim like this. (Geoff Johns was responsible for this retcon, and far too many others like it. I really wish he didn't like grimdark retcons so much.)

The Williamson issue had Sam who was Evan-in-all-but-name-and-accent. At that point, he might as well have not been Sam at all! That being said, this was basically just the culmination of all the problems Sam has had since he was brought back to life in the New 52. I don't know how you make a character as fun and dynamic as Pre-Crisis Sam was boring and confusing, but somehow they managed!

Weather Wizard

Best Pre-Crisis Appearance: Either Detective Comics vol. 1 #353, or Adventure Comics #466.

Watching Mark fight---and actually briefly outsmart!---Batman in Detective Comics #353 is a lot of fun, and this story is full of delightful Silver Age zaniness, including, but not limited to, Mark saving Gotham City from a drought by filling all of its reservoirs just so that he can make a big announcement in the sky about how he did it in thanks for getting to steal three priceless valuables, and in turn use that message to determine what in town is worth stealing.

Adventure Comics #466 is an entirely different brand of delightful insanity, and features the Weather Wizard briefly turning good, stopping a horde of locusts from destroying crops, and saving Blue Valley from a flood because sun spots were messing with his wand, which he somehow managed to telepathically link to his brain. No, really. Sunspots briefly make the Weather Wizard turn good. Reading this is worth it just to see Barry's reaction to friendly happy Weather Wizard.

Best Post-Crisis Appearance: Rogues Revenge #1-3. By far the most in-depth look we've ever gotten at Mark's past, his relationship with his brother Clyde, and his boatload of issues. Despite being one of the more frequently-used Rogues in the Geoff Johns era, it was rare for Mark to get a lot of attention outside of his role as a big threat, and this miniseries was a nice change of pace for him. I just wish it hadn't ended with the pointless death of his baby son, Josh, because seeing Mark develop a relationship with Josh would have been far more interesting (and less grimdark).

Worst Appearance: The Flash: The Fastest Man Alive #11-13. The story where the writers replaced the Rogues' brains with rocks, and hoped we wouldn't notice. We did.

Trickster I (James Jesse)

Best Pre-Crisis Appearance: Flash vol. 1 #142. In which the Trickster steals a little kid's toy detective set, and proceeds to screw around with the entire city, and the Flash, just because he can. It's a great display of the Trickster's inventiveness and creativity, and the story goes out of its way to state that Trickster is more interested in attention and having fun than in getting money.

Best Post-Crisis Appearance: Catwoman vol. 2 #69-71, or New Year's Evil : The Rogues.

The Catwoman story features some of the funniest James moments ever, and it's so much fun watching the two con artists try to outsmart and outplay one another. Catwoman and James have a great dynamic, and it's a shame they've never really teamed up again.

New Year's Evil: The Rogues features James at his most heroic, teaming up with the Pied Piper (and, thanks to some manipulation on his part, some of the other Rogues as well) to save his ex-girlfriend Mindy's son, Billy, from a group of mercenaries who are attempting to overthrow the government of Zhutan. The story also eventually reveals that Billy is James' son, which sadly never went anywhere since for some reason no one wanted to follow up on this awesome plot point.

Worst Appearance: Countdown! Not only does he forget all of his Post-Crisis character development, but he also acts really stupidly for no reason, is a humongous jerk to the Pied Piper (his close friend!) for no reason, and then is pointlessly killed for no reason.

It's also worth noting that his most recent big appearance, the one written by Joshua Williamson, was very frustrating to me. It's not as objectively bad as Countdown, or James' appearances in F: TFMA, but it takes James in an unpleasant, dark direction, and I didn't care for it at all.

Pied Piper

Best Pre-Crisis Appearance: Flash vol. 1 #307. This story is very important for the Pied Piper, because it not only gave him his full backstory but also gave him an actual name after over twenty years of him not having one! It's also just a fun read in general, full of delightful Pre-Crisis "science" and featuring some great character work for both Hartley and his parents, who are so desperate to preserve their family name that they have a reporter who uncovered the secret kidnapped so they can bribe her to keep quiet!

Best Post-Crisis Appearance: Flash vol. 2 #19, or Flash vol. 2 #32.

William Messner-Loebs' run on the Flash is underrated, and his work on Piper is a stand-out example of why more people should read it. Even though Hartley doesn't appear a lot in Flash #19 (his first ever Post-Crisis Flash appearance, by the way), but when he does show up, it pretty much single-handedly establishes what he's going to be like going forward; establishing him as an at least mostly reformed Rogue who cares about protecting the homeless and disadvantaged. It's just really sweet.

Flash vol. 2 #32 features Hartley teaming up with Wally to save his parents and his adorable little sister Geraldine from the henchmen of the Turtle and the Turtle Man. It's adorable seeing Hartley interact with his little sister, and it's also nice to see him finally make peace with his parents, even if they'll never be close. I really wish Geraldine had gotten to show up again, because I want to see more of Hartley's little sister. Also, this story features a line that I've always found hilarious for some inexplicable reason:

Thug (in response to Joan Garrick showing up at the Rathaways' mansion): An old woman? Seize her!

A close runner-up is Flash vol. 2 #190, which is a retelling of the origin story from Flash vol. 1 #307, but with more details and from Hartley's POV (the original tale had his parents telling the story).

Worst Appearance: F: TFMA and Countdown (since one led into the other, I kind of count them as one story). In which Hartley totally forgets that he reformed, is involved in the death of Bart Allen, loses about 100 IQ points, gets chased all around the DCU, gets insulted almost non-stop by the Trickster in spite of the fact that they're supposed to be friends, watches Trickster get shot in front of him, and almost goes crazy and dies.

The fact that he gets to blow up Apocalypse with Queen music is awesome, but not nearly enough to salvage this otherwise terrible storyline.

The Top

Best Pre-Crisis Appearance: Flash vol. 1 #297-303. Roscoe comes back from the dead, possesses Barry's father, spends what appears to be several months living with Barry and pretending to be Henry Allen (while slipping off to visit Lisa on the side), and then attempts to kill Barry Allen and steal his body for his own. It's weird and creepy and unique and perfect for Roscoe, and it features lots of top puns, as all good Roscoe stories should. Also, even though he's generally a huge jerk in this story, his relationship with Lisa is adorable, affectionate, and shockingly healthy.

The most hilarious thing about this story is the fact that at one point in it, Barry thinks to himself that his relationship with his father is the best it's ever been....in response to the interactions he's had with Roscoe posing as his dad. That's right, Barry apparently gets along better with Roscoe-pretending-to-be-his-dad than he does with his actual dad.

Best Post-Crisis Appearance: This is hard. Most of Roscoe's Post-Crisis appearances are pretty bad. The writers of Hawk and Dove didn't do an especially good job with him, Mark Waid's one story with him was a decent Pied Piper story but a terrible Roscoe story, and Geoff Johns seemed to hate the character, so that always affected his Roscoe stories. If I had to pick one, I guess I'd go with @gorogues' suggestion and pick Flash vol. 2 #215-216, since he's really intimidating and cool in those issues. Unfortunately, even those issues are not immune from the curse of bad post-crisis Roscoe stories, as they include the stupid Identity Crisis tie-in retcons that negated a whole bunch of the Rogues' character development.

I seriously don't know what the problem is with the Top's post-crisis stories. All of his Pre-Crisis stories were good, solid fun, and his best story shows that he can be really effective and creepy as a main villain. Why is it so hard for modern writers to write good Top stories? He isn't inherently any weirder or goofier than the Trickster.

Worst Story: Hawk and Dove vol. 3 annual #1, or Flash vol. 2 #120-121. The Hawk and Dove annual features some truly hideous art (I'm sure @gorogues has some scans to prove just how bad it is), and features a badly out-of-character Roscoe, who just seems out-of-place fighting Hawk and Dove.

Flash vol. 2 #120-121 takes the solid idea of Roscoe trying to become president by possessing the body of a senator, and then kind of ruins it by having 99% of the cast treat Roscoe as a total joke (the same Roscoe who once tried to blow up half the world with an atomic grenade!) and by having Roscoe act like an unparalleled jerkwad towards the Pied Piper for no real reason. Before his death, Roscoe generally got along pretty well with the other Rogues, so there was no reason for him to act so nastily here. Worse, I think this depiction went on to influence Geoff Johns' portrayal of Roscoe as the most unfriendly and cruel of the Rogues, which is kind of frustrating as he wasn't always like that.

Golden Glider

Best Pre-Crisis Appearance: Flash vol. 1 #257. Golden Glider is terrifying and awesome, and this story shows you exactly why. Within this issue alone, she discovers Barry's secret identity (making her the first Rogue to pull off this hat trick), almost kills both of Barry's parents and Iris (as revenge for Roscoe's death, which she blames on Barry), puts up a very solid fight against the Flash, doesn't even flinch when the Flash threatens to kill her as a bluff (saying that she has nothing left to live for now that Roscoe is dead), and, although Barry manages to save Iris and his parents, she escapes without being captured. Pre-Crisis Golden Glider is the best, and it's a shame she never gets written like this anymore.

Best Post-Crisis Appearance: Flash vol. 2 #19. Her interactions with Wally in this story are great fun, and I like seeing her be chummy with her older brother and her fellow Rogues at the party they're throwing. Her interactions with Connie Noleski (Wally's one-time girlfriend) are also pretty funny. This issue is also notable for being one of the last stories that doesn't portray Lisa as a total lunatic, as for some reason, her character got shifted into that direction not long after COIE.

Worst Appearance: As I thankfully haven't read Teen Titans vol. 6 #22, I'm nominating Flash vol. 2 Annual 5. It's a great story for Captain Boomerang, Weather Wizard, and Trickster, but it's a pretty bad story for Lisa, as it portrays her as being completely insane and serves as Exhibit A of how Mark Waid didn't know how to write the character. Golden Glider was scary because she was smart, calculating, and surprisingly composed (given how full of rage she was). Making her violently comic-book crazy undercuts how scary she was back in the Bronze Age.

You know, it really says something that Carey Bates, Lisa's creator, is probably still the best writer she's ever had. And he was writing in the late 70s and early 80s!

Mirror Master II (Evan McCulloch)

Best Story: Animal Man #8, 17, and 21, or Flash vol. 2 #133.

Nobody writes Evan McCulloch better than his creator, Grant Morrison, and these issues put that on full display.

The Animal Man stories introduce McCulloch, establish his weird personality, his freaky powerset, and his strict refusal to kill women or children, and are generally a delight to read. McCulloch has a very distinct voice throughout and is the funniest part of all three stories. Basically, everything you need to know about the character was established in these three issues.

Flash #133 is McCulloch's best appearance in an issue of Flash. He maintains his weirdness, his distinctive voice, and his insane powerset, and he takes the Flash and the reader on a trippy, colorful adventure around the world and through the looking glass. He maintains his generally cheerful and friendly attitude towards superheroes, and he is, once again, the funniest character in the story. Grant Morrison's Evan is a delight.

A close runner-up was Flash vol. 2 #212, the story that gave Evan his backstory (grimdark though it is, it somehow kind of works for him) and established what has become arguably his second-most famous characteristic (after his Scottish accent): his addiction to cocaine. It is a very good story, and I like that we get to learn more about Evan's history, but I will say that Geoff Johns' Evan isn't nearly as cheerful and weird as Morrison's, and I think that the story would have been even better with Morrison's cheerful nutty Evan than with Johns' creepy, sullen version.

Worst Appearance: Flash: TFMA. You know the drill by this point. Stupid Rogues. Pointless death of Bart. Bad writing all around.

Trickster II (Axel Walker)

Best Appearance: Flash vol. 2 #183. There are actually surprisingly few issues that focus on Axel as a lead character, but I've always enjoyed his introductory issue. It establishes some backstory for him and effectively tells you who he is (an annoying brat who might be in over his head) and what he can do (use a lot of crazy trick gadgets and work computers better than the older Rogues). I also like the bit towards the end of the issue where Mark is thoroughly unimpressed by Axel and asks if he's supposed to be their mascot. It always gets a giggle out of me.

I also thought the arc in Joshua Williamson's run where Axel briefly got super-strength was a pretty good story for Axel. It's one of the few times he's been played sympathetically and I thought that it worked really well.

Worst Appearance: Helmet of Fate: Detective Chimp. Okay, I haven't actually read this one, but I know enough about it to know that Axel murders 4 teenagers for no real reason, and that's enough for me to list it as his worst appearance.

Also, I can't really think of any Axel issue that I have read where Axel is portrayed really terribly. Writers usually seem to have a decent grasp on his character.

Captain Boomerang Jr.

Best Appearance: The best appearance of his that I've read is in Flash vol. 2 #220-225 (the Rogue War storyline). It's one of the few stories to feature him with the Rogues, and his grief over the death of his father and his relationship with Captain Cold are both very interesting. The story also finally tells us who his mother is (Meloni Thawne) and how she had a kid with Digger (well, sort of. We know time travel shenanigans were involved, at least). That being said, @gorogues says that his appearance in Manhunter v. 3 were really good, and I've heard that the story where he teamed up with Tim Drake was a good one as well.

Worst Appearance: Blackest Night: Flash #3. The story where he was turned into a idiotic child murderer and then was pointlessly killed off!

A close runner up was the Rebirth (I think) issue of Suicide Squad where he suddenly showed up and was inexplicably a snobby criminal mastermind who really hated Digger.

#flash rogues #flash comics #captain cold #captain boomerang jr #captain boomerang #george digger harknesss #golden glider #mirror master #sam scudder #evan mcculloch #heat wave #weather wizard #the trickster #james jesse #axel walker #the top

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dat-soldier · 1 year

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First page of Dolmistaska Vol. 4

This week, we meet the 42nd President of the United States:

Supreme Overlord Clint Billton

https://dolmistaska.com/?page=182

By the by… if you want to see 8 pages ahead of everyone else, consider pledging a couple bucks? It really does help me take a week off every month to work on the comic~ https://www.patreon.com/user?u=374692

#dolmistaska #comic #webcomic #cassette futurism #my art

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completeoveranalysis · 11 months

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[1]

Chapiter 182 - A Night For Vows

In which BATTLE HUSBANDS.

Listen I don’t even care what else is happening we have the return of Battle Husbands. I’m happy.

It’s giving the same vibe as the opening for Chapiter 17, but upgraded! They’re in battle, but now they’re facing the same way because they’re on the same page, plotwise, emotionwise, and directionwise. They’re not fighting different battles or aiming for different goals anymore - they’re united on the same path. And they’re no longer disguising their feelings through joviality or putting on a front. Now they’re both serious.

In another contrast, the chapiter 17 cover had them in opposite colours, which is relatively common for them, but this new cover actually unites them visually. They’re wearing the clothing in a way that matches their personality, but the colours are vastly the same - white all over with the emblematic flames, a slash of black across their middle, as well as across their wrists. The only actual point of difference is in their faces - where Kurogane has black hair with a white band, and Fai has the opposite, but even THAT is brought in line with the other through other elements - ie, The symbol on Kurogane’s white band is an exact match for the one at Fai’s waist, and they’re visually RIGHT next to each other, so you can’t miss it! Kurogane also has a long looping cord across this waist, in white, while Fai has a black cord tying his hair back, with the same kind of tassels.

Also! In the Chapitre 17 cover their weapons were crossed in an X (a visual clash) while here they they’re angled to be held in the same direction. This brings the visual focus towards them both, together, in the middle of the page, with their differing styles now united in the same goal. OH, and the physicality of their weapons? Before they held the weapons BETWEEN them. The X of the weapons actually kept Kurogane and Fai physically apart (as if they were on opposite sides of a conflict), but now the weapons are on the OUTSIDE, bringing Kurogane and Fai RIGHT in close to each other, with the weapons on the outside. So now even physically they're together, closer to each other than anything else, and on the same side of any conflict around them.

So they're aligned now, both symbolically and physically, and it's with intention from the characters themselves. They’re worked for this, and they’re choosing it deliberately, and they DESERVE it.

Also like, a FLAME SCYTHE? GO OFF Fai that is INCREDIBLE.

And OOPS I totally forgot that the cover will have splash text as well. What does it say.

The translation I have is something along the lines of:

“Measuring and delimiting one another

Even so, those days come to pass.

Tonight, the men shall

Link those swords.”

Which is potentially the most homoerotic way they could have phrased that and I strongly approve.

#I am a simple gay #Linking swords? Say no more!#I mean listen #Listen what else would they be doing #Liveblogging the reservoir chronicle #Tsubasa #Vol 182 #Kurogane #Fai #Kurofai #You could probably make something of the fact that fire is Syaoran’s element #And now both his dad’s are wearing it #Now that he’s alive and back at it again at krispy kreme #Oh I also like that this is a cover that uses chains #But Fai is in CONTROL of the chains now #Wielding them loosely and however he pleases #Instead of being chained up himself #You know what that is? Growth.

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everyrocklee · 7 months

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#naruto #vol 21 #ch 182 #sasuke retrieval arc #rock lee #neji hyuga

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sparklecarehospital · 1 year

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💕 Sparklecare Update 💕

VOL 3: Pages 182-184 🌈 Click here to read!

✨ Support us on Patreon!

✨ Updates Mondays & Thursdays

#sparklecare #comic #v3

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nordleuchten · 4 months

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in the Cause of My Black Brethren I feel Myself Warmly interested, and Most decidedly Side, so far as Respects them, Against the White part of Mankind— Whatever Be the Complexion of the Enslaved, it does not, in my opinion, Alter the Complexion of the Crime Which the Enslaver Commits, a Crime Much Blaker than Any Affrican face— it is to me a Matter of Great Anxiety and Concern to find that this trade is Some times perpetrated under the flag of liberty, our dear and Noble Stripes, to which Virtue and Glory Have Been Constant Standard Bearers

the Marquis de La Fayette to John Adams, February 22, 1786

“To John Adams from the Marquis de Lafayette, 22 February 1786,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Adams/06-18-02-0091. [Original source: The Adams Papers, Papers of John Adams, vol. 18, December 1785–January 1787, ed. Gregg L. Lint, Sara Martin, C. James Taylor, Sara Georgini, Hobson Woodward, Sara B. Sikes, Amanda M. Norton. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2016, pp. 182–183.] (02/13/2024)

#marquis de lafayette #french history #la fayette #american history #history #letters #founders online #1786 #john adams #slavery

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wltsleakirazine · 3 months

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WLTS Vol II Character Intro: Hiroshi Shirogane

Space dad... what else is there to say? We've been looking forward to introducing Hiroshi, the leader of the group who makes sure everybody is taken care of (and who really needs a nap)!

Wondering where his scar is? Don't worry, he'll get it soon 🤭

Artist applications for We Live to Sabotage Volume II: RE:VOLUTION are still open until April 2!

❗️APPLY AS AN ARTIST HERE!❗️

Linktree

(A description of all the text in the image can be found below the cut)

Name: Hiroshi Shirogane

Age: 32 (February 29)

Height: 182 cm (6'0)

Weapons: Crossbow

Background: After being kidnapped and experimented on by Malods from a simple reconnaissance mission to a moon in the Solar System, I kept my head low as a "soldier" in the Ulzani military and my humanity fresh as I helped a young Akira circumvent the propaganda given to us during our time on the planet. After reuniting with my fiancé from Earth (Dante), I unofficially joined Valerian until an incident moved me to officially mark my allegiance with the rebellion-- thanks to Akira.

Extra text:

He/Him (next to flags)

"Bleaches hair white to draw less attention from the Malods" (above main text box)

"Best brother I could ask for" (under name)

"Always wears (even when he was separated from Dante)" (at the end of line pointing to his ring)

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mirai-e-jump · 8 months

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Uchusen Vol. 182 (Autumn 2023) Kamen Rider Gotchard Main Cast Member & Staff Interviews (translations below)

Publication: October 2, 2023

Junsei Motojima (Houtarou Ichinose) Interview

"Motojima-san, please tell us what made you want to become an actor"

Motojima: My parents love movies, and that was the main reason for my interest in them. I especially like action movies. When I was young, I watched alot of action movies with my parents, and when I started middle school, I started watching movies I myself liked. Then, when I was in high school and thinking about my future career, I thought, "I can't think of anything else but acting."

"What’s your favorite movie?"

Motojima: I love the "007" series, which I first watched when I was in my third year of elementary school. Among them, I like "Casino Royale" the most. I also watch a wide range of other genres, both Japanese and foreign, as well as horror films. I also like anime.

"That being said, what's your favorite anime?"

Motojima: I like "Tokyo Revengers" and "Jujutsu Kaisen," and I love "ONE PIECE," which I've been watching since I was a child.

"Do you have any actors you're aiming to be like?"

Motojima: It would be Yoshizawa Ryo-san and Suzuki Ryohei-san. Yoshizawa Ryo-san is a senior at my agency, and is also my senior in Kamen Rider (Kamen Rider Meteor). I was moved by the preview screening of "Tokyo Revengers 2: Bloody Halloween." I've admired Suzuki Ryohei-san ever since I saw his powerful performance in "The Blood of Wolves 2." My goal is to act in a way that conveys power, even through the screen.

"Did you watch any of the Kamen Rider series when you were a child?"

Motojima: I remember watching "Kamen Rider OOO." I also had some Rider related toy swords at home, and I remember my parents scolding me with, "That's dangerous!" when I would sword fight with my friends (laughs).

"Please tell us about your audition for Kamen Rider Gotchard."

Motojima: During the audition, I had to play the role of Houtarou, as well as another role. Since I didn't know in advance which role I'd be playing, I prepared for both roles.

"What was it like when you received the news that you had been chosen?"

Motojima: My manager called me into his office for something else, and when I got there, with a serious look on his face, he said, "Junsei, I need to talk to you, so take a seat." Then, the conversation started off as if I had failed, with him saying, "You tried your best in the Kamen Rider audition, but…" I thought, "Guess things didn't work this time, huh?," and then he said, "You've been chosen to play the lead role" (laughs). Even though I was in the office, I was jumping up and down with joy.

"How did your family react?"

Motojima: After hearing that I had been chosen, I rushed home to tell my mother as soon as possible. My mother had been the biggest supporter of my Kamen Rider audition, so she cried tears of joy.

"Did you feel any pressure when you were chosen to play the main character?"

Motojima: Of course I did. I was happy, but at the same time I was worried about whether I could play the main character, as I had little experience as an actor. However, I thought it'd be a waste of time to be anxious, so I decided to read the script anyway.

"What were your impressions on the production of Gotchard?"

Motojima: I thought it was a very upbeat show. The story of the search for 101 Chemies is interesting, and when I learned that there are more than 50 transformation forms, I was shocked thinking, "That many?!" With some simple math, that means that there'll be at least one new form each time, right? I felt like my head was going to explode (laughs).

"How did you prepare for the role of Houtarou Ichinose?"

Motojima: In the materials we received in advance, it said, "He's not very good at studying, but he's athletic and has a very bright personality" So, in my daily life I thought about things like, "What would Houtarou do?" and, "How should Houtarou speak?," with that in mind, I always try to be Houtarou Ichinose. As I worked on the role, I began to get a clearer picture of Houtarou's character, and from episode 5 onward, I added some new performances that differed from the previous ones, further solidifying the role.

"Are there any elements of Houtarou that you noticed while performing?"

Motojima: He's "full of energy". Also, he has the personality of saying what he thinks immediately. Even in the first episode, there's a line where he said, "I have to say something!" I think another characteristic of Houtarou, is that he takes action immediately, not just with his words. I'm also trying to learn how to act like Houtarou. When I see an elderly person on the train, I want to be the kind of person who takes appropriate action and give up my seat.

"Has anything else in your life changed since being cast in Gotchard?"

Motojima: Filming starts very early in the morning, but I try to go to the gym before heading to the set. My routine is to get up alittle earlier, go to the gym, make a salad at home, take a bath for about an hour, and then go to the set.

"We think that routine is abit demanding….."

Motojima: Houtarou is always in good spirits, so I'm committed about going onto set in good spirits myself. So on days when my body is tired, I get up early and go to the gym to get my adrenaline pumping. I want to make sure that my energy and cheerfulness never changes, even as we continue filming for Gotchard.

"Are there any similarities between yourself and Houtarou?"

Motojima: Houtarou was suddenly entrusted with the role of "Kamen Rider," and I feel the same way in that I was also entrusted with the important role of "Houtarou Ichinose." This is the first time for me to try out a full time performance, so I have alot to work on, but, I think we both have one thing in common, and it's that we both will never give up.

"You mentioned that you make salad every day, so cooking is also something you have in common with Houtarou."

Motojima: That's true! I make my own salad in addition to the boxed lunch I receive on set. It's not a creative dish like Houtarou's, rather, it's just an ordinary salad (laughs).

"It'd be interesting to see a project like, "Houtarou Ichinose's Creative Cooking Course."

Motojima: No? What would I do? (laughs). "Junsei Motojima's Cooking Course" would be fine, but Houtarou's creative cooking might not be very helpful (laughs). But, I actually did do some creative cooking during the auditions. In the script I was given in advance during the audition, there's a scene where he makes a, "Cucumber hamburger with mustard and pollock mayonnaise," and in order to become Houtarou, I actually made and ate that creative dish before heading to the audition. Then, after each audition, I thought of creative dishes that Houtarou might make and made them. On the day of the final audition, I came up with the dish, "Spaghetti with pollock roe, cucumbers, and a suika bar (watermelon popsicle)."

"A suika bar?!"

Motojima: I think Houtarou's creative dishes are filled with things that children will love. I wanted to copy that too, so I also added a suika bar. The taste was……I'm not so sure about the taste (laughs).

"Are there any other things you pay attention to when playing Houtarou?"

Motojima: I think it's important to be aware of the camera. When I watched back episodes 1 and 2, I realized, perhaps due to my lack of experience, that I wasn't fully aware of the cameras.

"You have the most scenes with Rinne, so what are your impressions of Matsumoto Reiyo-san?"

Motojima: Reiyo-chan's personality is the complete opposite of Rinne's. Rinne is abit arrogant, but Reiyo-chan is very honest and cheerful. She's very easy to talk to, so we read the script together the day before and discuss the performance.

"What was your impression when you first saw Gotchard's suit?"

Motojima: The sparkling reflections were so cool, that I could see them from far away. I was excited to think that I would be able to do the dubbing for this sparkling Rider for the next year.

"What kinds of discussions did you have with Suit Actor Eitoku-san?"

Motojima: I've talked with Eitoku-san about many things, including movements. There are parts of the sword where I use Eitoku-san's movements as reference and try to match them, and there are also parts where Eitoku-san watches my movements. In a way, Eitoku-san and I are one and the same, so watching Eitoku-san play Gotchard is a good opportunity for me to look at Houtarou Ichinose objectively. It's not often in other dramas that two people play the same role, so it's an experience unique to Kamen Rider.

"How was the transformation pose decided?"

Motojima: After much thought with Action Director (Hirofumi) Fukuzawa-san, we settled on the pose of "Gather 2 Chemies, mixing them together, creating a triangle with an alchemy symbol, and then clapping." However, Eitoku-san's pose in episode 1 was so cool that I changed it to incorporate the same movement starting with episode 3. Please think of the transformation poses in episodes 1 and 2 as special editions, with the definitive version starting with episode 3!

"Isn't recording for the dub difficult?"

Motojima: No, it's alot of fun! When I'm doing voice acting, I’m in Gotchard's point of view, so I feel as if I’m actually fighting. It's also alot of fun to be able to put my voice into movements that can't actually happen. When Steamhopper Wild jumps up high in the first episode, I adlibed yelling, "Whoo~!" (laughs). Of course there are tough parts, but more than that, I'm very excited by each new experience I come across.

"What kind of stories can we expect from now on?"

Motojima: So far, Houtarou has managed to overcome obstacles on his own. However, I believe that there'll come a time when he'll face an obstacle that he can't overcome alone, so I'd like to see a development where he can work together with Rinne and his friends to defeat a strong enemy.

"If you've been going to the gym, you may have the opportunity to show off your well developed muscles."

Motojima: I'll tear off my clothes and say, "Now it's my turn!" (laughs). It'd be interesting to see such a development, but since Houtarou isn't a muscular character, I think it'd be great if there was a setting where his body changed due to the influence of the Chemies (laughs).

"Finally, for our readers who are excited about Gotchard, what can they expect in the future?"

Motojima: Suddenly, Houtarou has been entrusted with the role of Kamen Rider, but from now on, he'll become friends with many Chemies and continue to grow stronger and stronger. I'm working hard to grow as an actor with Houtarou, so I hope you'll pay attention as you watch the show. As for future developments, Houtarou and his friends will be going to unusual places for school events. Rinne and his best friend Kajiki will also play a big role, so please look forward to it! _

Reiyo Matsumoto (Rinne Kudo) Interview

"Please tell us how you became involved in this production"

Reiyo: I knew (Hoshino) Yuna-chan, who played Kurama Neon in "Kamen Rider Geats," so I would watch Geats's broadcast. I was thinking, "I want to do this too," and was then offered to audition for the role of Beroba, which I accepted. At that time, I was told that my image was alittle different, and I thought, "As I thought, it's difficult to get into Kamen Rider," but then, I was given the opportunity to audition for this role.

"How did you perform in the audition?"

Reiyo: The materials I received described her as an "honor student." But, I myself am not an honor student and I'm not very smart (laugh), so I tried my best to play the role of a tough character. I tried to develop my own image of Rinne, answering questions in an honor student like style, and wore my school uniform with my hair in a ponytail so that I would look like an honor student. The script we were given at the audition was set up like a school drama, and I think there was a line from Rinne where she says, "Rules are meant to be obeyed!" At that point, the setting didn't involve alchemy or spells, so I was surprised when I read the actual script after getting the role.

"Please tell us about the situation when you were informed that you had been chosen."

Reiyo: When I received the notification from my manager that I had passed the audition, I was studying for an exam in the study room of a library. That's why I didn't scream even though I was so happy. I rushed outside and was once again happy, shouting, "I did it!" (laughs).

"How did your family react?"

Reiyo: Everyone's reactions were as happy as mine. My father said, "When Reiyo came back from the audition, her face was different. That's why I definitely knew that she was chosen." (laughs)

"You've been active as a model, but have you always been interested in acting?"

Reiyo: I wanted to challenge myself to trying a wide range of other things, not just modeling. I've especially loved Kamen Rider since I was a child, so I was really happy when I got the role.

"What's your favorite entry in the Kamen Rider series?"

Reiyo: In particular, I remember "Kamen Rider OOO" well. I also remember "Wizard" and "Gaim." I have 2 older brothers, so I watched them with them. We had "Den-O" and "Kiva" transformation belts at home, and we used to play Rider, but it took a long time for us to actually start because my brothers and I were always fighting over who got to be the hero (laughs). My older brothers played the role of heroes, and I had many roles where I offered support. Come to think of it, my oldest brother is the same age as (Yasunari) Fujibayashi-san, who plays Spanner, and the younger brother is the same age as (Junsei) Motojima-kun, who plays Houtarou, so they're linked with Gotchard (laughs).

"What did your brothers, who influenced you, say to their sister when she was chosen to play the heroine?"

Reiyo: They said "You've surpassed us~" and, "Play the same way you played the hero when you were a kid" (laughs).

"Other than tokusatsu, what kind of shows do you watch?"

Reiyo: When it comes to anime, I like "The Promised Neverland," "My Hero Academia," "I Want to Eat Your Pancreas," and "Beyond the Boundary." There are so many other shows that I like, but when we start talking about anime, it seems like I'll never stop (laughs).

"Going back to Gotchard, do you consciously play the role of Rinne in the same way that you did before?"

Reiyo: I did it with "harshness." When she was little, her father went missing, and I think that's why she distrusts people and didn't make any friends. But as I read through the actual script, I noticed the kindness in Rinne. However, if I'm too gentle, it's difficult to see Rinne's strength, so it’s hard to find a balance. Rinne has a gap between harshness and gentleness, and I think her tsundere personality is charming. In episodes 1 and 2, there was alot of "tsun," but I hope you'll pay attention as her heart gradually relaxes.

"What did you think of the alchemist setting?"

Reiyo: I wasn't familiar with "alchemy," so I immediately went online to find out more. The cloak, rings, and other parts of the costume are also unrealistic but very cool. I love spells and magic, so when I read the script I excitedly thought, "I can do this!" I was so happy because it felt like the playground games I used to play with my friends in kindergarten were coming true (laughs).

"What are some of the most memorable alchemy scenes that have been broadcast so far?"

Reiyo: It's the scene in the first episode where the fallen leaves come to the surface. When I saw the broadcast, I thought, "So cool~" and fell in love with Rinne myself (laughs).

"There's a scene where you climb a staircase connected to a wall and recite a spell to open a door, but how did that play out on set?"

Reiyo: At first, it was difficult to visualize. When I read the script, I imagined that a hole would open in the wall when I cast a spell, but I was surprised to see a scene where a door was opened during filming. When I saw the finished video, I was very impressed with how it turned out and thought, "So that's what happened!"

"Did you receive any requests or advice from the Directors regarding your performance?"

Reiyo: Director (Ryuta) Tasaki advised us that, "Acting is a drive." While showing the actors a miniature toy car, he told us, "An actor cannot move without the gasoline of emotion. When you drive at top speed, you can give a great performance." So in other words, you have to perform from the heart, not just from your hands, in order for the viewers to understand what you're doing, and for you to be able to perform effectively as an actor. In order to give an emotional performance, I read the script in detail and try to understand Rinne's feelings from each line.

"What's the atmosphere on set like?"

Reiyo: We get along incredibly well and everyone is kind to each other. When we have free time during filming, we play games together, and it's alot of fun. We play puzzle games like, "Word Wolf" or, "Sea Turtle Soup." I also love gummy candy, so I always have some with me and give them to everyone (laughs).

"Please tell us your impressions of Junsei Motojima-san, who plays Houtarou."

Reiyo: Junsei-kun is really just like Houtarou. For example, when filming stops for a scene that's difficult to act in, the scene sometimes becomes an issue. At such times, Junsei-kun can just say a few words, and the scene instantly becomes more relaxed. In the beginning, I couldn't tell jokes and spoke with honorifics, but now I can laugh at Junsei's jokes and he can respond to mine.

"What are your impressions of another female cast member, Oto Abe-san, who plays the role of Renge Icho?"

Reiyo: We often work together in the waiting room, and Abe-san speaks in a straightforward manner, just like a Kansai person, which is extremely interesting. Abe-san's own laughter is so loud that it makes me happy to hear it. Abe's laughter lights up the atmosphere on set.

"How much do you know about future developments?"

Reiyo: I don't know anything at all! (laughs), that's why I always look forward to receiving the next script, and every time I go on set, I check to see if a new script has arrived.

"What do you want to do in the future as Rinne?"

Reiyo: First, I want to become stronger than Houtarou! Most heroines are saved by the hero, but I want to, "Become a heroine who's stronger than the hero" (laughs). That's why I want to challenge myself with action. And also, I want to transform into a Kamen Rider. Since I was a child, I've always wanted to transform into a Kamen Rider, and my older brothers and I even competed with each other for the belts (laughs). Recently, the number of female Kamen Riders have been increasing, so I hope that I'll get a chance to become one of them.

"Finally, please tell us about some future highlights"

Reiyo: Through her involvement with Houtarou, Rinne's mindset, which used to put rules first, has gradually changed. Some people may have watched episodes 1 and 2 and thought, "Isn't Rinne a scary kid?," But I think you'll gradually see a different side to her than the strict honor student character, so it's exciting. Please look forward to seeing Rinne's image crumble! (laughs). Still, I'll keep Rinne's strength and respect for the rules until the end. Thank you for your support throughout the year! _

Hiroki Uchida, Yosuke Minato, Keiichi Hasegawa Interviews

"First, we'd like to ask about the development of Kamen Rider Gotchard. When did Minato-san receive the offer to become Chief Producer?"

Minato: Last year, I was preparing for "Ohsama Sentai King-Ohger" with Chief Producer (Takahito) Omori. Ryohei Takahashi, a talented junior staff member, joined us as an assistant Producer, and we were ready to go at last. Whenever I join a production, I always keep one goal in mind. In King-Ohger I had set my goal as, "Moffun will take the world by storm!" But during this I was told, "Please take charge of the next Kamen Rider," and Moffun was left up to Omori and the others. The result was that Moffun became very popular…..(laugh). I immediately started meeting with Producer Ishimori-san, TV Asahi, and Bandai, where we decided to use the cards as the transformation items. On my way home, the first thing I did was call Uchida-san.

Uchida: Originally, I was invited to write the script for King-Ohger, so I thought it was going to be about that, but was surprised to hear that it was about a new Kamen Rider. I'd already cleared my schedule for King-Ohger, and I've been in contact with Minato-san since our school days, and we also worked together on "Kamen Rider Saber," so I was happy that he asked me to work on it, but I was honestly concerned, as the two of us are still young, would we be able to handle it?

Minato: When a new Producer launches a project, veteran Producers Shinichiro Shirakura and Hideaki Tsukada are supposed to watch over them. However, if you don't have a solid idea of what you want to do and what you want to achieve when launching the project, it'll end up becoming Shirakura and Tsukada's work. That's why, the first thing I asked Uchida-san, an old friend who I could easily express my true feelings and weaknesses to, was to participate in this project. However, Uchida-san was a main writer for the first time (at Toei), so I thought it'd be difficult for him to write for an entire year by himself. So, I asked Hasegawa-san, who helped with Saber, if he could join us as a sub writer in advance.

Hasegawa: You called me on the phone, right? To put it simply, at the time, I was so happy to be invited to work on Minato-kun's first project as a Chief.

"When he approached you two, you already had a card motif in mind, but where did the theme of "alchemy" come from?"

Minato: Over the course of our meeting, the word alchemy came up. This is a theme that so far, has never been used in the Kamen Rider series (in the main series), and the combination of cards and alchemy is rare. I thought, "Wouldn't it be interesting to depict this?"

Uchida: Also, at that time, the existence of Chemies hadn't been decided. I wasn't at the meeting, so, when I was briefed on it, I smiled bitterly at what a difficult path I'd chosen to go down…..

Minato: When Shirakura worked on the card battles in "Kamen Rider Ryuki," he concluded that the cards were like a proxy war, so he needed a gimmick that would allow the user to intervene. In "Kamen Rider Decade," the value of the cards was further enhanced by allowing users to become any Kamen Rider when using them, but this time, we needed to draw out the appeal of the cards even more. During all of this, the design of the cards that Bandai sent to us looked like living creatures, and the idea flashed in my mind that these were homunculi, monsters created through alchemy. That led us to Chemy. We agreed that it'd be exciting if the Kamen Riders fought using the cards that contained the various abilities of the Chemies, and that it'd actually be fun to collect the cards.

"At that point, was it also decided that there would be only one Kamen Rider appearing in the early stage?"

Minato: It was. If we were going to depict a hero who fights while switching cards, rather than increasing the number of Kamen Riders, it's better to increase the number of forms for each Rider, and this direction coincided with my desire to create a small number of Riders. In the early stages of the project, the idea was to keep the structure similar to "Kamen Rider Agito," with only 3 Riders. In the end, it became a single Rider, and he has to fight using all of his cards and switching between them.

"Did the current story come out of that initial plan?"

Minato: While working with Uchida-san on the scripts for the episodes 1 and 2, the flow of, "There are Chemies," "Alchemy is used," and "Houtarou enrolls at the Alchemist Academy" was determined. However, since there's so many people involved in the Kamen Rider series, when we were putting together the script, both Uchida-san and I were constantly receiving so many different opinions, that we felt like we couldn't accept them all…..With the way things were going, episodes 1 and 2 would get lost in story, and would never make it into the final script. After consulting with Shirakura, Tsukada, and senior Producer Kazuhiro Takahashi, it was decided that we ask Hasegawa-san, who had been asked to participate as a sub writer, to help us sort things out.

Hasegawa: Just when I was thinking, "Isn't it about time?" I received a call saying, "They're finally here!" But, when I thought it would be about episodes 5 and 6, I was told, "Please do episodes 1 and 2. These are the main ones." I was surprised and said, "Eh?!" and "They're not done yet?!" (laughs). At that point, it had been decided that Houtarou would be the son of a family restaurant, that he would meet Hopper1, and become a Kamen Rider. However, Houtarou was supposed to release the 101 Chemies. Houtarou, an unconventional guy, feels sorry for the Chemies he's stored in the cards and releases them, but then collects them again because of the trouble they've caused. It was a, "Cause problems and get credit for the solution" type of story. There was no clear enemy, and the Three Dark Sisters didn't exist.

Minato: I thought that if the Chemies were scattered all over the world and merged with bad people in town to become monsters, there'd be no need for a villain for the main character to face. Even if it became necessary halfway through, I ultimately didn't think it was necessary to have them appear in the first episode.

Uchida: There were so many elements revealed in the first episode, that I thought if we included even the villain, the audience wouldn't be able to keep up with the story

Hasegawa: By abandoning the "problem to solution" development, we needed an enemy.

Minato: At first, TV Asahi's producer (Chihiro) Inoue insisted that "It'd be better to aim for an easy to understand enemy." Then, Assistant Producer (Daigo) Matsura remembered this and proposed it again to Hasegawa-san, where the Three Dark Sisters were created.

Hasegawa: We had alot of discussions about what kind of enemy to make. "Kamen Rider Saber" had 3 males, and "Kamen Rider Revice" had 1 female and 2 males, so I came up with the idea of having 3 females to differentiate our characters.

Minato: I thought it was an interesting story, and that having three female villains would leave an impact. As a result, the first episode had a high proportion of female cast members for a Kamen Rider.

"It's true, the only male characters were Houtarou, Minato, Fuga Kudo, and Kajiki."

Hasegawa: At first, Kajiki wasn't there either. It started out as a couple students talking about urban legends, but then Inoue-san asked us to, "Make Houtarou have a friend," and so Kajiki was created.

"Chemies are living things, and we asked about this earlier, but was Hopper1 originally going to be the current mascot?"

Minato: It was Hasegawa-san's tastes.

Hasegawa: Ever since I read the first draft, I knew that Hopper1 had to be cute. Grasshoppers don't make noises, but I thought, "Let's make it cute!," so I improvised and wrote in that it says, "Hopper."

Minato: Hasegawa-san joined us without any prior knowledge, so he suggested out alot of ideas that we didn't think of, which was very helpful.

Uchida: I was happy to see that he kept the refreshing male and female buddy element, which we'd been advocating for since the beginning of the project.

"Did Uchida-san originally plan on making the male and female combination of Houtarou and Rinne the center of the story?"

Uchida: We were aiming for a fun and cheerful story about two teenagers, Houtarou and Rinne, who are both students.

Minato: In terms of casting, we planned from the beginning of the project to cast a young teenager as Houtarou.

Uchida: We also talked about how difficult it would be to find an actor who could play the role of Rinne.

Minato: Unlike Houtarou, who suddenly became a Kamen Rider, I thought that since she was his senior and came from a line of alchemists, even though they're classmates, she would require a slightly more mature attitude than Houtarou. I thought that the actor would be in her early twenties, older than Houtarou's actor.

Uchida: And then we met Matsumoto Reiyo-chan at an audition.

Minato: We found Rinne. And she's a mature 15 year old!

Hasegawa: Motojima Junsei-kun, who plays Houtarou, is exactly the image of Houtarou that I had envisioned. I thought they both fit their roles wonderfully.

Minato: I'm truly grateful for the opportunity of meeting Junsei-kun and Reiyo-chan.

"From episode 2 onwards, Renge Icho and Sabimaru Tsuruhara will appear as students of the Alchemist Academy."

Minato: They also existed at the time of Uchida-san's initial ideas. However, as I mentioned earlier, there was no villain at the beginning, so Renge and Sabimaru were set up as a rival team led by Kurogane Spanner.

Hasegawa: It was a 3 person team with Spanner as the leader, and Renge and Sabimaru as its members. They were going to fight for the Ride Chemy Cards with them. During the rough plotting stage of episodes 3 and 4, it was suggested that Spanner should be left alone.

Minato: I decided that Spanner would be like an elder brother, who guides Houtarou until he grows. That being the case, Spanner must be a strong character who can fight alone. That's when the characters were reconstructed, and Renge and Sabimaru became classmates of Houtarou and his friends at the Alchemist Academy. Come to think of it, it was Hasegawa-san's idea that Renge start speaking with a Kansai dialect.

Hasegawa: In the script for the episode 2, we had Renge speak with the Kansai dialect to differentiate her character.

Minato: I thought, "It's not going to be easy finding an actor who can speak in the Kansai dialect!," but it was fate that Abe Oto-san, who's from Osaka, was there for the audition. I asked her to improvise some lines in the Kansai dialect, and she really got into it. The only character in the Kamen Rider series with a Kansai dialect is Akiko Narumi from "Kamen Rider W," but it's rare for a character to have a Kansai dialect all the time.

Hasegawa: But, episode 3 reminded me of Akiko. There's also a takoyaki scene (laughs).

Minato: Originally, Sabimaru was set to have a VTuber avatar, rather than use AI. However, creating a VTuber was difficult, so we settled on AI.

Uchida: I had been in contact with (Rikiya) Tomizono-kun, who plays Sabimaru, for a long time, but I presented him with an audition without saying I was happy. I was happy to hear that he made it to the final audition. I knew he had experience as a voice actor and that he'd be able to play the voice of AI, so when he was chosen, I thought it was the perfect casting.

Minato: For the AI…..there was a proposal to use a voice actor, but despite his looks, Tomizono-kun can produce a low, handsome sounding voice, so we decided he could play the role of the AI as well. We were happy that we found someone who exceeded our expectations.

"We'd also like to ask about staffing. Director Ryuta Tasaki is the Pilot Director, and Hirofumi Fukuzawa, who was previously in charge of Super Sentai, will be the Action Director."

Minato: When Uchida-san and I, two newcomers, started Gotchard, we decided to ask a veteran Director who we could rely on to direct the pilot, so we asked Director Tazaki, who worked with us on "Avataro Sentai Donbrothers." I also asked Director Fukuzawa, who I had worked with on Donbrothers, and consider to be one of the top ten Action Directors in Asia, to be our director. As a result, the main staff, except for the writers, are the same as Donbrothers (laughs).

Uchida: Since the planning meeting, I've been wondering, "How would the alchemy be visualized in the first place?" On top of that, Director Tasaki carefully creates a format for the worldview and creates a work that's even more exciting than the script. Both episodes 1 and 2 had great visuals.

Hasegawa: The acting of the cast was also excellent. Kajiki was my favorite, but when I saw Kabe Amon-kun's performance in the show, I loved him even more. It's hard to resist the urge to only have him in more scenes when I'm working on the script (laughs).

"Please tell us about the opening theme song "CHEMY×STORY" and the insert song "Rising Fighter."

Minato: Since the very beginning of the project, I've been committed to the "Rider Kick Supremacy" principle. I mentioned Agito earlier, but Agito has been a special work in my life ever since I saw it for the first time when I was in my first year of middle school. The coolness of the combination of the Rider Kicks and the song "BELIEVE YOURSELF" has left a strong impression on me. Because of this impression, I'd always said that I wanted to leave the Rider Kick scene in the memories of the children watching Gotchard. We decided to play the "Kick Song" during the Rider Kick scene from the very beginning of the project, and it led to the song "Rising Fighter" sung by Beverly in episode 2. When music producer (Mayu) Ida-san asked me what kind of theme song I wanted to use for the opening, I said, "I want it to be an upbeat song." Then, BACK-ON was chosen as the artist, and we came up with a song with a bright, youthful feel that's typical of a high school Kamen Rider. I told Fujibayashi Seiko-san (who wrote the lyrics) that Gotchard was a bright, youthful school drama, and she wrote wonderful lyrics. Director Tasaki also responded to my wishes with a fast paced video, for which I can only express my gratitude.

Uchida: When I saw the opening video, I felt that we had to keep this positive feeling. It felt as if we received a message from Director Tasaki that the story of Gotchard should be like this.

"Broadcasting will continue for the next year. What are your goals for the future?"

Hasegawa: Our goal is to take good care of the characters. I'd like to continue to make the characters more appealing and continue to depict them throughout the year, including the villains.

Minato: If we look at some previous works, there are some characters who leave the show halfway (laughs).

Hasegawa: That's true…..(laughs) Right now, we're still at the stage of thinking about how to make the characters appealing in the drama. A year is a long period of time, and it's impossible to predict what kind of "chemical reactions" may occur. After overcoming these challenges, we may discover some aspects that we never thought of. First, I'm aiming for the final episode, and I'm going to write carefully without giving up on these characters.

Uchida: Of course, we value the characters, but when we actually met with the actors, we felt that, unlike in anime, one of the characteristics of live action productions is that, "Actors who aren't colored with any colors create their characters from scratch." As for Gotchard, Junsei Motojima-kun, who plays Houtarou, and Reiyo Matsumoto-chan, who plays Rinne, are making their first attempts at acting, so I think we must create a script that'll bring out their charm and brilliance even more. I'd also like to make Gotchard a show that can inspire the hearts of not only children, but also adults.

Minato: I'm going to get through the year thinking, "I must never lose the feeling of youth." Youth is a time of unconditional brilliance, and I think it makes not only the individual but also those around them smile. In Gotchard, I'll carefully depict the story of Houtarou and Rinne so that we can share the "sparkle" of youth together.

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