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mirai-e-jump · 7 months

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Avataro Sentai Donbrothers: Final Live Tour Memorial Photo Report with Main Cast Farewell Messages ft. Special Contribution from Toshiki Inoue (pages and translations below)

Publication: September 2023

"Memories of Donbrothers" from Toshiki Inoue

"Would you like to do next year's Sentai?"

In the Summer of 2021, I recieved a LINE from Toei's Producer Shirakura.

"Alright," I responded.

This is basically how it was decided that I would be working with Producer Shirakura on this. That might have seemed like a ridiculously easy decision, but it actually held unspoken implications. Ultimately, what Producer Shirakura meant was, "Hey, Inoue, give yourself to me for a year. I hope your skills haven't gotten rusty. Better not do anything that'll disappoint me." As for myself, I though, "Relax, do you not know who you're talking to?" Basically, a serious competition had already begun with the first exchange of LINES. We held our first meeting at a bar, along with Assistant Producer Minato. It may seem inappropriate to hold it at a bar, but in a way, it's a necessary ritual to share a year's worth of drinks.

It was there that I first learned of the title,

"Avataro Sentai Donbrothers."

I couldn't do anything about my rapidly declining excitement for the Sentai I hadn't seen in such a long time.

"Avataro? Donbro? Are you screwing with me? This some kind of bad joke?"

No, no, I began to rethink as I sipped my whiskey.

It's fine, isn't it? When you first hear such a title, you won't forget it, and most importantly, it gave me the determination to do something new. To be honest, at the time, I had already secretly made up my mind.

Okay, let's start off the first episode of Donbrothers with a high school girl. We'll have a slightly dysfunctional high school girl drag the story along.

As far as I know, this was a first for Sentai.

This is because it's long been a taboo for Sentai that has boys as its main target. This time, we'll challenge the taboo. All because it's Avataro Sentai Donbrothers.

After many general meetings, when I'd finished the first draft of the first episode, as expected, many staff members raised their concerns, or rather, they decided by going, "….."

Is this really ok? Is this really Sentai?

I wouldn't argue. I had confidence. If my manuscript had power, that power would persuade those in the lower ranks, no, the entire staff, to go along with it. Well, it sounded idealistic, but the truth is that time ran out, and filming began while everyone was still in doubt.

Donbrothers is a bizarre show, and by the time we got to the fifth episode, the lower ranks, no, the entire staff was lost. Moving past the question of whether this was really Sentai, the feeling was more, "What is this show even about?"

With the fifth episode, "The hide away dog," the TV station's Producer Inoue (Chihiro) said, "I don't know what this show is about, but it's interesting. this is good." with that, most people began to agree with him.

Finally, let me tell you of an episode that happened after the show ended.

One night, as is the usual case, I was drinking alone at the bar.

The bartender there was a weirdo who was a huge Donbrothers fan that would buy me a drink if I told him about the next story. Naturally, when I went to that bar, I drank for free.

He was generous enough to give me a bottle as a gift for writing the last episode.

Then, the patron next to me started talking to me.

Patron: "Is it possible, are you the screenwriter Inoue-san?"

Me: "Yes" (said in English)

Patron: "I'm a big fan of Donbrothers. My girlfriend recommended I watch it, and I became hooked."

Me: "What a wonderful girlfriend."

Patron: "Actually, I've been addicted to XX for a long time."

It would be best for me to not disclose what XX is.

But, I'll stop myself at saying that many of the customer's teeth were chipped to the point of looking like they were completely missing.

Patron: "You see, that's the thing. I've recovered from my XX addiction. After watching Donbrothers, I think I've got a positive outlook on life."

I opened the bottle that the bartender gave me. Then, I proceeded to drink with the patron until morning. _ Higuchi Kohei (Momoi Taro)

After I graduated high school, I spent my time as a trainee player for a professional soccer team. I had no desire to join the entertainment industry at all. Ever since I was in elementary school, all I would think about was becoming a pro. During the Fall, at 19 years old, when I was told by my coach that I wouldn't be able to go pro, my face went pale and I shut down. There were times where I would wake up thinking it's 6 a.m., only to realize it was 9 p.m.

But, I wish I could tell myself this at the time:

"Three years from now, you'll become a hero. You'll be taking in amazing scenery."

Once again, I'd like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to those that I'm most thankful for. To MORISAKI WIN-san. He sang wonderful songs for a whole year, songs that both gave me goose bumps every day, and that made really happy. And to the cast of eight who really supported me. I'd also like to say this to my old self: "You can make it with this cast. You're going to be truly blessed with such amazing members. Please be happy to be alive."

For the past year and a half of "Avataro Sentai Donbrothers," thank you all so, so much for your support! _ Beppu Yuuki (Shinichi Saruhara)

First off, Let's all laugh, shall we? Donbrothers is a piece of work that's made me once again realize how much it's taught me. It's allowed me to grow alot.

For me, last summer I wasn't that confident with the character of Shinichi Saruhara, as I wasn't able to do what I wanted. I'm sorry to say this to all of you who love Donbrothers, but there was a time where I was on the verge of giving up. I don't understand what Shinichi Saruhara is thinking, he's alone all the time, and I don't get why he can't touch money. And yet, something about him made the people who watched smile.

At the time, what gave me the most support was the letters I received from everyone. Sending letters isn't that common these days, but everyone worked so hard to write me so, so many of them. Every single one of them really helped me.

Without this cast, I don't think Shinichi Saruhara would be standing so confidently here before you. Donbrothers is a piece of work that suits any emotion, whether you're experiencing something difficult or something happy. It's a work that I'll cherish for the rest of my life. I also met members whom I'll cherish for the rest of my life. Thank you all so very much. _ Shida Kohaku (Haruka Kito)

For the support of Donbrothers over the past year, for coming to see us at the venue today, and to everyone who is watching the stream, thank you all so much.

Many things have happened over the past year, ofcourse there were fun times, but there were also times of hardship and alot of worrying. In the beginning, I sometimes expressed my complaints to my mother. However, I've been able to work very hard to get to this point thanks to everyone who came to these venues, my beloved members here who are like my big brothers and sister, and the staff who support me.

Donbrothers is loved by so many people. There has not been a single time that I've taken this love for granted. I will continue to cherish the love, courage, and energy that I've received from all of you, and will do my best to return as a bigger and better Donbrother. Thank you all very much again for the past year. I love you all so much. _ Totaro (Tsubasa Inuzuka)

The past year and a half seemed like a long time, yet it was incredibly short. Tsubasa Inuzuka has been pursuing love, busy with love, conflicted with love…..That's the kind of year it's been. It was a year in which I also truly thought about love.

For the past year, many of you have loved Donbrothers and have been coming to the venues. The world is truly full of so much love. I really felt that Donbrothers was loved alot. As you can tell from everyone's speeches, the love for Donbrothers is very strong. It was a truly wonderful production, we talked about how we could've done it better, had alot of arguments, struggled alot, and we all shared the same moments together.

The past year and a half has truly been the most important time of my life. Because I really didn't want to leave the set, I didn't want to go home, I just wanted to keep watching everyone act. I felt that everyone worked hard, so thank you very much for the opportunity to perform in such a pleasant environment. And to everyone watching me here now, with this cast by my side, it was truly a wonderful experience. Thank you for all the happiness. _ Suzuki Hirofumi (Tsuyoshi Kijino)

I've been an actor for alittle longer than the others, but I have no experience at all. I was never given a chance to perform in front of the cameras. In the few occasions where I would, I'd say a few words and that would be it. There was no need for the makeup artists to do me. So, I usually had to do my own makeup, travel to the site by myself, and prepare and bring my own costumes.

The wonderful, dedicated staff here worked from morning until night, and always put us first. I could've never imagined so many people coming to these venues to support us, or the support we've received behind the scenes. I've never experienced anything like this before, and I'm very pleased with the past year. I'm so grateful. There wasn't a day where I felt ungrateful.

For most of the past year, these eight people have been with me every day, more than my family, the members of my agency, and more than the teams I once belonged to. I love these eight people so much. When I look to my side, they're always there. I really, truly think that the faces of these eight will be the ones that I'll remember before I die. Thank you for letting me be apart of Donbrothers. And to everyone in this audience, to all the staff involved with the show, and to everyone behind the screen, for such a nobody like me, thank you for having me. As an actor who's graduated from Donbrothers, I'll live the rest of my life as an actor with pride. _ Ishikawa Raizou (Momotani Jiro)

I was in the dark until Donbrothers began. Whatever I did, it wouldn't continue for too long. I had nothing where I could say, "I feel confident about this!"

I've been walking alone in the dark from a place where there was truly nothing, that was until the bright light of "Donbrothers" suddenly flashed before me. I though, "Wow, guess I have no choice but to go along with this!" but, I was really nervous in the beginning because I had the role of the additional warrior, a role that you take on around the middle of the show. Furthermore, Donbrothers takes place in a world where you don't know what's going on just by watching one or two episodes.

Even still, everyone in this cast is upbeat and has fun, they have an unbelievable amount of enthusiasm for this show. I love them all and Donbrothers so much. I've heard that people will sometimes meet together like this. I was also very excited about filming and had alot of fun. Donbrothers is the kind of show that made me imagine a new, slightly brighter future, even though I've been unable to see anything until now. I'd like to thank all of the fans, everyone here today, the staff, and all the performers of Donbrothers for making it possible for us to be here today. Thank you all so much. _ Tominaga Yuya (Sonoi)

I've been crying so much that my head is alittle fuzzy, so I'm not sure if I'll be able to keep it together.

For the past year and a half, I've sincerely enjoyed my time here. Now, we, the cast, are going our separate ways. I'm more than sure that in the years and decades to come, you'll find something you love more than Donbrothers. For example, if it were Sonoza, he would become a manga editor, for Sonoi, she would run away with Tsubasa Inuzuka to know love, and Sonoi would meet up with Tarou and fall in love with oden together. The future is bright, because each of us can make our own decisions and find our own form of happiness. Just as I was able to become a member of Donbrothers because I continued to be an actor, the experience of working on Donbrothers has made me realize of the many possible opportunities ahead.

I will always love Donbrothers. Even if I quit acting or go down a different path, I'll never forget these bonds for the rest of my life. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart. _ Miyazaki Amisa (Sononi)

First of all, I'm happy to have been able to attend this farewell performance. This may be abit personal, but Donbrothers was my acting debut. In the beginning, I was always thinking about the negatives, like whether I could actually play Sononi or why I couldn't do it every time we'd start filming. There were many times when I wondered if I was even suited for the job, and times where I didn't want to go on set.

Even so, I received kind words of encouragement and support from everyone in the cast. Sonoi and Sonoza especially helped me out alot. Thank you both so much. Throughout Donbrothers run, I started to enjoy acting alot more, and I started to think that I would like to pursue this kind of career in the future.

I'm sure everyone has their own dreams and goals, and I truly hope that Donbrothers can support you in your journey. We hope to be a Sentai that is loved by everyone and that you will continue to think of even in the future. Thank you all so much. _ Takahashi Shinnosuke (Sonoza)

I know I don't have enough time to express my gratitude, but there are still some people I haven't properly thanked. I've written a letter. I'd like to take this opportunity to quickly read it.

Donbrothers. As the name implies, it's always overwhelming with its disorderly rampages.

Even though I'm the Chief Editor, she'll cheerfully drag me along. Even though she's easygoing, she's the most considerate. Even though she's the youngest, I'm always touched by her serious attitude. There are also those who seem to be "soft" but actually support you from the shadows. There's someone who'll laugh with you from beginning to end. Or, someone who joined us late, but we admire the way they say they don't want to be outdone.

I love all of you.

And then there's these two Noto's, warriors who I've fought together with in the face of an uncertain future. You spoke passionately about your thoughts and feelings, and I was able to do my best because of it. You were "soft" but dangerous, and I saw you genuinely trying your best, and that in turn made me try my best too. I love you both so much.

Thank you for letting me be one of you. I was very happy to be with you guys.

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thatslimyfem · 1 month

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I'll never say it's perfect, but I will say that every toku fan should give Kamen Rider The First a fair shot just because you get:

-Veteran toku director Takao Nagaishi trying to pay homage to the original show that he served as 1st AD through most of, while being saddled with a script that was...

-written by Toshiki Inoue, trying to pay homage to the original scripts written by his father while also indulging in his own fixations as a writer

-character designs by Yutaka Izubuchi

-deranged performances by Hassei Takano (Kamen Rider Ryuki, Ultraman Gaia) and Kanji Tsuda (also from Ryuki, Shin Godzilla and Gamera the Brave)

-banger end credits song by Issa

-the most unhinged opinions on water crystals you will ever hear

#kamen rider #tokusatsu #toei #shotaro ishinomori #japanese cinema #kamen rider the first #hassei takano #masaya kikawada #takao nagaishi #toshiki inoue

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notoneglance · 10 months

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I can't believe no one's uploaded the Changerion gay kiss scene so here it is

#changerion #suzumura akira #hayami katsuhiko #my post #tokusatsu #toshiki inoue

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2030kamenriders · 3 months

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Ever get this suspicious feeling that Toshiki Inoue is right around the corner?

#my random brain #not literally. well maybe literally for you i dunno #i mean do you ever feel like you are in the periphery of an Inoue drama and you need to be careful or else you'll fall in a river?#toshiki inoue

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ninelie00 · 1 year

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𝑲𝒂𝒎𝒆𝒏 𝑹𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝑨𝒈𝒊𝒕𝒐 (2001-2002) - 𝑯𝒐𝒘 𝑰𝒏𝒐𝒖𝒆 𝑾𝒓𝒐𝒕𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑩𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝑹𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒓

Kamen Rider Agito has been a show that I have held in such high regards since I first watched it during lockdown in 2019 when Zero One, Taiga, and Ryusoulger (later Kiramager) graced our eyes with their Reiwa era almost "more of the same" feels but with sprinkles of new ideas and concepts that could write in the stones of what future entries could entail henceforth for the IPs. Kamen Rider Agito struck me hard when I was diving into the world of Rider, un-linking itself from the Kamen Rider formulas (while in the sense making the formula of future entries) and being Toshiki Inoue's take on the meaning of what Kamen Rider is and how the toll of such a heroic can be on the protagonist and the cast's entire livelihoods when confronted with the mysteries of their world and within themselves. When tasked with having the first three (later four) way storytellings of Agito, the viewer has to watch as they intersect or even clash at times. The most interesting one obviously is Shouichi Tsugami's story, which Inoue writes with considerable grace and is probably the best Rider arc where Tsugami learns to not give up either sides of himself for the sake of the other and balance his life as a person saving others and as the man who has to learn who he is as a person. On the other front we have Hikawa Makoto, a failwife who pilots a mecha suit based on Kuuga that tackles the government politics of the dealings of the Unknown and the mysteries of the verse. Hikawa is not the best detective, in fact he is terrible, but he is adorable and his co-workers/friends are so fun to watch plus his dynamic with Tsugami is cute. However, it would seem that corporate still wanted a stock standard Rider protagonist in some form so we get our traditional Rider writing compensation in Ryo Ashihara, he's a bit of a wandering hobo who gets the brunt of rather underwhelming plotlines that are weaker for the greater chunk of the show leading up to his first death. However, after that initial death he becomes a way better character so who is to complain? The Rider and Unknown designs are great, probably some of the best of the franchise. I love Agito and his forms, Gills Exceed, G-3X, and the second half's Unknowns. They fit snuggly alongside Kuuga's designs, and ultimately feels so naturally like continuations of those sensibilities. The one major fumble of Agito is the final five episodes, which feel like tacked on parts of what may have been plans of an epilogue movie of sorts stuck in five episodes of epilogue. This is my pick of the best Rider series ever, period, and I definitely think it should be worth checking out.

#kamen rider agito #kamen rider #toei #ishinomori productions #toshiki inoue #heisei phase i

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simeonscott · 8 months

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youtube

What Jetman Meant for Super Sentai

Laying out what I think is the core theme and message behind one of the most iconic Sentai series.

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faketokufan · 11 months

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i can fight him no longer... I am weak... I am old and weary. My bones ache from battles past and my soul yearns for rest. Rest that I shall never truly know.

please Inoue... Just end it... put me out of my misery and bring me the warrior’s death I have earned...

...Maybe we’ll get more info in Donbrothers VS KingOhger...

#toshiki inoue #Toshiki Inoue will die by my hands one day...#That movie kinda sucked...#But in the same breath it was just two short episodes of Donbrothers and Zenkaiger #By that metric it was the best movie ever made #Actually yeah it was fantastic cus it was just more Donbrothers #avataro sentai donbrothers #kikai sentai zenkaiger #super sentai #tokusatsu #toku

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ungojirasapiente · 1 year

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what in the actual fuck is going on in the Ryuki novel!?

#kamen rider #kamen rider ryuki #kamen rider novel #kamen rider heisei #heisei phase 1 #ryuki #tokusatsu #tokusatsu meme #kamen rider meme #toshiki inoue #what is going on in that guys mind?#my thoughts #random thoughts

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skajador · 1 year

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when will Inoue put the plot to the LONG LONG MAN cms in a show of his it has all his favorite things:

-love triangle -misunderstanding -homoeroticism

#toshiki inoue #kr shitposting #sentai shitposting

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mangolon · 1 year

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Every Secondary Rider is either...

Gay

Homophobic

or both

#makoto hikawa #kamen rider g3 #masato kusaka #kamen rider kaixa #keisuke nago #kamen rider ixa #kamen rider agito #2001 #kamen rider faiz #2003 #kamen rider kiva #2008 #toshiki inoue #secondary rider #gay #homosexual #homophobia

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cough-droplet · 3 months

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Also here is Murakami's pitch for a sequel to Kamen Rider Faiz: Paradise Regained. (Clip slightly cut down to remove Paradise Regained spoilers)

#kamen rider #kamen rider faiz #kamen rider 555 #tokusatsu #kohei murakami #toshiki inoue #shinichiro shirakura #kamen rider kaixa #masato kusaka #mari sonoda #mobile suit gundam #gundam #char's counterattack #char aznable #takumi inui #fansubbing

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mirai-e-jump · 7 months

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Uchusen Vol. 76 (Spring 1996) Choukou Senshi Changerion Segment ft. Toshiki Inoue Interview (translations below)

Publication: June 1, 1996

BIRTH OF THE CHANGERION

Choukou Senshi Changerion, which began airing on April 3 as Toei Hero's third slot, is an extremely ambitious work that aims to create an epoch of 90s styled heroes.

First, there's the visual shock of the hero, with the heavy use of transparent materials. Shinohara Tamotsu was in charge of the design, and Rainbow Zoukei, which was in charge of the modeling, even installed new equipment for Changerion.

The result, as you can see, is a super battleship like suit, with two layers of crystals and mechanical parts throughout its body.

Another ambition of Changerion, is its spirit. As those who have seen the show already know, Akira Suzumura, the main character, is a person who has no sense of being a hero or having a mission.

With this character image at its core, the story is light hearted, with a comedic touch. At the moment, Screenwriter Toshiki Inoue's unique world is unfolding, as he handles all of it by himself. We'll leave the details to Producer Shirakura Shinichiro's comments, but, it's a completely new tokusatsu hero work that aims to be an anti existing hero. A new program with 100% expectations, keep an eye out for future developments! _

Staff Comments

Design: Shinohara Tamotsu

"Based on the premise that the suit is made of a transparent material, the key idea is to give off the image of a, "Demon in Angel's clothes." Both order and chaos are coexisting. For the transparent parts, I tried to create a godly feel with wings and muscles, which are associated with Greek mythology, while inside, I tried to create a rough feel with the complicated mechanics. It's true that the mechanics inside are so complicated, that it alone is like a demon…."

Modeling: Maezawa Nori (Rainbow Zoukei)

"Changerion is an idea that I've always wanted to try someday. That's why we tested it carefully, and finally completed the project after many retakes, until the very end of the permitted production time. I'm confident in saying that I've reached a level where I'm not embarrassed to consider this a modern tokusatsu hero. I'll continue to challenge myself to create new concepts whenever I have the opportunity, so please continue to support us."

Producer: Shirakura Shinichiro

"Our first priority when planning Changerion, was to create a true to life hero. For humans, I don't think they'd suddenly feel a sense of justice or mission when suddenly told that they're heroes from this day forward. Everyone wants to have fun and enjoy life. From that perspective, what kind of drama can we create? That was the theme. To achieve this, I wanted to establish the appeal of Akira's character as a human being, and make him the driving force for pulling the story along. For that reason, Inoue-san was the best choice for screenwriter. Another thing is that I want people to think is, "This is kinda stylish." I want it to give off the feel that this is a story that's happening right now, in the year 1996, and no other time. I want to properly capture the feeling of "Now" in my work. In that case, we, the staff of Changerion, are thinking of creating a completely new work without being bound by the existing image of a hero, so please look forward to it." _

Main Cast

"Why is this guy like this? And of all people…he's Changerion."

Suzumura Detective Agency Main Character: Akira Suzumura, is the head of the detective agency. Although he pretends to be a first rate detective, the work he receives is always something like searching for lost dogs and cats, and, he's constantly running into debt.

Akira Suzumura (Takashi Hagino): A naturally happy go lucky person. By chance, he's exposed to the Crystal Power and gains the power of Changerion, but he's not aware of being a warrior. He loves banana parfaits.

Akemi Tachibana (Mie Hayashi): A college student and a part time employee of the Suzumura Detective Agency. She's a reliable person and is practically in charge of the office. Her family runs a guest house in Iwate.

SAIDOC Members: Katsuhiko Hayami (Kazunari Aizawa), Takeshi Munakata (Noboru Ichiyama), Eri Minami (Chika Kochihira) A special agency established by scientist Takeshi Munakata in preparation for the DarkZide invasion. As a trump card, he carries out the Changerion Project using recovered DarkZide technology, but, all of it was accidentally taken by Akira, and the agency is in trouble financially.

Super Light Knight: 3 droids developed by SAIDOC to support Changerion. Each of them has the ability to transform from robot mode to vehicle mode.

DarkZide: Higher life forms that emerged in the Dark Dimension and evolve differently from humans. They disguise themselves as humans and hide in society. They're monsters whose purpose is to absorb "Larmu," the biological energy of humans. _

Interview with Toshiki Inoue

-Akira is quite honestly an incredible superhero-

"Inoue-san, have you been involved with Changerion since the planning stage?

Inoue: I have. We've been planning since the days of "Android Hakaider." So, since this would be the start of a brand new show, I thought it'd be better to break away from the existing hero genre. That being the case, I was certain that comedy was the way to go, and that comedy is the way to go from now on. I don't have anything to back up this claim (laughs).

"How did you create the main character?"

Inoue: In the beginning, he wasn't going to be a detective. He'd be a "fugitive". Like that old American TV series. I was trying to do a comedy with "The Fugitive" in mind, but it just didn't work out. It ended up becoming too dark (laughs). It's funnier when fugitives run away laughing like crazy. And since they're never in a single spot, it's hard to determine their location. That's why I made him a detective.

"In reality, being a detective is pretty plain, and isn't a very cheerful profession."

Inoue: That's right. Akira used to do pretty boring work before he became Changerion, didn't he? But, he's got a playful spirit even in his mundane work, so he has fun carrying a gun and acting pretentious. Characters like that are so important to me in that, it doesn't matter what their occupation is. It doesn't matter if he's a fugitive or a detective. He happened to become a detective by chance because it'd be easier to tell the story as a detective.

"The fact that the main character becomes a hero by chance is similar to Jetman."

Inoue: That's right. That's why there's only two ways to create a hero. Either it's someone who's selected and chosen, or it's someone that shouldn't have been selected but becomes a hero anyway. For me, I like the latter.

"The enemy's setup isn't really depicted within the show."

Inoue: Executives are becoming alot more unnecessary. When I start a show, even if I want to do something new, I don't change my mind so quickly, so I thought that things like an evil organization and other detailed settings were all necessary. But, as we started and the drama progressed, my expectations became different in a positive way. I began to think that we could do without all that. I can say that because the story is moving along. So, you know, it's easier to understand Changerion if you think of it as just a detective drama. It doesn't have to be a so called hero story, where it's split up by allies and enemies who then fight each other. It also doesn't have to be like a final episode, where the enemy is finally defeated and the story ends. But, the scenario is difficult. If this were a normal hero story, I could do the whole show with just one idea, but it's a comedy, so I have to come up with alot of material, so it's…..it's abit tiring, isn't it? (laughs).

"What would Inoue-san consider to be his image of a hero?"

Inoue: It would be a guy who's complacent. When faced with a crisis, everyone goes into a state of panic, so I think that having composure in such a situation is a strong point. That's why Akira is quite honestly an incredible superhero, now that I just thought about it (laughs).

#inoue and changerion have recently taken over my mind #changerion #choukou senshi changerion #suzumura akira #akira suzumura #katsuhiko hayami #hayami katsuhiko #uchusen #my scans #my translation #tokusatsu #toku #toshiki inoue #hagino takashi #takashi hagino #interview #magazine #asakura takeshi

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thatslimyfem · 2 months

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You know, i'm getting legitimately sick of KR fandom acting like Toshiki Inoue doesn't understand what makes a Rider show work.

the man's father was Masaru Igumi, who wrote the majority of the original series. now, yeah that does make Inoue a nepo baby, BUT it also means that out of every modern Rider writer he has the strongest need to preserve what makes the franchise what it is.

he's so concerned with reminding people that the Rider and his enemies are one and the same, both monsters fighting for different dreams, good or bad. This one scene in 555 would be the most faithful moment to Ishinomori's intent in the entire modern history of the franchise till Shin Kamen Rider came out.

Don't wait till the dude is dead to recognize the inherent value he has to tokusatsu as a genre.

#kamen rider 555 #kamen rider #toshiki inoue #takumi inui #yuji kiba #horse orphnoch #tokusatsu #toei #shotaro ishinomori #japanese television #genre writing

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notoneglance · 11 months

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Why the takoyaki amnesia doppelganger episodes???

So I think we can all agree that this whole plot line in Blade was wild and peak Inoue and definitely a comedic break in between two emotion heavy arcs. But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t do anything for the narrative. Despite being a huge departure in tone from the rest of the show, it does actually fit thematically and in terms of character development.

As a refresher, the arc I’m talking about happens in episodes 29 and 30 of Blade where Hajime briefly loses his memory and meets an identical-looking guy who convinces him to switch places for a bit. This guy, Mikami Ryou, is the heir to a takoyaki-making group in fierce competition with a taiyaki group and knows nothing of the Undead.

As silly as this whole premise is, the “prince and the pauper” style identity switch thing is a well-established trope often used to explore a character and their situation, just as it does here in Blade. There are intentional parallels between Ryou’s life and Hajime’s, despite their completely opposite personalities, and by switching them around, this arc both gives us a new lens on Hajime as a person and foreshadows the ending of Blade.

So let’s recap Ryou’s situation:

He’s the son of the head of an intensely competitive takoyaki-making gang, the Iroha clan, and was raised into this job. He doesn’t seem to have anything against making takoyaki itself—we first see him enthusiastically working at a stand—but he isn’t actually part of his father’s group. In fact, he hates the pressure to be involved in the conflict to the point where he switches lives with some random stranger just to leave it all behind. Part of this is because he is dating Michi, the daughter of the head of a rival taiyaki-making group who also seems a bit distant from her family. Both Ryou and Michi’s fathers discourage them from being together, each believing that their child is being “deceived” by their competitor.

Does any of this sound familiar?

The Battle Fight has way more going on than the simple two sided takoyaki vs taiyaki rivalry, but from the pov of the audience, it can be simplified into an Undead vs Human Kamen Rider fight. The show explicitly draws parallels between the two fights. When Ryou’s father says he wishes that Ryou would join the Iroha clan so that they could “win and survive”, Hajime despite his amnesia is instantly reminded of the Undeads’ motivation to do exactly that.

Like Ryou, Hajime was raised in this competition but does not particularly want to fight, instead forming a connection with someone on the other side—Kenzaki.

Actually, the whole “win and survive” thing is really interesting. Because of their circumstances, both Ryou’s father and Hajime fully believe that their survival is dependent on winning. It’s a kill or be killed world out there, and even if Hajime is starting to wish that there was some other way, neither of them are willing to let themselves lose. I’ll come back to this point later, because neither actually end up needing to win in order to survive.

Anyway, we have a bunch of similarities between Hajime and Ryou’s situations, but what does that actually tell us about Hajime (other than that he and Kenzaki are in love)?

Well, first off, having those similarities sets up space for a distinct contrast to highlight some aspects of Hajime’s character. The plot going on with the Blade squad and the fake Hajime centers around Hajime’s humanity. In the beginning of episode 29 before Hajime loses his memories, Kotaro accuses him of not having enough human emotion to care about what happens to Shima’s bird Natural. When he is replaced by Ryou, Kotaro thinks that the personality change was due to Hajime taking his words to heart.

These episodes emphasize that Hajime isn’t human and he’s definitely not the friendly and open person that Kotaro seems to want him to be. But that isn’t necessarily a bad thing and it doesn’t make him dangerous.

Most of the people besides Kotaro are just confused by Hajime acting so out of character, and Amane actively rejects this false Hajime. Even if Kotaro is happy about Hajime acting differently, he’s an outlier, and probably the only one in the group who has ever really held negative feelings for him.

Just like how Kotaro prefers the new Hajime, Michi initially prefers Hajime to the real Ryou, actively choosing to claim that this imposter is Ryou despite knowing otherwise. Ryou’s father goes along with it too, even after it’s implied that he has also figured out that this man is not his real son. Unlike Ryou, Hajime is focused and strong—a fighter. In the rivalry between the takoyaki and taiyaki groups, Hajime is the one who has the determination to “win and survive”, to fight for the Iroha clan.

We see the opposite on the other side as well, that Ryou is not a fighter. When thrown into a situation where an Undead attacks him, he runs away screaming rather than holding his ground. Which is a perfectly reasonable reaction for a regular human!

The part where the idea that “Hajime is superior to Ryou” to the people in Ryou’s life falls apart is when it comes to the emotional bonds.

Kotaro might be wrong about Hajime not caring about people in general, but there’s no reason for him to specifically care about the people Ryou loves. When Michi asks the fake Ryou if he loves her, Hajime replies that he doesn’t know what love is, upsetting her. Hajime spends most of this arc confused and not really invested, vaguely going along with the events without particularly asserting his own will, whether others are expecting him to be a takoyaki maker or Michi’s boyfriend. He doesn’t have any real stake in all this drama because he doesn’t actually know them—he’s not their Ryou.

However, things get switched up when Ryou comes back and declares himself as the real Mikami Ryou.

Both Michi and Ryou’s father initially insist that Hajime is the real one, culminating in a takoyaki vs taiyaki bake off competition between the two Ryous, where both characters that previously seemed disinterested become fired up, breaking out of the lover/fighter dichotomy that has thus far been set up.

Despite running away from the fight, despite running away from his life, Ryou does actually care about his girlfriend and father, and he wants them back. He doesn’t actually want to leave them behind or for them to leave him, so when push comes to shove he stands up and puts his whole spirit into the competition in order to get back his life. Later, when an Undead comes to interrupt the competition, Ryou stands his ground this time, risking his life to defend Michi.

Afterwards, Ryou puts a stop to the fighting between their two families by uniting them through marriage—something that Hajime was never capable of doing despite also almost getting married to Michi—because Ryou is the one that genuinely loves both Michi and his father. And when it comes down to it, they choose the Ryou they know and love over Hajime even if he seemed outwardly better.

Ryou isn’t naturally a fighter, but that’s fine because he can when the situation calls for it, and his reluctance to fight is what allows him to find a solution to this rivalry that benefits everyone rather than just one side.

Meanwhile, Hajime also participates in the “who is the real Ryou” competition not because fighting is just what he does, but because he cares about people in general.

Even though these are strangers that he has no real personal ties to, Hajime feels a connection with Ryou’s dad and his motto for the clan to “win and survive”. Which makes sense, since it’s basically the whole idea behind the Battle Fight, even if he does not remember it. The first time that Hajime made takoyaki, it was extremely half-hearted, just knocking ingredients over into the pan with a confused frown, but now he is fully putting all of his effort into this competition because of his desire to see the Iroha clan succeed.

When the people he loves are threatened, Ryou acts against his nature to protect them. We don’t see this parallel on Hajime’s end here, since none of the Blade squad are in danger this arc, but we’ve seen it happen so many times before with Hajime saving Amane and Kenzaki and even Kotaro that one time. Even without showing it, by having these parallels, the show reminds us of this aspect of Hajime’s character.

The point of the Ryou/Hajime contrast in these episodes is to show that Hajime is an Undead, a fighter—and that he also is someone who cares about people because these two things are not actually mutually exclusive and in fact tie into each other.

In the end, the thing that brings Hajime’s memories back is twofold: the memory that he is the 53rd Undead who will cause everything to be destroyed if he wins, and the memory of Amane saying his name.

That is a good set up for the next arc of the show where the other characters find out that Hajime is the Joker and what exactly that entails, and we start seeing more of the conflict in Hajime between his instincts to win and destroy and his desire to live a human life with the people he cares about. Having this more solid understanding of Hajime, of his strengths and shortcomings and the way he fits among the other characters, is important groundwork for the new set of information and conflicts.

But there is one last thing these episodes do, which is to foreshadow the ending of Blade.

The interesting thing about these episodes is the way that the taiyaki/takoyaki rivalry gets resolved: not by one side winning over the other, but by both sides surviving through Ryou and Michi’s marriage.

In Japan, when two people get married, legally one of them is no longer part of their birth family and is instead becomes a part of their spouse’s family. It can be either the husband or wife, though in practice it’s usually the wife that marries into the husband’s family, as it appears that Michi does here. Socially though, marriage can be viewed as more of a merging of two families, as is seen with Michi’s father also calling Ryou his son.

In the end of the show, the Undead/Kamen Rider conflict is resolved in a similar if more tragic fashion.

There does not have to be a winner to the Battle Fight for both Hajime and the world to survive. Just like how Michi joins Ryou’s family to bring peace, Kenzaki ends up physically changing species into an Undead. Meanwhile Hajime does not physically (or legally) change his status, but he socially becomes human by living among them.

Despite the goofiness of the takoyaki episodes, Kamen Rider Blade as a whole is a more serious show. Their conflict—between the Undead and humans, between the characters and destiny—cannot be so easily resolved. While Michi and Ryou join each other’s families and get to live happily together, Kenzaki and Hajime can only partially trade places as species and are unable to ever see each other again, not really resolving the conflict of the Battle Fight but only putting it on hold.

Still, even if Hajime and Kenzaki are left separated and connected only by the violent demands of fate/God/the Overseer of the Battle Fight, there is a lasting bond between them. It’s not for nothing that the ring designed off their combined character motifs is called “eternal marriage”.

TL;DR: The takoyaki episodes are important in how they set up Hajime as a character in preparation for the Joker arc and also foreshadow how Hajime and Kenzaki get symbolically married to bring peace

#i’m not saying that these episodes were *the best* way to accomplish these goals #i’m just saying it does contribute to the plot and themes even if the tone is wildly off haha #kamen rider blade #tokusatsu #aikawa hajime #kenzaki kazuma #blade #toshiki inoue #i spent way too long writing this essay #anyway please talk to me about blade i have So Many Thoughts #my post

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