Gojupolar/Kuma Mashiro will appear as an additional warrior in the 16th episode (June 8th) of the Super Sentai series "No.1 Sentai Gozyuger" (TV Asahi, Sunday 9:30 am). There is little advance information revealed about the character, and there are still many mysteries surrounding him, but we spoke to actor Kimura Kaiki, who plays him, about the appeal of Mashiro and his enthusiasm for the series.
◇ After taking multiple Sentai auditions, "I finally got it"
Kimura is 24 years old and was born on May 16, 2001. She is from Ibaraki Prefecture. She started her entertainment career at the age of 18, and attracted attention in 2019 when she appeared on a romance reality show. She currently works as a reporter for the trending news corner "Kiteru ne!" on the morning information program "ZIP!" (Nippon TV).
He said he has been auditioning for the Super Sentai every year since the second Reiwa series, Kikai Sentai Zenkaiger (2021-2022).
"It's said to be the gateway to success for young actors, and I myself have loved Super Sentai since I was a child, so from the time I started my entertainment career, I thought to myself that I absolutely had to go through Super Sentai, that I had to be selected, and so I kept taking the auditions."
As a child, he was a fan of Bakuryu Sentai Abaranger(2003-2004), Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger(2004-2005), and Mahou Sentai Magiranger (2005-2006).
"Super Sentai songs were always playing in my mom's car and I would sing along, and I used character bags. I even wore Magishine pajamas! I was heavily influenced by them as a child, so I'm proud to say that I had stronger feelings for Super Sentai than most people."
However, in previous auditions, there were years when she was rejected at the document screening stage. "As I got older, I felt anxious that I was getting further away from my goal, so I decided to do everything I could for this audition! I wore a knitted dress that my grandmother had knitted for me, and pants that I had made for a program that I was involved in, and I got help from many people. When I heard that I had been selected to appear, I felt a sense of accomplishment rather than just happiness, like, "I finally got it!""
◇ Watch boxing and study the action
The character he plays, Mashiro, is the champion of the first ring battle organized by Tega Sword, and calls himself the "Godness Rake." "I love flashy things (laughs). I can't go into too much detail yet, but he's a character who stands out from the other Gojugers, with words and actions that come from a variety of experiences, so I think the story will pick up pace with Mashiro's arrival," he said.
While Mashiro's fighting style is mainly boxing, Kimura himself is trying action for the first time. During this time, he received advice from his senior special effects actors with whom he has worked together on other programs.
"Murakami Kohei (Kamen Rider Kaixa), Inoue Masahiro (Kamen Rider Decade), and Nakao Masaki (Zyuoh Eagle), who I worked with on the show, all told me that I should be able to do some action scenes, so I quickly asked my agency to let me practice (laughs). I haven't had much time to practice before filming began, but I've been watching boxing videos and studying."
Speaking of additional warriors, Masashi Ikeda, who is in the same group agency, made headlines for his role as Spider-Man/Jeramey Brasciari in "Ohsama Sentai King-Ohger" (2023-2024). He revealed that he looks up to Ikeda. "We're in the same group agency, we're both additional warriors, and we're both white (warriors), so I'm definitely conscious of him. Also, wasn't Jerame amazing in the recent "All Super Sentai Grand Poll" (broadcast on NHK BS)? (※4th place in the hero category). As an additional warrior, I thought I have to become like him! I'm inspired by him!" he said enthusiastically.
