We interviewed Ryutaro Imai , who plays the main character Kamen Rider Zeztz/Yorozu Baku Yorozu in the latest installment of the special effects drama "Kamen Rider" series, " Kamen Rider Zeztz " (TV Asahi, Sundays at 9:00 AM), which starts on September 7th. We asked him about what inspired him to start his entertainment career, behind-the-scenes stories from auditions, and his hobbies.
◇ Guest appearance in the final episode of Kamen Rider Gavv"With the determination to not lose"
Imai is 20 years old and was born on June 2, 2005. Taking advantage of his height of 181 cm, he has been working as a regular model for the men's fashion magazine "FINEBOYS" (Hinode Publishing) since 2021. This is his first lead role in a terrestrial TV drama.
Before starting his entertainment career, his life was all about swimming. "I swam every day from the age of 6 until I was 17, and swimming was all I knew in my life. However, when I was in high school, the COVID-19 pandemic hit and there was a period when I couldn't swim, so I started thinking about my future... Around that time, I watched a lot of dramas and movies, and I thought I'd like to try acting, where I could play different life stories, and that's what inspired me to aim to become an actor."
He has resolved not to return to the world of swimming. He passed the audition for "FINEBOYS" and started his career as a model, but his body shape from swimming up until then was not suitable for modeling, so he revealed that he "lost 15 kilos." He says he doesn't swim at all now, saying, "I don't think I can swim like I used to anymore (laughs)."
He began auditioning for Kamen Rider roles in the previous film, Kamen Rider Gotchard, and landed the lead role on his third try.
"I made it to the final audition for the previous film, Kamen Rider Gavv, so I was extremely disappointed when I didn't make it. When Gab started and I watched it, I thought that Chinen (Hidekazu) was perfect for the role of Shoma (the main character), but I still felt disappointed (laughs). I went into the audition prepared to think that if I didn't make it this time, it might just be a lost cause, so I was really happy when I heard I'd passed."
He made a guest appearance in the final episode of "Kamen Rider Gavv" which aired on August 31st, co-starring with Chinen, and recalled, "I was happy that Chinen remembered me from the audition. But during the actual performance, I acted with the feeling that I would not lose to my senior."
◇ "Both the belt and the story are innovative"
"Kamen Rider Zeztz" is the story of Kamen Rider Zeztz/ Baku Yorozu, an agent who infiltrates people's dreams to carry out missions and protect people from the monster Nightmare that appears in their dreams.
The character he plays, Moko, has a distinctive bedhead when he becomes an agent in the dream world. "I have an excellent hair and makeup artist set it up perfectly," he says with a laugh. The contrast between Moko in the real world and Moko as an agent in the dream world is a highlight, and he says he uses his favorite scents to differentiate between them.
"My hobby is collecting perfumes. I consciously use scents to differentiate between my real-life character and my character as Agent Mo."
The first Kamen Rider transformation belt to be worn on the chest, as well as the simultaneous worldwide broadcast and streaming in Asian countries and the United States, are also attracting attention.
"I feel the pressure from the staff who say 'We're putting a lot of effort into this,' but I'm happy that they have high expectations of me. I want to live up to those expectations. As with this unprecedented belt, I think the story will unfold in an unpredictable way, so I hope to take a step into a new era while carrying the feelings of my predecessors," he said enthusiastically.
Editor's note: This is the first time that an actor from his talent agency, Ota Production, has transformed into Kamen Rider. "When it was decided that he would be appearing, there was a lot of excitement in the office," said his manager.
