"Tojima Tanzaburo wa Kamen Rider ni Naritai" starring Hiroshi Fujioka

It has been announced that Hiroshi Fujioka will be appearing as a voice actor in the TV anime " Tojima Tanzaburo wa Kamen Rider ni Naritai, " based on the manga by Shibata Yokusaru, known for works such as "Hachi-One Diver." Fujioka will play Hongo Takeshi, who appears in a scene from the first episode, " Tojima Tanzaburo wa Kamen Rider ni Naritai." The story centers on Higashijima Tanzaburou, who is still serious about becoming a "Kamen Rider" even at the age of 40. Fujioka, who played Kamen Rider 1/Hongo Takeshi in the special effects drama "Kamen Rider" (1971-1973), will be specially tasked with voicing Hongo Takeshi in the TV anime.

A video of comments from Fujioka and Konishi Katsuyuki Konishi, who plays the main character Higashijima Tanzaburo, was also released on YouTube. The video shows Fujioka enthusiastically shouting "Rider Kick!" in the dubbing booth. Regarding playing Hongo Takeshi in the anime, Fujioka said, "The blood in my body went back to my youth and started to get excited. I was burning with passion today." A conversation between Fujioka and Konishi was also held.

The series began serialization in Monthly Heroes (Heroes, currently out of print) in 2018, and is currently being serialized on the manga distribution site Comiplex (same publisher). The story follows Higashijima Tanzaburou, who at the age of 40 is still serious about becoming Kamen Rider, but just as he is about to give up on his dream, he gets caught up in a fake Shocker robbery that causes a stir in the world. Ishimori Productions and Toei are collaborating.

The anime will be directed by Ikezoe Takahiro, with series composition by Machida Doko. It will be produced by Liden Films. In addition to Katsuyuki Konishi as Higashijima Tanzaburo, the cast will Ai Kayano as Okada Yuriko, Kenichi Suzumura as Shimamura Ichiyo, Soma Saito Soma as Shimamura Mitsuha, Fairouz Ai as Yukaris, and Kenjiro Tsuda as Nakao Hachiro. It will begin airing on TOKYO MX and other channels from October 4th.

The contents of the conversation between Fujioka and Konishi are as follows.

--What are your thoughts now that you've finished the dubbing?

Fujioka: It was a joy and a thrill to act while remembering those days. When I shouted things like "Too!" and "Kick!", I was instantly transported back to those days. It was like something sleeping inside me was awakened, my blood was pumping and every cell in my body was rejoicing. I realized once again that the words "Rider Kick" have deeply embedded themselves in the hearts of me and the children of that time.

Konishi: When I was a kid, I used to play "Kamen Rider" with my younger brother. One time, when I was imitating a Rider Kick at home, I got so engrossed that I ended up tearing the sliding door to the house. My parents laughed, but they got mad at me afterwards (laughs).

Fujioka-san , I understand how you feel. It's like the innocent and pure sensibility of a child, projecting yourself onto something that moves you and getting absorbed in it. It was a miracle that I was able to come across such a work, and I think it was an incredible start for me as an actor. It's hard to believe that it's been over 50 years. It really feels like it went by in the blink of an eye.

-Mr. Konishi, what did you think when you heard Mr. Fujioka's voice acting?

Konishi (eagerly): It's the best! It's the best, really. It brought me back to the time when I watched it. When Fujioka was doing the recording, the staff were all sitting in a row in the staff booth, and we all had our kids' faces when we heard the line, "Rider Kick!" Thank you so much for giving me this wonderful opportunity.

-What impression did you have when you first heard about this work?

Before reading Fujioka-san , I had no idea what the story would be about, but as I read on, I became engrossed and could really empathize with Higashijima's feelings. His desire to become stronger and to become like Kamen Rider grows stronger, and seeing him pursue that desire for 40 years, I was very happy, especially since I was playing Kamen Rider. I also felt that the story contained many messages for the world today. Many of the events (in the story) overlap with the real world, and it felt so real that it was hard to believe it was fiction.

Konishi: If something like this actually happened, it would be a little scary, but I think it would be interesting if a world like this existed. As Fujioka said, it's depicted very realistically. For example, it would not be strange if the person recording next to me suddenly shouted "Eeeeeh!" and turned into Shocker tomorrow. I think it's a world view that makes you feel that way.

-Please give us a message for the broadcast.

Konishi: When I was little, I received a lot of strength from Kamen Rider, anime, manga, and so on, and I think that energy has allowed me to get to where I am today. Some people may find it ridiculous to see a grown man saying, "I'm Kamen Rider," and working, but I would be happy if you could feel the passion and soul behind it. No matter how old you are, I believe that if you continue doing something, there will always be something you can do. I think anything is fine, even if it's close to you, so if you find something like that, I would be happy if you continue doing it. First of all, I would be happy if you would watch this anime.

Fujioka: I believe that deep within children all over the world, regardless of country or ethnicity, there is a "heart that never ceases to long for heroes." Heroes are children's beacons of hope. We must never lose sight of the existence of heroes who give hope, dreams, inspiration, courage to live, and happiness for the future, and deliver them to many children. We must continue to deliver heroes who ignite children's hearts, teach them what love is, and make them think, in various forms, such as manga, anime, and special effects. My hope is that in the future there will continue to be kind-hearted adults who seriously consider what to entrust to children, what to entrust to them, and what to leave behind.