To celebrate the production of the new anime series "Yoroiden Samurai Troopers," the official sequel to the "Yoroiden Samurai Troopers" series, which aired from April 1988 to March 1989, a screening called "Yoroiden Samurai Troopers Memorial Screening - Commemorating the New Series Broadcast Announcement" was held at Shinjuku Piccadilly (Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo) on October 28th, with Nozomu Sasaki, who plays Shin Mori, and series composer Ryosuke Takahashi appearing. Sasaki spoke about his feelings towards "Yoroiden Samurai Troopers," saying, "I think it's the starting point of my career as a voice actor."
Sasaki recalled the recording at the time, saying, "The audition was on a cold day. I remember that. All 39 episodes went by in a flash. It had only been about a year and a half since my debut, so I wasn't used to the job. I had to do voice-overs with my seniors and re-record many times, so it was difficult, but I gradually got the hang of it and was able to stretch myself around the middle of the series. Up until then, I was completely absorbed in it. While I still felt nervous, I started to laugh at the seniors' jokes, and the atmosphere improved."
Takahashi is a "master" known for his work on "Armored Trooper Votoms" and "Fang of the Sun Dougram." "Toriumi Jinzo was at the center of creating the story. I was at Sunrise like an old raccoon, so I ended up connecting with the studio. I was good friends with Toriumi. It's our fault that there are so many kanji characters (for characters, terminology, etc.)," he revealed.
Sasaki was also a member of the legendary voice actor unit "NG5" that appeared in the series. "NG5" became extremely popular. "I don't remember when it started, but it started suddenly one day. A lot of changes happened at a mysterious time," he said.
Regarding his popularity at the time, Takahashi said with emotion, "I really love the works I had made up until then, but they were said to be heavy and dark. When I went to the dubbing studio for 'Samurai Troopers,' there were people waiting for me outside. It was something I had never experienced before. I was happy to have fans right in front of me."
Sasaki said, "Fans came to the event and I saw them cheering me on right in front of me. I'm usually in front of a microphone, but there are people cheering me on from the other side of the screen. I realized that this is what the job is like. I'm glad I found out early in my career. I think it's the beginning of my career as a voice actor."
At the screening, footage from the new TV anime was also shown. Sasaki commented, "It's a very strange feeling. I'm looking forward to it. I hope you'll look forward to the new work!"
"Samurai Troopers" is an anime produced by Sunrise, depicting five boys who possess "Yoroigia" (armored armor) and are brought together by fate to fight against the evil army led by the evil emperor Arago. The TV anime aired from April 1988 to March 1989, and due to its popularity, an original video animation (OVA) was also produced. "Samurai Troopers Gaiden" was released in 1989, "Samurai Troopers: Legend of the Bright Emperor" was released from 1989 to 1990, and "Samurai Troopers: Message" was released in 1991. A comic book adaptation by Ryuichi Hoshino was serialized in "Comic Bonbon" (Kodansha).
"Samurai Troopers" is the first new anime in about 35 years since the 1991 OVA "Samurai Troopers MESSAGE," and the first TV anime series in about 37 years. The story is an entirely original one set in present-day Shinjuku, and is directed by Yoichi Fujita, known for "Gintama" and "Mr. Osomatsu," with series composition and scriptwriting by Shogo Muto, known for "Kamen Rider Build," "Crows Zero," and "Thermae Romae." It will be produced by SUNRISE Studios. It will air in January 2026.
On this day, episodes 1 "Tokyo Under Target," 16 "Charge, Arago Castle," and 25 "Showdown! Two People at the Water Margin" were screened. Screenings will continue to be held, with Takeshi Kusao, who plays Ryo Sanada, and Tomohiro Nishimura, who plays Shulihuang, appearing on November 11th, and Hiroko Moriguchi, the opening singer, and Hideo Okamoto, the armor designer, appearing on November 25th.
