The fifth episode of the popular detective drama "Aibou Season 24" (TV Asahi, Wednesdays at 9pm), titled "Showa 100," aired on November 12th, and tokusatsu fans reacted to the beautiful guest.
The story follows the Special Investigation Unit as they tackle two murder cases that show strange coincidences across time: one that occurred in 1926 (the first year of the Showa era) and one that occurred in 2025, the 100th year of the Showa era.
Reina Kurosaki, making her Aibou debut, plays Wakamatsu Reika, the daughter of the university chairman's family who holds the key to the case. Kurosaki is an actor who gained attention for her role as Ride Player/Nishiba Nico in the special effects drama Kamen Rider Ex-Aid, which aired from 2016 to 2017. In this film, she portrays the fearless Reika, who speaks informally to the Special Investigation Team, saying, "Let me help you find the culprit too."
On social media, viewers have been commenting in droves, saying things like, "I thought I'd seen her somewhere before, and it turns out it's Nico from Ex-Aid," "Kurosaki Reina has grown up a lot," "She's grown so much I didn't recognise her," "She's grown up so much, and she's still as beautiful as ever!" and "I was so impressed with her role as Nishima Nico that I honestly couldn't believe my eyes at how much Kurosaki Reina had changed in this week's episode of Aibou."
Additionally, Masami Horiuchi, who guest stars as Reika's grandfather, Hiroshi Wakamatsu, also played Roidmude 001 (Souichi Makage) in "Kamen Rider Drive" (2014-2015), which led to comments such as "Masami Horiuchi and Reina Kurosaki in the same frame reminds me of the Heisei Riders," "Rider actors pop up every now and then in Aibou," and "Horiuchi still has the same unique and wonderful voice."
