Is the following phenomenon a Japanese thing? I have the feeling there are more cases these days in which actors hesitate to reprise characters they have played in the past, saying those characters burden them with "a fixed type as an actor." I can understand their wish not to be bound to any type of role, but I sometimes think they don't need to show such resentment toward the characters that gave them good reputations.
Actor Kohei Murakami is a rare case amid such a climate. He played 913, or Kaixa aka Masato Kusaka, who appeared in the tokusatsu superhero drama "Kamen Rider 555." Murakami loves Kaixa and has worked with me to hold the 913 Matsuri event on Sept. 13 every year. What's more, he has released songs about Kaixa and has been involved in the production of a new manga about the character this year, which is the result of Murakami's endless passion for Kaixa inspiring many people.
He gave a great display of his all-around performances at the event this year as well, which was streamed live without an audience due to the coronavirus. He reprised famous scenes from the drama and sang the Kaixa songs.
The event was also attended by actors Kento Handa and Yuria Haga, who both appeared in Kamen Rider 555 as the protagonist and the heroine. Together, they recited lines from the new manga. I had never imagined I'd be able to witness the three of them telling a new story about the show in 2020.
Murakami said production of the manga gave him a moral boost amid the global pandemic, which forced the cancellation of many theatrical productions in which he had been scheduled to appear. "Kaixa saved me again. Kaixa is a hero who salvaged my whole career as an actor," he said, showing deep affection for the character.
Even though 16 years have passed since the end of the drama's broadcast, here is a character who continues to be loved and who has grown, and here is an actor who continues evolving together with the character. The term "happy marriage" unexpectedly came to my mind.
Suzuki is a Yomiuri Shimbun senior specialist and an expert on tokusatsu superhero films and dramas.
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