Following up on my previous installment, I'd like to continue writing about Akamatsuri 16, the talk event I held in August in Shinjuku, Tokyo, that was attended by actors who played superhero team leaders in the Super Sentai Series tokusatsu sci-fi action dramas. The characters they played all wore red costumes in their superhero forms, and their superhero names often include the word "Red."
The most senior actor at the event was Yoshitaka Tanba, who played Goro Sakurai, the human persona of superhero Spade Ace, in "J.A.K.Q. Dengekitai." This drama was broadcast in 1977 as the second work in the tokusatsu series. The youngest was Keisuke Minami, who played Tsurugi Otori, the human persona of superhero Hoo Soldier in "Uchu Sentai Kyuranger" (2017), the 41st drama in the series. There were 39 dramas and 40 years between these two men, who were both onstage that day.
The guests' talk was the main feature in the second half of the event and emphasized the sheer length of those 40 years.
Perhaps what changed most was the bus that brought the actors to location. Minami took for granted that the bus had an air conditioner and was fitted with a toilet. But that wasn't the case for the older actors.
"Why were you so lucky?" asked Tanba and other actor guests, including Daisuke Shima (Yusuke Amamiya, the human persona of Red Falcon in "Choju Sentai Liveman" in 1988) and Yuta Mochizuki (Geki of Tyranno Ranger in "Kyoryu Sentai Zyuranger" in 1992).
According to director Noboru Takemoto, who was also in attendance, it's still less than 10 years since the series' location bus was fitted with a toilet and other amenities. Before then, the dramas were apparently shot in a rather harsh environment.
A shocking comment came from Masaru Shishido, who played Goro Hoshino, the human persona of O-Red in "Choriki Sentai O-Ranger." "The suspensions of the bus were made of wood in my days," he said.
Likewise, the bento lunch boxes served on location were not tasty at all, according to older participants, who went on to reveal other hardships they endured. Apparently, one drama's staff members even picked wild grass and cooked it in a hot pot.
Fast forward to Minami's time, by when things had improved greatly. A catering service became available, and the actors could choose bento from several options.
Tanba disclosed another astonishing episode: There were no fitting sessions in his time, and he had to go to Isetan department store to buy red clothes by himself.
"Since I used the clothes during filming, I had to buy two of the same thing. It was tough," he said.
They continued talking about differences, but all the Red actors agreed on one point: the formidable nature of suit actors, who played superheros in full-body suits and masks. One suit actor did a scene where he performed a head-butt a few meters above ground, while another ran down the wall of a building from 15 meters up while suspended from a wire. The Super Sentai Series has continued for so many years thanks largely to these suit actors, who have bravely tackled potentially deadly action scenes.
Older Reds and younger Reds, Red actors and Red suit actors -- they gathered at the same venue and happily enjoyed each other's company. Watching them, I savored the brilliance of the Sentai culture yet again.
Suzuki is a Yomiuri Shimbun senior specialist and an expert on tokusatsu superhero films and dramas.
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