#tono hisamitsu

[wieniawskis]

when they swap clothes and hoeru is #struggling to button the boots up with the finicky button hook.

feat. kuon and maybe jou arresting him

[ummrm]

mr. divine punishment. kuon is really something

[jaylee-is-here]

oops I forgot to post this here

[hiyokosha]

What is Wrong With Kuon Based Off 17 Episodes and My Delusions : A Brief Essay

I started writing this as a joke and it got out of hand, so if the tone of the first half is kind of weird that's why. Anyways, here's my unfiltered unedited rant.

First thing that one needs to establish is the difference between Hisamitsu and Kuon; usually ‘Hisamitsu is dead’ could be understood as a metaphor instead of being taken literally. However, in Gozyuger, someone being ‘dead’ is a very important thing and also has the vital importance to Tegajune and her experiments, so in my opinion it is a comment that should not be ignored. We have established in the show so far that one, Hisamitsu is the one that entered the No. 1 World with Hoeru; Two, Hoeru is very much similar to Hisamitsu; And three, Hisamitsu is dead, and Kuon likes it to stay that way. 

To understand the importance of the comment, perhaps we can start with the name. ‘Tono Hisamitsu’ means ‘Far Field Lasting Light’. Kuon is a play on that name, and while written in Katakana, in the context of the Kanji it represents it means ‘Far Lasting’’. There’s a distinct sense of Hisamitsu being contorted and abandoning the ‘light’, which is quite fitting. However, despite the insistence that Hisamitsu is dead, Kuon still seems to be obsessive over Hisamistu’s brother, and he still addresses Hisamitsu as himself, despite saying that everything about Hisamitsu irritates him. There’s several possibilities about why he made this name change. Popular theories includes that he’s an AI like the rest of the Bridans(So his name and feelings are distorted because an AI cannot understand Hisamitsu’s complicated emotions), that he is ‘half dead’(like the experiments the queen is conducting), and also just his experience in the No One World screwed him up enough to make him feel disgust or anger over the type of person Hisamitsu was(very likely!).

Hisamitsu has not been shown a lot on screen, but we know that he was vastly different from Kuon. Coming from Kuon’s mouth about how Hoeru reminds him of Hisamitsu, it seems that Hisamitsu was genuinely a very kind-hearted person, much unlike Kuon. Hoeru stated that Hisamitsu would never berate him like Kuon had done, and grabbed Hoeru’s shoulder and shielded him when they were running from No Ones. Even just the fact that Hisamistu cared enough about Hoeru to be playing with him in the forest despite an 8 years age gap speaks a lot to how tight the brothers’ were. We know even though Hoeru’s kind of naive in some situations, he’s a good judge of character. Despite being affected by Kuon’s words in ep8, he didn’t join him in ep9, as he realised that Kuon is no longer the caring Hisamitsu. I think it’s also interesting that Hoeru thought Hisamitsu was dead because of something he had done. I feel like that incident, whatever it is, is probably the most deciding factor for Kuon’s obsession with Hoeru. 

There’s something fundamentally different about Kuon and Hisamitsu that the No One World distorted in a way it had not done to Hoeru. Personally, I think it might be that despite his speech in ep8 about no need for a dream, he clearly still wants something. From his obsession over Hoeru to whatever he’s plotting with saving Hoeru’s ring, he is perhaps the single character in the show who has shown the most ‘want’, just that the audience isn’t sure of what he wants. By contrast, Hoeru is someone who is truly dreamless. He survives and maybe experiences what he had lost in his childhood, but there’s nothing pushing him to truly live and ‘want’ like the others. So he survived the No One world with his sanity intact. On the other hand, Hisamitsu could not truly abandon his wish for whatever reason, so the No One World changed him. 

I also say that he clearly has a wish because of one of the most informationally dense lines from ep9 - “You will not escape this fight, Hoeru. I(ore) will destroy you, and then you will destroy me(boku)” (俺がお前を壊してやる！そしてお前が僕を壊す....) It is basically a confirmation that Kuon does ‘want’ something, even if that something seems to be mutual destruction of some sorts. But is it really mutual destruction? Despite the weight that line holds, the most interesting part is also the one most easily lost in translation. Kuon swapped his pronoun in this sentence, from ore to boku. Japanese pronouns are something that is quite complicated to get into, and a person often uses different pronouns in different situations. But stripping it of the social complexities, basically boku is something that is considered to be quite youthful and soft, while ore is the most most often used by adults and teens around friends and families. While it could be an adrenalin thing(and Kuon is said to lose control when he does get high on adrenaline), it should be noted that his emotions got more intense towards the end of the sentence, where he reverts to boku, even going so far as laughing maniacally. I feel like the line is written purposefully enough to be considered a plot hint. It should be noted that Kuon usually uses ‘boku’, and only ‘ore’ in some situations. 

Now we need to go back to Hisamitsu again. I feel like the key to this sentence is ‘what pronoun Hisamitsu uses’, and figure out what each pronoun represents in Kuon’s psyche. I could not track all the situations where he used ‘ore’, so I might have missed some that overturned my hypothesis completely. When it comes to the brothers’ line ‘You are my prey’, Hoeru uses ‘ore’ and Kuon uses ‘boku’, with one exception - when Hoeru was checking Kuon’s identity in ep8. Kuon, stating their childhood catchphrase, used ‘ore’. As the context clue implies that this line was actually Hisamitsu’s invention, it seems more likely than not that ‘ore’ is actually what Hisamitsu had used around Hoeru instead of ‘boku’, as Kuon now does. His other case of ‘ore’ that I can be sure of is ‘You have never beaten me in anything, Hoeru’, which seems to support that ‘ore’ is used when referring to his time as Hisamitsu. However, that assumption does make everything much more complicated. Why would Hisamitsu want to destroy Hoeru? Why would Kuon want Hoeru to destroy him? To be fully honest I do not have a good answer or even a guess to this question, and all I can offer on this topic is a surface level analysis of what he had said. It has been noted in an interview it was stated Kuon, and perhaps Hisamitsu, is someone who holds hatred for a lot of things, despite the appearance of love. So it is perfectly possible that Hisamitsu could have disliked Hoeru in his heart, but just never showed it. The truth of the pronoun switch could just be Hisamitsu/Kuon’s struggle between hate and love. His devotion to what seems to be numerous murder attempts against Hoeru and the strange action of protecting his ring Tegasword could serve as evidence to this theory. 

Speaking of love. In my opinion, the defining trait of Kuon’s character is the complete imbalance of love and control. I think it’s interesting how he is written as an extremely abusive, manipulative, and almost comically evil egomaniac, so much so that even his fellow generals call him out on multiple occasions, but his love for Hoeru feels just as real as his insanity. I think there’s no doubt that Kuon loves Hoeru, the true question here is how much of that is out of the wish for control. One of the most creepy things about Kuon is his seeming inability to realise that Hoeru is his own person. To some extent, he idolises Hoeru. “An angel that descended from heaven, my hope, my love, my doll’, is, in every way, an extremely strange comment to make about a grown 20 years old man. I think Kuon holds a view of Hoeru so detached from reality that he cannot see that his brother had grown up and into his own person. He sees Hoeru only as his baby brother that he had lost once. He sees young Hoeru, and even Hisamitsu, but he cannot see the current Hoeru in front of him. Because it doesn’t fit into his idea of Hoeru, so it is not real. Love, to Kuon, is control, and control is love. He loves Hoeru, and he wants to control every aspect of Hoeru, so that Hoeru is still the idol that he loves. Hoeru cannot have bad friends, so I will kill them to make sure he is not influenced by the wrong people. Hoeru should listen to me, because I know what’s best for him. 

I think ‘Let’s get married, Hoeru’ is a very intentionally written and good line because of this fact. It’s established in behind the scenes that this was a sentence said by Kuon when he was letting the rush of battle get to him, and something that Hoeru couldn’t hear. It isn’t a declaration of love said to anyone- but a deeply ingrained want for control mistaken as love. Tegajune and Kuon reflect each other in this battle. They both mistake control as love. There's a very distinct lack of love in the ‘wedding’ between Tegasword and Tegajune. Tegajune wants to marry Tegasword for her wish to remake the world, not because she truly loves him, and she mistakes that want for control as love. And while I believe that Kuon does love Hoeru to some extent, I feel that what this line truly wants to convey is the very opposite of what is said - that Kuon doesn’t understand what love is. It’s a twisted imitation of love. A wedding proposal should be romantic and loving - but the portrayal of that line is the exact opposite. His proposal was crazed, one-sided, and hurting Hoeru. Whether out of insanity or just a fundamentally twisted view on the world, to Kuon, love = control. I think in some ways, this is much more frightening than if Kuon just hates Hoeru or wants to hurt him, because he can’t even recognise that what he is doing is the worst for Hoeru.

I think that whatever is wrong with Kuon - it truly depends on what happened on ‘that day’ his promise to the Queen. There’s three clues as to what happened. One, the wound on his back. It clearly has something to do with Hoeru, as we were shown him taking off his shirt to check the state of that would while talking about Hoeru. It should be noted that this scar is clearly not from Hoeru’s attack, as he only landed once when there’s a x shaped cut, his clothing is not ripped, and that the scar is still growing and reaches the top of his shoulder by the end of the shot. There’s something corrupting him and actively causing him pain, and I theorise that this wound is in some ways, what caused the brothers to separate. Two, whatever happened on that day, the Queen saved him and gave him power, and in exchange he promised his life to the Queen. Which makes his comment about destroying each other even more confusing because that means he can’t let his life be taken by Hoeru out of his own will, which means that the ‘destroying’ probably means something other than killing, but that’s a mystery for another day. Three, Garyudo is something different from Gozyugers. He can use the Queen’s power to transform, but he is not Tegajune’s pilot in the way the Gozyugers are. Garyudo’s full title is Ring Hunter Garyudo - meaning that this is a form designed specifically to hunt rings instead of being Tegajune’s chosen one. In some sense he’s more like the universe warriors. The prerequisite for the wedding is all the rings and the Tegajune’s destined pilot - the best No One. Despite doing his job and defeating Tegasword, Kuon is not the pilot Tegajune is looking for. Which is curious because DarkWolfDecalibur50 is made for him and that Tegajune has a form called Bride Blade… But they could just not show her form in the show I guess. It’s an interesting dynamic, as Hoeru’s Tgeasword’s special little guy even out of the Gozyugers, but Kuon can’t even pilot Tgeajune… However, I feel like Tegajune does care about Kuon somewhat, saying that she knew he’d ask to be her pilot, and then even allowing him, despite knowing it could screw up the ceremony. Perhaps she also sees him as one of her children, despite being born human?

There’s also a few details that I wonder about, but couldn’t fit anywhere, so I will just throw them all into this paragraph. Having strangle coloured hair/eye colour is a clear indication that one is not human(see:The Bridans and Rikuo’s grey eye case). Kuon isn’t as extreme as his fellow generals, but there’s a clear streak of white in his hair. Maybe hinting at him being AI generated in some ways like the others? His eye also glows yellow when transforming while Gozyugers’ eyes stay the same but it’s probably a stylistic choice of some sort. The scar eroding his eye and showing up on Garyudo is creepy though. Likely also a stylistic choice but the implication that Garyudo is also a biological henshin inside the armour… 

Anyways, this rant of an essay is almost over. I am not quite sure what the takeaway is, but I have been having a lot of thoughts about this guy, and want to get it all out. I typed almost all of this in one sitting, so once again, while I tried to keep some notes, take everything I said with a grain of salt. Feel free to correct me on anything I got wrong and give your own opinion. I am very curious where Akiko is taking him. She is one of my favourite writers so I am quite intrigued. The Decade Novel she wrote was far from flawless, but still absolutely one of my favourite toku media. Thank you for reading, it was quite fun writing this.

[ivanneska]

I keep wondering, why does Kuon refer to Hoeru as an ANGEL, and not just as little brother? In a world where god and false gods exist, why would Kuon fixate on tormenting his own family, whom he seems do adore (to some extent) and sees as an angel, as the only manner of "salvation"?

I may be reading too much into things, but I think there's a catch in that "Hoeru's an angel" obsession of his. I can almost smell it.

[scratchface]

Kuon, in a show with an actual god and at least two false(?) gods, asserting he has no gods, only the angel that is his little brother...I love his fanaticism...

Kuon already said Hoeru is his only hope for salvation, but when he puts it that way, denying gods and elevating his brother, it sounds more insane then ever. And yet he only says that kind of thing when Hoeru won't hear it, and keeps a cool, uncaring facade when they're face-to-face.

I like the contrasting levels of heresy between the characters. Mashiro was abandoned by god (though TegaSword seems to have his own reasons for that), and now seeks to replace him. Both Tono brothers won't acknowledge any gods, and take what they want with their own hands. But there's a palpable difference between Kuon, who will play at being a god's servant to get what he wants, and Hoeru, who won't ask god for anything, who only relies upon himself, but will sit with god on the curb and offer him a burger...in that way, maybe he really is a good representation of an "angel"?

[thefoxtherapist]

Scrape

My recent comfort character is the WORST guy I s2g.

Kuon gets the shit kicked out of him, again. An estimation on why he's been absent for a little bit.

Tags: Kuon x gn!reader, fluff, wound cleaning, boss/subordinate dynamic.

It had taken a lot of time to get through to the man. He was standoffish when it became anything too close. He was charming and well spoken to investors, staff, clients. Anybody that he could keep at arms length, really. The moment it was anything more than that, he had the tendency to disappear.

Kind of hard to do that to you when you worked directly under him though. Maybe that was what gave you such a rare opportunity. You got to see more vulnerable sides of him, heard the mutterings of a mad man, the desperation for things to go right. He was unpredictable and wild, you’d compared him to a trapped animal a few times.

But still, it was for you he sat on the couch in his office, shirt removed. 

Kuon kept his eyes forward, face blank, expressionless. His hair was a mess, forcefully untied at some point. You had seen the scar a handful of times, he didn’t care as much about that, but he still made sure to keep his back straight. He got angry when you looked at it too long, let alone brought it up; so you did neither.

He’d been coming to the office more beat up recently, bruises and cuts littered his body, dislocated or broken fingers. Kuon would never say it, he was too proud, but he was clearly losing more than he won. 

You wondered if he was rethinking this whole evil allied business bit.

You doused the cotton ball in water, sitting on the edge of the coffee table, you then dabbed the split on his bottom lip. You gently rinsed the wound with the cotton ball, making sure there wasn’t any debris lodged into the cut. “Hold that,” you turned away and Kuon brought his hand up to press the cotton ball to his lip; applying pressure.

You opened the antibiotic ointment you kept in the medkit, spreading some on your finger. “Okay, let me see.” You turned back and he pulled the cotton ball off. It seemed like the majority of the bleeding had stopped. You carefully smeared some of the ointment on the cut, making him wince. “Sorry.” You smiled sheepishly, pulling back and taking the cotton ball.

“You should see a doctor for your hand.”

Kuon tsk’d, then immediately winced, the motion having irritated his mouth. “I don’t need a damn doctor.” He hissed, voice low and annoyed. He put no walls up, no masks or facades like usual. No, just his chipped glass interior. He leaned forward to make a point, but you pushed on his shoulder, pushing him back.

“Watch it, those bruises are swollen enough. I should bandage you while I’m at it..”

“Whatever.”

“I’ll have to touch your back to do it.”

Kuon averted his gaze, something swirled in the dark brown of his irises. You grabbed the roll elastic bandages from the medkit, prying the metal fastener off. You hesitated upon standing though, slowly unrolling the bandages. You stopped up beside him and he looked forward again, then he shifted forward a bit more.

“Go for it. Just don’t tie them too tightly.”

“I won’t.” Not good for a hematoma anyway. But you knew he didn’t care. “Here, hold this end, right here.” You gave him the one edge to hold and he did wordlessly. You carefully began to wrap the elastic bandage around his torso. You tried to not pay too much attention to his back, not the freckles along his shoulders or the way the ‘scar’ there pulsated and throbbed as if it were alive.

You fastened the bandages with the metal fastener, making sure they weren’t too tight but that they wouldn’t fall off when he moved. Once you were satisfied, you sat back down on the table, you looked at him; he did not look at you.

Gently, you took his hand, looking over the disjointed parts of his knuckles and fingers. You felt his hand up slowly and carefully, trying your best to determine if any of it was broken. “Just looks like these two are dislocated, best I can guess without an x-ray at least..” You couldn’t really put them back in without risking more damage. You sighed.

“If I splint them you won’t have proper movement in that hand.”

“Just leave it then.”

“They could heal wrong-”

“Don’t care, I need my hands.” 

Kuon’s voice was firm, a total shutdown, you knew how this show played. “Yes, sir.” You began to clean up the medical supplies you used, listening to him slide back on the couch until he was pressed against the back of it. You stood up to throw out the bloodied gauze and cotton, leaving the room to wash your hands afterwards.

When you returned, Kuon was attempting to pull his button up back on, having difficulties moving his one arm through the hole. You rounded the couch, grabbing his shirt from his hand much to his surprise. “Until the swelling goes down a little bit, keep this off.” You threw the black fabric beside him. “We don’t have any ice, you have to wait it out.”

He made a face at you and you rolled your eyes in return. He was so childish when he wanted to be. You put the rest of the supplies away and shut the medkit, closing the clasps. Then you put it away in your side office. Kuon was a lot to handle on a good day, usually he didn’t even bother sticking around on a bad day. Much to your surprise, he was still sitting there when you returned a second time. 

You moved his shirt to the armrest and then sat down beside him. Kuon was quiet still, his usually steady hands shook with unease as he rested them on his lap. “Was it your brother again?” You asked, taking a softer tone to soften the potential crash. But he just looked down, salt and pepper hair hiding his face.

“Yes.”

“He’s getting pretty good.”

He laughed, but there was no soul in it. It was a sound you were used to, your lips curled upwards nonetheless. At times, it was as genuine as he could be. “Yeah,” he breathed, sighing and sitting back, “yeah he is.” He admitted.

“He has a whole team though, not really fair, is it?”

“I have a team too, they just suck.”

You’d only met the other Bridan members sparingly, he tended to keep his two types of work as separate as possible. He really didn’t like Fire Candle though, often complaining about him whenever he got a glass of wine in him. 

Kuon seemed more relaxed though, the flames of the battle finally beginning to flicker out. You shuffled a bit closer, until you were touching him. Then you carefully laid your head on his shoulder. He tensed but only for the initial contact, then he relaxed again. He then carefully laid his head on top of yours.

You took his hand, carefully sliding your own against it, making sure not to touch his dislocated fingers. “You should take it easy for a few days. Fighting now will only do more harm than good.” After all, as far as you were aware, he was still only human. 

He lifted his head and you brought yours up to look up at him. His face changed, it wasn’t neutral, but it was still hard to read. It was difficult to grasp his emotions, but he looked disappointed, maybe? He intertwined his fingers with yours, uncaring of the pain it caused him, only momentarily flashing across his face. 

“Kuon…”

He looked at you, tilting his head a bit with a smile, his hair messily obscuring a bit of his face. You sighed and reached up with your free hand, brushing his hair out of his eyes, tucking what you could behind his ear. “Don’t make me force you to rest.” You furrowed your eyebrows at him and your boss hummed in response.

“Scary threat coming from you, I’ve seen you shake down the engineers..” 

You rolled your eyes, yeah he would be fine.

“I mean it,” you pushed yourself up so you were more face to face. Kuon gazed into your eyes and while it was almost overwhelming, you held your ground. “You will rest.” He quirked a brow, he was challenging you now. You didn’t even think about it, leaning in, your lips brushed against the mole under his eye. 

His eyes were closed when you pulled back, his face something more soft and vulnerable than usual. His pale skin was complimented by a slight pink blush across the bridge of his nose and cheeks. You brought your free hand up again, gently dragging your knuckles along his soft cheek. 

Kuon was a lot of things, a lot of bad things even. But there was weakness in his strength. You felt blessed you were so privy to it.

[theinkedfoxsl]

I have really big feelings about Kuon as a character coming from someone whose number one writing trope is 'familial redemption and re-connection' but will i ever write them out? probably not so have this instead

listen. i just think its really interesting that kuon is canonically scared of something we don't understand yet. i think its really interesting that he keeps doing these things that aren't bad and are even good only to at the last second follow it up with something bad

(I brought her back so you could see her + You couldn't protect her) being a good example of this, and especially because.. she was dead anyways? There was no reason to say that other than because otherwise this action would have been. somewhat. kind. In a weird way. Amongst other things he does(ie: protecting Hoeru's ring)

anyways I think Kuon is interesting. I know why he gets the disdain he gets. But I really hope we can see him grow as a character, because what we know, what we've been shown, gives him some really good space to change.

[mirai-e-jump]

Uchusen Vol.189 (Summer 2025) No.1 Sentai Gozyuger | Detail of Super Sentai ft. Kimura Kaiki & Karuma Interviews (pages and translations below)

Publication: July 1, 2025

Kimura Kaiki (Kumade Mashiro)

"When did your audition for Kumade Mashiro take place?"

Kimura: The results arrived around last Fall. The audition itself was even earlier than that, as I did it at the same time as the other members.

"Did you also find out at the same time who the five Gozyugers were going to be?"

Kimura: The only thing I could be told was that I had been chosen. That's why when information was first being officially released, I knew almost nothing, and learned about them at the same time as all the fans. When I found out I was like, "Ah, so these are the five people they decided on. This guy's Red, and that guy's Blue……," but since information on me was still being withheld, I couldn't tell anyone, so I was just secretly excited about it (laughs).

"So then, were you able to communicate with the other Gozyuger members from early on?"

Kimura: We were always together until the final audition, so we were kinda acquainted with each other, but I had virtually zero communication with them up until I entered the set. When I arrived at the set for costume fitting, it felt as if I was saying, "It's been awhile" when I introduced myself to them. I hadn't seen everyone since the final audition, so it had been about 3-4 months. From the time I was informed of my acceptance to the start of filming felt like a very long time, but the time I've spent since I first arrived has really flown by, and it's been very fulfilling.

"The atmosphere on set is also very good, isn't it?"

Kimura: It's natural for everyone to be together, as we get along well. After filming ends, we sometimes go out to eat a meal with those who have free time, and we'll talk all night not only about the production, but also about a variety of other things. Everyone naturally has moments where they trip up on set, but those who have the time to spare will follow up with them, so it's not just that we get along well, but there's also a feeling that we're all in this together. Our relationship is exactly like that of the Gozyugers. I think we're able to work well together, as we maintain a good distance and help each other out, and just like in the show, each and every one of us are aiming to become Number One as actors, so I hope we continue to learn from each other.

"What was your first impression of Kumade Mashiro?"

Kimura: First, I read the script, where I was pretty shocked by how intense his character was (laughs). When I thought that the viewers should be shocked in the same way I was when I read the script, I felt pressure and excitement that "I was going to be playing this kind of role." These two feelings struck me simultaneously. That's why I had been looking forward to my first day for such a long time.

"He demands money immediately and has an unusual personality, so we were alittle worried that children might not like him (laughs)."

Kimura: He's always full of himself and is a rather peculiar character (laughs). The same goes for the fact that he charges money as soon as something happens, but if you're looking at just those scenes alone, his character becomes easily misunderstood. In reality however, he had alot going on in his past, and he's got his reasons for charging money. These parts regarding the, "This is the kind of life he's led, and this is the kind of person he's become" will gradually be explored more. I'm still in the process of understanding him as I perform, so in that sense I'm just like the viewers. I hope to enjoy watching the show with everyone, and am curious to see their reactions. And then on the flip side, I'm reading the script while thinking about how to show off Kumade Mashiro's cute side. For example, there's a scene in episode 17 where he's very kind to a child, and in episode 19, he eats honey in a way where he looks incredibly satisfied. Just being able to get the message across that he loves honey is amusing, and I try to be conscious of acting in a way that contrasts his character when expressing aspects like that.

"His costume is also pretty distinct."

Kimura: I thought, "This is new" when I was flapping his flashy coat around (laughs). To be honest, coats like these tend to wrinkle quite easily, so I have to be very careful when wearing it on set.

"What do you particularly like about your character?"

Kimura: Well……I guess it'd be that I can't immediately grasp what he's thinking. Kumade Mashiro has a unique and considerate way of thinking that normal people can't understand, and I think that's deep. He's also incredibly big hearted and open minded, and that's something I'd like to emulate as an actor. And, it's also interesting seeing how he can instantly detect the emotions and situation concerning the person in front of him. There's a scene where he immediately notices that Hoeru's losing hope, and it's because he has this ability to sense other people's emotions that he notices things faster than anyone else, and acts with a different thought process than other people. I like that about him too.

"He's a mysterious character who can tell when Kuon's getting impatient, is able to read people, and seems to be able to see through everything."

Kimura: I'm playing the role while thinking that these are abilities unique to him, but if he could see everything at a glance, like it was some kind of special ability, I feel like that wouldn't be as interesting as it sounds. That's why, and ultimately this is just my own interpretation, but……I think he can somehow sense the "direction" of people's emotions. I can't really explain it in detail, but I think he gets alot of information just from the way someone looks and behaves, where it's like, "You're a hairdresser, aren't you?"……is what I think it feels like.

"He's positioned to shake things up within the story, including the future outcome of the battle for the rings."

Kimura: He won the previous ring battle, so that's where he's got an advantage. Mashiro uses his rings in different ways, and he's not afraid of doing things that'll make you wonder, "Is it really okay to be using them like that?," as it seems like he's following his own rule book. These differences between Mashiro and the other participants are part of his charm, so I hope fans will enjoy those aspects of him as well. In a good way, I want to betray your expectations of Mashiro, including his unexpected side, and I myself want to become excited over what Mashiro says and does. I'd like to enjoy the unpredictability that only Mashiro possesses together with everyone.

"Listening to what you've been saying, it feels like you're able to comprehend Mashiro very well, but have you faced any challenges while performing?"

Kimura: I have, that being that my personality is the complete opposite of Kumade Mashiro's (laughs). For example, Mashiro's a character who's usually very "bear like," so I can't help but become abit aggressive when I'm doing post recording. However, that alone didn't make him sound "godly," so I've been struggling to find the right balance. I initially struggled with finding the right balance between doing things gracefully and not being too godly.

"What was your first impression of GozyuPolar's design?"

Kimura: I couldn't figure out what color he'd be just from the name "GozyuPolar," so before I saw the design of the suit, the color was my first concern. When I looked at the design, I saw a white hero, which made alot of sense since he's Kumade Ma"shiro" and the coat he wears is also white. I was honestly overwhelmed by how cool he looked. After all, I'm the only person in the world who can transform into GozyuPolar. When I think about it like that, I feel really happy.

"What about GozyuPolar's Suit Actor Nakata Yuji-san?"

Kimura: He's simply the coolest (laughs). I was able to observe how Nakata-san performed on set, and he was truly amazing. I was observing while thinking about how I'd perform during post recording, but he really looks just like Kumade Mashiro. Basically, he fights using a boxing style, and when the moment is right, he unleashes his flashy moves……it's like that. I thought, "Nakata-san, you're so cool!" (laughs).

"What do you talk about on set?"

Kimura: Nakata-san told me, "Don't be hesitant about creating Mashiro's character, it's good if you go all out," but that's one of the things I'm really struggling with right now. I'd like to steadily build up my skills while receiving a variety of advice from Nakata-san on how to draw out more of Kumade Mashiro's personality.

"By the way, who came up with the transformation pose?"

Kimura: During filming of my first transformation, Action Director Fukuzawa-san was able to come up with the movements on the spot. Ultimately, the transformation is performed by pressing the button on the tip of Goodeburn's fist, so I was asked to think about the sequence of events from setting the ring to pressing the button. We worked together to finalize the plan, while also taking into consideration how to make it easy for children to imitate.

"Polar's so strong, that it seems like he could take down Tega Sword unarmed."

Kimura: There's a scene in episode 16 where Goodeburn's punch was stopped by GozyuPolar, which was also amazing. Polar's activities in that episode were really exciting, and it was so cool and moving to watch. While Mashiro's a character who says some complicated things, it'd make me happy if the first thing children honestly felt about him were, "So cool! So strong!"

"Have you met KENN-san, BearKuma50 and Goodeburn's Voice Actor?"

Kimura: One time, I had the opportunity to do my recording session before KENN-san did his, so it was the perfect time to greet him. I was able to observe KENN-san's recording and introduce myself to him afterwards, but I was grateful for the advice he gave me on doing the recording. In reality, it's like the positions Kumade and BearKuma hold are reversed (laughs). He's my senior after all, what's more, he's playing a double role with BearKuma and Goodeburn, so he's an incredible person.

"Since Mashiro works alone, BearKuma and Goodeburn are also valuable friends."

Kimura: They're his only friends and partners, aren't they? The relationship between BearKuma and Mashiro is gradually becoming clearer, and I'm eager for many more interesting interactions between the two of them in the future.

"What else do you hope for Kumade Mashiro's character at this point?"

Kimura: I hope that he'll carry out his ultimate goal of collecting all the rings and dying them in his own colors, and becoming a god that'll surpass Tega Sword. I personally believe that it's malicious to think otherwise. Still, what'll happen in the future, including the final showdown with the other Gozyugers, is really uncertain. If you start thinking about what "being Number One even means," then there's no end to it. That's why I have the same perspective as the viewers, and am really looking forward to it.

"What's your impression of Gozyuger's production as a whole?"

Kimura: I like that all of the Gozyugers have their reason for transforming and fighting. They're all aiming to become Number One, but have different courses of action, and I really like the fact that they all have pride in being outcasts. They also pilot Tega Sword one at a time. While normally everyone just does what they want in order to collect the rings for themselves, when No One's shows up, they try to save people, which I think is good. There are moments like that where they turn to face the same direction, and only in those moments do the five of them become Gozyuger. They're all acting for their own personal motives, and yet they join forces as the Gozyugers when necessary, so I like their spirit. Furthermore, I'm truly grateful to have joined such a messed up group of warriors as the strongest additional member. I'll do my best to become the most supreme being!

"Finally, please tell us some future highlights."

Kimura: Kumade Mashiro was the former contract holder of Wolf's ring, and who at one time experienced victory in the battle for the rings. I'm sure that he must've had some Gozyuger companions at that time, and in that sense, he's already experienced what Hoeru and his friends will experience in the future. This is why there's a gap between his way of thinking and Hoeru and the others, and there's dialog that only Mashiro can say. If you rewatch later on, you may discover deeper meanings hidden within his lines. I'm playing Mashiro with the belief that each and every line holds meaning, so I think you'll enjoy him even more if you take his various words and actions into consideration, and think about Kumade Mashiro's character together with me!

Karuma (Kuon)

"First, we'd like to hear how you got involved, but did you attend an audition?"

Karuma: I received a direct offer. I think it was late last Summer, when auditions for the five main actors had yet to begin. Along with the role I was set to play, his name hadn't been decided on yet.

"It was still quite early in development, huh?"

Karuma: That's right. They didn't have a name for my character yet, neither did they have the "older brother of the main character" setup, so all I had was "something like this" for my character's position and the title being "Gozyuger." From there, information was gradually added and updated.

"We think it's unusual to receive an offer so quickly for a character who's not on the leading actor's side, but we're sure they were enthusiastic about asking Karuma-san to play the role."

Karuma: I'd be happy if that's how it went. It seems that they watched a drama I was in, which was the catalyst to request me. When I was first approached, the only material they had was a 3D design of Garyudo. When my agency called me and told me that "this kind of job had come in," that was the only design they showed me, but after discussing various things with Producer Matsuura and the staff at a later date, it was decided that I'd be appearing.

"What was your first impression of Garyudo's design?"

Karuma: The moment I saw it I thought, "Huh? It's not Super Sentai, but Kamen Rider?" (laughs). I had only heard a summary of it over the phone, so I thought maybe I had misheard.

"That's true, when it comes to Sentai heroes, you'd likely imagine simpler designs."

Karuma: Yes. Or in the case of villains, I imagined he'd be more monstrous. However, when I saw it, it was so stylish and cool that I thought, "Which is it?" I didn't even really know what kind of position my character held, and initially it was unclear if he was an enemy or an ally. After that, I was shown materials alittle at a time, and while I was in the process of confirming some points that were still unclear to me, I had heard that auditions had started. By that time, I had received the news that I was "Hoeru's older brother," so I was really looking forward to seeing who'd be playing the role of my younger brother.

"By the way, do you have a favorite tokusatsu hero from when you were a child?"

Karuma: I started watching right around the time the Heisei Kamen Rider series began. For Rider, it'd be "Kuuga," "Agito," and "Ryuki," and for Super Sentai, "Gaoranger," "Hurricaneger" and "Abaranger" were without a doubt my favorites, and I also had a variety of the toys. I've always liked rival, warrior like characters since those days. I admire characters who are in the position of being the secondary Rider or dark heroes. Like Gills from Agito and AbareKiller from Abaranger.

"In that sense, this role was a perfect offer."

Karuma: I never thought that I'd be asked to be apart of the Super Sentai series, so I was happy, but it gave me a strange feeling at first. I also wondered, "Is it okay that it's me?"

"We think you must've had some anxiety at the time you entered filming."

Karuma: Even though I was the first one to be cast, I only joined in on filming somewhat into the show, so I was very nervous. Also, this is my first time participating in a tokusatsu program, a genre with such a long history, so I felt pressured. It's also the Super Sentai production commemorating the 50th anniversary.

"How did you feel when you actually saw Garyudo after the transformation?"

Karuma: First off, the transformation scene is incredibly cool. The way battles were depicted at the time of his first appearance were also the strongest, and it made me think, "Is it alright for him to be this strong at this point?" We still have a long way to go, so I worried that everyone would get used to that strength (laughs). And then, it's interesting that he uses previous Reds by turning them into his weapons during battle. I thought it was a new idea to not only summon past warriors, but to then use them as weapons.

"The impact of your first appearance was intense. We could see that your character had already been refined."

Karuma: Thank you. The fact that I received a direct offer rather than an audition suggests that they thought I had some kind of appeal that only I could give, so if that were the case, I thought I should clearly show off that appeal from the start so that everyone could see it. As an actor, I was called to play a stimulating character who, in a way, would stir up trouble for those around him, so I didn't hold back……and from the very beginning, I wanted to do something that would make the children who watched me cry. That's why even after I was cast as Kuon in this, I challenged myself to not watch any other Sentai production. I wanted to create a character that had never been seen before, and I wanted him to be scary even for adults. Also, when I read the script, I felt that including the Buraidans, there were "alot of beloved characters." Considering that this is a production that'll continue for a whole year, it's definitely good to have some characters that'll attract hatred. That's why I thought that Kuon should be in a position where he's not simply scary, but very clearly the enemy.

"He's been an incredibly unpleasant guy since the very beginning, and for a variety of reasons, we wondered if you'd be okay (laughs)."

Karuma: It's alright. As long as I'm the one bearing the hate, It's completely fine (laughs).

"We were also curious to see how children would react."

Karuma: To be honest, I too had some hesitation in that regard. I of course don't want children to dislike me, and even the vibes on set were initially like, "Is this really appropriate for a children's program……?" (laughs). However, if Kuon wasn't scary, I think Gozyuger's story probably wouldn't be as exciting as it is now. There's plenty of other appealing characters, but I thought that Kuon should always have that sort of position within the story, and I hope that in comparison to Kuon, the other characters will come off as more appealing. I also think that if I continue to play a consistently evil role, the amount of people who'll end up liking Kuon will gradually increase. That's why especially in the very beginning, I calculated that "even an overly big impact would be just fine." By the way, I'm grateful to hear that Kuon's acrylic stand apparently sold out first (laughs).

"What's also impressive is that despite the other characters being highly energetic, there are many scenes in which you perform while staying calm."

Karuma: When I was first approached about the role, I asked the Producer, "Can I seriously act in a way that'll scare people?" Although my performance of Kuon is based on staying focused, I wanted to tone down my usual energy levels in order to convey how scary he is when I have to get into it. It feels like there's definitely something going on behind the scenes, but you can never tell what he's normally thinking about, so I thought that if I go all out with excitement during crucial moments, it would come off as lively but also terrifying. In that sense, everyone around me is basically putting on a strong performance, so I always try not to be influenced by them. Especially for Fire Candle's Sanbongi-san, he always has a smile on his face that radiates like the sun (laughs), so I have a hard time trying not to get pulled along in the scenes we share together. I was aware that Kuon was going to go on a rampage in episode 15, so up until then, I was playing the role while thinking about building up frustration inside me and then exploding.

"As the broadcast continues, the story has begun to take off in a big way, but has your impression of the production changed in any way?"

Karuma: In a good way, I think the very beginning was chaotic. Still, I feel that Kuon's appearance set the direction of the story and shaped the production, and I believed that it was my mission. The main characters are now all on the same page, and as of late, I think the excitement of "what's going to happen from now on?" has been steadily increasing.

"When Kuon appeared, there was a feeling that the weight of the show shifted dramatically from comical to serious. In a sense, Kuon is at the center of this work."

Karuma: At the moment, he's on Buraidan side because the Queen has absolute trust in him, but I feel that he's in a complicated position, where he's not strictly on the Buraidan or Gozyuger side. I believe that this unrest will give rise to a serious situation.

"Do you have many scenes with the Buraidan team during filming?"

Karuma: There's about a fifty fifty chance of my scenes involving me talking with either the Buraidans or Gozyugers, but right now, filming itself has been slow, so I have the feeling of, "I guess the next time I'll see everyone will be in a month or two." There's no characters who act like my partner or that's always with me in the main story, so there isn't anyone in particular that I often work with……

"Are you stuck in this complex position on the set……?"

Karuma: No, no, it's not like that at all (laughs). I'm not shy at all, and am always talking on set. Every time I go I'm like, "It's been awhile!," where it almost feels like Summer vacation just ended and it's my first day of the second semester. There've been a few times where if everyone's available after filming finishes, we'll all go out for a meal together. I still haven't had that many opportunities since the timing of my return doesn't often match up with everyone else's schedules. Still, I enjoy every visit to Toei's film studio since I often get to meet people who've helped me out in the past and people I've worked together with at other jobs.

"As for Kuon's story, his relationship with his younger brother Hoeru will be an important point in the future developments."

Karuma: That's right. There are still things from his past that haven't been revealed, such as what happened in the No One World, and there are things that I myself haven't been told yet, so I'm looking forward to seeing what comes next. I feel that Kuon's very existence is a major foreshadowing for Gozyuger's entire story. Personally, I play the role with the thought that, "Kuon has his own sense of justice." Even if it doesn't appear that way at first glance, he's doing the right thing in his own way, it's just that his perspective and position are different from the other characters. Still, I don't know if that sense of justice will be shared by the Gozyugers, which is why I don't have even a single millimeter of hope that a development will occur where he'll become friends with the Gozyugers, and I'm fine with him remaining an enemy until the very end. I don't know what'll happen in the future, but I think the only thing I can do now is to believe in Kuon.

"That type of acting may be one of the fun aspects of a drama that lasts for a year."

Karuma: That's right. Besides, since he's not a regular character who appears every week, I think it's important to "not get used to Kuon." Instead of becoming a predictable character, I think it'd be more enjoyable if he appears every once in awhile so that people will think, "Uwah, he's here!"

"By the way, do you have any plans to try out some untransformed action scenes in the future?"

Karuma: I haven't done that much in this production yet, but I've always loved action. Right now Kuon doesn't seem to be moving around that much, partly because Garyudo's way too strong, but personally, I've been working on a series of action filled productions since last year, so I'd love to try my hand at it if the opportunity arises.

"And now finally, please give a message to our readers."

Karuma: I think the "flavor" of Kuon's character is gradually being conveyed (laughs), but I believe that people can view the battle scenes and drama parts in a variety of different ways, so it'd make me happy if you enjoy Gozyuger like that, and continue to love Kuon.

[t-u-i-t-c]

Kuon in No. 1 Sentai Gozyuger 01x15 Stop the June Bride

+ bonus

[ankh-o-holic]

Far fetch... But...what if.. the real hisamitsu is actually dead and kuon is just an imitation of the real hisamitsu created by TegaJune

with his little brother being the only clear/strong memory he has of his original that's why he's obsessed with hoeru and by destroying Hoeru he surpasses hisamitsu cause he is his weakness or something

[wieniawskis]

deaged!hoeru minicomic!

and bonus bc sumino would be great with children:

and kuon bonus (hoeru is LITERALLY three apples tall here 😭)

[beelivelive]

Idk Tono brothers as the Blind Justice cover

[jaylee-is-here]

erm... I made something for fun lol

[bearsnessecity]

[violetlou2020]

Ao3 Fic link

First fic written this year 💕