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Uchusen Vol.185 (Summer 2024) Bakuage Sentai Boonboomger | Detail of Super Sentai ft. Main Cast & Director Interviews, Summer Film Details (translations below)

Publication: July 1, 2024

Miyazawa Yu (Sakito Homura)

"To start, please tell us why Miyazawa-san decided to become an actor, and what happened when you first became aware that you were an actor."

Miyazawa: I've been playing soccer since I was little, and even in high school, I played on the soccer team while living at the dorms. It was located in Shizuoka, but there were alot of kids around me who were in the entertainment business, so I kinda had the impression of it being a glorious thing. However, I was serious about soccer, participating in national competitions and such at the time. After that, when I entered college, I happened to be approached by an entertainment agency, and that's where my entertainment career began. I started to pursue acting when I played the role of a classmate in the 2015 film, "Girl's Step." Even after a cut or during set up, I'd see some actors practicing their lines, and that's how things started taking shape. When I quit playing soccer and had nothing in particular to be passionate about, I was impressed by the seriousness with which they tried to create things. The TV shows and films we watch are finished products, right? When I learned about the production process, I was surprised to discover how "deep" it was. Until that moment, I had no idea that the Director and actors communicate with each other to create the performance, and that there are many other departments involved in the production, such as the filming department, lighting department, and audio department. I was impressed by the fact that so many people could create a single production in this way. Then, when everyone around me started job hunting, I began to think, "Becoming some company employee doesn't seem right," and that's when I started to pursue acting properly. I was around 22 years old then.

"What kind of actor did you aspire to become?"

Miyazawa: There are many actors who are good at performing called "chameleon actors," and I still aspire to become that kind of actor, being able to play roles that only I can play.

"The agency Miyazawa-san belongs to, G-STAR PRO, has many people who have worked on Toei's tokusatsu productions in the past, doesn't it? Miyazawa-san, did you also have any desire to work on tokusatsu productions?"

Miyazawa: Yes. I've always wanted to be in one. The first production I auditioned for was "Kamen Rider Drive," when I was 19 years old at the time. From there, I've had more than 10 auditions for the Kamen Rider and Super Sentai series. Many of the seniors from my agency have appeared in tokusatsu productions, but they all transferred from other agencies, and as a matter of fact, no one made their tokusatsu debut from this agency at that time. That's why I was auditioning, determined to be the first. The outcome was that Kawana-kun (Kiryu Daigoro in King-Ohger) was the first actor, but I always had a strong desire to be in a tokusatsu production.

"Did you get the feeling that others were ahead of you?"

Miyazawa: To be honest, I didn't really feel that I was being overtaken. Still, I'm 29 years old now, and the main cast of the Super Sentai series usually consists of people around their early 20s, so I wondered if it was going to become tougher for me. Especially in the last 2-3 years……I had a strong feeling that I'd probably fail the audition anyways. Actually, I also auditioned for the initial members of Boonboomger last year, and was able to make it to the final selection. However, I was eliminated in the end. This is the toughest place to fail. You start to think, "Ah, maybe it'll work out?" (laughs). I had the feeling of, "I've been failing for so long, I guess I'll never pass."

"Did you audition for the role of Sakito Homura after watching Boonboomger?"

Miyazawa: Boonboomger had already started airing, so I knew what kind of story it was going to be. However, Sakito Homura is quite a special character (laughs). I wanted to try to express a slightly different kind of character, one that's different from the worldview we've seen up until now in Boonboomger.

"How did you feel when you heard about the audition?"

Miyazawa: I wanted to pass this time, but I had a feeling that I'd fail again. However, when I saw the character profile of Sakito Homura written in the audition summary, I thought, "This character, isn't this just me?" (laughs). It's a strange story, but it gave me confidence that I would definitely pass the audition this time. On the other hand, I felt that if I failed this one, I'd never get another audition for a tokusatsu production.

"Does this mean you thought Sakito Homura seemed to resemble you?"

Miyazawa: The incomplete part of him, his weaknesses, and his vulnerabilities, I felt that they were similar to my own. Also, I like characters who are cheerful but have some kind of dark side to them. I had a desire to try playing such a role, and was strangely confident that I could definitely express it myself.

"How did you feel when you finally passed after almost 10 years of doing auditions?"

Miyazawa: I received a call about 30 minutes after the final selection (laughs). On my way home, my manager asked me, "Can you come to the office now?," where I was told that I had passed. It didn't really sink in at the time……It was only during filming of the first Change that the realization of "I've become a hero" actually hit me. The first Change was filmed on the fourth day after I arrived on set, so up until the third day, I felt the same as when I was working on other productions (laughs). When I was working with Action Director Jun-san and Violet's Suit Actor Tsutamune-san on thinking up transformation poses, the realization of what I was doing started to bubble up inside me, and when the cameras started rolling and I posed for the transformation and Tsutamune-san came out as BoonViolet, that's when it finally hit me.

"We understand that the three of you came up with the transformation poses together, but who took the lead?"

Miyazawa: Since it was my first time, Jun-san and Tsutamune-san pulled me along, but rather than anyone taking the lead, we thought about it as a group of three. I wanted to express myself in some way, since the transformation pose I decided on here will be the one that will remain with me for the rest of my life. Jun-san and Tsutamune-san also said that, "Miyazawa-kun's favorite pose should be good." I thought about it while receiving lots of ideas from both of them. Speaking of, there's something I like regarding Sakito's transformation pose, can I tell you about it? (laughs).

"Please go ahead (laughs)."

Miyazawa: There's the pose that looks like he's waving a checkered flag, which is meant to say, "Sakito Homura is here to end the game. I'm here, and everything's alright now." In addition, Sakito loves fighting and chaos, and is a forward character who wants to stir things up on his own, so I incorporated the attitude of Sakito Homura into the pose, with the spinning (of the checkered flag) around and sprinting forward from a jump.

"It's a transformation pose with alot of attention to detail. Before Boonboomger, Miyazawa-san appeared in "Super Battle Junretsuger," "Kamen Rider Revice," and "Kamen Rider Gotchard." You have alot of experience gained from dramas, films, and stage plays, but do you feel that tokusatsu productions have a different feel to them?"

Miyazawa: My first acting role was in Kamen Rider Revice. I've been watching "Kamen Rider" since I was a child, so it felt alittle different than appearing in a regular TV drama. Tokusatsu productions are something we remember and admire from our childhood, right? I was deeply moved to be apart of such a production.

"I know we talked about filming first, but after you were cast for the role, how did you prepare to portray Sakito Homura?"

Miyazawa: Sakito's setting is that he's been in space for about 20 years, so for starters, I've never been to space (laughs). Since he's a character with an unusual past, I had the impression of a character who's far removed from reality. I created the backbone of Sakito Homura's character by imagining life in space, and by watching American comic book films like "The Avengers," which I hadn't seen much of before, and discovered things I didn't have in my own repertoire.

"Filming for episode 18 has finished (at the time of this interview), but have your impressions of Sakito changed as a result of your performance?"

Miyazawa: He was in space for almost 20 years, and I think he's become a detached type of character in an attempt to appear strong. But in reality, he's the kind of character who feels that there's one thing he wants to protect, and aside from that, nothing else matters to him. As I played the role, I strongly felt Sakito's humanity, thinking that it was okay to show such emotions in small detail, and that (Sakito) was capable of it.

"Will Byundi (Byun Diesel) be the one with whom you've performed with the most up to episode 18?"

Miyazawa: That's right. I was filming while consulting with Takada Masashi-san. The relationship between Sakito and Byundi is really good, like that of Luffy and Ace from "ONE PIECE." They have a relationship where they support each other, so when Byundi puts down the gun he's pointing at his opponent, Sakito also puts down his, and I'm working with Takada-san in mind while being conscious of the habits that Sakito has as he matches Byundi. I've also been discussing with Tsutamune-san how BoonViolet should interact with Byundi after the Change. In the beginning, I watched Tsutamune-san and Takada-san's performance as BoonViolet and Byundi, and I even played Sakito with them in mind before the Change.

"How's the mood with the other cast members playing Boonboomgers?"

Miyazawa: There are younger kids like Iuchi-kun and Saito-kun, who are only 19 years old, so it's a very energetic set. At first, I was worried about whether I'd be able to communicate well with them, but everyone is very kind. They came rushing over to me when I was having my costume fit and asked things like, "What's Violet like?," and I thought, "Uwah, they're so cute" (laughs). We'll be working together for more than half a year, so I'd like to go out to dinner together and steadily become closer. I've only been on set for less than a month, but we're communicating well, and I'm having fun working together with everyone.

"We've noticed that Sakito will be featured in the film that'll be released this Summer."

Miyazawa: I didn't expect to be able to perform so soon after I appeared. There's a scene where Mira asks for help, and I thought hard about how Sakito should react there. Presumably, in the timeline of the film, Sakito will have grown enough where he acts for his friends. For me personally, it was difficult because we haven't filmed that much of the main series yet……(bitter smile). I was also happy to be able to perform in a scene where all six of us fight together, a development that's typical of the Super Sentai series.

"There's still more than half a year left to film, but is there anything you'd like to challenge yourself to in this show?"

Miyazawa: Up until now, I've often played the role of a villain, but I tried not to show that part of myself since this time children would be watching (laughs). I'd also like to try my hand at acting in a situation where I have to fight to protect someone while falling apart. I think Boonboomger is different from the films and TV dramas I've been involved with in the past, and in terms of acting, I'm asked to express myself in a way that's easy to understand, and I'm also being asked to show parts of myself that I haven't shown before, so I'd like to continue to challenge myself in these areas.

"Regarding Sakito Homura, what would you like people to pay attention to from now on in Boonboomger?"

Miyazawa: I think episode 18 showed us alot of Sakito's strengths and vulnerabilities. How will Sakito be involved with the Boonboomgers going forward? I hope you'll look forward to seeing how Sakito and Byundi change and grow over the course of each episode. If the viewers can feel that growth, then I'll be happy to have played the role of Sakito. Please make sure you pay attention to that.

Matsumoto Rika (Bundorio Bunderas VA)

-Delivering energy for the children's sake-

"First, we'd like to ask about the story behind your offer for this production."

Matsumoto: The first offer I received was to voice the "DX Boonboom Changer" toy. It's really wonderful to hear my own voice coming out of an item that children can directly touch. As an artist, I always hope to be a "strong vitamin" for others, and that's exactly what I do through my voice, delivering energy directly to children. There used to be a thing called a "laugh bag," right? You'd press the bag and hear the sound of laughter, and it'd make you laugh along too. With that image in mind, I put myself in a super good mood during the recording, thinking about fun things like listening to music and eating tasty food (laughs). I'd be happy if everyone could join in with my "Boon Boon Boon!" voice heard coming from the toys, imitating me when playing with them and naturally becoming energetic.

"Following that, you'd also be the voice of Boonboom and singing the ED theme?"

Matsumoto: One after another they said, "Please voice Boonboom" and, "Rika-san, please sing as well." I "cranked up" saying, "Of course!" The flow of everything was good as usual. I had reached a milestone after appearing in the anime "Pokemon" for 26 years, so I had alot of energy left in me, and I had also heard that children were missing my voice and becoming sad. I was looking for a way to delivering energy to them, as there was no option inside of me to make them feel lonely.

"Next, please tell us about your role as Bundorio Bunderas."

Matsumoto: The Producers told me, "We'd like to see him portrayed as a life form rather than a robot." At first I thought, "Maybe I should just do it as myself?," but since Boonboom's actual character is played in tandem with the Suit Actor, I wanted to add some spiritual meaning into the Suit Actor's detailed movements. I wanted to make Boonboom even more appealing by including dialogue that's true to life.

"How about the actual recording?"

Matsumoto: We have a trusting relationship, and I'm often entrusted with the job. Even in scenes where there are no lines, I'm sometimes asked, "Please give us a line here that's unique to Bundorio." I'd ask, "What kind of lines do you want?" and they'd say, "We'll leave it to you" (laughs). So I'd look at the footage 3-4 times and say, "I'm ready!" They'd say, "Do you want to do a test? Or do you want to do it for real?," and I would do a test from time to time, but sometimes I'd just go straight into doing the real thing. After all, isn't it best for it to come about naturally and without pretending? There are many cases where the first take is good. However, every Director entrusts me with their work, which makes me very happy and makes it worthwhile. There are multiple Directors, including one who was an Assistant Director during the days of "Chikyu Sentai Fiveman." For some reason, it puts a smile on my face every time.

"In that regard, do you also sometimes think back on the days of Fiveman?"

Matsumoto: I've been active overseas quite abit this year, so I'm able to concentrate on recording, but back in the days of Fiveman, we recorded every week without exception, and it took us from the time we entered the studio in the morning until late at night, which is totally different from how it is now. One of the recordings I remember well is the episode where Arthur G6 is damaged (Ep 12, Arthur's Super Transformation). Arthur's personality changes, but I was also simultaneously performing in "Obocchama-kun," so I added the essence of Binbocchama, the character who I played at the time (laughs). Most of the puns in that episode I came up with myself (laughs).

"Hasn't Toei Studios also changed a considerable amount?"

Matsumoto: First of all, it's become beautiful. Back in the old days, the floor in the recording studio was just dirt (laughs). Back then, it was still the era of film, so we'd screen the film in a dark, almost cave like environment, and read our lines by relying on a small light. I don't know how my seniors did it in that environment. Now, we've moved from film to the digital era, and the floor is no longer made of dirt. The recording room is also bright. The way I approached the role back then and the way I do it now has changed considerably, and because I've been doing this for so long, I've been able to feel this transition with the passage of time, which fills me with an inexpressible feeling.

-The word play is improvised-

"What do you care about in your role as Boonboom?"

Matsumoto: I like to include lots of wordplay. In the Children's Day broadcast on May 5 (Bakuage 10), there's a scene where the five of us were talking in the garage, and Boonboom was wearing an origami helmet (kabuto). And so I said things like, "Kabuto, I'm a kabuto~🎵" (laughs). However, I felt that the sound was muffled in the broadcast, so the next time we recorded, I said to the mixer, "I thought I sounded really good there, but wasn't my voice low?" They replied, "No, no, I could hear you just fine" (laughs). During the days of Fiveman, I could hardly talk to the Staff, but now we have a normal relationship where we can talk about these kinds of things, and I really enjoy each recording session.

"In the show, you're active not only in the usual Boonboom scenes, but also in the giant Robo battles."

Matsumoto: No, I thought I wouldn't participate in that part and would have a break. "The five of them are piloting and fighting, there they go, good luck!" is what I thought……I was told, "No, no, please do the same as Boonboom," and now I'm working hard with great enthusiasm, believing that I'm one of the Boonboomgers.

"We feel like you're being called upon more and more by the production team, and that your opportunities to play an active role are expanding."

Matsumoto: I'm really very grateful for this. Right, the OP theme song is sometimes played in the background during the Robo fight. En-chan (Endoh Masaaki) told me, "Rika's voice is so high pitched that I can't hear my own singing" (laughs). I want to make it clear to him that I'm just doing what they ask me to do (laughs).

"Have you had a chance to meet any of the cast members of Boonboomger?"

Matsumoto: We first met when the Producer brought the Boonboomger members to observe the recording session "for the sake of studying." They were all lined up behind the booth and looked at me. I thought it would be good if I could be of some help, but I kinda felt embarrassed and shy (laughs). The five members were cheerful and refreshing, full of enthusiasm and saying, "Let's do our best from now on!" They're very pleasant members. As I mentioned earlier, I consider myself a member of the Boonboomgers, so I'd like them to make as much Boonboom merch as they can (laughs). "With Boonboom, the six of us are Bakuage Sentai Boonboomger!" (laughs).

-Also singing songs as Boonboom-

"From here, we'd like to hear you talk as the singer who sings KotsuKotsu PONPON."

Matsumoto: I sang KotsuKotsu PONPON at various places during the Golden Week holiday, and everywhere I went, children's eyes lit up with joy while saying "Wow!," and I was able to experience firsthand the response to the song. When I went to Amagasaki, there were small children in the room next to the one I was staying at in the hotel, and it was very lively. Then I thought, "What's that?," and what I heard from the other side of the wall was KotsuKotsu PONPON being sung by the children. I was thrilled and thought, "They're singing!," and I tried singing the next part, but then they suddenly became quiet (laughs).

"The children wouldn't expect Matsumoto-san to be staying next door (laughs)."

Matsumoto: That'd be a surprise, wouldn't it? (laughs). But I was happy to see that this was such a widespread song. Overseas, I sang it in Portugal, and everyone already knows it. It's also up on YouTube, so I guess people looked it up and remember it. Now that we have TikTok, I hope that through SNS we can spread our music to a large number of people and have them enjoy listening to it. I myself listen to this song and find it very energizing.

"Please share your recording stories with us."

Matsumoto: At first, I thought I should just sing it in my own style, but I couldn't help but sound cool (laughs). I was asked to sing with a relaxed and open tone, so I was very conscious of that. Also, the key is set to a male voice, and it's only Boonboom that sings. We had alot of discussions about the fine details of the song like, "I want to sing it like this." For the chorus, the words "KotsuKotsu" was also written twice in the verse, but I was only able to do it once. We also discussed and decided on what to say for lines like, "Crank up! Let's go!" It really felt like we were writing the song together, and we were able to record it in the best possible form, even exploring the perfect key until the very last minute.

"It's on TV every week, but how do you feel about seeing it with the footage?"

Matsumoto: At the time of the recording, I had heard that there was going to be dancing, but I didn't know they were going to feature Boonboom that much. It's a really fun video. All the Staff members had fun making it, including the inclusion of the explanation of traffic rules. I really hope this song becomes a favorite song for as many people as possible. It would definitely be a hit if everyone could dance and sing along. The choreography itself was also well thought out in such a way that it can be performed while sitting and using only hand gestures.

"His name was mentioned earlier, but what about Endoh Masaaki-san, who sings the theme song?"

Matsumoto: En-chan and I have been friends for a long time as fellow singers, and it's interesting that the two of us are responsible for the OP and ED of Boonboomger. I've also had him participate in the chorus of "Rival!" from Pokemon, and when I see En-chan working hard, it makes me want to work harder, so we have a great relationship. When I heard that, "Endoh Masaaki-san has been chosen for the OP," I called him immediately before we recorded this time. "En-chan? Hey, it's Rika"……we were able to communicate with each other just by saying that and burst out laughing. I said, "I'm looking forward to working with you this year!" So far we haven't had a chance to sing together on stage yet, but I'm looking forward to the time we can perform together.

"In addition, a new character song, "Curry is spicy but beautiful" is also being sung."

Matsumoto: It's not so much a character song as it is a song about how to make curry. I was told, "You're going to sing a song about making curry" (laughs). I sang the song while imagining a happy scene of a family eating curry together. It would be great if the song becomes so popular that people sing it when making curry in their everyday lives.

"During the time of Fiveman, you sang the character song "Super Arthur" as well."

Matsumoto: This was my first recording as a singer, and I was extremely happy about it. It was my first time singing a character song. At first, I was singing with a natural, rock feel in mind, but then the music suddenly stopped and the Director at the time said, "Sing as the character." At first, I had a hard time figuring out how to sing it, but then I relaxed and sang it as much as I could, letting my hands swing around, which had a cute feeling to it. They also nailed it with Arthur G6's character name, so I tried singing it like a cheer.

"It'd be fun if the opportunity to sing it at Super Sentai Spirits arose."

Matsumoto: I haven't sung it since those days, so if that happens, I'll have to practice (laughs). But, that song is also cheerful and uplifting. At the time, I had heard from the Staff that many children liked this song among the ones on the Fiveman album. Because of my experience at that time, I was even more conscious of singing as the character this time. I think that "KotsuKotsu PONPON" and "Curry is spicy but beautiful" are both different from Matsumoto Rika, and are truly Bundorio Bunderas.

"You seemed to have sung the role with that much feeling."

Matsumoto: I've come to realize that character songs can only be sung by people who are serious about the performance. I think that both the melody and the poetry need to be conveyed in a compelling way.

-A character loved by everyone-

"Looking back, in addition to Arthur G6, you've often appeared in Toei's tokusatsu productions as the voice of a monster, but in episode 9 of "Mobile Cop Jiban," you also performed in person."

Matsumoto: I played the role of a reporter. Guess I've been found out, huh? (laughs). I'm beyond embarrassed. What's more, the green clothes I was wearing at that time were my own. At the time, those kind of clothes were popular……

"Ah, the bodycon dress, right?"

Matsumoto: Right! I took care of my own costume and makeup. My hair was also very wavy (laughs). For some reason, at Toei, when it comes to roles where I appear in person, there are alot of unusual ones. Like when I was AkibaYellow's mother in "Unofficial Sentai Akibaranger" (laughs). I'm very happy to be asked to play any role, but in the Super Sentai series, I'd like to play an evil super boss someday. I once played the role of Prometheum in the stage play of "Galaxy Express 999 The Musical," where I got alittle taste of such a role, and found it very rewarding. That's exactly the kind of super boss I'd like to play, like the ones played by Soga Machiko-san, who was also active as a Voice Actor. I admire it.

"Returning to Boonboomger, how do you watch the weekly broadcasts?"

Matsumoto: I really love this production. Watching the show cheers me up, and there's a part of me that looks forward to living for each Sunday. The Boonboomgers are cool of course, but the way the Sanseaters are depicted is funny, and I like the Kurumaju that appear each week, who despite being enemies, are somewhat cute. I wish they were all mascots (laughs). For recent broadcasts, the Kaseki Grumer episode (Bakuage 15) really struck my heart. When I saw it during the recording, I genuinely started crying. It's really amazing that they can portray such a deep drama in 30 minutes, and that they continue to deliver so many messages to children week after week, making me once again feel that I'm being allowed to be apart of a good program.

"Finally, please tell us again how you feel about your performance in this production."

Matsumoto: I've been holding on to the same unwavering feelings I had 34 years ago when I played the role of Arthur G6. I'm not trying to imitate that role, but both Arthur and Boonboom are packed with elements of courage, smiles, and energy. In the beginning I mentioned that I, "Wanted to be a strong vitamin," and recently, I've actually felt that Boonboom is becoming that way. His name "Boonboom" is also very playful and I really like it. It's not the same as the pandas "Lan Lan" and "Kang Kang," but it seems that names followed by the same word are ones that are loved all around the world. In that regard, I think he's a familiar figure for children, so I'd like to make him a character that'll always be there for children and loved by everyone. I'd be happy if we could grow together.

Director Nakazawa Shojiro

"This is Director Nakazawa's second production as the Main Director after "Kamen Rider Geats," When did you start participating in the project?"

Nakazawa: Technically, I did episodes 30 and 31 of King-Ohger after Geats, but to be honest, planning for Boonboomger had already progressed to a certain extent while I was working on Geats. I joined when Geats when was at it's halfway point. At that point, it was decided that it would be a "Sentai with a car motif," and that there was a "deliverer" and a "A group of professionals."

"Director Nakazawa has been the Main Director of multiple Super Sentai series, but were you given any orders for this production?"

Nakazawa: The orders were to "guarantee clarity" and "to have the cars appear in someway or other." The previous production, King-Ohger, had a strong connection to the passage of time, so with Boonboomger, I was conscious of making, "A show that can be enjoyed without thinking too much about the passage of time while also being aware of it." For my own part, I focused on simplicity and clarity, and finding the right sense of balance between being comical and serious at the same time.

"This is your first time working with Tomioka Atsuhiro-san, who wrote the script. We think you've worked with Kuji Yoshito-san before, but this is the first time for you to work with him as Chief Producer."

Nakazawa: Yes. I also worked with Kuji-san on "Ressha Sentai ToQger" and "Shuriken Sentai Ninninger" when he was an Assistant Producer. Tomioka-san is a man of man ideas, offering a variety of proposals, and is also good at summarizing them. The impression of him I get is that he's broadminded. Kuji-san listens to what multiple people have to say, and instead of rejecting things in a one sided way, he'll skillfully sum things up by saying, "That's one way to think about it." Working together with him is very helpful.

"Tomioka-san said, "I love toys," when we interviewed him in the previous issue of this magazine."

Nakazawa: That's right. When he starts talking about toys, he can't stop (laughs). In tokusatsu productions, Scriptwriters are sometimes at a loss as to how to make the mechas and items appear, but Tomioka-san will skillfully suggest, "Let's make this Boonboom Car appear like this."

"Boonboom Wagon grabbing the Kurumaju and driving off in episode 2 was putting a gimmick to good use."

Nakazawa: I'd like to have the Cars appear as much as possible, but we can't keep repeating scenes of them just driving. So, we came up with an effective way to make the Boonboom Cars appear on the scene. We thought alot about how to use the Boonboom Cars while working with the gimmick of the toys, and decided on it grabbing the Kurumaju and hauling it off.

"One of the highlights of the Boonboom Cars is the inroad scene, however, is there a reason why all the Cars go out together every time?"

Nakazawa: In a logical sense, there's no point in having all the Cars in the show come out, but Butsuda-san (SFX Director) insisted with, "You have to have all of them appear!" (laughs). The Boonboom Cars use both CG and miniatures, a direction that Butsuda-san has cultivated over the years. In Super Sentai giant battles, mechs often merge together as soon as they appear. In Boonboomger we wanted to show the Cars driving as much as possible, so we setup a highway space.

"What were you particularly conscious of when creating the first three pilot episodes?"

Nakazawa: I took great care in character building, and how to portray Taiya-kun and the others in a charming way. Taiya-kun has lots of money and can do whatever he wants, but he doesn't speak honestly and doesn't talk about himself, which can inadvertently make him come across as rude. Therefore, I was conscious of how to portray the character of Taiya in an appealing way. At the same time, we also wanted Mira-chan and Chasshiro to be good characters. At the request of Producer Kuji-san, I was conscious of how to combine the conflicting elements of being smart and professional with a comical feel.

"We think this is a difficult direction that could only be done by veteran Director Nakazawa. How exactly did you proceed?"

Nakazawa: When making a comical facial expression, do you go all out or restrain it? I was careful of finding the right balance. However, it's meaningless if the actors don't give it their all. It's important to assess this.

"For the members who joined later, BoonBlack and BoonOrange's transformed forms were also missing from the pilot."

Nakazawa: We started with three members in the beginning, and decided that the fourth and fifth would join later, but then we decided that, "It's better to have Jou and Genba appear from the beginning." If you watched the show without knowing that he transforms, you might've thought, "For some reason, the policeman who appears every time is pretty handsome" (laughs), but our original idea was to create, "A strange character who comes out and gets knocked out immediately," and then have him join the group.

"Of the two who join later, the fact that Black is a policeman reminds us of "Engine Sentai Go-Onger"……(laughs)."

Nakazawa: It certainly reminds me of that (laughs). Still, the fourth member became a police officer since it was decided on that his mech would be a patrol car. It was Tomioka-san's idea to have the fifth member be a "procurer," but since it was already decided that the mech would be heavy machinery, the name "Genba" was chosen to reflect the image of an "on site person."

"In episodes 8-9, which Director Nakazawa was next in charge of, the Boonboomgers were already in danger of breaking up."

Nakazawa: In fact, this was the second time after episode 4 where they were on the verge of breaking up (laughs). I didn't know at the time we were filming that this 9th episode was the "end of part 1" (laughs), but I think it was good timing for the first climax after all five members were together. This is the episode where Taiya's dream of the BBG is first mentioned and information begins to be revealed. From the very beginning, we had clearly decided that the Boonboomgers would be "people who do what they want to do," and that they're not necessarily heroes who are willing to sacrifice everything for the sake of peace on Earth. As more info about the BBG (Big Bang Grand Prix) is revealed in the future, I'm sure we'll also learn more about why Bundorio's qualifications as a racer were revoked.

"Please also tell us your impressions of the cast."

Nakazawa: I always tell the cast before we start filming that, "It's not just your job to say what's written in the script, but to also to think about the background of the lines written and express them." It's like King-Ohger's "between the lines" (laughs). I also tell them that, "Each character is your own creation." The Director changes on a rotating basis, so it's necessary the cast members themselves work through their roles. In that sense, they've grown alot between their first meeting together and the wrap up of episode 3. I think they've grown in some areas since then, but I hope they'll grow even more after experiencing the Summer movie.

"Starting from episode 16, Sakito Homura and BoonViolet also made their appearance."

Nakazawa: Unfortunately, I haven't been able to work on an episode where Sakito appears yet, but I was involved in the casting process. Sakito's Miyazawa-kun was one of the finalists in the audition that decided the original five cast members. He's a good actor and has a good character, so when we were deciding on the role of Sakito, I said, "I'd like him for this role." Sakito plays the dangerous role of a "cleaner," but I wanted him to skilfully play it without becoming a scary person.

"Another interesting point is that Bundorio and the Boonboomgers Robo are the same being."

Nakazawa: At first, Bundorio wasn't even established, and the Boonboomgers Robo just had the image a very ordinary Sentai Robo. As the planning meetings progressed, it was decided that, "A life sized version of the Robo should be released so that people would become attached to it," and that the character Bundorio would combine with the Robo so that, "The Robo is always with the members." The "giant battles" are a major feature of Super Sentai, and robots are the main items in its merchandise development. I was thinking about how to make this Robo look appealing. We're limited in what we can do if they just appear in giant battles.

"It's similar to Zenkaiger, in that the giant Robos also served as life sized friends."

Nakazawa: In Zenkaigers situation, the Robos appearance changed before and after the transformation, as well as when they combined, but Bundorio's appearance remains almost the same. So, I'd say that it was a step forward from what we had done with Zenkaiger. In Zenkaiger, there was "space" when the Robos took on different forms, but in Donbrothers, the Robos have the faces of each of the characters. This time, we've taken it one step further, and the "Robo still remains almost the same." If its appearance changes like in Zenkaiger, it'll be difficult for the children watching to view it as "the same thing." That's why this time we decided to keep the design mostly the same.

"Matsumoto Rika-san's performance makes Bundorio an even more appealing character."

Nakazawa: She has an aura about her, so much so that even before she enters the studio, I know she'll be there soon (laughs). In any case, she loves Bundorio, and just by saying a few words, the character is brought to life. Furthermore, she hardly rehearses at all, and after watching the footage only once, she goes straight into the performance, which is tremendous. I heard that she'd like to appear in these shows, even if she has to show her face, so if she does, it'll likely be a strong character like in Unofficial Sentai Akibaranger.

"One of the features in this show is that Bundorio often makes curry. Why did you choose to have him cook curry?"

Nakazawa: Taiya-kun's tired of eating expensive gourmet food, and prefers to eat ordinary food. Tomioka-san's idea was to make ochazuke, but after some complications, we decided on "everyone's favorite: curry."

"Now then, how were the enemy Hashiriyan characters decided?"

Nakazawa: Since the hero's side is set up that their cool adults, I was conscious of giving the Hashiriyans the comical, almost comedian like role in contrast. The Gaiark trio in Go-Onger initially appeared as "really bad guys," but in the latter half of the show, they became lovable comedic characters, didn't they? The kind of feeling I had when I thought of them were, "They're bad guys, but I don't hate them, they're ridiculous characters who are indispensable." Both the Suit Actors and the Voice Actors are having fun and in high spirits, so the characters are growing and developing.

"There are many memorable lines in this show, such as, "That Cranks me up!" and "Seems like you're in trouble."

Nakazawa: "Cranking up" was first introduced during a meeting when Tsukada-san, who was also present said, "They say Bakuage Sentai, but what's the point of Bakuage? This can be traced back to "Bakuryu Sentai Abaranger," where Tsukada-san had said something similar like, "What's the point of Abare?" In other words, such a point is absolutely necessary for the Super Sentai series. So, we started to include "Bakuage points" in each episode and "Cranking Up" in the dialogue. In short, Bakuage is, "The moment when you get excited about something, but don't know what it is." If you think about it calmly, it doesn't make sense but……it's not about logic!

"What about Genba's, "Seems like you're in trouble"?"

Nakazawa: The lines are tailored to Genba-kun's elusive and mysterious character. I think Tomioka-san was the first to include it in the script, and before I knew it, it had become a common line in the script. Tomioka-san is skilled at coming up with lines that show a character in just one word.

"Live compositing has been used since the covid pandemic, but how is it being used this time?"

Nakazawa: The Staff's skills have improved as a result of the experience we've gained so far. The technique was used to its fullest extent in the previous show, King-Ohger, but it wasn't all positive, so we had the option of not using it this year. However, it'd be a waste to reduce the technology we've accumulated from zero, so this time we used live compositing to capture things like the cockpit of the Boonboom Cars and walls in the background. These are the kind of scenes that could be shot on a set, but the difference so far is that we're mixing CG and actual modeling objects in the filming.

"And now finally, please give a message to the readers of this magazine."

Nakazawa: We're aiming to create a show that's both stylish and fun. I think you'll enjoy that unbalanced balance. We look forward to your support throughout the next year! _

Summer Film Details

"Saving the princess of the Universe from the strongest Hashiryan!" (Boonboom meets Princess?!)

The name of Boonboomgers first film that'll be released this Summer is called, "Bakuage Sentai Boonboomger: Gekijo BOON! Promise the Circuit." As the title suggests, the story starts at a circuit. While Taiya and the others are filming a video collaboration with HIKAKIN, an urgent request comes into the Boonboomgers…….Including Sakito, the curtain rises on a large scale battle between the six Boonboomger members. With the Main Director and Main Writer being the duo Nakazawa Shojiro and Tomioka Atsuhiro, come witness this cranked up battle only in theaters!

STORY: Princess Nicola Keydoor appears before Taiya and the others. She says that the planet Trickle, on which she lived, fell into the hands of the Hashiryans, and so she fled to Earth. In addition, the Hashiryans send the threat of a large, planet destroying missile to ISA, demanding that Nicola be turned over to them. In order to protect Earth, the higher ups at ISA decide to hand over Nicola. However, she couldn't accept this decision, and asks the Boonboomgers for help. As Demon Thunder appears in pursuit of Nicola, will the Boonboomgers be able to save both the princess and Earth?!

Demon Thunder (VA: Kishi Yuji, Suit Actor: Seike Riichi): A Hashiryan Catching Captain. He attacks Nicola, a princess, because he considers the screams emitted by people of nobility to be a fine source of Ghassolin.

Circuit Grumer (VA: Seki Tomokazu, Suit Actor: Sakai Kazuma): The Kurumaju born from Demon Thunder.

Nicola (Irei Himena): Princess of planet Trickle. She arrives on Earth after being ordered to flee by her father, the king, as her homeworld fell into the hands of the Hashiryans.

HIKAKIN: A popular video creator known around the world. Bundorio is one of his fans, and it appears that the collaborative video shoot was procured by Genba.

(page 73, clockwise) The Boonboomgers are shooting a collaboration video with HIKAKIN on the circuit that Taiya bought. It seems like he introduces the Boonboom Cars, and yet…..

BoonRed engages Demon Thunder to save Nicola. The result of his fate is……!

Mira and Nicola get into the Boonbom Super Car parked in the woods in order to escape from Circuit Grumer!

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