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mirai-e-jump · 3 months ago

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Uchusen Vol.188 (Spring 2025) Bakuage Sentai Boonboomger VS King-Ohger ft. Iuchi Haruhi x Sakai Taisei Interview (translation below)

Publication: April 1, 2025

"First, please tell us how you felt when this V-Cinext was decided on."

Sakai: I also had the opportunity to film with everyone from Donbrothers last year, but when I heard that we'd be working together with everyone from Boonboomger, I felt relieved and thought, "Ah, we're doing it again this year!"

Iuchi: I was relieved too. Even though it's become an annual tradition, I became anxious and thought, "They're not gonna discontinue it, right?!" (laughs), so I was glad.

"Both of you first met during the baton pass ceremony between King-Ohger and Boonboomger in February of last year, but what were your first impressions of each other then, and how have they changed since performing together?"

Sakai: Iuchi-kun always has really pure, sparkling eyes, which hasn't changed since the baton pass, but I think he's become more mature after working on Boonboomger. Before King-Ohger started, I was told by those around me that I would change after the year had passed, but I wondered if "I'd really change" (laughs). However, things like my facial expressions did actually change. I think that Iuchi-kun has become alot more dignified and reliable over the past year.

Iuchi: I had watched King-Ohger on TV, so I was happy that I'd be able to interact with Gira now that I was Taiya, but it also gave me a strange feeling. Do you remember? When I met Sakai-san's Gira at the baton pass, the first thing I said to him was, "So cool!" (laughs).

Sakai: Uwah~ I don't remember that! (laughs). Still, I believe that that's what you would've said.

Iuchi: Right, right. I had said, "Uwah, so cool~!" It was all I could think to say since I was so nervous (laughs), but that's just how much I liked Gira, so it made me really happy that I was able to perform with him in this.

Sakai: I was also looking forward to working with Iuchi-kun, and was anticipating the probability that there'd be lots of filming with just us two Reds, so I was happy when it actually came true. I enjoyed the vibes between our two characters, and I know it's not proper to say this from my position, but Iuchi-kun's a really nice kid!

Iuchi: Thank you so much!

"What exactly do you mean by that?"

Sakai: I guess he tries to always respect people, or rather, be humble. That's what I find so appealing about him, and why I feel so comfortable when we're together.

Iuchi: I'm humble and earnest! (laughs).

Sakai: He said it himself (laughs).

Iuchi: I thought Sakai-san was very "mature." It's not just the way he behaved on set, or how friendly he was when he talked, but he also has the ability to properly switch and get into it when the time comes. However, when we said, "Everyone in King-Ohger is so mature!" the staff members responded with, "Eh? That's not true~"

Sakai: That's exactly what the staff said, but I think they were just being shy (laughs).

Iuchi: Is that so? (laughs).

"In this film too, we got the impression that he had really "grown up" when we saw the expression on Sakai-san's face in the first scene where Gira appears."

Sakai: At that time, I was in my bulking phase, so maybe it's because I looked alittle chubby? (laughs). Still, as the one playing the role, I wanted to show Gira's growth, so I thought that he must've gained alot of experience as a king up until now by doing things like handling various policies. I thought that the build up of such experiences would be reflected in the weight of Gira's words and appearance, so I made sure to be conscious of that.

"Iuchi-san, how do you feel now that you've completed Boonboomger's TV series?"

Iuchi: The filming period and broadcast dates were out of sync, so I felt a strong sense of "sadness" when filming wrapped up, but the final episode aired without issue, and I received warm words from tons of people who said things like, "I loved Boonboomger," and "I'm glad we got through it together," so I feel more at ease now.

"Tomioka Atsuhiro-san, the Main Writer for Boonboomger, was in charge of the script for this V-Cinext. What were your thoughts when you read the script?"

Sakai: Although Takamina-san didn't write the script this time, my first impression was that he had watched King-Ohger very carefully, as he knew things like what kind of character each of the kings are, and who would speak at certain times.

Iuchi: Honestly, the first thing we in the Boonboomger team did when we got the script was to check……were the Sanseaters still alive?! (laughs). When we got the script for the V-Cinext, we were filming around episode 30 or so, so we didn't know how the TV series would end……It was the first thing we all had to confirm the moment we got the script, and we were like, "Thank goodness, they're still alive!" (laughs). We didn't want the Sanseaters to be defeated! They're so cute! (laughs). So, from there I read through it carefully, and I thought it was great that it depicts the "afterwards" of Boonboomger, where we're in the midst of doing the BBG after the final episode.

"Irei Himena-san, who played Nicola in the Summer film, is also making a comeback in this. How was your reunion with her?"

Iuchi: Of course we were happy, but Miu-chan in particular was overjoyed. She was like, "I'm so happy~!" There's a scene in the Summer film where Mira gives her Changer to Princess Nicola because she wants to support her in getting her planet back. Towards the end of the TV series, Nicola entrusts her pendant to Joe (GokaiBlue) when we were in trouble, and in the V-Cinext, that's all depicted up to the point where it's returned, so I thought it was a wonderful script that was reassuring for both the fans and us.

"Sakai-san, was your reunion with the King-Ohger members a long awaited one?"

Sakai: The Final Live Tour finished around May, and since filming for the V-Cinext was during the Summer, I didn't feel like it had been that long since I last faced Gira, the other members, and the staff. In a good way, the other members hadn't changed at all (laughs).

"That includes the Royal Arms too……"

Sakai: Yes. It had been a few months since I last performed it, and I thought I had done it naturally, but the first thing Suit Actor Shige-san said to me was, "Gira~! Is everything okay~?" (laughs).

Iuchi: Now that you mention it, I'm certain Shige-san said that on set. From far away you could hear him say, "Your voice isn't clear enough! Gira~!" (laughs).

Sakai: Somehow, Shige-san must've thought that it looked like I was hesitating. I think this is also because Shige-san was watching Gira from the closest possible point. It didn't look like that at all when I saw the completed footage, so I was relieved (laughs). Still, after just a few months of not shouting, the scenes where I shout and laughed loudly made me once again think, "Uwah, I guess doing it as Gira was pretty difficult."

Iuchi: No one shouts like that on other sets (laughs).

Sakai: Even though I said, "Let me hear you scream~," I was the one who felt the difficulty of screaming the most (laughs).

"King-Ohger was a unique Sentai in which "everyone was a king," but what was your impression when working together?"

Iuchi: As expected, they're flashy! Our Boonboomger had a more realistic worldview, like how Mira and the others are relatively ordinary people who become heroes, but all the King-Ohger members are kings, so their costumes and poses have an overwhelming presence to them. Including their movements, it was especially fun to watch Kaguragi and Hymeno, as they "felt like people I'd absolutely never encounter in my daily life." I have alot of scenes with Gira, but I was excited to see what would happen when the time came for the other members to get involved. Also, I think their roles as "kings" is great! Talking to someone who plays the role of a king will be hard to come by after this (laughs), so I was very happy and enjoyed having an experience like this with Sakai-san.

"On the flip side, what was your impression of the Boonboomger team?"

Sakai: I thought that each of the Boonboomgers had unique personalities and were very interesting characters. Like with Orange……his voice is really similar to Jeramie's (laughs), and the scenes involving the two of them together were really amusing.

"Were there any memorable moments during the filming period?"

Sakai: I wonder. Like the car scene?

Iuchi: That day was seriously insane (laughs). The scene where Gira and Taiya get into the car was shot on a particularly hot day last Summer.

Sakai: Because the car had AC, we were both able to stay cool (laughs).

Iuchi: Right, right. We were like, "Lucky!" While we were waiting, we could get out of the car and go to a sheltered spot, but we were like, "It's cooler if we stay put!" (laughs).

Sakai: Iuchi-kun, were you able to talk to any of the King-Ohger members?

Iuchi: We didn't get to talk much, but by chance, on the same day that only Ikeda-san stayed behind to shoot, we also had a shoot with Nicola, so we all went out for a meal together afterwards!

"What did you talk about at that time?"

Iuchi: As expected, we talked alot about filming. I asked him what it was like during the filming of King-Ohger, while Ikeda-san in return asked, "How's Boonboomger? What episode are you currently filming?" However, since it was three Boonboom team members against only Ikeda-san, it felt like we were assaulting him with questions (laughs).

Sakai: That's great~! Sounds like it was fun! I only had about two filming sessions with Iuchi-kun.

Iuchi: The scene where the two of us meet was the first scene we shot, but we had to wait on standby for a long time, so we both slept on the location bus (laughs).

Sakai: We fell asleep~. We slept for around two hours.

Iuchi: We of course focused solely on filming after that, but I remember that day very well.

"Do you have any memories of working with Director Kato Hiroyuki during filming?"

Sakai: Director Kato himself looked like he was having a ton of fun (laughs). He seemed very happy to be reunited with the King-Ohger members after such a long time, and he just kept rambling on about stuff (laughs).

Iuchi: This was the case during Boonboomger's filming period, but Director Kato is someone who really brightens up the set. A Director is often thought of as the strictest, most controlling person on set, but Director Kato creates a very cheerful atmosphere that makes us feel more relaxed. This time too, he danced along with us while we were shooting the ending dance, and whenever an actor had to move from their position to get their makeup or costume adjusted, Director Kato would slip in and do his impressions, saying things like, "Now I'm Mira," and "I'm Chasshiro" (laughs).

Sakai: Also, before filming began, Producer Kuji had said to me, "I want to show Gira's growth in this film," and I wanted to make sure I put importance on that.

"Please tell us about the appeal of each other's roles that you noticed again after working together this time."

Sakai: Taiya has a coolness that Gira doesn't have. He's the type to lead the other characters. The style of leadership that Taiya has is also different from Gira's, but I get the impression that Taiya's able to lead everyone with just a single word or action, so I think that's what makes him so cool.

Iuchi: Taiya's not very good at talking, or rather, he's not very good at talking to others about himself, while on the other side, even if Gira's one step ahead of everyone else, when it's time to advance, he'll always take a step back and say, "Let's go together!," so I think it's really cool that he tries to stay in step with everyone else. And then, I guess there's also the fact that he doesn't mind being the bad guy. It's abit similar to Taiya, but he's willing to be demonized and shouted at for the sake of the citizens of the countries. I think that kind of resolution makes him a "real king," and I love Gira's character for it.

"Please tell us some highlights and what we should look forward to in this film."

Sakai: Just like with the VS featuring the Donbrothers, King-Ohger is set in an unrealistic world, so I wonder how they'll interact with the more ordinary world of the Boonboomgers. I think a highlight is how well integrated we were again this time. And then, the simultaneous transformations of the two Sentai is also a unique appeal of VS films.

Iuchi: Often times in V-Cinexts, the members work separately by being split into groups of two or three people, so even before I received the script, I made various predictions like, "Maybe these guys will be paired up," but while we were actual filming, I kept thinking, "I knew it was gonna be these two!," and "Everyone's been wanting this guy and that guy to interact!," so I hope you enjoy the pairings as much as I did.

Sakai: There's some pretty interesting pairings. I think you'll be able to tell from the footage that the actors were having alot of fun performing.

Iuchi: The story was completed in a single film, so I think people will enjoy it even if they haven't seen either show, but I think that those who have seen both shows should definitely be conscious of which Suit Actor played what role on each side. There are scenes where it's like, "Let this character and this character have that conversation!," and I think you'll be able to sense the playfulness that only Director Kato can provide.

Sakai: Also, there are scenes where the Suit Actors perform outside of their suits, so I want you to keep an eye out for that as well.

"This time, Ito-san continues to be in charge of KuwagataOhger like he did in the TV series."

Sakai: That made me really happy! When I received the script, the first thing I thought when I cracked it open was, "Who's gonna be the Suit Actor for KuwagataOhger?!" That's when I was like, "It's Shige-san!" Shige-san also plays BoonBlack, so I was nervous to see if he'd be able to "give us" KuwagataOhger. Mori-san is BoonRed, but he was TomboOhger during King-Ohger, so he also played the role of TomboOhger as much as he could in this V-Cinext. It really made me feel the love the Suit Actors have.

"Iuchi-san, what did you and Mori-san talk about during the filming of the V-Cinext?"

Iuchi: We teased each other (laughs). When Mori-san became TomboOhger, I'd say, "Ah! You Traitor~!," and "You've already abandoned Taiya, huh……" On the other hand, when he was BoonRed, Mori-san would say, "I'm not TomboOhger anymore. Right now, I'm in a BoonRed kind of mood" (laughs). However, on the set of Gozyuger, I was the one who was told, "You've already abandoned Boonboomger" (laughs).

"As mentioned earlier, Iuchi-san appeared in No.1 Sentai Gozyuger as Tsutsumi Natsume, who transforms into KuwagataOhger."

Sakai: That really surprised me. I was like, "Eh?! Why?!" (laughs). Hey, so why were you the one who turned in KuwagataOhger? (laughs).

Iuchi: I'm not sure why either (laughs).

"Iuchi-san, how did you feel about transforming into KuwagataOhger?"

Iuchi: The transformation item used wasn't the OhgerCalibur, but the Gozyuger's Tega Sword, and since the transformation in Boonboomger involves a small amount of movements, it was fun to transform using new moves. It was also really refreshing for me to voice KuwagataOhger instead of BoonRed during the voice recording.

"Did you film your role as Tsutsumi at the same time of filming for Boonboomger?"

Iuchi: I did! What's more, it was filmed during the middle of Boonboomger's TV climax……(laughs).

Sakai: Eh! So it was like that, huh? (laughs).

Iuchi: Yeah. My mood was violently fluctuating……for those three days, my emotions felt like they were constantly out of whack (laughs).

"The Gozyugers are a Sentai aiming to become Number One, but as the Reds representing your respective Sentai, please give us your, "This is the one area where our Sentai can't lose against the other!" speech."

Sakai: I think our worldview is the superior one, don't you think? (saying boastfully) Things like the gorgeous costumes and the medieval inspired scenes……I don't think we'll lose there!

Iuchi: Eh~?! You think we can beat King-Ohger~?!……I was gonna bring up Taiya's total assets, but……there's no way we can win! They're kings after all! (laughs).

Sakai: That's right, our national budget takes the six countries into account (laughs).

Iuchi: We can't win! Hmmm……well, we are "professionals." Mira has various part time jobs (laughs), and we've got a spy and a police officer. I think Boonboomger is unique in that it's made up of "job" specialists. It's a Sentai that contributes greatly to society! (laughs).

Sakai: No, kings are also great contributors to society (laughs).

"Finally, please give a message to the fans who are eagerly awaiting the release of this film."

Sakai: While this is the culmination of Boonboomger, this may also be the last time you'll ever see the King-Ohgers……With your vocal support, we might be able to do something for our 10th anniversary, but I also think there's a possibility that it won't happen, so this is a film that's truly packed with emotion. I'd like for you to watch the fusion of the two Sentai on the big screen in theaters. Please look forward to it!

Iuchi: After Boonboomger ended, I heard many people say that they're "very sad" and "have Boonboomger loss," but this film depicts what happened after the final episode, so I think this is what the fans who "want to see more of the story" will want to watch the most. Sakai-san also mentioned the highlights, such as the simultaneous transformations of the 12 members, and the scene from the trailer where Gira stands up in the passenger side of the car, and I think the film is special because it's a VS production. We ourselves are looking forward to seeing it on the big screen. Everyone, please make sure to go to the theater and watch it too!

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