Special interview with Hiroaki Iwanaga (voice of Akira Date) and Maya Kimijima (voice of Shintaro Goto) to celebrate the release of "CSM Birth Driver & X Unit" | BANDAI OFFICIAL TOY SHOP | PREMIUM BANDAI

●Following the OOO Driver KAMEN RIDER OOO OOO, the Birth Driver will finally be released as a CSM.

Iwanaga: It's amazing, isn't it? It's a dream product. It's amazing that "Birth" can produce such high-quality products that excite not only children but also adults.

Kimishima: Ever since the broadcast of "OOO," I've often heard fans say that they wanted the Birth Driver to be released as a product for adults, so I'm really happy about this.

●What do you think now that you've actually held a CSM Birth Driver product sample in your hands?

Kimishima: The paint is beautiful and it looks like a film prop.

Iwanaga: That's right. I think it gives off a similar impression to the belts we used in our transformation scenes back then.

●The CSM Birth Driver includes many new lines, including lines for Date, played by Iwanaga-san, and Goto, played by Kimishima-san. New lines were recorded for the product.

Kimishima: I had previously re-recorded lines for games (All Kamen Rider Rider Generation/2011), but this was the first time I spoke lines from such early episodes. I was surprised to learn that I was saying such difficult lines 10 years ago. There were all kinds of difficult lines (laughs). I remember lines like, "This is Goto from the Ride Vendor 1st Platoon. The awakening of the medals has begun. Next instructions" (Episode 1) very well.

Iwanaga: At first, I was given the script that told me the lines I would be recording, but as I read it, I gradually started to remember, "Oh, I remember saying things like these."

●Is there any line that particularly made an impression on you?

Kimishima: Goto-chan's line would be "I love manuals." I think fans will be happy with this. The content of Goto's words changes between the beginning and the latter half. It's interesting that Goto's growth over the past year is packed into this one product. When I read through the script, the words that people around me often say, "OOO is also the story of Goto Shintaro's growth," really resonated with me. I wasn't aware of that at the time, but when I read the lines from the past year in order like this, I really felt that it might be true.

Iwanaga: Date has catchphrases like "So, shall we make some money?" and "Let's get to work!" Unlike Goto-chan, Date is the kind of person who doesn't read manuals, so he says things like "Oh, no way. I hate reading manuals" (laughs). The memorable lines are in episode 24, when he says to his former colleague Yuumi, "Right now, all you're doing is getting drunk on desire and alcohol" and "Don't do it, old alcohol will make you sick." When I read the script, I thought Date was a really interesting guy and I liked him.

Kimishima: That line was written by (Kobayashi) Yasuko-san. I was surprised at how she could make him say something so cool.

Iwanaga: Moreover, I had to tear off my underwear to use as a bandage to treat the injured Yumi, so I was naked under my leather jacket (laughs). Anyway, I'm reminiscing about the excitement of the acting back then, listening to the audio from back then and adjusting the tone, and recording as close to my voice as possible back then, so I hope you'll look forward to it.

Kimishima: It wasn't difficult to say my old lines after 11 years, but I was just embarrassed. It's fine if I just listen to my voice back then and use it as a reference. If I had watched the video, I might have felt sick (laughs). I felt like I was acting better than I had imagined back then.

●The X-Unit, an enhanced transformation item for Kamen Rider Birth X, which Goto transforms into in the V-Cinema Next KAMEN RIDER OOO OOO 10th: Resurrection of the Core Medal to be released in 2022 and the TTFC (Toei Tokusatsu Fan Club) distribution work Kamen Rider Birth: The Secret Story of the Birth X Birth, will also be commercialized this time. Please tell us your impressions of the Birth Driver with the X-Unit attached.

Kimishima: When you attach the X-unit to the birth driver, it becomes quite heavy.

Iwanaga: It also changes the visual balance.

Kimishima: This happened often during filming. The weight of the belt would cause it to tilt or fall forward.

Iwanaga: I guess that's inevitable because of the weight.

Kimishima: It was also refreshing to learn that to become Birth X, you need to load three Core Medals instead of Cell Medals.

Iwanaga: You have to hold the medal clearly and put it in the exact position you decided on at the beginning. You can't make any mistakes, so it makes you all the more nervous.

Kimishima: The script said that Goto-chan would use the Core Medal to become the new Birth, so I was interested in what kind of transformation she would undergo, and when I first saw it, I was quite moved by how it was expressed.

●For those who have obtained the CSM Birth Driver, please tell us what points to pay attention to in order to make each of Date and Goto's transformation poses look cool.

Iwanaga: There's no trick to it, but in Date's case, you first flick the cell medal with your finger and then catch it with your left hand. You have to do it without looking at your hand, so it's pretty difficult. You just have to practice over and over again until you can do it beautifully. Practice makes perfect!

Kimishima: Mr. Iwanaga was practicing all the time when the cameras weren't rolling.

Iwanaga: The medal had to fly in a beautiful arc when it was thrown, so I usually had to do it two or three times before it was OK.

Kimishima: In Goto's case, he "drops" the medal into the driver's loading port, but he does indeed break the cut. If he can get it in on the first try without looking at his hand, it's really amazing (laughs).

Iwanaga: No, that's absolutely impossible.

Kimishima: When recreating the transformation, I would like you to immerse yourself in the role of Goto and put in the spirit of wanting to defeat the enemy.

●Finally, please give a message to the fans who will purchase the "CSM Birth Driver."

Iwanaga: As a child, everyone had a time when they put on a transformation belt and played with it, thinking that they could really become Kamen Rider. I think it's amazing that such a childhood dream can be delivered to your hands as such a fine product after so many years. It's a great thing for us who recorded the audio, and we're grateful for it. Please return to your childhood to your heart's content and play with it to your heart's content.

Kimishima: I think that the design is completely different from the old toys, both in appearance and technology. It's perfect as a product for adult fans. I'm really grateful to those who love Kamen Rider Birth and have supported us for so long. I think there are many ways to play with it, so I hope you'll get creative and have fun.