Special interview to celebrate the release of "CSM Transformation Belt Century King Sandriver" | BANDAI OFFICIAL TOY SHOP | PREMIUM BANDAI

●What were your impressions when you saw the actual "CSM Transformation Belt: Century King Sun Driver," which is based on the concept of a "transformation belt for adults"?

At first, I wondered if it was really the belt I was wearing during the shoot. The actual props also had a unique metallic feel and tasteful "dirty" paint. I heard that this product was painted by hand by a craftsman. I'm impressed and amazed at how realistic it is.

● A special feature of this product is that it has ver. A.N.I.M.E. where the built-in sensor reacts to the transformation pose (hand movements) and automatically transforms.

I was so impressed when I first saw the automatic transformation! When I was trying on the costume, I was told that MINAMI KOTARO 's belt was like this, and I was shown a belt that had no color yet and only had a transformation function. When I held my hand over the sensor, it transformed while making a sound. It was amazing. I didn't have many opportunities to wear the belt during filming, so I'm jealous of the fans who got to pick up this product.

● The audio ver. A.N.I.M.E. are also rich, including transformation sound effects, background music, and lines from MINAMI KOTARO.

There are several "transformations" in each episode, but the circumstances are always different, and the movement sounds and music are different each time. I heard that the product includes a variety of these transformation variations. It also includes my "Transform!" call. I'd like you to say "Transform!" in your own voice, but please play my voice sometimes too (laughs).

●What were your thoughts when you, as MINAMI KOTARO, "transformed" into Kamen Rider BLACK SUN?

When I was asked to appear in this film, the only condition I made for playing MINAMI KOTARO was, "I want to do a transformation pose." So I first asked the producer, "Do you have a transformation pose?" (laughs). And I wanted to transform when MINAMI KOTARO 's emotions reached their peak. When I read the script I was given, it was exactly like that, and the situation in which Kotaro's sadness and anger reached their peak was taken care of. I cherished the "moment" when a man who hadn't fought for a long time finally fights for real, and transformed with all my heart.

● Were you conscious of the transformation pose from the original "MASKED RIDER BLACK"?

The transformation pose of Tetsuo Kurata, who played MINAMI KOTARO in the original "MASKED RIDER BLACK", was extremely cool, so the entire staff, including myself, agreed that we should faithfully recreate that pose. We tried to be as conscious of the original transformation pose as possible and reproduce it faithfully.

●In the trailer for "Kamen Rider BLACK SUN," Nishijima's scream is filled with power as he utters the famous line "I won't forgive you!" uttered by MINAMI KOTARO from "MASKED RIDER BLACK" when he expresses his anger towards Golgom.

The line "I won't forgive you" expresses the emotions of the moment when anger and sadness explode violently, so I put a lot of effort into it.

●What memories do you have of Kamen Rider toys from your childhood?

I really wanted a transformation belt, but I couldn't get one. In particular, I really wanted the "Double Typhoon" belt from "Kamen Rider V3" (1973). So, for me, the transformation belt is a memory of "something I want but can't get." Nowadays, there are many Kamen Rider transformation belts on sale, and I have a few at home (laughs).

● Along with the transformation belt, Kamen Rider BLACK SUN and Kamen Rider SHADOW MOON figures will also be released. What are your impressions when you take a look at the form and details of MASKED RIDER BLACK SUN, your transformed form?

This time's Kamen Rider BLACK SUN and Nakamura Tomoya's Kamen Rider SHADOW MOON have a biological style that is different from the Kamen Riders we had imagined until now, and I think they are groundbreaking. I personally think that they are presenting the next form, a new form, while cherishing the 50 years of Kamen Rider so far. When Fujiwara Kakusei was sculpting, he had a lot of discussions with the staff, and I heard about his particular attention to detail on site. I hope you will enjoy looking at the details.

●Please give a message from Nishijima to the fans who have pre-ordered the "CSM Transformation Belt Century King Sun Driver."

"Kamen Rider BLACK SUN" is a work that we, the cast and staff, put our strength into every scene, but the "transformation" scene was especially important to me and the staff, and we worked out various ideas and filmed it. I would be happy if our passion could be conveyed to everyone through the belt, and I hope you will experience the power of the "transformation" together with us!

Q. It has been decided that Kamen Rider BLACK SUN transformation belt will be commercialized. What do you think when you see the actual product?

I am shocked.
There aren't many transformation scenes in the 10 episodes of "Kamen Rider BLACK SUN," but the emotions change depending on the scene, and the form changes little by little. All of those sounds are included, and even the release sounds are included. I was surprised that all of them were included.
The automatic transformation movements were also very accurate and meticulous, and I was amazed at how well they were reproduced.

Q. What were your impressions when you first saw the transformation belt ver. A.N.I.M.E. during the preliminary meeting?

When I was shown the "moving prototype" at the beginning of the meeting, it was my first experience, so I was very shocked. When asked for my impressions, I said, "I'm really impressed right now, so can you wait a little longer?"
It's been about two years since our first meeting, and when I look at the final product, I can't believe it's real. Rather than saying "this is the transformation belt of my work," I feel like I've been mixed in a little bit with the world of Kamen Rider, which has been going on for a long time.

Q. Could you tell us about the meaning behind the transformation belt and the transformation poses in the video work, and what you paid particular attention to in terms of their direction?

The transformation poses for Black Sun and SHADOW MOON are "mirror mirror" poses.
I wanted Nishijima-san's Black Sun to have a transformation that had weight and embodied history. (Nakamura) I wanted Tomoya-kun's SHADOW MOON to have a transformation pose that was sharp enough to make you think, "I could attack someone just with that pose."
The two of them expressed this through their own unique characteristics and characters, and I thought it was amazing while filming.

Q. I would be grateful if you could give some advice to those who obtain the transformation belt on how to become Kamen Rider BLACK SUN (to perform the transformation well).

"Kamen Rider BLACK SUN" is a science fiction work that brings together the various emotions present in the world today.
I believe that you are all experiencing a variety of emotions in your lives right now, so I would like you to transform as if you were concentrating all of those emotions into this transformation belt.
I would love for people to actually try it on, try out some transformation poses without feeling embarrassed, and post them on social media like TikTok.

Q. Please give a message to those who will be viewing your work.

Kamen Rider itself has a 50-year history, and we discussed "what can we do within that time frame" as we created the work. While incorporating social issues, I imagined in my own way "what kind of world would Kamen Rider be today?" and created this work with the hope of making it into an interesting form of entertainment.
Even if you are not familiar with Kamen Rider, I think you will enjoy the story, so please feel free to watch it. Behind it, there are previous Kamen Rider works and worlds, so I would be very happy if you enjoy watching it.