"Big dreams are limitless! If you want something, reach out and grab it!"

SHINKOCCHOU SEIHOU finally joins the Super Sentai! S.H.Figuarts (SHINKOCCHOU SEIHOU) GOKAI RED, which became a hot topic at the TAMASHII NATION 2022 reference exhibit, has finally been made official! SHINKOCCHOU SEIHOU has always scanned the bodies of famous actors with a focus on realism. This time, Hirofumi Fukuzawa, the "real" Gokai Red, was scanned. We talked to him about S.H.Figuarts (SHINKOCCHOU SEIHOU) and the filming of "Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger." Mr. Fukuzawa is a legendary suit actor who has played not only Gokai Red, but the "Red" in many Super Sentai series. He is now active as an action director, and has been involved with Super Sentai for many years. We asked him to share his thoughts on what he thinks the appeal of Gokai Red is.

*The S.H.Figuarts (SHINKOCCHOU SEIHOU) GOKAI RED figures pictured in the article are prototypes. They are different from the final product.

■ S.H.Figuarts (SHINKOCCHOU SEIHOU) GOKAI RED

――First of all, please have a look at the actual product and tell us your honest opinion.

Fukuzawa: Well, it's really good. Modern technology is really amazing. Even though the Ranger Keys are small, the details are reproduced. Back when I was a kid, it would have been impossible to sculpt them unless they were twice as big.

──How does it compare to the suit you wore while filming?

Fukuzawa: It's pretty much the same, isn't it? The refined shade of red is also nice. The color is just like I remember it.

──What do you think about the mask?

Fukuzawa: It has the same shine, just like the real thing. Even the texture of the clothes. Honestly, I was in the suit a lot more than I was looking at it, but I can remember how glossy it was before putting on the mask.

──Not only is it the same red, but the texture and glossiness of the mask and suit have also been reproduced.

Fukuzawa: Objectively speaking, it's very much the Gokai Red I've seen in photos and videos. It's really well done.

Mr. Fukuzawa took a look at S.H.Figuarts (SHINKOCCHOU SEIHOU) GOKAI RED under development. From left to right: a test shot before coloring, a sample of the test shot with coloring, a colored prototype (also called a "decomasu"), and the pre-production prototype.

──Is there anything that stands out as your favorite part?

Fukuzawa: I think it's particularly amazing that, even though it has various joints and movements, it never loses its form or its lines when posing!

──So, how well was the form replicated?

Fukuzawa: It's the ideal body type, isn't it? But, um, I wonder if I should say this? It's been about ten years since we filmed, hasn't it? I wasn't confident about my stomach when we did the 3D scan (laughs). I had to apologize. I said, "I'm sorry, could you just do a little correction around that area?"

──In that sense, you gave SHINKOCCHOU SEIHOU the ideal body (laughs).

Fukuzawa: That's right, I was in peak shape at that time. I am grateful. When I was younger, there was a period I was a little too skinny, but when I was in Gokaiger, I thought, "I might be the perfect size now." So it's just right.

──How was the scanning experience?

Fukuzawa: The scan itself was instant. It was done in, like, seconds? The booth had about 200 cameras set up covering 360 degrees. I didn't have to pose or anything, I just stood in a natural and neutral way, and then they went, "Alright, you're done!" I think it was for collecting data such as body shape, bone structure, and the length of my limbs, so the scan itself was super fast. I'd say it took about the same amount of time as snapping a regular photo.

──What kind of poses did you do for the photo shoot?

Fukuzawa: Poses that are unique to Gokai Red. Like the flipped collar, or arms crossed, or standing with my weight on my back foot and arms up ready to fight. I guess we didn't shoot many action poses.

──Gokai Red's pose with his arms crossed makes quite the impression.

Fukuzawa: Actually, I wasn't that particular about the way I folded my arms. It depended on the scene. Taking into consderation the angle of view and the level of tilt, I made fine adjustments depending on how I was entering the lens, such as lowering my arms. However, I feel like I folded my arms the opposite of Captain Marvelous (Ryota Ozawa), like whether the left or right arm was on top. But I was doing it while shooting, so I had to keep it comfortable for myself. I thought, "Oh, it's probably not good if I worry about it too much."

──What's your perspective on SHINKOCCHOU SEIHOU's take on the crossed-arm pose?

Fukuzawa: Well, I think it's great! Really amazing. Yeah, I think it was recreated very well.

──Have you gotten your hands on any figures recently?

Fukuzawa: I was given S.H.Figuarts DON MOMOTARO from "Avataro Sentai Donbrothers." It was a little too much fun, and I wanted to use it for some stop-motion photography with apps and such. I think you can definitely make a stop-motion action scene using it. The quality is really high and the movement is amazing. I would like to take some photos of S.H.Figuarts (SHINKOCCHOU SEIHOU) GOKAI RED and make a stop-motion video as well..."

■ Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger

――Please tell us about Gokai Red's appeal.

Fukuzawa: He's a different type of Red than the ones that came before him. Each Red has their own charm, but Gokai Red doesn't flatter anyone! He's strong, though not outrageously so. But no matter how often he's knocked down, he gets back up. And even if he gets hit, he'll still look back at his enemies and smirk. It's like, "Huh? Where did you pull that from?" That unbreakable spirit is really cool, don't you think?

──How do you feel about the design?

Fukuzawa: The suit's collar was cool, and it helped me as a performer. Having a collar allows you to change your expressions and actions. Also, I mentioned I had a complex about being too skinny. Looking at past Reds, their necks sometimes look long. But suits with a collar create a body line from the mask.

──Didn't the collar sometimes get in the way of your neck movement?

Fukuzawa: Not at all. It's made of soft material. However, after about a year of use, the collar would get too worn and fall off. When that happened, the costume department would fix it right up, but it would fall off again (laughs). That was a little difficult.

──How about action scenes?

Fukuzawa: I wanted to do whatever I could. I already knew a lot of moves from my experience learning fighting techniques and theatrical expressions. However, when it came to acrobatics and jumping techniques, age was also a factor, and my ability to make sudden actions was declining. There were some things that I couldn't do the way I imagined them. The weight of the boots and the tightness of the belt really did me in. I practiced barefoot in a jersey and my motivation would be really high. I'd think, "I feel great! There's some action tomorrow, let's do it!" And that would last until I arrived on set and put on the costume and the belt and it was like—"Huh? The belt is my size; it should fasten!" My motivation dropped the moment I put on the boots and thought, "Oh, these are pretty heavy." When I was younger, I didn't really care about the weight of the boots. It was around (the filming of) Goseiger when I found I'd raise my leg and think, "Were the boots always this heavy?"

──Wearing a suit restricts your movement, right?

Fukuzawa: That's right. It shrinks when you wash it. Also, the Gokaiger suit is layered.

──There's a jacket, right?

Fukuzawa: Right. Although, layering was better than not. The inner part was sleeveless, so it was easy to move my shoulders around. Single piece suits don't stretch beneath the arm. They gradually shrink and lose flexibility. For instance, the Shinken Red suit was pretty difficult to move around in, and it was hard to draw the sword.

──Gokai Red using both a gun and a sword led to some very impressive action. Did you have a hard time using the two types of weapons simultaneously?

Fukuzawa: It was actually relatively easy because it was okay for Gokai Red's movements to be wild. Even if an action pose didn't hold, or I lost balance, as long the momentum remained it was like, "Eh, that's okay!" I'm glad the character didn't have to be neat, so I could just go with the flow. It was also nice not to have to keep my energy up all the time like with other Reds. It's mentally exhausting to have to be on all the time. But Gokai Red left some space to relax when I needed to. It was like, "Man, I'm beat! Huh? Are you still here?" So some of the character slipped into the action (laughs).

──Are there any other actions you were aware of that were unique to GOKAI RED?

Fukuzawa: Doing long-range and short-range combat at the same time. The action was choreographed by action director Hirofumi Ishigaki. I had to be ready for both short-range and long-range combat anytime, in any style. It's like a combination for building excitement, like the one-two combo in boxing. You don't throw all your punches at the same time. You have to hold one for a combination and then release it. Fighting scenes are also the same. When one move comes, you cut into three moves. It looks a little rough, but creates a rhythm that raises the tempo of the scene. At any rate, I needed to learn a lot of moves, so I pored through various foreign DVDs and worked on my own techniques from there.

──Do you have any memories from when you were shooting?

Fukuzawa: With Gokai Change, you can transform into past Super Sentai warriors. At that time, I was happy to be able to wear those older costumes. When I first tried them on, some of the old outfits were showing signs of age. Since the Gokaigers are the stars in the series, it would be a problem if there was too much focus on the (previous) legends, but when I had the chance to wear them again, I was conscious of layering that form onto my performance. Of course, I still had to retain the essence of Gokai Red and Marvelous. But there was also my mentor, Kazuo Niibori (the suit actor for many previous Red Sentai, from Red Akaranger to Red Hawk).

■ Beyond the 10th Anniversary

──How did you feel about being offered to work as Gokai Red again (in the "Ten Gokaiger" film), 10 years after the original series ?

Fukuzawa: When I got the call, I felt appreciated for what I had done so far. I'm grateful that they asked me instead of someone else with a similar body type. However, I had to make a bit of an apology about my stomach (laughs). But I'm really happy. I feel the magnificence of the series all over again.

――It's still a popular show even ten years later.

Fukuzawa: It was popular back then, but aren't there always periods of excitement like that? I think after all the reviews are in, one of the results is whether or not you get called back. It's also commercialized after ten years. But that goes to show that it's still popular today. Including fans, there are still a lot of people on set who have feelings for Gokaiger. I think that we did a good job and made a really good show. I hope that I played a part in that. Of course, ten years carries a lot of weight. When I was a beginner, ten years felt like a very long time. At that time, I wanted to become a ten-year veteran as soon as possible. I wondered, "Will I still be recognized as a warrior after ten years?" But after those ten years passed, the next ten and even twenty years went by really fast (laughs).

――There was also a project for the 10th anniversary of Gokaiger two years ago.

Fukuzawa: After I joined the project, I felt a sense of nostalgia and security being together again with the other members from before. There were times when I'd think, "This is really the group that made it."

──The 20th anniversary will be here before you know it.

Fukuzawa: That's right. At this age, the 20th anniversary feels right around the corner. Well, if there's a chance, I'm confident that I'll still be fine for the fighting and technical aspects. But I'll also have to be careful not to injure myself when it comes to parts with jumping techniques and sudden movements (laughs).

――How do you feel about the many "Red" roles you've played, including Gokai Red?

Fukuzawa: There were some parts where I was really just swept along for the ride by the power of the various people who made the shows. I just hope everyone thinks of me as having contributed as well.

──What kind of show was Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger to you, Mr. Fukuzawa?

Fukuzawa: It really was the perfect piece for me to cap off my work as a suit actor. It's the 35th installment in the Super Sentai Series, and it's a commemorative work with many legendary characters from the past making appearances. I'm happy that I also got to be involved in it.

──Now, please give a message to all the fans who are eagerly awaiting the SHINKOCCHOU SEIHOU figure.

Fukuzawa: I hope you'll take this opportunity to revisit the show. And for the people who didn't see it at the time, I hope you will take this opportunity to watch it. And on a personal note, now that I have GOKAI RED, I want to collect the rest of the figures (laughs). Red alone would be lonely without his team. Please support us so that I can collect all five, or six, Gokaigers (laughs). I'd love to have them together.

──Thank you very much.