Main Cast Including Katsuyuki Konishi Gather! Anime "Tojima Wants to Be a Kamen Rider" All 5 Episodes Advance Marathon Screening Event Report

Director, Katsuyuki Konishi, Ai Kayano, Kenichi Suzumura, and Sōma Saitō: Main Cast Assemble

Shinjuku Wald 9’s Theater 9 was packed to capacity for this event. This time, episodes 1 through 5, totaling approximately 111 minutes, were screened in one thrilling marathon. After the screening, the talk event kicked off with an introduction from MC Yoshiyuki Arai of Hurricanes, a well-known tokusatsu fan.

Responding to the MC’s call, five people gathered on stage: Director Takahiro Ikezoe, Katsuyuki Konishi (as Tanzaburō Tōjima), Ai Kayano (as Yuriko Okada), Kenichi Suzumura (as Ichiyo Shimamura), and Sōma Saitō (as Mitsuha Shimamura). It was the first time the director and main cast had come together before the public for this project, and from the outset, lively and passionate conversation filled the room.

Kayano and Suzumura, when asked about memorable scenes of their respective characters up to episode 5, mentioned their "introduction" scenes. Kayano said, "Ever since the audition, I was really looking forward to getting to say 'Tack!' during recording," while Suzumura shared his dedication to pronunciation: "I'm glad my 'Buissliya!' is properly included on the soundtrack."

The cast also shared stories from the vigorous recording sessions, with Saitō saying that Konishi was so fired up in the studio that he wondered, "Did Konishi-san forget what a test read is?" Konishi himself commented on one of the show's major appeals: “love.” He said, “The staff and cast have poured ‘love’ into this series. The characters also have immense ‘love’ for the characters they admire. This show teaches you that loving something can give you incredibly strong energy,” communicating this to the audience.

Special Guest for Episode 1: Hiroshi Fujioka Set to Voice Takeshi Hongō. Konishi: “I never thought I’d get to do Rider Kick together!”

As the event reached its midpoint, a special comment from a certain person was announced—and appeared on screen was none other than Hiroshi Fujioka! It has been decided that Hiroshi Fujioka himself will play the voice of Takeshi Hongō, appearing in a scene in episode 1 of "Tojima Wants to Be a Kamen Rider."

Upon this unexpected surprise, the audience burst into loud cheers. Konishi, who performed the Rider Kick lines alongside Fujioka in the video, commented, “I never dreamed I’d get to do Rider Kick together with Fujioka-san...!” sharing his thoughts on witnessing Fujioka’s recording firsthand.

For the commemorative photo at the end of the event, everyone used Kamen Rider 1 masks, which were distributed as special gifts at the venue. All members of the audience held their masks to their faces and, on Konishi’s cue, everyone joined in with the cast to record the comment, “Rider Punch!”

At the close of the event, Director Ikezoe said, “I love the original work, and that ‘It’s my turn in life’ feeling is truly appealing. We’re creating this anime so that energy comes through.” Konishi left a message for the crowd: “Please support the show so that these characters who admire the Riders can fight against Shocker as true Riders.” The event wrapped up as a unique marathon screening filled with fiery passion and high energy, perfectly encapsulating the spirit of the work.

(C)柴田ヨクサル／ヒーローズ・Tojima Rider Project
(C)石森プロ・東映