吉沢亮 YOSHIZAWARYO
Profile Ryo Yoshizawa is a Japanese actor. His breakthrough roles include Yūichi Katagiri in the Tomodachi television drama and films and Okita Sogo in the Gintama live-aknown for his expressive eyes and natural acting style. He is aroles in tokusatsu, including his role as Ryūsei Sakuta, the KamKamen Rider Fourze. Yoshizawa was born on February 1, 1994, in Tokyo, Japan. His fhis mother, father, an older brother and two younger brothers. in second dan in kendo, which he has been practicing for overIn the beginning of 2011, Yoshizawa made his debut in Sign witactors like Dori Sakurada and Takuya Uehara. In the second hahe starred in Kingyo Club. He went on to portray Ryūsei SakutFourze, making his debut in the seventeenth episode. Yoshizawon his role by Uchūsen, the interview being featured in the 135revealed his inspiration behind his character’s split personality ence in ADR recording. Yoshizawa compared his character to tfrom Death Note. He also watched Bruce Lee films as a referenter frequently performed the trademark kiai of “Howatchā” whekicks. In 2017, he portrayed the role of Shinsengumi 1st Division Captthe 2017 live-action film of the popular manga series Gintama, role in the sequel, Gintama 2, in 2018.
Game live-action action films. He is also known for his en Rider Meteor in family consists of Yoshizawa is skilled r nine years. th other amuse alf of that year, a in Kamen Rider wa was interviewed 5th issue. Yoshizawa and his first experihat of Light Yagami nce, as his characen firing punches or tain Okita Sogo in and reprised the
RyusSakuKamen Rider Fourze Yoshizawa entered the entertainment industry in 2009 when he won an Amuse audition. In 2011, he made his debut in Kingyo Club. That same year, he was cast for 朔田 流星
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Background Ryusei Sakuta is a practitioner of Seishin Dairinken who was best friends with Jiro Iseki. However Jiro got his hands on a Zodiarts Switch and went into a Cosmic Energy-induced coma. After Jiro was admitted into the hospital, Ryusei was recruited by Kuniteru Emoto under the guise of “Tachibana” to join the Anti-Zodiarts Union and become Kamen Rider Meteor with the support of the satellite named M-BUS. Ryusei eventually began attending Subaruboshi High School and became acquainted with his classmate Mei Shirakawa. At some point, Tachibana told Ryusei that the power of the Aries Zodiarts could cure Jiro, and that the current host was a student at Amanogawa High School. On his way to the school one night, Ryusei disposed of multiple of Lem Kannagi’s escaping forces. Mission at Amanogawa To ensure his mission goes without fail, Ryusei puts up a bright, cheerful, and albeit timid facade so no one would be the wiser. Eventually, during the Kamen Rider Club’s battle with the Lynx Zodiarts, Ryusei appears as Kamen Rider Meteor and reveals his agenda to them as he holds Kamen Rider Fourze at bay to ensure the Lynx Zodiarts’s escape in hopes that he might evolve into the Aries Zodiarts. After he defeats the Scorpion Zodiarts, Ryusei successfully joins the Kamen Rider Club in order to observe them better and putting up a further facade of being a technical genius, he is entrusted by Gentaro to assist Kengo Utahoshi in creating several Astro Switches and the NS Magphone. While going onto the field with the rest of the club members, he plays further on his supposedly timid trait by running away when he sees a Zodiarts, should he need to fight the monster personally. Though his cover serves him well so far with the rest of the club, he is actually not much of an actor and often lets his principles or his smarts take priority over maintaining his cover. Those with a keen eye like Tomoko Nozama and Natsuji Kijima can detect something off with him based on those “leaks” alone, the latter calling him out to set up a partnership while intending to uncover Kamen Rider Mete-
or’s identity. Kijima eventually manages to trick him into revealing his identity as Kamen Rider Meteor, with Ryusei attempting to silence him before learning that Tachibana was already alerted to his secret being compromised and had shut down the Meteor System as a consequence. Identity Revealed Unfortunately, when Ryusei meets the Aries Zodiarts when said Horoscopes takes over Subaruboshi High, he begins to lose his focus due to being so close to reviving Jiro. So, Aries offers him (or rather, Meteor) a deal; he will revive Jiro in return for killing Fourze. Ryusei accepts. Meteor aids the latter and betrays the Kamen Rider Club, and kills Fourze with a one-inch punch to the chest, near the heart. Disgusted by his actions, Tachibana shuts down the Meteor System, revealing Meteor’s identity to the Club and his school friends. Aries keeps up his part of the bargain and revives Jiro, but despite being awakened from his coma, after Ryusei tells Jirou of what he did, Jiro’s health continues to fail. Jiro says he only took the Zodiarts Switch that hospitalized him to be strong like Ryusei, but his weakness dragged Ryusei down. Ryusei feels guilty for betraying the Kamen Rider Club and realizes that he truly did want to be Gentaro’s friend. As a result, he takes on Aries despite having lost his powers and is almost killed until a revived Gentaro intervenes. Ryusei is shocked, and tries to apologize, but Gentarou had already fully forgiven Ryusei for his actions and the two Kamen Riders finally become true friends. After Aries is destroyed, Ryusei is forgiven by the rest of Kamen Rider Club who agree to help keep his identity secret.
Future RyuseiSakuta Ultimatum Ryusei during Ultimatum. 5 years later, Ryusei becomes an Interpol agent. During one mission, he confronts an evil organization by himself and winds up being captured. Ryusei asks about with who they works with, the leader says the person is named Banba. The leader gave him a clue that he can become a monster by pressing a switch. Recognizing the clue, Ryusei freed himself but was surprised by the enemies’ pyrokinesis. Saved by Inga Blink and transforming into Meteor, he knocks out all of his foes and takes the strange stickers that were on their necks. He decides to go back to Japan and find Gentaro to help him capture Banba. Later, he arrives as Meteor to save Gentaro from falling after the Hercules Zodiarts sent him flying, tells him about Banba and gathered all of their comrades, with Ryusei going to collect Tomoko. Ryusei and Gentaro works together again as Gentaro faces Kazeta (Sanagiman), Ryusei as Meteor faces Banba as he transforms into Hercules Zodiarts. Hercules proves his strength, totally overpowering Meteor Storm and Ryusei is defeated in battle. Fortunately, he is saved by Kazeta in the evolution form and calls himself Inazuman. Neo-Heisei Eight Riders After Banba is defeated, Ryusei arrests him. And when the though of peace has come, Eel interferes with destroying Yuki’s emergency ship. Luckily, she is saved by Nadeshiko. When Eel runs away to the past, Ryusei rushes himself with Gentaro and Nadeshiko after him. Ryusei later fights together not just with Gentaro and Nadeshiko, but also Haruto and the summoned copies of the two previous Heisei Kamen Riders and their secondaries (Double, Accel, OOO, and Birth). When Xatan awakened the true form of his machine, Fourze uses the Fusion Switch as he borrows Ryusei’s Meteor and Nadeshiko’s Switches to become Meteor Nadeshiko Fusionstates. After Xatan and Zaiderbeck were destroyed, Ryusei, Gentaro, and Nadeshiko returned to their proper timeline.
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Okita ougo 沖田 総悟 Gintama In 2017, he portrayed the role of Shinsengumi 1st Division Captain Okita Sogo in the 2017 live-action film of the popular manga series Gintama, and reprised the
Background During his childhood, Sougo’s parents passed away, leaving his older sister, Okita Mitsuba, to raise him by herself in their home village. She herself admits later that she spoiled him because of their parents’ death, which caused him to be aloof and distant. Because of this, he never had many friends, until he caught the eye of Kondou Isao who took him in as a trainee into his dojo. He grew fond of Kondou and still holds him in high regard. However, after a new student, Hijikata Toushirou joined the dojo, Sougo became more distant, feeling that Hijikata was taking over Kondo’s attention and favoring Hijikata over him. Sougo noticed that Hijikata had grown a close friendship with Kondou and Mitsuba, and this (accompanied by his arrogant attitude at the dojo) caused Sougo to hate Hijikata with a great passion. A few years later, Sougo, along with the other Dojo students, set off for Edo and subsequently set up the Shinsengumi. Okita Mitsuba wanted to go with Sougo to watch over him and to be with Hijikata. However, after Hijikata rejected Mitsuba’s request to follow him (out of the knowledge that the path he chose could cause him to lose his life at any time), Sougo has held a grudge against him. This grudge is additionally fueled by his goal to take over as vice-commander of the Shinsengumi. Personality Sougo’s most prominent trait is his sadistic nature, which was revealed on and on as the series goes. A clear example of this was when he collared and chained up Urara with a metal leash for an “S&M” (sadistic & masochistic) play. Hijikata even goes as far as calling him the King of the Planet of Sadists in episode 20. Although acknowledged to be a sadist by the people who know him, including the Yorozuya, he is surprisingly obedient to his
sister, Okita Mitsuba, shown in his respectful way of speaking to her and the way he kneels before his sister to apologize. Interestingly, however, in episode 35, when Sougo fell off a roller-coaster after forgetting to belt himself, he admitted in his panic that his sadism stems from being actually sensitive and weak deep down (“glass no tsurugi”). He is shown to have evil intentions underneath any good thing he does, and is very blunt, not hesitating to express his observations, disdain towards others, or unflattering perceptions, be it to Hijikata or Kondo (but especially to Hijikata). Despite this, Sougo is usually protective of the people he genuinely cares for, such as Okita Mitsuba, his older sister, and his commander, Kondou Isao (even though Sougo repeatedly calls him Gorilla). When an official insults Kondou, Sougo draws his sword to kill him before being stopped by Hijikata. Additionally, he is unexpectedly sensitive to others’ feelings when it truly counts, often saving his comrades’ lives in battles and even taking on burdens for other people. Sougo’s ambition is to become the vice-commander of the Shinsengumi, and as such, he regularly attempts to usurp Hijikata of the position through various methods, ranging from framing him for murder (when he shoots Matsudaira and places the gun in Hijikata’s hand with the intention of making it look like the vice-commander had been the one to shoot), to harming or even “killing” Hijikata. His attempts appear real enough that Hijikata was afraid he would get killed during the Shinsengumi Death Game arc. In spite of this, Sougo has respect for Hijikata and even considers him to be one of his ‘three rotten friends’ (the other two being Kondo and Sakata Gintoki). He also has a similar rivalry with Kagura of the Yorozuya, and the two often get in meaningless competitions over the smallest of situations.
In general, Sougo acts aloof and disinterested most of the time and is most often seen with a blank, deadpan expression on his face. Though he often acts lazy and slacks off on his jobs, he is very attentive when needed and does not hesitate to kill or cut down his enemies. He is also very observant and aware of political movements, as he is often the one explaining situations to the Yorozuya. Both Nobume and Kamui have stated that Sougo has the eyes of a killer, yet he doesn’t wish for innocent people to walk the path he has taken and be stained by blood. This is particularly evident in the Rokkaku arc, where he would rather take the blame and hatred of the daughter of the Rokkaku owner than let her know the cruel truth of her father’s death. Additionally, in Episode 27, he shows distaste towards the Rengokukan fighting ring and enlists the Yorozuya to help him shut it down. Appearance Okita Sougo appears to be a mild-featured young man with short, light brown hair and red-brown eyes. He has an almost-childlike innocent face as well as full lips and is often described as handsome. During the Correspondence Arc, his picture is used to create the impression that ‘Shinpachi’ is attractive, and Shinpachi said in the Excalibur Arc that his good looks are all that he has. He wears the standard Shinsengumi uniform. Like all Shinsengumi captains, he wears a white cravat around his neck, tucked into a black vest with a yellow lock. His dark, unbuttoned jacket (reaching to the thigh with a collar) is decorated with gold buckles, buttons, and triangular-shaped cuffs. His black trousers are supported by a brown belt with a silver buckle. At the left hip is tied his sheath, holding his katana. He also wears black, heavy boots with a small heel. When resting, or skipping work, he wears a distinct red sleep mask with eye markings. He carries it around with him and is rarely seen without it. It has a black border and red painted interior, decorated with wide-open eyes with straight lashes.
KaidShun 海藤 瞬 Saiki Kusuo no Psi-nan Yoshizawa entered the entertainment industry in 2009 when he won an Amuse audition. In 2011, he made his debut in Kingyo Club. That same year, he was cast for the role of Ryusei Sakuta and made his Kamen Rider debut in the seventeenth episode.
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Appearance When Shun was in middle school, he had the persona of a nerd. He wore his hair down, covering his face with his bangs and wore glasses. However, with the intent of gaining friends, he started planning to change himself when he entered high school. Currently, his hair is spiky and he wears contact lenses. In reference to his chuunibyou, he wears red bandages on both arms to seal away his ‘powers’. He is the shortest boy in his class, standing shorter than most of the girls as well. At school, he wears the standard male uniform of PK Academy. His shirt has a tattered collar and is torn in other places as well. During his days off, he is shown to dress casually, with his arms always covered by sleeves or bandages. Personality Shun used to be shy in middle school, and he had no friends at all. Once he began attending PK Academy, he started changing his personality with the plan of becoming adultlike. However, he developed a chuunibyou like personality. He acts confident and conceited at school, lying about being incredibly powerful and talking about how an evil organization called The Dark Reunion is after him and controlling the Earth in hopes that other students will think he’s cool. His need for attention is well known to put him in danger on occasion such as when he tried to take credit for leading the rally against Saiko and panicked when Saiko was listening in, another moment was when he told his younger-brother Toki about stories of his power and total control of their neighborhood but panicked when Toki announces it to a nearby thug smashing a vending machine. He often attempts to impress Saiki and the others. However, when feeling hopeless or when around his overbearing mother, he acts like a normal teenager. Despite all of his at-
tempts to impress everyone, he still does not have many friends, aside from his group of associates, and is somewhat a loner at school. He is often full of himself, but when faced with danger he fearfully retreats. He is physically very weak and is terrible at sports and physical activity in general, he also cannot swim, and yet continues to brag about his superhuman abilities that everyone knows he clearly does not have. Shun has a delusional mind and a wild imagination. He often tries to be cool and strong in front of people, preferably Kusuo, only to end up embarrassing himself more often than not, Shun never learns from these mistakes. He is quick to judge others, as shown when he accuses Riki of being a lolicon after observing him watching a young girl. Aside from his delusions, Shun is skilled in his academics because of his strict mother making him study to succeed. It was even said that he has high grades in his class, showing that he is not too distracted from his studies. However, his education does not equal intelligence as he is not good at drawing and thinks hair clinics are hospitals. History Shun grew up as a nerd but decided to reinvent himself in high school. In his freshman year at PK Academy, he acquainted himself with Mineo Nobuaki, who taught Shun about chuunibyou. He eventually began to befriend Kusuo as he delusionally thought that Kusuo was special too. Kusuo originally did not want to associate with Shun, however he was left with no other choice after discovering that Shun saw him teleporting near his neighbourhood. It was later revealed that Shun was intent on getting close with Kusuo because he really wanted a friend and saw a fellow outcast as his ally. Shun hadn’t really seen Kusuo’s face when he teleported, but their friendship was already formed.
YamIchir山田一郎 A film adaptation of the manga was released in 2018. Kodansha USA currently publishes the manga in English. River’s Edge
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River’s Edge is a 2018 Japanese film directed by Isao Yukisada. It is based on the manga of the same title by Kyoko Okazaki. It was screened in the Panorama section at the 68th Berlin International Film Festival. River’s Edge was first published in the women’s fashion magazine Monthly Cutie between 1993 and 1994 River’s Edge follows Haruna, a high school girl in a suburb of Tokyo, and her friends as they traverse the ups and downs of high-school life in the 90s. Themes of bullying, homosexuality, drug-use and teenage pregnancy are explored through the lens of a coming of age story. The manga was highly influential in Japanese literature. Cast Ichiro Yamada The second protagonist of the novel. Ichiro is bullied by the other boys at school due to his popularity with girls at school. Quiet and non-chalant, Ichiro is closeted although he dates Kanna to appear straight.
Haruna Wakagusa (Fumi Nikaido) is a high school student who liveruna’s classmate. He is bullied at school, but Haruna sticks up for found a dead body along the riverside. A new body is soon found
es with her mother. Ichiro Yamada (Ryo Yoshizawa) is gay and Ha Ichiro. They become intimate and Ichiro tells Haruna his secret. He d.
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Ying heng 嬴政 Kingdom Set in Qin Dynasty during the warring states period in ancient China. Shin was a war orphan. He has a dream of becoming a great general Shin has a fateful encounter with young King Eisei.. King Eisei aims to unify all of China.
Appearance Sei is a young, thin but muscular man with black shoulder-length hair and brown eyes. He looks very similar to Ri Hyou. His usual attire consists of the standard royal robes and many times he is seen carrying his sword with him. During the Battle of Sai, Sei is seen dressed as a military commander for the first time. He wears a shiny golden armor with a dragon symbol on the chest and circular patterns around it and a long cape. Personality At the beginning of the story, Ei Sei seemed levelheaded but somewhat cold. When Shin was going to let Jo Kan leave after defeating him, Ei Sei killed the assassin without remorse. However, he does care at least a little bit about those loyal to him. When Shin collapsed from exhaustion, Ei Sei carried him without complaint even though he said before that he would treat Shin as a sword and not a person. As they battle to reclaim the Royal Palace, they grow closer and come to depend on each other. In the end, Sei sent Shin to reclaim the Royal Hall and defeat his brother while he fought the guards outside, something many characters pointed out required great trust in Shin. In the past, Sei had a colder personality and was unable to put his trust in others due to the abuse he suffered from his mother and the people of Zhao during their exile from Qin. He also lost the ability to feel any sensation and believed that he was haunted by the ghosts of Chouhei. However, after meeting Shika, he began to see that there were good people in the world, and as a result, molded his character to what he is currently. Consequentially, he regained the ability to feel after Shika’s death and sacrifice. After reclaiming his throne, Sei and Shin become each other’s support and, in a way, become rivals. As they journey towards their dreams, they’re constantly trying to keep up with each other. After either of them achieve something, they always come together on the roof of the Royal Palace to congratulate and encour-
age each other to keep moving forward. Along with Shou Bun Kun, Shin becomes one of Sei’s closest friends. And as their dreams merge, Sei hopes to one day unite all of China with Shin as his sword. To do so, Sei must maintain a silent war with certain Qin officials, and slowly strengthens his resolve to do whatever it takes to make sure that in a few years’ time, he is ready to take the throne. As he grows, key figures within Qin begin to notice a fire in Sei’s eyes. Ou Ki claimed they were very similar to those of King Sho, who was once called the “God of War”. Dream and Goal Sei’s goal is to unify all of China and the central plains under the banner of Qin and become the emperor of the new nation, and with it destroy all states including Qin, borders, and bring an end to the endless wars of the current era. To convince and make all citizens comfortable in this situation, he is planning to create a legalism system, in which all citizens have the same rights and duties, without privileges or discrimination, and the law is above every person in order to keep the status quo and avoid conflicts.
“Your majesty is completely correct. To truly unify these lands would require single-handedly govern the whole system effectively. But it can never be allowed to be man!'” “If not man... Then what!?” “Law.”
Honestly, I would have liked to serve under a king such as yourself. Ri Boku