And the climactic battle took place on those iconic steps that have been in so many Sentai and Kamen Rider fight scenes, and there was such extensive coverage of the location that I finally figured out that those steps are at the Saitama Super Arena, whereas I'd somehow gotten the impression they were at Ajinomoto Stadium in Tokyo. That's just a short distance from that pedestrian bridge location that I like so much, which has come up before in this thread, although it wasn't visible in this episode. (It's over the same railway tracks we could see paralleling the stairs here, but just off the northeast corner of the stadium while these steps are along its southeast face.)
It was interesting to see regular people just going about their day while some people on the steps with giant plastic swords were filming a scene
"The scene where I was sprayed with a bucket of water was a tough shoot for me because I'm not good with water." Mio Kudo
--I heard that the film version is on a larger scale than the TV series, so could you tell us what was memorable about the filming?
The scene at the fair with my character Sayou, Shiguru (Atom Mizuishi), Sena (Yume Shinjo), and Mabushina was very memorable. Last year, due to the effects of the new coronavirus infection, all the festivals were canceled and we couldn't do anything summery, but I was happy to be able to wear a yukata and enjoy the festival, even if it was for work.
--Were there any scenes that were difficult or challenging for you?
In the scene at the fair, Sayou is shrunk by Minjo (Dann Mitsu), the "nightmare maestro" who can freely manipulate dreams, and put into a water tank, but the moment she transforms she is sprayed with a bucket of water. To tell you the truth, I'm not very good at water, I'm even afraid of dipping my face in water at swimming pools. I'm afraid to even put my face in the water at the pool. I had my husband Ei and Sena holding my hand and encouraging me until the very last minute, saying "What should I do? This was the scene I worked hardest on.
--It was a tough shoot, wasn't it? Sayou always says "emoii", but have you felt "emoii" lately?
While filming the transformation scene with the six of us in the last episode of Kiramager, I felt emotions that I can't describe with just the word "emoii". Even now, when I look back at the photos from that time, I get emotional and think, "This past year has been so emoii".
"The six members of Kiramager are a wonderful team that can clash with each other with true feelings." Mio Kudo
--Have there been any changes in the atmosphere or relationship between the six of you?
Before Kohei Shoji, who plays the role of Kiramei Silver, joined us, all five of us were shy and we hadn't exchanged contact information. One day, one of the staff members asked me, "Oh, you don't keep in touch with each other on LINE?" I was surprised, so I said, "Well, let's do that," and we started a LINE group. From there, we gradually got to know each other, and since Shoji had a friendly personality that none of the five of us had, I felt that we became an even better team after we became a group of six. Not only do we get along well, but we are also able to be honest with each other and express our opinions when we are strict, so I feel that we have found a great team.
--Also, Miss Kudo, did you feel that you changed or grew up after playing the role of Sayou/Kiramei Pink for one year?
Sayou is a super doctor with miraculous hands, but she is also an independent and mature woman, and she is the most nostalgic, motherly, and gentle woman among the six Kiramager. As I played Sayou, I began to think of her as an ideal female figure that I wanted to be like, and I was influenced by her in many ways. I still can't speak very well, but I used to be unable to put my thoughts into words, even when I was being interviewed. Now I can say what I'm thinking properly, so I feel I've grown up in that aspect.
"In my first movie, I realized how tough it is to be on set, but at the same time, I learned how fun it is to act." Mio Kudo
--Please tell us about your view of work from here. You have been in the entertainment industry since elementary school, but what made you decide to make acting and modeling your lifelong career?
Kamen Rider Ghost" that aired from 2015 to 2016 was my first acting challenge, but at the time, I couldn't really think about acting, and I was too busy just trying to say the lines I learned without making mistakes. I was in the drama club when I was in junior high school, so I always liked acting, but when you enter the professional world, it's different, and I couldn't express what I was thinking in my head at all, so I felt a lot of frustration. I realized the severity of the field, but I also learned the joy of acting. That's when I began to think that I wanted to work in this field in earnest.
--Did you ever think of going into other fields?
Yes, I did. I thought about quitting this world many times. But since I had been in the entertainment industry for so long, I thought that if I quit, there would be nothing left for me. When I talked with my friends of the same age, they all had various dreams and told me what they wanted to do. At the time, I thought that being a nursery teacher or an interior coordinator would be great, and I thought about going to a nursery school or a welfare school, but I chose to continue working in the entertainment industry because I loved it the most.
"Our work is only possible with the support of the people around us. I want to never forget to thank everyone." Mio Kudo
--You have experienced many different kinds of workplaces, but what is the most important thing for you in your work?
I always try to remember my initial intentions, to be grateful to the people around me, and to be respectful of others. A profession like ours is only possible with the support of the people around us, so I want to do my job with that as the core.
--Who influenced you to think this way?
It was something my parents told me before I started working. Even after that, it's something that I've always tried to keep in mind. I've learned a lot from my various jobs, but I've never changed my mind about the importance of gratitude.
"This year, I want to go back to my roots and focus on my modeling career." Mio Kudo
--The New Year has just started, what is your outlook for 2021?
I started my career as a model, so this year I would like to go back to my roots and focus more on modeling. I hope to be able to do a wide variety of work, so please support me in the New Year.
--Finally, do you have any advice or message for people of your generation who are working hard to reach their dreams and goals?
I'm not in a position to give advice yet, but I've been in this world for about 10 years, and there have been many times when I wanted to give up or quit something that I started out enjoying. But as I worked, I started to dream more and more about what I wanted to be and what I wanted to do. As a result, I came to the conclusion that I should not give up. After I finished "Masked Rider Ghost," my desire to work as a Super Sentai character became stronger, and as a result, I kept auditioning and got the job. That's why I think it's important to take action and not give up on your dreams, so I hope every one of my generations will do their best. I'm going to work harder and harder.
Touma goes feral and gets the berserker form for this year. Compared to Hazard from Kamen Rider Build and Metal Cluster this form isn't a stone cold killing machine. There was nice detail with Primitive Dragon holding the saber by the blade.
Also Season 2 of Beast Morphers comes to Netflix on March 1st this year
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