Kamen Rider and General Tokusatsu

Christopher · Nov 15, 2025

Huh? So they're not replacing Sumino with her sister, they're recasting her? Maybe it'll be some weird side effect of Sumino using the Donbrothers Sentai Ring.

Also, just to clarify, the tweet says (according to X's autotranslation) that "She will appear starting from episode 40," so it's not just for the one episode.

I'll be glad to see the lovely Kohaku Shida again, and she should be a reasonably good fit for the character, but the circumstances are weird and unfortunate.

According to RangerWiki, GozyuUnicorn is voiced in episodes 37-39 by Ayaka Maekawa, who's voiced various returning "Female Sentai Warriors" in several crossover movies as well as the mecha Mashin Carry in Kiramager. This is the second time Maekawa has understudied a Gozyuger cast member; in Kamen Rider Heisei Generations Final, she took over the role of Mezool, who was voiced in Kamen Rider OOO by Yukana Nogami, the voice of Gozyuger's Queen TegaJune (and of Honoka/Cure White in the first two seasons of Pretty Cure).

Samurai8472 · Nov 15, 2025

Christopher said:
Huh? So they're not replacing Sumino with her sister, they're recasting her? Maybe it'll be some weird side effect of Sumino using the Donbrothers Sentai Ring.

They Aunt Viv'd her

What they're likely doing right now is whatever scene Maya/Sumino was in Kohaku Shida will recreate and reshoot

It is weird. She's only going be in about 9 to 10 episodes plus reshooting the Gozyuger VS Boonboomger team up

Also if they do do a Gozyuger X Donbrothers special it's going to be even weirder

Maya's agency is also being harassed. Long story short to these past weeks for us and past months for Toei and the agency they probably want to move on ASAP

Samurai8472 · Nov 15, 2025

Universe heroes 2026

Based on trusted sources the format will be less focus on teams and more classes
Warrior
Wizard
Tamer

Different heroes will occasionally show up. Not other shows just less team structure than before

Their mecha system will be similar to Gozyuger,donbrothers and gridman

So we’ll have one core robo with different heroes swapping out different forms

Christopher · Nov 15, 2025

It just occurred to me to wonder... Will RangerWiki cover Universe Heroes (and maybe change their name), or will they start a separate wiki for it? Or will it be covered on Tokupedia?

Kamen Rider Blade · Nov 16, 2025

Samurai8472 said:
Universe heroes 2026

Based on trusted sources the format will be less focus on teams and more classes
Warrior
Wizard
Tamer

Different heroes will occasionally show up. Not other shows just less team structure than before

Their mecha system will be similar to Gozyuger,donbrothers and gridman

So we’ll have one core robo with different heroes swapping out different forms

So is the Kamen Rider side of Toei going to be part of Universe Heroes?
They would easily fit into many of those categories.

Christopher · Nov 16, 2025

Case #10: "Vanish" (I don't think I'll post the livestream link, since it'll be gone in a couple of days anyway): Kind of interesting. The case involves a "national secret" hidden in three paintings, but the real focus is on advancing the larger arc involving Odaka/Nox and giving more exposition about how the Capsems work. Nox seems to be someone like Nem who can only live in dreams, and it's looking increasingly likely that he'll be the next Rider.

Kind of creepy that the art collector fantasizes about owning Nem as a piece of his collection. I guess it's just supposed to be a lifelike mannequin within the dream, but it's still pretty objectifying. Also, is it hard for her to walk in those shoes? If that's the outfit he dreamt her into, he has a weird fashion sense.

There's a new sequence for showing Baku's transition to the dream world, more stylish and elaborate than just watching him suddenly fall asleep. I bet it'll be a recurring thing going forward.

This episode contained one of my pet peeves -- the detectives come in just after Minami leaves Baku's room, and they tumble noisily across the floor and carry on a conversation in normal tones, and somehow Minami doesn't hear it through the door. Ordinary doors in TV/film are implausibly soundproof.

Samurai8472 · Nov 16, 2025

This from Japan news site that published corporate sustainability info on many companies, so none of that tabloid bull.

coki.jp

Maya Imamori's contract termination and departure: The two issues behind it

>The incident that sparked this change was the announcement by her agency that Maya Imamori (19) had been drinking alcohol underage. On the 8th, the agency announced that "she was found to have been drinking alcohol despite being under the age of 20," and after determining that this was a "serious breach of contract," her management contract terminated on the same day.
>What further deepened concerns was the existence of "working at a lounge," which had been discussed among those involved. Although it was not specified in the agency's announcement, a member of the drama production staff said the following:
>"There are some lounges where you can start working from the age of 18, but the majority of them serve alcohol. It is very difficult to draw the line between this and underage drinking, and it is a big risk for a talent who carries a brand on their shoulders. The environment may have also influenced the agency's decision to consider it 'black'."
>Underage drinking is a serious offense in the entertainment industry, but it is especially strict in the Sentai series, which is a children's program.
>Toei immediately consulted with TV Asahi after receiving the notice from the agency and decided to terminate the contract from the perspective of compliance. They announced, "She will be stepping down from her appearances in the series."
>TV Asahi also stated on the program's website that "in light of the seriousness of the matter, we agreed to the request for her to step down," making it clear that this was a measure to protect the show.

JD · Nov 17, 2025

Christopher said:
It just occurred to me to wonder... Will RangerWiki cover Universe Heroes (and maybe change their name), or will they start a separate wiki for it? Or will it be covered on Tokupedia?

So is Universe Heroes going to be a continuation of Sentai under a new name, or something completely new that's just like Sentai that's being made by the same people?

Samurai8472 · Nov 17, 2025

The term sentai wouldn't fit this rebrand. They're not a team/taskforce all working for one organization

To quote Nick Fury

"There was an idea, to bring together a group of remarkable people to see if they could become something more. So when we needed them they could fight the battles that we never could."

It's going to be a hodgepodge of individuals/heroes banding together.

A couple of years ago I had an idea where different members of different sentai teams banded together because they had lost their own teammates

A karate red ranger who lost his brother
A racer green ranger who's team has been captured

etc etc

All of them come from different sentai groups but they have to work together.

Christopher · Nov 17, 2025

"Heroine Senshi"? Interesting -- the use of that word (meaning soldier, warrior, or guardian) evokes Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon, so maybe it's a magical-girl type of heroine. (The reference to a Magiranger also supports that.) Maybe they're trying to have crossover appeal to boys and girls, which is a nice idea.

It actually sounds a bit like a comedy premise. Lead characters from three different subgenres are thrust together and have to learn to get along despite their conflicting personalities and genre tropes. Sort of like Red Ranger Isekai blending a Sentai hero with a high-fantasy D&D-style adventuring party.

Getting back to the Gozyuger situation, am I right that this is the first time a Sentai member (or other toku regular) has been recast rather than replaced with a different character, not counting voice substitutions (or that time the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers were turned into children for a while so the actors could go shoot the feature film)? I can think of some instances of modern movies bringing back classic Showa-era villains played by new actors, but with heroes, they usually bring back the original actor if they can, or just use a suit actor and voice performer. And I'm not counting alternate versions like the two different movie reboots of Kamen Rider Ichigo & Nigou, or the alternate-reality Riders in Kamen Rider Decade (who were entirely different characters that just happened to have the same given names and Rider powers).

Samurai8472 · Nov 17, 2025

Christopher said:
"Heroine Senshi"? Interesting -- the use of that word (meaning soldier, warrior, or guardian) evokes Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon, so maybe it's a magical-girl type of heroine. (The reference to a Magiranger also supports that.) Maybe they're trying to have crossover appeal to boys and girls, which is a nice idea.

It actually sounds a bit like a comedy premise. Lead characters from three different subgenres are thrust together and have to learn to get along despite their conflicting personalities and genre tropes. Sort of like Red Ranger Isekai blending a Sentai hero with a high-fantasy D&D-style adventuring party.

Supposedly it's going to be a class system which is why we are rumored to have a magic academy

One Warrior
One- Wizard/witch
One Tamer

As for Toku actors replacing characters due to this situation with Maya people bring up like Battle Cossack and Vul Eagle

Kamen Rider Blade · Nov 17, 2025

Christopher said:
Getting back to the Gozyuger situation, am I right that this is the first time a Sentai member (or other toku regular) has been recast rather than replaced with a different character, not counting voice substitutions (or that time the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers were turned into children for a while so the actors could go shoot the feature film)? I can think of some instances of modern movies bringing back classic Showa-era villains played by new actors, but with heroes, they usually bring back the original actor if they can, or just use a suit actor and voice performer. And I'm not counting alternate versions like the two different movie reboots of Kamen Rider Ichigo & Nigou, or the alternate-reality Riders in Kamen Rider Decade (who were entirely different characters that just happened to have the same given names and Rider powers).

To my knowledge of the situation, yes.

Her character got "Aunt Viv'ed".

Christopher · Nov 17, 2025

Samurai8472 said:
As for Toku actors replacing characters due to this situation with Maya people bring up like Battle Cossack and Vul Eagle

Yes, but that's my point -- those, along with Kirenger, Miss America, and Yellow4 (and most of the Mighty Morphin and Turbo Rangers, and Reddle of B-Fighter), are cases where the replacement actor played a new character. In-story, the original team member departed or was killed, and a different character took their place. This is the first time the replacement actor will be playing the same character.

EDIT: At least, that's what RangerWiki claims, but looking at the original tweet announcing Shida's casting, I'm not so sure. It doesn't say she'll be playing Sumino -- rather, it says "#IkawaKakuno ・ as #GojuuUnicorn." I can't find any online references for the name Ikawa Kakuno. So it looks to me like she probably is playing a new character of that name.

Samurai8472 · Nov 18, 2025

New trademark released but it’s for Gavan!

Christopher · Nov 18, 2025

A new Gavan series? Hmm, Yuma Ishigaki (Geki Jumonji/Gavan Type-G) is 43 now, so presumably he'll be passing the torch to a third-generation Space Sheriff.

Hey, but Kenji Ohba is still with us at 70, and I shouldn't doubt he's still game for another return appearance as the original Gavan. He's always fun to see.

Although what bugs me about using "Gavan" as the generic name for all wielders of the silver armor is that Gavan was the original's real name, and Retsu Ichijoji was just the alias he adopted on Earth, based on his human mother's surname. So it's kind of as if all Kamen Riders were named Hongo Takeshis instead.

The Japanese title is Chou Uchuu Keiji Gyaban Infiniti. I wonder how much of that will be part of the character's title as opposed to just the show title.

Samurai8472 · Nov 18, 2025

Hold on. Im hearing that this IS the rebrand of sentai and they’re using the word Gavan in a generic sense

Gavan in name only. Looks more like Gridman. Partnered with our female lead, who's a ranger (the white witch.)

Universe Heroes is the brand and SSSGI is the series.

They have only three months to explain this to the audience; it would be like rebranding Star Trek to Space Exploration, while incorporating Babylon 5 and The Orville into the franchise. There are some interpolations within the fandom, but the whole concept of "purity" can bring some issues.

And this is all to skirt legal issues so that Japan can market to the west. The lengths they’ll go

Christopher · Nov 18, 2025

Samurai8472 said:
Hold on. Im hearing that this IS the rebrand of sentai and they’re using the word Gavan in a generic sense

Gavan in name only. Looks more like Gridman. Partnered with our female lead, who's a ranger (the white witch.)

Universe Heroes is the brand and SSSGI is the series.

They have only three months to explain this to the audience; it would be like rebranding Star Trek to Space Exploration, while incorporating Babylon 5 and The Orville into the franchise. There are some interpolations within the fandom, but the whole concept of "purity" can bring some issues.

That all sounds very weird, so some of what you're hearing may be muddled. I'll reserve judgment until we get official word.

Samurai8472 said:
And this is all to skirt legal issues so that Japan can market to the west. The lengths they’ll go

If it means Toei's shows get official simulcasts on YouTube going forward, I'm all for it.

Samurai8472 · Nov 18, 2025

The new show uses the terms Space Sheriff Gavan in its title but it has nothing to do with that metal hero franchise

They’re basically piggy backing off another brand for name recognition and legal purposes

Which doesn’t sound very smart since Space Sheriff gavan isn’t even that successful.

People know the name but the franchise isn’t that strong enough to carry a new brand.

So what? Next year they call the next series “metal hero etc etc” for name recognition? What about after that?

There’s just “gavan” and “metal hero” for words. What do they use for the third year?

Christopher · Nov 18, 2025

Samurai8472 said:
There’s just “gavan” and “metal hero” for words. What do they use for the third year?

Metal Heroes had two trilogies, the Space Sheriff trilogy (Gavan, Sharivan, Shaider) and the Rescue Heroes trilogy (Winspector, Solbrain, Exceedraft). It also had the B-Fighter duology (aka Beetle Fighter), the kid-friendly Kabutack/Robotack duology, and seven standalone seasons (Juspion, Spielban, Metalder, Jiraiya, Jiban, Janperson, Blue Swat). (Well, technically, Jiraiya and Jiban share a universe due to a single crossover episode, and the last five series from Janperson onward are similarly linked by crossover episodes. Not counting how later revival movies treated them all as a shared universe.)

Samurai8472 · Nov 18, 2025

I forgot about b-fighter. So if they’re really going down this route then there is options for future series titles under the universe heroes banner

They’re just going to mine /pilfer metal heroes names

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