Guest actors across a few toku shows I've seen
(Pretty much caught up with Kamen Rider Double (well I watched it on and off switching with Ultraman Max, which is why they are the two series I'll use as bases in this post), but yeah, can't seem to write thoughts on the episodes (this is where I confess that my latest two entries on W were somewhat delayed postings), so I leave that and do something different.)
Mostly for my reference. I doubt it would make much sense to anyone other than me...especially since I only bother to use character names (sometimes not even that) and not real names.
List of series referenced (whether by name or not), where an actor is in two or more toku series (and at least one of those series is either Kamen Rider W or Ultraman Max):
Kamen Rider: Kuuga, Den-O, W (Double)
Ultraman: Ultraman, UltraSeven, Ultraman Leo, Ultraman Cosmos, Ultraman Nexus, Ultraman Max, Ultraman Mebius
Sentai: Hurricanger, Abaranger, Dekaranger, Magiranger, Gekiranger
There may be some spoilers for the series mentioned, but hopefully no important spoilers...
Guess who I found in Ultraman Max episode 24? Papa Sonozaki himself! I'm happy that I totally recognized him from his voice alone. :) Speaking of which, there is another character in that episode I recognized by hearing his voice alone: his character's name in Ultraman Nexus currently escapes me but he was one of the TLT Japan bigwigs (the one who first approached Komon. Oh, and he was in like 3 seconds of the first Ultraman Mebius movie).
Anyway, before his reign of terror in Fuuto, Papa S was moonlighting as an alien (who, for some reason, chooses to play rocks papers scissors with Kaito), and the Nexus guy played a random scientist (who was useful for the plot then rendered useless literally afterward).
And I'll just take this opportunity to say that most of the guest actors in Kamen Rider W went right by me without me recognizing them at all.
For instance, I had vague feelings that I should know Aya's actress...especially the way she seems to mix odd English in her speech. Yet when I found out who she was, I was a little surprised. I must say the actress has improved for the better then.
And...I didn't remember the actress who portrayed Lily at all, but then I watched Ultraman Max episodes 13-14, and it clicked. Those episodes also helpfully reference the actress' previous sentai role by having her dressed as a ninja.
And Riko? I don't think toku has been very kind to her actress (her characters got the same fate every time, as far as I remember). And I was rather unkind toward her portrayal (yes, the instance I complained about) in episode 14 of W, but now I think that might be more of a problem with the way that particular scene was directed than with her acting ability. That said, I really really am in need of re-watching Ultraman Nexus because even pointed out, I still don't think I recognize her character in W.
I'm rather amused that Shoutarou apparently has same taste in women as a certain Red (but, come to think of it, they are not dissimilar, so I don't really know why I even find that amusing). Yeah, this is another one of those 'I feel like I've seen you before, but who are you again?' And to be further ironical, I was like 'who are you?' (for plot reason) almost the entire time I watched the first episode of that arc.
Tooru Kawai impressed me in some ironical way. The actor seemed familiar than most I couldn't identify, yet I had a difficult time placing him. I'm used to him being evil, I suppose, since I never thought he had it in him to be reduced to that kind of non-social ripping off Wataru (that is, the Wataru if he hadn't ditched the phrasebook by like episode 2 of Kamen Rider Kiva).
I would make some (probably not funny) comment about Konomi's friend (from Mebius episode 28) being out of acting job and had to take up modeling instead, but it's too disconcerting how the two characters (other than faces) seem to have virtually nothing in common... That's what it means to be an actor, I suppose. To be able to convince me that he does not play the same character in different roles, but being different characters in different roles.
And, this part is more more freelance association. The little boy in the Ultra Papa episode is the little brother in Max episode 35 (the one about the big snail-like monster and its charges: two little snail-like monsters). And Kouki-kun's father kind of reminds me of (but probably not the same as) the reporter guy in Max episode 29 (the episode referencing the filming of Unbalance--which later is known as Ultra Q, and starring two actors from that series as themselves (I think?)...). And speaking of that episode, 'Ken-chan' (the present version) has apparently been in many Tsuburaya productions, but I think I remember him best as Aya's grandfather in Mebius episodes 42, 43.
Speaking of Aya, the two Aya I saw had former sentai actresses playing them (and even in chronological order).
And speaking of guest actresses, I vastly prefer Blue Fire's actress in Ultraman Max. One, she has meaningful interactions with the Ultra host (and yup, knows who he is without being told). Two, she is an alien, and totally useful. Three, well, I just think Misa is a waste of her potential. I might not know what I'm dismissing, but I feel looking pretty and fragile (and enchanting Teppei) is not difficult work. (Her character in Ultraman Cosmos movies totally fits one and two, too.)
And everyone (well, everyone who has seen Ultraman, I suppose) knows who play Tomioka and Yoshinaga in Max. One episode (the burnout syndrome episode) even points that out, making Tomioka pull out something and putting up toward the sky (it's only a small scissor for gardening work, I think). And yes, UltraSeven's actor is in episode 19 of Max, and the episode obligingly points that out also by making him pull out his glasses and put them toward his face (well, in the way that will immediately make viewers think of UltraSeven). I gather the professor (Dr. Date) who first appeared in episode 23 was probably in Ultraman, but I don't remember that (there was a picture of Yoshinaga, Tomioka, and Date together when they were young (at the time of Ultraman (or Ultra Q?), I suppose)).
But what surprised me was I never remembered reading that Ultraman and Seven were not the only two titled Ultraman actors in Max. So I suppose Gen has been hiding out as a policeman (who thinks he might have told a lie about seeing Baltan ^^;;) all these time. Before he goes back as Leo and whips those GUYS into shape.
(And as an almost non-rant, I think I'm used to 'Baltans are not really good or bad' plot by this point.)
Other than in Max, she's not in anything else I've seen recently, but I remember being surprised that Elly's actress could be believably non-robotic in one of Kamen Rider Den-O's arcs (probably the one right before Yuuto appears). (Actually, that sounds weird. I think I'm supposed to say that she's convincing as a robot rather than what I said.)
And I forget most of the details, but Koba's actor had been a grongi in Kamen Rider Kuuga (and Koba riding a motorcycle in episode 17 probably was a reference to that time, I think). Took me back a bit when I first saw him in that role, but he seems like the type who could play either a good guy or a bad guy and looks natural being either.
Oh well. I most likely have left someone out. Whoever that someone is, I hope they don't feel too bad. After all, it's not personal...
P.S. Since I already posted and it's today, Happy 24th Birthday to Mirai's actor! :)
Mostly for my reference. I doubt it would make much sense to anyone other than me...especially since I only bother to use character names (sometimes not even that) and not real names.
List of series referenced (whether by name or not), where an actor is in two or more toku series (and at least one of those series is either Kamen Rider W or Ultraman Max):
Kamen Rider: Kuuga, Den-O, W (Double)
Ultraman: Ultraman, UltraSeven, Ultraman Leo, Ultraman Cosmos, Ultraman Nexus, Ultraman Max, Ultraman Mebius
Sentai: Hurricanger, Abaranger, Dekaranger, Magiranger, Gekiranger
There may be some spoilers for the series mentioned, but hopefully no important spoilers...
Guess who I found in Ultraman Max episode 24? Papa Sonozaki himself! I'm happy that I totally recognized him from his voice alone. :) Speaking of which, there is another character in that episode I recognized by hearing his voice alone: his character's name in Ultraman Nexus currently escapes me but he was one of the TLT Japan bigwigs (the one who first approached Komon. Oh, and he was in like 3 seconds of the first Ultraman Mebius movie).
Anyway, before his reign of terror in Fuuto, Papa S was moonlighting as an alien (who, for some reason, chooses to play rocks papers scissors with Kaito), and the Nexus guy played a random scientist (who was useful for the plot then rendered useless literally afterward).
And I'll just take this opportunity to say that most of the guest actors in Kamen Rider W went right by me without me recognizing them at all.
For instance, I had vague feelings that I should know Aya's actress...especially the way she seems to mix odd English in her speech. Yet when I found out who she was, I was a little surprised. I must say the actress has improved for the better then.
And...I didn't remember the actress who portrayed Lily at all, but then I watched Ultraman Max episodes 13-14, and it clicked. Those episodes also helpfully reference the actress' previous sentai role by having her dressed as a ninja.
And Riko? I don't think toku has been very kind to her actress (her characters got the same fate every time, as far as I remember). And I was rather unkind toward her portrayal (yes, the instance I complained about) in episode 14 of W, but now I think that might be more of a problem with the way that particular scene was directed than with her acting ability. That said, I really really am in need of re-watching Ultraman Nexus because even pointed out, I still don't think I recognize her character in W.
I'm rather amused that Shoutarou apparently has same taste in women as a certain Red (but, come to think of it, they are not dissimilar, so I don't really know why I even find that amusing). Yeah, this is another one of those 'I feel like I've seen you before, but who are you again?' And to be further ironical, I was like 'who are you?' (for plot reason) almost the entire time I watched the first episode of that arc.
Tooru Kawai impressed me in some ironical way. The actor seemed familiar than most I couldn't identify, yet I had a difficult time placing him. I'm used to him being evil, I suppose, since I never thought he had it in him to be reduced to that kind of non-social ripping off Wataru (that is, the Wataru if he hadn't ditched the phrasebook by like episode 2 of Kamen Rider Kiva).
I would make some (probably not funny) comment about Konomi's friend (from Mebius episode 28) being out of acting job and had to take up modeling instead, but it's too disconcerting how the two characters (other than faces) seem to have virtually nothing in common... That's what it means to be an actor, I suppose. To be able to convince me that he does not play the same character in different roles, but being different characters in different roles.
And, this part is more more freelance association. The little boy in the Ultra Papa episode is the little brother in Max episode 35 (the one about the big snail-like monster and its charges: two little snail-like monsters). And Kouki-kun's father kind of reminds me of (but probably not the same as) the reporter guy in Max episode 29 (the episode referencing the filming of Unbalance--which later is known as Ultra Q, and starring two actors from that series as themselves (I think?)...). And speaking of that episode, 'Ken-chan' (the present version) has apparently been in many Tsuburaya productions, but I think I remember him best as Aya's grandfather in Mebius episodes 42, 43.
Speaking of Aya, the two Aya I saw had former sentai actresses playing them (and even in chronological order).
And speaking of guest actresses, I vastly prefer Blue Fire's actress in Ultraman Max. One, she has meaningful interactions with the Ultra host (and yup, knows who he is without being told). Two, she is an alien, and totally useful. Three, well, I just think Misa is a waste of her potential. I might not know what I'm dismissing, but I feel looking pretty and fragile (and enchanting Teppei) is not difficult work. (Her character in Ultraman Cosmos movies totally fits one and two, too.)
And everyone (well, everyone who has seen Ultraman, I suppose) knows who play Tomioka and Yoshinaga in Max. One episode (the burnout syndrome episode) even points that out, making Tomioka pull out something and putting up toward the sky (it's only a small scissor for gardening work, I think). And yes, UltraSeven's actor is in episode 19 of Max, and the episode obligingly points that out also by making him pull out his glasses and put them toward his face (well, in the way that will immediately make viewers think of UltraSeven). I gather the professor (Dr. Date) who first appeared in episode 23 was probably in Ultraman, but I don't remember that (there was a picture of Yoshinaga, Tomioka, and Date together when they were young (at the time of Ultraman (or Ultra Q?), I suppose)).
But what surprised me was I never remembered reading that Ultraman and Seven were not the only two titled Ultraman actors in Max. So I suppose Gen has been hiding out as a policeman (who thinks he might have told a lie about seeing Baltan ^^;;) all these time. Before he goes back as Leo and whips those GUYS into shape.
(And as an almost non-rant, I think I'm used to 'Baltans are not really good or bad' plot by this point.)
Other than in Max, she's not in anything else I've seen recently, but I remember being surprised that Elly's actress could be believably non-robotic in one of Kamen Rider Den-O's arcs (probably the one right before Yuuto appears). (Actually, that sounds weird. I think I'm supposed to say that she's convincing as a robot rather than what I said.)
And I forget most of the details, but Koba's actor had been a grongi in Kamen Rider Kuuga (and Koba riding a motorcycle in episode 17 probably was a reference to that time, I think). Took me back a bit when I first saw him in that role, but he seems like the type who could play either a good guy or a bad guy and looks natural being either.
Oh well. I most likely have left someone out. Whoever that someone is, I hope they don't feel too bad. After all, it's not personal...
P.S. Since I already posted and it's today, Happy 24th Birthday to Mirai's actor! :)