TV Guide Dan Vol.57, October 2025 Issue
ft. Imai Ryutaro Interview
(translation below)
Publication: October 16, 2025
Endless
"In Kamen Rider Zeztz, Imai-kun plays the role of the main character Yorozu Baku, a young man who usually suffers from bad luck, but in the dream world, he transforms into Kamen Rider Zeztz and fights, making him a character with a gap. Speaking of, what kind of personality does Imai-kun himself have?"
Imai: I'm usually the type of person who doesn't think about much (laughs). Even on my days off, all I'm doing now is reading the scripts, so I don't really have any hobbies or interesting things happening in my life.
"You're so engrossed with Zeztz that you can't get work out of your head even on your days off, huh?"
Imai: There isn't a day that goes by where I'm not thinking about the production. I'll watch films, dramas, and anime as research for my performance, then read the scripts again…so it's like a repeating cycle.
"What kind of input does this provide?"
Imai: For example, I'll watch an anime with action scenes and try doing the voice overs myself.
"I see! In tokusatsu productions, post recording is done for the action scenes after the transformation, right?"
Imai: That's right. It's my first time acting using just my voice, so it's been difficult. I'm studying anime to learn how to handle my breathing during battles and reactions other than the lines I say when I'm angry, so it's been trial and error.
"As you take on new challenges every day, have you discovered anything new about yourself?"
Imai: I used to swim competitively, so I was confident in my stamina. Still, stamina isn't something you can measure, so it's hard comparing yourself to others, you know? However, once filming started, I realized that I actually do have some stamina (laughs). With early mornings and long hours, the film schedule is pretty tough, so everyone says that it's "intense," but I'm totally fine. It's definitely intense, but my desire to make it "the best show possible, even if just by alittle bit!" is so strong, that the fun I'm having outweighs everything else.
"You've still got a long way to go, but when filming for Zeztz wraps up in about a year, what kind of person do you hope to become?"
Imai: Just like Baku, I want to become a man with a strong heart. Currently, I'm playing two roles every day, that being Baku the agent, who fights coolly in his dreams, and reality Baku, who's kinda lame, so sometimes I lose track of who I really am…(laughs). If I'm talking to someone and they ask, "Imai-kun, what do you think?," I find myself wondering, "Huh? What would my normal self think about that?," which shows just how much I feel like I'm living as Baku right now. That's why in a year from now, I might really turn into Baku, both physically and mentally (laughs). Either way, I want to be cool!
"Since it's tokusatsu filming, we think there are many things you'll be experiencing for the first time, but how are you approaching it?"
Imai: It's challenging, but I really enjoy acting. Naturally, being in a new environment can make you feel alittle anxious or pressured, but…still, once I get to the set and start talking with my friends, those feelings disappear right away. Besides, it's such a wonderful set, so even my time outside of acting is enjoyable. My costars often say that I "get lonely easily" though (laughs). I think it's because I'm not alone and can be with everyone that I can forget about the pressure.
"At the production announcement press conference that was held before the broadcast began, it was clear just how much Imai-kun is loved by all his costars. You were even teased by Mishima Kenta-san, who plays Detective Fujimi."
Imai: I talk alot with Mishima-san in particular. Mishima-san seems to think I'm alot younger than him, but I myself don't feel like there's that much of an age gap between us (laughs).
"You're 10 years apart, right?"
Imai: Yes, Mishima-san is 32, and I'm 20. Mishima-san said something like, "Everyone teases me about being an old man!," but to me, he acts like a reliable older brother.
"Did you get along right away?"
Imai: The role of Detective Fujimi is that of an old school, passionate detective. At a glance, when Mishima-san arrives on the set as Detective Fujimi, he gives off an intimidating vibe, so in the beginning, I thought it might be alittle hard to get to know him…However, when I actually spoke with him, he was incredibly kind, and the distance between us closed right away. His acting is also very instructive, and he pulls me along, so he's a senior I truly have alot of respect for.
"He's a kind senior, huh?"
Imai: Yes! Just the other day, the entire cast got really excited about the idea of calling each other by nicknames. We decided on Mishima-san's nickname being either "Ken-chan" or "Kenken," but…as you can imagine, I haven't been able to call him that yet (laughs). Still, it'd be nice if we could establish a relationship where I could call him by that someday. I'm sure he'd be happy.
"Next is a question related to the story of Zeztz. If Imai-kun himself could enter someone's dreams, whose dreams would you like to enter?"
Imai: Eh?! The answer you want me to give is Mishima-san, isn't it? (laughs).
"Not at all! (laughs). Who's someone you admire, or that makes you think, "I'd love to peek inside this person's head!"?"
Imai: I see. Well then….it'd have to be Mishima-san after all. I want to look into Mishima-san's dreams, tell him about them in the real world, and then see his shocked face as he asks, "How do you know about my dreams?!"
"We weren't trying to trick you, but it still ended up being Mishima-san (laughs). Now then, who would Imai-kun say is his ideal actor?"
Imai: Instead of following the flow of our conversation, I'd like to answer from the heart, so regarding this topic, it's Mishima-san. I can really feel the passion he has for the production, and his scripts are filled with incredibly detailed notes like, "This part should convey this kind of feeling." I heard he rehearses his performance in advance at a studio before heading to the set, so he's an incredibly dedicated person. Seeing my senior act like that up close truly moves and inspires me. I want to become an actor like that too.
"Do you sometimes get advice from Mishima-san?"
Imai: I do. In my case, I'm doing my best just trying to embody the role of Baku, but Mishima-san sees things from a broader perspective, so he'll tell me things like, "This is how it looks to a bystander, so why don't you try doing it like this?" I'm learning alot from him, so I'm really glad that we're able to perform together.
"Given the relationship between those two, it should be interesting to watch Baku and Fujimi. And now finally, could you tell us alittle bit about your personal life, Imai-kun? As a person, do you have any particular preferences in the kind of people you like?"
Imai: Hmmm, those like Mishima-san are my type, don't you think?…(laughs).
"This again (laughs)."
Imai: I have a proper explanation for this. I don't have many friends that I can talk to about anything, but for some reason, I'm able to talk to Mishima-san about anything. The music we tend to listen to is also very similar, with artists like Ozaki Yutaka-san and Nagabuchi Tsuyoshi-san.
"It's a relationship where you truly don't feel the age difference at all, huh?"
Imai: That's right. Even someone like Mishima-san has a cute side to him, as he occasionally calls me at night. He'll say things like, "I left filming early today, but did it finish without any incidents?" (laughs). Sometimes we end up talking for about an hour. We have alot of fun during this time, saying things like, "I want to do the next scene like this, but what do you think?," "Okay, I'll do it like this then," and so on. His presence is indispensable, and I'm sure he'll continue to be a reliable friend to work with on set. Still, 80% of this interview ended up being about Mishima-san, huh? (laughs).
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