Discussing the GoZyu Unicorn situation and how we could tackle it effectively.
Hey.
I know a lot of you are aware about what happened with Maya Imamori, the actress of Sumino Ichikawa/GoZyu Unicorn. I know, I'm upset too, but the situation is hella annoying. Not just the scandal as a whole and the ineffectivity of her agency and Toei Studios, but also how everyone is going amongst it. This is going to be a long post discussion thoughts and encouragement so be prepared.
Also note that this is a burner account. I prefer not to give my identity away. This is all typed by numb hands and aching eyes (you're not the only ones stressed out, don't worry) And yes, you're free to send me all the hate you want, that's why I made this account, so fire away. I don't do stuff like this often and my writing and wording sucks, so you can take this with a grain of salt if you'd like.
Personally, I believe that while the spam of memes (yes blow up Toei haha funni Sougo hurr durr) and art is some form of awareness and support (and cope if you see it that way), but I doubt it's going to be enough if fans want what they REALLY want from a Tokusatsu show. As fans, the best to show our support towards Maya would be to actually interact with the Japanese fanbase as a whole, as in reaching out to them, both viewers and actors of Toei's works, Tokusatsu and part of Maya's agency, Seju. I doubt Toei is going to know much on Tumblr and what is said on there if we actually want to make a difference, including what we've wanted for a long time, such as more female Riders, and not just that, actual respect for women and minorities in Japan as a whole (sorry, but you gotta put down your doujinshis, gay marriage is still outlawed and Japan is still notoriously sexist, racist and homophobic, not just Toei as you make it out to be.)
I am aware lots of Toku actors have spoken out against the absurdity of the scandal (including Hiroshi Fujioka, who plays Takeshi Hongo/Kamen Rider 1), which can be great uses to bring that to awareness to the original audience, where Toei's main income comes in just from having their works on TV and/or having their services, merchandise, etc bought. Even if it means going undercover as a fellow local viewer or using a translator (stupid I know but hear me out), bringing the word to where Toei's main income comes from could be a big step in encouraging local fans to help bring more diversity and fairness to the industry, maybe even Japan as a whole as advocates.
It's not just a Toei problem; Japan has been known for it's sexism and how badly women have been treated and receive little justice, as well as their situations being taken as jokes and for laughs. Yes, the country with the rapidly declining birthrate and where most people are miserable, especially women and their fears and situations they have to go through and avoid. It is also evident that there have been Tokusatsu actors associated with this type of thing as well (Yusuke Tomoi, Aoki Tsuneori and Ren Ozawa to name a few), Aoki having received only a slap on the wrist by the police and is still roaming free, blaming both cases on alcoholism (he was released from his agency, but it's not saying much).
Is it okay to still like Tokusatsu? Is it okay to like Sentai and continue watching? The answer is that it's up to you. Many outsiders of Japan watch Toku shows via piracy, which don't actually affect much of Toei's revenue. If you want to continue your run of the current show and/or watch any old shows, that's fine. Nobody's stopping you. If you want to ditch Gozyuger or even anything like Zeztz, that's fine. If you want to leave Toku as a whole, that's fine.
I thank you for reading this rant if you've come this far. I can't speak for everyone, I know I can't lead a horse to water and make it drink, but I do think these would be great ways to show our true support to Maya and help encourage the main audience on helping her too should they be unaware or stuck in a rock or a hard place, just like you and me. Also a good suggestion I'd make is to check in on everyone else and how they're feeling if they've been having bad crash outs and under pressure and stress from the news and situation. Thank you, thanks for coming to my TED talk.
TL;DR: Encouraging boycotts and support through interaction with the main Japanese audience would be a better way of showing support to Maya Imamori than spamming into a void.
I see your tags, @ineedsomesleeptoday! I'm sorry everything's been so stressful and confusing. I can add that it doesn't hurt to mute any tags if it feels that it'll help relieve your stress a bit, also that it may be best to take a break from most social medias for a while as I'm sure this situation is going to be going on for quite a while. It's hard, but at least the attempt to clear your head of all the pressure is what counts (also leaving or muting most fandom spaces)
Again, if you want to continue your run, it's entirely your choice, but you feel as if what happened is going to upset you more, it would be a good idea to stop and find something else to do or watch until things are resolved and/or cool down. Have a great day/night!