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1-7 of 7
- Setsuko Wakayama was born on 7 June 1929 in Meguro, Tokyo, Japan. She was an actress, known for Snow Trail (1947), Sanjûrokunin no jôkyaku (1957) and Gigantis, the Fire Monster (1959). She was married to Senkichi Taniguchi. She died on 9 May 1985.
- Writer
- Animation Department
- Art Department
Yoshitoshi ABe is a Japanese graphic artist who works predominantly in anime and manga. Hegained fame with the anime Serial Experiments Lain (1998). Abe Yoshitoshi first began his career as a teen in Tokyo who was first recognized as a graffiti artist, who regularly got into legal problems with his art. His concepts for all his later works are said to be inspired by this time of his life and has projected a dark theme into his anime character designs.- Tetsuo Kurata (born September 11, 1968) is a Japanese television, stage and film actor and restaurateur, best known for portraying Minami Kotaro, the main character in the tokusatsu television series Kamen Rider Black and its sequel, Kamen Rider Black RX. At the age of 19 he made his acting debut in Black, and has since appeared in many other television series and Japanese doramas. His birth name is Tetsuo Kakimoto.
Kurata auditioned for the role of Kotaro Minami in January 1987, when he had just graduated from high school. In a 2006 interview, Kurata had stated that, during the audition, he hadn't been able to portray the character appropriately, and did not think he would get the role. To his surprise, he was chosen by Shotaro Ishinomori himself to play the lead role, beating some 8,000 other contestants. During this period, Kurata underwent intense training that included stage combat techniques, physical exercise sessions and acting and singing lessons.
On October 4, 1987, Kamen Rider Black premiered on TBS to public and critical acclaim. The success of the series, which ran for 51 episodes, generated enough interest from Toei Company executives to persuade them to produce a sequel, something unprecedented in the Kamen Rider Series franchise. After finishing his work on Black, Kurata was approached by Toei and renewed his contract for one more year in exchange for a salary raise to work on Black's sequel, Kamen Rider Black RX. This second series was less successful than its predecessor due to its witty and comical style, which differed deeply from the shadowy, darker tone of the original. In a 1989 magazine interview, Kurata said that although he preferred Black over Black RX (labeling the humor in the latter as "excessive"), he was glad the character enjoyed a positive and happy turn of events after Black's sad ending. However, it is rumored that Kurata declined later invitations to reprise the role in fear of being typecast, as his stigma as a Kamen Rider was almost as strong as Hiroshi Fujioka's Takeshi Hongo in the first series, but such rumors remain unconfirmed.
Following the end of Black RX, Kurata has appeared in various television series and dramas as supporting characters. He has apparently been out of the public spotlight after taking a hiatus from the entertainment industry, but came back to voice Kotaro Minami/Kamen Rider Black in Kamen Rider: Seigi No Keifu, as well as appearing in Battle of the Cooking Iron (Ore Gohan), pitting himself against Takayuki Tsubaki, known for his role as the title character of Kamen Rider Blade.
In 2009, Kurata returned as Kotaro Minami in the movie Decade: All Riders vs. Dai-Shocker and also made a cameo appearance in Kamen Rider Decade, reprising his role as Kotaro Minami. He further reprised his role in 2015 for Super Hero Taisen GP.
Away from the world of entertainment, Kurata owns a steakhouse called Billy the Kid in Koto, Tokyo. He also acts from time to time in TV dramas and stage plays in his spare time.
His son is actor Kotaro Kakimoto. - Takuya Kusakawa was born on 24 November 1994 in Meguro, Tokyo, Japan. He is an actor, known for Ultraman Ginga (2013), Confessions (2010) and Ultraman Ginga: Theater Special (2013).
- Aki Mizusawa was born on 5 December 1954 in Meguro, Tokyo, Japan. She is an actress, known for Ultraman Gaia (1998), Jin (2009) and Danchizuma no sakebi (1983). She was previously married to Guy Cihi.
- Actor
- Producer
Hajime Matsumoto was born on 18 January 1983 in Meguro, Tokyo, Japan. He is an actor and producer, known for Suicide Club (2001) and Kept (2014).- Art Director
- Additional Crew
- Production Designer
Kiyoshi Awazu was born on 19 February 1929 in Meguro, Tokyo, Japan. He was an art director and production designer, known for Demon Pond (1979), Gonza the Spearman (1986) and The Face of Another (1966). He died on 28 April 2009 in Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan.