Gen Urobuchi: Kamen Riders are Monsters

Gen Urobuchi, Kamen Rider Gaim’s writer, talks about what he feels about the actors and what he has in store regarding the very first scene of Kamen Rider Gaim in the quarterly magazine, The Kamen Rider.

Q: Mr. Urobuchi, how much of the content had been decided when you accepted the job?
Gen: The belts gimmick, locks, fruits and Sengoku-themed. The were a lot of suit designs thrown around at this stage. I heard that they planned to have everyone as samurais, on their helmets there would be a kanji separating them apart. But it wasn’t enough, so western and Chinese armors were added to the mix.
Q: So you wouldn’t say this is an ordinary Sengoku war?
Gen: For the actual “war” part, there will be a sort of lord and retainer style to it, but as a Rider Battle. The thing is I did kind of want every Rider to get along, but I decided not to. It’s because I love Kamen Rider Ryuki.
Besides Riders fighting each other is natural. The original Kamen Rider fought the Shocker Riders. Not only that, they are technically Shocker monsters. It’s really all up to the user, how they use that power. It was basically the Hopper Monster fighting the Spider Monster. In other words, Kamen Riders are monsters, and the Rider Battle is actually a Monster Battle.
Q: Your scripts are very fast paced, have you run into troubles with that?
Gen: Not really. I was told that since this is a children’s show I have to make sure the kids don’t get bored of it.
Therefore, I’d like things to happen quickly. There’s also a lot of toys on the side that needs to be sold, so I have to write with that in mind. So I’ve made Kamen Rider Gridon into a lovely character.
Q: What do you think of the actors so far then?
Gen: They’re great. It’s really been an honor working with them. They’re all really talented. Yutaka Kobayashi is usually a very lively person, but when he acts as Kaito Kumon, it’s like it’s a completely different person. This is what’s so wonderful about Tokusatsu. In anime I’d never be able to achieve the same expressions, he’s really bringing my words to life. It’s really refreshing for me.
It’s also easier for the actors to come up with something on the spot. For example when Kouta was playing around with his belt in his room. Gaku Sano handled that scene perfectly, it was even better than I imagined. I’ve been joining them to see the actual filming, which has been a great experience for me.
Q: What was that absolute first scene in episode 1?
Gen: That’s just a very light taste of what’s to come in the second half of the show. There’s gonna be some heavy stuff coming up. It’s a potential future. So it might not happen like in that first scene, but that doesn’t mean it won’t happen like that either.
As you might have picked up, the scene immediately afterwards with Kouta and the kid is actually a reference to Kamen Rider Kuuga.
Q: Lastly, what do you want to do the most with Kamen Rider Gaim as a show?
Gen: I’d actually like it to be a guideline for kids growing up. I also grew up with Tokusatsu heroes, and they’re still a part of my life. When the kids are faced with a dilemma, I want them to think, “What would that hero do?“