Supersonic race queen heroes!

Yunmao Ayakawa December 20, 2007

Well, in this issue, I’m going to introduce you to Japan’s subcultures—not just cosplay, but I’m also going to show you what my life is like!

First off, let’s talk about the Supersonic Warrior G-Five television drama, in which I appear as an actress. Everyone, have you heard of “tokusatsu•bCrLf (special effects), “hero,•bCrLf or “sentai•bCrLf (fighting team) shows? Of course you have! They’re those Power Ranger-type shows where heroes, dressed from head to toes in masks and suits, fight evildoers!

These hero drama series have been popular for just under 40 years in Japan. Ultraman, Kamen Rider, and the sentai series are well-known, aren’t they? All of you have seen at least one of them, right? Of course, these dramas were made for kids from the very start, but since they’re so awesome and fun, there are a lot of adult fans too. In fact, I’ve loved hero dramas ever since I was little, too! Instead of playing with dolls, I was the kind of girl who played with boys, pretending to be a hero. Even my first love was a hero! That’s my story, but anyways • Supersonic Warrior G-Five!!

In Japan, there are a lot of heroes who operate within their own limited areas—they’re called local heroes. Among them are G-Five, who are these local heroes who operate in a place called Gunma Prefecture, and they’re among the top three most popular local hero teams in Japan.

G-Five started out three years ago in stage performances, and they became so popular that they started airing on television last November!

And so • that led to me playing the role of a heroine, Tsubasa Tsuruno, in this drama. Actually, I was born in this Gunma prefecture. So I’m glad I can work in the place where I myself was born. The television broadcast is every Saturday in the evening. Kids and even adults root for G-Five!

Shooting takes place at landmarks and sightseeing areas in Gunma prefecture. Theme parks, mountains, lakes, parks, rivers • I’m so thrilled to be able to enjoy shooting in these familiar places from my childhood.

G-Five are warriors protecting nature and the environment.

The three main heroes are Akagi Red, the incarnation of a bird born on Mount Akagi; Haruna Blue, the incarnation of a bird born on Mount Haruna; and Myougi Yellow, the incarnation of a bird born on Mount Myougi. These three are the main fighting heroes, named after mountains in Gunma. Supporting them are warrior incarnations of water birds: Joushuu-Gensen and Joushuu-Genryuu. “Joushuu•bCrLf is the ancient name for Gunma prefecture. “Gensen•bCrLf is a homonym for a different kanji word that means aspring from where water gushes out. “Genryuu•bCrLf is a homonym for a different kanji word that means a source of a river from which water flows. They’re also named after some of the natural riches of Gunma: “springs•bCrLf and “river water.•bCrLf That’s because they wanted to connect the origins of the warriors with the area.

The evil army is a mysterious race, born from the malice of animals and plants that have died from all the trash tossed by humans into underground disposal. In order to make a place that’s comfortable for us to live, we pollute the environment by always throwing trash into rivers and springs with complete disregard. Even though the evil boss and his fighting minions are actually charming, likeable characters, it’s wrong to destroy the environment and disrespect nature!

G-Five formed because of this race bent on evil. So we try to convert them, but they always flee • They are such a pain. One point of G-Five is “Do not kill evil.•bCrLf That race was born from nature originally destroyed by humanity.

Our enemies are not evil at the bottom of their hearts. So, it is G-Five’s belief that it’s best to persuade them to convert so we can protect nature together. That’s our G-Five, an excellent drama for educating on the question of the importance of life and nature!

How does it feel to play a heroine? The heroine, Tsubasa-chan, is a girl who works as a volunteer to protect nature. For some reason, there are always evildoers wherever I go, so I get angry and say “Hey—!•bCrLf when I see evildoing in progress • and I always get captured. So G-Five rescues me when I get into a pinch • so that’s my role, I guess. Do I enjoy it? I do, and I really enjoy shooting, too! If you get the chance, I absolutely want everyone to see it!

I’m going to introduce one more thing in this issue! Has everyone heard of “race queens•bCrLf? When I went to a convention in America, I taught attendees about us, but it seems like there are no “race queens•bCrLf during race events in America. Race queens, or “RQ•bCrLf for short, have already been active in Japan for around 20 years.

What kind of work does an RQ do? Race queens are what the publicists of every team competing in motor sports (races for cars and motorcycles) are called, or otherwise the girls who work as assistants in supporting the team racers. The main job in supporting the team’s PR is interacting with the media reporters by providing fanservice. The team’s pit, paddock, grid, stage • the job is everywhere in the circuit!

Teams select girls to be race queens by audition, so even if you say, “I want to be one!•bCrLf it’s not easy to become one for a living. I started as race queen in 2005, and this is my third year. I’ve served as the race queen for an awesome team every single year! I’ve loved watching the cars and the races for years, so I’m very happy and thrilled to be working on the circuit. Really, instead of calling it work, it’s more like a hobby! This year I’m working as a race queen with the Palm Town team. It’s a very powerful team that plans to compete in all the races in the category of the super endurance series! I’m rooting with all my strength!

Deciding on the team costume for the race queens has become one of the factors in the fans’ enjoyment. Having worked as a costume designer, I also contributed by designing my own teams’ costumes! The costumes I designed this year were used, and they were a big hit. I was popular last year for designing the costumes of a different team, too. It was even merchandised, so you can buy it at cosplay shops. For this year’s costumes, I fussed over the materials and the final silhouette while making them. I selected the cloth myself, and I raised a big fuss with the manufacturers. Since I fussed over them and put my heart into them, please see them, everyone, see them.

The season opener was in April, and there’s a race run almost every month until November! It’s a little bit of a hassle to be hopping all over Japan, but since I get to eat the famous cuisines of every region, I do my best to enjoy it!