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D-BOYS: The Tokusatsu Connection


Tokusatsu has been the home of several growing actors of today. Prior to this post, we already listed different actors who started from TeniMyu, those who had been to Boys Love movies as a boost of careers and those who were part of Class 3D in Gokusen.

As time goes by, We've been trying to take into account commonalities between each of them as par to the path they take: may it be on a drama or musical play. So far, learning more about them brought us to make another list of toku actors who came to a single group that are widely known for their talents, the D-Boys.

D-Boys is a group of male performers under Watanabe Entertainment which sprang in 2004. The "D" stands for "Drama," "Dream," "Debut," "Discovery" and "Development" which was also shown perfectly in their drama-documentary variety show "DD-Boys" in 2006. It is really a great deal for us to follow their step as an individual and one thing that is common to most of them is the fact that they had taken a path to saving or destroying the world through Tokusatsu. Here is the list of the D-Boys members, current and former, who took part in this great world of Tokusatsu:


This trend began in 2006 when Igarashi Shunji became Hibino Mirai/Ultraman Mebius. Also in this year, Mikami Masashi took the role of Mogami Souta/BoukenBlue in GoGo Sentai Boukenger only that he wasn't a member of D-Boys yet until 2007.


It is later followed by Suzuki Hiroki and Araki Hirofumi as rivals Kandou Jan/GekiRed and Rio in the Super Sentai Series, Jyuken Sentai Gekiranger together with Nakamura Yuichi as Sakurai Yuuto/Kamen Rider Zeronos in Kamen Rider Den-O.


Comes 2008, Usui Mashiro as Jo Hanto/Go-On Green in Engine Sentai Go-Onger with Seto Koji as Kurenai Wataru/Kamen Rider Kiva and Kumai Kouhei as Eritate Kengo in Kamen Rider Kiva.

In 2010, Igarashi, Seto, Araki and Nakamura, with audition winner Horii Arata, formed the group D☆DATE. But in 2011, due to an injury, Nakamura left D-Boys to concentrate on medical recovery.


Invading 2009, Makita Tetsuya took the role of Kagami Arata/Kamen Rider Gattack in Kamen Rider Decade followed by Nakagawa Shingo as Detective Makura Shun in Kamen Rider W.


In 2010, Hashimoto Taito and Yamada Yusuke filled the world with greed as Kazari and Uva in Kamen Rider OOO.


Moving over to 2011, youngest member Takahashi Ryuki proven himself as Utahoshi Kengo in Kamen Rider Fourze.


Finally in the year 2012 to 2013, eldest member Wada Masato, though unofficial, showed his grand delusion as Akagi Nobuo/AkibaRed in Hikonin Sentai Akibaranger. Albeit unofficial, he is also the oldest actor to become a sentai warrior.


After years of proving themselves, D-Boys promoted their 'brother' group sometime between 2008 and 2009 known as D2. This group of young men progress just like their seniors and some of them met the same fate... The fate of being in Tokusatsu. Here's the D2 members who had taken the same path:


Following the steps of their senpai, Yamada Yuki came to Earth as Joe Gibken/GokaiBlue in Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger which is later joined by Tsuchiya Shion as Kaizo Jingu/JK in Kamen Rider Fourze who previously appeared in few tokusatsu already when he was younger, and Arai Atsushi played as the future Rider Minato Miharu/Kamen Rider Aqua/Poseidon in Kamen Rider × Kamen Rider Fourze & OOO: Movie War Mega Max in 2011.


Invading 2012, Jinnai Syo and Maeyama Takahisa brought us despair as villains Enter in Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters and Sora/Gremlin Phantom in Kamen Rider Wizard.


Continuing the journey in saving the world, Negishi Takuya was chosen to be Hikaru/Ultraman Ginga in 2013.

With this, we conclude that there are 14 out of 26 D-Boys members both current and former and 6 out of 16 D2 members sojourn time in bringing hope and despair to the world. We have counted them as they are for now. Who knows, this number might grow more and more? What do you think? Maybe this is their group's destiny... To become heroes to protect the world and its people as well as villains to destroy it.

Disclaimer:
All images and videos here are property of their respective owners and used for reference purpose only. We claim no rights to it unless otherwise stated.
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7 Responses
  1. Anonymous Says:

    Think the trend started earlier as 2005 coz Nakamura Yuichi started in the 2nd half of kamen rider hibiki


  2. Anonymous Says:

    I spotted Nobuo!


  3. Anonymous Says:

    I actually love you guys for doing an article on this. I became a D-BOYS/D2 fan since 2007 and I would've been one if not for Tokusatsu.


  4. Anonymous Says:

    at the first picture, is that Utsusemimaru?


  5. Anonymous Says:

    Akiba red is oldest of all??? XD


  6. Unknown Says:
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  7. Anonymous Says:
    This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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