‘Choriki Sentai Ohranger’ 30th Anniversary Celebration Proves a Fun, Moving Event; Heroes Reunited On Stage in Original Costumes

Actors from “Choriki Sentai Ohranger,” an action-packed tokusatsu TV drama, are seen on stage.

10:30 JST, October 10, 2025

“After 30 years, we’ve come back!” said Masaru Shishido, who played the red-cladded leader of the superhero team in “Choriki Sentai Ohranger,” an action-packed tokusatsu TV drama which aired from 1995 to 1996. His call was the cue for music: The theme song played in the auditorium, and the curtain slowly rose. With smoke on stage clearing up like morning mist, the five Ohranger actors for the human personae appeared against the backlight.

With Shishido in the center, Masashi Goda (Oh Blue), Kunio Masaoka (Oh Green), Ayumi Aso (Oh Yellow) and Tamao Sato (Oh Pink) announced their superhero names one by one. As the lighting changed and revealed the five dressed in the uniforms the heroes wore in their human forms, the audience erupted into applause, their excitement suddenly reached its peak.

On Aug. 3, a celebration of the 30th anniversary of the beginning of Ohranger’s broadcast was held in Tokyo, titled, “Choriki Sentai Ohranger Hoso Kaishi 30 Shunen Kinen! Oretachi Eien no Ohranger!” (Choriki Sentai Ohranger broadcast 30th anniversary commemoration! We are Ohrangers forever!).

As the event’s emcee, I watched their entrance from the wings. Despite knowing what was to come, I was almost moved to tears witnessing the passion from the actors as well as the audience.

I met Shishido and the other actors this spring at a meeting to talk through the event. They had one wish: to wear the uniforms when appearing before the audience. Luckily, the uniforms had been kept in storage — but in their state from 30 years ago. The actors’ physiques had changed, as well as the issue of what to do with the micro-miniskirts of the two female members.

However, just like in the story of Ohranger, miracles happen to people who never give up on their wishes. Substitute uniforms worn by suit actors (who played the superheroes after transformation) as the actors’ stand-ins were also discovered, and the fabric from those costumes was used to adjust the sizes of the five Ohranger actors’ uniforms. Knowing all the preparations that had taken place for it to come true, I was all the more moved to see the team donning their uniforms on stage.

The team was just as warm and receptive in the talk portion. In the series’ first episode, there is a scene in which all four except Shishido are dumped into a frozen river. Sato and Goda complainingly recalled how cold and difficult it was, accusing Shishido of being the only one who stayed at the base. Shishido jokingly hit back with, “Whenever she [Sato] screwed up in a shot, the director told off me instead, so I also had it rough!”

Masaoka has retired from acting and is now a business owner. He revealed he once overslept on a day for a shoot near Mt. Fuji. Despite hurrying to the location by taxi, he was very late. Arriving late was a big deal because of incurring delays in filming, but Shishido remembers it differently. “Even if the crew are mad, the four of us will always have his back, no matter what,” Shishido had said as they waited for Masaoka’s arrival. It is a heart-warming story that spoke to the spirit of camaraderie.

At the time, Aso had been working as a swimsuit model as well. She performed some of her action scenes in a swimsuit. “I ended up with cuts all over,” she remembered.

Aso also retired from the entertainment industry, so the anniversary event marked her first stage appearance in a long time.

In the second half of the event, they were joined by Noboru Takemoto, the director, and actor Shoji Yamaguchi, who played the sixth warrior in the team. Furthermore, two video messages were shown, one by Hiroshi Miyauchi, who played the chief of staff, and Tomokazu Seki, who played one of the villains.

Toward the end, there was a performance by Kentaro Hayami, who sang the Ohranger theme songs. The singer and the others on stage then delighted the audience by singing together “Nijiiro Crystal Sky,” another song from the show.

It was a joyful event that made possible solely from the team’s desire to say “Thank you” to fans who have loved Ohranger for 30 years. Seeing former heroes energized can also put us in high spirits. I hope they will meet us again for the 40th anniversary, the 50th and beyond.