Tomoya Oku talks about “More Pressure than Imagined to be in ‘Kamen Rider

Current high school student appearing in “Kamen Rider Revise

I was just studying for my final exam today,” he said. I’m not good at math and I couldn’t get the formulas out of my head at all. …… I will do my best to avoid a red mark.”

Actor Tomoya Oku, 17, revealed his problems in a frank manner typical of high school students. He plays the role of Hikaru Ushijima in “Masked Rider Revise” (TV Asahi), which is currently airing, and his role as a fresh, young man who seems to have a mysterious secret behind his back is attracting a variety of reactions and thoughts from viewers.

I am still in the process of developing my role as Hikaru Ushijima. Revise” is a work commemorating the 50th anniversary of the birth of Masked Rider, and when the decision was made, I was happy, but at the same time I felt the pressure of being involved in a work with such a long history.

I was happy when the decision was made, but at the same time I felt the pressure of being involved in a work with such a long history. I felt very relieved that I would be able to work with such dependable people for a year, and I finally felt like I could do my best for a year.

He made his acting debut in “Followers” (Netflix) in 2008, and although he has been featured in many commercials as a student due to his legitimate looks, it was a small exchange he had with his father that triggered his entry into the entertainment industry.

When I was in the sixth grade, my father asked me, ‘What do you want to be in the future? My father took it seriously and applied for a job with the agency to which I belong now, with a resume.

Becoming an actor and playing various roles has allowed me to think about things I couldn’t think about before. I think that thinking about the role and myself in relation to the role is a process that only an actor can do. So I want to think carefully about what kind of roles I am playing and grow as an actor and as a human being. I am grateful to my father for helping me become an actor.”

I want to be in JoJo!

In his busy academic and acting life, Oku takes a break to watch movies and read manga. He is especially passionate about his love of manga.

I read all kinds of manga, from yankee manga to romantic comedies, but “JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure” is the one and only. Part 6 of the anime is currently airing, and I’m watching it on Netflix. If there is a live-action version of Part 7, I hope to be involved in some small way.

I also love Kazuya Shiraishi’s “Blood of the Lone Wolf” and would really like to play a violent role. In “Blue SP,” I played a middle-schooler who was a bit of a brat, but I’d like to play something more extreme and outlaw-like.

What is Oku’s “ideal actor image”?

It is a bit of a cliché, but I would like to be called a chameleon actor. I am often asked to act in a natural way, but I want to be able to retain my own personality within that naturalness. I want to be able to easily take on any role and give off a naturalness that sets me apart from other actors.

In order to achieve this, I want to have the strength to stay with my role as an actor to the end, even when I am in a difficult situation in real life.

Profile
Tomoya Oku
Born in Kanagawa Prefecture in 2004. He made his acting debut in Netflix’s “Followers” in 2008, and has since appeared in numerous dramas and commercials. Currently playing the role of Hikaru Ushijima in “Masked Rider Revise”.

Styling: Yolken

From the April 1-8, 2022 issue of FRIDAY