Gozyuger Rikuo × Bouquet Special Interview Hideharu Suzuki & Marupi Share Behind-the-Scenes Stories

The latest installment in the Super Sentai series, Number One Sentai Gozyuger (airs every Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on TV Asahi), continues to build momentum as it heads toward its final episode. From early on, one relationship that has consistently captured viewers’ attention is that between Rikuo Byakuya and Bouquet. In Episode 42, “Forever LIVE! A Bouquet for a Rikuonist,” the two—who had been at odds—finally reconcile. ORICON NEWS spoke with Hideharu Suzuki (22), who plays Rikuo Byakuya, and Marupi (26), who portrays Bouquet, to hear the behind-the-scenes story of the Rikuo × Bouquet dynamic.

Rikuo × Bouquet Special Interview

■A Lively, Back-and-Forth Talk Between the Two

— In “Forever LIVE! A Bouquet for a Rikuonist” Rikuo’s feelings finally reach Bouquet.

Suzuki:
At first, she was just one fan among many. By Episode 42, we finally learn her name, and she becomes someone who gives Rikuo a reason to grow. I think she turned into someone truly important to him. I mean, he didn’t even know her name before that… though, to be fair, she stood out a lot among the fans (laughs).

Marupi:
I mean, you don’t exactly see someone dressed like this in the human world very often (laughs). I wonder what kind of feelings made him notice her in the first place…

Suzuki:
I think he never forgot her from the beginning—in a good way! As they talked more, they came to understand what was in each other’s hearts, and I feel like the distance between them really closed.

Marupi:
For Bouquet, Rikuo was simply her “oshi,” someone she admired. I don’t think she was consciously thinking about closing the distance or not. But there’s that line where she says, “I loved humans, and they betrayed me,” and when I read that, I thought, “Wait, she loved them!”

The Bridan team aren’t human, so their emotions don’t have to align perfectly with human feelings. Even when the word “love” is used, it doesn’t necessarily have to mean LOVE in the romantic sense for Bridan to work. So even though the line says “love,” I didn’t decide whether it was LOVE or LIKE—I just let the emotion guide me.
When Rikuo calls her “someone important,” Bouquet feels the same way. It’s not quite LOVE, not quite LIKE—if people feel that the unique bond between these two is special, I’d be really happy.

— About Ribbon-chan, Bouquet’s younger sister. Her defeat also led to Rikuo’s identity being exposed.

Marupi:
You jerk! (laughs)

Suzuki:
Hey, wait a second! Rikuo did nothing wrong! (laughs)
But seriously, the timing of that reveal was unbelievable.

Marupi:
It was just too tragic… I was like, “Inoue Akiko-sensei, what have you done to us?!” (laughs)
That said, I was also grateful. Ribbon-chan was such a charming character that I wished she’d appeared even earlier. Mariya Ise’s voice acting was so emotionally rich—I actually cried during the recording. On set, I was so emotional that Hide even asked, “Are you okay, Marupi?” (laughs).

Suzuki:
And it was extremely hot that day! With the costumes, it must’ve been brutal. Personally, I was really looking forward to Rikuo’s identity being revealed. Up until then, he didn’t even know Bouquet was part of Bridan. So many developments were packed into that moment—it was exciting. We even talked among ourselves about how the reveal might happen.

Marupi:
We talked about it nonstop, and we were totally wrong (laughs).
It really made me realize how amazing Akiko-sensei and Producer Matsuura are.

Suzuki:
I imagined everything in a way that made Rikuo look cool (laughs). Like, protecting Bouquet and all that.

Marupi:
And I was thinking about how Bouquet could look cute while protecting Rikuo (laughs). We were basically discussing who would get the better moment. In the end, maybe “better” isn’t the right word, but it definitely became a very important scene for the story.

■ Candid Talk About That Incident — And What’s Ahead

— You’re both known for having birthdays close together (Suzuki on November 7, Marupi on November 5). Speaking of birthdays, there was an incident…

Marupi:
I just turned 26, but when I was 25, Suzuki said, “Oh, you’re older than I thought.”
So now I’ve added another year. Any comments?

Suzuki:
(Panicking) We’re basically the same age!

Marupi:
(Stares coldly)

Suzuki:
No, wait! Let me explain! But honestly… nothing I say feels like it’ll fix this. I genuinely thought we were the same age!

— Would you like to apologize?

Suzuki:
Due to my inappropriate remark, I sincerely apologize for causing discomfort.

Marupi:
It’s totally fine (laughs). I don’t care at all.
I tease him about it like 500 times behind the scenes.

— That shows how close you’ve become.

Marupi:
Compared to the beginning, I think we’ve definitely gotten closer. Rikuo and Bouquet aren’t exactly on great terms, but when you’re creating scenes together, communication really matters. I think the performances heading into the finale turned out well because we had that communication.

Suzuki:
I completely agree.

— A message for the fans who’ve watched your relationship for a full year.

Marupi:
Thank you so much for always watching. As Rikuo and Bouquet’s relationship evolves, so do the dynamics between Gozyuger and Bridan as a whole—everything shifts piece by piece as we approach the finale. It’s the kind of show where you can’t miss a single moment. It truly feels like, “This is Gozyuger.”
I hope it remains a number-one Super Sentai that stays in everyone’s hearts even after the final episode. Please continue to support us!

Suzuki:
Thank you very much!

Marupi:
Wait, are you trying to end it already? (laughs)

Suzuki:
You wrapped it up so perfectly! I feel like you said everything (laughs).

But speaking as Rikuo Byakuya, as we head toward the end, Gozyuger returns to why the story began in the first place—the battle over the rings. I hope everyone looks forward to it.

The big question is: who will become number one in the end?
It could even be Rikuo! Please stay tuned and enjoy it!

Source : ORICON NEWS