Toshihide Wakamatsu as Gai Yuki in Chojin Sentai Jetman

Well before I'll write on Tori Matsuzaka or Rin Takanashi on their Super Sentai roles, I'll probably give tribute to the most awesome actor ever in Jetman- Toshihide Wakamatsu who's easily a show stealer.  Rather than talk more about Gai Yuki, I'll talk about the actor's performance as the anti-hero James Dean type of guy.  So what makes Toshihide Wakamatsu so special in Jetman?  I'd say his iconic character is really Gai Yuki and it was nice of him to show up in Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger even when the character left us so soon.


Playing a character like Gai Yuki's not really easy.  Okay I'll give tribute to Yasuka Saito in Boukenger for doing a good job as Masumi but I don't think it's easy to match Toshihide Wakamatsu's series of emotions that I thought was really well done.  In fact, I felt like that every time he's portraying as Gai Yuki, my favorite character Ryu Tendo (acted by Kotaro Tanaka) gets faded into the scenes.  Even in the moments Gai Yuki is out of character, he does a good job one way or another.  He's so awesome that to be honest, he convinced me that Gai Yuki was a jerk that I could easily dislike but grow to like.


Best scenes?  Hard to name really but I would give credit to that scene where Gai Yuki challenged Ryu to a race.  Everything's just freaking awesome about how he acts as Gai Yuki.  His portrayal of Gai Yuki's rivalry with Ryu is so well done, really I would say the actor is freaking awesome.  I would also include every emotion involved especially in the love polygons of Jetman.  When out of suit, the actor portrays one kickass scene after the other.  Whether he's been bragging or whether he shows his nice side, he shows more emotions than my favorite Jetman who's well I'd just say passable but never as good. =P


Another of the greatest part of his role as Gai Yuki has to be this- he freaking has that awesome song "Honoo no Condor" which is Gai Yuki's theme song.  In fact, that episode focus where his song can be heard describes the greatness of the actor has!  Even the character interactions he has even during the episodes he's not spared from going out of character, he does manage to show Gai Yuki's not just one sided but a very complex character.


It was in fact good that Toshihide Wakamatsu reappeared in Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger as a ghost to confirm the twenty year debate of Gai Yuki's fate.  Putting that aside, I am just amazed to think that he doesn't look like he's in his 40s, more like late 30s.  So yeah, Junya Ikeda most likely interacted with him and got the autograph while their characters didn't.  Despite that just one episode visit where he's a ghost, I'd say he really still demonstrated his awesomeness though I wish he guest starred in Kamen Rider or Super Sentai as a parent or cast as a regular role of a mentor.  In fact, call me crazy but I really wish he were Dr. Nambu (or in a flashback as Joe's father) for the upcoming Gatchaman movie!