Tori Matsuzaka as Takeru Shiba/Shinken Red in Shinkenger

After some eye candy and posting them, well it's time for Tori Matsuzaka's role as Takeru Shiba.  It does kind of "bug me" that he was named Takeru, after Kazunori Inaba's character in Maskman who was also Takeru.  Now I'll talk about his performance as the second Takeru or maybe some may call him the successor to Kazunori Inaba due to him being the second Takeru.


My complaint about him sometimes was that he seldom felt "pretty wooden" but then again, I think it's his character that's meant to be kind of wooden but I thought of this part.  But I would admit he does come out pretty badass in his scenes where he fights and not the stuntman.  I really like how he does his fight scenes in Shinkenger though the others are still respectable.


However it didn't mean he couldn't express when he needed to express something like he does manage to put some emotions when he needs to.  I guess it's his character that manages to go O_O whenever needed though he does show some expressions whenever needed.  In fact, his acting does improve as the series progresses from good to better though I can't call it best.


His interaction with the cast was pretty good.  I thought that aside from his really fun chemistry with Rin Takanashi, he also had it with Suzuka Morita, Goro Ibuki, Shogo Suzuki, Keisuke Sohma and Hiroki Aiba all had their charm in the different reactions required.  I pretty much like his interactions with Rin Takanashi the best in the show though I would be unfair not to credit with the other characters.  I just thought that somehow it seemed everybody managed to indirectly help him become better.


I thought that his focus episodes like when he left the mansion, his battle with Juzo and to him returning and eventually the fact that he was later revealed to have agreed to pretend to be the 18th head in order to protect Kaoru (acted by Runa Natsui) who later became his "mother" via "adoption".  For everything, Tori Matsuzaka does manage to learn how to act out better in Shinkenger which greatly helped him beyond the Super Sentai.