A Few Times I Wish Kazuo Niibori Did Some More Red Ranger Substitution

Picture from Them's Fightin' Words

It's time for a bit of nostalgia since we're very close to 2020. I was thinking about one guy who could have made an impact by substituting certain roles last 2000 up to 2010. Just knowing about who he was and why he's so important to Tokusatsu in Akibaranger Season One episode six -- I guess people have the right to go "HUH?" on me that I never heard of Kazuo Niibori's name until Akibaranger! I never knew he made some cameos in several shows while acting as the red ranger stunt actor. He's not dubbed as "Mr. Red Ranger" for nothing -- in fact he heads the Red Entertainment Deliver since he was actually playing multiple reds!

I was thinking about how great his swordplay was especially with dealing with the second half of Sun Vulcan. Takayuki Hiba's actor Takayuki Godai showed some real swordsman ship. Akibaranger also showed how much of an expert swordsman Niibori was in more than one level and why he did a lot of dangerous stunts that were beyond the badass abilities of the main cast.

So what roles did I want him to do some "substitute role"? Well here they are and what part I wish he did and they were all mainly done by suit actor Hirofumi Fukuzawa who was a staple during last decade. The red rangers that Fukuzawa acted as Gao Red, Hurricane Red, Aba Red, Geki Red, Go-On Red, Shinken Red and Gokai Red. Here's whom I have selected and for what scenes...


Hurricane Red's suit acting could have used some of the Niibori charm. The character in-suit has been having several clashes with villains. If Niibori can certainly do Red Falcon's more difficult fight scenes then I wish he also did Hurricane Red. I guess it's because of the whole Yousuke and Yuusuke thing -- both names sound very much alike!


Shinken Red could have benefited from some scenes that would have been better if Niibori did some of them. I always thought that Tori Matsuzaka and Kotaro Tanaka (no, not Abare Killer but Red Hawk) both suffer from the "not bad but not good enough" during their times as red ranger civilian identities. What I always wanted was that Niibori would actually fit into the Shinken Red suit and show Juzo a thing or two that, "You don't mess with Niibori!" Just imagine if Shinken Red actually owned Juzo with Niibori as the suit actor in Shinkenger's finale arc!


Perhaps the third time I wish he did a substitute role was in Gokaiger with the Basco vs. Gokai Red scenes. It'd be interesting if we actually had Gokai Red's final scene clash done by Niibori. After all, Niibori did resume some of his suit acting roles. Just imagine how it'd be an honor for Kei Hosogai to actually go head to head against Niibori in Gokai Red!