Toei Streams Kakuranger 30th Anniversary Sequel Free After Hiroshi Tsuchida's Death
The free window turns a subscriber-only anniversary sequel into a public memorial, timed to Tsuchida's death and carried by the consent of the people who hold the rights to it.
Key Facts
- Ninja Sentai Kakuranger Part 3: Middle-Aged Struggle Edition began free streaming on the Toei Tokusatsu YouTube Official channel at 1:00 p.m. on October 21.
- The free stream ends at 11:59 p.m. on October 23.
- Hiroshi Tsuchida, who played Saizou, also called NinjaBlue, died of heart failure on October 11 at age 54.
- Ninja Sentai Kakuranger was the 18th Super Sentai series and aired from 1994 to 1995.
- The Middle-Aged Struggle Edition streamed on Toei Tokusatsu Fan Club in 2024 and reunites the original cast 30 years later.
Reporting from 2 sources: Cinema Today, Denfaminicogamer.
Toei Tokusatsu Fan Club posted a memorial comment on its official X account on October 21 and put its original production Ninja Sentai Kakuranger Part 3: Middle-Aged Struggle Edition on the Toei Tokusatsu YouTube Official channel free for three days. The stream runs from 1:00 p.m. on October 21 until 11:59 p.m. on October 23. The work is an official sequel made for the 30th anniversary of Ninja Sentai Kakuranger, the 18th Super Sentai series, which aired from 1994 to 1995. It streamed on TTFC in 2024 and reunites the original cast 30 years later as middle-aged versions of their roles. Hiroshi Tsuchida, who played Saizou, also called NinjaBlue, died of heart failure on October 11 at age 54, a death his agency 81 Produce announced on October 20. TTFC said it wanted as many people as possible to see his work and to give viewers a chance to remember him, and thanked the parties who consented to the stream.
The sequel's full title, Middle-Aged Struggle Edition, follows the two-part structure of the TV series, whose second half was billed as the Youth Fierce Battle Edition. TTFC's post said Tsuchida gave tremendous effort to the service during his lifetime, and the account wrote that it offers sincere condolences on his passing.
Teruaki Ogawa, who played Sasuke, also called NinjaRed, asked viewers to watch what he described as Tsuchida's brave figure, calling him cute, pathetic and cool. The memorial post and the streaming announcement went up the day after 81 Produce disclosed the death, and the whole release fits inside a three-day window that closes at 11:59 p.m. on Friday, October 23.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 2 cited sources below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.