Could there be a Magiranger 10 Years After?

Given the recent trend of Super Sentai 10 Years After V-Cinemas, Tom Constantine looks into the question, could fans see Mahou Sentai Magiranger return once again?

The “10 Years After” project began when Hurricane Blue’s Nao Nagasawa rallied the past actors and crew of the show together and pitched the idea of the movie to Toei, who greenlit the project. Later, the Dekarangers, led by Dekamaster’s voice actor, Tetsu Inada, would make their own Space Patrol V-Cinema, thanking the Hurricangers for making it possible. Both were well received and Toei Video has continued to release further V-Cinemas of past heroes, including upcoming Kamen Rider Mach & Heart movies.

One of the key requirements of the 10 Years After project is that the actors as a whole most return; otherwise, it would be a waste to do it with a partial team.

Magi Pink & Mahi Shine on the set of Dekaranger 10 Years After

This would cause a problem for two principal cast members, Asami Kai, Magi Blue and Yousuke Ichikawa, Magi Shine. Kai announced at an event in 2009 that she was temporarily leaving the entertainment industry to pursue studying cake-making and working in a store. She denied that she was retiring, but has not since announced returning back to acting. Ichikawa retired in 2008 and works as a high school teacher, coincidentally teaching Yuu Inaba, who would go on to be Kamen Rider Mach.

Being tired of the entertainment business is one reason why actors might not return, but that doesn’t mean they wouldn’t return for one special. Hurricanger‘s Wendinu, Mio Fukuzumi, who retired from acting after getting married, returned for the Hurricanger V-Cinema.

Another factor is that when actors change Japanese agencies, depending on the contract, actors may be barred from continuing roles the agency provided for them. Magi Green’s Yuuki Itou also changed his agency in 2007. Ayumi Beppu, Magi Pink, changed agencies in 2015, as well as migrating to France in August of that year.

A question fans tend not to ask is, are the cast members interested in reuniting? Both Red and Pink returned for cameos in Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger and Yellow came back as Beet Buster in Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters, with nods to his earlier role here and there. They do get together for reunions, as seen in this article’s main picture, and some of the cast visited the set of Dekaranger 10 Years After (note the other picture in this article).

If there were to be a Magiranger 10 Years After, the obvious biggest hurdle would be Beppu not being in the country. We’re now months past the anniversary of the final episode airing and there is no sign of an announcement coming in the near future.

Sadly, the return of the Ozu family seems unlikely at this point.