Latest Super Sentai Show Edits Out Main Cast Member After Dismissal

Image via TV Asahi

©テレビ朝日・東映AG・東映

Following news of the removal of No. 1 Sentai Gozyuger main cast member Maya Imamori from the television series and from her own talent agency, the 37th episode of Gozyuger aired on Sunday with Imamori's appearances completely edited out. (No. 1 Sentai Gozyuger is the 50th anniversary entry in the Super Sentai franchise, which the Power Rangers franchise loosely adapted overseas.) ANN's Japan-based staff also confirmed that Imamori's character Sumino Ichikawa (Gozyu Unicorn) had a single line of dialogue commenting about the episode's new villain, but the line was read by voice actor Ayaka Maekawa instead of Imamori.

Image via www.toei.co.jp

©テレビ朝日・東映AG・東映

Furthermore, No. 1 Sentai Gozyuger's opening sequence has been edited to remove any footage of Imamori — replaced mainly with footage of the main characters in their suits with masks on. (In the Super Sentai franchise, the featured main cast usually only perform when their characters are unmasked, while stunt performers act almost all other scenes in the suits, dubbed over by the main cast.)

Both the story digest at the beginning of the episode and the episode itself did not have any voiceover dialogue by Imamori, nor any shots explicitly showing her face. The previous episode, episode 36, ended last week with a preview of episode 37 that showed a scene with Imamori, but the actual episode 37 edited around Imamori in that scene.

Episode 37 also ended its broadcast without the customary preview for the next episode.

Imamori, who will turn 20 in March, was released from No. 1 Sentai Gozyuger and her agency after she was reportedly discovered drinking alcoholic beverages while underaged. (The legal drinking age in Japan is 20 years old.) After the announcement, Imamori posted on Instagram on Saturday that her actions were unacceptable and deeply regrets them. She also apologized to her fans, co-stars, and those involved with her work, and said she will reflect on her life so as to not betray those around her.

Sources: Cinema Today, Toei, Maya Imamori's Instagram account, Abema