11 Years of 'Good Luck' and 'Thank You', or, an Open Fan Letter: Reflections on the 'Evil Secret Society Inc. 10th Anniversary Management Policy Presentation'

Dear Shaberryman,

The days have become warm enough to break a sweat; how have you been?

Thank you for holding the 'Evil Secret Society Inc. 10th Anniversary Management Policy Presentation' (hereinafter referred to as the 'AHK Management Policy Presentation') the other day.

Previously, you gave me the advice to 'try writing a note like you're writing a letter,' so I was wondering what topic I should write about.

Ultimately, I arrived at the ideas of,
'If I'm going to write something, it should probably be related to the Evil Secret Society for the first one,'
'Well, why not just make it an open fan letter?'
So, I am writing my reflections in this format this time.

…This is written in a style meant for a real fan letter, so it's quite embarrassing to put it out on the airwaves.

'Evil Secret Society Inc. is a real company.'

When was the first time I heard that phrase? Honestly, I don't remember anymore.

Before I knew it, I feel like it had smoothly been inputted into a corner of my memory.

'Oh, yeah, I think I've heard of something like that. It was popping up on my timeline, photos of them with actors. Wait, they turned a ring into the police box? They're doing a collaboration show with an anime soon? Huh! That's amazing.'

They looked cool, the company name was exactly what it said on the tin, just some local thing.

Self-proclaimed: The most expensive kaijin in Japan.

So, when I first heard, 'I hear a tokusatsu drama called Dogengers is going to be broadcast soon,' what I thought was, 'I had heard rumors of Evil Secret Society Inc. I knew I would meet you someday.'

Thank you so much for keeping it going until the day we could meet.

As President Yabai Kamen mentioned during the show at some point, I heard that the probability of a company lasting 10 years is only about 6%.

If something had been slightly off... for example, if "Evil Secret Society" hadn't been founded, hadn't continued, or if I hadn't become a fan of tokusatsu, or hadn't encountered "DOGENGERS," I realize that this moment right now wouldn't exist, and it makes me feel something incredibly miraculous and fated.

I'm so incredibly lucky.

The hero show at the "AHK Management Policy Presentation" was content that seemed to trace the history of the "Evil Secret Society."

I am a new fan who joined after "DOGENGERS," so I only know about the history before that through videos, social media, or Shabe-san's lectures, but even so, it was deeply moving.

Many villains who have become independent and those who work in the office also appeared... I was so happy because there were many characters I never thought I would be able to meet.

The scene where everyone gathered was a masterpiece.

And, the official unveiling of the new villains.

Yakamachine and Hibiki Noisia.

Butler Latzka and Butler Meryl.

At the crowdfunding reward event where they appeared a little early, Shabe-san described them as "new family members." (Even though Noisia-chan said, "That's offensive!").

Since they are villains who were born with the passion and blessings of various creators, I am sure they will become characters loved by everyone.

I mean, the business reorganization is great, isn't it?

I can't help but favor the 'Vice Division,' but I feel a different kind of 'gap moe' from Shabe-san, Yaka-san, and Noisia-chan.

Yaka-Machine-san looks like a 'stray dog'—he's big, looks like a delinquent, and seems a bit scary.

But when he speaks, an aura of someone who has been through a lot oozes out, and he's not noisy at all. It makes you want to help him.

Noisia-chan looks like the kind of girl at the top of the social hierarchy in a rough elementary school.

But when she speaks, she's an innocent, highly capable older sister figure. She has a loud voice, is a good singer, and even though she's a villain, she doesn't seem like she'd do anything bad at all. She's probably the type to steal the hearts of young girls.

As for Shabe-san... well, rather than his appearance versus his personality, the gap between his sunny side and his gloomy side is... well, let's just leave it at that.

All three have elements tailored to their respective performers, and while I think they are the type of characters you don't often see elsewhere, it's fascinating that when the three of them get together, they somehow give off the vibe of traditional comedic villains.

I couldn't help but grin when I saw 'three idiots' written in the script.

In the first place, I heard that one of the reasons Shaberiman was born was because other villains were unable to 'speak,' which led to moments of frustration and impatience.

The appearance of someone who could be entrusted with that important role of 'speaking' must be highly significant for both Shabe-san and the character 'Shaberiman' himself.

Shaberiman seems to be in a position within the society that is a step removed, or perhaps he is watching everyone from the unique circumstances of being the 'only human'.

I feel that he is a character who carries a certain kind of loneliness, from a different perspective than Yabai Kamen.

In this show, isn't the scene where they are raising funds for the production of the 'YABAI' comic symbolic?

Yabai Kamen, who speaks from a creative perspective about wanting to do this or challenge that, and Shaberyman, who approaches it from a management perspective, even selling his own assets to make it happen.

To be meta about it, these are two sides of the same person... it's a dual role, after all.

But it's more than that; it's the resolve to stand up for and protect President Yabai Kamen, the symbol of the company, as the protagonist. I felt like I witnessed a way of fighting that only Shaberyman, an existence seemingly separated from Yabai Kamen, could pull off.

Maybe that's why. When I saw the Evil Business Division singing and dancing, I thought, 'I'm so glad he wasn't alone.' Both Shabe-san and Shaberyman.

I mean, really, 'We are the talkative villains~♪' just won't leave my head.

No, I absolutely wanted the three of them to sing together! I can't believe it came true so soon!

Of course, the aesthetic presence of the 'Service Business Division'... the combination of the androgynous, dual-natured, caring beauty; the selfish, spoiled, charming pretty boy; and the mysterious, silent, handsome man is sure to strike a chord with many. I'm sure many people will fall deep into that rabbit hole.

Even within 'Evil Secret Society' and 'DOGENGERS,' where personalities are already clashing, that group has a particularly different worldview, so I think they'll add a nice spice to the story.

I'm also curious about the 'Invasion Business Division,' whose details are still unknown.

Not only is Yaba-chan's new form stylish, but the new combat employees' forms are also attractive, and it seems like each of them has a different personality. I want to know more.

A little while ago, I suddenly decided to look up the meaning of the word 'yabai'.

The history of 'yabai' seems to go back as far as the Edo period.

According to the 'Nihon Kokugo Daijiten (Second Edition),' there was a slang term 'yaba' used by street vendors and thieves.

The meaning was, surprisingly, a prison guard or a detective. The exact opposite of the current image!

There is also a theory that it comes from 'yaba,' meaning a shooting gallery.

It seems it means a dangerous place where you're doing shady business in the shadows and end up getting busted by the cops.

By the way, I heard that the term 'yaba no oyadama' (boss of the yaba) appears in a book called the 'Japanese Slang Dictionary' from the Meiji era (1892), so I looked it up on the internet (National Diet Library Digital Collections) to see for myself.

Apparently, it refers to a police inspector.

It's not Yaba-chan, but Akuta-san and Yoriki-san.

In other words, it was the people who put bad guys in danger who were called 'yaba'.

From there, it evolved and spread from the Edo period to the early Heisei period as slang referring to dangerous or inconvenient things: 'yabai'.

In the 'Explanation of Youth Slang' section of the 1999 edition of 'Modern Terminology's Basic Knowledge', 'yabame' was described as a 'yabai (bad) situation'.

However, in the 2002 edition, the explanation for 'yabai' added meanings such as 'dangerous, strange, suspicious,' as well as 'so engrossing you can't handle it, too attractive, really good'.

It seems that the nuance of 'yabai' that we use today spread around that time.

Though I feel like it had been used on the streets a bit earlier than that.

Just as the word 'yabai' has become a term that encompasses all emotions—joy, sadness, impatience, and anger.

Yabai Kamen has the power to swallow every story.

His strength and personality vary from day to day.

One moment he shows a surprisingly cold-blooded side, and the next he's troubling his subordinates with childish selfishness.

He has a beast-like wildness, but also a sensitivity that makes him worry about trivial things.

He is persistent, clumsy, friendly, charismatic, and cares for his companions, yet there is a loneliness deep in his heart that he shows to no one.

A mysterious kaijin.

The climax of the 'AHK Management Policy Presentation' was the battle against Kitakyuman.

Words like 'bonds,' 'deep-rooted ties,' or 'emotional' just don't quite capture it, do they? That scene.

Including the characters, the performers, the production, and the audience receiving it all.

It was a story built on trust for everyone involved in that scene, and one that could only exist through a physical clash.

I am truly glad I was able to see this stage performance in person, which was only possible because it was the 10th anniversary.

But the streaming version is also quite appealing, isn't it?

You can see the big picture well. I've already watched it many times. It's fun.

Yabai Kamen and the Evil Secret Society have a plot that requires a villain, and if there is a stage, they will stand in front of any hero.

A dangerous niche industry that pushes you forward, reminding you that anyone can be someone's hero.

That 'culture' that you all create.

A world infused with the playfulness of 'malice'.

I want to continue supporting you in the same era for the next 10 years as well.

Well then.

I know it's probably hard for you to take a proper break, but I hope you can at least get some good sleep.

There seems to be a strange cold going around, so please take care of yourselves.

I will continue to love you forever.