An emergency completion report meeting for the Netflix series “The Evil Queen” was held today, September 12.
Set to be exclusively streamed worldwide on Netflix starting September 19, the drama depicts the untold story of Dump Matsumoto, who created a charismatic sensation in women’s pro wrestling in the 1980s. Yuriyan Retriever plays the role of Dump Matsumoto, Erika Karata plays her rival Chigusa Nagayo, and Ayame Goriki takes on the role of Lioness Asuka.
The emergency completion report meeting was held at “Korakuen Hanten,” a famous restaurant loved by many legendary wrestlers who have fought at Korakuen Hall. Yuriyan Retriever, Erika Karata, Ayame Goriki, and supervising director Kazuya Shiraishi took the stage.
Yuriyan: “I was determined to gain 40 kg.”
Yuriyan made a dramatic entrance by knocking over a chair at the venue. The report meeting kicked off with her exclamation: “September 19, Netflix, The Evil Queen! Anyone who doesn’t watch will be stopped in their tracks!!!”
Yuriyan Retriever rushes the reporters’ cameras.
In the first half, they discussed the determination needed to create the work and the challenges faced during filming.
When asked about her training to play Dump Matsumoto, Yuriyan commented, “Originally, I weighed 110 kg and was called ‘The Beast (110) King,’ but I lost 45 kg over several years. (Once I was cast in this project), I realized I needed to gain weight to resemble the Dump of that time. I had my hesitations, but I was determined to gain 40 kg.”
“Now, I have lost another 30 kg. There’s still 10 kg remaining! Leave me alone!” she elicited laughter from the audience.
“The Evil Queen” features the scene of the “Loser Hair Cutting Deathmatch” that took place on August 28, 1985, between Chigusa Nagayo and Dump Matsumoto.
Regarding her commitment to portray Chigusa, who loses the match and ends up with a shaved head, Karata shared, “I knew about the shaved head condition during the auditions, but more than that, I was captivated by Chigusa’s charm,” expressing her strong desire for character development.
Erika Karata as Chigusa Nagayo.
Ayame Goriki, who auditioned at the timing of the end of her twenties, stated, “As I approached the end of my twenties and the beginning of my thirties, I had a constant desire to take on a new challenge that I hadn’t attempted before. I thought the image of Ayame Goriki as a wrestler would be unprecedented, so I decided to take on this challenge.”
Speaking about the sometimes painful experience of portraying a wrestler, she said, “There was excitement and thrill about revealing a side of myself I had never shown, and my enthusiasm for participating in the shoot was stronger than my anxieties about the future.”
Ayame Goriki as Lioness Asuka.
Director Shiraishi, known for works like “Blood of Wolves” and “Evil,” commented on women’s pro wrestling, saying, “The feeling of battling with one’s soul being drained continues to this day. I have always vaguely wanted to depict that.” He passionately spoke about the filming of match scenes with over twenty thousand extras to recreate the energy of women’s pro wrestling during the era when Dump Matsumoto and the Crush Gals were active.
Supervising Director Kazuya Shiraishi.
Yuriyan “makes a wish” with a bamboo sword
Towards the end, Yuriyan recreated the “bamboo sword strike,” a symbolic act of Dump Matsumoto. She forcefully struck two reporters who had expressed interest ahead of time.
Yuriyan Retriever attacking reporters with a bamboo sword.
Just when it seemed the report meeting was ending, Director Shiraishi made an emergency appearance asking, “Can I join in?”
Yuriyan exclaimed with tears, “Thank you for bringing us here! To be the number one in the world with The Evil Queen, it’s gotta be Kazuya Shiraishi, damn it!!!” She dramatically swung the bamboo sword towards the director, concluding the event to applause.
Yuriyan Retriever attacking Supervising Director Kazuya Shiraishi with a bamboo sword.