Regular cast members from the TV series, including Masayoshi Mashita (Yusuke Santamaria), his wife Yukino (Miki Mizuno), and Hitomi Okuda (Miki Maya) who was an antagonist in THE MOVIE 2 but is now a close ally, happily accepted new offers to appear in Bayside Shakedown. "We left it up to everyone how they wanted to portray their characters as they age. You know your characters best," said producer Chihiro Kameyama. "We only communicated the relationships between them."
The new cast joining Bayside Shakedown is also diverse.
Shuri, known for her powerful performances in the morning drama Boogie Woogie and films like Love Life and Hokage, plays Hibari Shibata, the energetic and reckless "Red Lark of Taito Police Station." Producer Kameyama and director Katsuyuki Motohiro, long admirers of her acting, shaped the character of Hibari specifically for her around the time the project was decided. "I thought she should be even more reckless than Sumire-san (Sumire Onda / Eri Fukatsu) was when she was young. I told Shuri, 'If anyone were to die in the line of duty first, it would be you,' because she just charges into incidents," explained Kameyama.
Jin Shirasu plays Aki Miura from Azabu Central Police Station, who views police work and cases with a cool eye. It's a role with few flaws and a stylish demeanor. Upon seeing the materials provided by the agency, Kameyama admitted he was instantly smitten, saying, "I had already made my decision at that point."
Yuuki, the son of Mashita and Yukino, who was kidnapped and saved by Aoshima in THE FINAL, returns in this film having skipped grades to graduate from Harvard University. He appears as a manager speaking Japanese mixed with English. This difficult comedic relief role proved hard to fill through auditions. Director Motohiro then recommended his friend Takahisa Masuda (NEWS). For Kameyama, casting Masuda, who was 39 at the time of filming, as a 21-year-old was a gamble. However, he noted, "There were many skilled actors closer to the actual age, but if we just wanted someone cool, we have Miura. The age gap created a great comedic contrast and added color to the story. He really looks 21." Director Motohiro was also satisfied, stating, "Masu- (Masuda) has high experience levels, so he played the role brilliantly."
Kento Kitaka, Aoshima's classmate and head of the First Investigation Division, was present in Ryosuke Kimizuka's script for this film from the beginning. When considering casting, Kameyama felt that Kurano Sasaki, who is in the same school year as star Yuki Oda, was perfect. Sasaki had appeared as an investigator in THE MOVIE 2, so there was no inconsistency with the setting. As an old acquaintance of Director Motohiro, Sasaki readily agreed.
Jiro Sato, also a friend of Director Motohiro, joined after much anticipation. He impresses with his signature blend of comedy and gravitas in the role of Teru Sasakata, a police officer who is also a doctor.
Furthermore, attention will be paid to the female cast, including Kayo Noro, who is expanding her career as an actress; Shiori Tamai from Momoiro Clover Z; Karen Fujikoshi from Sakurazaka46; and former =LOVE member Nagisa Saito. "With Karen-chan and Nagisa-chan standing side by side, and slightly older Shiorin (Tamai) there too, plus Kayo Noro. It's a solid lineup. Their acting was wonderful," Kameyama expressed confidence.
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