Kenji Ōba, born Kenji Takahashi, a Japanese actor and stunt performer, passed away on May 6, 2026, at age 71 following illness. He gained international recognition for portraying Retsu Ichijouji/Gavan in Toei’s 1982 tokusatsu series Space Sheriff Gavan, which introduced Japanese live-action productions to French audiences as X-Or when broadcast on Antenne 2 in 1983. The character’s transformation sequence became iconic, with the Japanese command “Jōchaku” becoming “Transmutation” in French versions. Ōba reprised the role in 2012 films marking the series’ 30th anniversary and in subsequent crossovers. A trained stuntman from the Japan Action Club, he accumulated extensive tokusatsu credits including Android Kikaider, Battle Fever J, and Denshi Sentai Denziman. Notably, a new Gavan series launched on TV Asahi just weeks before his death.
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