The Magical Princess Casting A Spell on the Japanese Indies: Riemaru

*This interview was conducted by Ari Onna*

In a world full of STARDOM, Tokyo Joshi, and countless other promotions, it can sometimes be exhausting to keep up with everything and everyone all at once in the world of Japanese women’s wrestling. We’re in an era now where you’re spoiled for choice, and there’s consistently good wrestling to watch no matter what direction you look. This is why I choose to look forward towards the future of wrestling instead of settling with what we’re given at the moment, and to me, nothing says “Future of Joshi Wrestling” like a 39-year-old mother of three.

The woman in question is Riemaru: a freelancer in Japan who’s been on my radar since 2022 when she made her Pro wrestling debut in a promotion named “2point5”. The promotion, founded by comedy wrestling legend Super Delfin and co-managed by a bubble-blowing gremlin in Momoka Hanazono. Being trained by such high-profile talents and eventually parting ways with the company after a year, Riemaru now appears in small scale productions such as Fighting Ultimate Crazy Kings and Underground Wrestling EXIT, but the blood of a silly wrestler still flows through her veins.

I was fortunate enough to bring BODYSLAM.NET this interview with Riemaru as I’ve supported her since her wrestling inception, and felt the need to share Riemaru’s fun and unique personality (both in and outside of the ring) with the masses.

I think the first thing I’d like to ask is for you to describe, in your own words, who Riemaru is, for anyone who might not be familiar with your work. Who is the wrestler Riemaru? What are her goals in the world of professional wrestling?
Nice to meet you! I’ll put a spell on your heart! I’m Riemaru, a multi-talented entertainer, who is sunny and occasionally wrestles.
Outside of wrestling, I also sing, act, and work as a radio personality. From 2025, I’ll also start TikTok live! My goal in the wrestling is to get people who have never seen wrestling interested in it and spread the joy of it!

Becoming a wrestler isn’t usually something most people would start doing on a whim. As a mother and someone who seemingly had no connection to wrestling prior, what was the spark that made Riemaru want to become a professional wrestler?
To be honest, I thought “no one would start wrestling at 37 years old (my age at that time) as a mother of three children”, and I had an idea it would be fun. That was the spark.

I, like many others, discovered Riemaru when you debuted in 2point5 Women’s Wrestling. What was the training like at that time, and what were you able to take away from the training that led to where you are today?
I started with the basics of wrestling, such as how to fall. I got physically stronger because I had never been into sports before. I also learned rope walking, which is my specialty now. The training expanded my possibilities in many ways.

Speaking of 2point5, you were only there for roughly one year. What type of training do you do now that you’re a freelancer working at your own pace and time? Is there a freedom that comes from learning on your own opposed to learning within a promotion?
I am currently honing my skills under the guidance of individual senior wrestlers. Since I became a freelance, I have been watching various promotions and learning strengths of each of them.

I’ve spoken with you before about wrestlers you admired, and a few listed were Tam Nakano, Natsupoi, Unagi Sayaka, and Maki Itoh. What was it is about these wrestlers that drew you in, and do you feel you take any inspiration from them in your wrestling career?
I was attracted to the enchanting way to express themselves as female wrestlers, which all the wrestlers mentioned here have.

Speaking of inspirations, you’ve also shared in the past that one of your favorite performers is Kyaru Pamyu Pamyu. What is it about Kyaru Pamyu Pamyu and her music that left such an impression on you? Does any of that inspire you while you’re on stage performing, whether it’s music or wrestling?
I like Kyary Pamyu Pamyu’s fairytale worldview, and I want to incorporate that cute, fairytale one into my wrestling too. My ideal and dream is to create one and only worldview that no other wrestler can express.

The character of Riemaru is one of magic and comedy. One moment you might be using a magic wand to throw people across the ring, and another moment you might be bribing someone with a $100 bill with your face on it. What is it about comedy wrestling that brings out the best of Riemaru?
Generally, when you think of wrestling, you think of power and thrills, but I do the opposite. I create a fairytale worldview by playing a comedy and using magic, with which I aim for a unique wrestling that even people who have never seen wrestling before can enjoy. I think that brings out the best of me!

If you could have a wrestling match with anyone right now, who would you choose to be your opponent?
I would choose Ms. Kaori Yoneyama. For me, she is the representative of comedy wrestling and the one to admire.

You’ve been very vocal about wanting to someday join the US based women’s wrestling promotion Sukeban. What is it about Sukeban that appeals to you the most?
The cute costumes, the pretty hair and makeup, the anime-like worldview, and the unprecedented worldview of pro wrestling. Everything I want to do is packed into this show, so I definitely want to join!

Sukeban is also filled with many alternate versions of wrestlers you’d typically see in Japan; Kaori Yoneyama is “Otaku-Chan”, and Hiroyo Matsumoto is “Bingo”, for instance. What do you imagine Riemaru’s Sukeban character would be like?
I would love to be a ninja! And more than that, a super flashy, hot pink ninja (lol).

One thing I love about seeing Riemaru on stage, whether it’s at a wrestling show or a concert, is that you have so many dedicated fans that support you. How does it feel to have such a faithful group of fans despite the short amount of time you’ve been active in the wrestling scene?
I’m truly grateful, and I want everyone who supports me, believes in me, and follows me to be happy! I’m always thinking, “What can I do to have everyone feel happy that they supported Riemaru? How can I have them enjoy?” And in that moment, I’m thinking “I’m very happy”.

Many wrestling shows that Riemaru works in tend to be smaller shows with more intimate spaces and loyal fans. Firstly, do you feel like doing shows of that size helps to form a stronger bond with the supporters you’ve gained over the past few years? Will there ever be a time where you think Riemaru will have to move up into bigger shows and larger venues?
My dream is everyone’s dream! I believe you all will be happy when I stand on a bigger stage!

Speaking more broadly about wrestling, are there any wrestling moves that you find to be shocking or impressive? Are there any moves you’d like to add for your own personal use in the future?
I’m good at cartwheels, so I’d like to be able to do Mr. Keiji Muto’s “Space Rolling Elbow”!

This question has nothing to do with wrestling, but more about life. On your old blog, you talked a lot about training yourself subconsciously to attain your goals, whether it was weight loss or simply trying to look more like your ideal self. Is this type of positive thinking something you still do or try to employee in your daily life? Have you seen success with it, or is it more so just to keep yourself motivated towards your goals?
I’ve seen lots of success, like accomplishing things that everyone said would be impossible. My friend who watched me doing so all this time eventually started saying, “Anything seems possible for you, Riemaru.” I’m the only one who believes in my potential, and I daily face myself and move forward. My motivation for working towards my goals isn’t to compare myself to anyone else. I’m motivated by always checking if I’ve improved when I compare my past self to my current self, and imagining myself smiling a year from now.

The world of wrestling is vast and there are millions of possibilities around every corner. Is there anywhere Riemaru hopes to work someday, or any championships you hope to hold before your time as a wrestler comes to a close?

 I hope to create a promotion and establish a championship in the end. And I want to make it the promotion whose champion belt everyone wants to take.

I’ve probably asked far too many questions and the very nice person translating this is likely losing their patience, so I’ll try to end this quickly. With no more questions to ask, is there anything that you, the Magical Princess Riemaru, would like to say to all your current and future international fans before this interview ends?
I’m not famous yet, and not many people know of my existence. Despite that, you found me and became my fans. I’m very happy and pleased with that. I’ll become famous from now on for sure! I promise you’ll be proud of being my fans from a long time ago! My future fans, I promise that you’ll feel happy by supporting me for sure!

As always, I admire and appreciate you. Thank you for everything, Riemaru.
Thank YOU so much for giving me such a wonderful opportunity! I’m always grateful.
Maybe now the seven of you who’ve read this article will understand why I champion Riemaru like I do. This is someone who when asked “What promotion would you like to work in?” replied with “I’d create my own and have the most sought-after belt in wrestling.” That’s the spirit that defines Riemaru. It’s the same determination that fuels one of her inspirations, Unagi Sayaka, and if Riemaru is half as tenacious as Unagi, then there’s no doubt she can accomplish anything she sets her mind to.

In case it wasn’t obvious after reading all this, I’m not a writer in the slightest, but apparently they just let anyone on this site. So, if you took the time to read this, I appreciate you and I’m horribly thankful. Do both myself and Riemaru a favor by following her on Twitter/X to follow her on her life’s journey, whether it’s in the ring as a magical princess, or on stage as a singer/performer.
Thank you again to Riemaru, and to BODYSLAM.NET for allowing me to conduct this interview.

TRANSLATIONS BY: https://x.com/chiyoko_asakura

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