Kamen Rider: Hope and Kicking Evil in the Name of Justice

When you consume media long enough, you start to notice the presence of culture and counterculture. Concepts that were cool and refreshing at the time become dull. Then new concepts that are antithetical to previous popular staple become the new focus.

With the release of the 2025 Superman film, hope is in. Goodness and sincerity are being uplifted again. The age of sarcastic heroes and cynical themes is now slowly being replaced by the idea of being good for the sake of it. The return of bright colors and worlds where empathy holds real tangible power. It plays up the silliness of heroes rather than toning it down as many of the earlier superheroes movies.

I personally am not a big fan of hyper cynical works, so I welcome the return to sincerity and hope in the mainstream because I think it’s fun and cool. Grimdark is one of the reasons that I haven’t been able to get into stuff like Warhammer 40K. I don’t really vibe where a large majority of the lore is related to the soulcrusher 3000.

So with the return of hope, I wanted to talk about Kamen Rider. A show that I think perfectly captures that sense of sincerity

If you don’t know anything about Kamen Rider then you might be more familiar with a close analogue which is Power Rangers. Power Rangers were an americanized version of the Japanese children’s show Super Sentai. The base premise is exactly the same with a group of friends transforming into heroes to save the day. With these heroes usually fighting a monster of the week alongside an overarching plot that comes up every once and while.

Super Sentai and Kamen Rider are tokusatsu shows.Tokusatsu are Japanese live-action shows and movies that use a lot of practical effects. Think rubber suits and pyrotechnics. Godzilla for example would be another tokusatsu show that has garnered a lot of popularity in the west.

So what makes Kamen Rider unique among the other tokusatsu shows? Typically Kamen Rider features a single hero unlike sentai. This single hero typically has a suit with a grasshopper-like helmet design. They are called riders because they always ride around in motorcycles. Now just like how there’s many versions of the Super Sentai/Power Rangers, there are many Kamen Rider shows. Each one has a unique gimmick. The suits are always different along with what character is donning the mask.

For example, Kamen Rider W (Pronounced Kamen Rider Double), has a noir flavor as the main characters run a detective agency in the fictional city of Futo. Each new rider also has a unique catchphrase along with the theming.

“Now count up your sin!” – Kamen Rider W

“I’ve found the winning formula.” – Kamen Rider Build

One constant throughout the Kamen Rider series is that each Rider ultimately fights for good. The theme of justice and heroism are prevalent through every single incarnation. Kicking evil in the face is a prerequisite. It is the baseline. While some riders can have dark moments and there have been some “darker” retellings of the original kamen rider such as Shin Kamen Rider, protecting humanity is a key theme.

– Kamen Rider Original – Episode 91 “Gel-Shocker, Enroll in Terror School”

The show is very silly at times. Slapstick is a common gag with the characters often smacking and pushing as if they were cartoon characters. The characters will have set outfits that eye-catching distinguish them like trench coats, vests, leather jackets, and all manner of clothing beyond just the hero suits.

The transformations, especially at the beginning of the shows are a whole affair taking like 20 – 25 seconds. These transformations are also accompanied by music and outbursts of English phrases like “Are you Ready?” and “Boost!” or wonderful titles for specific forms like “THE FULLMETAL MOONSAULT”

There’s also the villains which match the energy. They are played as intimidating or cool, but they too share the same level of fun and whimsy that is held by the riders. This applies to the supporting cast as well.

But sometimes it makes the serious moments pop even more.

Now if you are interested in watching the show then you’ll be faced with a problem. Firstly, it should be explained beforehand that it is very difficult to watch a majority of the Kamen Rider shows in the current year. Many of them only exist online with unofficial fansubs and watching them through official channels can either be tricky or impossible.

If you are determined to watch the show, then you should know that while the shows are tenuously connected, you can pretty much start anywhere you want. Common advice among the fandom is to pick a suit that you think looks cool and start from there. You can also read a synopsis of each one to see if it’s your vibe.

Speaking of official channels, the newest show, Kamen Rider Zeztz, will be a simulcast so it will be streamed in US, Canada, and other regions. So if you’re willing to wait until September then you can just catch Zeztz on whatever streaming platform it happens to be on.

Either way give it a shot. If you don’t like one then there might be another one you’ll like. They all have different plots and that is a huge appeal of the franchise. You might even find yourself inspired to do rider kicks in your spare time.