A topic I am passionate about is Tokusatsu. I absolutely love Mecha, Kaiju, and Transforming heroes, both American and Japanese.

My first foray into the world of Tokusatsu was when I was a kid watching shows like Power Rangers and old Godzilla movies.

I have fond memories of watching Mighty Morphin Power Rangers on TV when I came back home from school.

I remember when I was a kid my dad bought me a VHS tape of 1998 Godzilla.

While this version of Godzilla wasn’t the traditional version, It was the version that introduced me to Godzilla, from there I watched Godzilla vs The Astro Monster.

As grew up I slowly weaned off my liking for tokusatsu but now I’m trying to get back into it which comes to my favorite series.

Kamen Rider is a decades-old media series that started in the sixties by manga artist and TV director/writer Shotaro Ishinomori.

Following the titular character, Kamen Rider, a cybernetic warrior based on a grasshopper who was given his suit and modifications by SHOCKER, an evil Nazi Organization that wishes to revive the Third Reich, Takeshi Hongo gets kidnapped by SHOCKER and they try to brainwash him after being turned into Kamen Rider, however breaking free of SHOCKER’s grasp Takeshi Hongo decides to dedicate his life and newfound power to destroying SHOCKER, transforming into Kamen Rider through his Rider Belt and riding his motorcycle into battle.

This show was what started four important themes that resonate throughout the series still now.

1. The idea of fighting for Justice and Good.

2. The idea of using the Power Of Evil for Good.

3. Transforming with a Belt.

4. Having some sort of vehicle to ride, usually a motorcycle.

The reason why I love Kamen Rider is because of how unapologetically tropey it is.

Unlike most American superhero movies which try to appeal to adults by being more “serious” and less goofy, for example, Zack Synder’s DCEU.

Kamen Rider allows itself to be goofy and funny, from its comedy to its suits, but it also is capable of being serious at the same time.

To note again, Kamen Rider’s suits look very cool.

 

Unlike recent American media which tries to make suits look realistic and less goofy, Kamen Rider suits are unabashedly colorful while looking goofy and badass at the same time.

Like I said before, Kamen Rider also is capable of handling serious topics despite being a show for teenagers.

Kamen Rider Gaim, who is the orange rider above, for example, is a show where the main character Kouta Kazuraba turns into an Orange-themed Samurai-based Kamen Rider. His rival is Kaito Kumon who becomes Kamen Rider Baron, a Knight-based rider whose main form is armor shaped like a banana.

And other riders and armors are just as goofy.

The show also deals with the ideas of strength, of what one must sacrifice to achieve strength, and how both strength and a lack of strength can cause a loss of morality.

Kamen Rider Build, which is considered one of the best shows in the Heisei era, deals with themes of war and conflict between nations, and how science and technological advancement can both harm and help people.

Despite the goofy exterior, the show can get dark, and gorey, as older Showa shows had monsters exploding into pieces! While that can’t slide on television anymore, there are V-Cinema, reboots, and specials where since there is a lack of restrictions on violence, the Riders can get as gory as they want.

Kamen Rider’s success to this day shows that to appeal to kids, teens, and adults, you don’t need to be serious, with a grimy atmosphere, but you can be lighthearted, goofy, and serious, dark at the same time.