Kamen Rider (1971) // Overview and Review

For fans of Japanese live-action television shows (or tokusatsu), the strangest news leaked out this last week. Streaming service Tubi released something no one expected: all 98 episodes of the original 1971 Kamen Rider television series. To make matters even more shocking, obscure TV and movie licensing company Shout Factory’s name was all over these releases. Having already released the Japanese version of many Power Rangers (or Super Sentai) seasons, this expansion to the other major live-action pillar of children’s entertainment isn’t entirely unexpected… but still a massive shock.

Tubi had taken down the television show when this article was written. Still, the show became public once more on the 17th of March, and it has become available through Shout Factory in the form of their own streaming channel TokuSHOUTsu on PlutoTV. So, for those who aren’t rabid Kamen Rider fans, what should the average fan of comics, cartoons, and superheroes expect?

A lot of punching, kicking, and complete insanity, to be entirely honest.

The plot of Kamen Rider is that a bunch of Nazis fled Germany in World War II and took themselves into hiding on the island nation of Japan. They became this scientific cult known as Shocker, and plan to take over the world by converting normal humans into monsters or cyborgs with brainwashing to ensure their loyalty. Enter Takeshi Hongo, played by Hiroshi Fujioka. A man with a 600 IQ, he is a genius of many trades and an athlete. He is a perfect choice for their brainwashing… but they do the conversion into a cyborg before bothering to brainwash Hongo.

Nazi surgeons apparently don’t need anesthetic.

A scientist with Shocker regrets his life choices and frees Hongo, who vows to fight as the first Kamen Rider against the evil of Shocker. For the first 13 episodes, anyhow.

You see, much to his credit and to the low budget of the show, Hiroshi Fujioka did all of his own stunts. This went mostly well, with transformations happening on his motorcycle at top speed, and transformed combat scenes as well. A high-speed motorcycle stunt during episode 10 went drastically wrong, resulting in Fujioka shattering his leg. Obviously, he couldn’t keep showing up as a super-invincible cyborg with a full leg cast, so the series had to figure something else out.

So Takeshi Hongo left to go fight the forces of Shocker in Mexico… but since he was the main character, what do the show’s producers do?

Why, yes, this man is about to run down Mexican Wrestler Nazis with his motorcycle.

Enter Kamen Rider #2, Hayato Ichimonji. Played by Takeshi Sasaki, Ichimonji was a bigger flirt with the ladies and less of a serious character overall. The show would also change things up further to try and revive flagging ratings by making the transformation into Kamen Rider a fancier affair.

Ladies and gentlemen, the first traditional transformation. Power Rangers owes a lot to this first low-key sequence. In fact, Kamen Rider’s surprising success after the main actor swap would inspire the first Super Sentai series in 1975, Secret Squadron GoRanger. By 1992, the latest incarnation of that show would become the first season of Power Rangers.

So, with the main characters changed, and with major villains in high positions of Shocker slowly being rotated out as the plot proceeded, what else could this show do to top itself?

This would become known as the DOUBLE RIDER.

It turns out Fujioka was a damned fast healer, coming back for episode 49 as Takeshi Hongo once more. Ichimonji would leave to fight Shocker elsewhere in episode 53, with Hongo once more being the main character of the show. It didn’t stop Ichimonji from coming back repeatedly as a guest-character throughout the remaining adventures of the 98 episode long series. The two would team up for the final showdown with Shocker’s Great Leader… which leaves the series completely open-ended for the sequel series coming in 1972: Kamen Rider V3.

The series is certainly of its time, however. Kamen Rider is filled with cheesy special effects that make it Japan’s version of Classic Doctor Who in most respects. Monster costumes are re-used like mad, and the Shocker grunts we often see are basically skeleton-based Luchador wrestlers. The plots are also nothing deep, always having Shocker at fault, and Hongo or Ichimonji surviving to win the day. However, it’s a children’s show that refuses to talk down to kids and instead is content to pack as much action and craziness that it can into a single episode.

Blu-Ray Cover of the 40th Anniversary movie: Let’s Go, Kamen Riders. Starring Kamen Rider OOOs, it celebrates a ton of works from franchise creator Shotaro Ishinomori.

Kamen Rider also inspired one hell of a run of other Riders in the coming years. V3 and Riderman would show up in the sequel. X would be an underwater-focused cyborg. Amazon would come from the jungles of the Amazon as an organic monster. Stronger and his partner Tackle would make for the first male/female team-up crew in Kamen Rider for decades. Skyrider would be the first flying Rider, and Super-1 would use fancy martial arts as a space-intended Cyborg. A 10th anniversary special would introduce ZX, a bright orange ninja cyborg, and the franchise has just kept rolling since then.

You don’t need to know a Kamen Rider from a Kamen Renaider to enjoy this show, you just need to enjoy cheesy action and some darn good choreography. As with any Shout Factory release of tokusatsu, it’s all subtitled… but it’s of professional quality and downright enjoyable. Check this series out. You won’t regret it.

At the very worst, if you’re under quarantine, there’s a whole new show to watch for you.