The Kamen Rider franchise increases demand with the latest releases, but should Toei take the ‘Dino Force Brave’ approach outside Japan? With Toei working on global distribution, many releases from the franchise have already become accessible outside of Japan. These include the anime series FUUTO PI and Shin Kamen Rider, so iconic characters have already been established with fans enjoying the Japanese content. As there are many series featuring amazing stories and iconic actors, should Toei create English-based continuations that bridge content together.
The Kamen Rider franchise has steadily grown outside of Japan with fans enjoying various seasons from Kamen Rider Kuuga to the recently concluded Kamen Rider Geats. Specific series were previously adapted including Kamen Rider RX adapted as Masked Rider (1995) and Kamen Rider Ryuki adapted into Kamen Rider Dragon Knight (2008). Although they weren’t successful enough to keep the adaptations going, fans have still been enjoying various Japanese releases, including Kamen Rider Zero-One which became accessible thanks to Shout! Factory.
Kamen Rider Series: Should Toei make English Continuations
With Kamen Rider already released for fans worldwide, Toei could benefit by providing English-language continuations of the iconic series. The ‘Dino Force Brave’ approach refers to the South Korean adaptation of Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger. The series Power Rangers Dino Force Brave featured a continuing story from the Sentai, with a Korean cast and new designs. Although the Sentai was given a Korean dub, the concept allowed for the original story to be used with a fresh new concept. Fans have already enjoyed various series from the Kamen Rider franchise, including popular seasons such as Kamen Rider Gaim, Kamen Rider Build, and Kamen Rider Zero-One.
This is also enhanced by conventions as Gaku Sano (Kamen Rider Gaim) has recently appeared at Japan World Heroes 2023, in Los Angeles. Gaku Sano played as the main Rider, Kouta Kazuraba, in the series. Toei has already announced its plans to globally release its intellectual properties and to expand the lifetime of releases. This includes using FUUTO PI as a reference since the anime adaptation continues the story featured in Kamen Rider W. Currently, not all Kamen Rider series are available to watch outside of Japan, but the Toei Tokusatsu World Official Channel on YouTube has released the first 2 episodes of various titles.
By using the ‘Dino Force Brave’ approach, Kamen Rider could enhance Toei’s global release plan by connecting English-speaking content with past releases. It would also mean that fans can enjoy extensions of their favorite Kamen Rider series, while also providing new content to fans who prefer English-language adaptations. With many iconic actors such as Ryoma Takeuchi (Kamen Rider Drive), Masahiro Inoue (Kamen Rider Decade), and Atsuhiro Inukai (Kamen Rider Build), it would create the perfect bridge between iconic story and brand-new installments.
Although there is no official release announced yet, the distribution plans from Toei could allow the Kamen Rider franchise to become more accessible too. This could include using streaming platforms such as Amazon Prime, which in Japan releases recently aired episodes after their TV channel debut. It would also be a great way to introduce new characters and possibly break the language barrier that fans already surpass. For now, fans will have to wait for news regarding releases outside of Japan, such as Kamen Rider Gotchard which is currently airing in Japan.
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Kamen Rider Gotchard is currently airing in Japan every Sunday as the 34th entry of Toei’s Kamen Rider Metaseries. There is currently no news regarding distribution outside of Japan.
Various Kamen Rider series are currently available from Shout! Factory, including the Complete Series Blu-rays releases of Kamen Rider Kuuga, Kamen Rider Ryuki, and Kamen Rider Zero-One. Episodes are also available to stream on Shout! Factory TV for the US and Canada.
Various series of Kamen Rider are also available via the Toei Tokusatsu World Official Channel. Currently, only the first two episodes have been released for various Rider series, including Kamen Rider Zi-O and Kamen Rider Saber.
What do you think of the Kamen Rider franchise? Do you agree with the ‘Dino Force Brave’ approach for Kamen Rider? Are you looking forward to the global distribution plan for Toei’s Tokusatsu releases? Let us know on social media and keep following The Illuminerdi for more Tokusatsu content. We’re always watching.
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