Since late 2024, the tokusatsu genre has met a new renaissance era with international fans. And the beloved Japanese masked heroes are no strangers to anime, either. With titles like Go! Go! Loser Ranger and The Red Ranger Becomes An Adventurer in Another World, more heroes emerge. The latest masked vigilante manga, Tojima Wants To Be A Kamen Rider, will be airing next month in its anime adaptation!
From Imagination to Bug-Masked Hero
Mangaka Yokusaru Shibata presents the world of Kamen Rider through adults inspired by it. 40-year-old Tojima Tanzaburo strived to become a masked insect motorcycle hero. However, his reality sinks in as a part-time employee pushes his dream away. Compared to other fictional Japanese heroes, Tojima was not granted special powers, was not sent to another world, nor did he get special combat training.
He was a child devoted to Kamen Rider 1’s morals to protect the people. He trains alone in the mountains, using the trees as his practice dummies. Then, one fateful day, a gang of copycat Shockers began to emerge in his hometown. He puts on the mask of Kamen Rider Ichigou and stops them from disturbing a summer festival.
Tojima’s 3rd Trailer Reveal Kamen Rider Allies
The Aniplex Online Fest 2025 trailer shows other tokusatsu fans following Tojima’s lead. First on the list is Yuriko Okada. After hearing about the Shocker uprising, the high school teacher finds motivation to revive her dream to become Kamen Rider Stronger’s Tackle. The heroine cyborg had a short life as she sacrificed herself to save Jo Shigeru’s life. Tackle’s courageous act prevented him from being poisoned. Yuriko possesses her pink and yellow costume, as well as her signature ladybug helmet.
Next up is Ichiyo Shimamura. He does not believe that wearing a rider’s mask is enough to become one. Instead, he thinks he carries the spirit of Kamen Rider V3. Ichiyo studied various martial arts and advanced techniques to embody his spirit of justice. He’s heavily inspired by Shiro Kazumi’s normal form from the Kamen Rider Spirits manga.
Finally, there’s Ichiyo’s younger brother, Mitsuba. He’s a restaurant manager who loves Riderman, the 4th Kamen Rider. The original hero was a former member of Destron, the international terrorist organization. Like Tojima, Mitsuba keeps his civilian attire when fighting Shockers. He equips the Riderman’s iconic blue helmet and his Rope Arm.
Kamen Rider Actor Among Tojima’s Voice Cast
The main voice cast has dedicated themselves to honoring the Kamen Rider name through their performance. Voicing Tojima Tanzaburo is Apothecary Diaries’ Katsuyuki Koinishi. Following his journey are Ai Kayano (Your Lie in April, Food Wars! Shokugeki no Soma) and Soma Saito (King of Prism, Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind). Ichiyo Shizumura will be Kenichi Suzumura’s second Kamen Rider role, with his first being Ryutaros from Kamen Rider Decade. And finally, Chainsaw Man’s Fairouz Ai will be voicing Mitsuba’s girlfriend, Yukarisu.
Joining the Tojima Wants To Be A Kamen Rider cast is long-time voice actor Kenjiro Tsuda. He’s been a staple in the anime industry since taking the role of Yu-Gi-Oh’s Seto Kaiba. Throughout the tokusatsu franchise, he voiced in four series and two films. His previous role was Soikichi Narumi in Fuuto PI: The Portrait of Kamen Rider Skull. He will be performing as the yakuza boss Nakao Hachiro.
Teddyloid To Compose for Kamen Rider
All of Tojima Wants To Be A Kamen Rider’s trailers have featured intense electronic music. Panty and Stocking fans may recognize this artist’s addictive beats. Anime News Network informed readers that techno musician Teddyloid will be composing the anime’s soundtrack.
The opening song, “Wanna Be,” features a nostalgic yet modernized track that is heavily inspired by the Heisei and Reiwa eras of Kamen Rider. Japanese pop legend Shigeru Matzusaki’s remarkable vocals sounded familiar to past Kamen Rider artists. Listeners have yet to hear TOMPHAMHAT-KYO’s rapping as Aniplex has only offered a short snippet in Matzsaki’s artist commentary.
Yakuza, Shockers, and Real Monsters!?
Tojima Wants To Be A Kamen Rider previews more key visuals laid out from Volumes 1 and 2. The animation style is very reminiscent of an early 2010s action anime. As for the framing and acting, the atmosphere captures the spirit of the Showa era of the tokusatsu franchise. From Tojima executing the Rider Punch to the signature wrestling finishers.
What’s more is that the “Monster/Villain of the Week” aspect will take a creative approach. Tojima and his comrades will be dealing with yakuza boss Nakao Hachiro, who terrorizes the town with his copycat Shockers. As the story progresses, real Shockers, or at least those inspired by them, challenge these makeshift heroes. And even real monsters disguised as humans! Tojima Wants To Be A Kamen Rider will make a dynamic debut on Oct. 4th.
