On March 17, 2023, the long-awaited Shin Kamen Rider or Shin Masked Rider, directed by Hideaki ANNO (1960-), Japan's leading animator and filmmaker, was finally released. As a big fan of Kamen Rider as well as ANNO's legendary Evangelion series, I went to see the movie, only to find it disappointing. Contrary to my ideal Kamen Rider image, ANNO's new / true (which are the meanings of the Japanese word shin) Masked Rider turned out to be so feeble, just as the manly character of Susumu KODAI was changed into such a tearful weakling by Harutoshi FUKUI in the 21st century reboot version of Space Battleship Yamato. Their good intentions are clear: reviewing Japan's militarism during WWII, both ANNO and FUKUI tried re-creating the famous characters, eliminating the belligerent elements they firmly believed to be bad. Although their attitudes might be politically correct, the results would be boring with anticlimaxes, while the cinema audience really wanted to see the heroes' brave fights with great determination. Shotaro ISHINOMORI (1938-98), the late manga artist who designed the superhero, would have supported ANNO's Shin Kamen Rider, because he was possessed by the same pacific belief as a typical Japanese postwar democrat. Just like ANNO, I (1966-) was fortunate enough to enjoy the first Kamen Rider series, from the very first episode aired on April 3, 1971 to the last of Kamen Rider V3, which ended on February 9, 1974, when the true identity of Shocker and Deathtron's boss proved to be Satan himself. Which means Hideaki ANNO turned the Devil into a human being named Ichiro MIDORIKAWA, who only hoped to make the world a better place. Therefore it is natural that the fighting against SHOCKER tends to be not only anticlimactic but also melancholic in ANNO's new Rider film. The original TV series was written not by Shotaro ISHINOMORI, but mainly by Masaru IGAMI (1931-91), who was good at samurai dramas. It was IGAMI that created the strict father figure of Tobei TACHIBANA wonderfully played by Akiji KOBAYASHI (1930-96) and that wrote about the unforgettable Kamen Rider Kid Corps, which ANNO completely ignored. The true Masked Rider was played by Hiroshi FUJIOKA (1946-), one of the most masculine living Japanese actors, who continued to act Takeshi HONGO in Toei's 2021 authentic Rider movie at the age of 75. As he has discovered and embodied it in his career, I must say the very essence of Kamen Rider is the soul of a samurai.

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