Tanzaburo Tojima, like many people, was a fan of the Kamen Rider Japanese superhero franchise as a kid, even longing to become one some day. In Tojima Wants to Be a Kamen Rider, the anime adaptation of Yokusaru Shibata’s work, he held onto that dream into adulthood training in his free time. Right when he’s considering moving on with his life, a crime wave in his hometown provides a new opportunity.
The first episode does a good job explaining Tojima’s backstory from an exuberant child to his teenage years all the way into middle age. At each period you see an outsider, though he is very comfortable and confident with himself. The passage through time captures key moments where his love for Kamen Rider begins to dim. Yet, the anime is able to maintain a childlike innocence around Tojima. It creates an emotional story that is easy to be caught up in while painting its protagonist as a sympathetic figure.
All the hardships he endures pays off in the final scenes when he finally has his opportunity to actually live out his dream. It’s a carefully crafted buildup putting all the pieces into place for a triumphant moment. It’s so moving to see Tojima’s joy as he confronts the “Shockers” and receives his long awaited hero’s coming out. It serves as an opening salvo into the season long narrative.
From a visual standpoint, Tojima Wants to Be a Kamen Rider’s animation stands out. It is able to create distinct styles when exploring a show within a show format separating the main world from the television world. It is also very fitting for a very grounded story about a man and his dream.
The only time the series becomes a spectacle is during the fight scenes. There is a slight haze to the artwork evoking a dreamlike atmosphere. One sequence midway dials up the drama with adding rain into the action that complements the emotional tones. Overall, the fights are smooth, tense, and exciting. The bloodiness never approaches overly graphic and gory, which can be a turnoff.
It’s also worth mentioning, further demonstrating the versatility of animation styles in the series is the closing credits. There is an adorable blend of intense superhero training with an anthropomorphic takoyaki choreographed to a catchy pop song. What an entertaining and lighthearted way to close out the episode.
Tojima Wants to Be A Kamen Rider has an excellent start balancing an emotional story about a man and his childhood dream with stylistic and fun action.
Watch Tojima Wants to Be a Kamen Rider on Crunchyroll.
