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Kamen Rider is one of Japan's most iconic superhero series, known for its special effects and flashy transformations. The tokusatsu franchise has inspired many anime titles to retrofit tropes from the series into their narratives. However, many of these inspirations can be hard to spot for anyone unfamiliar with the series.

Fortunately, more of the Kamen Rider series have become accessible on streaming sites like Tubi. This allows more people to watch the series, and realize its lasting impact on pop culture. Many anime series even directly pay homage through concepts from the original series. It's often overlooked how some of the most iconic anime in history were inspired by the live-action superhero in some fashion.

Samurai Flamenco Is a Modern Love Letter to Kamen Rider's Early Entries Streaming on Crunchyroll

Samurai Flamenco has an insane plot that's reminiscent of the Showa-era Kamen Rider and Sentai series. As Masayoshi...

One of the latest Kamen Rider TV shows is finally being released on Blu-ray.

Shout! Studios is bringing the 2022 tokusatsu series Kamen Rider Geats to home media, with the show being the latest Kamen Rider acquisition from the media company. Now available for pre-order, the Blu-ray collection features all 49 episodes of the henshin hero's adventures, set across 8 discs. This is just one of the modern Kamen Rider shows now licensed by Shout! Studios and available for purchase on Blu-ray.

Related Shout! and Toei Distribution Deal Brings Home the Finale to Original Digimon Adventure 02 Shout! Studios and Toei Animation are partnering for the home media release of the 2023 anime movie Digimon Adventure 02: The Beginning. Close

The Kamen Rider Geats Blu-ray collection from Shout! Studios, which is set to release April 23, 2024, includes the entire 2022-2023 TV series. With over 20 hours of content, the series is the fourth Kamen Rider show to...

Kamen Rider is a popular franchise in Japan, with the series being one of the premiere names in the tokusatsu genre. Combining costumed, motorcycle-riding heroes with monsters and mayhem, the series and the heroes who bear its name have remained steadfast staples in Japanese pop culture. That success hasn't been matched in the West, though one TV series certainly tried to make that happen.

Kamen Rider: Dragon Knight was the second attempt to bring the masked motorcycle heroes to Western viewers. Made somewhat in the same vein as the Power Rangers, it sadly didn't do much to make the property mainstream outside Japan. However, was still far better than an infamous predecessor, and it likely could have succeeded with a few changes.

Related: Power Rangers TV Series Departs Production in New Zealand

Kamen Rider: Dragon Knight Was the Second (and Last) American Kamen Rider Series

Running from 2008 to 2009, Kamen Rider: Dragon Knight...

Kamen Rider may not have the international recognition of Godzilla — yet. But Toei, whose first “Kamen Rider” live-action TV series aired in 1971, has announced an ambitious project for raising the profile of its motorbike-riding, insect-faced cyborg hero both at home and abroad on the franchise’s 50th anniversary.

Unveiled in April at a splashy live press conference in Tokyo, the project is headlined by a new film, “Shin Kamen Rider,” directed by Anno Hideaki, the creator of the Evangelion sci-fi franchise and the scriptwriter and co-director of the 2016 smash “Shin Godzilla.” Details about the film, including story and casting, are still sparse, though Toei has penciled in a March 2023 release date.

When Variety met project producer Shirakura Shin-chiro at Toei’s Tokyo headquarters, he reaffirmed that his aim was to make “entertainment that viewers can enjoy,” while “targeting a wide demographic.” This is hardly the first time Toei has courted...