ชิน มาสค์ไรเดอร์

I went into *Shin Kamen Rider* expecting real action, especially after being blown away (in a not-so-good way) by the over-the-top CGI in *Shin Ultraman*. I thought, "Hey, it's Kamen Rider, they'll actually film some action sequences, right?" Wrong. It's almost all CGI, and apparently outsourced to a Chinese company. No disrespect intended, but the effects definitely have *that* look. Surprisingly, I gradually found myself able to get on board with Hideaki Anno's peculiar storytelling pace and the rather grotesque, CGI-heavy action sequences. However, as a film, and especially as a Kamen Rider movie aimed at fans, it falls far short of being even passable. It feels like I watched a story made for seven or eight hours of screen time crammed into a single film by Anno...

The biggest shock came during the end credits – what were ◯◯◯◯ and ◯◯◯◯ doing there!? Were they actually the ones in the suits for a certain monster all along?! And what about ◯◯◯◯ then??? What the heck!?

Using other people's money to create a private visual scrapbook is quite the invention. After three庵野(Anno) films, you might think he's injecting new life into 特摄(tokusatsu - special effects genre), but in reality, 庵野秀明(Hideaki Anno), the self-proclaimed world's biggest 特摄(tokusatsu) fan, has donated an exquisite coffin to traditional 特摄(tokusatsu). He's had his fun, irresponsibly declaring to the world: "I've tried everything, it's beyond saving!" But the carvings on this coffin will undoubtedly make fans scream, "Oh, I know that! So nostalgic!" He can make the superficial aspects of 特摄(tokusatsu) incredibly perfect, while his understanding of 特摄(tokusatsu) remains incredibly superficial. How can he be so clearly defined, insisting on only playing as a fan without delving deeper? Perhaps he doesn't love 特摄(tokusatsu), but rather little...

Anno really is just always making Evangelion.

The script is too lazy, pivoting on the original series' first season and Ishinomori's manga. Its foundation borrows character motivations from EVA, while another end arrives at "Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water." The biggest draw is the staging of battles and special effects. Anno abandons American superhero action patterns in favor of spectacle, pursuing the sense of speed, dynamism, power, and the bizarre characteristic of Toei tokusatsu's discontinuous action and scene transitions from the original work. However, while this style was originally born from cost and technological constraints in the hands of Oriota Itaru and Takemoto Kouichi, replicating it now runs counter to modern production and viewing conventions. The humor is subtly...

In *Shin Kamen Rider*, Takeshi Hongo's transformation into a tragic hero mirrors the struggle of one forced to embrace power at the cost of humanity, while Ruriko's skepticism toward happiness adds a layer of existential questioning. Their escape from SHOCKER becomes a journey not just of survival but of self-discovery and truth.

'Shin Kamen Rider' presents a captivating narrative, delving into the complexities of identity and human existence. The poignant story of Takeshi Hongo, a man stripped of his humanity by the sinister SHOCKER organization, resonates deeply. Alongside Ruriko Midorikawa, a determined rebel, their journey unfolds, revealing the blurred lines between hope and despair, freedom and oppression. This thought-provoking tale invites viewers to reflect on what it truly means to be human.