Masahiro Inoue Talks About His Love For Heisei Era Kamen Rider

There's a certain kind of magic that envelopes Tokusatsu. While the west may know it best as cheesy parodies of Power Rangers, Tokusatsu itself has persisted itself on being a genre all about sincerity. Kamen Riders only get the one year to make their mark, there is no eternally rotting continuity corpse fueled by nothing but shark-jumps: You have to woo the audience anew every time, and every hero is treated like a hypothetical kid's first hero instead of building on callbacks to the 70s. 

Masahiro Inoue is a man who feels like the embodiment of this. Best known for his role as Kamen Rider Decade, even today he walks looking straight out of the Heisei era sporting a maximalist charm about him as we speak at the Welcome to the Parallel World Tokusatsu convention held in Klang. 

More than that, he's also a firm believer in the creed of Tokusatsu. On a surface you may think it's just practical effects that make something Tokusatsu. But more than the rubber suits, it has a certain je na sais quox.

"Transformation—that’s definitely the appeal", Inoue says. "With actual anime, it’s, well, just anime. But the fact that real people transform into heroes is what makes tokusatsu so interesting. I really think the best part is that real people are acting in it, so I hope tokusatsu never goes away".

It's a good answer. After all, even modern tokusatsu is a cavalcade of digital effects. One could argue by many interpretations how many CG frames of a rider kick disqualify you from being called Tokusatsu. But Inoue's own description puts emphasis on that feeling of relatability- of seeing someone just slightly more stylish than you'd see on the every day street suddenly fighting a Bug Man. 

He also explained the importance of having that spirit in the toys, too. Inoue had previously reviewed Kamen Rider belt toys on his YouTube channel. Given the average Kamen Rider belt has itself transformed quite dramatically in terms of interaction, I couldn't resist picking his brain on his favorite ones. 

Unsurprisingly, though, Inoue explained that his heart lies in the heisei era, particularly the Decade Driver. 

"What I know is that Decade’s Rider Belt has a gimmick where it rotates 90 degrees when transforming, and then 10 years later, Zi-O's belt rotates a full 360 degrees. I’ve heard rumors that they actually wanted to make Decade’s belt rotate a full 360 degrees back then, but they couldn’t pull it off, so it ended up just clicking into place at a 90-degree angle", Inoue says. "I don’t know if that’s true at all, though. But I really like that simple gimmick—inserting the card and having it click into place is a great mechanism".

(Author's note: during the interview, Inoue would recreate the sound effects of the parts moving, as well as pantomime them with his hands) 

He also expressed love for another Heisei classic: Kamen Rider Kabuto. 

"Speaking of old gimmicks, yeah, I really like Kabuto’s gimmick", Inoue says. "Kabuto’s “One, two, three”—pressing it to do the Rider Kick is so cool. I’d love to do that “One, two, three” before the Rider Kick. Right, that’s why I like the gimmicks on Kamen Rider belts from the early Heisei era".

Despite mainline Kamen Rider moving with the times, that doesn't mean side projects haven't revisited older works. Showa series like Amazon, Black and even the original Kamen Rider have all been vividly reimagined with projects like Amazons, Black Sun and Shin Kamen Rider. Heisei riders are also getting their turn: films commemorating Kamen Rider Kabuto and Agito have also been announced. 

When asked about it, Inoue said he had been doing his own rewatch of his favorite era. 

"Lately, I've been watching Kamen Rider Kuuga", he says. "I've also been watching Kabuto. They announced the other day that they’re making a Kabuto movie, so I’d like to see that too". 

Like a giddy fan, he even lets his imagination run wild at the thought of more Heisei riders being revisited. 

"I wonder if Kiva will be next?", he posits. "I’m not quite sure what’s going to happen, though. But I’ve been thinking I’d like to rewatch the Heisei Kamen Riders".

What's Next For Masahiro Inoue

Speaking of what's next, Inoue also teased what's next for him. 

"It hasn’t been announced anywhere yet, but we’re currently planning and working on a tokusatsu project that everyone in the industry can get involved with", he teases. "Before this, everyone could only watch [a Tokusatsu show]. We’re aiming to create a special effects production where people can experience it firsthand, and hope you look forward to it".

While Inoue wouldn't elaborate further on what that means, it's definitely a compelling promise. Considering the line of fans, all striking their own henshin poses while waiting to meet him, it's definitely something to keep an eye on in future.