Unveiling the Unparalleled Brilliance of Hideaki Anno's Shin Kamen Rider

Hideaki Anno and his team are determined to redefine the beloved figures of Japanese tokusatsu for a new generation of viewers, employing the same groundbreaking techniques that made them legendary in the first place. Among the various films he has helmed or produced, Shin Kamen Rider stands out as his ultimate passion project. While it may appear unconventional at times, Anno manages to find a way to make it incredibly effective.

This should come as no surprise to those familiar with Anno's work on 2016's Shin Godzilla, a chilling reinterpretation of a classic that brought the towering presence of the iconic kaiju to life in an unsettlingly realistic manner. Following in its footsteps, 2022's Shin Ultraman, while only written by Anno, continued the trend of presenting a mature take on a beloved superhero, catering to the grown-up audience that grew up with the iconic character. As for 2023's Shin Kamen Rider, it was perhaps the most highly anticipated installment in the "Shin" series, largely due to its distinct divergence from the others. While Godzilla and Ultraman are larger-than-life beings who dominate the skyline, Kamen Rider and his adversaries are human-sized cyborgs engaged in ground-level combat. This remake of the series that birthed an entire genre and eventually inspired the creation of Power Rangers in the Western world holds tremendous significance.

Anno's Experience In Cinema

Before his directorial work on Evangelion, Anno's fascination with live-action films had already been apparent. His passion for anime was not his only focus, as he had been creating home movies centered around Ultraman and had also delved into the world of live-action productions during the 90s and early 2000s.

Shortly after the release of The End of Evangelion, Anno ventured into directing Love and Pop, a captivating coming-of-age narrative based on Ryu Murakami's novel Topaz II. Another noteworthy project of his was the 2004 live-action film Cutie Honey, which holds a special place among my personal favorites. Additionally, I thoroughly enjoyed Ryusei Kacho, a remarkable short film lasting just over 10 minutes, where Anno explores the journey of a former Glam Rock star transitioning into a salaryman and rediscovering his identity.

In Anno's body of work, it becomes strikingly clear that these films are created by the same man behind Evangelion. Moreover, Anno's distinctive style seamlessly translates into live-action, primarily due to his ability to capture spaces and focus on the characters. The performances in his films are not solely dependent on the actors, but also on how the camera places them in intense and pivotal moments.

Fans of Anno's work would have felt right at home while watching Shin Godzilla, with its occasional use of text and frequent close-ups of the actors' faces. This type of directing is consistently bold and upfront. It is difficult to determine whether Anno achieves this by cleverly bringing visual techniques from his animated projects into play, or if he has a natural inclination towards directing in an unconventional manner.

Weird, But Weirdly Great

However, Anno's incorporation of tokusatsu elements goes beyond mere nostalgia. He infuses his works with a unique blend of absurdity, precision, and contemplation that pays homage to the media of his youth. This can be seen in his previous works such as Ryusei Kacho and Cutie Honey, as well as his upcoming film Shin Kamen Rider. The film not only aims to evoke the spirit of the original 1971 TV series but does so with such thoroughness that it may even exceed expectations.

The intense cuts, the consistent use of low-angle shots capturing Rider's acrobatics, and the sudden appearance and swift defeat of countless adversaries by our protagonist, all remain intact. It defies traditional editing techniques to stay faithful, and although it may be considered technically "incorrect" and open to debate for improvement, it mostly succeeds. This is largely due to Anno's team's skill in effectively presenting it.

The digital effects in Shin Kamen Rider, particularly for the transformations and bursts of energy, are visually stunning and add to the film's overall beauty. While fully CGI characters can sometimes stand out, they do not completely disrupt the atmosphere. In fact, Anno's complete commitment to this approach can yield surprisingly satisfying results, even if it embraces the inherent campiness of the genre.

In one of the film's pivotal fights, Rider confronts a formidable opponent known as the Bee Augment, leading to a thrilling sword duel. The Bee Augment's incredible speed adds an element of agility to the battle, causing the two combatants to gracefully maneuver around the arena. As the tension reaches its peak, their movements seem almost frozen in time, only becoming noticeable when their swords clash and bring the intense combat to a momentary halt.

This visual technique is reminiscent of the stylistic choices commonly found in anime, where the boundaries of reality are often stretched to accommodate supernatural displays of strength and swiftness. Director Anno has previously employed this approach in his work on Cutie Honey. However, while Cutie Honey embraced a more lighthearted tone, Shin Kamen Rider adopts a more serious demeanor. As a result, the effectiveness of this stylistic choice in the film may be questioned.

During the climax, Shin Kamen Rider's CGI is obscured by the dark setting, which can be seen as a clever technique to hide flaws in the 3D render. However, this also makes it difficult to fully observe and admire the showcased work. It is one of the rare instances where the film lacks the same level of self-assurance.

More Than "Live-Action Anime"

Anno's remarkable ability to maintain his unique creative style across different mediums is truly astonishing. Whether directing anime or live-action works, he consistently captivates audiences with his talent. While he may be more well-known for Evangelion, Anno's expertise extends to a diverse range of projects such as Cutie Honey.

There is a valuable lesson to be learned from Anno's entire body of work, and Shin Kamen Rider exemplifies this lesson perfectly: appearances can be deceiving, but that doesn't mean they can't be impactful. The audience may have certain expectations, but that should never be an excuse for lackluster creativity. The fact that Anno and his team were able to create such visually striking and unconventional imagery that resonated with viewers is a testament to their unwavering dedication.