HEISEI KAMEN RIDERS:
FOR THE FANS, FOR THE KIDS, FOR THE SALES
Anthony Leong
Submitted to Professor Hiroshi Aoyagi
IES AN343: The Fantastic World of Japanese Manga and Animation
Makuhari , Japan
December 14, 2004
1. Introduction
2. Research Rationale
3. Bibliographic Orientations
4. Research Methood
5. Conclusions
References Cited
Appendix 1: List of Kamen Rider television programs
Appendix 2: Example images of Kamen Rider through the ages
Superheroes are a regular part of many children’s’ entertainment diets, appearing in comic books, television, toys, and infinite other mediums. Of particular fame and popularity among Japanese children, primarily boys , since the 1970′s has been Kamen Rider (Masked Rider), a hero manga by Shotaro Ishinomori that was adapted into a live action television program. The series was reincarnated several times throughout the 1970 ‘ s and 80 ‘ s. In 2000, the property was once again reintroduced to Japanese television, beginning a new era of Rider programs that took advantage of modern advancements in computer graphics and flashy special effects . Although Ishinomori, who had been involved with all previous Rider incarnations had passed away in 1998, through the work of his legacy, Ishimori Pro Studios, and Toei Entertainment, Kamen Rider was back to entertain a new generation of youngsters.
In this research, the timeline of the Kamen Rider enterprise, from the 1970′s to present day, has been examined through first hand observations (e.g., the television programs themselves) and through readings based on the Japanese entertainment, hobby, and animation industry . Although Kamen Rider is a live-action television program, and thus not technically an anime (Japanese animation), the comic book-background and fantastic nature of the series allows it to be grouped and analyzed alongside the animation genre. This project also investigates Bandai, the series’ official toy manufacturer, as one of the primary force s behind the commercial aspects of th e franchise. It is worthy to note that Bandai works with Kamen Rider in much the same manner as it does with other children’s entertainment franchises, most notably the Mobile Suit Gundam and Power Rangers series. Special focus has been placed on Bandai and its contribution to the Kamen Rider machine as a whole, as it is a key player in the conceptualization and marketing of both the television show and the related merchandise. In addition to the theory that Kamen Rider is a strongly commercial franchise is the notion that the series features some kind of symbolic value for its viewers, and has retained this value over the past four decades. Thus the question lies in whether the series has endured because fans and children love it so much as a leisure or entertainment program, or if it retains its popularity due primarily to a genius marketing strategy.
Is the spirit of the original hero that Ishinomori dreamed of when he created the character still alive in the modern heroes? The so-called “Heisei Riders” (Heisei referring to the current Japanese era) are enjoyed by some fans of the original and older series, and highly criticized by others . Many of these fans enjoyed the programs during the 1970′s as children, growing up with Kamen Rider . A heightened importance on marketing and selling toys and other merchandise, sometimes seemingly to the point of excess, that is found in the Heisei Rider programs is one reason some fans of the older series ‘ have criticized the modern incarnations . Whether or not the franchise has “sold out” or not, however, depends on how you view the franchise as a whole, particularly the modern series ‘ . The question of whether or not these Heisei series ‘ are simply using the Kamen Rider moniker in vain as a marketing tool, or if they are simply the naturally evolved product of a popular television program, will be investigated throughout this research.
Th is paper hopes to shed some light on the methods that have been used to keep Kamen Rider alive for the past four decades. Although the series has classically been intended primarily for young boys, there are clearly efforts made to appeal the show to other groups, including housewives and older viewers (e.g., fans of the past series’). The annual renewal and restoration of the series, and whether or not it is necessary to the life of the series will be examined, in connection with both value for fans and value for the marketers of the program. Although this paper focuses on the Kamen Rider franchise, it relates to the entertainment industry of Japan operates as a whole, and how it maintains itself by keeping what is popular, removing what is not, and changing what is in-between into something people will grow to love.
Although the Kamen Rider property has endured for decades, it has not remained as a television series in the same fashion as some long-running animations series. Whereas in comic and television programs such as Sazae-san and Doraemon , characters and storylines have remained somewhat static and unchanged for many years, the Kamen Rider series indeed transforms itself quite often. The initial television series, titled simply Kamen Rider , lasted approximately two years, from 1971 to 1973. A sequel series introducing a new hero, this time titled Kamen Rider V3 , was brought into play after the first series ended. This tradition continues to this day with the Heisei Rider programs, as a new Kamen Rider series starts every year, immediately following the conclusion of the previous.
Although for the most part, the series’ are not continuations of one another, nor are their storylines intertwined. They do, however, share not only the Kamen Rider title, but also similar weapons and equipment (e.g., a belt used to transform into hero form), battle odd monsters to save the planet, and even resemble each other in costume design. One needs only look at the title character in 2004′s Kamen Rider Blade to know what family of bug-eyed superheroes he belongs to (see Appendix II). While the fourteen (counting up to 2004) Kamen Rider television series’ can be classified as separate programs, they are undoubtedly of the same family. Additionally, as they are produced, marketed, and broadcast in the same way year after year, they can also be thought of as a single production that changes characters every year or so.
As with many other shows for children, one focus of the series is to sell toys and other products. Has this been the crucial factor in keeping Kamen Rider alive for all these years? With the recent television series’, it is noticeable that there is an increased promotional essence to the program. Following recent children’s hobby and anime trends, 2002′s Kamen Rider Ryuuki (Masked Rider Dragon Knight) implemented a card game associated with the series, based on magic cards that the Riders use in the series to call forth weapons, special attacks, and monsters. Conveniently, these cards were available for sale in toy stores and in vending machines for children, collectors, and fans to purchase. This card game was in addition to the normal toys, clothes, models, books, CDs, and other assorted merchandise that was being sold under the Kamen Rider moniker. The franchise thus spread its collective wings even further, expanding its empire to nearly every imaginable outlet. Needless to say, Kamen Rider -branded hot dogs are not purchased because children love the taste. If their favorite hero is on the package, they will want it and buy it, a fact that Bandai and other merchandise manufacturers know quite well.
As Bandai is in the children’s toy business, their goal, of course, is to sell toys. In order to sell these toys, there needs to be some kind of advertisement or promotion to entice children to want to buy a certain toy. A show such a Kamen Rider can work as a glorified commercial, and in many ways that is what the show is. While entertaining purely as a superhero television show, the new weapons and monsters, all of which can be purchased in toy form, that appear weekly can be seen as an excuse for Bandai to produce more and more toys. Such a system at basic marketing theory works like a charm, by enticing children to purchase toys because they saw them on TV. For example, the aforementioned card game sold in conjunction with Kamen Rider Ryuuki was produced by a subsidiary of Bandai, who also sells the role-playing toys (such as toy swords and transformation belts) for the series. Just like the cards and weapons used by the heroes on the television program, the toy cards worked in conjunction with the toy weapons from the series, unlocking special sounds and effects when using certain cards. This marketing strategy must have proved successful with Bandai, as two years later, in 2004, Kamen Rider Blade premiered, featuring a new card system of its own. These cards highlight the intense, and sometimes blatantly obvious, marketing aimed at children and collectors who watch the programs.
To look even more carefully at how Bandai is a key player in the marketing side of Kamen Rider , it must be noted that Bandai designs most of the heroes, weapons, monsters, and machines found in the television program. This occurs long before the television show is broadcast, giving them the opportunity to create toys and have them ready to be sold when a new character or weapon makes its debut on TV. With Bandai at the helm of character and mechanical design, the Kamen Rider series is in actuality a show based on toys, not the other way around as one would think. This is the opposite of how marketing of superheroes has worked in America , where toys are manufactured and sold long after a character becomes popular. This “working-backwards” approach appears to prove successful for Bandai, who has operated in this fashion with children’s entertainment franchises for twenty five years.
Kamen Rider is not the only such superhero franchise to be reborn yearly. Of note are the Ultraman, produced by Toho Studios, and Super Sentai (“sentai” being roughly translated as “Battle Team”), which is produced by Toei, programs, which follow formats nearly identical to that of Kamen Rider . While also battling monsters every episode, Ultraman is a giant hero who fights in miniature cityscapes a la Godzilla , while the Super Sentai shows, known in America as the Power Rangers feature a team of five color-coded superheroes who fight monsters in hand-to-hand combat, but then eventually turn to their giant robots to help in the battle . These Super Sentai programs have a history closely linked to that of Kamen Rider , also being based on the work of Ishinomori, starting as a genre with the 1975 live action program Himitsu Sentai Gorenjaa (Secret Battle Team GoRanger). As the original Kamen Rider debuted approximately four years before the GoRanger program, the Rider family is thought of as the father of this genre of programming. However, to this day both series are produced and marketed, often in conjunction. On the Sunday morning TV Asahi broadcasts, for example, both shows are shown back-to-back, with some shared commercials and promos featuring the heroes of both shows. The Ultraman and Super Sentai programs are also renewed yearly like Kamen Rider , introducing a fresh cast, new heroes, new villains, and new weapons.
Regardless of the commercial aspects of the series, the value of the program as entertainment and the satisfaction value gained by its viewers are of note. The series is longer limited in viewership to young boys only. With the beginning of the Heisei Rider era came not only increased marketing efforts by Bandai, but also increased efforts by the producers and casting directors to attract more diverse viewers. The actors who played the Kamen Riders’ in the early series, once “tough guys” in their late twenties or early thirties, have been replaced recently by younger, “boy band” or “male idol” looking actors. This move has been in part to attract women to the series, particularly housewives and mothers who may already be turning the television on for their children to watch Kamen Rider . Photo books of these actors have even been released, hinting even more that these actors are there partially for the purpose of attracting women to watch a show that has traditionally been for children. Additionally, the Heisei Rider shows have added dramatic storylines and soap opera-like elements to go along with the classic transforming and monster-fighting action. These complicated storylines and plot twists have also been somewhat successful in drawing new audiences. With the changes that have been made to the new batch of Kamen Riders, the audience for the series is no longer restricted to elementary school boys.
Human’s natural instinct to want to change itself can be applied to Kamen Rider in much the same way as it can be to other anime and science fiction series where characters change or transform in order to fight their opponents. This natural instinct is applicable to superheroes worldwide, not only in Japan . Change remains a constant in the world of Japanese animation and science fiction, not only to allow fantastic characters and storylines, but also to allow consumers to experience what they only can in fantasy: ” Metamorphosis, known as henshin in Japanese, occurs frequently in, and is perhaps even omnipresent throughout, this world, affecting an enormous variety of images from landscape and the natural world to machinery and architecture. The favorite object of transformation is clearly the body, however (Napier 2000: 36-37). ” As transformations are normal fare in Japanese fantasy entertainment, viewers are excited when they watch a superhero transform, do battle with, and win over his adversaries. Whereas a hero may be weaker than his opponent in the beginning, through the transformation, he is able to gain power and victory. Perhaps this theme is one of the reasons why Kamen Rider and other such science fiction have remained so popular to this day; viewers dream of having the ability to change at will, to gain power, and to overcome the obstacles in their lives. In a society like Japan, where things are organized and oftentimes conformist (one needs only look at groups of school children or salarymen, all trained to work and think in a group), the ability to change and break free are exciting concepts, and certainly something that would prove entertaining in a science fiction television show. Viewers live out their fantasies through the entertainment media they consume.
Focusing on the consumer side of Japanese Kamen Rider fans, which can range from young boys to older fans to housewives, there is a good amount of profit to be made in a consumer society such as Japan: ” Mass media and marketing for young people are, of course, primarily dedicated to getting them to divest themselves of their disposable income (Skov and Moeran 1995: 261). ” For young viewers of the weekly television program, product manufacturers and marketers will target them to buy a wide range of related products, limited not only to toys. The Skov and Moeran article discusses the Japanese consumer, noting a study performed during the 1980`s that focused on young people. The findings of the study point out not only the high amounts of disposable income among Japanese youth (one must also note that this was before the burst of the bubble), but that Japanese society in a way raises children and young adults to be consumers.
Fans of this science fiction genre are indeed open to purchasing related products and merchandise from a variety of categories: ” Indeed, the enormity of the whole science fiction phenomenon in Japan itself, including novels, fan magazines and comics for both adults and children, is well worthy of scholarly attention (Treat 1996:237). ” The massive amounts of related merchandise sold with the Kamen Rider name also helps reveal the different audiences that the creators and producers of the show focus on. While the primary market remains in Bandai’s toys for the children who watch the program, as mentioned previously, new target audiences also mean new products to sell to these viewers. In addition to photo books for housewives to ogle, there was on display at the Bandai museum in Matsudo City and example of the ultimate adult Kamen Rider fan’s dream: full scale replicas, made of die-cast metal, of the Kamen Rider transformation belts. As these belts cost well over USD $300, they are obviously not made for the same audience as the USD $30 toy belts.
The majority of the research for this project was divided into two categories, the first of which is research of the fans of the Kamen Rider genre. As time and language barriers were constraints, this was limited primarily to the Internet as a source. Fans of the series are of course, primarily Japanese, although there is a surprisingly strong foreign fan base as well. Utilizing fan web documents, both in Japanese and English helped reveal some of the complaints that “hard-core fans” have with the Heisei Rider shows. One argument frequently made is that the increased marketing and commercial aspects of the show are disgraceful to the Ishinomori name. This signifies a conscious differentiation between the Kamen Rider of the 1970′s and of today among fans. However, there are many fans who have been introduced to the programs starting only from the Heisei Riders. Thus, the series has progressed and enticed a new group of viewers. With the modern uses of the Internet, viewers in foreign countries are even able to view Kamen Rider from wherever they are.
Second was casual research into the marketing and availability of Kamen Rider merchandise. Checking convenience stores, department stores, and toy and hobby shops revealed large numbers of products available. As the Bandai role-playing toys and action figures were by far the most readily available, it can be safe to assume that the primary target audience of Kamen Rider is still children. Advertisements for videos and DVDs of the recent series are also advertised in other animation publications, children’s magazines, and are in general, made readily available for children. Additionally, there was a large amount of concentration on the show itself (as opposed to the show and the toys) among the Japanese sci-fi scene, as seen through magazines. The young adults who built Mobile Suit Gundam model kits, play video games, and watch science fiction movies seem to be another highly targeted audience, with Kamen Rider being featured in magazines such as “Hobby Japan,” which is targeted at a slightly older audience than the Bandai toys are.
For the sake of keeping research focused, this project specifically focused on Kamen Rider , although there are many connections to be made with Super Sentai, Ultraman, and other similar superhero programs, both live action and animated. While time for research and observations was quite short, the research topic was brimming with interesting data, allowing the researcher to examine in a more in-depth way one of Japan ‘s longest running science fiction franchises. Kamen Rider represents a group of superheroes that are distinctly Japanese, and certainly different from American superheroes like Superman or Batman. Were more time available, deeper investigations into the subject would have been made.
So what exactly has allowed the property to remain popular and profitable for the past four decades? Although it is difficult to pin down a single reason, a variety of factors have contributed to this long-lasting run as a popular television show. Before the beginning of the Heisei Rider programs, the franchise was thought to be finished. With the rebirth of the Kamen Riders , however, some more intense marketing techniques were implemented while the core of the program remained the same. The constant fighting spirit to push on and try your best, personified through the Japanese verb “ganbaru,” can be related to the Japanese superhero programs. Every episode, the heroes are faced with challenges, and every episode, the hero overcomes small obstacles to achieve victory. Match this strong will to push on with science fiction and collectable merchandise, and you have a series that is bound to be a hit in the Japanese market: and Kamen Rider has managed to do just that for the past forty years.
Certainly marketing has been crucial in keeping the series around for so long, and to give Bandai and Toei incentive to continue the program. The marketing strategy found through the annual overhaul of the show, introducing new heroes, stories, and equipment, is also popular with the fans. Instead of watching one program for the past forty years, they have been watching a string of stories with a common heroic thread. While things are different every year, they still maintain the same Kamen Rider spirit: a certain familiarity makes it as easy to transition from one series to the next and enjoy. While as with any group of fans, they will not all remain happy, Ishimori Studios, Toei, and Bandai have exceeded in maintaining a good number of the classic “hardcore” fans, keeping the program popular with young boys, and also in venturing to gather new audiences, such as the housewife. The Kamen Rider franchise still maintains much of the old spirit of the original program, and has the ability to endure for several more years.
Napier, Susan (2000). Anime: from Akira to Princess Mononoke. New York: Palgrave.
Skov, Lise and Moeran, Brian (1995). Women Media and Consumption in Japan. Honolulu: University of Hawai’i Press.
Treat, John Whittier (1996). Contemporary Japan and Popular Culture. Honolulu: University of Hawai’i Press.
Appendix I: List of Kamen Rider television programs
Kamen Rider (1971-1973)
Kamen Rider V3 (1973-1974)
Kamen Rider X (1974)
Kamen Rider Amazon (1974-1975)
Kamen Rider Stronger (1975)
Kamen Rider Sky Rider (1979-1980)
Kamen Rider Super 1 (1980)
Kamen Rider Black (1987-1988)
Kamen Rider Black RX (1988-1989)
Kamen Rider Kuuga (2000-2001)
Kamen Rider Agito (2001-2002)
Kamen Rider Ryuuki (2002-2003)
Kamen Rider 555′s (2003-2004)
Kamen Rider Blade (2004-present)
Appendix II: Example images of Kamen Rider through the ages
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Kamen Rider (1971-1973) | |
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Kamen Rider Black RX (1988-1989) | |
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Kamen Rider Blade (2004-present) |
Paper Copyright 2004 Anthony Leong. Not to be republished or copied, either in part or in whole, without the express permission of the author.
