Hiroyuki Imaishi, the animation director behind Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, illustrated an awe-inspiring fan art of the live-action Shin Kamen Rider movie.Per Catsuka, Imaishi uploaded his fan art of the 2023 Japanese superhero movie on Twitter. Imaishi is a key animator, anime director, and one of the co-founders of Studio Trigger. At Studio Trigger, Imaishi directed the 10-episode web anime based on the Cyberpunk 2077 video game. He also helmed the 2019 anime movie, Promare, and the 2007 anime TV series Gurren Lagann.
Hideaki Anno's "Shin" Movie Series
Shin Kamen Rider is a live-action movie by Hideaki Anno, best known for his work on the Neon Genesis Evangelion series. Like the previous "Shin" movies by Anno (Shin Godzilla, Shin Ultraman), Shin Kamen Rider is a theatrical reboot of a classic Japanese franchise that bears his creative (and sometimes controversial) trademarks. The tokusatsu movie based on the bug-inspired motorcyclist is an edgier modernization of the 1971 Kamen Rider TV series, made to celebrate the franchise's 50th anniversary.
In Imaishi's fan art, Kamen Rider delivers a dramatic downward blow, with blood flowing up as a result. The dark, blood-like background emphasizes the moment's intensity while also reflecting the movie's dramatic atmosphere. Although the Shin Kamen Rider fan art is pretty violent, the movie was rated PG-12 in Japan, meaning it's suitable for anyone 12 and older, which is in line with the typical live-action Marvel movies or live-action DC movies like the upcoming Blue Beetle.
Shin Kamen Rider premiered in theaters in Japan on March 17. Currently, there's no international release date for the film. Kamen Rider is available to stream on services like Shout! Factory TV, the Toei Tokusatsu World Official Youtube channel and Amazon Prime. Amazon Prime also features Kamen Rider Black Sun and Kamen Rider Amazons. Both of these series offer their own gritty interpretation of the Kamen Rider franchise, similar to Shin Kamen Rider.
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is available to stream on Netflix. Cyberpunk 2077 is available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC. Developer CD Projekt Red no longer supports last-gen console versions of the game. Anno's animation studio, Studio Khara, is working on the TV anime adaptation of Kaiju No. 8, which has left some fans disappointed with the artwork that was released so far. The series will premiere sometime in 2024.
Source: Twitter, via Catsuka