Anime Tojima Tanzaburo Wants to Be a Masked Rider (Tojima Tanzaburo wa Kamen Raida ni Naritai) revealed the first teaser trailer, key visuals, staff, and main voice cast. This information was announced at the AnimeJapan 2025 event.
The Story of a Childhood Dream that Never Goes Away
Tojima Tanzaburo Wants to Be a Masked Rider tells the story of Tanzaburo Tojima, a 40-year-old man who is still holding on to his dream of becoming a Kamen Rider.
Just as her hopes were beginning to fade, she became involved in a major crime committed by a mysterious group called Fake Shocker. This situation takes Tanzaburo on an unexpected new journey, bringing him closer to his old dreams amidst real crises and threats.
Production Team
Key staff involved in production Tojima Tanzaburo Wants to Be a Masked Rider has been announced, consisting of:
- Director: Takahiro Ikezoe
- Series Composition: Machida Store
- Character Design: Cindy H. Yamauchi
- Music: TeddyLoid
- Animation Production: LIDEN FILMS
Studio LIDEN FILMS is known for titles such as Tokyo Revengers and Call of the Night. With this lineup of creators, the anime is expected to come with a dynamic visual style and an emotional story tone.
A new main visual was also shown during the AnimeJapan 2025 stage session as part of the trailer and staff announcements.
From Seinen Manga to Anime
The anime is adapted from a manga by Yokusaru Shibata, produced in collaboration with Toei and Ishimori Productions. The manga was first published in May 2018 in the magazine Monthly Hero's courtesy of Hero's Inc.
After the magazine ceased publication in October 2020, the manga serialization continued online through the website Comiplex starting November 2020.
The first visual teaser featuring the main character was also released earlier as part of the anime's initial announcement.
Why this anime is worth watching
One of the interesting things about Tojima Tanzaburo Wants to Be a Masked Rider is how this anime presents an unusual protagonist. Instead of featuring a teenage character, the series highlights the struggles of an adult man who still maintains his childhood ideals. The story touches on the emotional side of adult life that often has to compromise with reality.
Another aspect that stands out is the seiyuu selection. Tanzaburo Tojima will be voiced by Katsuyuki Konishi. He is known for voicing some iconic characters such as Kamina from Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, Tengen Uzui of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, and Laxus Dreyar from Fairy Tail.
To celebrate his official announcement as the main voice actor, Konishi appeared in special interview session which was released alongside the first trailer. The interview was delivered entirely in Japanese and is unfortunately not yet available with subtitles. Even so, Konishi's presence in the session suggests that the role of Tanzaburo has strong emotional weight and will be a major focus in this adaptation.
Tojima Tanzaburo Wants to Be a Masked Rider is an anime adaptation that blends the spirit of classic tokusatsu with the drama of adult life. With an experienced staff and quality voice actors, this anime is something you should look forward to this year.
Source: Tojima Tanzaburo Wants to Be a Masked Rider Official Website
