Hideaki Anno’s last few film projects, whether it was for the Neon Genesis Evangelion Rebuild movies or his collaborations with Shinji Higuchi on Shin Godzilla and Shin Ultraman, have had marketing campaigns defined by mystery. Shin Kamen Rider looks no different, as we’ve got no idea as to what to expect — other than it looks great.
The latest trailer for Shin Kamen Rider just dropped and there’s not a word of dialogue to be found in it, but it’s big on vibes. There are lots of compelling shots of our heroes, the two Kamen Riders No.1 (Takeshi Hongo, played by The Last Samurai’s Sosuke Ikematsu) and No.2 (Hayato Ichimonji, played by Tasuku Emoto), as well as their ally Ruriko Midorikawa. And, of course, there are teases of the villainous organisation Shocker and their monstrous agents which the cybernetic Kamen Riders will fight.
And… that’s about it. It does look very good though, and Anno — who is directing solo here, unlike the prior Shin movies — clearly has a lot of arresting visuals in his movie. But it would be nice to get even a little idea of how it all comes together. Especially as, outside of Japan, we’ve probably got a very long time waiting for this to come over, if Shin Godzilla and Shin Ultraman are any indications. Meanwhile, in Japan, it hits theatres in four days, on March 18. Lucky them!