Since 1971, Shotaro Ishinmori’s Kamen Rider franchise has been one of the most popular icons of both Japanese culture and the entire tokusatsu genre. Of the many shows that bare the franchise’s name, it’s 1987’s Kamen Rider Black that shook things up. With the franchise now 50 years old, and other Rider stuff in the works to celebrate the occasion, it’s the perfect time to revisit that important series in the form of a reboot.
Announced last year, Black Sun is intended to follow in the suit of the 2016 webseries, Kamen Rider Amazons. That series was more geared toward older fans rather than the family friendly vibe previous series have had, with more violence, and the like. The first teaser released for Black Sun gives an idea of what a more mature Rider series in 2022 will look like as it focuses on the show’s titular Black Sun Rider, Kohtaro Minami (Hidetoshi Nishijima). He walks through the streets of Japan, as protests rage on behind him, looking like he’s merely going through the motions of life instead of being an active person in the world. Very briefly, we also get a look at his Rider suit, and Nobuhiko Akizuki (Tomoya Nakamura), the man who will become the Black Moon Rider.
The original Kamen Rider Black was a big deal when it first dropped in 1987. Not only was it the first show to not be tied to those that came before it, it was also the first show receive a direct sequel in the form of 1988’s Black: RX. Both shows marked the end of Kamen Rider’s Showa Era, and the series would live on via films, stage plays, and music CDs throughout the 90s. It wasn’t until the beginning of the Heisei Era that the franchise returned to television with Kamen Rider Kuuga in January 2000.
Look for Kamen Rider Black Sun to hit Amazon Prime Video as a limited series this fall. Peep the first poster in full down below, which shows our two Riders and a glimpse of their insect-themed suits.
