After Kamen Rider Zeztz  kicked of Toei's plans of global expansion in full force, it's time to enter phase two as the Kamen Rider franchise celebrates its 55th anniversary. Kamen Rider My-Th , the eighth instalment in the current Reiwa era (and 41st main instalment overall), finds a new home on YouTube over at the Toei Tokusatsu World Official   channel, which for the last few years has hosted a selection of Kamen Rider series and movies as well as various other Toei tokusatsu and anime shows. The series is being written by none other than Naruhisa Arakawa , best known for his helping to bring Kamen Rider back to television screens with Kamen Rider Kuuga back in 2026. This first episode, entitled "The Mouse Meister and the Young Lady", was directed by Shojiro Nakazawa .

The Toei Tokusatsu Fan Club has been the home of various pieces of Kamen Rider , Super Sentai  and now Project R.E.D.  spin-off material for many years now, but with most of these taking the form as one-off episodes or limited mini-series few have seemed quite as expansive as Kamen Rider Zeztz: Series of Sister's Substory Agent Minami . Though its episodes may only be two to three minutes long, this companion piece to Kamen Rider Zeztz  ran for a whole 50 episodes - with a new episode releasing each week to accompany the main series. Shifting the focus onto Baku's sister Minami (played by Miki Yagi ), the series was written by Yusuki Naito (under the supervision of Zeztz head writer Yuya Takahashi ) and directed by Tomonobu Koshi .

It’s taken a long time to get here, but on the advent of its 55th anniversary the Kamen Rider franchise finally took its first steps to truly going worldwide. Whilst English-speaking audiences (primarily in the US) have been able to enjoy both streaming and Blu-Ray releases of older series for some time, it wasn’t until Kamen Rider Zeztz – the seventh main instalment in the Reiwa era and 36th overall, that Toei finally opened up a currently airing series to audiences outside of Japan and select Asian regions. The show was licensed by Shout Factory and simulcast with English subtitles via their TokuSHOUTsu YouTube channel in the US, Canada, UK, Australia and New Zealand, while TokuSato handled distribution in South America. Though sadly not the full worldwide release fans in other territories deserve, they are nonetheless hopefully the first crucial steps that will lead to something bigger with subsequent series. Yuya Takahashi ( Ex-Aid , Zero-One , Geats , Outsiders ) returns t...

It wasn't all that long ago tokusatsu fans were bidding a fond farewell to Super Sentai , and now the first instalment of its replacement has drawn to a close. Towards the end of 2025 Toei announced that taking the place of Super Sentai  would be Project R.E.D. (" Records of Extraordinary Dimensions ") - an ambitious new project primarily featuring red-coloured heroes as well as continuity between its instalments (which wouldn't follow a set pattern in the same way Super Sentai  did). Then in February 2026 Project R.E.D. officially launched with the premiere of Super Space Sheriff Gavan Infinity - a reboot and spiritual successor to Space Sheriff Gavan  (as well as the Space Sheriff trilogy and wider Metal Heroes  franchise), but also explicitly neither a continuation or relaunch of Metal Heroes. Written by Atsuhiro Tomioka ( Bakuage Sentai Boonboomger , as well as numerous anime credits) and directed by Hirofumi Fukuzawa (who has worked as action director on every S...

Space Sheriff Gavan  proved popular enough that not only was a sequel series put into production during its run, Gavan would also lead directly into said series with its protagonist appearing as a guest character beforehand. Thus episode 42 of Gavan introduced the audience to Den Iga , a forest patrolman who was fatally wounded and taken to Planet Bird for recovery. When he returned two episodes later to aid Gavan in his final battle against Makuu, he donned a red combat suit and was revealed as Earth's newest Space Sheriff following his predecessor's promotion. Space Sheriff Sharivan is both the second entry in the Space Sheriff trilogy  and wider Metal Heroes  franchise, running for a total of 51 episodes between 1983 and 1984. With the same creative team of Gavan behind it, Sharivan aimed to both continue and build upon the new style of superhero show its predecessor had created. 

The age of Super Sentai is over, and so begins the time of Project R.E.D. ! Overall details on Toei 's newest tokusatsu  franchise are still somewhat vague, but what we do currently know about Project R.E.D. (which is an acronym for Records of Extraordinary Dimension s ) is that while it will primarily feature red-coloured heroes (no surprise there), the shows themselves won't necessarily follow a specific pattern. It's first entry, Super Space Sheriff Gavan Infinity , is already a pretty good example of this. As the title suggests the series is a reboot of 1982's Space Sheriff Gavan , however it is not explicitly a continuation of the series (in the same way the 2012 movie was) nor is it a relaunch of the Metal Heroes franchise. So just what is Gavan Infinity , and why has a reboot of the iconic Space Sheriff been chosen to spearhead a whole new franchise? We'll just have to watch on to find out! 

50 years is one hell of a milestone to celebrate anyway, but when it comes to tokusatsu it's a particularly monumental achievement for Super Sentai . Ever since Himitsu Sentai Gorenger first began on April 5th 1975, the franchise has carried on almost non-stop all the way up until now - spawning 49 different mainline series, 50 different teams and hundreds of brightly coloured heroes. But it seems all good things really must come to an end, and after several years of experimentation amidst declining profitability it was decided that the 50th anniversary series would also be its last - at least for the time being anyway. And thus the longest consecutively running tokusatsu franchise bows out with No.1 Sentai Gozyuger , a series which aims to celebrate five decades of Super Sentai spirit in its own unique way. The series written by Akiko Inoue (daughter of tokusatsu legend Toshiki Inoue) in her debut as head writer, with Ryuta Tasaki (a veteran of Super Sentai , but most recently...

Over the past couple of years the Girls Remix series of Toei Tokusatsu Fan Club specials hasn't just been a brilliant way to bring back the heroines of the Kamen Rider franchise in one multi-series crossover. It's also been building towards something - particularly in its last two instalments Kamen Rider Majade with Girls Remix  and Girls Remix in Halloween Party . Now the story reaches its climactic conclusion (for the time being at least) in Kamen Rider Eins with Girls Remix , reuniting many of the cast members from across the previous specials once more alongside representatives from Kamen Rider 555  and Kamen Rider Fourze as well as a few other surprises along the way.

Given the fact that it will also soon be going on indefinite hiatus, one might think that Super Sentai had some extra special planned to celebrate its 50th anniversary. However instead it seems like business as usual for the franchise, with No.1 Sentai Gozyuger 's first movie outing the usual Summer release. But if there's one thing you can be certain with about the 50th Super Sentai team, it's that they'll celebrate things in their own unique way regardless. Released alongside Kamen Rider Gavv the Movie: Invaders of the House of Snacks ,  No.1 Sentai Gozyuger: Resurrection of Tega Sword  was written by series showrunner Akiko Inoue and directed by Ryuta Tasaki .

Although it seems like this may be it for Super Sentai (for some time at least) following the announcement of Project R.E.D. , there's no denying that the last few years have been a particularly interesting time for franchise. This period of experimentation yielded some rather unique shows, as well as arguably making Bakuage Sentai Boonboomger stand out all the more when it adopted a more "back to basics" approach. But what happens when they cross over with one of the most unique Super Sentai shows in terms of setting and format? Bakuage Sentai Boonboomger vs King-Ohger is 30th entry in the long-running series of VS films, written by Boonboomger head writer Atsuhiro Tomioka and directed by Hiroyuki Kato .

Parallel worlds are a staple of Kamen Rider movies. From the “completely unrelated to the main series” movies of the early Heisei era to the newer “main character from the series travels to an alternate world” take, it’s an effective way to tell raise the stakes and tell a self-contained story without being confined by the parameters of the main story. With the format working well for last year’s Kamen Rider Gotchard: The Future Daybreak , it isn’t all that surprising to see Kamen Rider Gavv ’s movie offering to do a similar thing – swapping the alternate timeline setting for a more straightforward parallel world. Kamen Rider Gavv the Movie: Invaders of the House of Snacks was written by Junko Komura , directed by Teruaki Sugihara and released in cinemas alongside No.1 Sentai Gozyuger: Resurrection of Tega Sword . It’s also notable for being the only Gavv movie release, with Fuuto PI: The Portrait of Kamen Rider Skull previously taking the spot of the usual Winter team-up film.

With Tsuburaya Productions having simulcast Ultraman on YouTube for several years now, Toei have been sorely lagging behind with their tokusatsu offerings. The US is being well-served by various releases of older series on blu-ray as well as a handful of shows on streaming, but when it comes to the newest shows fans have still had to resort to more clandestine means. Until 2025 that is, as Toei finally bring the latest Kamen Rider series to a (somewhat) worldwide audience with Kamen Rider Zeztz ! The seventh series to debut in the Reiwa era will have its episodes released on the TokuSHOUTsu YouTube channel with English subs, live-streaming on a continuous loop for the following five days. Franchise veteran Yuya Takahashi ( Ex-Aid , Zero-One , Geats ) returns once more to write the series, with Kazuya Kamihoriuchi directing this first episode - "Case 1: Start".

Of all the weird and wonderful bits of Kamen Rider merchandise out there, one piece that's easily considered the stuff of legend are the Kamen Rider Gummi . Ask anyone who's been following the franchise for the two decades, and they'll fondly recall the adverts of the child who can't get enough of them, crying out his catchphrase of "juicy!" With how much of a tradition they became over the years, it's amazing that it took until 2024 for an actual series to adopt them as its motif. While not strictly about the franchise's particular brand of gummies, sweets, confectionary and all things sugary take centre stage in Kamen Rider Gavv - the sixth main line Rider series of the Reiwa era and 35th overall. Junko Komura (best known for her work on Super Sentai series Zyuohger , Lupinranger vs Patranger and Zenkaiger ) led the series as its main writer, Teruaki Sugihara as main director, Hiroshi Butsuda as SFX director and Satoshi Fujita as Action Dir...

Once upon a time a big multi-series Super Sentai crossover could be considered a special occasion, but with the arrival of Toei Tokusatsu Fan Club it seems more like an everyday occurrence. Nevertheless it's always fun to see which franchise alumni come back for these streaming service specials, and  Bakuage Sentai Boonboomger Formation Lap: Settlers of the Galaxy offers quite the cast list. As well as serving as a prequel to Bun Violet and Byun Diesel 's arrival in Bakuage Sentai Boonboomger , the one-off special also features returning cast members from Ohsama Sentai King-Ohger , Avataro Sentai Donbrothers , Kikai Sentai Zenkaiger , Uchu Sentai Kyuranger AND Engine Sentai Go-Onger . Just another day in this wild and wonderful multiverse we call Super Sentai .

The announcement of a Fuuto PI anime series felt like a huge moment for the Kamen Rider franchise, particularly as its worldwide simulcast would allow the series to have a far wider reach than any others had previously. But although the sequel to 2009's Kamen Rider W certainly delivered in terms of story and spectacle, the 12-episode series barely scratched the surface of the manga it was adapted from. However despite a few years of silence it seems the story of the half-and-half detectives isn't quite over yet, as return once more in Fuuto PI: The Portrait of Kamen Rider Skull . Adapting the "Portrait of S" arc from the manga, the feature film looks back at the origins of Kamen Rider Double as well as Shotaro's mentor Sokichi Narumi . Once again animated by Studio Kai , the film also serves as the 2024 "Winter movie" for the franchise - unexpectedly taking the place of a Gavv and Gotchard crossover.

Kamen Rider Gotchard is a series that certainly isn’t short of backstory. Between the creation of the Chemies, Glion’s relationship with Fuga Kudo and experiments with dark alchemy as well as the formation and students of the Alchemy Academy, it has plenty of potential for spin-off material for long after the series has come to an end. But a good place to start is with fan favourite characters, and when they’re also villains you’ve got the perfect recipe for a Toei Tokusatsu Fan Club special. The Dark Revelation: Lachesis is an exploration into the origins of the youngest of the Three Dark Sisters , receiving a limited theatrical release in Japan before arriving on the streaming platform at the beginning of April 2025.

After a successful collaboration with Mechanical Violator Hakaider in 1995, SEGA Enterprises looked to work with Toei once more on a second tokusatsu project. Though the initial plan was to produce a Hakaider TV series, it was soon decided that the project instead would be a wholly original one-off superhero series - Toei's first since Kyodai Ken Byclosser back in 1985. Producer Susamu Yoshikawa and effects company Rainbow Zokei Planning , looking to work with new costume materials, put forth the idea of a transparent hero, and Yasushi Shinohara was brought on as character designer. With a team that included main director Takao Nagaishi (a regular on Super Sentai between Changeman and GoGoFive ), action director  Kazuo Sagawa and writer Toshiki Inoue (at the time best known among tokusatsu fans for his work on Chojin Sentai Jetman as well as various other Super Sentai series), the result was Choukou Senshi Changéríon (" Super Light Warrior Changéríon " or simply "...

Dragon Ball DAIMA is available to stream on Crunchyroll and Netflix On March 1st 2024 the world was shook by the passing of Akira Toriyama , a manga legend best known for the  Dragon Ball series and Dr. Slump but also as an iconic character designer who worked on video games such as the Dragon Quest series, Chrono Trigger , and Blue Dragon . His death came just months away from the release of Dragon Ball DAIMA - a brand new instalment in the franchise that was written by Toriyama himself. It's a much sadder world without him, but this is one final gift from the man himself. Unlike previous Dragon Ball series, DAIMA  tells a single story rather than multiple arcs, and at a mere 20 episodes is the shortest by some margin. The series ran from October 11th 2024 to February 28th 2025 - rather fittingly concluding the day before the first anniversary of Toriyama's passing.

Although both Kamen Rider and Ultraman may have celebrated their 50th anniversaries a few years ago, in terms of overall achievement neither are quite as impressive as Super Sentai finally reaching that milestone. Of the three, it is the only franchise to have run consistently without any significant breaks since the premiere of Himitsu Sentai Gorenger on April 5th 1975. While previously Super Sentai has celebrated its anniversaries by series number rather than year ( Gorenger 's run having spanned across two years), 2025 will now see that change. Despite being the 49th instalment in the franchise, No.1 Sentai Gozyuger slots in rather nicely as the 50th Super Sentai team thanks to the two-team gimmick of Lupinranger vs Patranger . The series is written by Akiko Inoue (daughter of tokusatsu legend Toshiki Inoue ) in her Sentai debut, with veteran Ryuta Tasaki on board as the main director.

As it rapidly approaches its 50th anniversary, the Super Sentai franchise has gotten a little more experimental in recent years. However both its longevity and success can at least be partly attributed to that instantly recognisable Sentai formula, and after the grandiose narrative of the VFX-laden Ohsama Sentai King-Ohger something a little more familiar definitely feels appropriate. Once more returning to the ever-popular car/vehicle theme, Bakuage Sentai Boonboomger is the 48th entry in the franchise - the team name being a play on the Japanese onomatopoeia " bunbun ", the sound an engine makes when revving. Making his Super Sentai debut is screenwriter Atsuhiro Tomioka , who served as head writer on the series alongside Shojiro Nakazawa , Jun Watanabe and Hiroshi Butsuda as director, action director and SFX director respectively.