The Boy Who Wants to Be a Kamen Rider and the Me Who Wanted to Be One — Thoughts on Episode 1 of the Anime 'Tanzaburo Higashijima Wants to Be a Kamen Rider'
Since I was a child, this protagonist has loved Kamen Rider.
I watched other hero shows a little, but Kamen Rider has always been special to me.
Standing alone against evil, fighting solely with a heart of justice. I have been moved many times by that lonely yet intense radiance.
Honestly, I had almost no interest in Sentai shows. But I can never forget the homeroom teacher I met in my sixth year of elementary school.
From the teacher who taught history passionately and sometimes strictly, I feel I naturally learned the importance of 'the attitude of immersing oneself in one thing without giving up until the end' and 'the courage to face even scary opponents bravely'.
Perhaps that teacher's figure overlapped significantly with Kamen Rider.
With those thoughts in my heart, I watched the first episode of 'Tanzaburo Higashijima Wants to Be a Kamen Rider'.
The protagonist, Tanzaburo, is a boy who seriously dreams of becoming a Kamen Rider.
Realistically speaking, Kamen Rider is just a fictional existence. It's impossible to put on a transformation belt and defeat monsters.
But that is exactly why I think you shouldn't give up. If you keep piling up the effort, one day that feeling might be rewarded in some form—that message came across strongly from the entire first episode.
I have had a similar experience myself. During my student days, there was a time when I pushed forward with the single-minded desire to 'sing K-POP in Korean'.
I would buy CDs of my favorite artists, write phonetic guides for all the lyrics, and practice over and over again.
At first, my pronunciation and rhythm were a mess, but before I knew it, I was able to sing almost perfectly in Korean.
That effort was recognized, and I was able to successfully earn all my university graduation credits.
I feel like I was living out the phrase 'never forget your beginner's spirit.' At the time, I spent quite a lot of money on Korean CDs and study materials, but looking back now, I have no regrets at all.
That time undoubtedly became my own treasure.
What really struck a chord with me in the first episode was this line from the protagonist.
'A kid who hasn't even entered society talking about taking the top at school, or having a one-on-one fight... what's this about war when you're being fed by your parents, getting pocket money, and having your bath and bed prepared for you? Isn't that too embarrassing?'
...That's too painful.
I felt like this was being said directly to me during my student days.
Back then, I often skipped school. I would sneak out of class, go to a card shop, and spend my days immersed in card battles.
At home, while having my parents cook my meals, give me pocket money, and prepare my bath and bedding, I felt like, 'My life is tough,' or 'I'm fighting my own battles.'
Thinking about it now, I am truly embarrassed and sorry. I sometimes remember it and my heart aches, wondering what kind of face I was showing my parents.
I wanted to throw these words from the protagonist at my younger self.
At the same time, I feel like I'm telling them to my current self, too. Asking, 'What does it really mean to become an adult?'
Episode 1 is just the prologue, but I think it firmly depicted the protagonist's pure and almost painfully earnest dream and his struggles.
Watching him try to face reality while still holding onto a child-like wish to become a Kamen Rider gave me a sense of being pushed forward myself. Kamen Rider doesn't exist in reality.
But, the feeling of 'wanting to be a Kamen Rider' is something that can be made real—that's what this first episode made me think about all over again.
I'm really looking forward to seeing how this anime unfolds from here.
I want to watch over Tanzaburo's challenges and growth as if they were my own. It's only the first episode, but it has definitely captured my heart.
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