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Why Kamen Rider’s Repetitive Formula Is Actually Its Greatest Strength: A 15-Year Fan Analysis
After 50 years and multiple generations of heroes, the Kamen Rider franchise continues to follow the same core narrative pattern—and fans love it for exactly that reason. A deep dive into why “Kamen Rider is always like this…!” has become a badge of honor rather than a criticism, examining Saber, Ex-Aid, and 555 as case studies in how repetition and innovation coexist.
What Happened
Across social media platforms including Twitter, YouTube, and 5channel, fans of the Kamen Rider franchise frequently post the phrase “Kamen Rider is always like this…!” (仮面ライダーっていつもそうですね…！) when new series premiere or iconic scenes air. What appears on the surface to be criticism is actually an affectionate acknowledgment of the franchise’s unwavering commitment to its foundational storytelling structure. This phenomenon reveals how a 50-year-old series maintains relevance by balancing consistency with innovation within a proven framework.
Why It Matters
The Kamen Rider franchise represents a unique approach to long-form serialized storytelling in Japanese media. Unlike many modern entertainment properties that prioritize novelty and constant reinvention, Kamen Rider demonstrates that audiences value reliability and mastery within established constraints. Understanding this dynamic offers insights into why certain franchises achieve longevity while others fade, and how creative teams can innovate without abandoning core identity. For viewers and creators alike, this model challenges the assumption that “new” always equals “better.”
Background
The Kamen Rider franchise debuted in 1971 with the original series and has continued uninterrupted for over five decades. The basic narrative structure has remained remarkably consistent: an ordinary person encounters a threat, gains transformation powers, and uses those powers to confront enemies while undergoing personal growth. This formula has been applied across dozens of series, each adding thematic variations while preserving the core structure.
The three series examined in this analysis represent different eras and approaches: Kamen Rider 555 (2004-2005) introduced darkness and moral ambiguity to the formula; Kamen Rider Ex-Aid (2016-2017) reframed the narrative through gaming metaphors; and Kamen Rider Saber (2020-2021) explicitly centered storytelling itself as the thematic core. Despite their distinct identities, all three follow the same fundamental pattern that has defined the franchise since its inception.
Key Points
- The Kamen Rider formula consists of five consistent steps: protagonist lives as ordinary person, threat emerges, protagonist gains transformation power, protagonist battles enemies, protagonist grows through conflict—a structure unchanged since 1971
- Kamen Rider 555 challenged the “hero” archetype by making the protagonist partially monstrous, questioning the basic structure while maintaining it
- Kamen Rider Ex-Aid used gaming language and mechanics as a metaphorical framework, allowing viewers to recognize the familiar pattern through new terminology
- Kamen Rider Saber made narrative structure itself the explicit theme, with episodes referencing classic stories like Alice in Wonderland and Momotaro
- Fan responses using “Kamen Rider is always like this…!” express affection and recognition rather than dismissal, indicating mature fandom that appreciates consistency
- The franchise’s longevity stems from maintaining a reliable “type” or “form” (型) similar to traditional Japanese performance arts, within which innovation occurs
Timeline
- 1971: Original Kamen Rider establishes the foundational narrative formula
- 2004-2005: Kamen Rider 555 reexamines the formula through darkness and moral complexity
- 2016-2017: Kamen Rider Ex-Aid reframes the formula using gaming metaphors and mechanics
- 2020-2021: Kamen Rider Saber makes narrative and storytelling the explicit thematic center
- Present: Fan discourse increasingly uses “Kamen Rider is always like this…!” as affectionate recognition of the formula’s consistency
Perspectives
The Consistency Argument: Supporters of the Kamen Rider approach argue that maintaining a reliable narrative structure creates a foundation of trust with audiences. This allows viewers to focus on thematic variations and character-specific interpretations rather than struggling with fundamentally different storytelling frameworks. The formula functions as a “type” in the tradition of Japanese classical arts like Kabuki and Noh, where mastery comes from working within established constraints.
The Innovation Argument: Each series demonstrates that the basic formula accommodates substantial creative variation. Kamen Rider 555’s exploration of existential dread, Ex-Aid’s gaming framework, and Saber’s literary references show that the structure is flexible enough to support diverse thematic content. Innovation occurs not through abandoning the formula but through deepening it.
The Comparative Perspective: When compared to similar long-running franchises, Kamen Rider’s approach differs notably. Super Sentai emphasizes teamwork and ensemble dynamics, while Ultraman focuses on external intervention from alien heroes. Kamen Rider uniquely centers on internal transformation and personal struggle, positioning change as something the protagonist achieves rather than receives. This distinction may explain why the formula resonates across generations.
Insights
The phrase “Kamen Rider is always like this…!” functions as a sophisticated expression of fandom that simultaneously acknowledges pattern recognition and celebrates consistency. Rather than indicating fatigue or dismissal, it represents mature audience engagement—viewers understand the underlying structure so thoroughly that they can appreciate subtle variations and thematic innovations within it.
The franchise’s 50-year success challenges contemporary entertainment industry assumptions that novelty and constant reinvention are prerequisites for longevity. Instead, Kamen Rider demonstrates that audiences value reliability paired with thoughtful innovation. By maintaining the core narrative structure while varying thematic content, the franchise creates a paradox: it remains perpetually familiar yet perpetually fresh.
The comparison to traditional Japanese performance arts proves instructive. Just as Kabuki actors spend careers mastering established “types” while bringing individual interpretation to their roles, Kamen Rider creators work within a proven structure while adding distinctive thematic layers. This approach produces depth through constraint rather than depth through novelty—a philosophy increasingly rare in contemporary media.
For new viewers, the advice is straightforward: recognize the basic pattern, then observe how each series reimagines it. Kamen Rider 555 inverts the hero archetype through darkness; Ex-Aid translates struggle into gaming language; Saber makes the act of storytelling itself the subject. The formula persists, but the variations compound into a rich, 50-year dialogue about transformation, identity, and human resilience.
The franchise’s cultural significance extends beyond entertainment. It represents a distinctly Japanese approach to serialized narrative—one that values tradition, mastery within constraints, and incremental innovation over revolutionary reinvention. In an era of franchise fatigue and audience skepticism toward sequels and reboots, Kamen Rider’s model offers an alternative: consistency as strength, and repetition as the foundation for genuine creative depth.
