Season Analysis

Kamen Rider

Season 26 Analysis

Season Woke Score

1.4

out of 10

Season Overview

Takeru Tenkuuji was murdered by evil Ganma. He has to collect fifteen Eyecons to bring himself back to life. With learning the souls of heroes inside of Eyecons, he saves the people around.

Season Review

Season 26 of Kamen Rider, *Kamen Rider Ghost*, is a Japanese tokusatsu series centered on the themes of life, death, and the power of the human soul. The narrative revolves around the protagonist, Takeru Tenkuuji, a young man raised at a Buddhist temple who must gather the Eyecons (souls) of famous historical figures to permanently revive himself. The series pits the hero's spiritual, life-affirming worldview against a technologically-advanced, emotionless enemy (the Ganma) obsessed with immortality and logic. The story is structurally traditional, focusing on character-driven arcs and universal concepts like the value of living a full life and the power of human connection. The ideological framework is conservative in a classical sense, prioritizing tradition (the temple), spirituality (Buddhism/historical legacy), and the inherent, non-material value of the human condition over pure technology or identity-based grievances. Woke content is nearly absent, as the primary conflict is existential/spiritual, not socio-political.

Categorical Breakdown

Identity Politics1/10

The premise centers on the protagonist earning the power of historical figures like Musashi, Newton, and Edison, emphasizing merit and the content of the soul over immutable characteristics. The setting is Japan with an almost entirely Japanese cast, and the few historical figures from the West are included purely as sources of heroic power, not as subjects for 'race-swapping' or vilification. Character worth is judged by their heroic legacy and spirit.

Oikophobia1/10

The main hero's base of operations is the Daitenkū-ji, a Buddhist temple where he was raised, which is presented as a spiritual and familial home, a source of guidance, and a shield against chaos. The villains (Ganma) are a race that abandoned the human world for a technologically-advanced but sterile 'Gamma World,' which actively despises the human world for its emotions and physical bodies. The narrative champions the traditional human world against the Ganma's cold, emotionless, and anti-life philosophy, which is the opposite of civilizational self-hatred.

Feminism3/10

The core female characters serve in vital supportive roles rather than as primary fighters. Akari Tsukimura is highly intelligent and competent as a scientist, providing a necessary 'logic and science' counterpoint to the monk Onari's 'faith and spiritual' perspective. While capable, the focus is not on turning her into a 'Girl Boss' or a perfect fighter (the single instance of a secondary female character briefly transforming into a Rider is noted to be ineffectual). The male characters are competent, flawed, and protective, maintaining a traditional, complementary gender dynamic.

LGBTQ+1/10

The season contains no overt LGBTQ+ themes, explicit relationships, or narrative focus on alternative sexualities. The plot does not use the series to deconstruct the nuclear family or lecture on gender ideology. It maintains a normative structure where sexuality is entirely private and not a factor in the central conflict, which revolves around life, death, and the soul.

Anti-Theism1/10

The story is fundamentally spiritual, with the hero's home being a Buddhist temple and his mentor being a devout Buddhist monk. The main character's arc mirrors the Buddhist Journey to Enlightenment, and the power system is based on the souls of transcendent, virtuous historical figures. The morality is objective: human life and emotion are inherently valuable, and the villains' attempt to achieve artificial immortality through pure logic and science is the root of evil. This heavily favors faith and transcendent morality.