Writer and director Hideaki Anno – the visionary behind cult anime hit Neon Genesis Evangelion – grew up watching tokusatsu: Japanese live-action films and TV shows that lean heavily on practical special effects.
One of his idols was Kamen Rider, the protagonist of the 1971 series of the same name, a genetically augmented man-grasshopper, riding around and fighting evil on the back of a souped-up motorcycle.
