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In this YouTube livestream, Nathan is joined by Ryan “The Omni Viewer” Collins (and Ryan’s sidekick, Snazzy Chapeau) to discuss the latest Ultra series, Ultraman Blazar. The show is so different from the rest of New Generation Heroes that it could arguably mark the start of a new era for the franchise. The “toyetic” elements are kept to a minimum; the tone is darker; and it bucks some of the typical Ultra tropes. These subjects and more are unpacked in this special crossover episode of Henshin Men!

In the final film/TV episode of this iteration of Henshin Men, Nathan invites YouTuber Soundout12 on to discuss the first (and only) official crossover between Japan’s biggest superheroes: Ultraman vs. Kamen Rider. This 1993 special, which is 80 minutes of retrospective documentary and ten minutes of glorious tokusatsu, has Shin Hayata and Takeshi Hongo joining forces to stop a combined kaijin/kaiju monster. It’s the one and only time the mad genius Keita Amemiya ever directed Ultraman (so far as we know). Yes, this breaks the podcast’s “legally available in the U.S.” rule, but can you blame us? See you next time for some Henshin Men V3 HYPE!

“Sixty-nine, dudes!” And now that the obvious joke is out of the way: Christopher Riner returns as a second-time guest because Jake Hambrick was busy with family (good for him!). But Mr. Riner can’t help but ask, “Why me?” The film he discusses with Nathan, Kamen Rider: The Next, is a secret J-horror movie complete with a Sadako knockoff. (Making it accidentally perfect for Halloween season). To say it’s a far cry from its predecessor, Masked Rider: The First, would be an understatement. It’s dour, convoluted, and confusing. But it does do one thing better than The First. What’s that? Let’s just say it made Chris think Koichi Sakamoto was involved with this movie. Listen to hear this and more in the latest Henshin Men!

Henshin Men goes from a reimagining of the original Kamen Rider (1971) to a reimagining of Kamen Rider Black and now back to what Nathan says is the superior reimagining of the 1971 series and manga: Masked Rider: The First (2005). He’s joined by aspiring podcaster Jake Hambrick to dive into this unique Japanese superhero film. It borrows more from Shotaro Ishinomori’s manga than the TV series, so it lacks tropes like the iconic henshin pose, and has an almost Sam Raimi Spider-Man flare to it. What truly makes it stand out, though, is its theme: the power of beauty. Throw in some great practical effects and solid fight scenes, and you have a winner in the remake debate.

Last fall, Nathan guest hosted on Tomi Trembath’s podcast, Giant-Sized Violence, as part of a crossover discussing Kamen Rider Black and its new remake, Kamen Rider Black Sun. Sadly, plans to discuss episodes 4-10 of Black Sun with Tomi fell through, so Nathan invited Christopher Riner, a hardcore listener of all his podcasts, to join him to suffer through, er, complete the coverage. This is by far the most violent and political tokusatsu Nathan has ever seen, and he’s not sure the Japanese filmmakers fully understood the cultural weight of the controversies they borrowed from American politics. It doesn’t help that the show has the subtlety of a sledgehammer with its themes and social commentary. But is it a worthy remake of a henshin hero classic? Chris and Nate don’t think so. Listen to find out why!

From TV to comics…or is it the other way around? That’s one question discussed by Nathan and his guest, Tomi Trembath the host of Giant-Sized Violence, as Henshin Men pivots to the Kamen Rider manga by the legendary Shotaro Ishinomori. This comic was created in tandem with the 1971 television series and published shortly before it premiered. However, the manga diverges drastically at points despite following a similar story. (Hongo becomes a brain in an android body?!) It would become a key influence and inspiration for other retellings of the original Kamen Rider story, such as Masked Rider: The First and Shin Kamen Rider (check out the previous episode for more on the latter). Marvel at Nathan and Tomi covering this 900-page tome in less than two hours! Enjoy!

Henshin Men returns! How could we not when a big-budget Kamen Rider movie was released in the United States? Nathan is joined by his cast-mate from Scyther Inc.’s audiodramas, Shane Cochran, who runs his own show called Masked Rider: The Audiodrama (and yes, it’s based on that “Masked Rider”). They both had the privilege of seeing Hideaki Anno’s Shin Kamen Rider in theaters during its recent Fathom Event screening. The film is full of style and thematic meat, but does the story live up to Anno’s usual standards? This question and more is answered by Shane and Nathan—with special guest appearances by past co-hosts Travis Alexander and Drew Dodgen! Enjoy our longest episode yet!

Nathan Marchand gives you a crash course on the tokusatsu medium! This was recorded at JAFAX (Japanese Animation, Film, and Art Expo) June 9-11, 2023. This is also premiering on The Monster Island Film Vault YouTube channel, and the audio will be shared on the MIFV podcast feed.

Take a crash course in henshin heroes with Nathan Marchand! This panel was recored at JAFAX (Japanese Film, Animation, and Art eXpo) June 10, 2023.

Greetings, Heroes of the Internet! In this excerpt from a Patreon-exclusive livestream for MIFV MAX members, Nathan shares many stories from his weekend tabling at All Monsters Attack 2. He represented Kaiju Ramen Media and promoted MIFV, Henshin Men, and The Power Trip along with several content creator friends, including Travis A;exander, Michael Hamilton, and Elijah Thomas. You'll hear everything from his pre-con Viennese waltz to meeting a Power Ranger and two Ultramen!

After a year-and-a-half of podcasting and numerous obstacles, Travis returns once again so he and Nathan can conclude their coverage of Kamen Rider (1971) on the day Hideaki Anno’s Shin Kamen Rider is released in Japan. Suspense and revelations abound! Double Rider action! Emotional farewells! It has everything—including the true identity of the Shocker Leader…who would give Lovecraft a nightmare. After analyzing the finale, your hosts reflect back on the entire series and the Henshin Men podcast, discussing their favorite episodes and moments of both. Did they have the same ones as you? Listen to find out!

In Drew’s final episode as temporary co-host, he and Nathan discuss the last filler episode of Kamen Rider (1971)—which has crazy-face Cactusbat—and part one of the two-part finale. If Nathan knew it’d be a two-parter, he might’ve reconsidered having Drew on because the cliffhanger is intense. But the villains brilliantly decide to interrupt Hongo’s henshin! Regardless, strap in for lots of nutty fan theories and a long discussion of how Cactusbat is the one (Gel-)Shocker kaijin to destroy himself with irony. Welcome to the penultimate episode of our Kamen Rider coverage! Next time, Travis returns…again!