Henshin Men

All good things must come to an end, and today that is Henshin Men (and to a lesser extent, The Power Trip). Nathan’s friends/fans/past guests Christopher Riner and Jake Hambrick return to discuss their favorite episodes and moments from both podcasts—for three minutes! Why’s that? Well, the end is not the end, Heroes of the Internet and Listeners with Attitude! This is all being done because both podcasts will do a fusion dance to merge into a new show—Henshin Power V3! Time to get the Hype Train Zord rolling! Listen for more details! Also, listen for a special postcredit scene! This episode was edited by Christopher Riner with Nathan Marchand. Sound effects sourced from Freesound.org, including those by InspectorJ. Follow Henshin Men on Twitter: @HenshinMenPod. Join the official Facebook fan page for this and The Monster Island Film Vault, The Markalite Lounge. Listen to Nathan’s other podcasts, The Monster Island Film Vault and The Power Trip. MUSIC: -“Not Your Above-Average Joe [Standing Ovation]” by Ivan Hakštok Power Trip Credits Our theme song was created by J.P. Gant (follow him on Twitter: @HomebrewedSD). We also used “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always (Epic Trailer Version)” by Alala (L'Orchestra Cinématique). All film and audio clips belong to their respective copyright holders, and no infringement is intended or implied. The Power Trip has no association with Toei Company, Ltd., Saban Entertainment, or Hasbro. Please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and/or Podchaser to spread the word about the show.

In this excerpt from a Patreon-exclusive livestream for his other podcast, The Monster Island Film Vault, Nathan interviews James Santana, a comic nerd and tokusatsu fan who combined his passions by starting his own comic book label, TokUSA Studios. His goal is to bridge the gap between tokusatsu/manga fans and comic readers by offering them books inspired by the likes of Super Sentai and Ultraman, among others. He's currently spearheading a Kickstarter for The World of Nebulon, a preview book showcasing several of the characters and titles in the works at the studio. Support his project here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1935627238/world-of-nebulon-preview-book?ref=discovery. Join MIFV MAX on Patreon to see the full video version: https://tinyurl.com/MIFV-MAX-30-Patreon. Follow Henshin Men on Twitter: @HenshinMenPod. Join the official Facebook fan page for this and The Monster Island Film Vault, The Markalite Lounge. Listen to Nathan’s other podcasts, The Monster Island Film Vault and The Power Trip. MUSIC: -“Not Your Above-Average Joe [Standing Ovation]” by Ivan Hakštok

This Preview Book will allow you to take a look into, "The Nebuverse," a world of Tokusatsu heroes & villains. Behind the scenes, Hunter van Lierop & James Santana have been working with their amazing team of Gaspar Flores & CJ Billotto to create a universe inspired by some of their favorite franchises and genres. Go to Kickstarter to support this new indie comic from TokUSA!

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! The video version of the stream can be viewed on the Monster Island Film Vault YouTube channel and Omni Viewer’s YouTube channel. Follow Henshin Men on Twitter: @HenshinMenPod. Join the official Facebook fan page for this and The Monster Island Film Vault, The Markalite Lounge. Listen to Nathan’s other podcasts, The Monster Island Film Vault and The Power Trip. MUSIC: -“Not Your Above-Average Joe [Standing Ovation]” by Ivan Hakštok

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! Follow Soundout12 on YouTube, Twitter/X, and Instagram. This episode was edited by Christopher Riner with Nathan Marchand. Follow Henshin Men on Twitter: @HenshinMenPod. Join the official Facebook fan page for this and The Monster Island Film Vault, The Markalite Lounge. Listen to Nathan’s other podcasts, The Monster Island Film Vault and The Power Trip. Henshin Men is a proud member of the Kaiju Ramen Podcast Network. MUSIC: -“ Tatakau Tame ni Umareta Senshi” by Hironobu Kageyama -“Not Your Above-Average Joe [Standing Ovation]” by Ivan Hakštok

“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! This episode was edited by Christopher Riner with Nathan Marchand. Follow Henshin Men on Twitter: @HenshinMenPod. Join the official Facebook fan page for this and The Monster Island Film Vault, The Markalite Lounge. Listen to Nathan’s other podcasts, The Monster Island Film Vault and The Power Trip. Henshin Men is a proud member of the Kaiju Ramen Podcast Network. MUSIC: -“Fight!! Kamen Rider V3” by Sheja -“Not Your Above-Average Joe [Standing Ovation]” by Ivan Hakštok

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 flair 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. This episode was edited by Christopher Riner with Nathan Marchand. Follow Henshin Men on Twitter: @HenshinMenPod. Join the official Facebook fan page for this and The Monster Island Film Vault, The Markalite Lounge. Listen to Travis’s main podcast, Kaiju Weekly, and Nathan’s podcasts, The Monster Island Film Vault and The Power Trip. Henshin Men is a proud member of the Kaiju Ramen Podcast Network. MUSIC: -“Kamen Rider - Let's Go!! Rider Kick (Cover)” by Eternal Melee -“Not Your Above-Average Joe [Standing Ovation]” by Ivan Hakštok

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! Listen to coverage of episodes 1-3 on Giant-Sized Violence (Apple) (Spotify). This episode was edited by Christopher Riner with Nathan Marchand. Follow Henshin Men on Twitter: @HenshinMenPod. Join the official Facebook fan page for this and The Monster Island Film Vault, The Markalite Lounge. Listen to Travis’s main podcast, Kaiju Weekly, and Nathan’s podcasts, The Monster Island Film Vault and The Power Trip. Henshin Men is a proud member of the Kaiju Ramen Podcast Network. MUSIC: -“Kamen Rider Black Sun OST” (Orchestra Rearranged by Fancheizhar) -“Not Your Above-Average Joe [Standing Ovation]” by Ivan Hakštok

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! Follow Henshin Men on Twitter: @HenshinMenPod. Join the official Facebook fan page for this and The Monster Island Film Vault, The Markalite Lounge. Listen to Travis’s main podcast, Kaiju Weekly, and Nathan’s podcasts, The Monster Island Film Vault and The Power Trip. Henshin Men is a proud member of the Kaiju Ramen Podcast Network. MUSIC: -“Kamen Rider - Let's Go!! Rider Kick (Cover)” by Eternal Melee -“Not Your Above-Average Joe [Standing Ovation]” by Ivan Hakštok

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! Follow Henshin Men on Twitter: @HenshinMenPod. Join the official Facebook fan page for this and The Monster Island Film Vault, The Markalite Lounge. Listen to Travis’s main podcast, Kaiju Weekly, and Nathan’s podcasts, The Monster Island Film Vault and The Power Trip. Henshin Men is a proud member of the Kaiju Ramen Podcast Network. MUSIC: -“Kamen Rider - Let's Go!! Rider Kick (Cover)” by Eternal Melee -“Not Your Above-Average Joe [Standing Ovation]” by Ivan Hakštok

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. Watch the video version here: https://youtu.be/zvh09FrXqLM. Follow Henshin Men on Twitter: @HenshinMenPod. Join the official Facebook fan page for this and The Monster Island Film Vault, The Markalite Lounge. Listen to Travis’s main podcast, Kaiju Weekly, and Nathan’s podcasts, The Monster Island Film Vault and The Power Trip. Henshin Men is a proud member of the Kaiju Ramen Podcast Network.

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. Check out more from Nathan about henshin heroes on The Power Trip, which is also a proud member of the Kaiju Ramen Podcast Network. Check out www.KaijuRamenMedia.com. Watch the video version here: https://www.youtube.com/live/Da9lKSpiZWw?feature=share. Follow Henshin Men on Twitter: @HenshinMenPod. Join the official Facebook fan page for this and The Monster Island Film Vault, The Markalite Lounge. Listen to Travis’s main podcast, Kaiju Weekly, and Nathan’s podcasts, The Monster Island Film Vault and The Power Trip. Henshin Men is a proud member of the Kaiju Ramen Podcast Network.

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! Join MIFV MAX on Patreon to watch/hear the full livestream! Follow Henshin Men on Twitter: @HenshinMenPod. Join the official Facebook fan page for this and The Monster Island Film Vault, The Markalite Lounge. Listen to Travis’s main podcast, Kaiju Weekly, and Nathan’s podcasts, The Monster Island Film Vault and The Power Trip. Henshin Men is a proud member of the Kaiju Ramen Podcast Network. MUSIC: -“Kamen Rider - Let's Go!! Rider Kick (Cover)” by Eternal Melee -“Not Your Above-Average Joe [Standing Ovation]” by Ivan Hakštok

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! Henshin Men will return…in V3…. This episode was edited by Christopher Riner and Nathan Marchand. Follow Henshin Men on Twitter: @HenshinMenPod. Join the official Facebook fan page for this and The Monster Island Film Vault, The Markalite Lounge. Listen to Travis’s main podcast, Kaiju Weekly, and Nathan’s podcasts, The Monster Island Film Vault and The Power Trip. Henshin Men is a proud member of the Kaiju Ramen Podcast Network. MUSIC: -“Kamen Rider - Let's Go!! Rider Kick (Cover)” by Eternal Melee -“Not Your Above-Average Joe [Standing Ovation]” by Ivan Hakštok

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! This episode was edited by Christopher Riner and Nathan Marchand. Follow Henshin Men on Twitter: @HenshinMenPod. Join the official Facebook fan page for this and The Monster Island Film Vault, The Markalite Lounge. Listen to Travis’s main podcast, Kaiju Weekly, and Nathan’s podcasts, The Monster Island Film Vault and The Power Trip. Henshin Men is a proud member of the Kaiju Ramen Podcast Network. MUSIC: -“Kamen Rider - Let's Go!! Rider Kick (Cover)” by Eternal Melee -“Not Your Above-Average Joe [Standing Ovation]” by Ivan Hakštok

THE SAGA CONCLUDES—and is interrupted by filler! Nathan and Drew were having such a great time with Kamen Rider (1971). The last few episodes were building momentum going into the final episodes, and then Hongo and Hayato destroy the Shocker Riders…by running really fast?! And then a Muppet-y monster named Crowox with ridiculous powers (like goring) shows up to finally give us flying cars. But hey, at least you get to hear your hosts talk about the semi-obscure Sega Saturn spokesman, Segata Sanshiro, who was also played by Hiroshi Fujioka! Enjoy your latest dose of Henshin Men! This episode was edited by Christopher Riner and Nathan Marchand. Follow Henshin Men on Twitter: @HenshinMenPod. Join the official Facebook fan page for this and The Monster Island Film Vault, The Markalite Lounge. Listen to Travis’s main podcast, Kaiju Weekly, and Nathan’s podcasts, The Monster Island Film Vault and The Power Trip. Henshin Men is a proud member of the Kaiju Ramen Podcast Network. MUSIC: -“Kamen Rider - Let's Go!! Rider Kick (Cover)” by Eternal Melee -“Not Your Above-Average Joe [Standing Ovation]” by Ivan Hakštok

The saga continues! Nathan and Drew dive into two more episodes in what feels like the final story arc of Kamen Rider (1971)—except (SPOILER WARNING!) it isn’t! With Hongo supposedly dead, the Kamen Kenny Force meets new allies who for whatever reason never talked to them until now: the Anti-Shocker Alliance. That’s all well and good, but the show actually hears your hosts yelling at the screen because Hayato returns! And he’s wearing a snazzy cowboy hat. But things really get out of hand when it turns out there’s not one, not two, but six Shocker Riders! And they all wear different-colored scarfs. It’s like Shotaro Ishinomori used them as the prototype for Super Sentai. All this plus Alvin and the Chipmunks make a cameo. Welcome to Kamen Rider and Henshin Men, baby! This episode was edited by Christopher Riner. Follow Henshin Men on Twitter: @HenshinMenPod. Join the official Facebook fan page for this and The Monster Island Film Vault, The Markalite Lounge. Listen to Travis’s main podcast, Kaiju Weekly, and Nathan’s podcasts, The Monster Island Film Vault and The Power Trip. Henshin Men is a proud member of the Kaiju Ramen Podcast Network. MUSIC: -“Kamen Rider - Let's Go!! Rider Kick (Cover)” by Eternal Melee -“Not Your Above-Average Joe [Standing Ovation]” by Ivan Hakštok

They did it again! For the third time in Kamen Rider (1971), the villains have created a school for brainwashing and indoctrinating children. Nathan and Drew catch themselves to avoid making topical jokes about this. That episode also features a remarkably competent kaijin with Centigerpede, who puts Hongo in one of the worst predicaments he’s gotten into on this show. The same can’t be said for Ratcondor in the first episode covered this week. The ending drove Drew so crazy, Nathan had to give him a “rantmaster” from his other podcast, The Power Trip! Also, Jesus healing Kamen Rider’s blindness. Welcome to the madness that is Henshin Men! This episode was edited by Christopher Riner. Follow Henshin Men on Twitter: @HenshinMenPod. Join the official Facebook fan page for this and The Monster Island Film Vault, The Markalite Lounge. Listen to Travis’s main podcast, Kaiju Weekly, and Nathan’s podcasts, The Monster Island Film Vault and The Power Trip. Henshin Men is a proud member of the Kaiju Ramen Podcast Network. MUSIC: -“Kamen Rider - Let's Go!! Rider Kick (Cover)” by Eternal Melee -“Not Your Above-Average Joe [Standing Ovation]” by Ivan Hakštok

Ever heard of a Japanese horror film called House? It’s evidence that LSD was popular in 1970s Japan…kinda like this week’s episodes of Kamen Rider (1971). Nathan and Drew continue to dismantle Gelshocker’s plans and question the logic and family-friendliness of their kaijin. Catgecko recalls the aforementioned film, and Canarycobra leads to a discussion of Ouroboros. (Look it up). Only on Henshin Men can you get content this wild and thought-provoking! Follow Henshin Men on Twitter: @HenshinMenPod. Join the official Facebook fan page for this and The Monster Island Film Vault, The Markalite Lounge. Listen to Travis’s main podcast, Kaiju Weekly, and Nathan’s podcasts, The Monster Island Film Vault and The Power Trip. Henshin Men is a proud member of the Kaiju Ramen Podcast Network. MUSIC: -“Kamen Rider - Let's Go!! Rider Kick (Cover)” by Eternal Melee -“Not Your Above-Average Joe [Standing Ovation]” by Ivan Hakštok -“ Yakety Sax” by Boots Randolph

Nathan can’t finish Kamen Rider (1971) alone, so he hired a new co-host! Meet Drew Dodgen, the co-host of The Cel Cast, who will be joining us until the final episode of Kamen Rider. And boy, did he pick a great pair of episodes to jump onboard this careening motorcycle! Gelshocker’s latest “combo kaijin” are two with crazy gimmicks that should’ve been swapped. One is a murder-foam-spraying eagle/mantis and the other is a spider/lion (aka “the midnight assassin what assassinates at midnight”) who leaves “death notes” for his victims. Once again, Gelshocker, if these humble podcasters ran your organization, you’d have conquered the world in five episodes. OF COURSE! Follow Henshin Men on Twitter: @HenshinMenPod. Join the official Facebook fan page for this and The Monster Island Film Vault, The Markalite Lounge. Listen to Travis’s main podcast, Kaiju Weekly, and Nathan’s podcasts, The Monster Island Film Vault and The Power Trip. Henshin Men is a proud member of the Kaiju Ramen Podcast Network. MUSIC: -“Kamen Rider - Let's Go!! Rider Kick (Cover)” by Eternal Melee -“Not Your Above-Average Joe [Standing Ovation]” by Ivan Hakštok