If you loved Wonder Man, watch this anime on Crunchyroll that’s just like it

The first episode of Marvel’s latest show, Wonder Man, drops viewers straight into footage from a fictional, in-universe Wonder Man movie. For fans of the 1970s tokusatsu TV show Kamen Rider, it probably looks familiar. The hero wears a jetpack and a Super Sentai–style suit reminiscent of his comic-book design, battling alien enemies that resemble the fictional terrorist group Shocker and its Combatmen troopers, with all the cheesy dialogue and action the Japanese series is known for.

Within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Simon Williams (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) grew up idolizing this hero, an obsession that eventually pushes him into becoming a near-delusional method actor as an adult. So when he learns that a remake of the iconic pulp movie is finally moving forward, Simon is willing to do anything to land the role. What no one knows, however, is that he’s hiding real superpowers. Even worse, when Simon suffers bouts of anxiety, he can lose control of those abilities, with explosive results.

The premise and Simon’s characterization immediately brought to mind the titular hero of the hit anime Tojima Wants to Be a Kamen Rider, released in 2025 and based on the manga by Yokusaru Shibata. The series follows a 40-year-old man named Tojima who grew up idolizing Kamen Rider to the point that he trained his mind, body, and soul to become the fictional character. Tojima’s delusion, combined with years of relentless training, grants him superhuman strength and durability. When he finally encounters an actual Combatman, it becomes clear that Tojima may not be as crazy as everyone assumed.

The delusion deepens when Tojima, after encountering enemies inspired by Shocker, meets three others named Yuriko, Ichiyo, and Mitsuba who believe they are the Kamen Rider characters Electronic Wave Humanoid Tackle, Kamen Rider V3, and Riderman (respectively). They each embody their chosen hero. Tojima Wants to Be a Kamen Rider is a wacky seinen with a funny premise that hides real sincerity, much like Wonder Man. Despite how detached from reality the protagonists in both stories may be, you still want to see them succeed and prove to the world that they are exactly who they claim to be.

What ultimately drives that fierce belief in their heroes can be traced back to the difficult childhoods each character endured. In Wonder Man, the original movie inspires Simon to become an actor, but the character’s true importance lies in how it helped him feel less alone as a child. Simon’s father realizes his son is being bullied at school, which is what prompts him to take Simon to the local cinema in the first place. From there, Simon becomes a film buff, losing himself in movies, a passion his father introduced him to. Wonder Man comes to represent Simon’s love of film, his bond with his father, and the medium that kept him from feeling isolated when his superhuman abilities began to emerge.

Tojima also fell in love with Kamen Rider as a child. Often left alone at home in front of the television, he had no one to model what being a normal person looks like. Even when other kids bully him for his obsession, that only pushes Tojima further into his desire to become Kamen Rider. The same is true for the anime’s other characters, like Yuriko, who was also bullied and dreams of becoming Tackle because she was introduced to the series through her father, a die-hard fan.

Wonder Man and Tojima Wants to Be a Kamen Rider are as hilarious as they are enduring. Both feature idiosyncratic characters with good intentions, and both are shows that give insight into just how much media can inspire people, especially those who feel like outsiders and have dreams far beyond conventional expectations. But neither attempts to shame these individuals nor mock them for comedy, despite pointing out the absurdity of it all. Both shows ultimately reward their protagonists for being true to themselves and the virtues they see in their heroes, and champion them for staying the course, no matter how off-the-wall that course might be.

Tojima Wants to Be a Kamen Rider is streaming on Crunchyroll.