Android Hero with a Conscience: Kikaider Reboot Is Now Free to Stream on Tubi

Another underrated tokusatsu gem is now streaming free on Tubi — and a new Blu-ray edition dropped just one day later. Meet Kikaider: The Ultimate Human Robot (キカイダー REBOOT), the slick 2014 reboot that gives Shotaro Ishinomori’s two-toned hero a modern upgrade.

This modern reboot of the iconic Android Kikaider TV series from manga legend Shotaro Ishinomori just hit Tubi — only two months after its Blu-ray release from Discotek Media. Kikaider: The Ultimate Human Robot (キカイダー REBOOT) is the latest addition to Tubi’s impressive tokusatsu lineup, which already includes Ultraman, several Super Sentai series (licensed through Shout! Factory), Power Rangers, Mechanical Violator Hakaider, and classic Kamen Rider. Listed below are the notes for the physical media release of the film, it is available to purchase at the Crunchyroll Store and on Amazon.

Physical Release Notes:

A Kikaider reboot was first teased at the end of the 2013 crossover film Kamen Rider × Super Sentai × Space Sheriff: Super Hero Taisen Z. It received further setup as a prequel in the 30th episode of Kamen Rider Gaim, titled ‘The Red and Blue Kikaider.’ Toei officially announced the project on January 30, 2014, in association with Kadokawa Daiei Studio. The film, directed by Ten Shimoyama, starred Jingi Irie as Jiro/Kikaider, Kazushige Nagashima as Nobuhiko Kohmyoji, and Aimi Satsukawa as Mitsuko Kohmyoji. It had a mixed theatrical run in Japan upon its May 24, 2014 release, but performed exceptionally well during its limited North American screening in Honolulu, Hawaii (October 10–16, 2014, with English subtitles). The movie also earned some critical recognition, including a 5th-place finish in the 2014 HIHO Hakusai Awards.

AD: Spring is in the air, and so are the Deals! Save up to 40% off in Amazon’s BIG SPRING SALE!

The Kikaider manga series, written and illustrated by Shotaro Ishinomori, was serialized in Shogakukan’s Bessatsu Shōnen Sunday (and later Weekly Shōnen Sunday) from 1972 to 1974, with its chapters collected into 6 tankōbon volumes. This classic work inspired a remake titled Kikaider: Code 02 (Kikaider Code Zero Two), written and illustrated by Meimu (with original concept by Ishinomori), which was published from 2001 to 2006 and collected into 7 volumes. The original manga also served as the basis for a popular two-season tokusatsu television series produced by Toei Company and Ishimori Productions in the early 1970s. In the early 2000s, it received an anime adaptation titled Android Kikaider: The Animation, produced by Radix (and Studio OX), consisting of 13 episodes. You can also stream the 2014 live-action reboot film, Kikaider: The Ultimate Human Robot, on the Midnight Pulp Channel and RetroCrush (available via Amazon Prime Video in select regions).

In the near future, the brilliant Dr. Komyoji is enlisted to lead the ARK Project – a scientific endeavor dedicated to forging a brighter tomorrow through robotics. However, the doctor’s mysterious death puts those plans to an abrupt hold… Not long after, the grieving Komyoji children wander into the crosshairs of a black ops squad on the hunt for their father’s research. But from within the cross fire emerges Jiro – a bleeding-edge android programmed to protect the siblings! Now on the run, the Komyojis soon discover their father’s once hopeful ambitions have taken a DARK turn…

Shotaro Ishinomori’s iconic two-toned hero gets a full-system reboot in this action-packed reimagining of the original Android Kikaider television series! Presented in the original Japanese language with English subtitles!

Source: Tubi, Discotek Media

This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links and make a purchase, we’ll receive a percentage of the sale. Whatever purchase through the affiliate links helps the site.

Thanks for reading! If you have any suggestions, news tips, or questions, email them to: webmaster@bigrednerd.com.