Kamen Rider studio Toei sets generative AI rules and plans first video games

Toei, the Japanese studio behind "Kamen Rider" and the Super Sentai series that became "Power Rangers," has written rules for generative AI. It is also already using the technology in its film and video work.

President and CEO Yoshimura Fumio said so at the Taiwan Creative Content Fest (TCCF) in Taipei.

What happened?

"We have put in place rules for the use of generative AI, and from this year we have started using AI in our film and video production," Yoshimura said. One example is creating backgrounds with AI.

A dedicated team is testing how far AI can go in real production. Toei is also building a system to help less experienced producers estimate budgets. Back-office staff use AI for routine tasks, data processing and internal queries, and the company is looking at it for creative supervision of merchandise.

Yoshimura pointed to "Dreams of Violets," a 75-minute live-action film made entirely with generative AI. It was selected for the Tribeca Festival in June and was reportedly made by two creators for around $2,000. "I believe AI is not something that takes away jobs, but a tool that expands the possibilities of expression and business," he said.

Games, India and anime

Toei Games, a label launched this year for the company's 75th anniversary, will release "Hino" in early 2027. "Killa" and "Debug Nephemee" follow from spring 2027. All three are original titles from outside creators, not adaptations of Toei properties. They launch on Steam first, then Nintendo Switch, PlayStation and Xbox.

"Kamen Rider," which first aired in 1971 and turned 55 this year, is Toei's model for what it calls "evergreening" a franchise. The current series, "Kamen Rider Zeztz," rolled out almost simultaneously in Taiwan, the rest of Asia and North America. After the franchise was introduced at a Japanese IP event in India in 2025, the strong response led to a deal with a local Disney-affiliated company.

In April, Toei launched The Kamen Rider Animated, an animation label teaming up with Aniplex (the company behind "Demon Slayer") and Shirogumi (which worked on "Godzilla Minus One"). A live-action label, The Kamen Rider Premium, will make full-scale hero action films for wider, international audiences.

What's next?

Under its Toei New Wave 2033 plan, the company wants overseas sales to rise from 30% to 50% of the total, with Asia the current focus. "The main battlefield for our business is overseas," Yoshimura said.

He stressed localization. Before "Power Rangers," Toei exported its series unchanged and struggled in the West. The breakthrough came from keeping only the characters and rebuilding the cast and drama in the U.S. The show has now run there for more than 30 years.

Toei is also co-producing in Thailand with M Studio and Korea's Showbox. Their first project adapts Ito Junji's "Long Hair in the Attic" as a Thai film that opens in Thailand before heading to Japan.