The weekend (July 6) brought big news for Kamen Rider fans: the 7th Reiwa-era series is officially titled "Kamen Rider ZEZTZ" (tentative, 仮面ライダーゼッツ)! The reveal showcased ZEZTZ's fresh look and backstory, immediately grabbing attention—especially that groundbreaking chest-mounted transformation belt. Everyone's buzzing about how that's going to play out on screen.
But the official teaser trailer dropped, and fans' focus quickly shifted to something unexpected: the background visuals and character design. A distinct "generative AI vibe" has sparked a massive debate, with many questioning if AI was used in its creation.
This initial clip gives us a peek at the new Rider, ZEZTZ, and his transformation belt. According to the official "Kamen Rider" website, ZEZTZ is a "special agent who infiltrates human dreams to complete missions."
▼ Here's the "Kamen Rider ZEZTZ" teaser via a Japanese fan's post, as the official video is region-locked.
What really got people talking were the various scenes ZEZTZ appears in: a Japanese-style temple, a desert landscape, and a nighttime city skyline. Many of these background visuals look oddly distorted or blurry, immediately triggering suspicions that "this must be generative AI at work!" The sentiment quickly spread across the internet.
Some even raised eyebrows at ZEZTZ's own appearance, pointing out its slick, almost slippery texture. Plus, its design subtly echoes elements from previous Kamen Riders, leading many to exclaim, "This looks like an AI-Frankensteined Rider!"
As of now, Toei hasn't confirmed whether generative AI was used in this teaser, so all these discussions remain fan speculation. However, it's worth noting that Toei has already experimented with generative AI elements in story settings and monster designs for the currently airing Super Sentai series, "Bakuage Sentai Boonboomger." So, the possibility of AI being used in "Kamen Rider ZEZTZ" isn't entirely out of the question.
This heated debate is far from over. Perhaps the official announcement on July 11 will shed some light on whether ZEZTZ is an AI-infused spectacle or a true tokusatsu masterpiece.