English Dub Upd — Kamen Rider W

The game-changer was the Fuuto PI anime. When Crunchyroll licensed the anime sequel, they produced an all-new, high-quality English dub featuring LA-based voice actors. This dub was universally praised for casting relative unknowns who sounded like natural extensions of the live-action actors.

This created a paradox for studios: Fuuto PI is dubbed, but the original Kamen Rider W is not. You cannot watch the anime sequel without knowing the live-action prequel.

If an English dub is greenlit, the fandom has already agreed on the fan-casting (based on the Fuuto PI dub and previous video game appearances):

In 2019, Shout! Factory struck a massive deal with Toei to stream several Kamen Rider series on their TokuSHOUTsu platform. They released Kamen Rider W with English subtitles (subbed), but explicitly stated they had no plans for a dub. kamen rider w english dub upd

For years, the answer to “Will there be a dub?” was a firm "No." Shout! Factory cited high costs of dubbing a 49-episode series (which requires 20+ voice actors, an ADR director, sound engineers, and mixing studios) versus the niche market size.

The 2023 Rumor Mill: In late 2023, a leak on a voice acting forum suggested that a major distributor (speculated to be Crunchyroll or Discotek Media) had inquired about licensing the "dubbing rights" for the Heisei Phase 2 era shows, specifically W, OOO, and Fourze. However, no official announcement followed.

To understand the Kamen Rider W English dub UPD, you must understand the rights. As of late 2024, Shout! Factory holds the North American distribution rights for several Kamen Rider series, including Kuuga, Ryuki, Zero-One, and notably, Kamen Rider W. The game-changer was the Fuuto PI anime

However: Shout! Factory released Kamen Rider W on Blu-ray in 2021/2022 as a "Limited Edition" set. That set featured Japanese audio with English subtitles only. There was no English dub included.

Industry insiders suggest two reasons for this:

[Visual: Kamen Rider W CycloneJoker with "ENGLISH DUB UPDATE" text] As of late 2024, the official status of

Voiceover or text on screen:
"Big news for Kamen Rider W fans – an English dub of the original 2009 series might finally be real. Rumors say a major distributor is working on a brand-new dub for Blu-ray and streaming. No date yet, but possibly 2026. If this happens, would you want the Fuuto PI voice actors to return? Let me know below."

As of late 2024, the official status of Kamen Rider W remains the same as it has been for years: There is currently no official, full-length English dub of the series available for streaming.

While the franchise has seen a massive resurgence internationally thanks to the partnership between Toei Company and Shout! Factory, the primary focus has been on releasing subtitled versions of the shows.

Currently, Kamen Rider W is available for streaming on platforms like Tubi and Shout! Factory TV. These versions come with the original Japanese audio and professionally translated English subtitles. For purists, this is the definitive way to experience the show, preserving the original performances of Renn Kiriyama (Shotaro Hidari) and Masaki Suda (Philip).