Local Hero Soldia Suspends Activity After Copyright Concerns

The Warrior of Water and Fire, Soldia, a local hero from Japan’s Kumamoto prefecture, suspended all activity over controversy regarding its design.

The Warrior of Water and Fire, Soldia, a local hero from Japan’s Kumamoto prefecture, suspended all activity over controversy regarding its design. The hero was launched through crowdfunding. The project was originally started by members who had been putting on a hero show at Minamiaso Holiday Park before COVID-19 closed the venue, with the intent of bringing a hero back to the town of Aso in Japan’s Kyushu region.

On September 13, a video of the hero was released on Twitter. Many users pointed out that the design of Soldia’s suit clearly resembled Kamen Rider Zero One, and was wearing a belt from Kamen Rider Agito. On September 14 the official Twitter page released an apology and explanation for the similarities. They confirmed that the hero suit was based on Kamen Rider Zero One, and the belt based on Kamen Rider Agito. They stated, ‘Regarding this point, as you pointed out, I was naive enough to think that it was okay to change the colour.’

On September 14, the official Twitter account announced that all activities involving Soldia will be suspended, and all social media accounts frozen. They also announced that they would report the incident to Toei. Individuals who supported Soldia through crowdfunding will receive an email at a later date concerning future plans.

Source: Yahoo