So I don’t really hate this movie, but like a lot of Toei’s reunion movies, it doesn’t leave me with anything other than being something to rewatch if I’m bored (Faiz Paradise Regained, Go-Onger 10 Years Grand Prix, and Hurricaneger 20th being the exceptions. Eiji’s death doesn’t really do much but make the movie anything but predictable, in spite of being planned for a while (Kobayashi confirmed in the leaflet that Ankh in Megamax was written with the fact Eiji died to bring him back in mind, and indeed, a lot of his actions there are properly recontextualised here).

But I will commend them for sticking mostly to props from OOO in the recycling department, with the sole exceptions being King OOO’s cloak (reused from Kamen Rider Extremer/the Great Eyezer) and Kamen Rider Goda’s shins (reused from Another OOO). Talking of Goda, his name is derived from “godatsu”, Japanese for “hijack”. At least it’s more creative than “Muchiri”.

And now, for some highlights from that group watch I went to (and I’ll reveal here that my video failed to load at the start, so I did a download which didn’t finish until after everyone else had finished, so I kept quiet and only commented based on what everyone was saying and what I already knew from online spoilers to avoid delaying everyone else.

(After Eiji gets exploded by King OOO in a flashback) How’d he even survive that?

(After Goda is introduced) Dreamsword: If I end up hating this guy, I’m gonna call him “Gouda”.

(A few minutes later)

En-chan: I’m starting to hate [Goda]

(When Kougami reveals that he created Goda) Name: Oh goddamnit, not again.

DreamSword: I see that for En-chan, he is Gouda.

Ancient OOO’s Multi-King form and KR Goda both got compared to DeviantArt OCs, with the latter being called “peak DeviantArt”.

(After pointing out that Goda is made up of BuraKaWani’s head, TaMaShii’s body and Super TaToBa’s legs) I hope no-one will be needing any OOO movie forms anymore.

And to close off, one gripe I did specifically have was going from an appropriately solemn cover of Anything Goes at the end to the usual upbeat inspirational version.

If I squint, I can sort of see what the film is going for here -- Eiji wants his friend to be able to live his own life, not feel tied to Eiji's half-existence. It's sweet! It's also stupid in the same ways the rest of the movie is stupid.

-Ankh could potentially heal Eiji by possessing him, which is a win for absolutely everyone in the cast.

-Ankh wanted to spend time with his friend, and now he can't do that.

-If Ankh doesn't possess Eiji (to heal him) and can't form his own body, he's stuck possessing Shingo indefinitely for no benefit to Shingo, which was the entire dilemma of the end of the TV series that Eiji fought to prevent. (Did Shingo just become a gigantic asshole in the past 10 years, so everyone's okay with him being ganked by Ankh?!)

It's really a Big Hero Moment that falls apart if you think about it for even a second, which is at least true to the tone and concept of the movie. I appreciate them sticking to their idiotic guns!

Neat! Thanks!

Sh Ranger Also Watched Medal Of Resurrection

Almost 2 years later, this movie still seems to be pretty polarizing, between those like me who enjoyed it and thought it was thematically appropriate and those who disliked it and thought it ruined the original ending.

As I haven't yet deigned to rewatch OOO, this movie is my most recent memory of it, but even with all that time lapsed, I still felt like I was watching peak OOO. A story about Ankh and Eiji and the ways they changed each other for the better, that's literally the heart of the show and it's exactly what I expected from a movie celebrating 10 years. OOO's ending made it one of the most deserving of a sequel, with the hanging thread of Ankh's revival being constantly teased over and over again without ever letting it stick. Megamax, HeiGen Final and Memory of Heroez kept giving us back Ankh and then taking him away again. So a movie that actually gives us Ankh back and lets us keep him, granting the desire in our hearts, while taking Eiji in exchange, that's a very OOO thing to do, a reminder that desire comes at the cost of something.

I think DreamSword gave a good explanation in reply to my post from that thread. While it's easy to see Eiji's decision to let himself die as hypocrisy and maybe even a little stupid, the whole point is to warn Ankh not to end up like him. Eiji is a true hero to others, but at the same time, he's not an ideal that any sane person should aspire to. Being Eiji, a man without desire who would risk everything for your desire, sounds like a life of endless suffering. And nobody knows that better than Eiji himself. He doesn't want Ankh to spend 10 years looking for a way to revive his loved one, since Eiji already did that and even then, he only succeeded by accident. It's a final admission that desire is essential for human happiness and he doesn't want Ankh to lose that.

Like the final episode where Knight defeats Odin and wins the wish to save Eri, except no reset. I imagine Kobayashi's thoughts for the moral was to highlight the danger of wishing for something at the expense of others (like what OOO Episode 21-22 talked about), while the end of the Rider War does provide a happy ending for basically everybody else that's not a Rider or Yui, except for civilians who were killed by Riders or Contract Monsters. Probably the closest thing to that would be Rider Time Ryuki.

Same here. OOO is only 14th on my Heisei Rider Ranking, but it's still good. Just that for anything it does good, I can usually think of another show that does that thing better.

Nice to see that Kobayashi was able to secure her vision using Megamax to suggest Eiji's fate, which was then shown in full by Mouri. People blamed Mouri for their dislike of Medal of Resurrection, but if they actually did their research about Kobayashi, they'd know getting the original writer wouldn't have made much difference to the ending. Sucks to see Mouri get scapegoated like that, just like people blaming Fukuda and Takahashi for choices actually made by producers.

The thing I keep coming back to, though, is that OOO is perfect to me not because it's the best at everything, but because it's bad at nothing. While other shows may be better than OOO at certain aspects -- a better theme song, better fights, more compelling Monster Mysteries -- those same shows having at least one or two glaring flaws that OOO doesn't suffer from. I think that consistency is more remarkable to me than a handful of better episodes might have been.

That really felt like a last minute edit. Did they want us to cheer or something? It almost feels like a "full circle" moment, but this movie really is anything but to me!

OOO 10TH BIRTH X BIRTH - BIRTH X SECRET BIRTH STORY

https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/ooo/secreta.png

These TTFC things are always so weird. They don’t have to be hampered as much by continuity and canon and whatever, so they can push the boundaries of their storytelling and references to an absurd degree. It’s a fan club offering, so they can get hilariously Deep Cut with it. That said, I’m a little shocked at exactly how weird and how deep they got with their cuts this time out?

Like, I think it’s totally fine to give Gotou a new status quo in the years since the conclusion of OOO. A sister we’ve never heard about before? Sure, there’s nothing to my knowledge that directly contradicts that from the original OOO series, so why not. (If anything, it makes for a nice Hina/Shingo parallel.) Giving him a new set of enemies outside of the Greeed is bizarre, considering how heavily the Greeed and Medals all factor into the other 10th content, but this is a Gotou story, not an OOO one, so it’s okay to let him work into his own aesthetic and lore.

But, man, doing it all as a tribute to that Heisei Vs Showa movie from 2014? Bringing back the Badan Empire and their Space Break macguffin? VERY WEIRD! Sort of inexplicable! They never really get enough to do to feel like a fully coherent ethos or strategy – it’s all very Showa, in the I Guess It’s Another Bad Guy Group vibe, with Ambassador Darkness being a repainted Ambassador Hell played by the exact same dude – and they barely feel looped into anything Gotou is doing in this one. They’re just sort of the random baddies that cyborgified him into his new form, and now they want to destroy/rule the world, and now he’s got something to do. Gotou’s maybe the only part of OOO that could make this premise even halfway work, because he’s the only one that simplistically wants to save the world without much added flair or context. He’s very retro and Showa in his bland commitment to What’s Right, so why not give him a bland What’s Wrong enemy.

Even the inclusion of the Showa Riders from that 2014 film, to the constant hilarious exclusion of letting Gotou motivate absolutely anything in this story, is sort of perfect for him? It’s a really great gag of the film, that the Showa Riders are basically just doing this all themselves and then Gotou randomly shows up to be there, too. That’s him in OOO, you know? He’s happy to be supporting cast, even in a special nominally devoted to him as the lead. He’s just sort of here, and there’s a story going on, and that’s his lot in life. I love it.

I loved this whole thing, not in spite of how much of a surprise it was, but because of it. A V-Cin or theatrical feature or TV episode would try and make this all work in the continuity we know and love – a TTFC special will make you think you have a fever. It’s insane to me, the connections these creators try and make. Like, the shitty Gaim anniversary film and Gotou from OOO? Bonkers. And I thought the weirdest one of these I’d ever see was that one with Shinobi from Zi-O and Tycoon from Geats…

https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/ooo/secretb.png

What do you think about shows like W or Fourze regarding this? Are they too bad at nothing?

Would be hard to explain that Eiji isn't an ideal that any sane person should aspire to, because as you already know (and that I brought up in this thread), self-sacrifice is something a good number of KR fanbase glorify, and condemn if someone doesn't want to resort to that, particularly from how KR are portrayed in the Showa medias of intentionally putting themselves through pain, hardship, and suffering for others. Though, Eiji has got development though, that previously, he doesn't have a desire, but at the end, he got a desire that he wants power to protect others?

I'd want to know what some of the examples are where OOO does good, but others do better.

I don't remember Fourze well enough to cite exactly what it does wrong -- and I spent three months last year detailing what I thought W did badly -- but yeah, pretty much every non-OOO show has some part of it that doesn't work for me. It might be a plot that rubbed me the wrong way (Tsurugi in Kabuto), or a late-story turn that felt difficult to get onboard with (Kiba in Faiz), or just the general treatment of a female cast member that made me roll my eyes (a dozen shows, but most prominently Gaim). OOO manages to avoid all of those pitfalls over 48 episodes, plus a ton of other ones.

If you ask me, Kazari’s new look was a step too far into edge. He looks straight out of the 80s/90s.

I think the red leather worked for him! It's a little weird to think of him as Gotou's nemesis, but it barely matters in the course of the film.

This is similar to the complaints of Philip returning at the end of W. I'm not someone who wishes the cast remains complete or that certain characters come back, so I'm not as torn over the deaths of important cast members to complain about a show killing them off. It also feels out of nowhere in how Ankh managed to come back to life, just Eiji wishing for it at the brink of his death, albeit it may be explained by alchemy stuff, of which King OOO's group did use it for the Medals, as it was established that no matter how much he tried, Gamel was unable to revive Mezool.

They don't need to make Eiji revert to human form so he'd die saving the girl. Eiji has the power, albeit he only used TaToBa against King OOO, which is why he lost. There should be a difference between the powerless Eiji during the civil war, and now, where Eiji now desires power and gets it, between Eiji saving a little girl, but KR can't let go of self-sacrificial decisions over optimal ways/methods in saving people. I feel even when untransformed, Eiji should retrain his powered-up self when he absorbs the massive amount of Cell Medals from Kougami Foundation, to the point that he cracks the ground where he walks.

I don't know if Shingo was unconscious due to Ankh possessing him, as when Ankh possessed him, Shingo didn't really interact, even when Ankh went rogue late OOO. And Ankh did possess Shingo to save him from rubbles here. That was why Hina was worried about Ankh, not Shingo, as Shingo was completely safe, and Ankh was the one who's going to die. Otherwise, I think both Goda and King OOO are just there to be a threat for Eiji and Ankh to fight together; they often do not develop the antagonists or setting well enough, particularly for the movies, other than them being used as something to fight against. Goda isn't really needed too IMO if he only ends up as another final threat for Eiji and Ankh to fight, just stay with King OOO as something Eiji and Ankh fight together.

Of the two, Goda's the one who I think is the most interesting for a movie that puts Ankh in the driver's seat, because it's Ankh fighting the other side of the finale from OOO -- making Ankh try and save Eiji from a Greeed's possession is basically what Eiji was trying to do through the last chunk of that show. The best -slash- most emotionally coherent parts of the movie to me were the ones that spotlight the Eiji/Ankh dynamic through the lens of Goda's excitement and tone-deafness.

OOO 10TH BIRTH X BIRTH - BIRTH X SECRET BIRTH STORY

https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/ooo/birthxa.gif

These TTFC things are always so weird. They don’t have to be hampered as much by continuity and canon and whatever, so they can push the boundaries of their storytelling and references to an absurd degree. It’s a fan club offering, so they can get hilariously Deep Cut with it. That said, I’m a little shocked at exactly how weird and how deep they got with their cuts this time out?

Okay, no, for real this time, I’ll talk about the actual special. I loved it? I loved it. I honest-to-God wish that this had been the shape of the actual OOO 10th film: all of your favorite actors, completely goofing around as deranged and ridiculous versions of each other’s characters. Getting to see Assertive Hero Hina, Flirty Partner Greeeds, Flamboyant CEO Date, Respectful Satonaka, Mad Scientist Ankh, Working-Class Ass-Kicker Chiyoko, and I Guess He’s A Pirate Eiji (like Gotou, there’s a point where I stopped trying to make sense of it) run through a comedic superhero narrative is basically all I want out of a nostalgia project like this. Let me have fun, sure, but let me enjoy the actors all having fun. (My favorite piece of apocryphal W reunion content is watching Philip play around with the Fang Memory toy 7 years after the show ended.) I could care less about the continuing narrative of OOO; I care about how much I enjoyed this show.

It’s all hilarious, even if -slash- especially as it degenerates into even more contradictory and inexplicable content. The cause and effect is just there to provide the setup for a new punchline, and it’s so good. Even Gotou is great, since the only way this insanity works is if you have the most dull and unflappable character around to react to it, and his reactions are priceless. And the Birth X armor! With it’s G2 color scheme! Thought it was dumb and out of place in the movie, but it’s perfect here. This is a story where only the most garish and overwrought concepts can flourish, so you absolutely need Birth X to finish off Dino Date. Hideous suit, but used beautifully.

I wish this thing had been four times as long. In my brain, this is the extent of the OOO 10th anniversary media, and it’s the best choice the creative team could’ve made. What a gift.

https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/ooo/birthxb.png

And this is most likely going to be the only OOO 10 Year Anniversary related thing I actually am planning to watch at some point if only because the overall concept of this story seems like it's going to be a very fun watch.

While I'd still suggest you watch the main 10th anniversary movie -- it's got its fans! -- if you do only watch one piece of associated content, do not miss out on this special. It's so joyous and goofy, just like some of the best parts of OOO.

To start off with, I can make a semi-obligatory Zenkaiger joke.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GnmWi9zW...jpg&name=large

Also, this is something you’re not supposed to take too seriously, but I’m still wondering what happened to Maki in all this role swapping. Or the Gotou of that universe (even if alt!Date was anticipating a visitor from another universe, there is no way he’d know the name of who showed up unless he knew their counterpart and recognised them). But the special does give me the line “There’s an old guy in there too”, so I’m not overthinking it.

Also, I know DreamSword got some catharsis from the villain of this piece.

The Maki of that reality runs Cous Coussier, which has terrible Yelp reviews: "Owner refused to make eye contact, and burned all of my food." The Gotou of that reality is clearly all of the Candroids.

THREAD WRAP-UP

https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/ooo/threada.png

And that should do it for “Kamen Rider Die rewatches Kamen Rider OOO”! I’m incredibly grateful to this board for giving me a space to talk about OOO for a few months, and I greatly appreciate anyone who took the time to stop by and share their own thoughts on the series.

This is normally the place where I’d talk about what show was coming up next, and when I’d be back with it, but I’m feeling like this is a good place to put this project to bed. Without getting into boring details, this hasn’t been that fun for a little while, and I’d rather just let it be done. As I said up above, I’m nothing but grateful to TokuNation for giving me a place for the last 5+ years to be weird about Kamen Rider (and a Super Sentai!), and I appreciate everyone over that time who dipped in to share their own thoughts on these shows.

I hope you all keep being as passionate about Kamen Rider going forward, and I wish everyone the best!

https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/ooo/threadb.png

Well, this was a twist I certainly wasn't expecting.

Well Die, whether this really is the end of your reviews or you end up just taking a break, it was certainly a fascinating journey.

It's almost a meme at this point that you and I will have totally opposite views on any given show/episode, but for what it's worth, I was happy your threads were around. They're part of what got me into the craft, afterall.

Whatever you decide to do from here, I just hope it's fun.

Beds are places for things that wake back up after a much needed rest!

I'd love to jump straight to making a suitably sentimental post thanking you for all the good times over the years, and wishing you well in the endeavors you'll undertake with the time previously reserved for cranking out these threads like Stephen King if he was weirdly into giving opinions on hero tokusatsu, but frankly, I kind of have to process the shock of reading this for a bit first.

I've admired the sheer tenacity with which you've put these things together for so long that it's extremely difficult for me to process the idea that I might not get that episode-by-episode written breakdown of why Geats is such a transcendent work of brilliance, or that you might one day experience the love letter to humanity that your beloved Inoue created with Donbrothers, and then *not* want to chew everyone's ear off about it on here.

I'm sorry if this post is ungraceful of me, and again, I'll probably have something more proper to say after having time to chew this all over a little better, but I don't want to downplay the gut reaction I have to being told I shouldn't be looking forward to more of these threads, even though I also know you've already given us all several magnitudes more than we could ever reasonably demand of you.

Thanks! I hope your threads are a blast!

Ha ha, true! And thanks so much for the kind words!

Ngl, wasn't expecting this. While I didn't comment on this past thread (mostly because I had no desire to really revisit OOO) I'll say you've certainly made a lot of memorable experiences on here via these threads and various interactions. So I'd say you've earned a good long rest.

Thanks!

Well, that's a surprise but entirely understandable. These threads are a lot of effort and I can see how you could reach a point where they felt more like work than fun. On a selfish level, I am bummed that you reached this point before getting a chance to tackle an Ultraman. On another selfish level, I'm glad that these threads gave me an excuse to go back and revisit (or re-re-re-revisit in one case) some shows I haven't seen in a long time. I've definitely gained a new appreciation for some shows that I'd written off. I also watched Kiva again.

It's been a great ride, Die (pun intended). Thanks for sharing the experience with us and I hope that you find an excuse to pop in here again from time to time.

Honestly, as someone who did regular reviews for a year straight (first with Hurricaneger, and then Sentai VS Movies), I can relate to wanting a bit of a break (though my prep work is more strenuous, since my reviews consist of a synopsis, a few relevant photographs for when words cannot describe what happens, videos to show off toy gimmicks and relevant songs, plus a brief final thoughts paragraph at the end).

That said, I did come back to the game whenever new stuff came out, so I’m still going to be waiting on at least Outsiders 7.

Then we should look at this as a balanced moral, that being obsessed with one desire at the expense of your happiness and being detached from desire at the expense of your happiness are both problematic ways to live and Eiji has lived them both. Ankh has friends who care about him, a home to return to and all kinds of things he never believed he could have had and he deserves the chance to enjoy the new life he's been granted.

Like Die's example, "a better theme song, better fights, more compelling Monster Mysteries", which I think could apply to Drive.

Saraba, Kamen Rider Die. Thanks for your passionate contributions to the community! Even though you may not post regularly anymore, you have inspired other users to make their own review threads, which will hopefully continue in your place (looks at Fish's sig)! I've been tempted to make one as well, but I realize that fanfiction won't write itself. Anyway, I look forward to your revival as Kamen Rider Chou Die! :thumb:

Thanks! I hope so, too!

Uh, you might be waiting a long time! But never say never, I guess!

Ha ha, thanks! Stranger things have happened!

Contrary to some others, I guess, I think this departure is rather expected. I do feel that you reply less and less to others' posts, which to me is an indicator of you being burnt out, and finally, you do reveal it here.

I rather feel that it can be frustrating at times dealing with fandom discourses. However, I don't want to simply leave and ignore, as many solutions do. I wish that I could find a place to work on these feelings. I don't want to reduce my thoughts or replies on these kind of posts, but I guess I'd take my time for your absence as well; this isn't about this project/thread only, I don't want to always watch any airing KR as well and elaborate on them, which can take up many of my time.

Sorry to be a disappointment!

Haha, nice April Fools Day joke, Mr Die, a little late on my end but it must be the time zone difference.

Seriously though, these threads have been a really interesting read / discussion / fangirling space whenever they happen - god, has it really been five years? - and it's been really interesting watching you dig into the themes and storytelling of the series in a way that feels difficult to find elsewhere. Anyone can put together a compilation of Epic Rider Kick moments, or talk through the plot of a show, but there's a lot less "Here is what this storyline in Kiva tells us about Inoue's views on teenage first loves" out there, especially one covering a full 23 years of shows. I know I've not been the most active, but I'm glad you got to go out on a show you clearly enjoyed a lot, and this isn't a forever farewell, but an "Until next time"... just hopefully not in some kind of post-apocalyptic 10th anniversary movie style scenario.

Thanks! While I don't have any firm plans to come back for another thread, I'd be crazy to rule it out completely. I appreciate the generous praise!

Sad to this these threads go but I do feel it’s best to have it cone to an end before you come to hate the reviews or god forbid hate the Karate Bugmen

I would never!

"Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened, and also because it's over."
- Dr. Maki (not really, but he would definitely say this)

I am sad to see you go but glad I was able to be a part of the discussions at the end! I've only gotten into Kamen Rider the last 6 months, and having an episode-by-episode discussion for nearly every show I've watched on your website has been incredible for learning more about the shows, the fandom's opinions, and behind the scenes trivia. I also wanted to shout out your dedication to not only the nightly episode reviews but your many responses to myself and others. I probably wouldn't be as big of a fan as I am now without your threads!

Seems I'm not alone in this sentiment. Your dedication and hard work ethic over many years (and probably, what, like 1000+ episodes) is very appreciated! And I hope your threads persist for anyone else new - I know I'll be tuning back into your backlog for the shows I've yet to watch. If you ever write other discussion pieces on Toku or otherwise I would love to see it!

I already feel like this isn't so much the end of me writing about Kamen Rider, as it is maybe the end of me making writing about Kamen Rider a gigantic scheduled project. The last couple years of months-long nightly(-ish) posting maybe accelerated a burnout that felt more serious than it ended up being after a huge public proclamation. I still like watching Kamen Rider, and I still like thinking about Kamen Rider, and I still like writing down what I think about what I've watched. I thought that last part was done, and then a couple days later I couldn't stop myself from spending 20 minutes writing about Outsiders, my least favorite project by my most favorite writer. I don't know. I think my brain is permanently bent into the shape of writing about this franchise, regardless of how I feel about that.

So, yeah, I don't know. I think, for the future, I'm going to let my interest dictate my cadence, rather than the other way around. I'm not going to say I'LL BE BACK IN THE FALL or whatever with a new thread. Maybe, maybe not. I still have plenty of Phase 2 shows to rewatch, and a handful of dumb ideas for non-KR projects, if there's any interest from the boards in seeing me cover them. (The Toku Anime one is/was SSSS.Gridman and SSSS.Dynazenon, if that sounds fun to people. Let me know.) Any future threads are probably going to be started at random times, with basically no forewarning, and added to at a pace that's reasonable to a more healthy life balance. Like, there may be six posts in a week, or there may be one post in another week, and that's just going to be how it is. I gotta... like, I gotta make this all seem less like an obligation, or a second job, or whatever. I like doing it, and I like the experience of sharing this with other fans, but this ain't COVID days anymore where I was stuck inside for weeks at a time.

Anyway, yeah, I guess sorry for all of the drama! It's been a weird few days dealing with all of this, emotionally/psychologically/physically (big decisions take tolls!), and I think it's more apt to say that I'm done with a level of doing this, if not done with doing this altogether. (Or, hell, maybe in six months I watch Fourze and have zero thoughts and we're all back where we started. One or the other!)

I genuinely appreciate everyone who came to this bizarre wake, and I'm sorry if rumors of my demise have been greatly exaggerated... by me. Much like a fan-favorite Q1 supporting cast member, what looked like a shocking death is maybe just an indefinite break, to be followed by an unexpected return in a new form.

So basically no one posted a picture of you getting your flowers and now we can spend an indefinite amount of time reading into that. :p

My only regret was that I didn't tell everyone I was quitting for good on Christmas morning.

Funnily enough, I went and looked up what was next and my first thought was to try that myself, since most anime today only last for 12 episodes, with Toku anime being no exception. I was thinking of Miss Kuroitsu from the Monster Development Department, a workplace comedy where the workplace is a villain group’s headquarters narrated by a different Toku actor every episode, myself. Though like you, I’m firmly in the maybe phase of actually doing it.