It's the same approach they took for Decade and Gokaiger. If possible, have the original writer who wrote the respective season to pen the tribute episode.

There's been quite a few, actually. Cake, five or so Lost bottles, the Raw Rabbit bottle, Empty bottle...Ghost also had Legend Rider Eyecons around wave 5 or 6. Some of those were shared with or came first in the SG line, but they remain separate from the mainline DX series.

And, looking beyond Rider, the Kyutama series from Kyuranger was full of heaps and heaps of Gashapon and/or SG-exclusive toys from day one. In that case as with RideWatches, my guess is that the reason is simply that they have a lot of stuff to go through and starting early helps them get through all that faster.

True, Cake was unique, but primarily because it didn't have any other place, and they wanted easy access to the bottle so as to be easily paired with the Santa

And yes, I understand that GP does indeed offer unique items from time to time, but not this early. Wave 6 (or in rare cases, 5), is usually when unique items start to get released, but not usually by wave 3. Also, usually there can be one to two unique items at most in a wave (and usually it's only two further down the wave). Whereas in this case, there are already two unique items featured by wave 03, which is quite unusual.

Furthermore, while non-electronic items do tend to get more unique items in GP or SG than electronic-based items, here we have items with electronics in them (1500 yen no less), and there are already unique items. That's pretty unusual by modern Bandai standards.

ZI-O scans:

http://www.tokunation.com/attachment...0&d=1531640454

http://www.tokunation.com/attachment...1&d=1531640454

http://www.tokunation.com/attachment...2&d=1531640454

http://www.tokunation.com/attachment...3&d=1531640454

http://www.tokunation.com/attachment...4&d=1531640454

http://www.tokunation.com/attachment...5&d=1531640454

http://www.tokunation.com/attachment...6&d=1531640454

http://www.tokunation.com/attachment...7&d=1531640454

http://www.tokunation.com/attachment...8&d=1531640454

Well, I guess that illustration more or less confirmation that Zi-O is male. I really kinda hate toku rumor mongers who make stuff up.

Anyone have translation for the text? Some of these are interesting looking but I haven't a clue what it is.

I mean that's why they're rumors. The same rumor said the original idea was a female lead so that could mean the idea changed in development. And never bet on rumors being entirely true, even if accurate thus far.

The DX line is being marketed as a boys toyline, so it only makes sense to showcase the transformation using a male for promotional purposes. That would assure vendors that the toyline is still being designed for the primary audience in mind. That being said, between the illustration, the fact that Gates has separate DX releases from Zi-O and the physique of the in-suit pictures, it's extremely likely that Zi-O is not female. Weirder things have happened before so I'm not going to deny it until there is confirmation on casting and story details.

I want to say I like this toyline but we're seeing the return of the big clunky CGI "titan" we managed to avoid with Build so can't say I am too pleased with that. It looks butt-ugly but it comes with the OOO RideWatch so I assume it's a reference to TrideVendor. Then again, Den-O's bundled toy is a RideWatch holder so it might not be entirely related (I guess Den-O is a time traveler too, so I guess anything could be a reference to him). And as expected from the listings, Suika Arms, Taka Candroid, and Faiz's Phone will be used as items/weapons as well.


Alas, Zi-O has a bike. Thank the lord. I like that the Rider Kick's Figure Armor's can be used with both Zi-O and Gate. It seems that Gate is really getting the short end of the stick here - he's only slated to get Kiva, Wizard and Faiz going forward, while Zi-O gets everyone else.

I think what is interesting to note here is that every Rider Armor is based on the base form except Drive and OOO, which are based on Type Tridoron and Super TaToBa respectively. And I can't really tell here but it looks like Kuuga is in Growing Form. I wonder what that is all about?

And last but not least, the upgrade form seems to be Decade! That's actually pretty awesome. Zi-O will get completely new armor, a new weapon (Heiseiber) and a unique RideWatch that can mix and match with other Heisei RideWatch's (Build-Decade is showcased on the scans). It looks to summon a stronger form as the Build depicted being mixed with Decade is RabbitTank Sparkling. Looks like Decade is gonna have a strong presence this season!

Also lmao the last four RideWatch's seem to be for Rider's that have the hardest actors to get back. *EDIT: I read that wrong. Regardless, Masaki Suda and Odagiri Jo will be a challenge lol.

Decade's actor is a huge fanboy of the franchise so I'm imagining he's either already aware or he's seeing the scans on leaks and going "HOLY SHIT THAT'S MEEEEEE"

OOO being based on Super TaToBa is intriguing because the basis of that form was time travel. Michal Minato/Kamen Rider Aqua brought those medals from 40 years in the future. Since the DX OOO RideWatch comes with the Time Machine, maybe they are planning on exploring that plotline? Too bad there is no KR Aqua RideWatch lol.

Mmmh, looking at these DX toys more and more. I'm hella tempted to try and get atleast all the base and upgrade RideWatches. I TRIED with Ex-Aid but kinda dropped off after Level 5 was introduced and it started getting too expensive. Still need Jet Combat, Giri Giri Chambara and Muteki.

These seem like they'd be easier though.

Yep. I love it. ALL HAIL THE ROLEX.

I just realized the Kuuga form artwork is white. That's very odd to use Growing form in the artwork

I hope they can get the secondary riders back if the main ones are busy. Kuuga and Phillip moved on to r rated stuffs already. Den-o is quite popular. Kiva and w are kind of still playing idol high schooler from time to time even after they graduate like 10+ years ago. Ichigo, v3, Black, Faiz, balde, decade(garo villain now, joker, O's/ankh, fourze, wizard, ghost, and ex aid are pretty doable and likely. Some of them are barely acting and are getting by with stage plays with no big breaks. Gaim and drive are a bit more popular and will probably phone in with minor appearances. Kuuga, Kabuto and hibiki are the only ones that never return for anything after their series is over, so it's super hard to get them back. Maybe Gattack, the wolfman from kiva that was a rider in hibiki will be free. Although, I guess some of them can do it for their kids, which is why some Alister film superhero movies nowadays beside the good salary. It's not something award worthy except toei doesn't pay well and their career already lift off from using toku as a stepping stone.

I hope the series isn't too light with the poor designs of legendary riders. They look like they're going over the top again and most form look like the past years ganbarzing exclusive. The same fan service they did with all the dragonball characters nowadays. No stakes. Btw I doubt they can deage characters like marvel if they're using time travel. However, it's better than the AU recast, which is a big mistake. Idk if Neo Heisei rider signed a multiple film contract or not like marvel and it's obligated to return.

I wonder since Zi-O is time travel themed, what if Zi-O performed some sort of "Flashpoint" on half of the Heisei era?

Kuuga's original actor won't return anyway.

And what if some riders from every season get an upgrade.

ex. Zangetsu Jinba.

They can tried in suit with a voice actor that sound like him for a brief or epic moment. I guess the villain group won't be comprise of an handful or army of generals instead it'll integrate past villains designs like gokaiger.

Can't believe it, that Decade artwork is almost the exact same one that came out with that batch of fake artwork on April first.

Edit: Wow, nevermind. My memory was way off. Finally found the old artwork, waaay wrong. At least I'll admit it. Lol! I blame the large shoulder pads. That's what sparked my memory. Lol

So Zi-O has a Mecha/Megazord.

Yasuko Kobayashi is also very unlikely because she has actively avoided writing crossovers for Rider. She used to write the spring movies when they were Den-O focused, but as soon as the crossovers became bigger (Episode Yellow, Let's go Kamen Riders), she dropped out. She didn't write anything for Movie Wars Core, and just the OOO part in Megamax. Climax Deka and the original Chou Den-O movie had minimal presence of the guest Riders. She did write four Decade episodes as a secondary writer, but those four episodes were the ones focused on Den-O and Shinkenger, her own series.

It seems very unlikely she'd write a crossover show.

Regarding "Blood" though, we do have the oddity of several Build characters in the gimmick action figure toyline for Zi-O (Build, Cross-Z, Build Cross-Z, Evol), so that could indicate them all appearing in several episodes.

Which riders can make returns in Zi-O? Here's mine:

Build: Build, Cross-Z, Grease & Rogue
Ex-Aid: Ex-Aid, Para-DX, Poppy & Lazer
Ghost: Ghost, Specter & Necrom
Drive: Drive, Mach & Chaser
Gaim: Gaim & Zangetsu (Shin)
Wizard: Wizard
Fourze: Meteor
OOO: OOO & Birth. Maybe bring out ReBirth
W: Accel & Joker. Maybe turn Phillip to KR Cyclone or Fang.
Decade: Decade
Kiva: ?
Den-O: ?
Kabuto: ?
Hibiki: Maybe get them wiped out
Blade: ?
555: ?
Ryuki: Ryuki, Knight, Zolda, Ouja & Odin
Agito: ?
Kuuga: Maybe get him wiped out

What's yours?

I'm guessing you don't like Kuuga and Hibiki

Oh I like Kuuga.

I just meant by "wiping them out" means that Kuuga doesn't like Toku and Hibiki's actor had feud with producers.

Kuuga and Hibiki are important parts of Kamen Rider's legacy - they would never be 'wiped out'.
Besides, Kabuto's had plenty of arguments with various agencies as well. Plus DC isn't big enough over there for them to know what 'a Flashpoint' is.

Wow Kobayashi is writing the series? I really hope she writes good villains because Enter, Greeeds, and Shadow Line are damn good villains.

I forbid Zi-O being treated as Decade. No "Onore Zi-O!".

Hope he'll be treated as a hero and not an enemy.

!!!!
https://imageshack.com/a/img924/8243/Cib3qG.png
(custom t-shirt design for me by Jeff Pennington of Rider Club Radio - available for commisions @_JeffPennington on Twitturrrrr)

I reallllly hope that Kobayashi being the writer is just a rumor. I know I'm in the minority here, but I have yet to watch a show by her that didn't leave me feeling vaguely irritated at best.

I hope Zi-O has an Amazons form.

I just hope in this season, some of the old riders deserve some upgrades.

Give Jinba to Zangetsu, OOO new combos and even give others too.

Maybe find a way to end Decade's situation and Narutaki.

Hoping that he has to wind himself to do his finale. Also missing a real chance here if they don't do a Kabuto clock-up thing at some point in a Taisen or V-Cinema.

As long as they are as tame as the Jetman episode in Gokaiger it will be fine probably. All Toei needs to do is to make sure Inoue does not runamuck and write a bunch of messed-up soap opera scenarios.

I would hope once Zi-O found his place in the timeline, he could gain the power to manipulate time, even create "Flashpoints".

Is there any "Terminator" vibes somewhere in Zi-O?

As I've said - Toei likely don't know, or care, about DC's 'Flashpoint' storyline. Kamen Rider is a Japanese franchise - it may reference Western franchises from time to time (most obviously with Drive and Knight Rider), but generally, if there is a reference, it's to something Japanese.

Marvel comics would be the type of world we would ever see Kamen Rider used if ever, not impossible since Toei has worked with Marvel and still do.

I think he means scenarios like those, not that the producers would literally know what they are.

Kamen Rider Zi-O Poster!

http://www.tokunation.com/attachment...1&d=1531810023

Wizard almost looks like something you'd see in Magiranger. Love how he has his face on the shoulders from his rings.

Loving the designs so far. Glad to see the shoulders are a bit more toned done and manageable. Earlier pics had me worried those were going to be too big and obtrusive.

And on OOOs, love they did the super form of Gatakiriba, Latoraatah, and Tajador. The complete forms as the tri-form is the true super form of Tatoba. Though I really wanted to see a Sagozou form, maybe later. Toei has to keep some surprises up their sleeve for later. So I'm expecting Sagozou, Shauta, Putotyra, and Ixa Rising to be a later form for something else likely. Same to Faiz Accel maybe. (Ooooh! Time travel would be a great excuse to do super forms of random riders from the past like the missing forms in Blade with Leangle and Garren, or Accel Delta and Accel Kaixa. Or even new Hyper Zector forms of the others. Maybe this is how Ichigo got upgraded for his Ghost movie too. His adopted daughter is also a storyline they've yet to fully explore too that should get used someday.)

While that's not entirely true about "Toei doesn't care about westerners". Popular work in America impacts popular work in Japan, same as work in Japan impacts work in America. Creative worlds are like that where they all elevate the worldwide zeitgeist and feed off of each other. Though obscure comic things would be rare. They do have to use moderately material their intended audience would understand. So international material used has to hit a certain threshold of widely known.

The post was talking about "paradoxes that cause timeline changes" not directly DC's Flashpoint. More it as an example like the terminator remark after.

Which could very well be likely. Toei's dabbled with that before a couple times with some specials and a movie(and Kiva did this in series too, twice). Rather recently too. It's not uncommon for Toei to revisit old concepts either. As the basis of one recent movie was from an older Playstation game.

Toei has raided older American cartoons for inspiration previously. Fourze for example, has design elements from an obscure 90s one shot cartoon special and old video game too. So really, even the obscure isn't all that off limits to them so long as they can make it fit their market and demographics. Rider series aren't as "Isolationist" as you may think. Neither is sentai for that matter.

It depends on the person making it and their interests, really. Naturally most explicit references would be to stuff they think their audience will be familiar with to much easier get across meaning and jokes and whatnot, but let's not trick ourselves into thinking that just because they're in Japan that creative types can't be inspired by media from other countries.
Hell, I'm an aspiring writer from the UK, and I sure as hell get inspired by Kamen Rider from time to time! There's no reason the opposite can't be true, especially when American media tends to dominate the world stage.

Batman has a huge following in Japan too that's had scattered references all the way back since 2003. You can see it in this one too with the references of the Batman Villain "Clock King".

So you're definitely right on how inspirations drawn are a worldwide thing.

Yup. And a handful of the producers do know what those are. Genesys in particular actually did moderately well in Japan.

Now that you mention it...
*slip*
http://www.tokunation.com/showpost.p...24&postcount=1

:lolol

If Zi-O would ever do some "Flashpoint" paradoxes inspired, which rider's timeline would you change? I'd go for Kuuga, Ryuki, Faiz & Hibiki.