Well I'm SORRY, but it's only the greatest thesis on the archetypal Kamen Rider spirit, why I like it so much, why OOO is my favourite and why it's applicable here! You expect me to talk about a Kamen Rider going out of their way to help normal people they don't know WITHOUT bringing up that scene? Honestly!

I spent the day watching alot of the extras for W, OOO, and Fourze. Mainly the HBVs and the Net Movies, and for the most part, I had a really good time!

First up is W. While I think its extras are probably the weakest of the three, they are by no means bad. I really liked how the continuity in W is so strong that even its bonus bits have continuity between them. Like how the Gaia Memory Encyclopedia is a direct sequel to the HBV. I also liked how Kirihiko got some more spotlight, even if his bits are basically just meta gags. I seem to be one of the few who legitimately liked his character, based on other sects of the fanbase I've talked to.

Next is OOO, which were all great; I laughed alot! I think my favorite ones are the Net Movies where the scenario is that a past Rider comes in to try and help Ankh and Eiji get along. The one with W specifically was my favorite. The entire result was so outlandish I basically died right there. The HBV was also alot of fun, and I gotta ask, is this the first HBV that's interactive? It and Fourze are the only ones I've seen where they actively let the viewer choose options, anyway. These things make me really nostalgic for early DVD sets. Remember how they used to come with a ton of bonuses and even sometimes minigames? I do. Good times.

Last is Fourze, and I feel like, despite me thinking it was the weakest of the three shows, it has the best bonuses overall. The HBV is simple, but fun, and I absolutely loved almost every Net Movie. My favorites were actually the ones concerning the Scorpion Lady, as they were really good scenes that helped develop her character, and the moments between her and Yuki were really well done! Unfortunately it only helps compound my view that I really wish Fourze was alot more character driven, but even so, I had a great time with these.

Faiz still holds the award for "Best HBV" but so far, I'm giving it to Fourze for "Best Net Movies." We'll see if I change my mind whenever I get around to seeing Wizard.

https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachmen...cib0o2_500.png

Some day I WILL watch the net movies for OOO Wonderful, but the ones for OOO Den-O were wonderful on their own. Who's YOUR recommended marriage partner?

Haha. I ended up getting OOO Tatoba as my Rider(Nice!). Which apparently means my BFF is Kaixa(gross), my most hated enemy is ZaBee(I guess?), my lover is G4(WHY??), and I should marry X(could be worse, I guess).

https://i.imgur.com/DRjuatB.jpg

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It is so difficult to not appreciate how amazingly, beautifully stupid Showa Toku can be sometimes. Random Bat Kaijin (which there's like billions of, by the way! Using the bat motif monster has the mook... neat) fails to kill Black on the motorway, very next scene after the title card is discount Dr. Doom telling him he's worthless and that he must feel shame, and then there's no other punishment as said bat kaijin just disappears upwards and the evil generals proceed to be extremely respectful about Black's name change while vowing to kill him.


https://i.imgur.com/ZxPlCFr.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/eQtdAzt.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/pRL0HxC.jpg

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I don't know why I love this scene so much, it's just so... wonderfully inconsequential and pointless. I haven't even gotten past two minutes yet because I desperately needed to comment on this so for all I know it might have some bearing on this episode yet, but right now it just looks like Kamen Rider Black took out the first two minutes of the episode to establish nothing. I LOVE this.

Nope, wasn't important or relevant at all! Poor bat guy just gets told he sucks for no reason!

Black and Black RX were shows that I ended up having alot of mixed feelings about. Without spoiling anything I will say this; If you end up not jiving with the tonal shift that happens after around the episode 6 mark, be sure to check out the manga. It keeps the dark and mysterious atmosphere of those early episodes all throughout its run.

https://i.imgur.com/knnp4aQ.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/OddHVpd.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/BERvN08.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/NXlHOQX.jpg

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So, here's the thing, right? Y'all are trying to tell me that after Episode 6 there's a big tonal shift where it becomes goofy or like every other Showa Rider or something, and that before that Black was much more unique and dark and mysterious in tone. And I don't doubt that for a second! I'm sure I'm going to notice some big drastic change at KRB No. 7, and that I'm going to miss these days where Black took itself much more seriously.

But I just watched an episode where Golgom thinks that hypnotising one (1) rural Japanese village into being assholes will spark international war.

I... I think I LOVE these antagonists. Like you'll notice that at some point here my screenshots changed from being about loving the spirit of Kamen Rider to just being this same exact place with the same three exact people, because every scene with them is a joy. They're just a perfect three-man band! Old Wrinkly to the left proclaims every two seconds why Golgom is so cool and better and super-duper awesome and why their plans are definitely going to work on that stupid stinky humanity this time; Discount Dr. Doom growls and calls everything worthless, and then Girl General Shadow either hangs back and says nothing out of being so tired of them or lightly-not-so-lightly reminds them, hey, we kind of have a plot, Black Sun our intended leader is still out there trying to stop us we should do something about that.

Like no offence to the main cast, they're... sweet enough! Serviceable, general Showa Rider stuff. Kotaro acts like every single I-will-defend-humanity-remember-to-eat-your-veggies-kids Showa Rider ever but he's got that sweet backstory and implied turmoil going on with him. But the three stooges of Golgom are on a whole other level and I'm going to be excited for every scene they're in!

The "problem" with Kamen Rider Black’s shift in tone stems less from the plots becoming sillier and goofier, but from the fact that children become the central protagonists of the episode and Kotaro devolves to a secondary character that comes in later to save the day.

Not every episode mind you, it isn’t as bad as Super-1’s second half, but it is noticeably different. And I put "problem" in exclamation marks on purpose because Black is super fun all around. Some little kids jumping around isn’t really changing that, plus, Black is still allowed to have focused episodes of his own. He isn’t permanently degraded to a secondary role. Like poor Super-1 was. God, I’m still not over that.

I have legitimately never head a darn thing about BLACK having any sort of shift in tone up until it got brought up a few days ago in this thread. I watched that entire series this year, and I have no clue what any of you are talking about right now.