I've seen most Showa Rider shows (just missing X, Super-1, and the various 90s movies) and I might actually put Skyrider in my top 3. For some reason I just found it very amusing on an episode by episode basis and I liked how Tsukuba was more of an everyman than some super-special-smart character like a lot of Showa leads are. I'll come right out and say that I think Rider shows were weaker than a lot of other toku during this time period though, at least from my somewhat limited experience.

Ah, so it got hit with the mid-show shake-up that a handful of other Rider shows have, huh? Well, I ended up liking the second half of Super-1 alot despite its showcomings, so hopefully Skyrider will be much the same.

Yeah, that was definitely the feeling that I got. He's a likable enough guy, so I'm glad he was brought back.

It's so good! Moreo JUMP!

Oh I can for sure see how Imata would get old quick for some viewers. He's very much the same joke done over and over again with very few exceptions, but it hasn't gotten old for me yet, haha.

Comparing Skyrider to Black and RX is definitely gonna be an interesting thought exercise for me, given my mixed feelings on those two seasons. But hey, maybe Skyrider will hit some sort of stride soon and make it easier on me to compare and contrast.

I'm not very experienced with alot of Toku of the 70s and 80s, so I can't really say much. I would definitely recommend checking out Super-1 though. I had a ton of fun watching that last year.

Tsukuba is definitely interesting as a protag, because he seems kinda like the prototype for Kazuya from Super-1. Both guys being martial arts experts who lose people they care about at the very start and, while overall meaning well, definitely have their more jerkish tendencies on occasion.

I'm slowly but surely making my way through Kamen Rider Den-O. As of now, I'm up to its 11th episode with Kintaros joining the show's main cast in the previous two-parter. Great introduction to the character.

Now up through episode 35 of Skyrider, and I gotta ask, was this the first ever Anniversary season for Rider? It sure seems like it with how many crossover episodes it has.

And thinking of it in that regard, it does help to make Skyrider stand out a bit more to me, as every crossover episode so far has been alot of fun, ontop of many of the action scenes being done better and Hiroshi growing more into a hero over time.

And with that growth comes an upgraded form for Skyrider, as well as a new theme song. And I gotta say, they feel like a downgrade. Really loved the first OP, and while the new one isn't bad, using that jamming theme from the Galaxy King movie as the ED feels like such a missed opportunity. Having the songs in swapped places would've worked way better, I feel.

As for Skyrider's' new look, I dunno, I just feel like the Green and Brown worked alot better, especially given the whole flight suit motif and how Hiroshi would often wear a brown jumpsuit as a civilian. The bright green paired with bright red just doesn't work nearly as well. As well, Skyrider stops using Sailing Jump and Rider Break starting with the second half of the show, which is a damn shame because they were kinda his signature things, ya know?

One thing I for sure did not expect though is for this show to actually manage to hit me in the feel midway through, and especially not from an episode titled "The Fifty Ton Baby." No joke, I think this is gonna end up being my favorite episode? It takes what on paper sounds like an absolutely ridiculous premise from the title alone and manages to make it an actually rather touching tale about parenthood; And this is coming from someone who in no way has a soft spot for children.

So, yeah, I still wouldn't say that Skyrider is anything super great, but it did certainly pick up with this recent string of episodes.

Finally managed to wash away the bitterness of OOO 10th Core Medal of Resurrection to get around to watching Birth X Secret Birth Story.

Despite being 15 minutes and not taking itself seriously in the slightest, this brought a smile to my face. Knowing how OOO ends on such a dour note, a silly side story like this was what I needed to help remind me that OOO is about hope, and helping one another.

This special was stupid fun, flipping the world of OOO on it's head in a way that makes no sense, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Skyrider wasn't an anniversary, but it was the first season produced after a hiatus -- Kamen Rider through Stronger all aired one after the other, and then there was four years between the latter and Skyrider. It was of course originally intended to be a reboot, but the classic Showa-era thing of "we need to massively change the show for ratings" probably has something to do with the rest of the gang suddenly showing up and kicking his ass to give him an upgrade

The franchise's 9th anniversary occurred during SkyRider's run, but it wasn't like a big number anniversary or anything like that. Like Kurona said, 4 years had passed since the end of Stronger, so it was an opportunity to bring back the OG 7 Riders, except for Rider 1 and Amazon being suit-only.

From what I understand, you can blame Ishinomori for the removal of Sailing Jump, since he thought Toei's special effects weren't good enough to portray it the way he imagined.

I like both SkyRider suits, but I think the bright green and orange make him look more complete after being infused with the power of his predecessors' Riderkicks. It's a much more minimalist change than what happened to Rider 1 and 2, so I appreciate how SkyRider still looks like himself, only with slightly different colors.

My favorite episode is 27, the one where 8 Riders united to beat up a tank, which would later be repeated in my favorite Movie War. That was bad*ss!

25 is totally in second place though. The premise is as ridiculous as you said, but damn, I wasn't prepared for that emotional story with Hiroshi getting in to the father role and the MOTW being evil enough to kill his own son. It felt like the kind of plot Inoue would write years later, with how bizarre yet dramatic it was.

Third place is 34 and 35, cause I always enjoy seeing Miyauchi.

The idea of Skyrider being a reboot is weird to me, and the idea to change it must've happened before the show started production. Sure, the official title of the season is (New) Kamen Rider, and most characters refer to Skyrider as simply (the) Kamen Rider, but like, since episode one they still reference the previous stuff. Heck, the Evil Organization is NeoShocker, which, ya know, implies the existence of a past Shocker.

Either way though, I am glad that it was kept in continuity, as it ended up leading to alot of Skyrider's' more fun aspects.

That's a shame. I imagine that had Ishinomori lived just a little longer, he would've been very pleased to see Skyrider's' flight powers displayed in full prowess in future crossovers.

That was a cool sequence for sure!

Speaking of beloved characters, I also noticed that Imata has kinda just... disappeared? Like, atleast the other side characters were given the excuse of being hospitalized, but as far as I can recall, Imata is just gone. Probably a relief for those who didn't like his running gag, but notable for me who found charm in him. What a shame.

I probably should have more specifically said soft reboot -- it's always been a bit vague due to what you said. Main idea I was getting at is whether it's in the same universe or not, it's a VERY direct reboot after a years-long hiatus; compared to different takes or evolution on the concept like V3 or Stronger.

Same thing happened to Michi, just disappeared inexplicably. Yumi's injuries were less severe than Midori's so she was able to come back at least. Tonda basically got replaced by GanGan G, whose comedy routine can be a little intrusive sometimes, a herald of the show's change in tone.