Honestly, the first four Heisei series are all really dark in their own way. Kuuga has an enormous body count, Agito has some of the most gruesome deaths I've ever seen in an ostensibly all-ages show, Ryuki's very concept is horrifying, and Faiz routinely has people get stabbed in the heart and then dissolve into sand.

But yeah, Kamen Rider is a show that's always had fans of varying age groups and it usually tries to do something to cater to all of them (usually - Fourze was intentionally aimed mainly at younger kids to cheer them up after the earthquake and Fukushima crisis).

its like the fact all sentai pre ginga man were consider more as a family show then a kids show due to they were shown in the aftoon where familys can watch it along with there kids. When gingaman aired they switched there time slot to the mourning and that when they made it a full on kids morning block.

Dat Henshin.lol

You have to remember one important rule: Japan is not America. They don't coddle their children near as much as we do in the states. So they can get away with 'Damn' 'Ass' 'Hell' And violence and death in shows aimed towards a younger skew. But Kamen Rider, and Sentai, also very smartly market themselves to an adult collector. Something Power Rangers has finally started taking a cue from. Look at Gokaiger. How many kids knew what GoRanger was before Gokaiger?

There are days I want to move to Japan. Then I remember I hate flying.

really?

[Shaokahn]Shin wins! FATALITY![/Shaokahn]

I agree with all that,especially the highlighted statement.lol

Oh goodness, Shin! There's mature, and there's taking things too far. I guess I'm happy it was just a small chapter of the Kamen Rider saga, but that's a level of "maturity" that I simply can't stand.

Yeah, it was actually really sweet. Increased my already excellent opinion of Fourze. Here's the original blog post detailing this: http://aesirsubs.wordpress.com/2012/...s-final-words/

Couldn't have said it better myself

I know right? Everytime the show Shin in a movie I think to myself "why? I would treat Shin the same way Bandai and Sunrise treat G-Savior"

Yes, I consider Shin to be the G-Savior of Kamen Rider.

That is sweet...*manly tears*

Probably because Shin was very much a pet project for Ishinomori. It was kind of his ultimate vision of what he wanted Kamen Rider to be - more monstrous and insectoid. He even has a cameo in the film.

Censorship tends to reflect the times. For an American example take the Great Mouse Detective. I watched it last night and there's so much smoking in it. That would not be allowed today. Japan is similar, but have a different set of rules. If you took most of the Showa or early Heisei era shows and tried to make them now, the shows (some shows more than others) would have to have changes made to work with the current rules.

Another thing to keep in mind is that Bandai is gaining more control every year "to sell toys." I understand why this is, but I do not like it. In this age of digital media, it's easy to watch a show without even needing a TV. TV ratings don't have as high of a value as they once did. Enter toy sells. If the show can't get good ratings, it can get good toys sells. Most likely because the show is still being watched (thus advertising the toys), just not on TV. Bandai is gradually making these shows (both Kamen Rider and Sentai) more kid friendly and about the toys resulting in the shows being full of gimmicks rather than a focus on characters and plot.

As for SH Figuarts, adult toy collectors aren't nearly as frowned upon in Japan as the US so there's a market for Figuarts to work with.