Revice's inevitable V-Cins should totally have Hiromi be the star but only armed with that bow and arrow.

My second biggest and more reasonable hope is a little adventure with Genta where he works together with Vail and they become Kamen Rider DevailStream or something.

I think Trio of Sin will set a trend where the V-Cins are focused more on the main character

I really hope that Trio of Deep Sin really becomes a new benchmark for future V-cinemas. Because wasting the opportunity to show more than the TV rating allows for toku-stories with liters of blood and unjustified deaths is simply sad.

I can't think of any deaths in V-Cins I'd call unjustified... it's usually the revivals that feel weirder and more forced; like Lovelica and Evol

But what about Zero-One: Others? I mean, let's say the Metsubonjirai were punished for their deeds, but Fuwa for what? Not for the Raiderman`s reference, really.

Punished?? That's not what the story was about at all

Yeah, Isamu died a true hero. We should be proud of him.

I will never be proud of senseless death and you cannot convince me otherwise.

Okay, I guess stopping a rampaging AI from murdering people is "senseless" then.

He did this for 45 episodes and somehow survived. And by the end of the show, Fuwa found his family, which in his, albeit half, film, there was no place. The point is that there was no reason to kill a character, even if the actor swore don`t return. What would it be like if Accel's V-cinema ended with Akiko becoming a widow?

Terui got lucky that his power-up didn't come with any lethal side effects. Isamu was not so lucky, but without his Shotriser, I'm not sure what else you expected him to do. It's tragic, sure, but calling his death "senseless" sounds like an insult to Isamu and everything he stood for.

Oh right, you know since we don't have a thread for it I might as well put it here.

That Birth X Secret Birth Story ended up being subbed recently. That was a fun watch even though it didn't really do much if I'm being honest. AR OOO World might probably the most cracked out AR World ever?

Like we've had crazy ones, but I feel like this one takes role reversal and just spins it on its head with who is what here. Also it was neat to see Birth X actually do some stuff compared to the OOO 10th Special. Overall cute little special, would recommend but don't expect it to do much for you.

Birth X was just straight up fun! Not a huge amount of emotional substance or anything but I found myself laughing every couple minutes. The short runtime necessitating a faster pace especially helps that humour land

Yes, I liked this movie too.

So I'm not scolding Isamu, but the screenwriters. There was no reason to create these deadly effects other than the tragedy itself and the film's significance. As a last resort, they could have acted like in Grease`s V-Cinema, that is, for the viewer to somehow consider him dead, and then it turned out that he just got really bad.
By the way, it turns out that if "Zero-one 10 yers special" ever happens, most of the riders there will be ghosts.

Currently watching the second episode of Kamen Rider Revice and I’m really liking what I see with the series so far.

Been watching Skyrider in my spare time, and am currently up to episode 19.

It's been fun, though I will say that, atleast so far, there's really not much to it that makes it stand out?

Maybe it's how Super-1 really spoiled me in these regards, but alot of Skyrider comes across as very "by the numbers" at the moment. The action is basic, the villain plots(with some exceptions) aren't as intense, and the supporting cast might as well not even exist.

There are definitely some good highlights though! The Penicillian episode was extremely hardcore and a ton of fun to watch, alot of the set design is pretty solid for the time period, and I consistently find Imata's' schtick funny.

Was also surprised to see the bike mechanic from Super-1 appear here as a coffee shop owner. He looks way different without the mustache and fisherman's' cap!

Oh, and the theme song is really catchy!

But yeah, that's the initial impressions so far. I'm still having fun with the show as a whole, but compared to the other bits of Showa I've seen so far, it's a bit on the weaker side.

Oh, I'm watching SkyRider as well. Only 8 episodes left. I haven't seen Super-1 yet so I can't compare, but I think it's generally a pretty decent season that functions as a revival of the franchise. Hiroshi is a lot more cheerful than most of his predecessors. Tani's okay as a mentor, but he's not as cool and helpful as Tachibana. The soundtrack is awesome!

I agree about the supporting cast though, if you've reached Episode 19 then you've already seen the last of Midori and Michi. Midori got it especially bad, being hospitalized for such a long time. There's another recurring character called Shigeru after Tama Shigeru from V3 and Jo Shigeru/Stronger, so Toei must've really liked that name.

SkyRider has my favorite Showa crossover episode ever which you'll see soon, but after that, the show kind of gets a little too goofy and I miss the way it used to be when it was more serious with only the occasional Tonda scene for levity. Honestly, it could've topped V3 as my favorite Showa season, but it's going to be lower on my ranking now.

I'm not a huge Skyrider fan. Generally speaking, this era of Rider between Stronger and Black is one that never really worked for me. I could get into this show more than Super-1, but it can be painfully generic at times. The crossover episodes that come out later on are fun, but without that aspect there's really not much to recommend Skyrider over just watching the original series instead.

The original idea with Tani was to bring back Tachibana Tobei, but the actor wasn't interested in returning so a new character was created to fill in that role.

Of all the different Kamen Rider theme songs, this is the one that will occasionally just pop into my head for no reason.

If you've paid any attention to my thoughts on comic relief characters in Kamen Rider all these years, it should come as no surprise that I absolutely hate this guy. He adds nothing to the stories and only shows up for one or two scenes to flail around while making exaggerated facial expressions. He's even worse than Onari because at least Onari ostensibly had more of a purpose to the show.

Skyrider is pretty middle-of-the-road for me too, as a big Showa fan. I love the original five shows (well, X a bit less than the others), I love BLACK and I love ZO... but I can't say a lot about Skyrider, Super-1 and ZX. They're enjoyable

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.

I have finished Skyrider and in the end... it was about what I expected.

That's not to say it's bad, but once you get to a little past the halfway point, you very much know what you're getting from that point forward.

There was stuff I did very much like though. Almost every crossover episode was alot of fun, and the double-twist with Admiral Demon and Hiroshi's' father was handled really well. Ontop of the the very impressive prop made for the finale.

As well, while he's no Imata for me, I did like GanGanG. He's not super hilarious by any stretch, but I found him to be a welcome presence whenever he showed up. Like Imata though, I can see how some might be annoyed by him, especially as the main symbol of the shift in cast once the halfway mark hits.

That also said... I didn't really notice that big of a shift, like how there is for other seasons? Like, sure, there are definitely some notable differences(Sailing Jump being relegated to the finale, a bunch of the cast getting changed, etc), but this isn't like, say, Black, where the entire tone and atmosphere changes after a given point. It all still felt on the same wavelength for me.

In the end, even though it's technically not one, I still prefer to think of Skyrider as the first ever Anniversary season for Rider, as it establishes alot of the beats that Rider crossover(season)s would follow in the future, kinda like how many say the first Secondary is Riderman. Thinking of it in that light also helps to make the show stand out more, as otherwise... it doesn't really have too much else to make it stand out for Showa, outside of like, Rider Break.

Also as a side note: One thing that's held consistent throughout the entire season is that Skyrider is weak to rocks, and that's just funny to me.

Overall, Skyrider is a solid season. Nothing spectacular, but nothing super wrong with it either. But that said, Super-1 is still my favorite Showa season currently. We'll see if that changes whenever I get to the other entries I haven't seen yet.

Whenever I decide to binge Rider next, it's gonna be Build. If nothing else, I am digging that Kikaider aesthetic.


Oh, and as for how Bereke Scrubs did on their subs for Skyrider: Pretty solid, though not as good as their work on Super-1. There were noticeably more typos this time around, as well as them being indecisive on whether or not to put first or last names first. The MC flip-flops between getting called Hiroshi Tsukuba and Tsukuba Hiroshi alot. Still, quality work otherwise. Would recommend.

I actually started shouting when Skyrider spontaneously remembered that Sailing Jump existed in the very last episode, not gonna lie.

Yeah, I was glad to see it finally come back too, especially with how the power was shared between all the Riders. Very cool!

Now if only Rider Break had returned...

Man, if you had waited one more day, we would have finished it at the same time. You binge too fast! :lol

The final arc was easily one of my favorites for how much it escalates Hiroshi's personal drama and concludes his development. Honestly, for my mild complaints, I'll gladly admit the second half actually did a pretty good job filling in his backstory.

The most intimidating thing about Great Leader is that he's this mysterious immortal guy who always comes back, who can appear in any form, so now he's a goddamn dragon!

Rider 1, 2 and Riderman have been blown up twice now, huh.

The other main symbol is Tani's new moustache that he suddenly decides to grow. I think it looks good on him though.

But yeah, while GanGan G is generally likable and occasionally humorous, he mostly functions as a less useful version of Mole Beastman.

For comparison, here's my current Showa Rider Ranking:

1) V3
2) Stronger
3) Amazon
4) SkyRider
5) J
6) ZO
7) X
8) ZX

You've found the winning formula! (strokes tank antenna)

Next for me, I'm going to rewatch Ryuki, then I'll continue my journey through the Showa Era with Super-1.

Aww, sorry. I've had alot of free time lately, haha.

Yeah, and he carries it over into Super-1, too. Which is why I didn't recognize him at first.

Yes, I am very much the type of guy who would be fooled by Clark Kent's' disguise, haha.

I love both of those seasons, so I look forward to reading what you think!

After Zen and Don Bros I would like to start with the very first Rider series from the 70s. I've gotten on Youtube and saw a few 1st episodes from each series and want to start at the 1st week. Are there any subs for the 1st Rider show at all? In a year I'll be caught up to Zen.

There is here, if the title does not lie: https://tokuzilla.net/watch/kamen-rider-ichigo.html
I don't have the courage to take on nearly 100 episodes of such an old show just yet. I'm afraid that it will drag on for me for several years.

Thanks for the help as I want to start from week 1. It would take me 45 days at an hour a day to finish.

Same here. I think I can barely handle Goranger's 84, but 98? Hell no. If I ever get around to that show, I'm going to need a condensed episode list for sure.

This is pretty much why the original series will be one of the Kamen Rider seasons I’ll watch last. Same with Goranger among the seasons of Super Sentai.