*Waiting for someone to reply "Them's fighting words"* :lolol

A very underappreciated thing about Blade is the aesthetic of it all. Outside of combining fantasy warriors with a tech-heavy spin, I think that the directors had an overall vision of the show that other entries need to bring back.

Lots of early episodes are shot at night time and in strange areas like abandoned laboratories, boutique stores. It makes the city feel very alive, because it's not the same mountainous area or scrapyard, or random street.

Garren fighting in a shipyard, Chalice on docks with boat rafts, the whole sequence of Garren escaping Isaka, etc. These are all present in the first ten episodes, and man, does it deliver. Everything feels pretty fresh from Blade, and I'd also say it definitely has one of the most visually striking openings.

Blade to me would definitely be the first Heisei 1.0 series I'd recommend to someone because it's style personified, and I think the beginning mystery is really intruiging.

Maybe I'm a sucker for unconventional fighting grounds or night scenes, but I'd pay to see them appear more often. Speaking of sets, we really need to bring back snow. It's only been utilized in a few shows; it's expensive, no doubt, but it's iconic.

I'm definitely not one to object to this, because I agree. But I must say that the misunderstanding between the characters at the beginning of Blade resembles either an awkward imitation or a deliberate parody of Faiz. Fortunately, it didn't last long.

That's exactly what happened to me!
Speaking of locations, does anyone know why Toei no longer films on the very distinctive set with its many giant pipe segments? It's been used since the late '70s, and many memorable, original battles were filmed there. Were the pipes used for construction, destroying the set, or was filming there banned for some reason?

Faiz was my first kamen rider series and what got me into watching toku online.

But I was there at the beginning of Blade, theorizing online and reading whatever information was given prior to the start of that series. Garren was the first belt I bought off ebay. lol

They both hold a special place in my heart. And I really should go back to re-watch Blade.

(sneezes suddenly)

The final battle between Garren and Isaka on the beach was iconic for sure!

And the opposite of what happened to me!

I didn't have much of a choice in that regard. Blade, Kiva, and Decade were the only Heisei Phase 1 shows available with subs in my native language at the time. Faiz also had a translation, but it was subscription-only, so I wasn't in a rush to watch it.

You certainly will get no objection out of me. I honestly find the show to be much more enjoyable to watch than Faiz.

stream tokusatsu
 

You?re gonna love how intense Blade gets later on! The emotional buildup is crazy.
For anyone who missed older Rider or Sentai stuff, you can stream tokusatsu shows for free here ? tokuplay.app
. Really hand

Unironically, Kamen Rider X has my favorite first episode in Rider since Blade.

Holy crap what a trip.

Yeah, I like its dramatic side, too. Also both X and Blade always fights with a weapon.

X is such a good show. I feel like it's really overlooked, even by Showa standards.

I already wrote somewhere that the X was unfortunate enough to be squeezed between the cool V3 and the crazy Amazon, compared to which it looks dull. Plus, the name, while clever, is incredibly bland.

I gave Amazon a rewatch since Discotek released it. Amazon was my veeeery first Showa era tokusatsu back in the day, so it was a particularly interesting show to reevaluate. While I don't think my fundamental thoughts on the show have shifted all that much, I certainly appreciate how unique it is among Showa Riders nowadays, so I've reaffirmed it as my favorite 70s Rider show at the very least. The goofy violence, surreal fights, and lovable cast are all highlights. Another thing that really stuck out to me on this rewatch is how this show doesn't suffer as much from the typical Showa Rider issue where it starts off strong but quickly turns into a bog standard experience. Amazon certainly becomes MORE normal as it goes along, the protagonist learns Japanese and uses standard fighting moves more often, with less emphasis on how ostracized he is. The Garander Empire is also about as generic as they come. But the show never totally loses it's feral edge or any of the other things that make it stand out. I'm not going to say I LOVE Amazon, but it's a cool show, especially for someone like me who enjoys Shows tokusatsu but not particularly Showa Rider.

Currently 14 episodes into Kamen Rider X, ending with the (apparent) death of Apollo Geist.

And man, I gotta say, after a string of Rider shows that have been pretentiously up their own butts in regards to their drama(Geats, Kabuto, Amazonz), X has been a much needed breath of fresh air.

Because the show is just out and out fun, only helped by how it seems to be very in on the joke as to how goofy it can be. The scene of X and the MOTW doing the Scooby-Doo Doors bit in the middle of one of their fights? Fantastic gag that I'm surprised no one has ever mentioned in my circles before.

And yes, Apollo Geist is super cool and I can see why he became the standout character of this show even without Decade's' help. I just gotta respect a guy who makes it a point to make mile long leaps solely so he can land on his motorcycle and drive off in disappointment, ya know? Not to mention the amazing zingers he dishes out on occasion.

The short of it is that this show has been a blast so far, and is quickly climbing up the ranks in how I feel about Showa seasons.

Just finished watching Kamen Rider: ZO, last week. It was my first Showa, and man, it is such an awesome movie. A lot of its style makes sense, because I heard that a scenario writer for Resident Evil: 2 (1998) worked on this.

This movie really scratches the itch in my brain for sci-fi aesthetic and I hope one day we can get more specials like this. Also, this movie is just really brilliantly shot. There's so many screencaps you could take within those 40 minutes that would make for really great backgrounds.

What I really loved most was the bio-horror. Putting aside the really awesome spider sequence, I love everything about Doras' appearance. It's exactly what I would imagine a true Shocker-esque Ichigo would look like.

Also, anyone seen the new Girls Remix special? Subs are out, apparently. As a Wizard fan, I have to see what's in store.

I watched it. It's a nice little special that continues Nayuta and Cloud's story from the previous one. None of the characters feel out of place, and the lore and power of previous shows are used actively and appropriately. The battles, humor, Halloween atmosphere, and beautiful costumes are all included. Definitely worth a watch for Wizard fans. Also, the battle between Rinne and Glotta is the only Gotchard and Gavv crossover so far. So, personally, I definitely enjoyed it and will be looking forward to more.
P.S. The Easter egg through Zi-O to Faiz was very unexpected.
https://tokuzl.net/wp-content/upload...n-party-01.jpg

I haven't but I'm going to!

I have finally done it. I have completed all 98 Episodes of the Original 1971 Kamen Rider!!

It was honestly a lot of fun! Episodic with a lot of rehashed plots? Sure. Cheesy, schlocky, and campy 70's show full of tropes and the like? Absolutely! But I wouldn't have had it any other way. Though I would still say I prefer the Original Ultraman over Kamen Rider in terms of rewatchability.

While characters come and go throughout the show, most of them were enjoyable and charming enough for me to remember them, and the part where Hayato replaces Hongo, I didn't think I would come to like him as much as I did, but I genuinely enjoyed both of them.

While I know this is basically every Showa Show until Black (I've seen half of Amazon, so I get that), I wouldn't mind watching the following shows like V3 (which I hear is going to get western a release down the line). And with this show finished, in perfect timing with Tanzaburo Tojima wants to be a Kamen Rider, I suppose now I have to find time to watch Himitsu Sentai Goranger, Garo, and Space Sheriff Gavan to see the Main Tokusatsu pillars' debut shows.

Respect. :rock:

I only managed to watch the first 30 episodes of the original Kamen Rider series myself. My progress for it has been very slow going. Anyway, I am now 24 episodes into my Dragon Knight rewatch.

Okay, just finished the Girls Remix special. Wow, it was a lot better than I expected! Makoto Okunaka is a shining star (no biases here, haha), and while I always considered her a really good actor, I definitely think she's improved even beyond what I expected.

As someone who has also been wanting a Wizard/Gotchard crossover since forever (too many parallels in the show not to have one), I was really happy with how it turned out. Overall, the action was pretty good, and while I haven't seen Kiva, Shizuka was also a particular highlight of the special.

It's a fun holiday special with a good story, so I'd definitely recommend it.

Finally got around to watching the Yodonna spin-off. 3 episodes in and I'm loving it so far. She's such a fun character, and it's nice seeing this other side of her. Episode 3 felt a little weaker, just because it felt a bit tacked on and disconnected from 1-2, but burst mode and the confession scene made it worth it. Can't wait to see The Final.

Yeah, that's a fun spin-off. I wonder if there'll be anything like that again.

Sure, I could easily watch 2 hours of Fire Candle!

EDIT: Hey, why are we talking about Yodonna in the Rider thread anyway?

Because I had an over 30 moment while looking for the thread to post in :lol

I read through the Kamen Rider Blade novel and... I kinda don't know how to feel about it?

I guess if I could sum up my thoughts in one sentence, it'd be that the whole thing reads like a decently written fanfic.

Whether or not you see that as a good thing is up to you, but for me it gave me some conflicting thoughts. On the one hand, it really doesn't feel quite entirely in spirit with the original show, but on the other, as a story by itself in its own write, it works decently enough despite some holes here and there.

And in terms of post-Blade media that I've experienced, here's how I'd rank them:

1. 20th Anniversary Stage Show
2. Ghost Crossover Stage Show
3. Novel
4. Zi-O Two-Parter

Overall I feel it's an "okay" read. As an ending to Blade, it's of course got nothing on the ending of the original show, but as its own thing, it works decently enough.

Ignore this post.

I have finally gotten around to continuing right where I left off on my Kamen Rider Dragon Knight rewatch not too long ago and I am already down to its final three episodes. I should be able to finish this series before the end of this year.

Despite naming my entire internet persona after Delta, I'd never actually got around to watching Faiz. However, yesterday I decided to begin watching it and it is extremely good so far! I watched episode 1 a year or so ago and it didn't really interest me, but boy am I glad I decided to give it another try!

Anyway, I'm currently on episode 14 and am really intrigued with all of the stuff surrounding Kaixa and the Ryusei School. I can't wait to see Delta in action, too!

Faiz is really interesting! The tangled web of character drama, tragedy, and a little bit of silliness is really compelling. Orphenochs are also some of my favorite monster designs in the series, I love their statue-esque appearance. I hope you continue to enjoy it, the show is definitely not for everyone but I think if you like it so far you will probably be one of its fans.

It's always cool to see a fellow Faiz fan. :thumb:

I finished Kamen Rider X!

And while I think that, in usual Showa fashion, the second half was weaker than the first, I still overall really enjoyed watching this one.

The show itself is insane in alot of ways, and really, that's my favorite kind of experience with toku: When a show just goes all in on being cracked out and, more than that, just overall really fun.

Sure, "deep" plots and fancy special effects are great and all, but does Modern Rider feature stuff like Starfish Hitler and an arch rival so honorable that he pays for both your funeral costs and the damages he's done to your favorite hangout spot? Exactly. Checkmate, Geats.

X didn't end up becoming my new favorite Showa(that'd still be Super-1), but I'd definitely put it high up on the list, and I recommend anyone who just wants something fun and easy to view.

Whenever I'm in the mood for Rider again, I'm thinking I'm gonna tackle Saber.

Oh, Saber is my favorite rider! I'd love to hear your thoughts.

I'm actually going to disagree on this one and say that I think the second half is better. The plot with King Dark and Doctor Noroi is good, the GOAT V3 shows up and Mako and Chieko are a fun addition to Team X.

And my second favorite Reiwa Rider! I hope DreamSword will appreciate it as well.

It was cool to see a more direct overarching plot in a Showa season via the blueprints, for sure. I also liked the MOTW ideas a little bit more than the first half("Ant Capone" is an amazing name). It's just a shame that the second half has stuff like X never using Ridol again until the finale and the style/pacing being notably less breakneck crazy than the first.

Oh, I should also probably mention for anyone wondering: The subs that Discotek does for Rider are consistently rather well handled. I'd put them on par with the subs that SHOUT does, if not slightly better. This was the first time I watched a Showa season via their subs and I was impressed at how natural and clean the script came off.

I am currently up to "Swordsman Chronicles 3" in terms of the watch order I'm using for Kamen Rider Saber, and thus almost done with the first act of the show.

If you want the short version of my thoughts so far: It's decent.

Similar to my experiences with Gaim and Ghost though, I can't help but make special note in the back of my head about all the common things I remember reading about the show as it was airing as I go through it.

For example, a common complaint about the first act is that it has terribly fast pacing, and like, sure, I could definitely see a version of this story that's about twice as long as it is, and there being a few episodes where there's like three separate plots going on doesn't make it difficult to conceptualize.

But on the other hand, I literally just got done watching Kamen Rider X, a show that, in most episodes, moves at such a breakneck speed that you're barely left with any time to think at all(and I love it for it), so by sheer comparison, the pacing of Saber's' first act feels positively quaint. While more time and elaboration would be nice, it's nothing super damning.

Heck, with the common complaints I've been seeing about Zeztz, I'd argue this exact pacing is what many online are wanting Zeztz to have, despite it being complained about in the case of Saber. But for the record, my personal take it that the way both shows have approached their first acts is valid, and I found things to enjoy in both. Zeztz's' slower, more dreamlike pacing fits it's story so much better than the "something is always exploding" pacing of Saber would.

With that all out of the way, I don't exactly have anything super specific to say about the story itself so far? It's rather straightforward, and despite the world already being under threat of getting blown up, the first act very much has been setting up alot of pieces with which to be moved forward at a later time in terms of characters; Act 1 very much more plot and action focused. And in terms of the latter, the different styles of swordplay on display are fun to watch, and every suit is rather cool too, especially in motion.

My current favorite character in this season in Ren. I love how energetic he is and I am very interested in seeing where his arc goes moving forward; especially since his crush just got his soul taken away.

Oh, then you're in luck! I'd say Ren's storyline is really starting to get interesting right now. And the show is really picking up speed.

I watched Kamen Rider Gavv – Invaders of the House of Snacks. Well, the film is essentially a mini-show: the protagonist finds himself in an unfamiliar world where the outward brightness and cheerfulness conceals terrible cruelty. Shouma's reflection on his corrupt origins takes a new turn, as he literally sees a world where he doesn't exist and everyone is fine.
But the truth turns out to be much more complex and terrifying.
Due to the similar colors and designs of Gavv and Karies' uniforms, it was sometimes difficult to follow all the subtleties of their battles. But this is an acceptable inconvenience, justified by the origin and strength. And it's just great to see how the villain's costume differs from the hero's by just a few touches. This is very much in the style of KR.
It was also great to see the Stomatch family as a whole save Shouma. Although I didn't understand why, if the Granutes in this world are good, they still prefer black gothic outfits.
The local versions of Hanto and Lakia were also a joy, especially their comments about Valen and Vram.
Zeztz's cameo was good. Nothing particularly impressive, but enough to keep you interested. The Dream Agent's unique nature, on the one hand, makes it difficult to come up with a situation for his appearance, but on the other, it makes his appearance much more justified than with other riders.
I won't write anything about the main theme of this episode, namely Taorin and his connection to Shouma. But I recommend everyone watch this film. It's a very powerful and emotional story, and it's also incredibly true to the spirit of the show and doesn't feel like an unimportant side quest. It ranks among my favorite Reiwa Rider Movies, alongside Trio of Deep Sin, The Future Daybreak, and Graduations.
https://tokuzl.net/wp-content/upload...of-snacks.webp