A new book focusing on the designs of 19 Heisei monster groups (Gurongi, Unknown, Mirror Monster, Orphnoch, Undead, Makamou, Worm, Imagin, Fangire, Dopant, Greeed, Zodiarts, Phantom, Inves, Roidmude, Ganma, Bugster, Smash and Another Rider)

http://hobbyjapan.co.jp/books/book/b...ovD-lmjmfOgP14

Since it’s unlikely anyone here will get the book, I’d just like to hear some general thoughts on the different aesthetics.

If I'm gonna be honest the Smashes from Build have to be the worst monsters in Heisei Kamen Rider. From both a design and story standpoint. Designwise they don't really stick out to me. And the story never really focused on them at all. More focused the 3 nations, the other riders and Stalk.

I can't say I agree? They just seemed to me like they were largely faceless soldiers, and just goons to the 'real' enemies. Build never had a Monster of The Week formula, so of course the "Monsters" were given little thought.

...wait I just explained why they were bad, not why they weren't.

oops.

Yeah, the Smash... never really did it for me, I have to say. They really felt like an afterthought to an otherwise awesome season; very generic monsters. It's a shame really, for the season that really went for being an update to Rider '71, the episodic Kaijin could have been better.

To get some positivity started -- the Greeed have always, always been my favourite. Deeply sympathetic tragic villains that aren't doing what they're doing because of some villain complex, but because it's all they know what to do and are left clawing and scraping for an imagined 'complete' life. Beautiful. Other favourites would be the Grongi and the Douji & Hime; who each are a huge part of their seasons' iconography and is impossible to imagine them without.

Design-wise, I adore the Grongi, and I'm gaining a newfound appreciation for the Ganma. The Unknown are phenomenally freakish and terrifying; otherworldly corruptions of the earth's creatures well beyond what any other season has done. And, damn, I really just can't not mention how consistently awesome the (non-CGI) Another Riders were, huh?

Greeed were great.
Never watched Kuuga.

Another Riders ranged from great designs with suits that reflected a twisted version of the rider they represented (Double being two people fused together, Den-O basically being an Imagin with armor, Wizard having empty eye sockets) to... whatever Build and Ex-Aid were supposed to be.

Build and Ex-Aid were definitely some of the weaker ones, being as they were the two first ones made to introduce the concept -- so they were mostly saddled with "rider but they're a monster". Though to me that's good enough on its own; and Build in particular has a fun little design quirk where his body is made beefy and strong; combined with his host and powers being based on athletic abilities -- ie, the complete opposite to Sento.

Another Ex-Aid also had mold on him. Which I think was really nice touch. Kinda sad we never got Another Genm though would've given the GenmArmor Geiz got something to do.

I'd also like the Bugsters most of them were for the most part minor characters but I feel like they did enough to distunguish rach one both design wise and personaloty wise.

I... guess.

Bugsters were great yea, especially with how they "evolved" with the crew. I think the bike dude was my personal favorite.

If we're talking aesthetics, the Undead from Blade deserve a mention for being, well, evil leather-and-jangly-chain animals. They do a good job at being unified and also very deadly looking.

I'm also gonna pull in a very "me" move and mention the Phantoms. Aesthetically, mythology is a very good source to pull from (Phoenix and Gremlin particularly look outstanding to me), and storywise their ability to blend in and be anyone lets you do some good MOTW plots.

The best monster aesthetics go to Super-1. When you've got suck out-there ideas like a Ladder Monster, an Rollerskating Monster, and a friggen Soap Monster, you make your goons almost impossible to forget.