Needs more Kevin Conroy. :p

Nolan Batman isn't bad, but it's an excellent alegory for this conversation-

Actually, you know what's a REALLY good comparrison here?

Man of Steel. You know, that movie that took a bright, uplifting and hopeful character like Superman and put that same inane "grim and gritty" filter on him combined with ludicrously pretentious comparrisons to JESUS and calling him inspiring despite never doing anything inspiring? Just like Kamen Rider, Superman is somethign that doesn't need to be dark, incredibly serious, or devoid of humour. At least not in the way Gatack describes. It's taking something that's heart lies in being bright and encouraging and making it dark and grim and coming off as entirely pretentious and boring as a result.

Superman doesn't work as "dark." Neither does Kamen Rider. As Locke has put over and over, it really undercuts your hero's cred when so many lives are lost on his watch and he doesn't give a shit except for, like, maybe one or two. And that's inevitable when you demand constant deaths. The hero can't react realistically to every single one, so he can't react to any without seeming inconsistent. It's a writer's trap too many fall into. Heroes save lives, but if everyone dies anyway, are they really heroes at all?

I think this is why Ryuki was also good to me. It had death, but it was periodic. Yeah it seemed weird at times when someone died in front of him and he wasn't as shocked as later times, but because they bodycount was relatively low (probably helped with the Riders themselves being the main source of deaths, which of course fit right in with Ryuki's attempt to stop the fighting) he didn't seem ineffectual. In fact, I can easily say he saved more innocents then he let die, despite every show around him being the opposite.

That's an entirely valid point. Personally, though, I prefer my Riders to be the sole hero (or small group of heroes) holding back the seemingly unstoppable tide of evil. If I have to pick between Shocker trying to take over the world or Gamou wanting to meet aliens, I want Shocker. Not that the other story isn't valid, I just like the other one more.

Thank you for not saying Schumacher.

Right...so you turn on the news and see hundreds of people died. You dont care because you dont know their names or favourite colour? People die a lot every day, that's real. If we're going to keep using Kuuga as a bashing bag, then at least consider the fact the show spans multiple cities and Godai isn't going to know every person. The grongi's MO is mass murder. That doesn't make it a bad show

Yes, actual characters built up overtime dying has more impact in story telling than ones you dont know. But in this case, victim of the week being sad without real danger to their life versus someone shown being killed in coldblood, the latter is more impactful in my opinion. If you disagree, fair enough dude, leave it there.

Look dude, if you don't like Kamen Rider being darker than that's cool, good for you man but I started this thread to discuss the likelihood of that returning. You would think that'd attract like minded people, not the opposite. I think it's best you find another topic more tuned to your liking

Oh and BtAS is one of the darkest and most serious cartoons of its time so dont try that

And that was not close to what he was saying.

And let's try being more civil, Gatack. There's no reason to belittle someone else just because they don't agree with you.

Kamen Rider is not real. It will never be real. If you cannot understand how circumstances in a TV show are different in real life, I don't know what to tell you. Nobody really dies in Kamen Rider, because it's a fake TV show. That's why they have to SELL us on the death, make us believe it WAS a reae person who died, because it isn't.

I should not be explaining the difference between TV shows and real people dying.

And yet hardly a single character died in the entire run. Also, the second episode had Btaman fighting giant nutcrackers and Joker riding a Christmas tree rocket out of prison.

Funny how that works. You perfectly proved my point. BTAS managed to be dark and serious WITHOUT gratuitous death and gore. Gaim is actually frightening similar to BTAS in tone. Light-hearted, sometimes goofy, but knows when to be serious. The only difference is Batman is visually dark.

Just stop dude, it's getting boring. Don't put words in my mouth. Never once said Kamen Rider had to be 100% dark and devoid of humour. It's a tone and aspect that has gone missing and I wanted to discuss it's possible return.

Every KR series has humour in it, some more so than others

My Mum's death means more to me than when I hear hundreds died in a suicide bombing in the East. The death still impacts me, I'm human and have natural compassion for other humans, but when all I have are numbers I can only care at the most basic of compassion.

When I KNOW who died, and the show made me give a damn about them, then damn right it impacts me way more. This is exactly true of the 'sad kid', 'dead kid' scenario. If I can name the sad kid, tell you his favourite food and what motivates him in life then we've become friends and I care if you're sad. If the dead kid is simply the number 'fifteen' in the body count list (number fifteen out of TEN GAJILLION) and simply addressed to as 'dead kid' I can only care on the base shocks of dead children.

Is it, though?

Because I'm actually finding it quite relieving to deconstruct themes and tones and see how they work.

You keep saying that, yet you more than once basically said the days of dark and serious rider shows are behind us.

And we are. Just because we're not giving you the answer you specifically wanted, doesn't mean it's not an answer.

I am closing this thread. The arguement is getting out of hand and has long since moved beyond reasoned debate, which should happen on this forum. Everyone please remember that this is a Haven. We welcome debate, we want you to have differing opinions, and also share what you love. But when it turns into patronizing and worse.. Then we have no choice but to act.

Think before you Post. Please.