--Kamen Rider Episode 11. In case you weren't sure if Shocker was an evil buncha bast'ads, this episode features the monster GebaCondor, who enjoys drinking the blood of newlywed girls... on their wedding day. Yeeeeaaaah.

Anyway, this episode had a lot of good action, with two well done fight scenes between Kamen Rider and GebaCondor. It was clear that Fujioka was hurt, as he only appears in stock footage in this episode, with Kamen Rider spending almost the entire time in costume. The character of Taki, Hongo's racing rival, is an interesting analoge for our hero.

--Kamen Rider Episode 12. Shocker's new monster GeckoGilas, steals an experimental Heat Beam, and things get worse from there. Ruriko takes center stage here, as Hongo is stil stuck in stock footage only. But it's a happy accident, so to speak, because it really put over Ruriko as a viable and useful ally to Kamen Rider. She's smart and resourceful, and even holds her own in a fight against two Shocker goons. Her stunt double for the motorcycle scenes is clearly a man, however! Good episode with another brutal weapon put to use by Shocker -- the Danger Light Heat Beam burns away it's target's flesh, leaving only a (2 dimensional) skeleton behind. Yikes!

--Watching both this show and Ultraman at the same time is an odd juxtaposition. It's very clear that even though it was made 5 years earlier, Ultraman has substantially better production values and effects. But Kamen Rider, possibly by virtue of it's lower budget, seems to take more risks creatively and break up the formula more than Ultraman does. So it's sort of a microcosm of the difference between Tsuburaya and Toei right there.

Also, it's weird that Captain Muramatsu and Tachibana are the same guy. :D

Finished Faiz 17-22. Well Kusaka is still a dick but the Kaixa suit looks really nice though it reminds me of the foot soldiers of Dekaranger a bit. Then we had that 2 episode arc about this girl whose mother had amnesia. Keitaro was really a sucker in that two parter though he did something to help the mother get her memory back. The friendship between Takumi and Yuji and the rivalry of their alter egos as Faiz and Horse Orphenoc is an intriguing plot. And still I'm liking the trio of Yuji, Yuka and Kaido more than that of Takumi, Mari and Keitaro. But the action has certainly picked up.

I know the feeling. Going back and forth between the relatively dark Kamen Rider Ryuki and the incredibly comedic Akibaranger is really really jarring.

And on that note I just finished episode 07 of Ryuki, yeah progress kinda grinded to a halt recently, especially as I got into Akibaranger, which I am about halfway through.

Episodes 21-24 of Kiva:

Jirou has been kind of a jerk, and the Fangire Queen showed up...I really don't like her. There was also a small glimpse of Kivat's father. Emperor Form debuted as well...I think that this is the earliest that a final form has debuted. I hope that they give more backstory on Tatsulot. Also, Mio is the new Queen? Man...I liked her. On Shinji...when Nago showed up after his wife died, I literally yelled "OH NO!!! OH...NO......NO! YOU...OH HECK NO!!!" Jirou also exposed his true form to Yuri...I wonder what happens next...

EDIT: episodes 25 and 26:

and Mio killed the Spider Fangire...I have very mixed emotions right now. Man...I liked Mio...anyway on a more positive note, I like Tastulot. But man, these past few episodes really reminded me why I don't like Nago. He's a power hungry control freak with a superiority complex, and now on top of that he's an underhanded liar. It was really interesting to see Queen take an interest in humans, and why some Fangires love them. I seriously wonder if she winds up giving birth to Wataru. Otoya had some really good moments as well, I liked how his amnesia was downplayed and only lasted half an episode. Apparenly next episode Nago gets the IXARiser and goes to 1986. When is Dark Kiva going to appear? I thought for sure he would appear before Emperor Form...then again why would you show off the black repaint/slight remold before the original? Anyway, this was a really good story arc. Bring on the next one.

Finally got back to OOO after a break to rewatch Double with a friend, and I'm up to 31. Bugeyes' little get-rich-slow-as-fuck scheme is pretty amusing. Also it's interesting, he won't absorb Fishfro and Hosenose's medals, but still carts them around. Sentimental?

I'm really, really interested in these purple medals. I know they make the dinosaur form, but I don't know anything about it. And why'd they enter his body and make him lose one of his TaJaDor medals?

Looking forward to answers.

EDIT: Sort of an addendum so I don't double post: Now that I'm knee-deep in OOOs I can't help but compare it to W. I don't want to, but there's things with OOOs that bug me that were better in W. Like the female lead. She's so boring and such a non-character. She has NO personality. Akiko may have started out annoying, but her antics became pretty hilarious and she DID stuff and seemed like a character. Eiji, as much as I like him, is only just now getting some good developement after being almost irrelevant to the story for the last while. I also find the plot a bit lacking. There's no mounting or impending endgame for any of the villains and the Greeed are just boring, single-minded jerks motivated by, well, greed. I also miss how the adventures of the week are a lot less fleshed out. In W you really felt like Shotaro and Philip were a superhero helping people and saving lives. They were ''elected'' as the city's hero and took it on as a responsibility to be that person. OOOs just sort of seems to fight monsters and dive in front of pedestrians. Ironic since his whole character is supposed to be about helping whoever he can and putting lives above medals. It's just a shame we don't see that more often.

Probably my biggest issue with this show is how gred and desire are used almost interchangably. Greed isn't desire, it's a selfish act to obtain more of what you already have. More money, more power, whatever. Desire is a want for something you DON'T have. I thought at first the idea was that the Greeed create greed FROM desire, but the entire reason the Greeed exist is because of the desire to be whole, which ISN'T greedy at all. I dunno, it just isn't completely flush. Especially when they're using people like a guy who wants to repay his debts to friends. How is that greedy? And then it makes a monster that robs a bank and throws money everywhere. wat

I like this show a lot, but it does lack in a few areas W didn't. BUT it also has some improvements, like a more instantly engaging secondary rider verses Accel who took me a while to like.

I've gotten back to watching Agito starting with episode 18 and I'm currently on episode 24. I'm liking the G3-X plot but I'm not a fan of what's going on with Gills. I also can't find a download that works for the rest of Gomen Rider's subs beyond episode 25 so it looks like I'm stuck unless I want to use Cruel Angel subs, which I've heard aren't that good.

I kind of thought that was the point. The Greeed would create Yummies from people who had just the mildest of desires, and it would grow out of proportion. Like the example you gave. The person wanted to repay his friends, so it was blown out of proportion in having the Yummy stealing and giving away all the money.

Anyway, I'm glad you're still liking OOO.

I still haven't seen Wizard yet but is it better than Fourze??

Going off the two episodes of Fourze that I've watched and the 22 I've watched of Wizard, I'd have to say that Wizard is not better than Fourze.

No.

So...episodes 27 and 28 of Kiva:

AHA! I knew Maya was Wataru's mom! But...at what point does Otoya marry Maya and what the heck is Bishop doing in Castle Doran? Nago being in 1986 was interesting, though it did remind me why I like Otoya so much (violin case boxing glove :lol) it's also really interesting seeing Maya go from this cold, evil jerk, to taking an interest in humans. She even told Otoya "your hands were not meant to hurt others" So yeah, Maya is a very interesting character. Nago had a bit of growth as well, which was good...he really needed that. They never showed what happened to the artist guy, which was a bit disappointing. Overall though, I really did enjoy this story arc.

Finished watching Fourze the Movie: Everybody, It's Space Time. I enjoyed the series and it was great seeing the cast again after so long... but this movie was just so damn irritating. I don't even know why. I was pushing myself to just stick with it the whole time. Maybe if I had watched it during the series' run, I might have enjoyed it.

The thing that bungles that for me is that they also create Yummies from genuinely greedy people, like the shopaholic. But they never make a destiction between greed and desire, treating them the same.

I mean, greed can be desire, but desire isn't always greed. If they were called something like, uh.... Desironauts or something I would get it. It just seems king of unfair that, say, the desire for justice and wanting to make the world a better place is something a Greeed can capitalise on.

But yeah I quite like the show. Sadly haven't gotten a chance to watch it since I last left off when PuToTyra showed up and defeated his enemies with an awesome gunaxe and bad cgi.

Eh. It's Kamen Rider, what can you do?

Nothing, I was just saying.

I guess that's true. Perhaps it's a convention of the language? That the Japanese don't have a real different between greed and desire? I'm not sure, honestly.

As for bad CGI, after the Tyranno episode in Double, I'm willing to forgive anything :lol

W loved it's bad CGI in the first few eps, boy it did.

Oh man, I totally forgot I downloaded that. I should watch it tonight.

Started watching the Fourze movie. Mikie Hara in latex? Ayumi Kinoshita in a short skirt? My eyes are going to enjoy the hell out of this movie, regardless of whether my brain loves it or hates it. :thumb:

That said, I forgot how much I completely don't miss Yuuki.

Fucking Yuuki, man. :(

Edit: this post has now become "Switchblade live blogs the Fourze movie."

Gentaro wants to befriend an orbital weapons platform. I legitimately forgot how much of a spaz he could be.

Also, I'm willing to bet good money that crazy roller skates dude is the villain.

Okay, that's like the fourth Shun salute in half as many minutes. Please stop it now.

Man, I've missed Ryusei.

Man, I have not missed the Switch gimmick.

Okay, the Switches are still dumb, but seeing them all get busted out like this is still pretty cool. This whole fight scene is really cool.

Hey, it's a competent main Rider!

Man, am I glad they dropped that weird filter on Haruto's voice for his own show.

Dude, it's a space station. It's like a building in space. It won't be your friend. :rolleyes

Yuuki just got shot. As if I needed more reasons to love Mikie Hara.

And the interior of the space station is that big cistern where Takumi fought the Orphenoch King and Ibuki took out the big fish Makamou. At least it's not that one warehouse that they've already used twice in this movie.

Oh, it was Ayumi who was shot. Damn you for getting my hopes up, film. :(

That was a pretty abrupt heel turn.

Followed by a very boobalicious face turn.

Yes, Ohsugi, you're still in the movie. Thank you for wasting a minute of everybody's time.

Seriously, Gentaro, IT'S JUST A FUCKING SPACE STATION!

Shun, if you don't stop doing that I swear I will fly to fictional Japan and cut your damn hand off.

Man, Mikie Hara's eyes are almost as huge as her... hey, it's time for more Meteor!

I should watch more Cutie Honey the Live.

You know, I never notice all of Miu's "Oops"-ing until it's pointed out.

Again with the saluting. I think it's the Mario twinkle sound effect that annoys me so much.

Okay, so it can turn into a big robot. Gentarou is still dumb.

Yes, Gamou, you're still in the movie, too. Thank you.

Paging deus ex machina... Deus ex machina, please report to the Rabbit Hutch...

There is nothing that can't be made better by a Nao Nagasawa cameo.

This whole scene would probably work better if it hadn't been six months since I watched Fourze.

Given how long it's taking to find all these people, this beating Gentaro is getting must be taking like an hour. Ouch.

They're seriously going to show all forty, aren't they?

No. Do not try to make the random Ohsugi's lunch scene be a metaphor. Bad movie. Also, the Fusion States suit is godawful.

I would have been so disappointed if they didn't have Gentarou do the handshake with the giant robot.

We're going to find her corpse buried in Nozoma's backyard, aren't we? :lol

I think I've reached the "filler" portion of OOOs. So far the only noteworthy plot point to have devoloped is that Eiji was able to summon the purple medals of his own will and properly transform instead of them doing it by themselves. I hope this makes way for him gaining complete control.

Also, shock of all shocks, I get to the PuToTyra episodes, get all excited about the upcominG SIC, and HLJ has an order stop.

Miu was "Oops"-ing through out the entire movie. She said it like 10 times. At least Shun salutes are awesome :p

So, how are you liking Maki? I know you've talked about the Greed, but I don't think you ever brought him up yet.

Doctor Maki? I did bring him up... I think. Maybe not. He's actually really interesting his whole ideal of "end things while they're perfect" is a relatable point of view. Him murdering his own sister to preserve his mental image of her was not. He's nicely deep and if I could say one thing I don't like about him, it's that he's kind of taken the backseat since then. However the way he's still present as a constant and always looming and lurking makes me think it's just leading up to him doing something big.

He was certainly an interesting character. While he loomed in the background, he always felt like he was actively doing something or playing someone, and not just masterminding events that just coincidentally happened to occur (See Den-O for a villain like that). So treating him as an actual character and not just a plot piece was easy (Unlike a character like Gamel).

So, how about that doll of his? :p

Fucking. Creepy. It even makes the same scream as the knife-swinging possessed doll from W when something happens to it. However the fact that it had it's own office chair, little closest and booster seat was kind of hilarious.

I loved all the little accessories it had. Hell, I even liked Maki's overreactions to losing it.
I didn't realize the noises it made were the same as the doll from W, though. Huh.

Okay, Fourze movie finished (quasi-liveblog here). Overall thoughts?

Mikie Hara is really, really hot.

Beyond that, the movie was fantastic. I'm by no means the biggest Fourze fan, but this movie really brought back a lot of what I liked about it (and Yuuki). Ryusei being awesome, the KRC being fun, Gentarou being lovably moronic. It was big, it was kind of dumb, and it was a ton of fun. I don't know where I'd rank this in my "Best Rider Movies Ever" list, but I know it would be on there.

FINALLY got to watch Everybody It's Space Time. Damn that was a fun film. Some of the goofiness of Fourze bothered me while the show was going on, but the energy of the cast was refreshing for some reason.

The opening with Inga and Black Knight stealing the switches was great as was the subsequent chase sequence. And Ayumi Kinoshita? The hell?! Why was I not informed that her beauty would be gracing the screen this go around? AND she was Skydyne? Awesome. And Dat fight with Fourze Meteor Wizard and the Horoscopes. DAT FIGHT. That was the best switch spam Gentarou has ever had. Simply great fight choreography on that one.

The Meteor/Inga thing was pretty awesome though. I could see that they'd have tension from amile away. And may I say that Ingas' actress is drop dead gorgeous on top of being a total badass? But that moment where Ryusei figures out that she's using the Star Soul Fist, when they each do those little call outs. So G Gundam. So awesome :lol

I have to say that the Kyodains plan was pretty brilliant, getting the KRC up to XVII just so they could be freed from their human forms. I do think it's a bit stupid that they could create Dustards though. While we're on the topic of brilliant, that switch montage? Was just brilliant. Finding 40 people who truly cared if Gentarou lived or died, if he won this fight, that was so awesome. And Gamou being #40 was pretty great too, it really speaks to how his character ended the series as well, it endears him to me much more. And Meteor Fusion was way better in practice than I thought it was as an idea.

Overall a fantastic showing from Fourze. This movie had me worried for months but having actually seen it all I can say now is that I can't wait for Ultimatum.

If you want more Mikie Hara check out Cutie Honey the Live. I've only seen a few episodes (I started watching it right when the DDL apocalypse went down, never got around to continuing it when things stabilized), but it's a fun show (weird, but fun). She plays the title character. The cast also includes the Kiva's Taiga/Garo's Dan, Faiz's Kusaka, Escape from Go-Busters, and Mark freaking Musashi.

I knew Escape had been in Cutie Honey but I had no clue that Inga was too. Hmmm.......

Ok.

just watched Kamen Rider Agito Project G4 ...holy crap that was good...was awesome to see it highlight all 3 of the main guys with a nice dark side story...I wish they would make movies like these again...

Kiva episodes 31 and 32:

I...hate...the Fangire Hierarchy. So...they eliminate those who love humans, and kill off other humans so that they can maintain their superiority, and since they caused the extinction of the Wolfen, Merman, and Franken races...I assume also kill every other race until only they remain. It also seems that Bishop is behind it all, since Mio is only doing that stuff because he says so, and Taiga...there is quite a duplicity with that character. So, in short: Bishop NEEDS to be Rider Kicked into oblivion. Speaking of Taiga...what's up Saga? I feel really bad for Wataru since he's caught up in this messed up love triangle. Nago had some ok moments, but dang dude...get your own bathtub. 1986 was good as well, I loved Otoya's line of "why am I alwys surrounded by monsters?" Poor Yuri though...I was wondering how they were going to break up. Maya is proving to be an interesting character. It's really nice to see her not being the cruel jerk who destroys love.

Bishop remains a douche the entire series. But don't worry, he gets whats coming to him soon enough :)The whole thing with the Fnagire race is that they believe they should rule humans. Or rather, the hierarchy that first established their race generations ago did. So they set up the Rook/Bishop/Queen/King system to ensure that a Fangire royal family kept their people in line. Those who deviate (like Maya) are punished severely. Bishops job has always been to ensure that Kings Queens etc did their job correctly.

Taiga is a bit conflicted but at the same time I don't start feeling bad for him until almost the end of the series. He was King for a long time and had no problem killing humans or out of line Fangire at all. I like him alot but he is kind of an off putting jerk. But seriously Saga has one of the best rider designs out there. Certainly the best in this series, or possibly Dark Kiva.

Huh. I just noticed that Chou Den-O and Decade has a Kiva shout-out.
Why didn't I catch that the first time around?

Oh yeah, I think the design is great. I just don't like the character that much. Please Bandai, SHF normal Kiva and SHF Saga.

You probably blinked.

Pretty much. I didn't even notice it on this viewing until Riki got name dropped and realized the guy going "I am a member of the Wolfen clan!" was Jiro.

Anyway, does every OOO movie involve time travel?

Movie war core?..... Maybe. Does nobunaga count?

I'm not rewatching to figure it out :lol

But there's skull! And like!5 seconds of ankh!..... ANKH!!!!