[Fish Sandwich]

Recently I finally watched BLACK and BLACK RX. Now, I probably should've done this way sooner, but I've always had a little hang-up that's stopped me from getting around to it. I find RX more interesting. That's probably another one of those statements people who aren't me don't make much. Part of me really wanted to just do that one first. I mean, it's a pretty loose sequel anyway, right? But my long-standing interest in RX's wicked style and killer theme song doesn't mean I don't find BLACK interesting, too, and with such a classic series, I'm practically obligated to watch it. A bit of a dilemma, yeah?

But then the idea hit me, one I've had before. Just do both. It was a crazy plan, and probably an unnecessary precaution, but I figured watching both shows together like some kind of weird tokusatsu version of Memento would give me the deepest possible appreciation for what each one brings to the table. Instead of longing to go back to the style of whatever one I watched first once I got to the second, I'd get to enjoy those tastes in small bursts, the contrast only serving to make the flavor that much richer. So I promptly set about watching BLACK and RX in alternating chunks of two episodes, like I've been doing a lot lately, starting with BLACK, and ultimately saving RX's final episode for last, which I didn't plan on going in, but RX is shorter, ends on an odd number, and the penultimate episode leaves on a solid point for a break, so it all worked out nicely.

That's really the moral of the story here. This whole thing went better than I could've possibly expected. Both of these shows are real winners in their own ways, and putting them in such direct contrast only served to make things even more interesting.

BLACK is the truest possible (then-)modern reboot of Kamen Rider. It takes things back to the absolute basics, and tells a story about Koutarou Minami, a tortured hero who overcomes his sorrow to become a warrior of nature, fighting a lonely battle for humanity's freedom against the vile machinations of an authoritarian secret society embodying the worst evils of society. Rather than try to put extra frills on that concept like the other series made in the wake of the original, BLACK seeks to execute that original concept again, using years of hindsight and improvements in production quality to realize it on a level that wasn't possible in 1971.

RX is a show that isn't too concerned with feeling like Kamen Rider. Rider is just one of many, many hero tokusatsu series it pulls from for inspiration. It's the ultimate possible generic tokusatsu show of the era, telling a story about Koutarou Minami, your cooler older brother who, with the help of his many friends, stands strong in the fight for humanity's freedom against an authoritarian monarchy who seek dominion over the Earth. One could easily argue RX to be a mess of tropes put together with little thought, but I would contend that RX was making a very deliberate, and successful attempt to be something of a greatest hits collection for all of tokusatsu.

BLACK was a clear evolution for the franchise. The only thing about its execution that isn't impeccably tight is all the bits of Black's suit that constantly look half a second away from falling off, and those are only loose because they keep throwing the guy through walls and out of buildings. It's a tense show with a great idea of what it wanted to be about, that also takes the drama to new levels with its series-spanning story arc regarding the fate of Koutarou's adoptive brother Nobuhiko, and his eventual transformation into the dreaded Shadow Moon. I'm telling you right now, if you haven't seen the show, there's a reason this guy is so well-remembered and popular even today. The idea that Nobuhiko would, instead of simply existing in the background until getting rescued in the finale or something, actually become the main villain of the series for the back third or so must've been absolutely mind-blowing to audiences in 1988, and what's even better is that most of the episodes centering around him were written by none other than Noboru Sugimura. I have never seen a writer as good at pushing heroes to the absolute edge as Sugimura is, and he does this amazing concept the justice it deserves.The material with Shadow Moon is thrilling. But it's also not the whole show, and I think it'd be a mistake to go in looking for that. Shadow Moon's storyline is merely the cherry on top of an otherwise largely episodic series, that focuses on doing standard monster of the week plots in style, always heavy on the mood and atmosphere.

Perhaps the greatest secret weapon of RX is its serialization. It's something I didn't at all expect going in, but there's a huge amount of connective tissue between episodes. Every week still delivers a beginning, middle, and an ending where RX blows up at least one monster, but, even when the show isn't doing an outright multi-parter (like the very first two episodes, no less!), plot points frequently lead into one another. An easy example of this from very early on is Koutarou receiving a disk in the third episode containing the data he uses to build Rideron in the fourth. This creates a great sense of momentum that makes the series super exciting. You're never too far away from a big event in RX. It's a bombastic show where things are always happening, especially thanks to its great set of villains.

The monsters in BLACK have wonderful designs. As with the rest of the series, it's the OG show taken to a new level of craftsmanship. Much as Black's suit incorporates the fleshy bits at the joints, the monsters emphasize their organic nature with detailed, creepy looking costumes, often tricked out with animated mouths and everything. Some of these guys are genuinely a bit scary, all helped by the often horror-like atmosphere of their initial scenes. BLACK is a show I'd really recommend to anyone who has a particular affinity for movie monsters in general. There's some really great work here, and it's always a delight seeing what terrible creature Golgom is going to send out to their bidding next.

The Crisis Empire don't seem like the ideal baddies for a Rider show. In fact, I got major Gingaman vibes from them throughout. This ends up working out hugely to the series' benefit, though. Having a selection of generals with wildly different motifs is just plain fun. Their aristocratic backstabbing and bickering keeps their scenes feeling lively, and the variety of monsters at their command is just unreal. You've got robots! Gross animalistic monsters! Talkative monsters with neat gimmicks! It's all here man! The diversity means things never, ever get stale, and like all good Sentai villains, you almost start to root for them in a weird way. It's the total package. Similarly helping out in the variety department is RX's ridiculous arsenal, which includes three forms, three bikes, a car, two swords, and a gun. The wealth of options he has at his disposal is nothing but a benefit to the episode plots, which have tons of options to get RX in and out of a pinch... even if Bio-Rider is broken as s***.

BLACK's desire to keep things simple results in a show that could very well be called the definitive Kamen Rider. It's a touchstone work in the larger franchise that achieved very well-deserved massive popularity, and will probably continue to relevant as the years go by. It's in the fortunate position of not being old enough to be too dated, but also being old enough to be old-school. 80's nostalgia stubbornly refuses to die, so I figure BLACK's got a real edge going in that department. Again, it comes with the caveat that it's not going to meet modern standards of arc-based TV storytelling, but it's a truly excellent show that hits some truly incredible highs, and a great gateway to the Showa era for anyone who hasn't yet given it a chance.

RX goes all out on a ton of different ideas, and admittedly is a little lacking in the spirit that makes Rider what it is, but I can't help but adore it for what it is. It's a show that says you can face terrible tragedies in life and still come out on the other side a happy person with a fulfilling life. You can have a promising career, a family to call your own, and loyal friends who will ride or die with you to the ends of the earth. That even your greatest regrets can eventually receive closure, and that you can move on to a brighter future, as long as you always keep the light of justice in your heart, and respect the beauty of the world around you. That kind of stuff, that's what I watch tokusatsu for, so there's absolutely no way I'm complaining that's what RX wanted to be about. I said Ryukendo might be the most definitive hero toku show ever, and RX might give it some stiff competition.

BLACK is a masterpiece.

BLACK RX is a treasure.

These are two awesome shows I'm more than happy to finally have under my belt. They have their common points, like the excellent soundtracks by Eiji Kawamura (you'd better believe that put me in my comfort zone coming off of Kakuranger), the usual complement of awesome theme songs, and Koutarou refusing to forgive evildoers, but at the end of the day, each show goes in a totally different direction, and I think they each stand on their own as something worthwhile. As for the question of which one I ended up liking more, though... well, I'll just let this montage of RX episodes that ended with sitcom freeze-frames of Koutarou looking like a total gormless goof speak for itself:
















And for those of you keeping count, yes, an entire third of the series ended this way.