[DreamSword]

Today I finished watching Kamen Rider Amazon!

And I gotta admit, this show surprised me in a few different ways, especially given its online reputation as simply "the gorey Showa season."

Because yeah, sure, the gore is there(even if the effects are laughable nowadays), but it's nowhere near the level that many a post talking about it had me believe. Heck, Super-1 had way more gore all over it.

But the show has alot more to offer. The story, as basic as it is, moves at a rather solid pace all throughout. The shorter run time means that the show never overstays its welcome. And in terms of overall themes, there's alot to do with friendship, communication, and the need for peaceful coexistence.

The smaller cast also lent to many of them being alot more involved than your average Showa supporting cast. The biggest highlight being Mole Beastman, who is just an absolute delight the entire time that he's in the show. Heck, one of the major gripes I have with Amazon is how dirty the show does him towards the end. Why the heck hasn't he gotten a Seihou figure yet!?

The only other downside I'd throw at the show is that I felt the villains were rather lackluster in comparison to many other Showa baddies. But again, atleast they didn't overstay their welcome like, say, General Shadow in Stronger. The last few episodes I also felt were rather weak in comparison to the rest of the show. But I still had alot of fun regardless. Double props for making the kid character of the cast actually competent and not annoying!

So, yeah. I don't think I'd call Amazon my favorite Showa season(that'd still be Super-1 currently), but I had alot of fun with it, and I'd put it high up on the list.

The next time I'm feeling a Rider show, well, with all the seasons I've seen, I think it's about time I tackle the season that to this day I still hear fans herald as the greatest the franchise will ever see, with nothing even remotely coming close to how it good it was ever since it aired.

I hear that break dancing might be involved too.