[Tokumonkey]

Quote:

Originally Posted by IXRollOutIX

Having the Figuart in hand, I just sort of noticed that Drive is the first Heisei rider since Hibiki not to have a jewel on his helmet. I guess Hibiki doesn't really count though, because if I recall he wasn't designed to be a Kamen Rider initially. So I guess Drive is the first one who's intentionally lacking it. I mean, he's got the rider symbol, but no jewel.

I'd have assumed the forehead jewel was a consistent theme, but Hibiki stretches the theme to "forehead decoration." Drive could be the second with that theme, but you could also argue - persuasively, I think - that the lights that run up his forehead stand in for jewels.

Something I love about these designs is that references to the first Kamen Rider are always there, but wholly abstracted. Hibiki dropped the compound eyes, but the horns (representing antennae) and belt seem to me to be clear references. Ryuki had already set a precedent by almost completely obscuring the compound eyes. Wizard re-imagined the compound eyes as smooth jewels, and Drive re-imagined them as headlights.

Part of the fun for me is trying to figure out which design elements were deliberately playing off Kamen Rider 1, and which are just my imagination.

Unrelated: whichever of you posted, "All we needs is Drive," thank you! I was starting to think I was the only person who noticed. (I also wish subbers would stop fixing the flub, which I find to be charming.)