[Kamen Rider Die]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FreshToku

I'm pretty sure if something on the level of Kuuga or Agito aired on present day's children programming block, it'd get banned and axed in no time.

That said, a lot of the recent Rider shows have had plenty of darker or mature moments, they just have a lot of fun and levity to go along with it too. Of course, neither dark or lighthearted moments are always executed perfectly, but I think any year-long show that only ever has one tone set in stone would be a lot less compelling than what we've been getting.

Yeah, I think it's interesting that if you chart out the Kamen Rider series from (what little I've seen of) Showa, to Heisei Phase 1, to Heisei Phase 2, it's a pretty clear decline in violence and horror. I was a little shocked that the defeated Grongi in Kuuga blow up with body parts flying off. I do not expect that from kids entertainment!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Layton13

Kuuga is a very grounded series without a lot of the zaniness even the next season will partially bring. A lot of its darker aspects have not much to balance it out really and the only thing that sticks out is when things get worse.

As violent and dark as Agito, for example, can get, it has a lot more to balance out the bad things, moments, not so much episodes, but there is just a stronger optimistic tone and message buried beneath it that makes it easier to stomach for me. Aka, it feels the show wants to tell a hopeful message told through the darkness, one Kuuga just didn't nail for me as much with its more grounded story and tone.

Yeah, the sci-fi horror vibe to Kuuga keeps things from feeling too optimistic, which makes Godai's earnestness and enthusiasm seem both refreshing, and completely out of place. Ichijou and Sakurako are in this race against monsters to save lives and prevent god knows what, and Godai's here to help! He's going to help, you guys! It's like you can see the spirit of what later series would do, but in this one it's still stuck in the cocoon of Showa grittiness and violence.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Switchblade

Amazons is the only modern Rider series I haven't watched all the way through. I got about halfway into season two and decided I just couldn't tolerate it any more. Everything about it felt so awkward and staged that I just couldn't take it anymore.

Okay, so, I wouldn't say Amazons gets good later into season 2, but it gets captivatingly weird. There's some choices they make that are so mind-bendingly bizarre that, while I don't love it, I grudgingly respect it. Maybe try a few more if you're feeling masochistic?

Never watch the movie, though. Just, no. I watched it last Christmas (I was under the impression that red and green Riders made it a Christmas movie) and, while I won't know for sure until this December, me watching it may have killed Santa Claus.