[Kamen Rider Die]

KAMEN RIDER SABER HYPER BATTLE VIDEO - “GATHER! HERO! THE EXPLOSIVE DRAGON TELEVI-KUN!”



Finally, this show gets its Cubi.

I love stories about monsters who’d rather not be evil. I don’t mean long arcs where villains slowly succumb to the hero’s (or heroes’) moral gravity, and fight for justice. Those are nice, but what really gets me are little stories about chump monsters who are too adorable to be evil, and would rather just be creative, or happy. Little stories of heroes encouraging monsters to follow their innocent dreams? That is the most Kamen Rider story possible, to me.

So, yeah, I adored this hilarious HBV about finding merit in even the goofiest of heroes. Leave it to Saber to take the pack-in video for an issue of Televi-Kun, and turn it into both a hysterically self-referential joke about kids-magazine superheroes AND a moving short story about the inherent nobility of even the most slapstick of heroes.

It’s an HBV where I got maybe half of the references (Lone Wolf & Cub and Aflac, yes; whoever Rintaro was supposed to be, no) and still loved every second of it. The ongoing gag about Touma being drafted by an increasingly in-character X-Swordman to portray partner-turned-rival-turned-partner Blademan-Y alone is a joke that would’ve carried most other HBVs, but this thing also gives us everything with Storious (greatest episode for him) and Mei’s frenzied dedication to breaking this ludicrous story. It’d be one of the best ever HBVs if they’d only tried half as hard; the rest is just them flaunting their prowess.

God, I loved this. The HBV is, I always feel like, where a show most becomes itself. It’s where the cast and crew are confident enough in their abilities to do something this parodic and absurd, while still delivering what we love about the series. After this, it’s the endgame, and Legend Riders, and a solidified legacy. And it’s all because they landed something as inconsequential and goofy as this.

I guess there’s heroism in even the most humorous of forms.

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CERTAIN STARS



“‘Yes father… I shall become… a blademan. Why?’ WOO! Classic stuff there, right guys? Hey, it’s Kaho, back with a deeper dive into the history of SWORD-X-MAN and the entire SXM universe. As always, if you want to stay on top of these explainer videos, be sure to smash that bell! Don’t forget to Like and Subscribe, as well!

“Okay, Blademan-Y! We’re gonna dig a little deeper into his story this time out, but first, I gotta respond to some of the comments from the last video. I got a lot of ‘Kaho, WTF? We thought you hated Sword-X-Man!’ I mean, some of y’all were a little saltier than that, which: thanks for the assist, mods!

“But, yeah, no, you guys are right. I definitely came in on Sword-X-Man with a bit of an ax to grind – no pun intended for you Z-Axeman fans! I definitely didn’t love how it was approaching American superhero tropes, and I didn’t feel like the creative team was really honoring what they were referencing. It was… yeah, not a great first impression.

“I stuck with it, though, and I really ended up getting into the story they were telling. It took a minute to get into the rhythms, but, man, so rewarding when the cast opened up. Sword-X-Man is great, and the whole book wouldn’t work without him as the stable lead, but c’mon: Blademan-Y! Z-Axeman! Hell, how great and nuanced is Duckler as a villain? It’s killers all the way down the line.

“And, look, it’s not the most serious attempt at this sort of story. It’s goofy, and it’s sometimes ridiculously earnest, and it’s always taking the weirdest approach to its storytelling. But, isn’t that okay sometimes? It doesn’t make the characters less evocative or intriguing for being funny, or even wacky. It’s one other type of flavor. Who would want there to be less flavors in the world?

“So, yeah, I came around on Sword-X-Man, and I’m glad y’all are willing to let me go on that journey with you. OKAY! Back to the explainer! So, I love this line: ‘You don’t get it boy… this isn’t a quarry… it’s a sword shop. And you’re the whetstone.’ But what does Blademan-Y really mean here? Well, we’d have to go back to Sword-X-Man issue number…”