[GoldenXtreme]

I gave Amazon a rewatch since Discotek released it. Amazon was my veeeery first Showa era tokusatsu back in the day, so it was a particularly interesting show to reevaluate. While I don't think my fundamental thoughts on the show have shifted all that much, I certainly appreciate how unique it is among Showa Riders nowadays, so I've reaffirmed it as my favorite 70s Rider show at the very least. The goofy violence, surreal fights, and lovable cast are all highlights. Another thing that really stuck out to me on this rewatch is how this show doesn't suffer as much from the typical Showa Rider issue where it starts off strong but quickly turns into a bog standard experience. Amazon certainly becomes MORE normal as it goes along, the protagonist learns Japanese and uses standard fighting moves more often, with less emphasis on how ostracized he is. The Garander Empire is also about as generic as they come. But the show never totally loses it's feral edge or any of the other things that make it stand out. I'm not going to say I LOVE Amazon, but it's a cool show, especially for someone like me who enjoys Shows tokusatsu but not particularly Showa Rider.