[Suzu]

Psycho, those weren't tattoos. Gaku Sano and Yutaka Kobayashi just love to paint their skin for stage shows, they've done that pretty often in the past. Tattoos are something that is still rejected in Japanese culture as it's heavily associated with the Yakuza, the Japanese Mafia.

As for the bathing and shower scenes: It really is not that much of a "getting past censors" thing, because especially bathing is an important part of everyday life in Japan. Families usually have a bath together, so for a kid it's no big deal to just see someone else in a bathtub. And before you bathe in Japan, you have to shower to not get the water dirty (because everyone may have a bath whenever he/she wants). As for the fanservice aspect: Yes, of course those scenes play with the fact that the character is nude, but they never show too much(- because it would have to be pixeled out even in porn ).

As for the ikemen aka pretty boy casting: it was originally a thing to appeal housewives and yes, there is still many moms who join their kids for that reason. But these days, Kamen Rider has an impressive young female demographic, from teens to young adults. Just to give you an idea, on both days I was at Kamen Rider the Diner, about 90% percent were young females around my age. At the Drive live viewing of Drive's final stage it was pretty much the same, with a tad more kids mixed into the audience. This female audience is who all the magazines with model photos are aimed at, the actor calenders etc. And many girls watch it because of those ikemen actors. That's why a relatively unimportant sidekick like Zack/ Kamen Rider Knuckle got his own movie, you know.

Also, can't deny this is part of why I watch those shows as well. I do own several photobooks of the actors, including three signed copies of Inaba Yu's (Gou/ Kamen Rider Mach).

[TheTakoTank]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Lolita

「@Matrixbeast」
I read that attractive males are cast to appeal to housewives. XD

Iirc, that's why they cast Hibiki, right?

[Kamen Rider Lolita]

[@TheTakoTank;;]
I read the casting of "attractive males to appeal to housewives" has been practiced since Blade.
Hibiki came immediately after Blade, so it's possible.

[Switchblade]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Lolita

[@TheTakoTank;;]
I read the casting of "attractive males to appeal to housewives" has been practiced since Blade.
Hibiki came immediately after Blade, so it's possible.

I always thought it started with Ryuki. I understand it was a big part of why Asakura stuck around for the whole series.

[GoseiWonder]

I wonder what the Showa series would be like if those Riders we ikemen pretty boys.

Nothing about their personality changes, they just look like attractive early-twenties young men.

[barnstenchfartface]

Quote:

Originally Posted by GoseiWonder

I wonder what the Showa series would be like if those Riders we ikemen pretty boys.

Nothing about their personality changes, they just look like attractive early-twenties young men.

Pretty much all of them already were attractive early-to-mid twenties young men. They were attractive and fashionable, but obviously by the standards of their time.

[Matrixbeast]

While attractive is subjective, I don't think that's the right way to describe them. They all seemed more appealing to boys in that they were more 'rough' looking men, not exactly rugged, but clearly not 70's era pretty boys. I really feel the first "Pretty boy" Rider was Black.

[Neptune]

Well, I certainly can't say I don't find several of the Kamen Rider leads attractive. ^_^

OOO alone has a pretty cute lead.

[Switchblade]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matrixbeast

While attractive is subjective, I don't think that's the right way to describe them. They all seemed more appealing to boys in that they were more 'rough' looking men, not exactly rugged, but clearly not 70's era pretty boys. I really feel the first "Pretty boy" Rider was Black.

I'd probably give that to title to Hiroshi, personally.

[Sentai]

Cute KR people, and how are we not talking about Gou.