[DreamSword]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Enchilada645

Understandable.

I watched it first because I heard it was a good starter and was basically the second of the two series (Fresh being the first) to really lay the groundwork of what would come afterwards for a majority of the franchise. Enjoyed it quite a bit.

Glad you still had fun regardless of if it was overhyped or not though!

Yeah, it's a good show! It's just kind of a slower burn compared to other PreCure shows, which is kind of a funny thing to note when directed at a show brought to you by the people behind Dragon Ball Z and Casshern Sins. Nothing wrong with it, just not really what I was expecting to be in for.

[Name]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DreamSword

And just to get it out of the way, I will say that I don't think it's as good as Kira Kira or Hug. Infact I think it's a touch overrated?

One thing I'll say for Heartcatch is that when it goes hard, it goes hard. That 4 on 1 fight sequence with Dune is what I consider one of the best moments between the three shows. The combat in general is just uncontested right now.

...Granted, Kirakira was crippled by the network in this respect, but I'll stand by it.

[DreamSword]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Name

One thing I'll say for Heartcatch is that when it goes hard, it goes hard. That 4 on 1 fight sequence with Dune is what I consider one of the best moments between the three shows. The combat in general is just uncontested right now.

...Granted, Kirakira was crippled by the network in this respect, but I'll stand by it.

Yeah the fight scenes are definitely top notch in Heart Catch. The one that always stands out most to me is the fight in episode 5, because it's against a generic monster and had no business being as well done as it was.

[DreamSword]

THIS IS BEING CROSS-POSTED HERE FOR ARCHIVAL PURPOSES AND ALSO TECHNICALLY AN APRIL FOOL'S JOKE

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shin-chiro Shirakura via variety.com

""Kamen Rider Black" was an extremely popular TV series not only domestically but also internationally. It was remade by Saban as "Masked Rider" and aired in 1995, but unfortunately it got bad reviews and was a flop. Now we're getting our payback."

...

I get the feeling I might know what some of you are thinking right now.

"Haha, funny April Fool's' joke DS. But we all know Saban's' Masked Rider is trash and you can't seriously be comparing it to Kamen Rider Black Sun."

In which I'll respond with one very basic question: Is it really that clear cut? Afterall, how many of you have seen both shows, let alone Masked Rider in and of its own right? And if you have, do you even remember it clearly?

Heck, I'll flat out admit that originally, the review I'm about to share did actually start off as a total joke. I went into MR with the full intent to mock it, and then proceed to write this review in the most ironic way I possibly could. The show had such a bad reputation, it had to be incredibly easy to do, right?

But then I saw the first episode, and then the second, and then the third... and what I ended up getting was a show that, while I wouldn't so much as call it an underrated classic or anything, had a surprising amount of heart put into it. It had some genuinely funny comedy, heartwarming moments, and a surprisingly decent amount of character development and consideration for the script.

That, combined with the quote from Shirakura got me to seriously consider: Does Masked Rider actually have any sort of leg up on Black Sun? Afterall, he felt the need to specifically call out this show from nearly two decades ago, and confidently at that. So is there actually a sort of discussion to be had on how the show from Saban adapts elements of Kamen Rider Black RX VS how Amazon reimagined elements from Kamen Rider Black?

Well, my mission today is to get to the bottom of that. As such, I present to you all:

Family Fun VS Adult Antagonism

or

The Importance of Having Likable Characters in a Nonsensical Story

Let's get started.

Action and Visual Flair

One running theme that's going to become apparent throughout almost this entire review is how BS at first glance would seem to dominate in every category, but as you look beneath the surface of both it and MS, a legitimate argument can be made over which show handles what it has in a more satisfying way.

Kamen Rider Black Sun is a show made very recently, and as such has the inherent advantage of higher budget, better technology, and many more effective filming techniques having been discovered since the 80s, which is when the tokusatsu that it's rebooting(Black) debuted. And given the type of show that Black Sun is, there is alot more focus on the drama of its plot rather than the action of your usual Kamen Rider fair. Thus almost every action scene is more quick, to the point, and alot gorier in order to appeal to an older audience.

So that's gotta mean it's overall better than the visuals of Saban's' Masked Rider, you know? Afterall, the show cribs stock footage from Kamen Rider Black RX, so you can't really count it as they're not putting any effort into their own scenes, right?

Actually, no. Even if you don't want to give Saban credit for using the footage from Black RX(which in itself is pretty fun to watch most of the time), there was actually a surprising amount of consideration put into how to utilize said footage. Making sure to match Kotaro's' outfits, filming specific transitional scenes so the plot of the given episode would make sense, making sure to mostly use footage where the Japanese actor's' face was obscured whenever they had to use a scene where Kotaro wasn't transformed, etc.

Sure, it wasn't always the most seamless, especially when they'd dip into footage for ZO and J, but it's easy to see that consideration was put into making things line up as smoothly as they possibly could. And what little original action scenes they did film(mostly the times Dex would fight untransformed) were choreographed in such a way as to give its target audience something to smile about.

If you ask me this actually makes the section kind of a tough call. Do you side with the more modern, movie-like aesthetic of BS, or do you admire the effort MS went through to utilize what they were given? Me personally, at the end of the day, I side with which I found more visually stimulating and interesting to watch, as that's sort of the entire point of visuals, you know?

You can say I'm cheating or that I'm biased if you want, but at the end of the day, my eyeballs were far more intrigued by the antics going on with the American show. Both the original and the reused footage.

Plus, if I really felt that the reuse of footage were an outright cheat, then that would mean there's no good justification for Kamen Rider Black Sun recreating the opening of Kamen Rider Black, music and all, shot for shot, now is there?

Point goes to Saban's' Masked Rider.

Music and Atmosphere

Music is sort of an odd one to talk about for me, in that I didn't find either show's' score to be all that memorable or notable.

Black Sun has a score that might as well not even exist outside of its opening and ending themes, and Masked Rider, due to its low budget, had about six songs original to it, and sometimes even borrowed music from Power Rangers to compensate.

So I guess what it comes down to is, how do those theme songs hold up against each other, and how do they contribute to the overall tones of the show that they're attached to?

I'll admit, BS actually does great here, as the opening theme really does let you know straight away that you're watching a show that's trying to take itself incredibly seriously, and "Did you see the sunrise" is an incredibly good song that was wisely placed as the ending theme despite how easy it would be to use as an opener.

MS however has a theme song that is rather divisive, and it's easy to see why, but at the same time, I also get what Saban was going for with it? I'm not a fan of the vocals, but I understand wanting the song to sound like a sort of tribal chant to not only distinguish the show from PR, but to also sell how the Masked Rider powers in the show's' setting are inhereted; Passed down since the days of old on the planet Edenoi.

Unfortunately, it has the double-edged sword of not really fitting the tone of the show as a whole, and the song itself works way better as an insert theme than one that preps you for the kind of story you're about to experience. Let's just say that the idea of a tribal theme song would be done much better years later with a different toku franchise.

Okay, so it's clear that Kamen Rider Black Sun takes the lead with its musical budget, but does that mean it wins in terms of its overall atmosphere?

Actually, no. Because you see, atmosphere isn't just engrossing drama that makes your heart drop. It comes in all sorts of different flavors. Sure, the adult-aimed Amazon toku does its job in being very dour and dramatic, but Saban's' Masked Rider's' aim: To be something fun and uplifting for kids, is achieved as well. It has the sort of warm and wholesome feel that many shows don't actually capture all too well anymore, almost as if those who make these shows try to avoid it.

So if you're talking atmosphere specifically, the two are actually very even! But in the end, that means that the music is the deciding factor, and as such, I gotta give it up.

Point goes to Black Sun.

Plot, Messages, and Themes

Politics.

It's a big debate on whether or not politics have any place in entertainment, but whether you're for or against it, there's no denying that BS dives headfirst into a political landscape that's sure to be divisive.

I myself do not like talking about politics in general, and that, combined with how extensive political discussion is against the rules of the board that this is being written for, means that I'll be doing my best to not get into it too much. But given the very nature of the story itself, I do feel the need to point out that, regardless of one's' political leaning, it seems like this show was outright designed to just stir controversy for the sake of it, rather than have any sort of concrete point.

Because what starts off like a "simple" story about prejudice and the cycle of violence and hatred that erupts from it slowly turns into a insane diatribe about how in the end, we're all monsters and how true peace will only be attained when the "enemy"(whoever that is) is gotten rid of. By violent force if necessary.

Combine that with a bunch of moments that parallel real life to the point of being tasteless, as well as the show being outright advertised as controversial in its trailers and I honestly think that rather than have any sort of theme, moral, or idea that it wanted to cling to, Kamen Rider Black Sun instead just wanted to grab everyone's' attention via attacking them personally, which, while certainly a great strategy for viewership in the short term, more often than not makes your tale become more and more forgotten about the longer time goes on.

People generally don't like to be antagonized, and that's exactly what Black Sun does to its audience. Very directly, infact.

Even putting all that aside, the overall plot of the show really doesn't make any sense once you start to break it down. Sure, there's stuff that's blatantly meant to be allegorical, but even despite that you still need to have the internal logic of your story and its characters make sense. The main issue is inconsistency without much, if any, explanation. Stuff like how the King Stones actually work, whether or not the Creation King is actually sentient, and how Kaijin biology actually works are all flip-flopped on, made even worse by all of those aspects being presented as important plot points.

In essence, BS doesn't really have much of a point or even clear idea to focus on, yet it pretends that it does, which is incredibly frustrating to see play out to say the absolute least.

But hey, I could see someone making the argument that the subject matter that Kamen Rider Black Sun tackles is incredibly complex, and as such it's inherently much more thought provoking, and as such better, than anything some cheesey kids show from the 90s would have to offer, right?

My response is that you get off your high horse.

Okay, maybe that's a bit direct, but here's what I'm getting at: Making something more complicated than what it needs to be is almost never a good thing. The term "beauty in simplicity" exists for a reason. Is Saban's Masked Rider an incredibly simple show, especially by comparison? Yes, but that's not a weakness. Infact, I'd argue that it's the show's' biggest strength!

It's your very average monster-of-the-week toku show designed as something fun for families to watch together, and in that respect, it succeeds! Sure, it's nothing psychologically introspective, but for the morals it tries to teach to kids, it never comes across as a double standard, or demeaning, or talking down to those who watch it. Each episode has a clear point that it wants to make, and it makes sure that you know and understand where it's coming from alongside some fun superhero action to go with it.

Thus, Masked Rider never once feels confused in what it's talking about, nor does it ever broach any sort of subject matter designed to make those watching it feel bad about themselves. The worst it has is a character that some viewers might find annoying. It's lighthearted, heartwarming, and generally just a fun, simple plot to experience. And really, for a medium that's more often than not designed for escapism, that's really all one can ask for alot of times.

BS can morally posture and talk about how people suck all it wants, but that very rarely ever makes for engaging or entertaining television. MS meanwhile, invites everyone to come and have a fun ride along with it, which I find much more pleasing.

Point goes to MS.

Characters

I'll say it outright: I found almost none of the major characters in Black Sun to be particularly likable. And what few I did were killed off, which is in no way a method of which to keep me attached to the story you're telling.

Many character motivations don't even make any sense. The biggest example to me being that, upon the "reveal" that the death of the Creation King would be the slow death of the Kaijin as a species, the only justification given is a statement amount to "Yeah but that's equality" which greatly confuses me, to say the absolute least. But it's apparently enough justification for our heroes!

The supporting cast meanwhile is entirely unmemorable, which is a stark contrast to Masked Rider, actually. Masked Rider's' characters, while not exactly complex, are all very likable if not memorable. Helped by the small cast size overall as well as some surprisingly good character development for alot of them. Is it alot of sitcom tropes that we've seen time and time again? Sure, but they're handled well enough, and atleast the characters themselves are consistent and never act out of their established characters like how they very often do in Black Sun.

Heck, even if you're one of the people who can't stand Ferbus, people sure as heck still remember him all these years later, now don't they? And at the very least, Ferbus didn't stare directly at the screen and call me a monster for daring to watch a tv show for the sake of entertainment like how Aoi does.

But hey, maybe you don't care about any of that. Afterall, the big appeal to any superhero show for many is, well, the title hero. And as such, let's compare Kotaro of BS with Dex of MS. Their personalities, their development, their importance to the story, and, given the nature of both shows being reinterpretations/reimaginings, how they compare to the original Kotaro of Kamen Rider Black and Black RX fame.

On paper, it's easy to see what the reboot version of Kotaro is supposed to be: A man who's become so broken down by the world that he's lost all agency in life. And it's only when meeting a young girl full of hope who he comes to see as a surrogate daughter that his vigor is renewed and rises up to be the hero the world needs, because that trope sure as heck hasn't been done to death at this point(see: Logan, The Last of Us, The Walking Dead, etc).

But then not only does it turn out that not only does much of Kotaro's' motivation come from his left over frustrations of an old love of his, but that he's not actually the main character. Instead the main character is actually Aoi, a young activist girl who is frankly, not actually equipped to properly handle the complexities involved in the sort of situation that she's gotten herself in.

Now, I'm not here to debate on whether or not this is some sort of brilliant point that the story is making or whatever. I'm more upset that the title character is infact not the main focal point despite all evidence to the contrary. Advertising for the show would lead one to believe that the show would extensively focus on the duality between Kotaro and his broth Nobuhiko, but it doesn't. It's all about Aoi who not only isn't Black Sun, but isn't at all an engaging character.

Have I experienced stories where this sort of thing has worked? Sure, but it was incredibly messy with BS; Not at all helped by just how unlikable I found everyone, whether it be their acting, how their arcs went, or just via the sheer lack of any sort of redeeming qualities.

Masked Rider, meanwhile, surprised me with just how much great development Dex and the people of his home planet got. Dex begins as an awkward loner who doesn't at all get Earthlings and their culture. Taking many statements incredibly literally, thinking that the way people on TV talk is how people in real life commonly interact, and many a joke or expression just flying way over his head.

But over time, he grows to love the world he was sent to protect and the people on it, his inherent awkardness becomes something that he purposefully harnesses for his own sense of humor, and ontop of all that, he's someone who can't stand to see injustice and won't hesitate to jump in to help those in need; Whether it be from a monster attack or simply needing help with some menial task like getting better at an arcade game to stick it to a bully.

So I ask you, which one sounds like they more embody the spirit of the original Kotaro of Black/RX?

Ontop of that, the world building of Dex and his people of Edenoi is surprisingly good, unlike that of the Kaijin in Black Sun. Dex's' people evolved from insects, and as such not only can they talk to them, but being compared to insects or aspects of them is seen as a great honor, things such as bug spray make them sick, and jobs that we see as incredibly normal, such as exterminators, are seen as horrifying by Dex. Heck, even his uncle, Count Dregon, the big bad of the show, gets a surprising amount of humanization in the episode detailing an old Edenoi folktale, which is way more than I can say about any of the antagonists of BS.

So, yes, turns out that the simplistic kids show designed to sell toys and give families a giggle has more robust and better developed characters than the "sophisticated" show aimed at adults that wants to be taken seriously.

It's no contest. The final point goes to Masked Rider.

Final Thoughts

Look, I don't care if you think that Kamen Rider Black Sun has some deep, important message that everyone needs to hear or not, that's not what this is about. This is about its internal structure as a story and whether or not I feel it's an overall enjoyable sit. Which, well, I don't think it is. It's pretentious, boring, and is another contributor to the misguided belief that in order for a story to be properly adult-oriented, it needs to be a dreary, nihilistic story full of unlikable nothing characters that cribs off of something pre-existing.

If a moral point or a critique of the government or whatever angle they were shooting for was all it took in order to make an engrossing story, then I don't think other entries in the franchise such as Kamen Rider Ghost would get nearly as many complaints that they do. And unfortunately for Black Sun, I find it to have some of the worst plot structure and character work that I've seen in the franchise so far -- And I've seen the majority of it by this point. Even if you remove its status as a reboot, it doesn't stand on its own two legs very well.

Saban's' Masked Rider, however, has no such hangups. It knows what it wants to be: An inviting show for everyone to enjoy. And while I'm not about to sit here and make the claim that it's some sort of underrated classic that everyone should go watch right this minute, I will say that it surprisingly had alot more to it than what alot of people say. Its reputation is in the toilet, and unfairly so. There's a surprising amount of genuine heart put into this "dumb little kids show" from the 90s, to the point that I never regretting watching a single episode, regardless of the "~objective~" qualities of it.

In short, Kamen Rider Black Sun tells you that everyone's a monster, including you, and that you always will be as long as there's injustice in the world. Whereas Saban's' Masked Rider tells you that despite what hardships might come in life, you can always rise up to overcome, and reach a better tomorrow.

Which message is the one that you'd rather be widespread?

To me, the answer is obvious. The winner is Saban's' Masked Rider.

[DreamSword]

Healin' Good Pretty Cure!

When you think of a "gateway" into a franchise, what qualifications come to mind?

It's a topic that comes up alot in tokusatsu, and one I imagine is also discussed fairly often in any franchise that's been running a long time.

Some say to always start where everything began, some say to start with what they think is the best entry, and some say to start at the point said franchise started to get its "modern" elements.

Me? Well, most of the time I say to start at the start, because hey, there's a reason this franchise became a franchise, right? It's slightly hypocritical of a suggestion coming from me though, since there are a number of different franchises where I started at different points in its run.

I bring all of this up not because Healin' Good is my first foray into the Pretty Cure franchise(that would be Hug!), but because I feel like, if one isn't going to just gun for the season that sounds the most interesting to them or the very first, HG stands as a perfect example of what I feel a gateway entry into any long runner should be.

And by that, I mean that this show, while I wouldn't call it the best the franchise has to offer(again, Hugtto!), it takes alot of the standard elements of your average Precure season and does them very well, without feeling the need to reinvent the wheel in any sort of sense. It's about Magical Girls fighting COVID, and the life lessons they learn along the way. No more, no less. But yet, it almost never drops the ball, and remains very entertaining throughout.

The actions scenes, animation, and music are as stellar as always. The characters and their arcs are very likable in the way they interact and play out. The plot is simple, but fun. And in a nice little twist, the show actually offers a rather realistic take on moral obligations that I don't think I've ever seen any other kids show do period, let alone an anime aimed at young girls. The episode where the moral is that you are not infact obligated to help out everyone you meet, especially if they treat you horribly, is one I won't soon forget.

This is also the first Cure show inwhich my favorite character wasn't actually one of the Cures, but rather the mascot character, Princess Latte. Not only is her name one I could actually see someone naming their dog(trust me, that's less common in media than you think), but despite her just being for all intents and purposes a normal puppy, she has a well done arc about not wanting everyone to be burdened by you all the time. Sure, it's the shortest arc out of everyone in the cast, and both it and her are very straightforward, but that's the beauty of it all. It's there, it's done well, it's over.

And I think that's how I'd describe Healin' Good Precure overall. The phrase "beauty in simplicity" might as well be the tagline they put on the DVD set. It's an all around fun, simple show that I had a fun time watching. Is it something super stellar that totally blew me away? No, but it didn't need to be. It was what it was, and I dare not demand it be anything else.

I give this entry in the franchise a 4/6.

[Name]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DreamSword

This is also the first Cure show inwhich my favorite character wasn't actually one of the Cures, but rather the mascot character, Princess Latte.

Earth is the best, but Latte is good.

[DreamSword]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Name

Earth is the best, but Latte is good.

You won't hear any complaints from me!

[DreamSword]

Episode 1: Over Tokyo

Hello! Hi! I plan to end off this "Year of Miniseries" with Gamera Rebirth!

Given that this is my first piece of Gamera media outside of the old SEGA CD video game, I have no idea how this is gonna go or what to expect.

So to give you my short first impressions, while this premiere wasn't anything amazing, I did overall like it, and am looking forward to the next five episodes over the next five days.

Boco, Joe, and Junichi are three friends whom will soon be separated by various things happening in their lives as they grow up, but are resolute in their desire to remain best friends forever, and even try to find a way to stay in contact with one another over long distances(this show takes place before the invention of cell phones).

And for the most part, the episode plays out like your average coming of age kid's' movie. There's bullies, there's the pressures of adults, and the fun had between friends during summer vacation. Things take a dramatic turn though when sudden, dragon-like creatures known as Gyaos begin attacking.

It's a fairly standard affair all around when it comes to things like this, and I'm not exactly holding that against the episode. The primary duty of a first episode is to introduce the audience to the base idea of the show that they're about to watch, and that's just what this episode does. Sure, the animation is a bit jank, but the main three characters are all likable, and when it gets to the Kaiju action at the end, it's alot of fun!

So with that, yeah, I don't have any sort of deeper analysis to give other than saying that, yeah, I had fun, and I look forward to more.

[Mesnick]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DreamSword

Boco, Joe, and Junichi are three friends whom will soon be separated by various things happening in their lives as they grow up, but are resolute in their desire to remain best friends forever, and even try to find a way to stay in contact with one another over long distances(this show takes place before the invention of cell phones).

And for the most part, the episode plays out like your average coming of age kid's' movie. There's bullies, there's the pressures of adults, and the fun had between friends during summer vacation.

By the way, I noticed that in Japanese children's films the action very often takes place in the past, and sometimes quite distant. It seems that the directors/screenwriters feel more confident in the nostalgic scenery of their own childhood or are simply afraid of embarrassing themselves in style:

[Androzani84]

All I know about Gamera is that one of his old costumes was modified into the first Ultra Series monster Pagos.