[DreamSword]

Well, I left it up to my friends in the Toku Chat that I'm a part of to decide on which Non-Big Three Toku I should cover next, and it was unanimous that the next show I check out be BIMA: Satria Garuda, which is 26 episodes long.

So, what is BIMA?

BIMA is the first ever Indonesian Tokusatsu Production done as a collab between Indonesia MNC and Inshinomori Productions in 2013.

I couldn't find much information on the show's' content itself, but from what little I could gleam it's apparently what you might expect right off the bat: An Indonesian version of Kamen Rider(Black, more specifically). I'm not really sure what to expect out of this one, so it should make for an interesting time!

[DreamSword]

Episode 1

You can very much tell that this is a first for everyone involved.

Don't get me wrong, I liked what I saw, but yeah, this is the first Indonesian Toku and it shows, with pretty much every aspect being very amateurish.

From the acting, to the fight scenes, to the special effects, and most notably the sound design, which is by far the weakest aspect of this episode. For real, was the sound effects guy half asleep during this whole thing?

But that's enough of me sounding like a snob, because man, I still had fun! As far as starting episodes go, this one is pretty basic, but there's nothing wrong with that in my eyes given that it still gets the general idea across. And that OP is actually rather good!

Oh, right, I should probably mention what is actually established here, right? The story follows Ray, whose father was a brilliant scientist that managed to create a portal to a parallel dimension. Unfortunately for the people of Earth, the planet sitting on the other side, Vuda, is lead by a vicious dictator known as Rasputin, who then proceeds to, you guessed it, try and take over Earth.

This all leads into an accident which ends up killing all of Ray's' family(including his kid sister!), leaving Ray alone and to be adopted by a new family, who are only minorly established in the first episode. 21 years later, Ray now works as a mechanic at Satria Motors, and it's while taking some time off to spend the day with his adoptive sister Rena that the Vuda Empire returns, ready to enslave all of mankind.

After saving a mysterious man from Vudo(and linking blood with him), Ray is granted the Red Power Stone, an artifact which allows Ray to transform into Bima, the Garuda Knight. It's now up to Ray, as Bima, to fight against the Vuda Empire and save not just the family he loves, but the entire Earth as well. It's a pretty standard start all around, sure, and while the acting certainly isn't the best, I still think that there was enough present to make me care about what was going on as well as the people involved.

I also really love the Bima suit! The color balance between the red, white, gold, and silver, with the little details to sell him as being Garuda(Great Hawk) themed are pulled together really well into a very sleek yet empowering design. Like, if there was ever an SHF of Bima, I'd be totally down to grab it especially if I end up liking the show by the end.

Overall, yeah, it's a very basic first episode, but it's still fun in its own right and I'm looking forward to seeing what Indonesian Kamen Rider has in store for me.

[DreadBringer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DreamSword

Episode 1

From the acting, to the fight scenes, to the special effects, and most notably the sound design, which is by far the weakest aspect of this episode. For real, was the sound effects guy half asleep during this whole thing?

The acting here uses actually more formal language rather than the everyday language, perhaps (and it's something appreciated here). Indonesia has never gotten good special effects especially in other shows (which is heavily mocked in meme), to the point that seemingly the people who are good here can only show their talents in foreign country (ex: those working in Avengers special effects). And iirc they aren't allowed to use actual explosive effect, hence those sparks effects here. I do have to say that watching this feels different from watching like, soap operas in this country (which infested the TV, despite being universally hated), like, there's no focus on face close-ups or haunting sound effects.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DreamSword

Oh, right, I should probably mention what is actually established here, right? The story follows Ray, whose father was a brilliant scientist that managed to create a portal to a parallel dimension. Unfortunately for the people of Earth, the planet sitting on the other side, Vuda, is lead by a vicious dictator known as Rasputin, who then proceeds to, you guessed it, try and take over Earth.

Regarding Ray having an adopted family, this is such a contrast compared to most of Indonesian TV shows, which typically has the step-parents being utterly evil bastard who abuse their kids to no end (like Faiz's Yuka family), but here, the adopted family live in harmony. Actually the preview told that Rasputin wants to take the Earth's natural resources to make Parallel World (VUDO's the organization) worth living, but actually it just plays as Rasputin being evil overlord. Rena being played by Stella Cornelia of JKT48 (Indonesian idol group, but an official extension of AKB48) was some of the only reason people watched this show, sometimes just outright mocking any other aspects (because they just hate and nitpick anything made in the country, inlander mentality to think anything foreign is better).

[Sh Ranger]

I watched Satria Garuda Bima and Bima-X weekly as they aired and I even reviewed Revenge of Darkness on this forum 2 years ago. Bima-X was actually my favorite Tokusatsu of 2014, or rather, the only one airing that year besides Drive and SMF that I didn't dislike. It's cool to see you giving the Satria franchise the recognition it deserves!

Quote:

Originally Posted by DreamSword

Episode 1

But that's enough of me sounding like a snob, because man, I still had fun! As far as starting episodes go, this one is pretty basic, but there's nothing wrong with that in my eyes given that it still gets the general idea across. And that OP is actually rather good!

While the show does take a few episodes to refine the formula, which I think is fair, the first episode does a good job to introduce the setting and characters and create intrigue for the story. Ray and the Iskandars are likable and have a strong family dynamic. For VUDO, Rasputin is certainly a generic evil dude, but honestly, the villain to keep your eyes on is Topeng Besi, who has Power Stone Biru in his gauntlet. Seperti Bintang is an awesome OP for sure!

[Mesnick]

Heard about this show but haven't watched it yet. Well, I'll try to evaluate.

[Mesnick]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DreadBringer

(because they just hate and nitpick anything made in the country, inlander mentality to think anything foreign is better).

Familiar, my compatriots also suffer from this. It was especially funny when one film was criticized by all local film reviewers, calling it a complete failure, and then the United States bought the rights to a remake.

[DreamSword]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DreadBringer

The acting here uses actually more formal language rather than the everyday language, perhaps (and it's something appreciated here).

That certainly explains the writing style of the subs I'm using for the show(Bereke Scrubs).

Quote:

And iirc they aren't allowed to use actual explosive effect, hence those sparks effects here.

Yeah, their idea of an explosion is just copypasting fire effects everywhere, but ya know, the reliance on sparks instead is something I actually really dig, as it gives off the same vibe as classic Power Rangers.

Quote:

Regarding Ray having an adopted family, this is such a contrast compared to most of Indonesian TV shows, which typically has the step-parents being utterly evil bastard who abuse their kids to no end (like Faiz's Yuka family), but here, the adopted family live in harmony.

That's actually a really cool detail. There's still a stigma against adoption even today, so having a show that portrays it in a positive light is really nice to see.

Quote:

sometimes just outright mocking any other aspects (because they just hate and nitpick anything made in the country, inlander mentality to think anything foreign is better).

That's unfortunately a mindset that I've noticed is fairly common in the Toku fandom at large. There's alot of double standards people hold between American Toku and Toku from Japan, for example. And it's incredibly easy to come across no matter what you're comparing, it seems, though obviously PR vs Sentai is the most immediate point of comparison.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sh Ranger

I watched Satria Garuda Bima and Bima-X weekly as they aired and I even reviewed Revenge of Darkness on this forum 2 years ago. Bima-X was actually my favorite Tokusatsu of 2014, or rather, the only one airing that year besides Drive and SMF that I didn't dislike. It's cool to see you giving the Satria franchise the recognition it deserves!

While the show does take a few episodes to refine the formula, which I think is fair, the first episode does a good job to introduce the setting and characters and create intrigue for the story. Ray and the Iskandars are likable and have a strong family dynamic. For VUDO, Rasputin is certainly a generic evil dude, but honestly, the villain to keep your eyes on is Topeng Besi, who has Power Stone Biru in his gauntlet. Seperti Bintang is an awesome OP for sure!

Yeah, I think I recall you talking about the franchise at one point or another, alongside another user(who I can't remember at the moment, sorry!). Nice to know you really dug it, and I hope to get a similar experience.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mesnick

Heard about this show but haven't watched it yet. Well, I'll try to evaluate.

Feel free to watch along!

[DreamSword]

Episode 2

This episode is very much the action climax to the first one.

The mission this time is for Ray to save his brother, who at the end of last episode was taken hostage.

And despite the sound design still being very lackluster, the action sequences themselves are still fun to watch, and every now and then were interlaced with some decent character moments to keep me hooked.

Things such as the establishing the rivalry between Bima and Iron Mask, the reveal that there are seven Power Stones out there(do they get to make a wish if they gather all of them?), and Mikhail(the mysterious man from last episode)'s' role as a sort of spiritual advisor.

It's funny that I'm currently watching Kamen Rider Revice at the same time that I'm deciding to do coverage of BIMA, as this episode ends with a hook that the opening arc of Revice also took on: That being of the main character's' resolve and how that ties in to their personal brand of heroics, if at all. The needs of the many vs the needs of the few, sort of.

I do like that both shows go about it at different angles, and don't me wrong, I've been liking Revice just fine so far, but BIMA's' take interests me alot more immediately. Basically, rather than pressuring Ray into being a savior of the world just because he can transform like how Mama Igarashi did to Ikki, he instead poses a rather important question to Ray: If it's not Bima's' responsibility to protect the world, then whose is it?

It really stood out to me because Mikhail isn't calling Ray wrong for wanting to prioritize the lives of the new family he found, but rather pointing out that both go hand in hand. But, if Ray really wants nothing to do with it, well, then who else can they really rely on to be able to use the Red Power Stone in order to fight back against the Vudo Empire? It makes for a really nice hook for the episode to end on, and going by Rider standards makes these opening episodes a sort of three-parter, which I dig.

Looking forward to seeing how all of this is sorted out come next episode!

[Sh Ranger]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DreamSword

[CENTER]Episode 2

Things such as the establishing the rivalry between Bima and Iron Mask, the reveal that there are seven Power Stones out there(do they get to make a wish if they gather all of them?), and Mikhail(the mysterious man from last episode)'s' role as a sort of spiritual advisor.

The Power Stones are, fittingly, a source of elemental power, which would definitely help expedite Rasputin's natural resource extraction plan if he collected them all. This gives VUDO a pragmatic reason to terrorize humanity, since drawing out Bima means they can try and take Power Stone Merah from him. Topeng Besi is eager about the "fighting Bima" part though and will gladly leverage Ray's loved ones to make it personal between them.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DreamSword

It's funny that I'm currently watching Kamen Rider Revice at the same time that I'm deciding to do coverage of BIMA, as this episode ends with a hook that the opening arc of Revice also took on: That being of the main character's' resolve and how that ties in to their personal brand of heroics, if at all. The needs of the many vs the needs of the few, sort of.

I do like that both shows go about it at different angles, and don't me wrong, I've been liking Revice just fine so far, but BIMA's' take interests me alot more immediately. Basically, rather than pressuring Ray into being a savior of the world just because he can transform like how Mama Igarashi did to Ikki, he instead poses a rather important question to Ray: If it's not Bima's' responsibility to protect the world, then whose is it?

Haha, yeah, this is a humorous comparison and I can see the superficial similarities. While Revice easily wins in action scenes and special effects, I think Bima depicts a more wholesome healthy functional family, especially with the constructive depiction of adoption that DreadBringer mentioned. Ray's backstory of having two sets of missing/dead parents also gives more potential for drama than Ikki's neglected soccer aspirations. The Mikhail and Yukimi comparison seems more circumstantial though, as the former is speaking as a mentor and logical perspective, while the latter is speaking as a mother and emotional perspective, so it makes sense that their moral guidance would be delivered differently.

I wonder how Revice Garuda Genome would've looked like.

[DreadBringer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DreamSword

[CENTER]Episode 2

Things such as the establishing the rivalry between Bima and Iron Mask, the reveal that there are seven Power Stones out there(do they get to make a wish if they gather all of them?), and Mikhail(the mysterious man from last episode)'s' role as a sort of spiritual advisor.

I've read that time that Topeng Besi was billed as Rasputin's second-in command, but I personally felt he's not really intimidating, at least in this point - and it does not go unnoticed by Rasputin. Like, going down in just one slash from Helios.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DreamSword

It really stood out to me because Mikhail isn't calling Ray wrong for wanting to prioritize the lives of the new family he found, but rather pointing out that both go hand in hand. But, if Ray really wants nothing to do with it, well, then who else can they really rely on to be able to use the Red Power Stone in order to fight back against the Vudo Empire? It makes for a really nice hook for the episode to end on, and going by Rider standards makes these opening episodes a sort of three-parter, which I dig.

From what I recall, Ray's issue according to him is that, he's only a normal human, thus he can't be the one to protect the world, which ofc, Mikhail offers him the power to achieve it in the Power Stone. He was iirc described as someone with straightforward-strong sense of justice in the previews, which was shown in him not letting go of Mikhail even with the Kombatants (the name of VUDO's mooks) attacking him - w̶h̶i̶c̶h̶ ̶f̶u̶n̶n̶i̶l̶y̶ ̶G̶e̶a̶t̶s̶ ̶e̶p̶.̶ ̶3̶1̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶S̶a̶r̶a̶ ̶h̶o̶l̶d̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶s̶c̶h̶o̶o̶l̶g̶i̶r̶l̶'̶s̶ ̶h̶a̶n̶d̶s̶ ̶i̶n̶s̶t̶e̶a̶d̶ ̶r̶e̶m̶i̶n̶d̶s̶ ̶m̶e̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶t̶h̶a̶t̶.̶