Igadevil's 2011 In Review

As we put 2011 behind us and look forward to another year of new Rider shows, movies and merchandise expressly designed to take our money, it seems fitting to think back on everything that happened during the past year, and make a sort of "Best-of" list. Well hey, everybody else on the internet seemed to do one, so why not.

What separates this list from all those other ones is that this is the look back on 2011 solely for Kamen Rider, which celebrated its 40th Anniversary this year and put out more movies, merchandise and content than ever before. Also it's the one written by me. So let's get cracking! But first, a couple ground rules for how I'm going about this:

As per the egotistical possessive in the title, this is my own version of a 2011 retrospective. So I can only speak from experience on this one. If it was announced in 2010 but came out in 2011 and I saw it in 2011, it counts for 2011. It it came out in 2010 in one format (i.e. theaters) but another in 2011 (i.e. DVD) it depends on if I saw it or not (so for instance, I consider W FOREVER to be a 2010 movie since that's when I saw it. I didn't see Movie CORE until 2011, so that's fair game.) If it came out in 2011 and I didn't see it, I can't count it (i.e. OOO WONDERFUL & Movie War Mega Max.) Because that would just be unfair.

Similarly when it comes to merchandise, I can only make a judgement based on what I bought this year. So even throw around words like "Top" or "Best", it's based on my own experience.

Finally these are just my picks! That doesn't mean that everything else sucked and should be consigned to the scrap heap of history. It's simply what I enjoyed the most. By all means, let me know your own top picks for 2011. Also, if you want to get some alternative takes (beyond Kamen Rider including Sentai & Ultraman, which also celebrated anniversaries this past year) check those out here, here and here.

So Let's Go!! Rider List! First up, shows & movies.




It still amazes even me, but OOO turned out to be one of my favorite Rider series of all time. Everything about this show just worked for me: the characters, the story, the action, the designs, the comedy, the drama and the themes. I think it's Kobayashi's best Rider series and I put it up there with Agito & Blade as my favorites of the Heisei era. I get that it's not everyone's cup of tea, but I'm sorry: I just loved this show start to finish.

Picking a favorite episode was fairly challenging, because there were a lot of great ones. Almost every episode had something stand-out about it, be it a fight scene, a comedy bit, a story element or just some great character interaction. But ultimately if I had to settle on one, just one, it would be episode 42. This episode has basically everything I like in Kamen Rider rolled into 24 minutes. It's action-packed. It's funny. It's intense. It's even a little creepy, particularly in the scenes with Maki explaining what's happening to Eiji. OOO & Birth get to save a ton of people, and there's the showdown between OOO & major creep Lefty (Ankh-Lost.) All the regulars get a lot to do and there's a great sense of inevitability about Shingo. The poor guy won't be around forever.

The ironic thing is that one of my favorite things about the show, Ankh, is barely in this one. But in that classic Rider way, his presence is felt throughout. His return at the end actually came as kind of a shock and leads into one of the show's wildest cliffhangers. Despite being part of a continuous story, this is one of those stories I could sit down and watch any time and never feel too lost.

It's episodes like these which are why I'll never be able to stop watching Kamen Rider.

Runners-up:

Kamen Rider OOO episode 28

While the build-up 999th episode was a blast, it's the actual 1000th episode of Kamen Rider that gets the best jokes. Be it the continual meta wackiness of the OOO cast making a Kamen Rider movie, OOO fighting off a legion of assorted henchmen old & new, or the image of Gotô headbutting Kazari, it was an unabashed celebration with a surprisingly poignant message at the end. It also features Kôgami sitting around watching every Kamen Rider series at once, like I sometimes do. Completely off-the-rails in every way, few other Rider episodes make me smile as much as this one.

Kamen Rider Fourze episode 13

So far Fourze has been a pretty enjoyable ride with a great opening story, but it was in the 13th episode that the show went from pre-launch sequence to the blast-off. Everything felt ramped up, with the arrival of a new potential enemy, focus on an old enemy and signs of redemption for a past enemy. The usual Fourze silliness was offset with a more serious side, dealing with themes of power, addiction and corruption. The revelation at the end was one of the best kind, rewarding eagle-eyed viewers (well, assuming you're good at anagrams and can read Japanese) and confirming their suspicions whilst still coming as a shock. And there's henchmen. The concluding part of this story was great too. I think Fourze is shaping up to be a pretty good one.




Let's get it out of the way upfront: Are the W RETURNS flicks better-directed? Probably. Are OOO WONDERFUL & Movie War MEGA MAX likely going to be the better 2011 films all-around? Maybe. Does the Super Sentai 199 Heroes movie have a better balance of logical plotting and unrestrained fanwank? Possibly. But at the end of the day this was still the Tokusatsu film I had the most fun watching in 2011, and one of the best theater-going experiences in recent memory, with a crowd that was really into it (at least, by Japanese standards, which means slightly more noise and applause than usual.)

This movie was everything I wanted it to be. Riders everywhere, Time-travel wackiness, throwbacks to the original series, Ankh, tons of monsters, big heroic moments, cameos, massive battles, an instrumental of "Let's Go!! Rider Kick", Ishinomori heroes getting inexplicable cameos, flying motorcycles, the Great Leader kicking ass, and Sasaki Isao as a scientist. Continuity is thrown out the window, but nothing new there; in my head it all just works itself out at the end anyway (because it's Den-O time travel, that's why.)

If I had any changes, I just wish it had been longer! Also it's always nice to get more original cast members involved, but I'm not complaining when a movie gets Fujioka, Sasaki & Miyauchi on one side and Naya, Shibata & Iizuka on the other. Plus tons of guest stars and the biggest crowd scene in Rider since 2003.

It's big, it's loud, it's crazy and it runs continuity over head-on, then backs up over its mangled body to do it again. The movie defeats its main villain with a giant shining 40. It has the Shônen Riders being pretty badass, for goodness' sake. It is complete, self-indulgent celebratory insanity, and I love every second of it.

Runners-up:

Kamen Rider W RETURNS: Kamen Rider Accel

Kamen Rider Accel is a character that really won me over during the course of W, so I was eager to check out his own spin-off movie. And it's a good one. Loaded with action, action and more action, it's an action-packed action-fest. Also: action.

But there's also a pretty good story to it, with our hero constantly on the move and growing increasingly more desperate. The stakes are high and the violence is cranked up, but it always feels purposeful. It does what the best spin-offs do, which is build off of the original and continue to develop a world. I wouldn't want to live in Futo, but it's a nice place to revisit from time to time.

Plus there's a lot of action.

Kamen Rider W RETURNS: Kamen Rider Eternal

Truth be told this was a strange movie. It's wonderfully directed and the action is top-notch (and, like Accel, there's plenty of it.) NEVER are a great bunch and it's fun to see them again, but it didn't really add a whole lot to Eternal or NEVER that changed my opinion of them. Well okay, we learned that if Kazu becomes Eternal, he becomes a repaint version without the cool cape or the bandolier-style maximum slots, basically making him 2011's Power-Down Gills.

Don't get me wrong, it's still a great film. The NEVER actors have good chemistry, the guest stars are all top-notch, and pitting bad guys up against REALLY bad guys gives us something to invest in. It's an intriguing origin story for NEVER. I just think if the movie told me anything, it was just a reaffirmation of why Eternal is a really good evil Rider.

It is kinda weird watching it knowing how Izumi will meet his end though.




A big part of the success of OOO to me lies in the clawed hand of its anti-hero (or anti-villain?) Ankh, played with absolute perfection by Miura Ryôsuke. To put it simply, Ankh is what I thought Momotaros would be back in 2007. Admittedly, I like how Momotaros turned out, but it was fun actually seeing my own early idea of him brought to life at last: a villain who, against his better wishes, has to be the hero's ally.

While it's hard to call Ankh a villain now, I think that during the series, the writing never completely forgot that that's what he basically was. As a result we got a standoffish, prickly character who reveled in being cold or uncaring, but it didn't just feel like empty hot air or secondary-Rider-is-a-jerk-style shenanigans. With Ankh it felt real, like he really did think having to lower himself down to working with Eiji was a huge pain in the butt. To Ankh, Eiji is basically a tool used to further his own ends, and when he achieves them, he turns against the people who came to view him as a friend... except of course after everything that's happened to them during the series, it would be impossible for it to not have affected Ankh in some way.

Not only was he a great dramatic character, but a very funny one as well, with the humor coming from his rocky relationships with other characters (particularly Eiji & Hina.) He practically steals the show in Let's Go Kamen Riders, which is no easy task. Fittingly enough, he hates Momotaros. Throughout the series Miura did a terrific job (as did his costars, especially Watanabe Shu) when it came to giving the character weight and making him feel like a living, breathing person (or well, Greeed.)

When it comes to supporting characters in Kamen Rider, there are a lot of great ones, but there's a few that really stick with me, going beyond just "another guy in that show" to a truly memorable, likable character that you want to see more of. And Ankh's now one of them. I'll look forward to seeing him again in 2012, at least in two more movies.

Runners-up:

Date Akira & Gotô Shintarô (from Kamen Rider OOO)

I had to put the two Birth-users together because, really, it's hard to say which one I liked more. This isn't like some other multi-ID Riders were there's a definitive version (i.e. to me, TheBee is Yaguruma, IXA is Nago, etc.) No, either one of these guys is deserving of being Birth, though speaking chronologically Gotô holds the title at the moment.

One thing that really helped the transition was that Gotô was around basically the whole series, and he had been Date's sidekick for so long that when he took over, it felt like something he'd worked hard for, rather than just finding the belt in a trash bin or something.

The characters also complemented each other so well. Date was lively, upbeat and a breath of fresh air among secondary Riders. Gotô went from being that funny angry dude with the bazooka to a real hero and ally to Eiji. Together they made a great comedic double-act (which OOO excelled in) and I think Kamen Rider Meteor's got a tough act to follow.

Nozama Tomoko (from Kamen Rider Fourze)

Fourze features a character who is a cute girl with heavy eye make-up that looks at Kamen Riders on her iPad. There really isn't any way I can say no to that.




I know, I know, technically it came out in 2010... but I didn't see it in action until 2011, when it had its in-show premiere, most of the merchandise came out, etc.

In general I liked all the OOO costumes, which surprises me too. A Rider with over a hundred forms? It shouldn't work, and yet they found a way. Admittedly the full combos look the best, but even the mixed-up ones have a charm to them. The best one though, is also the one that kind of broke the rules. TaJaDor features a different helmet than the usual OOO Taka head mask, but I don't mind. It adds to the regal look of the design and anything that reminds me of Apollo Geist is okay in my book.

Plus, given that this was the form tied directly to Ankh, it felt right. There should be something special about this one. It's also notable among additional forms because the connection to Ankh gives it more importance than the usual "mid-series upgrade". It's not just an evolutionary step to the purple dino-guy, but an extremely powerful form in itself.

Putting all that aside though, it's just a great costume, with the use of red and black. It's one of the few other forms/upgrades/whatever that I actually could see being a main Rider form too.

Runners-up:

Kamen Rider Meteor (from Kamen Rider Fourze)

Although we haven't seen to much of him yet, this guy's suit immediately won me over. The star-chart design of the body suit is cool. I like the belt. It's big & chunky, but like that's anything new. The helmet's also go that cool thing going on with the visor over the eyes, if I'm looking at it right. I still don't know how I feel about the character, but on a purely visual level, I like this Rider a lot.

Kamen Rider Fourze Base State (from Kamen Rider Fourze)

One of my rules when it comes to Rider costumes is that even if it looks weird in the pictures, I'll still wait to see it in action. That's definitely what won me over on Fourze, although I actually did kinda dig him from the neck down before the show started, and after one episode I was sold on the rocket-shaped head once he started headbutting guys. The various add-on modules, which could have been a complete mess, work in a sensible (well, fairly sensible) manner and don't look too out-of-place. I'm going to look forward to getting some Fourze figures in 2012, I'll put it that way.





A perfect fusion of old and new, taking the design sensibilities of classic Shocker monsters and merging them with the intricate design of OOO's villains. The gas mask-style face is even a nice nod to the Shocker soldiers in the revamp movies (if you're going to reference something from THE NEXT, might as well be them.) And he's got snakes! A nice reference to Gelshocker there. Shocker Greeed was a serious threat and he looked every bit the part.

Also, canon warriors, chew on this tidbit: Shocky has a golden belt buckle like the other post-episode 67 monsters, so either the previous 66 episodes took place over a a span of seven months, or the Mole Imagin didn't do their research when they time-traveled.

Runners-up:

Ankh (Lost)/Ankh Greeed Form (from Kamen Rider OOO)

Combining the two since, let's face it, it's the same costume with a couple altered bits here and there. There was always a bit of uncertainty going into finally seeing this character realized onscreen. What true form could possibly live up the floating hand we'd all come to love? Well, somehow, they found a way. Sharing design similarities with his fellow Greeed as well as standing out (since he's special) both the Ankh body with a mind of its own and his eventual "whole" Greeed form made for a memorable design that figured into some great sequences (see elsewhere on this list.)

Ika-Jaguar Yummy (from Kamen Rider OOO)

A wonderful callback to the original series' Isogin-Jaguar, who is probably the most-documented monster in the original series since he features in the episode Ishinomori wrote & directed. For real, we have more photos of that guy's concept, creation and behind-the-scenes filming that just about anybody from the early days.

The new version is loaded with great design touches referencing the original character (down to even having white boots, which is getting really esoteric) as well as Shocker in general (the belt buckle, the rib cage on the chest.) And still he fits in with the other Yummy monsters from the series. Like Shocker Greeed, he's a great fusion of old and new, which kinda sums up 2011 in general, come to think of it.




This one was tough. I was almost going to go with my first runner-up, but ultimately I decided that while the Double Riders have fought and will fight again some day, there's only ever going to be one battle like this. Starting in episode 46 and continuing into 47, the beachside throw down between Eiji and Ankh and their respective transformed states is one of the most gripping, intense and savage fights in the series.

It's especially gutsy in that it has the show's hero becoming as dangerous a monster as the guys he's been fighting all series long. Serious shades of Kamen Rider Blade there. The emotional intensity runs high as the two men who have come to be somewhat-tenuous friends finally, really duke it out at last. But the show doesn't end there...

Runners-up:

Double Riders vs. Shocker (from Let's Go Kamen Riders)

I know, I know. It's a fight between 70's guys that takes place in the 70's. But it was filmed and released in 2011, so there you go. It's really tough to not go with the final All Rider fight scene as the best one of the film, or even the huge Shocker HQ assault that follows this. This one wins out though because it's the one fight scene I was hoping we'd see, but also the one I thought we were least likely to get. Also it's basically an original series Rider battle filmed in 2011. There's even trampolines! The Double Riders appear to save our main cast of kiddies and kick some serious ass. If you'd told me this was happening a couple years ago, I'd have wondered why you weren't working for Toei.

Ultimately, I guess this one also just comes down to the fact that it's my favorite Riders. Some people say their favorite moment in the whole film is when W appears, others say it's when Kabuto points skyward, so I guess this is mine. Really, the rest of the movie could have been Chiharu and the kid from Kuuga episode 25/26 rapping for 50 minutes straight, and it would take away nothing.

Terui vs. Everyone that isn't him (from W RETURNS: Kamen Rider Accel)

As I mentioned, Accel's V-Cinema experience has a lot of action, with one of the best fight scenes coming almost a half-hour in. Running out of time, low on allies and without any super-powered help, Terui has to beat up a room full of thugs, including a leggy woman in a cheongsam. If you don't think there's enough non-transformed human-on-human action in Kamen Rider these days... I think this movie is for you.




Okay, if you put aside episode 42, the finale, and all that stuff with Ankh from the last few episodes... the standout scene of the year for me was the climax of episode 30. Up to that point, Doctor Maki had been that weird guy with the doll on his arm, a quirky, eccentric but mostly-harmless character. He's just the dude Kazari's exploiting for his own ends or Date's getting his gear from. All that changes as we delve into his seemingly-innocent back story... which takes a seriously dark turn here.

The entire sequence, showing just what he did as a child and leading into him casting aside everything left in his life to join the Greeed is nothing short of phenomenal. It goes to a place we all kind of never really think we're going to see in Kamen Rider any more, but oh yeah. They went there. From this point on Doctor Maki turning out to be the show's big bad really didn't seem like that much of a stretch anymore.

Runners-up:

Urban Legend Riders (from Kamen Rider Fourze episode 2)

It's small, it's brief, but Fourze including a couple past Riders via grainy video footage goes a long way in building the show's universe. It's also the best introduction of the Kamen Rider name in a 2000's series IMHO, making it the final touch to Fourze's origin story. Time will only tell if this will lead anywhere on the series, though at least we know it pretty much does in the movies! While we had an inkling Rider 1 was going to appear somehow due to leaked pics, I was not expecting this little sequence at all to come when it did, and it was one of the biggest surprises of the series so far.

Changing of the Guard (from Kamen Rider OOO Episode 38)

While it's ultimately something of a fake-out, the dramatic "death" of Date and his protégé Gotô taking up the Birth mantle was one of my favorite moments in the series. As I mentioned before, it felt well-earned and even somewhat overdue. While I'm glad Date didn't really die, they stopped just short of making us think he had, making Gotô's debut as a Rider (well, not counting that one time) all the more dramatic.


And now onto the merchandise!




It's big, it's clunky, it has way too many buttons and things to be a realistic piece of equipment for use in battle... and it's a ton of fun. While they might look like ink cartridges, I was completely sold on the Astro Switches early on and have been amassing a collection already.

The belt itself comes with the initial four and works with everything released since. As this is a "the sounds are in the belt"-type belt, it's easily hackable, which is pretty nice if you don't have all the Switches... though if you bought the belt, you're probably going to get a bunch of them anyway. The sound effects are great and there's plenty of them.

So popular that it was hard to come by for a while, I've heard that it's finally being restocked across Japan. If you like Fourze at all, it's definitely worth picking up.

Runners-up:

Unfortunately, I didn't buy a whole lot of DX toys this year (thanks terrible exchange rate!) and most of those that I did buy were from 2010, like the DX OOO Driver. I don't have any Birth or Meteor DX stuff I ordered in-hand as of this writing. So mine's a pretty wacky list, I'll admit.

DX Sound Capsule Gaia Memory EX : Gaia Memory Complete Selection 2 (from Kamen Rider W)

More commonly known as the T2 Gaia Memory set, this is the one piece of W merchandise I really, really, really wanted in 2010, and we finally got it in 2011. Sold as an online exclusive, it features Capsule (or Gachapon)-style versions all 26 T2 Memories plus a bunch of extras from the series and its spin-offs. While it's pricey, I think it was worth every penny. There's something extra-cool about the T2 Memories in my opinion, and as goofy an idea as it is, the Shinigami Hakase Memory is pretty awesome. I passed on the Dopant set, but this one I had to have.

OOO Medal Holder (from Kamen Rider OOO)

It's a hunk of plastic that holds more hunks of plastic (and/or metal) but it's still a pretty nice toy, replicating Ankh's version as seen on TV accurately enough. Fully-loaded up with all the full combos, it looks pretty great. I have a soft spot for toys like this so of course I'm excited about the upcoming Fourze suitcase Switch-holder thingy.




I can admit upfront that I'm probably in the minority here. 2011 saw so many great Figuarts releases that it's hard to narrow it down to just one, so I think most ended up going with just whatever character they like the most. Or Kamen Rider Knight. For me, it was a pretty tough choice between Amazon & Rider 1, as both were releases I'd been waiting on for literally years. And now that we finally have them both, well... ultimately I picked Amazon Rider, for one simple reason: I own a lot of Amazon figures, and this is the best one.

With Rider 1 (and Rider 2) there's room for debate, with the various Medicom and Ohtsuka-Kikaku versions. Their Figuarts are great, but Figuarts Amazon is the best-ever rendition of the character by my count, capable of numerous poses and loaded with accessories. The only thing missing is his bike!

Even among Figuarts I think he's a big evolutionary step. The chest armor looks a bit strange in the package, but upon opening him up I decided it's such a great idea that I wish they'd done it with some other figures including the Double Riders. The moveable chest pieces allow for a greater range of poses, since his arms can cross his chest more easily. The opening jaw was pretty much a must, and they pulled that off. I'm also impressed with how they did the eyes, which could have just been red blobs but instead go the extra mile and use clear parts (with Amazon, it's actually harder to tell sometimes.)

The inclusion of various versions of his belt and Condorer, as well as two scarves and the combined GiGi & GaGa bracelets make this the most fully-loaded Amazon yet. The effects parts simulating the Dai Setsu Dan are a welcome addition and probably my favorite such parts yet.

And he's got a killer-looking box. I like this figure so much I even bought the special edition amazon.jp version, which features a plainer-looking package but an additional Amazon-specific sticker for Tamashii stages.

This is the sort of Amazon figure I always wanted as a kid. It may be about two decades overdue, but it was worth the wait.

Runners-up:

S.H.Figuarts Kamen Rider Knight (from Kamen Rider Ryuki)

So good, I bought two, though not by choice. The original Knight I ordered months ago apparently got lost in the mail (or is taking for-freaking-ever) so just to be on the safe side, I bought another one for a bit more, but at least it got here. If the other one ever shows up, expect to see him wind up as contest fodder. If it doesn't, I will never, ever use SAL again. After finally getting the damn thing and opening it up... I can't say I'm disappointed.

A lot of people chose him for their Rider Figuart of the year, and it's not hard to see why. It's the best Knight to date, improving on all past versions in this scale, though I'd argue the Figma might not be quite as outdated as some think. Because I am insane, I bought all the regular Dragon Knight Figmas and plan to buy all the Ryuki Figuarts as well, so when both series have released all 13, I'll compare them and see who really did Kanzaki's gang the best. At the moment though, Ryuki & Knight stack up pretty well against their Westernized counterparts.

S.H.Figuarts Kamen Rider 1 (from Kamen Rider)

As mentioned, the only reason Hongô didn't take home the gold this year is that there's a lot of good Rider 1's out there (some of which came out in 2011.) But he's still within a hair's distance. After what seemed like an eternity of waiting, he finally got his due this summer and I was not let down. Packed with plenty of hands, an extra scarf, a Shocker sword and Rider Kick effects parts, it's the Figuarts Rider 1 I've been waiting for. Rider 2, also released this year, is pretty nice as well. But then, so were 99% of the Figuarts released in 2011!




2011 saw another giant leap forward for Rider Kaijin toys with the Figuarts Greeed. All of them are pretty spectacular-looking (when I started writing this, I hadn't yet gotten Mezool and Lefty) but if I had to pick my favorite, it's the first one out. Uva is one of the best Figuarts ever made in terms of detailing. This is an exclusive that feels justly deserved, being at a a level of quality that would be harder to put out on a widespread basis, but is worth the time and additional cost of preordering online.

It's the best Uva toy yet (though that's slim pickings) and despite only coming with a base and a couple alternate hands, is probably my favorite monster Figuarts release so far. Hopefully 2012 will see even more, be they new or old (please make an Ikadevil Figuarts, Bandai. I'll buy 2. No, 5. No, 10. No...)

Runners-up:

S.H. Figuarts Skull Crystal (from Kamen Rider W)

The original S.H.Figuarts Skull is a great figure. So it stands to reason that this updated 2011 edition would be as well. With some added accessories and a nice matte finish, it's definitely a worthy upgrade (though I'd still recommend the original if you're on a budget, since he should be cheaper now and is still holds up great.)

While I've heard the 2.0 version had some hip problems, I couldn't tell from mine, who's standing around just fine. I feel pretty average when it comes to Skull compared to most people (I'm convinced Toei could make a movie called Kamen Rider Skull Gets Hit By A Bus and at least some contingent of fans would call it the best movie of the year) but I'll admit, he's always pretty cool in toy form.

Kamen Rider G Den-O (from Kamen Rider Den-O)

Nobody's more surprised than me. While I enjoyed Eve's freak-out at the end of Episode Yellow, this is overall a character and a design that I'm pretty apathetic towards. But the Figuart still looked cool, so I gave him a shot. Who would have thought he'd turn out to be one of my favorite purchases of the year?

I can't really explain it. Is it the slim, almost too-light feel of him? Is it the way I can try to replicate his pose on the back of the box, and it somehow looks perfect? Is it the accessories, including two versions of his weapon (which I forgot he even had)? I dunno, but if there was a sleeper hit of the year, it's this guy. I think a lot of people overlooked this one, and somewhat rightly so, but if you can pick him up for not too much... I think he's a fun figure, and certainly looks good in a gunfight showdown with Diend.




I held off on buying the Project BM! OOO for a long time, as this has just not been a great year for buying expensive Medicom figures with the exchange rate (see below.) Finally, near the end of December I found one for the right price, and he's my favorite 2011-released Medicom almost by default.

He's everything I want out of a Medicom OOO. While not meant for the level of posing as a Figuarts or Figurise version, he does what he should do. He looks great, has all the right accessories, and fits in just fine with the rest of my Medicom collection.

Perhaps some day, when we're magically back to levels of there being almost 200 yen to the dollar, I'll go and buy all the other 2011 Riders released this year. Assuming I own a warehouse to store them in.

Runners-up:

As I said, this has just not been a great year for buying expensive Medicom figures with the exchange rate. And of those I did buy, they were either a couple years old (my own Holy Grail, Kamakiri-Otoko) given to me as gifts (RAH DX Kikaider & Hakaider) or I didn't get them in-hand until 2012 (the 2011 edition New Rider 2.) Well, there was DX New Kamen Rider 1 version 2.5, but I consider that a 2010 figure since he's a re-release of the version that originally came with the Medicom New Cyclone.




Picking my favorite S.I.C release this year was really tough. There were only a couple sets this year, but they were all fantastic. In the end, I felt the last release was the all-around strongest, giving us a fantastic figure with just the right amount of S.I.C. charm. Supes manages to be both decently-priced while still being packed with accessories, a great sculpt and the new style of body we'd just seen with Skyrider. He's not like any other Super-1 figure I own, which is always a plus when it comes to S.I.C.

While Skyrider, Super-1 & ZX all looked a bit wonky in the early photos, after obtaining two of them in hand I'm prepared to say that they look much better in person. I think the main stumbling block for a lot of people was the heads. For me, I think they look so friendly! Not exactly the emotion S.I.C. is meant to convey. But really, once you see them in the plastic, I think the heads are fine. A bit misshapen, but that's normal for this line. Truth be told the only thing I'm still kind of iffy on is the return to ball-pegs for the hands, but so far those have worked out okay.

But back to Super-1, he lives up to his name. The various hands alone are great, wild reimaginings that are still easy to identify. The chains on the default Super Hands are so cool, I actually like them as much as the original costume's tassled gloves. The Elec Hands are probably my favorite, looking like a cross between hypodermic needles and electric coils. The only accessory I'd really say he's lacking is the Bigass Sword™, but we had the HDM version this year to cover that.

Able to pull off most of Super-1's signature poses, this is a great release and I can't wait for ZX in a few months to complete my S.I.C. collection (until OOO comes out, anyway. Then Fourze. Then eventual remakes of 1~Amazon & BLACK.)

Runners-up:

S.I.C. Skyrider (from New Kamen Rider)

Supes just edged out Skyrider because he comes with more stuff, whereas I felt with Skyrider could have used a few more accessories. An extra, longer scarf (something the Figuarts looks to be correcting) and more hands, anyway. And I would have liked the Crossbow 'o Doom from the finale, but that's stretching things.

We do get the nice display stand though, and the figure itself is so good that I'll even buy it again if they come out with a brighter-colored post-power-up version as an exclusive. I like Skyrider that much, you see. This was probably the most underrated S.I.C. of the year, but it's one worth adding to the collection and along with Super-1 serves as a great "trial" figure for those new to S.I.C. and wanting to try one out.

S.I.C. Kamen Rider W CycloneJoker (from Kamen Rider W)

Of all the W releases this year, the first one was my favorite. Packed with parts to display him several ways, it's almost like he's 3 figures in one: regular W, a split-apart Rider Kicking version, and the Xtreme version. There's also the whole form-changing side-swapping aspect to it, if you're into that and have other W figures. While the S.I.C. detailing and redesign makes him look a little less symmetrical, I kinda dig that. S.I.C. should sort of "ugly up" the TV designs, making them more twisted and comic-y. This release did just that, and was a fun figure to boot.




The MG Figurise line seems to be at a bit of a standstill right now, and that's a real shame. The first truly wide-release Kamen Rider model kits in some time, these things are great, merging Bandai's plastic model technology with Kamen Rider to create some pretty cool figures once completed.

Accel turned out to be my favorite 2011 release, because I think this line works best with his more robotic, armored look. All the others look pretty good, but Accel looks great. Cast largely in appropriate colors (with stickers or painting directions for the details) he's a blast to make and looks awesome when finished. While the bike mode transformation thing is not something I'll probably ever do, just the fact that they included the parts for it is a nice bonus. Once completed he can pull off a ton of poses with help from the included display stand, making this probably my favorite regular red Accel figure yet.

I'm hoping this line keeps going. Birth or Fourze in this style would be fantastic.

Runners-up:

New Kamen Rider 1 (from Kamen Rider)

There were two versions of Rider 1 this year: the original, and the modern latter-half-of-the-series version. While both were good, you never forget your first time, and the silver boots & gloves version was it. Admittedly, this is the harder one to make since he has the stripes on the sides, which are both extra parts that require additional stickers (or painting, as I did.) But once completed, he looks awesome, and was the first Figurise to make use of a new-style body that allows for a greater range of poses. Like I said, there were a couple great Rider 1 toys this year, and this was one of 'em.

Kamen Rider OOO TaToBa Combo (from Kamen Rider OOO)

The one and only OOO so far, I really really really hope he's not the end, because anyone who has built one of these can tell you it seems like Bandai was going some place with the design on this, allowing for the various pieces to be removed (and switched accordingly should other full combos come out.)

Probably the toughest Figurise I made, and that's largely because I painted everything, the completed figure features fold-out claws, interchangeable feet (with the "grasshopper legs") and his sword, which you can even load Cell Medels into. Like all Figuriseseseseseseses, he demands a bit more time than some other Rider figures, but that makes the end result all the more satisfying. You worked hard to make this guy and you earned it.




For the last figure category, Figma leads the way. While the Dragon Knight Figmas are sort of being overshadowed by their Figuarts cousins these days, I think they're still worth picking up if you like the characters enough & have the dough. Even if we never see any more Rider Figmas, the 13 (or 14) that we got still raised the bar for the Ryuki crew, blowing away their R&M and Sôchaku-Henshin predecessors. And those are still pretty great figures too!

Admittedly, as often seems to be the case, I lucked out and all 13 Riders held together pretty well. I heard horror stories of Raia falling the pieces, but mine's okay (on the flip side, if anyone out there has a stable S.I.C. Leangle, I envy you, since mine basically collapsed into a broken mess as soon as he was out of the box.)

Choosing my favorite was both pretty hard and pretty easy. Pretty hard because, at least as of this writing, Figma Scissors, Verde & Odin (okay, okay, Incisor, Camo & Wrath) are the three greatest versions of my favorite evil Riders from the series, and picking between them is like trying to choose between your three favorite restaurants after fasting all day. Pretty easy because IMHO the best Sôchaku-Henshin Ryuki character was Femme, and Figma Siren upgrades on that in every possible way.

From the sword (with alternate blades) to the cape to the detailing on the figure itself, this is an amazing release. Maybe it's just me but since Figma has a long history of doing female animated characters, I feel like they kinda got this one down the easiest, really playing to their strengths. If female Riders haven't really gotten their due onscreen, I think that on the rare occasions we do get toys of them, they're almost always grand slams. Figuarts Femme has high expectations to meet.

Runners-up:

S.I.C. Kiwami-Tamashii Kamen Rider Agito Ground Form (from Kamen Rider Agito)

The pint-sized S.I.C. line is still in my "if it looks cool, I'll get it" category rather than "I must have them all" (this changes when they release one of the first 10 Riders.) But I'm still committed to picking up the main Riders anyway, and Agito here is my favorite release so far. Modeled after the updated with-bike S.I.C. Agito, he looks great and the way they incorporated the extending horns into his head is how every Agito figure should do it. If you're on the fence about this line, give Agito a try.

HDM Kamen Rider Super-1 Normal Version (from Kamen Rider Super-1)

Yeah I know, not one that'll make anybody else's list. But 2011 saw the release of another stellar HDM Candy Toy set featuring PuToTyra, the Hoppers, V3, & Kamen Rider Super-1 (an Elec Hands version of him was also the secret figure of the set.) But the important thing is the regular version of Super-1 in this set was him with the giant sword from the last episode used in battle against Satansnake. And I have a real affinity for that scene, mostly because it's tantamount to Mr. Hand-to-Hand Martial Arts Master Rider going "You know what? To hell with it, I'll use that sword."

It's just a small, fixed-pose (but very well-detailed) figure, but now I've got Supes on my desk, sword in hand. And that's the whole point of buying these things to me.




I've gone on about this release to great length before, so I'll keep this brief. I still can't believe we finally have this, but here it is, and it got the best DVD/Blu-ray treatment it's likely ever going to get.

The special itself looks great, but the extras are what really make this release awesome (the Blu-ray version, with the extra disc.) Two newly-recorded interviews, a linear notes booklet, a storyboard booklet, and the extra disc with the cut-down Ultraman-only & Kamen Rider-only versions. All stuff that would appeal most to completists, of which I am one when it comes to anything classic Rider. So yeah, someone at Bandai Visual or whatever it's called now can apparently read minds.

It's exactly the release I wanted and they picked the best year to release it. Perfection.

Runners-up:

Kamen Rider THE MOVIE Blu-ray BOX 1972-1988

The classic Rider movies got their Blu-ray release in 2011, looking probably the best they ever will. At 8 movies for a decent price (if you pre-ordered, and it can still be bought on amazon.jp at a good discount) this was a pretty solid set. Hell, for 8 Riders alone I would have shelled out.

It just falls short of being the year's best home video release though because I think the older DVD version felt a bit more deluxe. That had the "theatrical" TV episodes (which aren't essential at all, but nice from a historical perspective) and better extra booklets, plus an audio CD of vintage record stories. Again, completist-fodder there, so if you just want the all-new classic Rider movies in the best quality you're likely to ever get, go for the Blu-ray. It's a great set.

Kamen Rider W RETURNS: Kamen Rider Eternal Blu-ray

Eternal's odyssey got a stellar release, with a nice making-of-feature, the director's take on the action continuity, a trailer, and if you got the first release, Ganbaride cards and some Ishimori Pro art cards. I'm a sucker for external extras (see: the original Rider & V3 DVD boxes) so this one was right up my alley.




I made a conscious decision starting with OOO to just buy the final CD box sets at the end of the series and anything not included on them (like the simultaneously-released Let's Go Kamen Riders soundtrack.) If the final CD boxes are going to be like this one, that seems like the way to go.

This is what I think a final box should be: everything is organized, the disc art is great, it's got everything I wanted and there's some nice extras. In this case we have a DVD with music clips (though you could argue that's a required part of the set now) the requisite booklet and a "surprise" bonus CD. All in all, a worthy purchase.

Runners-up:

COMPLETE SONG COLLECTION BOX 20TH CENTURY MASKED RIDER

2011 also saw re-released remastered "Blue-Spec" versions of all the classic Rider songs from the original series up to Kamen Rider J. While I've got all those in various forms, having them all in one place in top-notch quality (with karaoke versions!) was an offer I couldn't refuse, so I sprung for the deluxe box set. Also released in individual series-specific volumes so you can pick and choose, but come on, I would have just bought them all anyway.

KAMEN RIDER BEST 2000-2011 SPECIAL EDITION

Whether or not these are the best songs from the Heisei era is up for debate, but the supposedly fan-influenced CD/DVD combo is still a pretty good sampling of songs and themes from various Rider series (the pre-2000 version is nice, but I'd just recommend getting the above set if you're going to go there.) There's a regular version, but I'd recommend the Special Edition which is a bit more in price but gives you more in return.




For all the talk I just did about toys and CDs/DVDs, it's the books that I probably buy the most of in any given year. And 2011 produced some real crackers. King of them all was this bad boy, which is basically exactly what it sounds like.

Primarily text, it features over 7,000 entries and definitions, covering stuff from the original series all the way up to OOO. From the well-known to the obscure, it's basically the ultimate Rider terminology book, and will be a great help to this site in 2012. Definitely one of those purchases that separates the casual fan from the hardcore fan from the "I need help" fan from the "No, I need a second edition" fan.

Runners-up:

Character Encyclopedia: Kamen Rider Encyclopedia Shôwa Edition AD1971-1994

While I still think Toei has some weird ideas about dating, this deluxe volume covers everybody before Kuuga (and before you ask, there were plenty of books covering everybody from Kuuga~onward in 2009/2010.) Packed with tons of great photos, information and statistics, it's a Kamen Rider tome in the mold of the old-school Terebi-Magazine deluxe books, the kind I would covet as a kid (and arguably still do.) If you want the ultimate guide to the classic Riders, at least until I write my own, you can't go wrong with this one. Hopefully a second volume featuring the Heisei crowd will come out some day. Hey, I'd still buy it.

POPEYE Special Edition Kamen Rider the40th Collection (Magazine House Mook)

These things have bizarre names, don't they? Relatively inexpensive, this mook (magazine-book) features every single Rider from 1971~2011 with tons of great pictures and all the essential info. But what really sets this volume apart is some of the stranger aspects, like its weird trivia. Ever wanted to know how many times in the series some Riders say their catchphrase? How about how much combined bike riding time Rider 2 has over 98 episodes? The number of times we see Riderman's full transformation scene?

It's all in here, plus a really wacky article on how Kamen Rider has influenced fashion ("influenced" I should say) and a nice look at Kamen Rider's popularity around the world (Dragon Knight is praised; Masked Rider is forgotten.) Rounding it out is interviews (including stunt guys) coverage of then-new toys and merchandise, and an early look at the also then-new Fourze. For around 10 bucks, it's worth picking up for a nice guidebook that's got everybody and then some.




2011 saw a fair share of comic releases and reprints, but few were more exciting than this: Ishinomori's original Kamen Rider manga in its entirety, bigger and better than ever before. The lavish two-book box set features the comic printed up in glorious B5, which makes it the largest version I have in terms of page size. It's like reading an American comic book! Sort of!

Also, around half the pages are in color (replicating the color insert pages of the original comic run)and fit in smoothly with the B&W stuff, presenting the comic in a new-yet-classic manner. A bonus color illustration book rounds out the set. In short, this is pretty much the definitive version of Ishinomori's comic, and was a must-have for me. Hands-down, it was the best comic release of 2011.

Runners-up:

New Kamen Rider Spirits Volume 4 & 5

I didn't get a chance to read the updated version of Muraeda's The Men Who Made Kamen Rider in 2011, though I'll be talking about it sometime in 2012 (and updating/finishing that "Secret Origins" thing.) So the two collected volumes of his still-ongoing New Kamen Rider Spirits will do (the "New" was added when it switched magazines and did a flashback storyline, but otherwise it's the same story that started in 2001.)

So 10 years on, where are we? Well, Volume 4 & 5 are pretty much Super-1, Super-1 & more Super-1. Other Riders all pop in and out, but 2011 was mostly the year of Supes, diving into his childhood, his history with Master Genkai & Benkei as well as Doctor Henry. Man, Ulf never looked so good! There's plenty of Dogma/Jindogma fightin', and volume 5 has a lot to do with Benkei's older sister Yoshitsune, who is a butt-kicking badass, even by Spirits standards. But then, badass older sisters are cool. Spirits continues to rock, though I feel we're getting closer and closer to the epic finale...

Yamada Goro's Kamen Rider (Volume 1~3)

Reprinted for the first time in years, all of Ishinomori contemporary Yamada's Rider comics fill out 3 decently-sized volumes, and they're a blast. Yamada's stuff is more sane than a trip through the Sugayaverse, though he still gets wacky in ways that the TV series would have shaken their heads at. Kamen Rider teaming up with Isaac Asimov? Well, it's not really him, but I can't imagine the foreign biochemist/robotics expert guy with the same last name being based on anyone else.

The books run all the way up to Super-1, and there's some fascinating stuff to be found. Yamada's take on V3's origin is even more violent and apocalyptic than the TV version, blowing the hell out of Tokyo and killing Kazami's family in the process... and this is within the first few pages! Also of note is his take on Tackle, which is brief but really good, and I dig the idea of spiritual Tackle haunting/guiding Stronger later on.

Skyrider & Supes get the highest page count which is okay by me, since I've read proportionately fewer comics starring them. All in all it's more of the usual 70's comic wackiness, but if you're going to look into any writer from the time period other than Ishinomori, give Yamada a shot.


And that brings us to the end, with my final pick of 2011:



It's impossible to talk about 2011 without reflecting on the tragic events of March 11th Earthquake & Tsunami. Japan faced one its worst crises in years, leaving the northern part of the country in ruins and thousands dead, injured or missing, and countless more without food, water or electricity. It was like something out of a monster movie, only the damage and death was real, and the monster was something that couldn't be fought or contained. It was a painful reminder that even a country as advanced and modern as Japan isn't safe from the wrath of nature.

The rest of the month was a pretty dark time, but with the darkness there's always light. The international outpouring of support came fast and the country pulled itself together. The recovery and rescue work began, but with it came the need for moral support. And that's where my top moment comes in.

In a time when average people had to become heroes, Japan looked to its fictional heroes for comfort, and some amazing stuff happened. Tokusatsu actors pulled together with messages on their blogs or on Twitter. Some volunteered in the aftermath to help out (including Skyrider himself, Murakami Hiroaki, a Tohoku native whose hometown was hit hard.)

At home and abroad, fans got involved. Even if we were thousands of miles away across the sea, this still mattered to us. There was art, there were donations, there were words of comfort and concern. Small in the grand scheme of things, but every little bit helps. The Super Hero Time fund raised over $8,200. Never have I been more proud to be part of something. When I traveled to Japan at the end of the month, the friends I had there were not only touched by me making the trip, but by the thoughts and support of everybody else around the world. We did good, guys.

As most probably know, Ishinomori's hometown was another hard-hit area, with the museum (that I never did get to see) taking a lot of damage. But as that famous image shows, Kamen Rider still stood strong against the devastation. And so did Japan. Let's hope 2012 turns out well for them and the rest of the world.

So that's my take on 2011. Thanks for reading!


Coming Soon: What I'm looking forward to in 2012.