"Amazon, Fourze. Friends!"

You have no idea how much I've been looking forward to this.

Terebi-Kun Hyper Battle DVD - Kamen Rider Fourze: Rocket Drill States of Friendship

The Nightmare Before Christmas

Give Me Wheels

At long last, Kuuga returns! And so does Igadevil.

Tokyo I'm On My Way

It's funny to think about now, but when I first watched this episode the whole idea of them going to Tokyo from Nagano was completely lost on me. The plot hinges on it. And it's in the episode title no less! Admittedly it was a long time ago and there was no Wikipedia. I didn't have many guidebooks outside of Terebi-Magazine and my Japanese was rudimentary at best, but that fact went right over me.

Although now, I'm pretty sure almost all the Nagano stuff is actually shot around Tokyo. Go figure.

Seeing Red

Kuuga continues! And so do the spoilers, but if you haven't watched this yet... go do that, then come back here.

He's Back In Business

About 2 years ago, I decided that I would rewatch and review 2000's Kamen Rider Kuuga in its entirety, mainly to tie in with Decade and the whole Heisei TV Series Anniversary thing. Of course, this idea got sidetracked for about... well, 2 years. But now, 2 years later, here we are again.

I needed something to review to launch the big 2011 return of igadevil.com, so what better than the show which inadvertently doomed it in the first place? (I'll tell that story another time.) So here it is, 2 years in the making...

The Trilogy: Episode Blue (Spoiler-Free Version)

Teddy says: This is the Spoiler-Free Version of the review for the second part of the Chô Den-O Trilogy. That means there's almost no spoilers. If you want to know about the plot details for the movie, there's a Spoiler Version just below this one.

First: Same old trailer for Kamen Rider Double Forever: A to Z/ The Gaia Memories of Fate.
Looks good.

With that our of the way, it's time for part 2 of the Chô Den-O Trilogy, this time starring Den-O's successor from the future, the amazingly-titled NEW Den-O. or New Den-O, but I like using all caps like they do in Japanese because he is not simply new, he is NEW. So NEW that the next Den-O had to settle for just being a "G".

Although in a couple more years he'll be old, but who knows. Some people still think Kuuga is part of the "new generation" and in the time since that show was on the air, I have graduated high school and college, and lived in Japan for 3 years straight. So for me Kuuga (and Agito, and basically every Rider up to about Kiva) feels a bit old. And yet, that's not a bad thing! Who woulda thunk it?

So snarking aside, Old NEW Den-O is in this movie. Let's talk about it.


Kamen Rider × Kamen Rider × Kamen Rider The Movie: Chô Den-O Trilogy Episode Blue: The Dispatched Imagin is NEWtral

Ever since the character first appeared back in 2008, it seems like a lot of people have taken to the idea of NEW Den-O having his own spin-off series. After all, he was in the supposed "final" Den-O movie, right? If you want to get technical, it was, since everything since has been Den-O appearing in someone else's show/movie, or part of the Chô Den-O Series, which basically translates to "putting this extra word in front to cover our collective butts."

But the fact remains that while that movie was intended as a way to say goodbye to the Den-O cast we knew and hopefully loved from the TV series, it also introduced the next generation of a Den-O-style Rider, who conveniently enough is Ryôtarô's grandson from the future. And there's a whole lot of story potential right there. Who is his dad? Who is his mom? Does he have any siblings? What's the future like anyway? Is it a cool future or a crappy one (given what we've seen, I'd say it's basically the same as the present except there are more Den-O movies around by then.)

And then there's the fact that he just looks cool. I know people who hate the standard Den-O designs, but love the NEW Den-O look. Maybe it's the eyes; I dunno, but NEW Den-O has some cool-looking eyes. The color scheme is great too, with all those blues and gold. And he's got a big honking sword. Whatever the case, it's a unique design, taking Den-O as we know it and dialing it up further, and coupled with interesting story potential has made the character an instant fan-favorite.

Personally though, I've always been iffy. NEW Den-O is great in Final Countdown, because it's his movie. He's all over it, arguably the main character even though that film is the very definition of ensemble piece; virtually every character feels important in some way. But his basic plot line was also pretty much tied up: at the beginning of the movie, he's a cocky bastard who thinks gramps basically sucks; by the end, he's learned some humility and realized the old guys are every bit as cool in their own way, but he also still comes out of it as the hero. In terms of his central idea (the new kid on the block who thinks the old kid has lost his charm) we basically got it over and done with.

I think this is evident in the first Chô Den-O film where he's basically just part of the crew: he gets in some good fights, gets captured for a while, gets back on his feet by the end and helps fight evil (and also gets a new form.) That's really Yuu's movie, and considering it's also got Ryôtarô and his cast plus Decade characters in on the fun, Kôtarô and Teddy just sort of blend in with the crowd.

Ah yes, Teddy. I like Teddy, but if I had to rank all the main Imagin in terms of how they've fared over the years, he'd probably be near the bottom. Momotaros is still the king, pretty much half the reason Den-O is still as popular as it is in Japan, because we can't get enough of the big red one, thanks to the 1-2-3 punch of great writing, great suit acting, and great voice acting. Heck, he gets as much screen time in All Riders vs. Daishocker as some Riders and it still feels forgivable.

After that, there's Deneb, who was one of the best things about the TV series and continues to steal scenes wherever he goes. He kicks, ass, plain and simple. You could basically put together a 25-minute Kamen Rider episode of Deneb, Apollo Geist, the Hoppers and the Agito cast painting a fence and I'd call it the best episode in years.

After that, things sort of boil down to personal preference. Being a Kansaiphile, I'm always going to love Kintaros, even if he does next to nothing anymore that anybody else doesn't do. Sieg is always good for a laugh, but you kind of need to come up with a good reason to have him around; just sticking him in doesn't do him any favors.

Urataros & Ryuutaros I can take or leave, since the really interesting aspect they each have (ladies' man and hyperactive ball of destruction) tend to get downplayed lately, and they're just kinda there. And then there's Teddy. Like his partner in crime, I think Teddy worked great in his original movie, then just sort of fell into the background. In the first Chô Den-O, I barely even remember what he does aside from not be the giant sword during the end battle, and be one of the guys to be like "Oh craaaaaaaaaaaaap" when Diend swings by to drop some fan service on us.

So as mentioned, it was with some skepticism that I approached this installment of the trilogy. Both episodes Red & Yellow had/have something I really wanted/want to see. There's something really engaging me in both movies. Episode Blue... well, I like NEW Den-O, but what else can you really do with him? As it turns out, quite a lot.

I'm pleased to say Kobayashi found a way, though it remains to be seen if this is a one-off or she could keep it up for future adventures with the character. If Final Countdown was basically about deconstructing Nogami Kôtarô to then build him back up as a hero at the end, Episode Blue is about taking apart the relationship he shares with a certain other character and really looking into how it works.

As for the previous trilogy episode, how does the second installment stack up? I'd probably have to say that I enjoyed it more, despite not expecting to. While it continues with the "Chô Den-O Trilogy, in that Den-O is the star" vein, it also feels like there was more focus on the episode-specific characters.

Of course, I should mention here something raised in the review for the first part: how this trilogy is a trilogy, and I'd say it mostly comes down to the reoccurring characters in each part. On the one hand, if you're only planning on seeing one or two episodes, you're in luck. If you want something with a wider narrative though... well, I'll get back to that when I do a wrap-up review of the whole trilogy. That one will be spoilers-only though, so be warned.

Anyway, the movie immediately removes some characters for a good chunk of the action early on, letting the movie-specific stars have more of a chance to shine. And shine they do; the movie really made me care about them. The rest of the supporting cast is their usual good selves, though in a couple specific cases you might be surprised by what we get this time around. Without spoiling too much:

An old face from the series and previous movies joins in the fun this time. He doesn't do a whole lot, but if you're a fan of the character you'll appreciate his presence.

I commented in that podcast I keep forgetting to link to that Episode Red kind of felt like a Den-O script that had been shelved back in 2007, being a bit more in-tune with how the TV series was than a natural progression of the movies that came after it. Episode Blue almost has that same feel, getting back to a couple elements from the series that I wasn't expecting to see. The characterization of one regular cast member feels more in-tune with this than how he's been in other recent movies, though not without good reason.

Lastly, the side characters. They pulled off a nice trick. I was not expecting to care about these people as much as I did, but there's some strong writing going on here, particularly with regards to how their storyline concludes. It's one of the most mature things I've seen Kamen Rider do in a long time, actually. Kudos to that.

The villain is pretty cool. Can't say much more than that. Nice song at the end too.

Beyond that, not much else to say. My big gripe with Episode Red does kinda hold true here. But Episode Blue feels like a solid movie, throws in a couple good fights, and has some serious heart. If you think Den-O movies are now nothing more than an excuse to have the Imagin throwing food at each other... well, you're partly right, but it's just the frosting on what's still a very rich, layered cake. Mmmmm, cake...

Definitely recommended.

Next time: It's Diend of the Trilogy!

***

Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust

And so begins Part 1 of my epic 2-part Decade Final Wrap-Up Thingy. First, we'll take a look at the final two episodes together (as I'll be doing with the other Decade reviews when I play catch-up, aside from #29.) There's a lot to talk about, so let's get right to it.

Final Spoiler Warning Ride!



Kamen Rider Decade Episode 30: "The Great Rider War: Prologue" & Episode 31: "Destroyer of Worlds"
Written by Yonemura Shôji
Directed by Ishida Hidenori

The road to the end is always a special time in any series. Most Kamen Rider shows take at least two episodes to wrap things up, and that's just for the actual "final story" in writing/directing terms.

Sometimes the ball starts rolling even further back; even though Kamen Rider X's finale is essentially a one-parter, it finishes off a story arc that had been running for almost a dozen episodes. Agito famously takes its time getting to the end with a "calm before the storm" before the most epic fight ever to occur in your backyard, and BLACK RX marks its finish with several episodes bringing together all the Riders to do battle with the late 80's.

I'm not even sure where you could say the endgame for Kiva began, as things got pretty complicated as early as the late 30's (if not sooner.) Speaking of which, I now remember I still need to finish my Kiva Final Wrap-Up Thingy. Er... later!

I'm tempted to just cut right to the end of episode #31, since that's what everybody's talking about, but on reviewing the penultimate episode I actually found there's a couple interesting points to consider. To reiterate: prior to the final episode's airing I embarked on a nearly half day-long marathon of the series, so I watched #31 with #30 still fresh in my mind.

And well, I don't want to jump the gun or anything, but there's foreshadowing to the end right in the first dream sequence! Diend shoots him! I should have seen it coming. I love all the parallels between these final two episodes and the first one- the titles of #1 & #30 are nearly the same, even.

They really do go back to that location, and Natsumi's even in the dress. I've heard people find it weird why Apollo Geist puts her in that (off-screen), but I think it's just because he watched episode #1.

Oh also, there's the jar that Natsumi knocks over, right out of the OP. It's kind of nice to see the actual opening credits right after the dream sequence which pretty much is what the OP was always representing.

As has been pointed out, the fact that the final episode also opened with a regular credit sequence (rather than the usual abridged version with credits at the end) probably should have been a small indication that we weren't in for a normal finale.



Of course, who could really have expected a normal finale from Decade? This is the show after all that opened with every Heisei Rider going up against the titular star in an all-out battle/massacre. The journey since then sure hasn't been what anyone was expecting either. I know I wasn't expecting half the stuff we got.

I've been seeing a lot of comments feeling that the show lost its way after the stop off at Hibiki World; with all the Heisei Rider worlds visited in under 20 episodes, where were they to go next? I have to say that while I sort of agree it did go off in some unusual directions, there's two things to say in defense of what the series turned into.

One is that the original lead writer, Aikawa Shô, left the series following the end of the first cours (i.e., episodes 1~#13) for reasons I'm still not entirely clear on. As most everybody knows by now, this has happened before (Aikawa himself was the replacement guy when Blade's original main writer left.)

Unfortunately, Decade's probably the worst show for that to happen to, being so short and conservative with letting out its secrets (by #13, we knew very little about anything.) I don't know if Aikawa had a full plan for where the series would go from there; for all I know it could have turned out the same and the direction it took was in somebody else's hands anyway.



Either way, Aikawa was effectively replaced with Yonemura Shôji, who I'll talk about more in Part 2 of this wrap-up. Bottom line is, imagine if halfway through this review I had to go off and do something less productive (like read books to children, feed the poor, feed recycled books to poor children, etc.) so I turned the keys over to someone who missed half of Decade, but caught these two. The end result is going to be pretty interesting, if not always on-target.

The other thing I have to say in defense of the later half is that the fact that it meanders so much actually pays off in the final two episodes. While Tsukasa and co. have been running around having fun with the Shinkengers, BLACK RX, an eeeeeeeeeeeeevil version of Natsumi's World, etc. stuff has been happening to the places they've visited. Bad stuff.

The last two episodes of Decade are almost like having to go back to school again after the summer. There's an uncomfortable mood here, because what we always sort of knew was coming finally shows up: the end of the series, the Rider War, and ultimately, Tsukasa's destiny as a destroyer. Gone is the freedom and reassurance that no matter what, Decade will get out of of it because he's got powerful allies or some trick up his sleeve. This is where it gets real.

Basically, Tsukasa and the gang land on the Rider War World, which turns out to be the very result of all their traveling. Now people they met and considered friends are fighting and killing each other. Tsukasa's basically been on the run from his fate, albeit unknowingly, and it all comes back to bite him in the ass. And it bites hard.



These episodes are pretty daring, basically telling us that everything our heroes did was wrong, futile, or both. And yet, right up to the very end, they're still railing against fate and believing they made the right choices. Not to make a habit of it, but again, I'll get back to this later, let's cover the basics first.

It's great to see so much stuff returning. With two episodes to work with, I guess it would have been hard to cram in everything. I would have liked to see the other alternate universe Riders (and the finale pretty much confirms that they are indeed alternates, replacements, or something) as well as their original counterparts, but that's getting a bit unrealistic. Dammit, why did it have to end at #31!?

That we focus on Blade, Hibiki and Kiva is interesting. I'm assuming the choice of guest star actors has something to do with it, and Hibiki's there since they wanted to get both of the kids in on the action at the end. And also to have him say Henshin, because somebody out there had to be lying awake at night worrying about that.

There's also the fact that all of them have plenty of supporting Riders who can die and make you go "Oh @#$%!" whereas we're almost desensitized to seeing those extra guys from Ryuki die (I would have liked to see Ryuga appear and get killed the same way he's died every other time now, mid-kick. And remember when his Rider Kick was like, considered the most powerful thing ever?) Heck, between Ryuki, Decade and Dragon Knight, I'm pretty sure 2/3 of them have now gotten killed/vented/blown up/whatever more times than some other Riders have appeared onscreen.



Things are grim, despite the victorious upswing halfway into #31 (which is soon quashed in what has to be one of the darkest Rider twists in recent memory.) It is a war after all. Stuff blows up, people die. Riders and monsters alike get slaughtered. It was kind of neat to see that Kiva's World (which originally was just Kiva) eventually did get an IXA and a Saga, the former of which gets blown to hell. Nagooooooooooo!

Likewise, Mutsuki and Sakuya either survived their Paradoxa experience, or these are new guys (the fact that Kazuma doesn't use their real names suggests this, or maybe it's just the old "when they're transformed, we use that name" thing which has been around forever. Or there's my theory, where he just didn't even bother to learn them. "Come on, uh, you! Let's find... other guy!")

Of course I've got to talk about Amaki dying, since it's apparently continuing the so-called "Female Rider Curse" (which is a nicer way of describing what I call "Lazy Writing Disorder".) In this case though, I don't see it. Todoroki dies immediately after, and Saga then gets blown away following the commercial break.

Heck, it's not even the first death in the episode. It's a war, people are going to die, male or female, good or evil, Hibiki alumni or Kiva denizen. And to be fair, Amaki was just Ibuki with a girl's voice anyway. He/She was!



There's lots of great imagery. The forest of crosses, the return of BOARD HQ, the battle on the beach at the beginning, the cavern where Apollo Geist resurrects the new-old villains. And of course the church. These episodes are loaded with action, almost to the point where there's not enough time to resolve everything. Of course, that's exactly what happens (or doesn't happen), right? Oh yeah, I'll get there.

The regulars: Tsukasa, Daiki and Yuusuke deserve special attention later on. As for the others, Natsumi's got comparatively a lot to do here. It is her dream after all that kicked off the series, and starts off #30. She finally fesses up about it too, which is something I'd forgotten she hadn't done yet. She spends most of #31 as a hostage, but hey— a lot of the best Rider Girls usually do. And being hostage of Apollo Geist ain't too shabby. And the fact that the last shot of the series is one of her is cool, as she was also in the first shot.

Narutaki is pretty much Narutaki, I'll hold off on discussing him further until my final series overview, but it's funny to see him ask Decade for help. Like, he finally realizes just how useless at being an antagonist he is. It's also good that they saved up the pennies to make Kivahla/Kivaara/Kiwhatevera CGI again. That final showdown would have come off a lot goofier if they used the puppet. Her ability to make Yuusuke go eeeeeeeeeevil is kinda suspect, but we will be learning more about her eventually, that much has been hinted at.

Having seen All Riders, there's also a slightly creepy subtext to Eijirô's speech in #31. Yeah I know, if you've read the movie review then it's not that simple, but for all intents and purposes if you look at him as being the big S, it's kinda even better. I'll get back to Geist in a minute, you bet I will.



As I said earlier, it's nice seeing Kazuma and kid Wataru (and now-Hibiki-powered Asumu)all back. I mean obviously not as nice as seeing the real Kazuma and Wataru, but for purposes of the plot, it's good to bring back some of those AU guys.

Kazuma's demise is pretty shocking and I was surprised that they even offed the kids! I was sure their inclusion in the final battle meant they'd somehow live or at least get a gentler send-off. But nope, they die, or at least vanish. It's pretty horrifying in a way.

Also, no more low-angles for Wataru. He just grows like Hibiki! Watch for him using the Zanvat Saber too. Having them lead the other Riders and monsters from their world was cool, but even cooler is the twist that the monsters were already with Daishocker the whole time. This really does continue the movie's theme of the Rider villains finally getting fed up, joining forces and setting the mother of all traps (essentially, Tsukasa himself, a trap within the trap) to crush the Riders once and for all.

Aside from the Riders, #30's big guest star is Haga Yuria, though not playing Mari or Mio, but a new character named Yuuki, who is basically Mio if she were bad to the bone and now a sea cucumber. No really, that's what she's turning into (though the name "Thorn Fangire" sounds more imposing.) I can't believe she's just 21, but then she was young back in Faiz.

Her monster form's cool, and of course I must talk about her much-publicized marriage to Apollo Geist, a spectacular if bizarre little scene. I've got a theory about that which I'll bring up now that we've gotten to the big guy himself.



When I first heard he was coming back, I never would have guessed that Apollo Geist would turn out to be, essentially, the final boss (though with two post-series movies, that title's debatable.) But seriously: I expected he'd just be the new big baddie for RX World, and get knocked off in #27 by Team Kurata.

That he survived to plague Amazon was a surprise, and he escaped there too after surviving a Dai Setsu Dan (which is rarer than someone who's read the Kamen Rider SD: Hurricane Legend and not gone totally insane.)

With each passing episode, I starting to get worried. I mean I am the biggest Geist fan I know, but even I will concede that going down to BLACK & BLACK RX is a fine way to bow out (though if you think about it, the fact that they can't defeat him technically means that X-Rider has a level of power equivalent to 2+ Kuratas, which is a helluva lot of power. See, I told you X-Rider was cool!) Even getting blown away by one of Decade's Super Duper Final Attacks 'O Doom Rides isn't so bad. It's funny how he often used those on random guys (revived monsters, Diend dupes) and I don't need to get into how we never saw the Ultimate Form one. Maybe in the next movie.



I was expecting he'd end up getting some crappy anti-climatic death, like getting killed by Shadow Moon as the silver one comes in to promote the movie (only to regret it later when he gets demolished by the Double Mint Twins.) Basically, Birugenia-style, only less cool since Birugenia had a stretch of episodes under his belt and by that point was getting so out of control, everybody was afraid of him. Only someone as off-the-charts as Shady could kill him.

When a character has basically 6 episodes though, I don't think they can ever really get stale even if they do the exact same thing every episode (and the only things Geist did every single episode he's in are be badass and harass Tsukasa.) Their ending needs to be something more real than getting knocked off by a bigger fish. V3's Baron Fang is a good example: the dude has 5 episodes under his belt, so his ending has to be awesome (and fortunately, it is.)

Really, about the only thing that could have been both anti-climatic and satisfying is that Apollo Geist escapes again... but back to X-Rider World, where the X-man is waiting to finish things. I'd have been happy with that, though obviously it would have undermined things for Decade, and it is kinda his show (another reason I wish we had gotten an X-Rider World in full.) And in a strange way, Apollo Geist has now become a Decade archenemy, in that way that Shadow Moon has also via the movie (well, I guess everybody is Decade's archenemy.)

I suppose I was just antsy since Yonemura's last real handling of a major villain defeat was Nogi. And While I'm fine with his first two deaths, his last one is... a bit underwhelming considering what the character began as. I know the real point of those last two episodes was dealing with the end of Tsurugi, but I'd have let Nogi go out on a high after 4 episodes, rather than turning into two guys who then get turned into mute zombies and die basically to give Gatack and the Hoppers something to do (admittedly, that is a great fight.)

Thankfully, I worried for nothing. I'm fine with Apollo Geist's death-by-Decade & Diend combo attack, though I do kinda wish they'd referenced Apollo Geist's defeat in episode #14 of X. If you know what I'm talking about, you know it would have been awesome. But I was happy with what we got. As I said at the time, they could have done literally *anything* after that and I'd be okay with it, because at least they gave one of my favorite Rider villains a cool exit. They sure did something alright!

Of course, Geist only goes down after doing everything in his power to be, in his own words, the greatest nuisance ever. I kinda prefer original's "I am GOD's Killing Machine!" catchphrase, but at least the new guy gets to leave his own stamp this way. I suppose it's fitting to try and do a new spin on it: I expect viewers who go back to watch X now after seeing Apollo Geist in Decade will be surprised at how he's even more vicious there, blasting people away at the slightest provocation (and believe me, I mean slightest) and generally setting out to be Jin Keisuke's worst nightmare. In mid-1974, he was Public Enemy #1.



That whole marriage thing and Apollo Geist's new-found Fangire powers did set off my internal Fan-O-Meter though. I mean according to Daiki back in #26, this is post-revival surgery Geist, which is episode #16 for the original. Now I know this guy is technically different, coming from a world where X-Rider's all on his lonesome and such.

Also, this Geist has (or had) his own Perfecter, which is what he was trying to get in his final episode in the original (the plot of which largely inspired this incarnation's back story.) But he's essentially the same character, if a different version. Much more so than a lot of the other AU characters.

His motivations are largely the same, his abilities and weapons, his whole aura. It's a far cry from Decade's version of Fourteen, which takes a mindless ancient power-up and turns it into a self-sentient criminal mastermind determined to turn everyone in the world into a flat actor.

Where this all kind of messes with my head is: is it possible for a guy who is 1) a cyborg and 2) already revived from the dead to become a Fangire? Granted what exactly constituted Fangireness was always a bit lost on me. I thought that it was something you just are, rather than become, i.e. the Orphenochs. It's something which awakens in you as it did in Mio, though I might be forgetting some key detail here.

In any case, it seems like a strange development, though I have a theory that Geist wasn't actually full-on Fangire, he was simply making use of their "technology". Since they're part of Daishocker already before this episode (or at least it's implied) it makes sense. Also, apart from the voice effects, the Life Energy-sucking things, and the clearly slapped-on new Fangire Perfecter, it seems like he's basically the same old guy.

The kiddie books actually support this theory (saying he "obtained the Fangire's power" rather than "became a Fangire" as they would say with someone like Mishima from Kabuto, where he actually went Native.) Also, it might have been them being cheap, but I found it interesting that when he does the "Fangs" bit in #31, they don't do the whole stain glass effect on his face, almost suggesting that it was a fluke rather than the rule.

Well okay, he's not quite the same old guy, as he apparently also gained God Mod powers from marrying Yuuki and sucking up a ton of Life Energy from all the guests. And he's now Super Apollo Geist, the greatest name change ever! No really, I love it. It reminds me of Super Grover. He also gets the a new Perfecter, which looks like a stuck-on chunk 'o Fangire, but it's modest compared to the SD Riders Apollo Geist makeover or his S.I.C. version.

He still gets to use his old weapons though: I liked seeing the Geist Cutter do some serious damage, as the original was basically insta-death (so was his gun though, something they understandably had to tone down or Decade would have ended in #26!) Yuusuke's damn lucky. The beginning of #31 where Apollo takes on everybody was great.

Given his comments towards Natsumi in #31, I think the whole marriage thing was mostly a formality and Yuuki just wanted in to Daishocker; had she not been eeeeeeeeeevil, Geist probably would have lunched on her life force next (but as the movie attests, Daishocker's one of the more sociable enemy groups, like all the Rider villains realized that killing their own guys for failing is actually not that smart.)



On the subject of the powers, I loved the end of #30 when he merges the worlds. It's exactly the kind of "Holy—!" moment the episode needed right at the end, with that great cliffhanger (I'm always partial to "evil laughing" cliffhangers.) The villain revival scene in the finale is great too, with Geist resurrecting a bunch of old monsters who then "die" and merge into the new Decade-originals.

I can see why Abyss and Gyûki are absent, but what did Gamio do wrong? Beats me. My theory is that the Rules of Revived Kaijin Army™ state that when reviving old monsters, there always must be some element of randomness involved. Kamen Rider vs. Shocker has this huge monster army of 30+ guys, but even then you'll find yourself saying "Hey, where's _________?"

Oh yeah, and speaking of randomness, eagle-eyed fans will note the weapons being wielded by the revived monsters are an assortment and a half. Tiger Orphenoch has what I believe is Armadillo Orphenoch's sword, Crocodile Imagine has Kamen Rider Yuki Ghost Form's sword from Final Countdown, Beetle Fangire has the Polar Bear Fangire's sword (which I think was recycled anyway), and Paradoxa Undead has one of Giraffa Undead's swords (and yes, sadly, I know which one. A couple of the high-level Undead weapons were named, how many people knew that?) I'm sure there's some story behind this.



All those guys go down pretty easily, but hey, that's revived monsters for you. Actually the whole ending set up reminded me a lot of the finale to Kamen Rider Stronger, which is funny because this episode is almost the antithesis of that while also being eerily similar.

I mean think about it: Both shows' finales involve a fight scene where an assortment of villains are brought back by a latecomer 'final' baddie, who is also holding the main guy's dearest friend hostage. Both are settled with low-key fights in the middle of nowhere between the monsters and the hero with several more Riders backing him up, but all this is just a precursor to a greater battle.

If you really want to stretch it, both Stronger and Decade end their respective eras without actually being the end of an era. There were more Shôwa series, just as there will be more Heisei series. The difference is kids in 1975 had to wait years for Skyrider to bust through a wall on his motorcycle, while kids these days just had to wait a week to see a helicopter gunship tear up a building while Double stood there looking cool (that was a great opening, no argument here.)

The similarities end there though. Stronger's finale brings together the 7 original Riders, complete with their original actors, and ends on a triumphant note. Whereas Decade does bring in the other Heisei Riders, and two of the original actors, and has Yuusuke apparently supplanting the original Kuuga. And the ending is, well...



Alright, I've been putting it off long enough, so let's talk about that ending. Or non-ending. I'm still not quite sure what to call it.

When I watch Kamen Rider on my TV here, I've got the clock up in the corner of the screen which is mercifully absent in the uploaded versions, or otherwise my screen caps would look worse than they already do. I always sort of glance at the clock every now and then, just to see how things are progressing. The 8:20 minute mark is usually where I say "Okay, here we go." If the fight hasn't started by then, it better get a move on!

With episode #31, I looked up to the clock to see about 8:22 and realized that there was no way they could resolve everything in two and a half minutes. Just no way. So I braced myself. I expected maybe a very open ending like "Well, let's go home" which would then lead into All Riders vs. Daishocker like I've long been expecting. Maybe Kenzaki would show up, admit that he goofed, and Daishocker really is the true enemy. Cuz I mean, that's basically the truth, innit?

Of course then we got the 'ending' that we got: in the space of about 2 minutes, Wataru appears, tells Tsukasa that he f#$%ed up, and then our hero is suddenly fighting to the death with the other Riders. Yuusuke's survived, but is now black-eyed Ultimate Form, and we all know that ain't good. Kenzaki's back and he is not happy.

Narutaki's laughing like the crazy old man that he is. Natsumi is helpless. Even Diend turns out to be a traitorous bastard, despite all that stuff about their friendship. Yeah, maybe it's a trick, but the last shot of Decade on TV is Diend shooting him the face. I can't wait to see how they explain that one in the next movie.

And yes, we're getting another movie. Although that was known well before the final episode aired, I don't think very many people knew that it was basically going to be episode #32!



I will hold off on my ultimate examination of Tsukasa for the full-series recap, but needless to say I love the things they did with him in these two episodes. He literally goes from being at rock bottom to on an all-time-high, only to have the rug pulled out from underneath him. He gets put through hell in these episode, getting beaten up by guest stars and told he's got it all wrong.

Yet he's as stubborn as a goat right up to the end. He believes he's right, he knows he's right. We know he's right in a way, though we'll have to see what the next movie does (All Riders basically says that he's right, but he has to realize just how right he is.

The whole theme of friendship is prevalent throughout these episodes, and I think that's what makes them such a great tragedy: Tsukasa went through the worlds, making friends wherever he went. Now these friends are fighting each other, and even when he tries to bring them together they're forced into turning against him (kid Wataru, Asumu) or perishing themselves (Kazuma.)

And then when they're gone, the people who were closest to him, people like Yuusuke and Daiki, even they turn on him. Not necessarily by choice, but because they must. In the end, Decade stands alone, with only Natsumi still on his side and she can't do a damn thing as the battle rages around her. Hell, original Wataru even showed up to tell him it was wrong to befriend the Riders. Ouch.



And you can tell it gets to Tsukasa. How many times during these episodes is Tsukasa reminded of his friends? Natsumi giving him the thumb 'o doom to get his indecisive ass up. Yuusuke, Kazuma and the others risking their own world because they believe in Tsukasa that much.

Daiki, who Tsukasa pretty much hated in previous encounters, ends up being his most important ally of all. And in the end, they all turn on him, leave him or can do nothing to help him. Possibly my favorite moment of the episode not involving Apollo Geist is when Decade turns to see Ultimate Kuuga. His quiet "Yuusuke" is pitch-perfect, a mix of betrayal and sadness. He might as well have added "Not you too..."

On the flip side, he does get the mother of all motivational speeches (which hints at possibly future Decade adventures!) and a Big Damn Hero moment. The magic boomerang cards is a bit strange, but it is a Yonemura Finale. Remember Tendô's Flower Power?



The original Rider's roles here are fascinating: they're pretty much bad guys! Kenzaki shows up in #30 to be an enigmatic bastard, then in #31 goes King Form on Tsukasa, trying to force him "out of this world". Good to see King Form in action, though I missed all those sound effects...

Then we've got Wataru's bring-down-the-hammer speech in the closing moments of #31, bookending his scene in the first episode. And the others are all there to bring in the hurt. It's more small-scale than the Rider War in episode #1, but somehow more personal. We know who Decade is now. He's not just the faceless uber destroyer, but the hero of the show.

It's great to see Takayuki and Seto back, though given their actions in this episode, I almost wonder if they are supposed to be playing who the credits say they are. Kenzaki in this episode reminded me a lot of his Titan doppleganger from near the end of Blade.

Even though he expresses understanding for Tsukasa's feelings about saving Natsumi, I found his cold attitude just a bit off. This is the guy who pretty much found himself in a similar situation once, though on a smaller scale with different things at stake. The Kenzaki I know would have been leading the rescue mission himself.

In fact, the whole "kill the AU Riders" thing is a bit disturbing and a signpost that there's something going on here. We'll have to wait to find out, but let the crack theory that they're all really Daishocker Riders start here!



Reactions to the final episode have been all over the map. In the poll I took (thanks to the nearly 400 of you who voted!) 26% liked it, 15% hated it and 58% weren't sure what the hell just happened. Sounds about right.

I've seen people praise the ending and await the next movie with great anticipation. I've seen others condemn Decade to the deepest levels of Hell (well, say they don't like it anymore) and some swear off Kamen Rider altogether. It's controversial as it gets, but all of Decade was to a degree (it's a series that, even though I love it, I can understand why people wouldn't.)

Personally, I liked the ending! But due largely to the fact that it was followed immediately by a trailer for the continuation movie. Had we not gotten that, and they just left us hanging, well... then I'd be a little miffed, mostly because I'm expecting (and hoping) that this movie will both address the issues from the last two episodes, and bridge the gap to All Riders. Because, having seen that, I can say that if that's where Decade's story ends up, it's satisfying enough for me.

And yes, I've seen a million and one fan theories about how that movie fits in, but trust me guys: if it happened between #29 & 30 or #27 & 28 or the commercial break of #31 or something, we would have gotten a hint. #15 ended pretty much screaming "Go see Chô Den-O NOW!", so I think Decade's own movie would have gotten a clearer transition.

Also, Toei did say that it is "the period of the story" and "Decade's final journey". Of course with a second movie to contend with, and I'm not ruling out the possibility that they'll go make it an alternate universe, which would be a shame since the things it does great things with Tsukasa, Natsumi and Yuusuke in particular. In some ways, making it an AU would almost totally kill the whole point of the series; if you've read my review, you know who Tsukasa is, and if you go back and watch the series with that in mind, some things start to stick out a little more. Something I thought about as I rewatched the series.

I'm going to end on quoting myself from a message board post, partly because my arms hurt from typing and partly because I don't think I could say this again without just rearranging the words:

"It will also be interesting to see what happens when the second Decade movie is out on DVD and everyone's finally seen it. Because then #31 is no longer "the cliffhanger from Hell". It's the lead-in to the ending so big, they felt TV couldn't handle it. They're basically doing what I wanted with Ryuki and Blade's endings and making the "ending movie" at the actual end, rather than trying to guess how it'll turn out and then doing something different anyway.

I dunno about other people, but I love that they're doing that. Eventually, you'll be able to watch the series, the movie (and possibly All Riders, when/if it's finally confirmed to be the true ending like they claimed) and you'll get the full story. Yeah, it sucks having to wait, that's not the smartest marketing strategy (I'd have gotten the movie in theaters like later this month) but that's Toei for you.

At least we've got Double to tie us over until then. Can you imagine all the angry comments about how there's no Kamen Rider at all for 3 months?"

And there you go. And yes, I know I'll get to see the movie sooner than most. But it's still a murderous wait, and at least if you read this blog, you'll get to know if the movie's worth waiting for or not! Though you probably don't need me to tell you that.



All in all, it's hard to write about this series finale because, well, it's not really the finale. It's a huge whopping cliffhanger at the moment, but in a few months it will be just the cliffhanger between the final episode of the series and the true finale, the one so huge it gets to be on the big screen. Will that live up to the anticipation (and believe me, there's going to be a lot of anticipation)? We'll just have to wait and see. I know I quote from Doctor Who far too much, but this really is a time when it's appropriate: "It's far from being all over..."

Stay tuned for Part 2, plus the first review of Kamen Rider W (Double)!

***

Decade-o-thon Complete (Form)

It's over! 30 episodes from 1 PM to a little past 1 AM. That's something like over 12 hours of Decade. Wooooooo... And unlike on TV, the worlds haven't merged into one... I can actually remember each episode, and that's always a good sign.

Watching (almost) the whole series start to finish turned out to be an eye-opening experience. Most of the story lines I ended up liking more than before, and stories which I felt were strong the first time ended up really strong now (Kuuga World set a very high bar.) A couple things like Diend and Kivahla/Kivaara/Kivwhatever work better for me now. Even Narutaki, though seeing everything together really brings up just how nuts (or right) he really is.

Also, I noticed Machine Decader's license plate changing around a lot.

Further thoughts after the series ends in just a few hours!

***

Decade-o-thon 2009

I'm still here! I will be getting back to a regular update schedule in September, that's what I've been working away at for most of August. I have been meaning to rewatch Decade to get caught up on reviews, as well as for the final series review, which will probably end up coming out before any of those! So why not kill two birds with one stone and have the...



Starting from 1 PM (Japan Time) I will be rewatching the whole 30-episode run leading up to tomorrow's final episode. Most of the time I watch just a couple episodes before the end, but being such a short series, I figured what the hell? What else am I going to do on a cloudy/rainy Saturday (wait, don't answer that.) You're welcome to join in, though why anyone would want to, I dunno. But that's why I'm here.

I will report back on the results of close to 12 straight hours (not counting breaks) of Kamen Rider Decade later. Will I know all the answers to the finale? Will I go insane? Will I finally know exactly where the movie fits in so people will stop asking? All of the above? We'll find out!

***

Rumble in the Concrete Jungle

Wait, What the—!?

#28? What happened to #9~27?

Oh, I'll get to them all eventually (I want to at least get out the Blade & Faiz Worlds this week.) But with Decade ending this month and Double starting up next month, I might as well try to get back on track. And what better place to do it than on the first half of what's probably one of the stranger port of calls for the Decade team: Kamen Rider Amazon's World!


AAAAAAAA-MAAAAAAAAA-SPOOOOOILER-WAAAARNING!



Kamen Rider Decade Episode 28: "Amazon, Friend"
Written by Yonemura Shôji
Directed by Nagaishi Takao

Alright, I will be referring back to some episodes that I haven't reviewed yet, but hopefully you've seen by now. If you haven't, stop reading this, go watch them (like a million-billion groups are subbing them... okay like 3) and then come back after you're done.

Back? Good. I'll try not to preempt too much from the original Amazon, since a lot of people are now watching that subtitled thanks to the fine folks at Hi No Tori Subs. But I do want to talk about that, for reasons which should be obvious, so proceed with caution.

Decade's journey has certainly gone down an interesting route over the last few weeks. After the final Heisei Rider world (Hibiki!), Tsukasa & the gang went to the so-called Nega World, which was like the world from episode #1, but evil! Well, it had some evil Riders in it. And Otoya was there for some reason. Overall it was kinda strange, and mostly served to introduce Decade's super-duper power-up, Complete Form, which everybody seems to have a different take on (I've gotten used to it, and the toys are cool. No Annual Bigass Rider Sword™ though!?)

After that came Diend's World, which was also evil! Sorta. It's like a weird version of Missing Ace without the links to the TV series (including the TV characters), and overall felt a little empty. We learned a little more about Daiki and why he does what he does, but overall they're probably some of my least favorite episodes of the series (though it was cool to see some old faces back.)

And then the Shinkenger crossover which was just plain fun, and the BLACK RX & BLACK episodes, which were pretty outstanding. They had to be, given that they included 1) Kuratat himself 2) Apollo Geist! and 3) Femme kicking butt. It was BLACK's butt being kicked, but hey, I like him even more now because of it.

And now we've got... Amazon?



I've got to admit, even after seeing the first episode, I don't quite know why the staff chose to go with an Amazon-themed world. I mean, if you're going to go to a Shôwa Rider world older than BLACK's, the most obvious choices seem to be the original or ZX, because both have thematic significance (one being the beginning of everything, the other being home to arguably the Shôwa's version of Decade, a Rider who is in part defined by his predecessors.)

After them, I'd say V3, due to his popularity and the Miyauchi Factor, or X-Rider, because the proceeding two-parter reintroduced his archnemesis and even featured the X-man in a brief cameo. Plus Toei really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really owes Hayami and apology.

But lo, we have Amazon Rider. Now, there is a moment in the episode I'll talk about where it did sorta click as to why they chose Amazon's World, though as I often say these days, I need to wait for Part 2 to see if they follow up on it.

On the other hand, there's a part of me which is just saying "Dude! Amazon Rocks!" and maybe that's all the reason you need. Cue Tangent!



While I like nearly all Kamen Rider (and at least find the worst of it still entertaining, i.e. the comics) I'm not going to kid around: the original series is still my #1 favorite, and Rider 1 & 2 are still my top Riders (though Skyrider & X-Rider come pretty close, both the shows and Riders.) It's long, it's from the 70's, and it's doing everything for the first time, but that's why I love it.

To me, Kamen Rider works like this: the original series is the best song ever written, and all the other series are covers of it, each with their own unique spin. Some I find more enjoyable than others, but they've all got some value because they're riffing on the same idea which was so great to begin with.

But saying that, I think I'd safely say Amazon's my childhood favorite Rider. Even back in the days before I really got into the series, he always stood out. Because he looks damn awesome, with that strange pattern and distinctive helmet, that funny thing on his arm and those sharp fins on his arms and legs. Before even seeing his show in full, just based on clips from Ultraman vs. Kamen Rider and model shots from Hobby Japan magazine, I knew Amazon was bad-ass.

I wouldn't say I like the character any less now, just that some of his fellows climbed up the ladder with their themes that struck a chord with the older me. Here's the thing: I think Amazon would particularly appeal to a kid. It's telling that one of the main characters is a little boy, and this comes between the virtually kid-free Kamen Rider X & Kamen Rider Stronger.

Part of it is just the way Amazon works: he's like a big kid himself, coming into a strange, scary world, and he has to learn about it as he goes through it. He runs around and swings from trees. He's a very active hero, whereas most of his fellow Riders have their sit-down sessions over coffee and work things out with science and reasoning as well as their fists, Amazon's always on the move.

There's themes in the series which I think I lot of kids can relate to. The feeling of isolation and alienation (many Rider series have this, but in Amazon it's especially clear.) Having to grow up and act mature in the modern world. It's a coming-of-age story where the protagonist fights with a giant snake-man.

Plus there's over-the-top, nearly-cartoonish violence and big, animalistic villains. The monsters in Amazon don't quite look like anything else in Rider. There's just something about all that which I can see appealing to kids. Or maybe it's just me! I dunno.



Despite all this, I still like Amazon a helluva lot, and I feel both the series and the character are one of the big turning points in Kamen Rider. Now I know we all have our different tastes, and I can respect that, but I do feel a little disappointed in someone when they bash Amazon for being "too different", because honestly guys? Kamen Rider as it is now would not only not exist without him, I don't think it would have even been accepted without him. And although those big statements gets trotted out a lot ("Rider 2 changed everything!", "BLACK changed everything!", "The Delzer Army changed everything!" "The episode of Super-1 where he breaks the fourth wall changed everything!", etc.) with Amazon it's especially true.

You have to try and put yourself into the viewer mindset of late 1974. There had just been 3 series that basically told us the heroes were cyborgs created by super-science. There were strong links between the first two and third one introduced them more gradually, but they were there. The villains were secret organizations, the heroes were bright young guys who also excelled in sports and generally liked racin' bikes.

Riderman was kind of the stand-out, but I sort of think it's not until Kamen Rider X that he actually was viewed as being on the same playing field as the others; in V3 he's more of a curiosity who earns his wings in death. But ignoring that, he's got that visual link to the others and is pretty much in-line with the how the heroes worked (bright, good-hearted, knows how to beat the crap out of someone bare-handed, etc.)

Suddenly Amazon comes along and breaks all the rules. Not only in the premise of the show, but the premise of the hero. Amazon might not be a cyborg created in the conventional sense (of the others), but he is still a Kaizô-Ningen, internally reconstructed with Incan Super Science!™ right in the first episode. But put that aside, and he's a totally different sort of character than what we're used to at that point.

The show also makes bold moves too. There's almost no connection to the past Riders aside from Tachibana. This is where the "Kamen Rider as a general linking name" thing got started, when Masahiko uses it in the first episode despite no explanation why. It's because it's a Kamen Rider show, that's why!

The usual henchmen battles don't really happen until about halfway in, making it more about the Rider & the monster going one-on-one (y'know, like in Kuuga.) Amazon gets one of the monsters as an ally and friend, at the time unheard of. What's more, he goes on to become a likable, sympathetic character! The villains have evil schemes 'o the week, but also an overarching goal of getting Amazon's Gigi Bracelet. I'm pretty sure it has Rider's first-ever pre-credits sequence in episode #1.

Hell, even the narrator's different from the other Rider series of the 70's, done by Naya Gorô himself. This results in me always thinking the whole thing has this kinda "bedtime story" feel to it, except read by the Great Leader.

Looking back now of course, there's been Riders since that did the "wild Rider" thing. Shin, Gills... But even more than that, the very nature of what Kamen Rider can be was redefined by Amazon. This isn't to say the first 3 shows are all the same (since they aren't) but they do all have more in common with each other than any of them do with Amazon. Considering that show's now one of the golden oldies, the classic Riders of the good 'ol Shôwa era, that's pretty wild. Audiences accepted Amazon.

Let me put it this way: when Ryuki came along, I wasn't bothered at all by the fact that he wasn't an insect (neither was Agito, but I don't think most people knew that until later years, unless they looked at the website.) Because there was precedence for it.

There's a ton of other examples I could point out (Hibiki's a huge one, since that show was conceptualized as being "the Amazon of the Heisei era", at least after it stopped being "the Henshin Ninja Arashi of the Heisei era".) To make a long story short though, I think Kamen Rider has been able to expand to encompass so many different ways because of Amazon. No matter how wacky things get, there's always roots going back to the green lizard guy from the jungle. So even if it isn't your favorite series or he's your favorite Rider, you gotta respect what both did for the franchise. You'll be a better person for it!



Now that I've blathered on about Amazon for a few dozen paragraphs, let's get to the actual episode, which features Amazon! Although not quite the Amazon we know. Yes, in the same vein as many (but not all) of the past worlds, there's a new actor playing a new incarnation of the featured Rider. Obviously, I have mixed feelings about this, but let's talk about our new wild man.

There's been a lot of complaints about the new Amazon, played by fashion model Sakamoto Enrique. To be blunt, much of it is deserved. It's pretty obvious just from the trailer for this episode alone that they cast him on looks rather than acting ability, and Enrique's very small list of acting credits attests to this fact. Okazaki, he ain't. I would call it one of the weaker performances in the show so far, were it not for one very important fact...

...he's playing Amazon. And that does changes things immensely. So yes, once again I'm going to step up to bat for one of the unloved corners of the Riderverse and say that I actually don't think Enrique is that bad. He's not going to win any Oscars for this, and the criticism has plenty of merit, but I think there is a method to the whole thing which actually just about makes it work for me. It's still got flaws, but I don't think those are all the actor's fault.

For starters, there's the writing. Yonemura's been on an upswing lately, winning me over with his work on the recent TV episodes and the movie, but I think he stumbled a bit with Amazon.

In all fairness, Amazon's probably the hardest of the old Riders to recapture, being very much a product of his original writers (yeah, a given, I know.) And the writer of the first four episodes, IIRC, was none other than directer Nagaishi and then-producer Hirayama Tôru, under a pseudonym.

Later things were handed over to the usual crew, including the man himself, Igami Masaru, who I need to write about in-depth some day. Later appearances would usually get aspects of the character right, but lose some of the subtlety and just make him the crazy guy who yells everything. Spirits has of course done him great justice, but that's another story.

But anyway, there's a very distinct difference between early-series Amazon and later-series Amazon in the original show; about halfway in, he learns to speak Japanese more or less fluently. This is a big deal, because it affects how the character responds in dialogue scenes, and how his patterns of speech flow. Early on, Amazon keeps it short and to the point. Me Amazon, you friend. And ever that's pretty complex. A lot of the time fight scene banter is growls and snarls.

This is true even later on, but at least then you've got Amazon naming attacks and doing the usual "You won't get away with this!" and such. Early Amazon is literally a wild animal who over the course of the show, becomes... well, slightly more civilized. He still retains some of his old characteristics, which I think is good for defining the character. Amazon's referring to himself in the third person is something I just love, I'm glad they kept it in here.

Now I know this is technically AU Amazon, different than the past incarnation. But it's pretty clear they wanted to really make him like the past one, more so than with some of the other remixed Riders. So when we have Amazon making speeches like his later self, but in the way that his earlier self would talk, it ends up being a little stilted and awkward. This does actually kind of work, but I think it would have been wiser to veer more towards the earlier, less-civilized Amazon for some of the dialogue.

For instance, when Amazon first shows up, his lines are roughly "That's far enough!" and "You guys get out of here." I would have shortened it to a growl and just a harsh, guttural "Run!" His Japanese is actually very formal. Drop the desu man! Stuff like that. Amazon has a lot to say in this episode, and while it's interesting, I think they could have cut it down and it would have played more to Enrique's favor.

Because, let's be honest, he sounds very unsure of himself a lot of the time. Some would call it boredom or flatness, but I think it literally is like the poor guy has no idea how to say his lines, so it's a very restrained performance. At least I feel like he's trying, unlike Shimada Kyuusaku in THE NEXT (and everything else I've seen him in) who doesn't even seem to care.

We could fault the direction here, but Nagaishi's such a veteran that I think it's more to due with Enrique's lack of acting experience. He's pretty good as a physically performer though, which is why I think giving him less dialogue and more to do with just body language would have helped. He often looks a bit lost, but there's times when that unreadable look actually worked. I'll say this, whenever he's on screen, my eyes were always glued on Amazon.

I think maybe the biggest problem is that Amazon just isn't expressive enough. He's underplayed here, and Amazon's probably the last character you want to do that with. To make a really bad analogy that I really love, if the Kamen Riders are the Muppets, then Amazon is Animal (Stronger would be Doctor Teeth, BTW.) He's a wild man! Growing up amidst dangerous animals in a secluded part of the Amazon rain forest, he has no concept of the world outside. He wears his emotions on his... well, his sleeve if he had one.

He needs to be played cranked up to 11. When everybody else stands around talking, Amazon climbs up on the counter and hunches over. If When I get to write for Kamen Rider and I have Amazon come back, I'd play up his quirkiness the way Spirits does, making him the guy everybody has to do a double take on. Socially awkward, but kinda adorable in his strange way, and easily the most emotionally open of the Riders.

So while there is that social awkwardness, Amazon here feels less like a wild jungle man and more like a lost tourist trying to fit in, but only half-heartedly. This is especially evident when he's got to get loud; his "AAAA-MAAAA-ZOOON!" and "Dai Setsu Dan!" calls have been criticized to hell and back; I can't really add much there other than maybe he'll improve a little next week.

And his outfit's kinda weird, not quite achieving the iconic image of the original's and at one point looking like a trash bag (when he's knocked over at the end) but I've gotten used to it after about the third viewing. The red "leaves" are a nice touch. This is definitely and episode which improves with a further rewatching.



In spite of everything, I've got to kind of praise what they're doing here. I like that they tried for some authenticity in casting the half-Peruvian Enrique (yes I know Amazon is Japanese and just raised in the jungle, and it wasn't Peru but another part of South America and shut up! I mean in terms of getting someone who in many ways is an outsider in Japan.)

And I even admire that in not getting an accomplished actor, they have ended up with a guy who is as strange and offputting as Amazon's meant to be, if not in all the right ways. If nothing else, Enrique does capture that innocence Amazon's supposed to have; I liked how he trusted Masahiko implicitly, even when he's dead wrong. He does seem genuinely hurt by the betrayal at the end, but now we're getting into the characterization.

And if you put aside the performance, and Yonemura's indecisiveness over how Amazon should talk, I really like the way Amazon's written in terms of his motivation and personality. At least on a script level, he's great. I love that he accepts Decade almost immediately, which is a big change of pace from everyone else. That feels particularly like Amazon, as kindness and trust have always been big parts of the character (re: Mogura-Jûjin.)

I like his quirky little touches, like walking into the Hikari Photo Studio and calling it his base (maybe it used to be Tachibana's place, like how it seemingly replaced the coffee shop in Kuuga's World.) Making the traditional medicine is a nice moment too. And most importantly, they retained his "sign of friendship", complete with the original sound effects. I've always loved that. It's like the grandaddy of Hibiki's little hand wave. These guys do their trademark gestures, and you know everything's going to be all right.

Why the heck does Tsukasa thinks he would speak English though? Oh right, because in Japan, all foreigners speak English!



Alright, I've talked enough about Amazon. So how about... Amazon. As in his Kamen Rider self. Well, what I can I say. It might not be the original Amazon character, but seeing him on screen, and I'm suddenly a kid again. It's awesome having him back on TV.

As I said in the movie review, I'm glad they didn't mess with the design. Why should they? You don't need to change Kuuga's design, you don't need to change BLACK's, so you don't need to change Amazon either. The band on the GiGi Bracelet's more detailed, but that's about it. Also note that he's got the lighter orange chest of early-series Amazon, but I think that's the more iconic look anyway (how many people even know that his colors change over time?)

So instead, they play off of audience expectations and memories, doing all they can to make Amazon the way we remember him. The use of the classic sound effects was beyond awesome. I think the battle cries were a tad high-pitched, closer to the Shocker combatants, and it's kinda weird to have human Amazon's grunts at the same time as those, but maybe like Kuuga's tinny voice in episode #1, they'll work that out next time.

I like that he gets to use some of his classic moves, and that, accordingly, there's blood! Okay, it's purple and green blood, and it's not shot with the slow-motion glorification of the original show, but standards have changed since the 70's. Nobody's lost any limbs yet, but I wouldn't count the possibility out.

As for the Henshin, well, like BLACK & RX in the last two episodes, it's different. I think they could have gotten away with a more retro-style Henshin with CG effects and it would have worked, but what we do get is cool. It reminded me a lot of comic Amazon and even a little of that weird novel dude, Kamen Rider Gaia (from the EVE story.) I like that his eyes turn red like in the original, and like all the Riders in Decade, he gets the "eye flash" after it's complete.

So overall, I'm quite happy with the return of Amazon Rider. Now where the @#$%'s Jungler?



As for the regulars: Tsukasa's kinda weird this episode. In the weeks since the last time I reviewed Decade, I've felt that while Inoue always gives a good performance, it's often helped or hindered by the writer. For example, I had a lot of issues with him in the Blade World, which I'll talk about when I review that. Comparatively, he was nice in Agito World, and I've liked him a lot in the last couple. This week, he's obviously bothered by the idea of a world full of regular people who would gladly attack him, but...

Tsukasa, dude. You've been through it before! Maybe he wanted to forget Diend's World ever happened. In any case, it seems kind of strange for him to be so indecisive when Amazon's like "let's team up!"

The scene with the Shocker thugs roughing up the shopkeeper got some unintentional laughs, because most Riders would probably have, you know, done something. Minami Kôtarô would yell "Yamero!" and run into the middle of it, inevitably getting into a fight with someone. Shinji would have gotten up in somebody's face and gotten hauled off himself. Ashihara would punch everything. Tsukasa's content to just stand back and watch the exposition before the exact same lady from before points him out. Small world.

I'm also not sure about the baseball player thing, but I guess it ties into Masahiko's dad. I would have liked it if Tsukasa had left the Studio in a yellow jeep and cowboy hat, but this probably makes more sense to the plot. He sure ditches it quick though. It made for a great gag when he transforms though.

Yuusuke's great. Depending on your point of view, the character's either been badly treated by the writers or performing exactly as he should be in his loyal often-comedic sidekick role. I think he's mostly been doing okay. I like that they've giving him more chances to transform and get into the action lately, though it'd be cool to see him use some different forms again, since that is Kuuga's deal. Maybe he will in the finale.

I like his reactions to everything Amazonian. Once again though, we have a guest Rider telling Tsukasa something Yuusuke told him off-screen. I know they've got to keep things moving, but I'd actually kind of like to see this stuff. One of the things I really liked about the Kiva World is how there was a lot of scenes *just* between Yuusuke & Wataru. He's less prickly and confrontational than Tsukasa often is, so it makes sense to have the Riders listening to him so much.

Natsumi's her usual self, Kivaara's CGI again, and I like Eijirô's Mogura impersonation, even if I can't believe Toei didn't revive him with an Imagin-style makeover. It is a bit strange watching Eijirô now after seeing the movie, but that's all I'll say on that.



Daiki is... Daiki. I'll talk about him more in other reviews, but I just haven't been feeling his character at all. He's got an interesting angle and Diend does allow for some neat return appearances of past Riders, but so did Narutaki, who basically got his gimmick stolen from under his nose. And beyond that, Daiki just doesn't feel like he's really gone anywhere.

Every time he gets development (Hibiki's World, the Shinkengers' World and his own in particular) he just goes back to his usual self the following storyline. It looks like he's going to get some new card next week, and hopefully the finale will do something with him.

Speaking of Narutaki, that poor bastard. He's fallen out of favor with fans over the past 20 or so episodes, and probably for the reason I mentioned. His coolest power was basically jacked by Diend, so he makes the threats and the doom-laden proclamations, but does nothing about it.

I mean look at him here. He used to appear mysteriously whenever there's a fight, stalking Decade and hinting that he knew what the real story was. Here he's literally just standing around, cursing out Daishocker (but again, doing nothing), and of course he also has to blame Decade for everything. I kinda wish we got a scene of someone saying "Hey, who's that creepy old guy?" and Narutaki hoofing it.



So hooray for some real villains! Fresh off of their movie appearance and introduction in the last storyline, Daishocker is in full control here. As I've said, I love the concept. All the Riders' villains team up for one mega-conglomerate to conquer everything. It's simple, and startlingly fresh. It's great seeing the old Shocker Combatants again. I like that they went 110% like in the old days, and have the Daishocker Official Certificate of Achievement™ seen a couple screen caps up. I love the little details like that. There's also mention of the Leader, whoever it may turn out to be...

I'll save most of my Apollo Geist gushing for when I review the RX/BLACK episodes, but he's back again this week, and as great as ever. We've probably only got one more episode of him so I'm hoping he has a cool demise, so he'll go out on a high (getting Super Dai Setsu Dan'd wouldn't be a bad way to go.) His introduction episode was great and even after going through hell last week, he's back on his feet here. You know he's got to be tough as nails to take a double Rider Kick and live.

Kawahara's great. He's not an actor I've paid much attention to prior to this, and apart from an episode of Ryuki he's not been in Kamen Rider before, but he's really good as Apollo Geist. It's a faithful recreation of Uchida's performance without being an actual imitation. He captures all the right characteristics.

I actually like how he expects Decade to just hand over the Perfecter, even though anyone could see a mile off that our hero would just wreck the thing. But Geist still gives it a shot in the off chance, then makes his displeasure more than known when things fell apart. That kind of twisted honor is key to the character. He'll take hostages and play dirty, but he'll still shake your hand when you win (and then have his arm turn out to be a bomb. I'll do cartwheels if they retain that for his finale.)



Joining Apollo Geist this week is an update on Amazon's arch-villain, the Jûmenki (Ten-Faced Demon) Yum Kimil, who sounds like some kind of exotic dish. He's a huge redesign from the original show's Gorgos, so much so that I actually feel like he's a whole new character (which he kinda is), inspired by the original, but with his own take.

Like Apollo Geist, I don't mind villain redesigns because those guys tend to look different every time they come back anyway; Geist changed once in the series, got another redesign for SD Riders, had a pretty awesome S.I.C. version, and now this new one, which draws on elements of them all.

In this case, Yummy Camal looks like he came right out of the architecture of some Central/Southern American civilization. I'd say Incan, but for whatever reason my 6th Grade History is telling me Aztec even if the former makes more sense. In any case, he looks awesome. I like how they incorporated the Daishocker double-headed eagle into him. The giant globe thing he appears in is cool, and giving him the ability to move around without it is sort of a nod back to the original, though Gorgos is only seen walking on his own in publicity photos.

Yumi Killme's got a great new power too; 9 of his faces are the 9 Heisei Riders (the 10th being his own face) and this allows him to use their own powers against them. Having seen the costume in person, a tale I'll tell about sometime soon, I can say that there's a helluva lot of nice details on there, making each of the masks recognizable but still working with the whole look.

Your Cartmel's voiced by Ishikawa Hideo, not much to say other than it's okay. I like the raspy vocals of the great Sawa Ritsuo on Gorgos, but Yoyo Kalihoo's a different guy, so it's cool. I like whatever modulation they put on his voice, giving it just a slightly inhuman reverb.

Overall, Yui Kamisama's... I mean Yum Kimil's a pretty cool new addition to the Rider villain ranks. I'll remember his name yet.



So the big golden one oversees business in Amazon's World, which has a great concept: What if the bad guys won? Diend's World tried a similar thing, but there it was kind of half-baked and weird, with overly nice people all mind-controlled by Blade villains acting out of character. Fourteen had an interesting plan, but it was hard to reconcile that version with the movie one, and no Albino Joker involvement to explain it all away just made things even stranger.

Here we get the full-on, take-no-prisoners, balls-to-the-wall real deal. It's a nightmarish world where everybody does the Shocker salute, Nazi-esque secret police haul suspected traitors away, people cheer on the monsters rather than the Riders, neighbors distrust one another, and even kids are indoctrinated in the ways of evil and get cool pins.

It draws on a number of classic series episodes and oft-repeated ideas, including the "evil kiddie version of ____________", which I've always sorta liked because it is just so wacky. If When I write for Kamen Rider though, I'll do the story where the commander in charge at the time feels uncomfortable with the whole idea and talks the boss out of it, instead setting up an "evil high schoolgirl version of ____________".

As an aside, I love how Apollo Geist doesn't ever return the salute to anyone. He's like "I am so over this."

I'm sure it's coincidental, but I like how of all the old monsters they chose to feature here, one of them is the Porcupine Grongi. You may or may not know the deal with him, but the long story short is that even out of the many, many fearsome foes of Kuuga (and there are many) he in particular is one chilling sonnuvabitch.

Due largely in part to the fact that he killed kids on a Sunday morning TV show, and his death (where Kuuga literally loses it) is rightly famous. There's something extra creepy about seeing him here, cheered on by the masses.



In the middle of this world is poor Amazon. Short on allies, surrounded by evil and running low on bananas, his joy at Tsukasa & Yuusuke arriving is pretty sweet. It's clear he's got some history with Masahiko, and anyone who's seen the original series knows how that might work.

Speaking of Masahiko, and his sister Ritsuko: they're both okay, but I'll need to wait for next week because the show doesn't try to make them very sympathetic. And Ritsuko makes funny faces, but maybe that's just "brainwashed by evil" acting. I will say though that I feel the actor for Masahiko in the original series is one of Tokusatsu's better child actors, because there's times when he's scarily good; the kid here's just sort of going through the motions, but again, I like how easily Amazon trusts him whereas Tsukasa is suspicious the whole way through.

I mentioned waaaaaaaaaay earlier in this review a scene that almost maybe explains why we're in Amazon's World this week, and it's the brief conversation (while the heroes hide from an angry mob) between Tsukasa and Amazon about his journey. This is the place where Amazon yakking away really does kind of help, because it gets across the point easier than drawing them in the dirt and grunting probably would have (though I'd have liked to see how they did that!)

For you see, Amazon describing his own journey hits home with Tsukasa, especially the part about not fitting in anywhere, being a friend to none. I liked this scene a lot. It's a quieter moment in an episode with a lot of running around and fighting, and it's probably the one place where Enrique's toned-down moody Amazon really works.



I mentioned fighting? There's some good fights, particularly the epic conclusion with the triple Henshin. It's good fun and you know, I'm actually really starting to like that "Ride the Wind" song.

The cliffhanger's great. Kuuga down for the count, Masahiko running off with the GiGi, Amazon shot by Apollo Geist (he's extremely lucky, original Apollo Geist's gun was pretty much instant death!) and Decade getting hammered by two Daishocker officers. Great stuff.

So there you have it. After watching this one again another time or two, I really grew to like it. While the new Amazon isn't all he could have been, I think there is some good bits in there, and for the most part the rest of the episode's pretty good. Hey, Kamen Rider Amazon's in it, it has to be good. I can't wait to see how things go down next week.

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