Big Size Riders

The "Big Size Sofubi" Bapresto game machine prize figures. They're sort of underappreciated gems, cuz while they don't do a whole lot but stand there and look cool, that's just it: they stand there and look really, really cool. And sometimes, that's really all I need.

I still tend to pass on them though because they're 1) mostly new characters I already have in a smaller, easier-to-display version and 2) they keep re-releasing the same characters with minor variations. For example, they usually come out two at a time every month, and so while we're getting Kiva Dogga Form and IXA Save Mode now, soon we'll get Kiva Kiva Form and IXA Burst Mode. Except the IXA's the same one, just with a new head. And Kiva uses parts from an earlier-released Kiva Form (and there's been a few) with new arms. It's all rather confusing without some guide to follow, but long story short I tend to pass on them or just get one or two if it looks really cool (for example, I picked up a neutral-pose Climax Form Den-O for cheap.) Or if they're like the Blade-era ones, which were VERY cool.

But, earlier this year they found a way to hook me for good: release some classic Riders! Starting earlier in the spring with the original triple Riders as well as their NEXTy counterparts, I got them all, and they look great. And now we've got a few more on the way:



October sees Stronger & Riderman released. January '09 will belong to BLACK & Skyrider (original costume), and March '09 will see the release of BLACK RX & Amazon. And hopefully more to follow.

What really sells these figures for me is that they're must better posed than most of the newer characters, who are usually fairly neutral. I mean, I've never seen a Skyrider figure in his pre-flight pose like that, so I'm excited. Of course, it's Skyrider, so I'd be excited any way you slice it.

While they're technically UFO Catcher game machine prizes (and nigh-impossible game machines at that), getting these guys at collector shops is usually easy, and HLJ tends to carry them as well.

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Unholy Matrimony

In honor of the 35th Anniversary of Kamen Rider V3, my overview of the whole entire 52-episode series continues with episode #12.

Spoiler Warning, but I've already talked about this one enough that you probably know it inside out by now.

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Kamen Rider V3 episode #12 "Junko Becomes a Kaijin's Bride!?

Yes my friends, this is it: the episode where Junko almost gets married to a Destron Kaijin. It's so much fun it should come with a Surgeon General's Warning on it somewhere. This is quite simply, a solid episode of Kamen Rider... well okay, I have a quibble with the closing moments, but let's wait until we get there. Beyond that, it's total awesomesauce.

Pickaxe-Shark resolves his fight with V3 via a little Destron trickery. He traps him in an escape-proof room deep under Destron's island base, then sets the whole place to blow with a time bomb. As I've mentioned before, villain outposts were a dime a dozen back in those days, so even a high-tech secret compound stocked with sensitive communications and surgical equipment was expendable. The bad guys set the timer to 3 minutes and book it.

Fortunately, V3 uses that handy V3 Red Lamp Power to escape. Apparently, in addition to absorbing/reflecting energy blasts (seen in episode #10), it also allows V3 to bust through unbreakable doors, which then explode for some reason. And if you're keeping score, V3's hearing is 10 times that of a normal human, allowing him to hear he time bomb ticking away upstairs. Cool!

Watch for a montage of explosions including some undersea base and the entire island (I don't recall the former offhand but the latter is used a couple times in the original series.) I also like that one small explosion that goes off on the beach before the bigger boom happens.

Kazami's return to base is a bit of an odd scene; considering how nonplussed he was about Junko finding out he was V3 last episode, he angsts about it considerably here, revealing that Junko was the one person he didn't want to know the truth. I've said before why I think this is a rather strange view, especially considering that Junko has been shown to harbor a considerable amount of affection for V3 as well as Kazami.

So naturally, her knowing the truth would put to pay any awkward love triangle between her, Kazami, and himself. Whatever the case, by the end of the episode Kazami is firmly convinced that he & Tachibana have her fooled with their little scheme (more on that below) but as I'll point out, there's another moment in this episode when it becomes blindingly obvious that Junko knows Kazami = V3 from here on after.

As an aside, this whole scene features yet another beat-to-hell Kazami. That guy takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin'!

The midway battle sees the defeat of Pickaxe-Shark after a battle with some Destron goons and the sharky guy himself. Note that the famous V3 Hanten Kick is used twice in this episode alone; we previously only saw it used on Machine Gun-Snake back in #5.

Then things really go to crazy town, as Drill-Mogura reveals his two-part plan: 1) Kill V3 and 2) Marry Junko. Priorities, man! The reasoning for this of course is that Drill-Mogura retains his Junko-obsession from when he was just Kuroda, and reveals this fact to Junko. Oh, and I LOVE her reaction when he says they're going to get married.

Thinking V3 is still dead from the Destron trap earlier on, Drill-Mogura's all set to get hitched, until the Leader reveals that not only did Kazami Shirô survive, but he just destroyed Pickaxe-Shark. So Drill-Mogura still has to kill V3 before the wedding can go forth.

Let's look at that again:

Thinking V3 is still dead from the Destron trap earlier on, Drill-Mogura's all set to get hitched, until the Leader reveals that not only did Kazami Shirô survive, but he just destroyed Pickaxe-Shark. So Drill-Mogura still has to kill V3 before the wedding can go forth.

And Junko is right there, listening to all this as the Leader basically flat-out says it all. Doesn't take much to put two and two together!

Destron's at their scheming best in this episode, ambushing Shigeru & the boys, but just so they can let Kazami know they want to throw down with him once and for all. The trap, which can be described only as a "Junko Bomb", is a classic, and it leads to a great series of scenes where Tachibana spends what appears to be an entire afternoon/evening lifting rocks to try and free him.

Also, take note: the immortal on-the-motorcycle transformations Miyauchi is famous for get a start here. He's not standing just yet, but he's still cruising along, waving his arms about and only controlling the thing with his feet. It's awesome, and every bit as real as it looks. We also see the Hurricane's color-changing Typhoon capabilities again, if you missed that.

The wedding scene itself is unforgettable, starting off with that long pan right up to the flame on the Destron altar. There's some awesome decorations here. Yes, those skull pillars are pretty obviously plaster or styrofoam, but it's the thought that counts, and they add considerably to the mood. Junko has a fetching red dress, and I like Drill Mogura's pinned-on rose. Nice gong action too.

Of course, this is where we get back to Doctor Inugami and why he's not very bright: rather than do his job and then bugger off like a smart low-level scientist (ala Doctor Dee from the penultimate episode of Kamen Rider), he not only hangs around for the festivities but gets to double as the Ring Bearer, and announce the vows!

For his troubles, he gets beaten up by V3, and considering the fact that the scene is shot in the shadows to mask the obvious affects of getting hit by a 15-ton kick, I kinda get the feeling that the implication is he ain't gonna walk away from this one.

Despite appearing to go boom earlier, V3's alive and well of course, and he comes smashing through the wall right at the critical moment when Drill-Mogura tries to force the ring onto Junko's finger (which will put her under Destron control forever, or something.) This leads into the kickass final battle, where Drill-Mogura eats it for good.

Following all this, comes that ending. V3 carries a curiously unconscious Junko (also back in her regular clothes, for some reason) and takes off on the Hurricane, just as she awakens and asks to confirm if he's Kazami or not (a nice little moment.) Then Tachibana shows up, and plays dumb when she asks him the same. He says they couldn't be the same, because oh look! There's Kazami coming around from behind a tree, from the opposite direction that V3 left in. So clearly they can't be the same, right?

The only problem with this of course is, the proverbial Mount Everest of evidence to the contrary that we've been presented with thus far. In fact, I'd even say Junko's reaction here is more one of "Uh-huh... okay..." than genuine belief. Which is why I don't for a second think that Junko could seriously believe their little ruse just like that. Rather, she probably realized that her knowing the truth also caused Kazami grief, so she just kept quiet about it hereafter. Which is more in keeping with what Junko would do, considering how much she cares about him and all.

The other downside of course is that this is really where the idea of a romantic relationship between Kazami & Junko begins to be downplayed to the point where it's almost non-existent, opting instead for a more brother-sister relationship. At least, that's how the conventional wisdom goes, but as I rewatch the rest of the series, I'll still be looking for the signs. Because after all, this is my one and only Kamen Rider OTP!

The really good thing about the ending though, which rises above the minor issues and secures this as one of my favorite Kamen Rider stories ever, is that brief Kazami/Junko scene (the "Ossu" one), which perfectly sums up their basic relationship, platonic or otherwise. It's one of those things that pretty much has to be referenced should they ever meet again onscreen (or offscreen, hint hint hint.)

There's so many great minor touches in this episode. That brief moment in the fight at the beginning when V3 & Pickaxe-Shark alike pause to watch as a door closes behind them; the silent pan around Junko as she sits alone in the cage in Destron's base; the scorpion-shaped Destron Ring; all the stuff I've already mentioned. It's a cracking 20-something minutes of entertainment, and a great capper to the first 12 episodes of V3. Because after this, it just keeps getting better and better.

"Toh!"

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Rider Screencaps!










Next Time: Back in 1973, a new multi-episode villain was a big deal. So big, he gets a whole episode devoted to building up his appearance during the last few seconds!

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Pickled Shark

In honor of the 35th Anniversary of Kamen Rider V3, my series-spanning synopsis of the entire 52-episode saga continues with episode #11.

Spoiler Warning, if you're 35 years out of synch with the rest of the world.

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Kamen Rider V3 episode #11 "The Devil's Claw Reaches for V3!!"

Here we go. I've spoken about these two episodes (this one and #12) in the past. More times than I can count in fact. So why not do it again, and in full detail?

After a couple episodes of V3 learning about his powers and kickin' evil butt, we finally come to some sort-of advancement of the overall plot. Or rather, the part of the plot which deals directly with the relationship between Kazami and Junko. The part of the plot which, I should mention, really sets V3 apart from other Rider series. For reasons I've gone over here and there.

So far, it's been playfully antagonistic, with the main man telling Junko to stay away from him (fearing for her safety) and her snappy retorts about him needing her more than he thinks. Tachibana's gotten in on the action too, trying helpfully to spur things along. And why not? Moody Kazami Shirô probably gets tiresome after a while when you're hanging out all the time. Plus, he's Tachibana: he just rocks like that.

It all gets going when Destron kidnaps Dr. Nakahara, a marine biologist, and forces him to help complete the cybernetic surgery for Pickaxe-Shark, yet another diabolical Destron Kaijin. No, I don't know how a degree in marine biology = knowledge of cybernetics, but that's TV for you!

No sooner has he done the job then Nakahara is Destron's Most Wanted, because naturally he made a hasty escape from their scenic island base. Which is all part of the master plan of course: the Leader, sensing that Nakahara would try to escape, *allows* him to do so after completing his task just so he can send Pickaxe-Shark to go kill him. What a bastard! Welcome to the days when Rider villains weren't just evil, they were outright ruthless screaming mother@#$%ers. And that's still just small beans compared to what the Leader's responsible for later on in the series.

Speaking of villains, let's talk about the pickaxe-wielding one. Pickaxe-Shark (which yes, sounds like "Pickle-Shark" due to the pronunciation of Pikeru) is an interesting fella. Essentially playing the role of muscle, with the other Kaijin of the episode being the one the drama surrounds, the sharky guy's sole mission (apart from killing Nakahara) is to take down our hero, which he attempts numerous times. Armed with that HUGE pickaxe, aquatic superiority and that neat blinding light attack (an otherwise simple effect that works very well), he gets plenty of time to show off what he can do considering he's going to get totaled midway through #12. But that's jumping ahead.

Nakahara meets up with some Shônen Riders, heads over to the shop and gives Tachibana a letter for Kazami detailing the location of Destron's base. Which I assume he intends Kazami to give to his "friend" Kamen Rider V3, unless he knows that Kazami is V3. Which isn't all that hard to believe when you take into account how much that bit of info gets thrown around soon enough.

Good thing the Doc got to do all that before— surprise! Pickaxe in your chest! This is a pretty intense scene, with a sadistic Pickaxe-Shark going on about how "You know what happens to traitors!?" one minute, and then casually reporting back to the Destron Leader as if he'd just had the dullest day the next.

Fortunately, Kazami shows up soon after he teleports away, and not only finds Nakahara's corpse, but recognizes him as that famous marine biologist who disappeared and a clue to who the killer was (seaweed left nearby.) These were the days when the heroes virtually couldn't go 5 feet without tripping over a victim's body, an orphaned kiddie whose parent(s) were in enemy hands, or with a little luck, a really cute girl who sadly turns out to be a monster in disguise.

There's some good continuity when we once again see the Shônen Rider HQ secret passage/security system (really, who would be caught dead bowling with that ball?) Trying to make sense of the earlier murder, Kazami learns from Tachibana that Junko has the letter and is en route to give it to Kazami.

Unfortunately, she's also being harassed by Kuroda Yuji, a petty crook (he earlier messed about in the sports shop, which Tachibana was tidying up when Kazami arrives.) Kuroda is also your classic creepy-creep stalker, and conveniently enough is infatuated with Junko. But to be fair can you blame him? Well, yes you can, because I don't think there's much harm in saying that he is not exactly the best-looking guy in Kamen Rider history, so naturally Junko tells him where he can stuff it.

Destron shows up at that moment, in an all-time classic twist (it's the guy reading the newspaper back there!) and you get another good time to see the lone "round-eyed mask" Destron thug. Kazami tops even this when he literally jumps out of nowhere; seriously, was he hiding behind that car the whole time or something? Junko runs off but unfortunately Kuroda (who at this point, Destron has no interest in) sees everything: Kazami fight, Kazami transform, you name it.

This plays into the critical next scene, following the fight. Whilst mourning the loss of Nakahara (more flowers-into-the-sea action), Kuroda shows up to reveal to Junko that Kazami is V3. Which is a big plot twist, right? Here's the kicker though: check out the reactions of the regulars.

Kazami, for his part, doesn't try to confirm or deny it. He just walks off grimly. Junko's initial reaction to Kuroda's statement is one of knowing skepticism, as if she's aware but out of dislike for Kuroda, is disposed to think he's nuts anyways. She then follows Kazami which leaves Kuroda alone and easily jumpable by Pickaxe-Shark and the boys, as he's been selected to become a Destron Kaijin out of his intense hatred of Kazami and infatuation with Junko. And this is where things start to get really crazy.

Kuroda of course gets turned into the other new monster of this story, Drill-Mogura. Coming after the freakier-than-freaky Mogurang from the original series (a monster whose howl still unsettles me) and the loveable Mogura-Jûjin in Amazon, Drillmaster D.M. is pretty standard-issue. In fact, whereas most Destron monsters have at least one or two nifty secondary powers to their main gimmick, Drill-Mogura has his head-mounted drill and that's about it. But the reall appeal of the character comes more out of his crazy motivation (revealed next episode.)

That said, the fact that you can see the stunt guy's eyes here works to the design's benefit, as it often did with older Rider monsters. Because it's often easy to forget that the monsters in most of the older Kamen Rider series are/were humans who have been surgically/chemically/ genetically/cybernetically altered into what they are now.

The underlying tragedy of the monsters (and really, all the superhuman participants in Kamen Rider in general) is usually downplayed by the fact that the humans who become the monsters are already amoral, unlikable people. And if not already part of the organization beforehand, then at least those unwilling are corrupt/evil enough so that we don't shed tears when they eventually go boom. If a triple-murderer gets turned into some mutant cyborg, nobody's really going to miss them, which is of course part of the whole disturbing charm of how the villains work: taking the forgotten, the unwanted, the dregs of society and turning them into monsters.

Of course, there's the times when a complete innocent becomes the monster, but often times they're the ones who live at the end; the creatured they've become being viewed almost as a seperate entity that, once defeated, relinquishes control of their body/mind back to them. Kuroda ain't one of those people though, and despite initially being an unwilling participant in the Destron cause, clearly retains knowledge and memories from his pre-converted life as we'll see next time.

I also must bring up the new expert Destron brings in to do the surgery: Doctor Inugami, who unlike Nakhara is one of Destron's in-house surgeons (re: evil), and also wins the award for undisputed Dumbest Evil Organization Scientist , at least until Neoshocker comes along years later with an array of foolhardy braniacs. This isn't so much what he does in this episode (be a creepy lil' guy and chuckle a lot), but next time, when he makes the fatal mistake of staying for the wedding.

So back to Kazami & Junko: our heroine confronts our hero about the truth. I'm watching the unsubbed R2 version as I do these reviews, but unless I'm mistaken Junko basically flat-out tells him that she believed he might be V3, which is in keeping with everything we've seen thus far. Kazami dodges the questions and simply says that he has but one objective: to destroy Destron and bring peace. Which is basically a roundabout way of saying "Yes Junko, I am V3!", right? It gets a bit tricky next episode (as you can tell, a lot of the pay-off comes in that one!)

Oh, and that's a lovely near-silent shot of Junko walking away from the sea as Drill-Mogura comes plowing up from the ground into shot. I also have to say that Junko's outfit in this episode? Niiiiiiiiice.

The remainder of this episode is basically a huge one-on-one duel between Kazami/V3 & Pickaxe-Shark aboard a moving speedboat. There's some cool underwater fight scenes with them hanging off the back of the boat, and if you are amused by this kind of stuff then keep an eye out for the scenes where Pickaxe-Shark is just an empty suit (for obviously reasons; having two stunt guys hold onto each other on the end of a moving speedboat sounds like a recipe for injury.)

Kazami has a nifty in-the-water Henshin, and the continuing battle between V3 & Pickaxe-Shark is all sorts of cool. The underwater scenes are nifty (watch for the enlarged V3 mouthpiece, hiding the breathing gear I'd guess), but it's the above-the-water stuff that really rocks, with waves crashing all around the participants.

Two more Secrets gets deployed here, but one of them goes unmentioned. It's basically V3's extended reserve oxygen supply, since this is the pre-X-Rider days when the heroes could last underwater longer than normal humans, but not indefinitely. It comes back in another episode, much later on. The other is the V3 Barrier, which has one of the more unique special effects to make it possible. It's like a lit-up shag carpet or something! Looks cool though, and it does the job. I like the idea behind it too, that V3 can't fall for the same trick twice.

And then there's the cliffhanger. Well, it's really more of an abrupt break with the narrator asking a lot of questions while the fight continues to rage on. What will happen to Junko (kidnapped by Drill-Mogura when last we saw her.) What will happen to V3? That sorta thing. In these post-Kuuga days, this kind of thing isn't all that jarring, and besides, the next episode's right around the corner!

Okay, let me explain the above: There are times in Kuuga (and other series, but largely in Kuuga's) when a cliffhanger often comes right after Godai has only just transformed. In other words, it's more like the episode just ends rather than something warranting a full-blown "TO BE CONTINUED!" like Kuuga about to get sliced in half (which it must be said, also happens.)

In rewatching Kuuga (something I'll probably do again after V3), I tend to view the episodes two or three at a time, on account of the fact that I feel the show was probably meant to work in a 45 minute/hourlong format. I mean two-parters are nothing new, but the way Kuuga sometimes does them, there often isn't enough time for much action in one part, and the fighting is pushed to the pre-credits scene of the second half. One example of this is episodes #34~35, where a fairly plot-heavy first part has the break being right after Godai's transformed and chased after a dude on his bike for a bit; this is then followed by a cracking second part with THAT fight in it. Of course, this isn't always the case: in #27~28, #27 has one of the best battles in the entire series, and it's still just the first half.

"Toh!"

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Rider Screencaps!










Next Time: It's the Wedding of the Century: Drill-Mogura & Tama Junko... and V3's crashing it!

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Undercover Rider

In honor of the 35th Anniversary of Kamen Rider V3, the recap of the entire 52-episode series continues with episode #10.

Spoiler Warning, for those poor, poor souls who have yet to see V3.

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Kamen Rider V3 episode #10 "The Secret of the Double Typhoon"

In a major twist, V3 really did get blown up at the end of the previous episode! Well okay, he miraculously escaped somehow, but they don't dwell on the specifics, instead giving Destron a false sense of victory until the man main makes his surprise appearance about midway in. In fact, he makes two surprises appearances, but more on that in a bit.

Tachibana & some Shônen Riders get the bulk of the action for the first half of the episode. As I've said in previous reviews, those 'lil kids aren't that bad, and they're actually pretty cool in this one. Apart from the impromptu crying bout (which never woulda happened back when Tachibana had more girls running around with him, he laments), they manage well, getting to sneak around and pull out some neat tricks.

The kids come armed with lockpick/screwdrivers in their shoes, what appear to be garrotes (!), and those Shônen Rider Pendants/Medals/Communicators double as offensive weapons apparently. And they've got a sweet ride with that van there.

And I like the fact that Tachibana acknowledges how it would have been dumb of them to just go into a creepy house owned by a horribly disfigured guy who laughs like a maniac and gives them food and drink laced with sleeping powder. Because they do just that, but then reveal that they were onto him the whole time and give him a beat-down! Of course the horribly disfigured guy is Lens-Ari. It's certainly an original disguise, no doubt about that. I also like his lengthy transformation scene, it would have been funny if, when it finished, everyone had already run out on him.

And check out the Destron Leader's command to Lens-Ari early on: "They are enemies of Destron too. Send them to Hell!" Cold as ice, Shuryô.

There's some more great Destron interior design going on (especially the yellow spray-painted scorpions in the jail cells) but the Combatants are definitely having an off week. Destron's finest are brought down by marbles, and that one guy "guarding" the cell where Tachibana & the kids end up? Shouldn't have mocked them like that, dude!

I like how Tachibana already has an escape plan going through his head barely a minute after the good guys are captured. I'd say he's in his absolute prime in V3, on account of the fact that there's no Taki around to help out anymore (and Sakuma turns out to be about as useful as flashlight without batteries.)

And there's the cutback on Rider Girls, the only one of which tends to be kidnapped by the point Oyassan has to start busting out somewhere. So he's really Kazami's mentor/ally/teacher/sidekick/coach/confidant/partner-in-crime all rolled into one.

Kazami's unexpected reappearance during the breakout scene comes as a genuine surprise, even after seeing this one before several times over. The old "disguise self as a henchman" scheme works yet again, and you wonder why the villains decided to go from the old facepaint-only henchmen of the very early Kamen Rider episodes to the eyemasks (which Hongô pulled off once) and then to the full-head-covering wrestling masks, which it seemed everybody was able to get away with at least once. But then, I guess that's just part of the Magic of Kamen Rider™!

Also note that Kazami can apparently read the strange script that Shocker/Gelshocker/Destron (and some of the others) use on all their stuff: computer terminals, chemical vials, light switches, you name it. It's one of those great reoccurring touches they put in to tie the villain groups together and I'll be damned if I don't write the definitive English-to-Rider Villain/Rider Villain-to-English Dictionary some day. And maybe the Japanese edition too!

Oh, and I love the camaraderie between Lens-Ari & Kamisori-Hitode, with them banging their hands together like that in a Destron high-five. I'm always big on the villain teamwork thang.

So after some crawling through ventilation shafts, Tachibana & the boys arrive just into time to witness the Salem Witch Trials: Destron Edition, wherein those creepy black-robed hooded guys prepare to set burn Junko & Shigeru at the... cross? Hey man, Japan, different standards, okay?

On that note, I should point out that the rather Klansmen-looking hoods worn by the robed guys are referencing the hoods worn by medieval executionors and inquisitors, and like the manji/fylfot/swastika, it's just one of those things which crops up a lot and means different things all over the world, but unfortunately carries a negative association in some parts. So I can only really say that no, there isn't any political subtext going on; in this context, it just looks sinister and evil, which is what Destron is all about.

So what's the Destron Hell Corps been up to? Highway robbery, of course! Although it leads to their downfall by way of Kazami, who had earlier snuck off with some antidote for Destron's mind-controlling narcs and the contents of those big metal briefcases they nicked at the beginning of the episode.

For you see, our hero stages the most elaborate rescue yet, making a surprise appearance yet again as one of the evil bikers and then revealing he cured them all of their evil influence, allowing them to act as getaway bikes for the rest of the good guys. Owned! Well, at least they got neat Destron logos on their shirts to take home as a memento.

Oh, and note that when Kazami transforms, Junko is not only still within earshot, but the bike she's on is seen driving past him as he's doing the Henshin. Starting to see what I mean here?

A truly epic fight follows, with V3 first dealing with Lens-Ari & then Kamisori-Hitode. I like how there's a good warm-up fight with some of the Combatants too. Check out that random explosion when V3's driving right towards them on the Hurricane, and Lens-Ari picks up and crushes a prop in utter frustration. That's is what Kamen Rider's all about, people.

So wondering about the title of the episode? It comes into play near the end, when V3 pulls out yet another of the 26 Secrets: Red Lamp Power. The... well, Red Lamp on his belt lights up, as does the "V" positioned between the two Typhoons. And our hero absorbs the energy beams from Lens-Ari's eyes, and sends it right back at him, except double the power.

This results in a killer scene where V3 walks undaunted through an explosion, a precursor to similar scenes with Roborider, Kuuga Titan Form & the like. He does the aforementioned Red Lamp Power move, and this causes Lens-Ari to be blinded by his own attack, and easily finished off by the V3 Kirimomi Kick. And the best part? V3's total laid-back reaction as Lens-Ari claws at his eyes and screams out in rage! Brutal.

And then Kamisori-Hitode comes outta nowhere! Round 2, and the starfishy guy gets to show off some cool powers (like flammable white foam from that thingy on his stomach, and instant-regenerative powers for his bladed arm.) Even those aren't enough to stop the big green one though, and another Destron Kaijin soon falls to the feet of V3.

So it all ends happily enough, with some friendly flamingos in place of those freaky peacocks from last time. And really, if that isn't a metaphor for life, what is? Wait...

"Toh!"

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Rider Screencaps!










Next Time: Hand over my heart, if you put aside all the episodes with Riderman, a Major Destron Officer going bye-bye or the Double Riders showing up, the upcoming two-parter is one of my favorite V3 stories of all. Maybe even favorite Kamen Rider stories of all. Which is pretty good considering the end of it drives me absolutely crazy, but let's not get ahead of ourselves.

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The Peacocks of Doom

In honor of the 35th Anniversary of Kamen Rider V3, my critical analysis of the entire 52-episode series continues with episode #9.

Spoiler Warning, since apparently some people are just now discovering this show exists.

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Kamen Rider V3 episode #9 "What is Destron's Hell Corps!?"

Ah yes, the bike race episode. There's always got to be one, right? Well, actually, not as often as you'd think. And in one of 'em (Amazon's), it wasn't the title Rider involved in the race, but Tachibana! Clearly, he was going through a midlife crisis or something.

Okay, so it's really not a constant fixture of the franchise, no. But why not? After all, that's how it all began: Hongô got caught while out practicing for the big (unseen) race, although it can be argued that Shocker would have gone after him either way since they'd selected him for "recruitment" in the backstory. But even then, there's a couple in the first series, and they always lead to some grander adventure. #63 has Doctor Shinigami return to Japan (again) for a complicated assassination plot that involves hypnotism, time bombs, and a Rhinoceros that walks like a man. And the one in the Hell Ambassador movie ends up with an all-out brawl on Mt. Fuji, plus Taki cheating death multiple times in about half and hour. If neither of those things piques your interest, then you're probably reading the wrong blog.

So how about V3? This episodes throws us right into the action and takes off at full throttle, never letting up. Kazami (entered as number 3...hahaha) is defending his championship from last year against a bunch of upstarts, several of whom get turned into the titular Hell Corps before the halfway point. Tachibana & the kiddies are on hand to support him. As is Junko, who gets told off for neglecting communications duties back at base. Although one has to wonder why, considering that if any calls of Destron activity came in, the Shônen Riders would be pretty much screwed considering Kazami (and thus V3) is busy racin'.

More likely, that's just Tachibana's cover story for the fact that whenever Junko's around, Kazami tends to lose his cool and turn into a fumbling, awkward mess. If you've been paying close attention, there is an ongoing friction between the two, wih Kazami turning down her involvemment in his fight and Junko returning fire with cute put-downs whenever he begrudgingly accepts her help (check out the hospital scene last episode, which references the events of episode #5.) This all comes to fore in #11, as we'll soon see.

Fortunately for all involved, Destron has decided to take two weeks off of harassing scientists and instead go after the main man directly. To this end, they capture some of the other competitors (via remote control devices in their bikes) and inject them with Kaizô-Liquid, altering them into super-tough Destron Combatants who also sport glowing-eyes and blue facepaint for whatever reason.

I have no idea why they poke the syringe into that one guy's neck, whereas the others clearly have the stuff injected into their abdomens, but you can't deny it's a creepy-as-hell scene. Also, keep an eye out for that wall decoration behind them... more foreshadowing/unintentional plot-revealing!

And overseeing this whole little scheme is Lens-Ari, another entry into the Destron Kaijin files. I have to say, if it seems like I've heaped praise on all the monsters thus far, it's time to heap some more. I love Lens-Ari, it's one of those designs where the budgetary limits actually worked in its favor. It looks beat-up, worn-down, and frankly a bit shoddy... but this is why it's so great.

He looks worn, rusted, battle-scarred. As a design that's mostly metallic-looking, it works wonderfully. He's got a face only his a mother could love, with that jagged thing of a mouth. And those neat spinning eyes: you have to admire the guy who had to wear it, with all those lights and moving parts on the mask.

And that's a helluve introduction... "The name that roars around the world!"

In a trend I like with some of the Destron Kaijin, he has another major trick appart from the main gimmick (killer death rays from his lens eyes), in the form of his massive crushing claw that looks like the nail-pulling end of a hammer. There's also that big red switch on his stomach, which is intriguing...

Lens-Ari is the real star monster of this episode, but of course there's another one waiting in the wings. After failing to kill V3 the first time, the oversized ant is joined by Kamisori-Hitode per special request of the Leader. This second monster is even more impressive, with the cool orange/blue color scheme, the skull-like face, and the weird, um... heart-ish thing on his stomach. I guess it would be like a starfish's mouth? Also, that scorpion-etched razor blade hand of his... awesome. I'm fast beginning to decide that V3 has some of the best-designed monsters of any Rider series, ever.

The Hell Corps though are worthy of mention, because they nearly get their own fight with V3! Most of the time, V3 or even just Kazami tears through Destron thugs like me through a box of chocolate-covered almonds, but here, 5-6 guys give him the fight of his life before Lens-Ari joins in on the fight. The idea of a special motorcycle-riding unit of henchmen is nothing new, but whereas the Shocker & Gelshocker bike brigades tended to crash into each other a lot and explode at the slightest provocation, the Destron version is (so far) a force to be reckoned with.

There's some moments of outrageous amusement in this one. Kazami, noticing something's up when his competitors vanish, turns around mid-race to go look for them. Good thing nobody else was trying to, you know, win or anything! And later, when he gets attacked by the Hells Corps, listen as Miyauchi channels Fujioka with a line so deepy and confident, you'd think it was an intentional bit of characterization to show how he's becoming more like his senpai.

By far the strangest scene/theme in this episode is when Junko & Shigeru are attacked by peacocks, scaring them right into Lens-Ari's waiting grip (and a lot of explosions.) No, I can't really explain this one, nor can I explain why the peacocks Kazami later encounters in a cave seem to disturb him so. Foreshadowing to the Peacock Undead in Blade? I dunno, but I love how they use the "Kaijin appearance" sound effect gratuitously (it pops up three times in a row in one of the aforementioned cave scenes.) If I ever get to make a Rider show/movie, that's definitely going in somewhere.

If you're following developments with V3's powers and such, this episode not only gives us a predecessor to Skyrider's Rider Break, but also reveals that the circular thingy (Typhoon) on the front changes color in accordance with the bike's speed, that being Blue = 200 kmph, Yellow = 400 kmph, and Red = 600 kmph. Neato.

There's a ton of action in this one, with V3 once again remaining transformed for a lot of the episode all in the same go. The final fight has him dealing with both Kaijin (I like how nonplussed V3 is when Kamisori-Hitode arrives to the battle) and then the further twist of Junko & Shigeru facing death by being-pushed-off-of-a-lighthouse, which results in V3 being forced to to fight on and let them die or give up to save them. Either way, Lens-Ari appears to blow him away, and the final shot? It's like, a vision of V3 burning in Hell or something! Now that's a cliffhanger!

This episode continues the steadily strong run V3's been on since day one. There's plenty of cracktastic fun, kickass fight scenes and an easy-to-follow plot with a smattering of character development. You have to like, be a Destron spy not to like it!

"Toh!"

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Rider Screencaps!










Next Time: V3 kicks evil butt. That's literally the extent of the preview for #10. Well okay, and we learn about the secret of the Double Typhoon! Plus some good old-fashioned creepy mansion antics.

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On the Cutting Edge

Updated Schedule: Due to time constraints (and me remembering that episodes #11~12 are the big ones and thus deserving of a combined analysis) I'll be reviewing episode #8 tonight, #9 & 10 on Thursday, and #11 & 12 on Friday, followed by #13 on Saturday. And then that's it for V3 until the following Saturday, and every Saturday after that ideally until the end of the show.

In honor of the 35th Anniversary of Kamen Rider V3, my praise-heaping of the entire 52-episode series continues with episode #8.

Spoiler Warning, but really, just knowing that V3 exists spoils the entire first series for you, doesn't it?

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Kamen Rider V3 episode #8 "Watch Out V3! The Fearsome Electric Saw Draws Near"

As a wannabe writer, I must confess that resolving a cliffhanger, and doing it well, is one of the hardest things there is to write. After all the build-up from where you last left off, you don't want it to disappoint. If you ended with the hero trapped in a burning car careening off of a bridge while a ninja is in the backseat trying to kill him and the aliens have already begun the invasion, explaining it away as a dream sequence at the start of the next part doesn't really cut the mustard. That's a fairly extreme example, but even still, it's not going to be very exciting if the car hits the water and the hero just swims to shore while the aliens decide to hold off on the invasion because they're distracted by a shiny object. And the ninja just gets forgotten about.

Okay, what does this have to do with anything? In Kamen Rider, cliffhanger resolutions are, generally, pretty good. There is a risk of stumbling: Some times we get daring last-minute escapes and surprises twists. Other times, the combatants seem to just get tired, walk away, and cue the opening credits. There's one episode of Faiz towards the end of the series where infamously, so much is going in the fight scene that the writer clearly got overwhelmed and decided to just end it with a fade to white followed by Kusaka stumbling up some steps.

When we left V3 last time, he was about to get crushed by a wrecking ball. Within the first couple seconds of this episode, he kicks a guy in the face, flips out of the way (causing another guy to get crushed in his place) and is busting heads left and right. This, my friends, is a prime example of how you resolve a cliffhanger.

Knife-Armadillo gets taken down for the count early in this episode, so it's Nokogiri-Tokage's chance to shine. And I gotta say, she is one sadistic @#$%&! She considers Kazami's death by being slowly lowered into an acid pit to be "uninteresting", so she ups the ante by adding a burning candle under the rope!

And check out the scene where she threatens Kawai's son right in front of him. "Professor, are you okay with your kid dying?" It's a chilling line in how honestly it's spoken. Speaking of speaking, Nokogiri-Tokage (who is V3's sole female Kaijin) has a shrill, screechy voice, but it doesn't really grate the way you'd expect it to. This is probably because she's just such a disturbing monster already, with that skull-like face and constant drone of the electric buzzsaw (mostly seen in motion, which is a nice touch.)

She also gets to cut through a wall and decapitate two unlucky Destron goons. Nice.

While we're on the subject of Destron, this episode is a good example of showing off the kickass interior design work of their bases, with the spray-painted swirls and scorpions. I especially like the bone crucifix seen on the doors. As with Shocker & Gelshocker, there's an extra effort made into giving the villains some vanity and logo-obsessions. They've got the Destron mark on everything! Not to be outdone, the good guys have a two-way radio with "V3" emblazoned on it. More on that in a moment. Also, check out the Christmas lights on the Destron computer. Hee-hee!

There's a great bit of ironic foreshadowing in this episode. It's a big spoiler, so if you are somehow watching V3 for the first time and doing so in tandem with my reviews, skip the rest of this paragraph. Okay, keep an eye for the scene when V3 goes into the operating room. Up on the wall there? It's the Leader of Destron! No really, the spray-painted skeleton with a big red heart looks remarkably like a guy
V3 will encounter much, much later on in the series. Of course if you've seen that episode, you know what he really turns out to be. But it's a creepy little touch because V3 is, at this point, completely oblivious to it.

And keep your eyes peeled for the famous "round-eyed-mask" Destron Combatant. There's just one, and he tends to pop up in the Destron goon crowdshots, but you don't usually notice him unless, like here, he's featured prominently in the shot. The way to tell him from the others is that the white detailing around the mask's eye-holes is round, rather than pointed like on the other Destron Combatants. The reasoning for this is that it's the mask that the Destron soldiers were originally all going to have (as well as yellow boots and gloves.) It's an interesting bit of pre-show history that I'll elaborate on at a future date.

There's some great chemistry between the regulars in this one. After fighting off Destron and beating Knife-Armadillo (via a combination of his newly-discovered Secret plus a little kicking), Kazami collapses and is hospital-bound for part of the episode. This allows Junko a chance to stop by with some flowers (and the aforementioned radio, which she plants unbeknownst to Kazami) and be her snarky best.

As it turns out, this is part of an elaborate scheme by Tachibana to... well, to tell you the truth, I'm not sure. Because I'm pretty positive that Kazami was not in on the plan, which consists of him getting captured and brought to Destron's base. The radio was planted to Tachibana & Junko know when this happens, and... um... they leave the rest up to Kazami! Okay, he must have been in on it all along.

This episode also marks the official debut of the V3-flavored Shônen Riders.

I'll level with you: as is oft to happen with kids/kid actors, they take a lot of criticism and not all of it is deserved. Really, they're never that bad. The Junior Riders in Super-1 were more intrusive, and that's because they really did try to make all of them named characters with distinct personalities (which as a result, means more focus much be placed on them in the story.) And as much as I like the de-aged warrior kiddies from BLACK, that's a pretty wacky idea right there, isn't it? And at the end of the way, any of the kid groups mentioned beats out the most dysfunctional pre-school ever from Kuuga. Some of those kids? Had issues.

So as in the original series, the Shônen Riders really don't get in the way that much. They're mostly around to be the eyes and ears of justice, alerting V3 to the weekly menace and then, usually, clearing out and letting him do his thang. Yes, they're more prevalent in some episodes than others, but even then, the fact that it means Increased Junko Screentime (IJS™) means it's worth it.

In this case, they're basically there to convey to Nokogiri-Tokage (in her human guise) where Kazami's at, which therefor leads to Tachibana's masterplan of him getting captured and... well, nearly put to death!

The acid pit escape scene is good stuff, as well as V3's break-out escape and subsequent battle to save Kawai & company. During the final battle with Nokogiri-Tokage, our hero cuts the monster's buzzsaw weapon right off, a moment that got a nice nod in THE NEXT (where she then insta-grows a new one!) V3 beats the saw-wielding maniac with the interesting Double Attack, which consists of him lifting her up, spinnin' her around, chucking her hella far, and giving her a good kick (notice, if you will, that he hits her square in the rear) followed by a big explosion.

And then Knife-Armadillo comes out of nowhere! Didn't he blow up at the beginning of this one? Yes, but he got better. Under pain of death for his son and the other lady (who I think is his sister, if I followed that right), Kawai used his artificial heart-knowledge to revive the dude yet again. He rolls all over V3 until our hero uses another Secret, the Drill Attack. Yes, it's an obvious model V3 hitting a model rolled-up Knife-Armadillo, but it does the job (and doesn't jar nearly as badly as some CGI finishers tend to.) Also, the panning shot to Knife-Armadillo's explosive demise more than makes up for it.

8 episodes in and I'm already re-evaluating V3's place in my list. While it's got stiff competition from the top 3, it may just break 4th place by the end. Especially since the best is still yet to come.

"Toh!"

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Rider Screencaps!










Next Time: Vroom-vroom-vroom! It's the big bike race, and everyone's invited. Including Destron.

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Kingdom Artificial Hearts

In honor of the 35th Anniversary of Kamen Rider V3, my overview of the entire 52-episode series continues with episode #7.

Spoiler Warning for Kamen Rider THE NEXT, of all things, as well.

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Kamen Rider V3 episode #7 "Rider V3's Furious Special Training"

I have a theory. In 1973, a young Inoue Toshiki, full of admiration for his father's contributions to popular childrens' entertainment of the time, sat down and watched this episode completely stoned out of his ever-living mind. He remembered the experience years later when penning the script for Kamen Rider THE NEXT.

Unfortunately, the years (and the theoretical drugs) had taken their toll, and he missed out on the key factor when creating the updated tale of Kamen Rider V3 and his narratively-challenged sister: that sometimes, you can play right into audiences' expectations and still surprise the @#$% out of them.

You see, this episode features not only the monster which inspired the recent film's Chainsaw-Lizard (more on her below) but it also features a plotline involving someone who should have died getting to live again via the meddling of science, and seeking vengeance on those responsible for their current state of being. And on top of that, all hope for a return to a normal life for them is lost due to the fact that they are now physically revolting, a monster made out of a man (or a popstar.)

Except in this, it plays out the way you expect (and probably want to) see it happen: Destron is behind everything, the vengeance-seeking walking corpse was "saved" by them and altered into Knife-Armadillo, and it all manages to tie back into the main plot of Professor Kawai's ill-fated attempts to prolong the mortal lives of humanity. And this is why this episode works. It does what we expect, but the surpise twists are in how it's done and what happens to get us from point A to point B. Also, there's no bloody awful pop song.

So basically Kawai & his buddies decide it would be a real sweet idea to grow an artificial heart, stick it in a recently-deceased guy, and call it good. In the interest of SCIENCE! after all, right? Unfortunately, Destron intervenes thanks to a traitor in the ranks. Shoulda kept your eye on that shifty-looking woman, Prof.! Anyway, an accident involving Kawai's son coming in at the absolute worst moment leads to a fire, which then leads to an explosion, because hey, it's the 70's— everything blows up!

In the ensuing fracas, Kawai gets away, but leaves the recently-reanimated former-dead guy to his fate. This turns out to be a really bad move when, as I mentioned, he turns up months later, having been altered into Destron's Kaijin Knife-Armadillo, who wants revenge on the Professor as well as wanting to secure his knowledge of artificial heart technology. Which Destron covets, of course (you'd think their own scientists would have figured it out by then. Slackers!)

In human form, Knife-Armadillo has a horrible burn/decay mark on his face, yet this doesn't seem to be noticed by the kids he tricks into telling him about Kawai's son (under the elaborate disguise of... a hotdog vendor!) Kazami notices right off that bat though, keeping in tradition with the Riders' ability to see what others overlook, like yellow scarves and such.

In true monster form, the knife-wielding-one is the toughest customer yet. You thought Hammer-Kurage was tough? This guy is worse! V3 can barely scratch him, and his rolled-up flying ball forms hits our hero like a ton of bricks. He's also got that nifty spring-out knife hand, for making the stabby (as he does to an innocent jogging boxer, who's actually one of the stunt guys in a random extra part/cameo!)

As for the other monster... ah yes. Nokogiri-Tokage. She doesn't appear in this one much outside of her human form (the appealing-yet-elusive Monica Ai), but she's important soon enough. As I mentioned, she was the basis for THE NEXT's Chainsaw-Lizard. There's some subtle similarities, particularly the right-hand weapon (the classic one sports a circular saw, which also features the checkerboard pattern the movie one has), the shoulder-pad armor/high-collar, and the skull-like mug.

I'll confess that I slightly prefer the updated movie look, because it looks more feminine, whereas the original is pretty masculine as was oft to happen back then (although not always; the original's Hachi-Onna and Stronger's Hebi-Onna being notable exceptions.) I'm also a sucker for those platform boots the new one has, what can I say. That said, the original is definitely a more rounded character, largely because this script is actually interested in her. Like I said, she's mostly in the background here, but fulfills a role not unlike the movie version being the "handler" of Knife-Armadillo.

And this show continues to mix the formula around by making the endangered scientist dude stop being a scientist early on. The main plot starts up after the failed experiment of 2 months back, with Kawai reduced to shining shoes and living seperately from his son. Of course Destron still seeks to target either/or to get what they want. And as usual, the good guys aren't far behind.

This is a big episode for V3, but I'll get to that in a moment. As far as Kazami goes, he gets to spout off some nice messages for the kiddies about believing in yourself and fighting your own fights and all that. He gets the crap kicked out of him halfway in and stumbles back to base and collapse in front of everybody. Upon waking, he makes a request to Tachibana, one so important and secret that he has to whisper it, considering Junko is right there and clearly knows what's up (her "I thought you were dead" line is delightfully vague.) And what does he want?

For Tachibana to comandeer a crane & hit him with the wrecking ball as hard as he can! Yes, it's a classic bit of "training to overcome the enemy with Tachibana", who despite his appearance, is a ruthlessly harsh coach. When X-Rider needed to learn a new move to beat Mach Achilles, our old man helped him out— by firing a gattling gun at him!

V3's training session is no less intense, as our hero is bashed again and again by the huge ball, until he discovers the necessary skill (which is one of the 26 Secrets, natch) by accident: he stumbles and finds that his upper chest armor and shoulder areas contain the Special Spring Muscles, allowing the ball to bounce harmlessly off of him. Too bad Destron shows up to spoil the fun and lead into the cliffhanger!

Also, Shigeru appears in his Shônen Rider outfit here, for the first time I believe (if he did last episode, I wasn't paying enough attention!) Also, Junko gets punked towards the end when Destron's thugs say "We don't need you!" as they make off with Kawai's son and his surrogate-mother-figure, leaving our heroine in the dust. Oh, if only they knew how important she was...

I must point out one probablly unintentionally hilarious moment in this episode: you know that Kazami's wearing his motorcycle helmet too much when, in a scene where he's speaking on the phone, he holds it up to his head, slightly away from his helmet, yet can still hear just fine. I guess it must be the trusty old enhanced cyborg hearing at work?

The episode ends with V3 held down by Destron Combatants and about to get squashed by the wrecking ball (steered by Knife-Armadillo.) Will he make it out? Do I love this show to pieces? What do you think?

"Toh!"

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Rider Screencaps!










Next Time: Chainsa... I mean, Nokogiri-Tokage is on the attack, V3 has a rematch with Knife-Armadillo, and there's some good old-fashioned acid pit-escaping action!

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Hammer Time

In honor of the 35th Anniversary of Kamen Rider V3, the recollections of the entire 52-episode series continues with episode #6.

Spoiler Warning, now hurry up and go watch some V3!

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Kamen Rider V3 episode #6 "Hammer-Kurage Appears! Unleashed, V3's Killing Technique!!"

Want to know how you end a two-parter in Kamen Rider? Watch this episode. It's pretty much perfection, with tons of action, some high drama, a couple punch-the-air moments and the female lead doing something cute. Recipe for success! In fact, I'd say this episodes totally nails it. It hammers home the point, pounding your senses with... okay, I'll stop.

V3 fights off Hammer-Kurage one-handed while keeping the injured dude safe, that's pretty awesome. The title monster is an interesting design; I think it works better in motion than still photos would seem to indicate, as is often the case. The actual design is unusual at this point in the show, with the organic parts of the monster mostly being confined to his massive noggin and one arm, and the rest looking very mechanical.

It's a far cry from how the early promo/production art portrayed him, as looking like a literal jellyfish that had hammers on the ends of its tentacles. Obviously, such a design would probably have broken the budget (or made for a very amusing puppet), so let's be glad with what we got.

Big Daddy H to the K is even nastier than his snakey cohort from last episode. Watch as his bashes poor Mrs. Nishizaki around... and that's with his big hammer hand! On that note, he has to ability to instantly alter it to a ball & chain, which I guess makes him Hammer As Well As Ball & Chain-Kurage, but that's a mouthful, so Hammer-Kurage it is.

He's voiced by Mine Eken, who last gave us the vocals for Kame-Bazooka. As a result, Hammer-Kurage sometimes channels the earlier monster, with his distinctive battle cry being something like a "ZAAAAAAAUUUUUUKKKKKAAAAA!"

His hammer is so strong it causes earthquakes, and he gets a great smash-through-the-wall sequence. Impervious to the regular V3 Kick, our hero has to pull out another Secret to beat him. As mentioned in the episode #4 overview, I like how V3 can do this. No training, no actual physical power-ups; he's already got it in the deck, he just needs to pull out the lucky card at the right time.

The plot is pretty easy to follow, basically wrapping up what began last time: With Murayama dead, the only person who can understand his secret energy formula thang is his assistant, who won't talk. So Destron goes after her son (Tsutomu, if you're keeping track of these things) who's at the hospital where his buddy (Momoru) has undergone surgery to have the bullet removed. Our heroes are there, and they get to meet Mamoru's older sister Setsuko.

I'd make a cryptic Sigma-related comment here, but given that I'm agonizingly behind with Kamen Rider Sigma, I can't, other than to cryptically say that it's a good older sister name. Really good. Like, I might have used it for something and was surprised to see it turn up here. Yes. Ahem.

There's some nice bits here, with Kazami using Rider ID-Protection Excuse #1 ("I'm V3's friend!"), some backstory about Momoru & Setsuko, and a pull-out-the-stops conversation once again highlighting the public's awareness, or lack thereof, of the Kamen Riders. Kazami & Tachibana flat-out tell Mamoru's sister that her kid bro was injured as a result of a secret evil organization seeking world domination with an army of cyborgs.

Naturally, she thinks they're nuts, and are just trying to cover their butts for the accident they got into with Mamoru. Junko does the most sensible thing and explains that Kazami wouldn't lie, he lost his own family to Destron so he knows what he's talking about. Kazami does the least sensible thing and tells her to be quiet, which ends up not helping his argument. Smooth one, Special K!

Fortunately, Destron arrives to move the plot along again, Mamoru's sister gets almost-conned into handing over Tsutomu, and Hammer-Kurage gets to break through a wall.

This leads into an awesome set piece battle with the good guys fleeing from the hospital while Kazami and Tachibana— yes, Tachibana— fight off Destron. Tachibana in particular rocks this scene out, as he gets to hang on to the back of the escape car and plant a tracking device, and that's really Kobayashi on there! This proves useful as V3's able to tune into the tracker via his O Signal, and follow the bad guys to the big finish.

Basically, the rest of the episode is the final fight. Destron manages to get Tsutomu's mom talking at last (after hanging her son hundreds of feet up in the air from a slowly-breaking crane!) but V3 interrupts before they can learn anything, and beats up everybody who's evil. He defeats Hammer-Kurage with the V3 Screw Kick, another of the Secrets.

The Nishizaki family are safe, Mamoru recovers, his sister's fine, and Junko gets to play papergirl on a bike. Everybody wins!

This is just one of those episodes where it all comes together. There's a lot of great little details, like us finally seeing what the switch on the other side of V3's belt does (it sets the O Signal to follow the tracket, apparently) and there's some cool cinematography. Check out the overlit background which Setsuko and the creepy doctor (who is, naturally, Hammer-Kurage) walk in from in one scene, and the jump cut that has V3 leaping in the air yelling "HURRICANE!" and suddenly on his bike, going through a tunnel in the next shot. It's a bit hard to describe, but it's some great editing.

And V3 spends most of this episode transformed! That's always something to note.

"Toh!"

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Rider Screencaps!










Next Time: THE NEXT's Chainsaw-Lizard? This is where she comes from originally. Also like in THE NEXT, there's a monster that's a vengeful reanimated corpse altered by the villains' super science— except done right.

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