Igadevil vs. Ultraman vs. Kamen Rider

Ultraman vs. Kamen Rider on DVD/Blu-ray

After 18 years, the original crossover between Japan's two biggest heroes is finally coming to DVD and Blu-ray on October 26! Featuring assorted clips from the original series right up to the newest incarnations (albeit circa 1993, so it's Kamen Rider ZO and Ultraman G/Towards the Future) this special also features interviews, assorted oddities (an RX scene you won't see in RX) and a nice compilation of various classic Rider villains laughing it up, plus a few GREAT musical montages. And of course, there's the cherry on top: the iconic team-up between the original Ultraman and Kamen Rider 1 in a newly-shot sequence that features possibly the most onscreen property damage in Rider history (though it's a typical day at the office for Ultraman.)

The special's release on DVD was uncertain for many years, due to its collaborative nature, and there is word that some alterations may be made for the new release. However, there's also a new special feature: a cross-talk between Fujioka Hiroshi and Kurobe Susumu (the original Hayata/Ultraman.)

I'm thrilled this thing is finally coming out, and in time for both franchises' 45th and 40th anniversaries to boot. Ultraman vs. Kamen Rider was one of the first Kamen Rider-related videos I watched next to episodes of the original series, so I think it's pretty solid all-around, and features some of the greatest scenes from both franchises. It's a good primer for the older days of both (given that this is pre-Tiga & Kuuga.) And most importantly, it has the scene of Fake Skyrider being a total jerk and attacking children with ice cream cones.

More promo pics:

http://journal.mycom.co.jp/articles/2011/06/25/hero/
http://www.daily.co.jp/gossip/article/2011/06/25/0004205836.shtml
http://www.oricon.co.jp/news/movie/89176/full/
http://www.chunichi.co.jp/s/article/2011062401001066.html

40 Years

I wish I had time to do something a little more exciting here, but you'll find out just what I did today eventually (and it was exciting!) But the way I look at it, even though 4/3 will come and go, the celebration continues all year long, and I have a lot of great ideas for stuff in the near future.

I did of course get another chance to see the recent movie again, and when I can find the time I'll do a text review or at least a follow-up of new things I noticed/thought about.

And of course I did watch the first episode. I was thinking of maybe reviewing it along with all the first episodes I haven't gotten around to yet later this month, though between Kuuga and V3 and Ishinomori Week/Month/Thing 2.0 we'll just have to see. I'm up for it though. I still need to get around to doing episodes 40/41 like I planned to months ago!

In the mean time, enjoy some of my favorite random odd videos:

Bearded Samurai Fujioka!

22 Years of Rider History! (Yeah I know it's a bit out of date now, but there's some good clips plus Ishinomori)

Great music video set to my favorite Rider song of all (Well, next to "Let' go!!")

Miyauchi & Miyauchi (& Gamu) promote Super Hero Sakusen!

One of my favorite stage show clips. Blade & the guys are in serious trouble, until...

Happy Birthday Kamen Rider!

4/3/1971~4/3/2010 and still going strong!

Okay, I suppose I've some explaining to do, about a number of things.

2010 has so far been a mixed couple of months for me, with a lot of the great and exciting mixed in with the not-so-great. Really, at the top of the list is that come this summer, my job for the last 3 years will come to an end. It's one of those things which always had a chance of happening, so it's not a total shock, though it is disappointing because it means time I could be spending on the fun stuff (like this site) has to be spent on things like packing, moving, and finding another job, ideally still in Japan. After all, 3 years in, and I'm still not ready to leave at all.

I won't bore you with the other personal details other than to say that I'm doing alright and have a couple good options open, though of course I can't really breathe easy until I've got something in writing. As a result, I really can't predict how the next few months will go. I'm going to try and spend time updating this site. You've probably noticed a few changes already.

Yes, I keep saying "this site", because that's what it is now. What was formerly "Igadevil's Kamen Rider Page" and "Igadevil's Kamen Rider Blog" are under one roof, which should make updating go a lot faster in a physical sense (update your links!) While it might take some time to iron everything out and get it looking nice, I have a vision for this site which I hope to see completed (or at least nearly-completed) by the end of the year, as 2010 does mark a decade of it (and me) online. "10 Years of Nothing!" is the slogan, by the way.

Anyways, I have been working away all day so I should have something up tomorrow at least, and after that... who knows? There's a lot going on Kamen Rider-wise right now, and I fully wish to get back into the daily routine I used to manage. It won't be easy, but it's worth a shot. Heck, I've been trying it for 10 years already!

Even if there's long stretches of inactivity here (and I'll try not to have those, but you never know how things go) you can follow me over on Twitter (see side bar.) Hey, at least it lets you know I'm doing something!

Until then enjoy Kamen Rider Day folks! Thanks to all of you out there reading this. 2010 has been tough for me so far, but I have a good feeling about the future.

***

The Agony and the Ecstasy

Late last year, Toei Hero Net (they of the rare, pricey exclusives) announced they would be selling a 1/1 replica of Kamen Rider BLACK's Henshin Belt, for the cool price of... ¥69,300. Ouch.

Now here's the thing... as far as I can tell, it's not electronic; it's a replica prop and accurate to the original in virtually every way, but that's it. No lights or sounds. It comes with a... replica of BLACK's waist? I think, to display it on. But it's not like the Complete Selection line (which are sold on a much wider scale.) This isn't the first time Toei Hero Net's done this, although it's the first time I've been in the position to actually buy one. But of course, I'm iffy.

I like BLACK a heck of a lot, but that much for a belt which basically just sits there and looks cool... hmmm, dunno. And I'm usually not one of those people who complains about shelling out for stuff which, arguably, doesn't do much more than sit there and look cool. Were it an earlier Rider, I might be slightly more inclined; were it X-Rider or Skyrider, I'd probably jump on it instantly, cuz how often are you gonna see a full-size (or any size) belt for them? At least the original Typhoon's got a lot of nice representations, and I suspect some day we'll get a Complete Selection Double Typhoon, if there's the interest. But as for this, well, even I have my limits...

...of course, they still go pretty far, as the below item will prove:



Announced just a few days ago, this is pretty much my big purchase for 2009. I've got plenty of time to save up, since it comes out in June. But what is it?

It's Medicom's new Real Action Heroes RX Kamen Rider 1 (Old) ver. 3.5 & Cyclone. What a mouthful! Let's break it down.

I love the RAH figures, both the big guys and their smaller 220 counterparts. They're pricey, yes, but they're also more than worth it, in my opinion. I spent a good part of last year hunting down some of the ones I really wanted, usually at fairly good prices. I've gotten the mail-in exclusive system down pat, and am awaiting RAH Momotaros (okay, B!M Momo, same difference) and RAH Shadow Moon later this year. They're fun figures to mess around with, and they look great. And for me, that's all you really need sometimes.

In any case, Medicom has been on a "DX" binge the last few years, cycling out older figures (some of which now look positively archaic) and replacing them with much-improved upgrades. If you just concentrate on the Riders (who have been getting the bulk of the rehab) we're now expecting BLACK RX & Kuuga, the latter of which is actually all-new, only done before by subsidiary Time House. That's the big scale, and Stronger is next in the 220 size. Mail-ins have ranged from upgrades on past figures (Apollo Geist, Shadow Moon) to never-done-before(human forms for Amazon, Skyrider, etc.) I'm proud to say I've got 7 of the original 10 Riders in the DX big scale now; sadly, V3 & Riderman (the two I don't have, along with Stronger) tend to go for big bucks. Time to save...

Amidst all this, they keep going back to do the original "old" version of Rider 1. Why? Well, in addition to the fact that even the original DX Kamen Rider 1 (Old) figure is starting to date, apparently somebody wants there to be a figure of every possible variation on the original suit (and there are a lot, let me tell you.) Not that I'm complaining. So here we are, at version 3.5. I passed on 2.0 when he came out because 1) didn't have the cash at the time, and 2) the RAH220 DX one is based on him anyway. Then 3.0 came out last year, and being a big improvement over the original DX figure and 2.0, that was a definite-pick up.

Now we've got 3.5, an improvement on 3.0. By itself, I'd probably say "Looks cool, but I can pass. 3.0's still good" BUT, this one's got a secret weapon.

The Cyclone. This would be, as far as I know, the first official Medicom-produced Rider Machine yet. I know there have been "unlicensed" versions produced by third-party companies of varying degrees of legitimacy. Cyclone, New Cyclone, Hurricane, and I'm pretty sure Battle Hopper. But here we have a RAH-sized Cyclone coming from Medicom themselves. And it looks incredible. The figure's made especially to make riding poses easier, and will come with the necessary handle bar-gripping hands. And that's pretty rad.

So yeah. This will be my late birthday present to myself I think. They're already up for pre-order on Amazon, but some other online places (in Japan) are putting an incredible discount on this one (like over $100!) so I'll be shopping around a bit for options. But yes, this is a must-get item for me. Between this and the upcoming S.I.C. Rider 1/Cyclone based on THE FIRST, this looks to be a good year for Rider 1 fans... of which I am a BIG one.

***

A New Year Dawns

And so we bid farewell to 2008, and hello to 2009 (well, Heisei 21 if we want to get technical.)

2008 was a pretty good year overall, one that I'll reflect back on one of these days. It certainly was a long year; the end of Kamen Rider Den-O feels like ancient history now, and did Shin Kamen Rider really finally come out on DVD last spring? It seems so long ago.

In any case, I'm hoping 2009 will be another good year for Kamen Rider, what with the upcoming Kamen Rider Decade, the end of Kamen Rider Kiva, and who knows what else? I've got a lot of things planned, and once again hope against hope I can pull them all off (there will be a teaser of some of them soon!)

Among other things, I hope to marathon V3 one of these days so I can clear some space for the two other past shows I want to review this year: Kamen Rider Kuuga (the first Heisei TV series), and New Kamen Rider (now 30 years old!) I intend to start on Kuuga near the end of the month, and Skyrider's odyssey soon after. And that's just the tip of the iceberg.

Oh, and I would be remiss in not mentioning that today marks 37 years since this:



Er... that is, episode #40 of the original Kamen Rider. I know I say this about everything, but seriously you guys: this is one of the most important episodes of Kamen Rider ever. Why? Because it's the first time this happened:



Two Riders at once! Yes, that was the first time the Double Riders met, to battle Snowman (he's a Yeti, okay?) Rider 1 returned to the series, what with Fujioka having recovered from his career-halting accident, and things were changed forever.

This episode also saw the debut of Doctor Shinigami, and I don't even need to tell you how important that is. It saw the first appearance of Rider 1's new "Sakurajima" look (named after the exotic location this and the next episode were filmed in.) And heck, it's even the first time cards were used as deadly weapons (one of the new Rider girls throws 'em like shuriken. Hey, there's a reason this show is my favorite.)

But it's the Double Riders that take top priority, because in this age of multi-Rider spectacles, it's easy to forget that many of the classic series had two or more Riders runnin' around together as well. Ryuki/Knight, Kabuto/Gatack, Den-O/Zeronos, and yes, even Kick Hopper/Punch Hopper... all the great teams are throwing back to this.

And if that's not exciting enough, the next episode featured the first ever Rider-vs.-Rider battle! And we all know how much they loooooooooooooooooooove to return to that idea.

So here's to a Happy 2009!

***

Old Heroes, Old Legends

Well I don't know about Toei, but as far as Bandai seems to be concerned, 2009 will be a celebration of Kamen Rider being back on TV in general, cuz they've got a lot of stuff planned covering all the Riders, from the original 1971 series up to the present.

In addition to the Legend Rider Series soft vinyl figures reported earlier, Bandai will be re-releasing the "budget" versions of the Henshin Belts from a couple years ago, starting with Rider 1's & Kuuga's.



Now called Legend Rider Henshin Belt Series, they're due out at the end of December for less than $30.

These were pretty neat toys the first time around, even if they're considerably more "toylike" than the DX versions (especially so in the Typhoon's case, where the only real DX version is the pricey 1/1-size version.) But as far as lights and sound go, these ain't half bad. Supposedly they're being slightly retooled for the re-release, so if you missed out the first time, these might be worth a pick-up. No word yet on if the DX version of Kuuga's (and his follow-ups) will ever be re-released, but you never know...

I hope they re-release the others from the original line of these, because they did V3's Double Typhoon, and I need one of those baaaaad. It'd also be cool if they did some new ones, even in the cheaper style with the big plastic lever on the top. I wouldn't mind that if it meant just getting a new Ridol or BLACK Henshin Belt, cuz I doubt the original versions of those will ever be released again.

***

Secret Origins, Part 4

Previously in this overview of Oda Katsumi & Muraeda Kenichi's "The Men Who Made Kamen Rider", Toei creative producer Hirayama Tôru & manga artist Ishinomori Shôtarô teamed up to create the look for the hero of Toei's upcoming sci-fi/fantasy action series. After going through the names "Maskman K", "Masked Angel" and "CrossFire", the project was about to take on another alias after Ishinomori decided the design (which had won critical acclaim from the Toei & Mainichi Broadcasting heads) was too safe. Too "Been there, seen that". So what did he come up with? This guy:

Skullman! Well, not quite. Skullman was actually a comic Ishinomori put out in 1970 which predated Kamen Rider (both in show and comic form), but Ishinomori liked the design enough that he decided to play around with it and create a sort-of live-action version (albeit with a lower jaw piece, something the comic character's helmet lacked.)

Needless to say, this unconventional (at the time) design strikes a cord with Hirayama. The initial plot he had worked out suddenly requires much re-thinking, and the new hero goes from a crime-fighting wrestler to a more tragic character waging an unending crusade against greater odds (and not wrestling in his spare time.)



The folks at Mainichi Broadcasting are less enthusiastic however. They fail to see what good can come from such an oddball, fearsome design. Hirayam tries to remind them of Golden Bat, a real old-school Japanese hero with a fierce skull-like face, but they're still not convinced.



Furthermore, they feel that the sponsors, who are "run by a bunch of old men", would disapprove of a fearsome, evil-looking character being the star of a children's TV series (see, the 70's really are where everything changed!) Hirayama runs about, guzzling gasoline (and alcohol) as he goes from Tokyo to Osaka like a man without a cause, desperately seeking somebody to approve of the design and back the production that has become his own personal crusade. Without sleep, he soon becomes a total wreck. No really, look at him!



Things aren't looking good for the future of Hirayama's series...

Next Time: Hirayama receives inspiration in the most unlikely of places, and Ishinomori (with some help from his agent) creates the design that would change history.

Bonus: What if the Skullman-inspired hero had taken off after all? He might have looked something like this:

***

Secret Origins, Part 3

Previously in this overview of Oda Katsumi & Muraeda Kenichi's "The Men Who Made Kamen Rider", we were introduced to Toei creative producer Hirayama Tôru, the man who, for all intents and purposes, is as important in the creation of Kamen Rider as Ishinomori is. The task of creating a new super hero/action/fantasy series for kids was placed on Hirayama's shoulders, and after laying the initial groundwork himself, he sought out someone to design the program's titular hero.

That someone was Ishinomori Shôtarô (then just "Ishimori", I'll refer to him by his more recent name) a comic artist who by this point had already gathered critical acclaim and commerical success from his legendary Cyborg 009 comic, which had spawned two film adaptations and a short-lived TV series (the latter of which had future Rider series writer Igami Masaru onboard.) Of course, it would go on to have future series and films, and you might have seen some of the more recent on dubbed in English (or maybe you didn't, but if not, it's worth checking out.) So even here, he's hit the big time (and more than earned his "sensei" title.)

Hirayama was aware of 009's success and knew Ishinomori would definitely be the go-to guy for this project. All the same, he is humbled in the other man's presence and surprised by their close age. He has some good reason to be humbled though: while Hirayama may be a bigshot TV producer, Ishinomori is literally above even him in demand; a guy from Ishinomori's circle (his agent, if I had to guess) keeps reminding him that he's only got 30 minutes; Ishinomori has other deadlines to meet; he was a busy man for much of his life.

Hirayama caves in and says he'll come back next week, but Ishinomori tells him to wait. The flunkie starts to freak, but Ishinomori assures him it'll be quick. Hirayama is surprised that he's already made up his mind on the design (he only just read the "Maskman K" outline.) And Ishinomori, who had it forming in his head from the moment he picked up the script, delivers the goods:

And lo, there shall come a hero...

CrossFire!

Well okay, jumping back for a moment; prior to coming up with this name "Maskman K" became "Masked Angel", and eventually "CrossFire" as a result of the cross-like design of the helmet (which will come back one day, after a fashion...) Hirayama runs this version by Toei TV Vice-Director Watanabe Yoshinori, who eats it up. He takes it to the folks at Mainichi Broadcasting Corp., who also love it to bits. Hirayama wins much praise for the design and concept, and he humbly defers the credit to Ishinomori. This is an extremely important point to note; when Kamen Rider finally became the Kamen Rider we know and love, Hirayama was content to take only "Producer" credit; he gratefully bestowed the title of "Original Work" on Ishinomori, a fact which remains consistent to this day. As a result, it is often believed that Ishinomori created the Kamen Rider franchise; while this is half-right, we can't forget about Hirayama's contributions (nor those other other people like co-producer Abe Seiji, etc.)

So things are looking good... until that evening.

Hirayama gets a phone call, and maybe it's just Muraeda's art idealizing her, but Mrs. Hirayama? Must've been pretty smokin' back in the day.

It's from Ishinomori, and it ain't good.

He's decided he wants to change the design. Hirayama explains that the bosses and Mainichi (which will be the channel running the upcoming program) think it's great as it is. They think it's stylish, good-looking, cool... which is exactly Ishinomori's problem with it.

He wants something more... "grotesque...and fantastic"...

Next Time: A legendary hero is born... but it isn't Kamen Rider!

***

"I think while I draw."

While Friday is now generally reserved for people beating each other up, this week something rather special happened which I thought I should mention.

This day marks the 70th anniversary of Ishinomori Shôtarô's birth, back in 1938. I think it's pretty safe to say that without him, we might have something, but we wouldn't have Kamen Rider, not the way we know it.

Sadly, this coming Monday will also mark the 10th anniversary of his death, at age 60. Which was far, far too soon of course. The question of what Kamen Rider would be like were he still alive will be debated forever, but I like to think it wouldn't be all that different from what we have now. Ishinomori was always ahead of his time, and he recognized the need to keep changing and updating the series even while keeping the same core values, something I think the new shows do more than many give them credit for.

As for what Ishinomori himself would think of the current state of Rider if he could see it, well... if it still keeps the money coming and the kids love it, I think he'd generally approve. But, we'll never really know, will we?

So here's to 70 years of Ishinomori influence, and plenty more to come!

***

Secret Origins, Part 2

Previously, I set the stage for "The Men Who Made Kamen Rider", Oda Katsumi & Muraeda Kenichi's comic recreation of the original Kamen Rider origin story... the origin of the franchise itself. And now, the beginning (of the beginning.)

Chapter 1: Crybaby Producer (Part 1)

The story opens with a flashback to the ruins of a bombed out city. It's not made clear just who it is (yet), but a young boy sits alone, until he looks up and sees... Kamen Rider 1! It's a metaphorical thing, don't worry it'll get explained later.

Jump ahead to the late 1960's, where the Toei staff are screening the final episode of Giant Robo. While most regard it as the end of just another kiddie show, one among them is crying a river. This is Hirayama Tôru, the creative producer at Toei who would have a hand in creating, producing or doing something-ing with many of the company's series from the early 60's all the way up to the early/mid 80's.

Hirayama takes this stuff seriously, even if no one else does (this becomes an extremely important fact later on.) Following the screening, he runs into fellow Toei alumni and old friend Uchida Yuusaku, who takes him on an impromptu trip to see...

Ikuta Studios. The rented space looks like a dump now, but Uchida is convinced that great things are going to be coming from this place! To that end, he explains his vision for the new series, and dumps the responsibility of everything on Hirayama's shoulders. Because he's going to be the producer, after all! Hirayama begins the arduous tasks of pre-series planning; series outlines, early casting try-outs, dashing about trying to get the ball rolling.

By the early 1970's, the next big sensation (even if Toei didn't know how big) was looking... not exactly like what we know it to be. So at this point, it's arguable that Kamen Rider hasn't actually been created yet. More like the show that will become Kamen Rider after many many alterations. At the moment, the show is called Maskman K, and is about a professional wrestler who also fights evil!

And Hirayama needs someone to actually design the hero. So who does he turn to?

This guy.

Next Time: The "trouble" part I mentioned earlier rears its ugly head. And Ishinomori shows us that yes, he was a bonafide genius.

***

Secret Origins, Part 1

Over the next several weeks, I'll be covering, in probable exhaustive detail, the real story of how Kamen Rider came to be.

"Now wait a minute, Igadevil" you say. "Everybody knows that Kamen Rider was created in the early 70's by Ishinomori Shôtarô, that guy who made the Cyborg 009 show that was on Cartoon Network for a while, and if they've really done their homework, they know that he also did that Legend of Zelda comic in "Nintendo Power" where Link had to fight the giant spider in the Mountain Tower rather than that centipede thing from the game that took for-freaking-ever to kill."

You then might go on to say that "Some of the real hardcore old-school fans say that it was actually this guy called Hirayama Tôru who made it, and Ishinomori just drew everything and for some reason he became the creator then." Or perhaps you say that "Magical elves and frogs with funny little hats brought it from the peaceful woodlands of the old country for children everywhere to enjoy and delight in before the evil wizard Ban-Die took control of it." or some such nonsense.

If you said the first two, you're partly right. If you said the third, you probably should get out more. But if you've been under the impression that the Kamen Rider franchise was the work of Ishinomori or Hirayama, you're partway there.

It was, in fact, the creation of both of them, as well as many other people. Like a lot of things in the entertainment industry, Kamen Rider was ultimately a group effort, although it is fair to say that both Ishinomori and Hirayama played especially important roles in bringing it to life.



About this time last year, Shuukan Shônen Magazine (which carried Ishinomori's original series manga back in 1971) got writer Oda Katsumi & artist Muraeda Kenichi (of Kamen Rider Spirits fame) together to produce a four-part comic version of the story behind the original Kamen Rider story, collected the following April in Kamen Raidaa Tsukutta Otoko-tachi ("The Men Who Made Kamen Rider") (ISBN 978-4063722857, by the way.)

Subtitled as "Behind the Scene of HERO Creators", it details the original conception of the original series in the late 60's/early 70's, and then goes on to tell the story of the other men behind the masks: the stunt guys. And did I mention it's a comic? That really adds to the appeal, as suddenly visualizing the events (in a slightly embellished way) becomes that much easier.

I'll be covering the entire collected comic in chunks, and let me say, it's a pretty thorough documentation. Chances are, it will also prove to be a surprising ride.

Next Time: We go back to the very beginning, and learn about the surprisingly troubled pre-development phase that makes any later Rider series' planning stage (and that *includes* Hibiki's) look like a walk in the park. and there's some awesome art. I mean check this out:



***

RAH DX Kamen Rider 1 2.0

Following the release of the RAH DX Skyrider in May, September will see a second helping of Rider 1 in the form of the RAH DX Kamen Rider 1 (New) Version 2.0, and update of the RAH DX Kamen Rider 1 (New) from back whenever that came out. The new version (based on the final, streamlined version of the suit from near the end of the series) is supposed to improve even over the original 1.0 version, and comes with a bunch of extra hands to recreate all those great Rider 1 poses. This is one I'll definitely be looking forward to. Hopefully, I'll be in Japan to pick one up by then.

Happy Rider Day!

36 years later and still going strong!

In honor of the 36th Anniversary of the first episode of Kamen Rider airing way back in 1971, a couple short videos from the episode. I tried to make them as small as possible while still looking decent, but for best results right-click & save them.

The first appearance of Kamen Rider

The first Henshin (before there was a Henshin)

The first Rider Kick


It is interesting to see that for how much things have changed over 36 years, some things are still exactly the same. TOH!

The Cards You See Shall Be The Key

February is here, woo~! Expect some exciting updates this weekend on IKRP: New KOTM, fo starters. It's not anyone that I think was requested, but fear not, I'll get to them once I can get pictures and all that stuff in order.

I'll also be making a few aesthetic changes to the blog. Mainly jazzing up the sidebar! Stay tuned for more information. And yes, I will be making an announcement about the very bright impending future of Kamen Rider Sigma.

Anyway, here's an awesome Japanese site featuring tons, I mean tons- no, literally, TONS of card scans from all sorts of vintage Rider cards from the good (re: @#$%in' awesome) old days.

And, a site with scans of the legendary original Calbee Kamen Rider Snack (also known as Rider Chips) cards is compiled here. The significance of these may be lost on some, so I'll say it flat out: if it weren't for these things and some guy named Ichimonji Hayato, you probably wouldn't be reading this because there wouldn't be a Rider franchise (and thus, no Den-O, Kabuto, Hibiki, etc.) and no Igadevil's Kamen Rider Page (or Blog) and man, your mileage may vary, but I think most people can agree that a world without those is a world that just isn't worth waking up to every morning....Annnnnnnnnyway, check it out, and see what the big deal was all about.

A Kamen Rider Christmas!

As I explained here, after tonight the Blog will be going on a brief hiatus until mid-January, barring any special from-the-frontlines updates as mentioned here. So with that said, here's the final entry of Igadevil's Kamen Rider Blog for 2006, and it's a doozy.

First up, if you've been following the whisperings of Kamen Rider Ryuki being adapted for American TV, well, Henshin Justice Unlimited has something you should see. I'll give some more in-depth comments another time, but I do have to say that I was pleasantly surprised by the trailer. I have no idea how this will turn out in the end, but it at least looks like they're going in the right direction.

Wait! Don't run off just yet though, because it's time for the review you've been waiting for. That's right, it's...

Kamen Rider Episode #39 “The Great Murderer’s Party of Wolf-Man”

I have often described this as the "Best Christmas-themed Episode Of Anything Ever" and while I'll admit a few other Tokusatsu Christmas episodes come pretty close in sheer wackiness, a few things set this one apart from, well, any other Christmas-themed episode of anything. Ever. So let's roll!

A couple of guys in ridiculously huge party hats are on their way home from some good old-fashioned Christmas drinkin', and are smashed beyond belief. When one goes off to, er, relieve himself, his buddy soon realizes that's probably a good idea before they hop on the train home and follows suit. He ends up tripping on the body of his intoxicated friend, who suddenly grows fangs and turns into a werewolf monster. And no, it's not a delusion caused by alcohol. It's a real werewolf monster, and it's @#$%in' biting the guy's neck! You know, typical evening stuff in Tokyo.

At any rate, that's one innocent victim down thanks to Ookami-Otoko. Colonel Zol & some Shocker henchmen show up shortly after, and despite initially attacking them, Wolfie soon gives in when Zol pulls out a sonic dog whistle. Since wolves are canine and all tha- oh, you know what I mean. Before leaving, the good Colonel notices a kid's shoe and doll nearby. Uh-oh, you know where this is leading: some little girl witnessed the whole thing.

Wait! It gets even better. Said little girl (Kumi) is from an orphanage where our heroes also happen to be chillin' because, hey, that's what good guys do. They're helping to decorate the Christmas tree, which leads to one of the best conversations in Kamen Rider ever.

Ichimonji: Hey kiddo, what do you want for Christmas?

Kid: To meet Kamen Rider! Even more than Santa Claus!

Other Kid: Yeah! Kamen Rider!

Ichimonji: Um...

Taki: No problem! We'll make sure Kamen Rider will be here. Right, Ichimonji?

Ichimonji: ...Uh...sure...

Anyways, This being an Ichimonji episode, things are about to go totally crazy pretty soon. To make a long story short, Kumi tells Ichimonji about what she saw, and while understandably skeptical, he doesn't doubt her story. Zol determines who the shoe belongs to, and when Ichimonji & Taki go to investigate the place where the murder happened, he's already there, posing as a cop, telling them to get lost and simultaneously confirming that somebody did indeed see something they shouldn't have. So you know what that means. Someone must DIE!

Ookami-Otoko and some Shocker goons show up to kidnap the girl, but get a fast one pulled on them by the good guys, which leads to a big fight. Rider 2 nearly manages to defeat the blue wolf, but he vanishes, seemingly escaping.

Later, Kumi reveals that, as she heard in the beginning of the episode, the Ookami-Otoko we've seen thus far is merely "an experimental version" created by the "Wolf Virus" as part of Shocker's "Operation Wolf". With no leads beyond that, Taki's FBI buddies help move the plot along by sending a radio transmission that a Shocker bigwig has just arrived in Japan via helicopter, and he has something to do with this "Operation Wolf". So looks like it's time to bust some more heads!

Ichimonji & Taki dispense with subtlety and just launch an all-out attack on Shocker. Our main man has a cool duel with the Nazi-esque Shocker Officer in the helicopter that ends with him throwing the villain's brief case to Taki, knocking out both of the bad guys and leaping to safety right before the chopper explodes!

Inside the briefcase, the guys find a strange costume and an invitation card signed by Zol himself.

Yes, Shocker is having a party and our heroes just invited themselves. Using the invitation card as a means to get past security, Taki sneaks in wearing the creepy costume, and soon finds himself surrounded by others wearing the same garb. Zol is the master of ceremonies, and announces that this party is held in honor of the imminent success of "Operation Wolf". While the rest of the world may be celebrating Christmas, this will be the last Christmas for them ever, cuz Shocker is going to be calling the shots soon.

Zol tells everyone to remove their costumes, and it all becomes clear: these are Zol's fellow ex-Nazis, who went into hiding after the war and became some of the founding Shocker members. Now they're all here under one roof. Of course, Taki doesn't remove his costume, which is the idea- Zol believes it's Ichimonji under the hood, and is pretty unhappy to discover the truth. Taki fights his way out and meets up with Ichimonji, who tells him he's set the place to explode. Because that's how you solve problems with Ichimonji- why bother trying to find an antidote to the Wolf Virus when you can just blow it all the hell up? And that's exactly what they do, trapping all of Zol's Nazi buddies in the ensuing blast.

Zol himself escapes unscathed, and is now majorly ticked. He reveals to Ichimonji that he too is a Kaizô-Ningen: the original Ookami-Otoko, who spreads the virus by his bite, and that he alone can still fulfill the plan. Zol transforms, and a spectacular fight follows. Keep in mind that, while it's practically expected nowadays that major Rider bad guys will have some kind of monster alter-ego, back in 1971 nobody had a clue Zol was anything other than a nasty Shocker ringleader, so there's some extra coolness to the fact that he turns out to be the real monster of the week (the earlier experimental Ookami-Otoko, created by this one's bite, apparently went up in the explosion along with all them other guys.)

Despite having rocket-firing hands and some tricky moves, Ookami-Otoko succumbs to a Rider Punch. Colonel Zol is defeated, "Operation Wolf" is in the can, and a happy ending with all the expected holiday cheer soon follows. Kamen Rider shows up for the Christmas party at the end...

...and hands out, among other things, Kamen Rider toys. Merchandising, Baaaa-by!

So there you go, only in the original Kamen Rider will you find a Christmas-themed episode involving werewolf mutants killing innocent drunkards late at night, Nazis being crushed to death by dirt, and a major villain being defeated after being punched in the face. See why I say this series is my favorite now?

And on that note folks, it's almost time for Christmas Day on my end, so I leave you with warm wishes for a Merry Christmas, A Happy New Year, and the all-new Kaijin Of The Month.

See you in 2007!