With the Heisei era now coming to a close and with Zero-One on the horizon, we close a chapter on the story of Kamen Rider and prepare ourselves for the dawn of the Reiwa era. That's not to say that it has been, for lack of a better term, the smoothest ride (Zi-O can go fuck itself), but more often than not I found myself enjoying the content overall. With Zero-One starting this week as of writing this, I am hoping to see this series evolve with each new season.
EDIT 13/09/2019: Incidentally, I've enjoyed the first two episodes; I had fun with the action, lore and costumes, but felt that the comedy could use some work and Aruto is not that interesting a character. Also, Fuwa is a dick. Watch this video and this video for further details.
With that said, I suppose the best way to celebrate 19 years of Heisei Riders with a Top 5 List. Gotta capitalise on it, somehow!
A couple of things to remember;
1. I have not seen every Heisei Kamen Rider series (I've yet to finish Agito, Ryuki, Blade and Hibiki's first half), so this is only on the series that I have seen thus far. It would not be fair to rank something if I had not seen it, hence why no Showa series will be on the list.
2. This is purely a personal opinion. If a series you like isn't on here or if you dislike any of the series that I've listed, that's fine. Just please remember that the list is entirely subjective, though I am interested in knowing your personal favourites.
Thus, without further ado, let the countdown begin!
Number 5:
Kamen Rider OOO is the story of Eiji Hino, a travelling hermit who has no desire beyond making people happy. One day, he comes across a disembodied floating hand named Ankh, and the pair join forces to fight off the return of the Greeed, who create their monsters through a physical personification of the avarice embodied in people who desire greater things (from benign things such as money and food, to emotional stuff like wanting to fight for justice).
OOO is technically speaking my first experience with Kamen Rider, and even if I didn't finish it until much later it is still a great entry point for newer fans like myself. While the villains goals are extremely overt (it's in their name, for Fruit Jesus' sake), they each have their own methods and ideals of achieving them, which gives them greater nuance. The music is some of the best in this franchise, with the insert themes all tying in to OOO's forms and perfectly complimenting the scenes where they are used. Eiji, while not the most complex of characters, is still one of the most wholesome. People in the show say he has no desire, but fail to see that he is fulfilling that desire everyday; he doesn't seek power or wealth for their own sake, but simply to make other people happy, even if it must come before his own needs, and Shu Watanabe captures this perfectly in his performance in both the show and the songs.
Throw in great action, great suits and a great chemistry between Eiji and Ankh, and it's no mystery why people fell in love with this show. Check it out if you haven't already.
Number 4:
Appropriate that the series that begun the Heisei era for Kamen Rider should be one of the best.
Kuuga starts the era anew with the awakening of a race of monsters known as the Gurongi Tribe, who were sealed centuries ago by a mysterious warrior. In the modern day, a man named Yusuke Godai accidentally becomes the wielder of the Arcle, the ancient artefact that allows him to transform into Kamen Rider Kuuga. Along the way, he gains more forms and powers, all the while working the local police and wanting to defend everyone's happiness, even if he must face some dark demons along the way.
This series had a lot of expectations placed on it, as it was the first Kamen Rider production for the longest time and the start of a new era. As such, this show did not disappoint. It is relatively straight forward with it's story, but a lot of the complexity comes down to how surprisingly dark the show could get at times. There are a pair of episodes where we learn that several students in the same class kill themselves because of a Gurongi attack, which sends Yusuke into a blind rage as he completely pulverises the monster for psychologically destroying the lives of young students who have yet to experience the joys of life. All of that while also displaying the dangerous power that Yusuke now possesses, as we get a brief glimpse of his Ultimate form as he realises what he may have to sacrifice in order to protect the people he cares for.
This series is able to give the fans what they want while still bringing in newer fans so that they can experience the themes and ideologies that the good Kamen Rider shows after perfectly capture. It set a standard that other shows should follow to grab peoples attention and show the franchise respect, That, if for no other reason, is more than enough to put it on the list.
Number 3:
Paediatrics intern Emu Hojo is more than what he seems, as he is also the Genius Gamer M. This comes in handy for his latest job, as he is recruited to the CR Unit as Kamen Rider Ex-Aid to help in exterminating the outbreak of a rampant digital mutagen known as the Bugster Virus. With the powers of an expert gamer and with help from other Kamen Riders who are doctors, Emu faces against Bugsters of different kinds and a revolving door of megalomaniacs who wish to prove their superiority in their own unique way.
I remember when fans were ready to dismiss this show purely because of the main Rider suit. And now, they couldn't get enough of it. The retro gaming theme for the Rider suits and equipment is extremely overt, but never does it act as a detriment to the quality of the series. In my opinion, the suits help to make the series stand out among the others and gives it more variety, as well as distinct visual appeal that helps newcomers ease into it better. I also enjoyed that the series was clever with it's use of the whole "digital virus" idea for the Bugsters, which in turn gives the victims of the week more reason to exist beyond needing to be saved. Speaking of, Parad (the Bugster who was created from Emu's encounter with the Virus) works really well as a character who started out evil, but saw the horrors his ways when he realised that even he can experience the terror of death.
No relation to him. Nonetheless, the character interaction, the lore, and the action is more than enough to give this series a watch if nothing else.
Number 2:
I've already done a review on this series not too long ago (check here for further details), so I won't go into deeper detail as I have, and will, with every other spot on this list. Just a general summary of the plot and why I like this show in brief.
Anyways, the setting is Zawame City. It's being attacked by creatures of the Helheim Forest known as Invess. Kouta Kazuraba gets his hands on a belt and some Lockseeds and takes it upon himself to protect his city, all the while dealing with multiple Riders with their own ideologies as they vie for the power of the Forbidden Fruit, which can reshape the world according to whomever possesses it.
This series is one of the best ones to be introduced to for any newcomer. The fascinating characters and multilayered narrative will keep the audience constantly guessing as to what will come next, as they see their favourite characters go through some of the darkest moments of their lives to prove their resolve. Compliment it with great music and excellent action scenes, and Gaim remains one of the best written series in the last several years.
Number 1:
Like anyone should be surprised. Not just the choice of series, but that I chose it as my favourite. I've already reviewed it (check here for details), but I will nonetheless do my best to reiterate why I love this above the rest.
The centre stage of this detective noir action-comedy is Fuuto City, where Dopant crime is rampant and the Sonozaki family are capitalising on people's suffering. Enter our duo protagonists Shotaro Hidari and Phillip as they form the two-in-one Rider, Double, to fight the Dopants and learn more about each other along the way. Helping them is Akiko Narumi, the daughter of Shotaro's dead mentor, and Ryu Terui a.k.a Kamen Rider Accel, who first joins for revenge but soon sees the team as a bizarre family unit.
One thing that I neglected to mention in my review is the acknowledgement of the shows head writer; Riku Sanjou. He has done the most he could to give the series not only a fresh start, but a sense of respect to what has past. This is evident with all of the subtle and overt references to the Showa era Riders (notably Ichigo and Nigo) and returning the series to it's basic roots after the franchise had suffered with an identity crisis post-Ryuki. Thus, through Riku Sanjou actually giving a damn about what he was writing and being allowed to write what he wanted, the franchise has only kept going strong despite some stumbling blocks (looking at you, Ghost and Zi-O).
Not simply with just the writing, Double exceeds on practically every level. Despite Sanjou's weakness with writing for larger casts, he can give all the characters in this series fleshed out identities without making them feel like caricatures (although Akiko can be really obtuse at times). The action scenes are fun and well choreographed, the music perfectly captures the tone and setting, the costumes are classy, and never does the pacing drag or throw too much stuff at you at once. There is a near perfect balance with genre callbacks and subversion of expectations, leaving you guessing the whole way through.
I don't think I can ever say enough about this series than I already have. This is the series that not only got me interested into Kamen Rider, but is the reason why I keep going with it; if only to see how each series matches up not just to Double, but each other. Even after the objectively bad stuff in Ghost and Zi-O, I will never stop loving Kamen Rider, as I know that as long as they respect the legacy of everything that has come before them, than they will always have a chance to stand on their and stay with fans forever.
I would like to thank everyone not only for reading this, but every one of my posts. I may not always be on top of my game and some things just never get done (reviews of Undertale and Steven Universe, for example), but I always do my best to ensure that I get the reviews out to the best of my ability. I appreciate all of the support that I get from every person who reads, likes and shares these reviews with other people. If it weren't for you guys, this Blog would practically be dead.
Thank you, everyone. I really love all the support.
As per usual, please make sure to leave a comment on this post and let me know your thoughts. And of course, follow me on Twitter @Media_Man18 and share this post of social media.
So until next time; this is Callum Lewis, the Media Hood, and remember:
