Kamen Rider Den-O (2007-2008) Episodes 1 and 2 “”Here I Come” and “Ride On Time”
Voted the number one Kamen Rider show of all time in Japan as part of a big event celebrating Kamen Rider’s 50th anniversary in 2021, Kamen Rider Den-O (basically Electric-King, or Train King) is another wild swing with a very different feel and execution than previous Riders. The tone goes for the comedy, mostly eschewing horror (though with some death and menace yet incorporated), and for me I was glad to see Takeru Sato as the lead as I have really enjoyed him in a variety of roles in films—Den-O was his big start.
This Kamen Rider has… an elaborate set-up. Ryotaro Nogami is a total loser and has remarkably awful luck, with an opening scene featuring him somehow stuck on his bike up a tree. Throughout both episodes I watched, he continually falls into terrible situations through outrageous misfortune—including getting stuck with a strange device that allows him to board a train that travels through time, and getting paired with an Imagin—basically a genie (or jinn) that connects to his spirit and wants to use him to gain its own independence. The device that lets him ride the train combined with the Imagin allows him to transform into Kamen Rider Den-O, and he uses his awesome new powers to fight other Imagin who are bopping around through time and causing mischief.
On the positive side, the off-the-wall character of the new show is delightfully wacky. The idea of a time train that travels around constantly laying down its own track is off the wall, yet the resulting plot contrivances that can come from the timeslip plot can actually reach for tearjerking scenes that are surprising given the silliness of the show. Den-O has some awesome powers, too—as well as stylish self-arming sequences as he slaps together his crazy sword. Nogami’s interactions with his Imagin are quite amusing at times, too. The monster designs stray from the familiar animal themes a bit, which is a further welcome change.
On the negative side, Nogami is SO WHINY. I bet he improves over the course of the show, but geesh. The CGI is also pretty unsatisfying, and at the beginning of the first episode I thought I was watching a cartoon. Still, the show came out almost sixteen years ago, and the program succeeds (based on the first couple episodes) far more than it fails. I wish I had started watching these shows more years ago, they are just really fun.
Kamen Rider Kiva (2008-2009) episodes 1 and 2 “Fate: Wake up!” and “Suite: Father/Son Violin”
Another big change from the previous year, Kiva turns back to a definite horror vibe, albeit without the blood and also without near the creepy-factor of some earlier programs. The monsters are called “Fangires” this time, but are essentially vampires who suck the color out of people with huge CGI fangs. The story follows two timelines—one in 1986, one in 2008—and in both timelines, there are Fangires menacing violinists, there are tough battle ladies with blades and grappling hooks, and there are lots of violins. Kiva himself is another apparent loser—this time Wataru Kurenai, a dope who thinks he is allergic to the world and collects things like rotting fish and dog poop to try to make the perfect varnish for his violins (What the flip?!). Kurenai has this little bat-shaped familiar who chatters at him and flaps around and turns into his belt so he can henshin into Kiva, a vampire-themed Rider with chains who blows up Fangires and feeds them to a giant monster that is built into several floors of a skyscraper.
There are some great scenes in the early eps, such as a Fangire masquerading as a corpse at a funeral suddenly popping up and attacking, or a great wacked combat sequence where Kiva races a wheel-footed octopus Fangire and smashes her into several parked cars. The CGI is much more successful this year in these episodes, too—maybe because of the darker environments? I love that we get some combat girls, though I was disappointed they weren’t main Riders—nor even Riders at all—and so they always end up being rescued. The show continues the boy-band theme, where it feels like the entire cast was culled from famed boy-pop empire Johnny’s—and every one of them is a nerd or a jerk. Still, the continued variety and craziness is appreciated, and the prevalence of chains made me wonder if Ghost Rider (2007) may have influenced the look of this iteration. I did get really confused with the switching between 1986 and 2008; the show telegraphs the change with transitions, but I didn’t pick up on the shift at first as the fashion and appearance of Japan in both ages looked really similar to me. Basically I got really confused, which rankled me a little! If I rewatched the show again now, I might enjoy it a little more.
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