DCD Movie // 31st August

[SPOILERS for the forthcoming Kamen Rider DCD film]

News of DCD’s film in August has made me both really excited and kind of a bit dejected.

I’m happy because, as seen on this post by a fellow WordPress tokusatsu blogger, Kamen Rider DCD vs. Daishocker is not only going to feature the classic Showa Riders but it’s also going to feature Ichigo and Niigo’s original designs and not the newer versions from Toei’s never-ending love letter to Inoue Toshiki The First franchise. However, I’m also sad as it fundamentally means an end to Decadi which obviously can’t compete with the real thing.

Still, Hibiki AND Stronger in the same film!

…

Speaking of which, I think I might have seen a big glaring spoiler for Hibiki’s World on that journal…and I’m going to do my best now not to think about it as I really want to approach that arc more than any other with an open mind and open heart.

Natsumikan!

The super talented おぷりんす strikes back with super cute Natsumi portraits from DCD #14. Mildly not-safe-for-work.

奥さん、泣けるわよ！

Kamen Rider DCD #14 Review (SPOILERS)

[SPOILERS...for the new Den-o movie...and nothing much else...alas...]

Before talking about this week’s instalment of DCD, I feel obliged to at least mention Mei-chan no Shitsuji and its massive cast of former tokusatsu actors, not least of all being…

"Yankee Pose #39949597357939794"

…Sato Takeru (Nogami Ryotaro/Kamen Rider Den-o) himself.

More on this later.

As for DCD #14, well to put it mildly, it was something of a disappointment. Things started out well, with the welcome return of Momotaros and the amusement of the whole Momotaros/Tsukasa fusion, but this quickly became tiresome as the episode progressed into various different combinations of Den-o Imajin x DCD cast members.

Somewhere around 8 minutes in, it kind of dawned on me that what this episode was going to be was not so much a story in itself but a recap of the various different Imajin we could expect to see in the recently released Onigashima Battleship movie, which features a DCD segment set chronologically between this episode and #15.

Even cosplay!Natsumi, the brief return of Akiyama Rina and a section taking place in the setting of the predicted ‘Rider War’ couldn’t quite stop this from being one of the least impressive episodes of the series to date. There were no actual characters to speak of – just the visual cues of the Imajin – nor was there any kind of discernible storyline, it was just…24 minutes of omake. I was half wondering why the time-travelling ‘villain’ and his sentai-villain-reject henchmen looked slightly like an evil version of Zeronos but not enough for me to care *too* much.

All in all, something of a disappointment for one of the most popular Heisei series. Hopefully the next world will have more substance.

FICTION: Decadi (4/?) [Kamen Rider DCD]

Title: Decadi (4/?)
Era/Series: Kamen Rider DCD, Kamen Rider
Pairing/Characters: Kadoya Tsukasa/Kamen Rider DCD, Hitomoji Hayato/Kamen Rider Niigo, Kamen Rider ÐCÐ, Shinigami Hakase, Grande-Kaijin Dokusasori Otoko
Rating: U
Warnings: N/A
Length: 804 words
Disclaimer: All characters created and owned by Ishinomori Pro, Toei and Bandai. Original characters owned by me.
Summary: Grande-kaijin! The origin of the clockwork belt revealed!
Fandom Friday: 07 // (00, 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06)
Pimp: If you like this, you might want to consider buying Sophistry. (^_^);

Read it here.

Kamen Rider DCD #13 Review (SPOILERS)

[SPOILERS - I has them]

First off, I stand corrected; it would seem that AshiKAWA Shouichi is in fact a contraction of three Riders, rather than two, being also based in part on Hikawa Makoto, the original G3. This is a brilliant way to utilise the concept of a previous series that is, at its heart, about evolution.

With that out of the way, and having recently re-watched an episode of the original Agito, I have to again say how much I believe this series has done for the material from which it was adapted – especially in this case. The previously mentioned contraction of the three main Riders of the second Heisei show makes for a more streamlined and dramatic story-arc that addresses change and the turmoil it brings in a way that Inoue Toshiki’s original does not. It also proves that you *can* have a Heisei Rider storyline that doesn’t orient itself around the idea of a thousand Riders with a thousand forms.

To be fair to Agito however, the multiple Riders/evolution of humanity plot is well thought out and a better excuse than later shows have for the inclusion of endless additions to the cast.

So, though Agito is arguably one of my least favourite shows ever, I’m pleased with this arc and pleased with the way in which the adaptation was made. Moreover, I’m pleased with what it does for the regular cast of DCD and how much Yuusuke is included in the unfolding of this story. I will admit that I’ve spent most of the episodes since ‘Kiva’s World’ crying out for him to transform into Kuuga once again but here I’m actually pleased that he remained so dedicated to the G3 armour and to Yashiro Ai. Such faith really underlines the difference between him and Kaito.

"No Fear, No Pain!"

One thing I was surprised by was that, what with Ashikawa’s use of multiple forms, there was no appearance of Agito’s more advanced forms. Don’t get me wrong though, I’m *happy* that Agito was simply Agito – I’m just surprised we didn’t receive a run-through of all his modes ala Kiva in episodes #4 – 5…perhaps this is because Bandai don’t have a warehouse load of Agito merchandise from last year that they still hope to shift. (^_^)

And whilst we’re talking about multiple Riders and forms, I think Kaito’s use of Blade settles the question about his use of primary Riders in earlier episodes. I really do believe that he does in fact have alternate versions of the same Riders Tsukasa has cards of…either that or he somehow brought some of those fake Pokémon Rider cards from Hong Kong that you could tell weren’t real because they weren’t shiny…maybe.

"Here we go, Count ZERO!"

In other news, the wonderful – and much disliked by wife – Akiyama Rina was sadly missing from the set up of Agito’s World though, seeing as she seems to be reprising her Den-o role in the next episode (as do possibly all the ‘original’ cast? I wonder how that will figure with the alternate set up of DCD’s nine worlds and the cameo from NEET!real continuity!Wataru in the first episode) I don’t feel too badly cheated.

What I *do* feel cheated about however is Agito’s Final Form Ride mode…if only because I was going to use  a similar idea for a Rider in fanfic this Friday. Damn you Toei for beating me to the point with your own franchise.

"Ride on, Ride on, Machine Tornader!"

Other than that another solid episode and, once again, head and shoulders above the source material.

FICTION: Decadi (3/?) [Kamen Rider DCD]

Title: Decadi (3/?)
Era/Series: Kamen Rider DCD, Kamen Rider
Pairing/Characters: Kadoya Tsukasa/Kamen Rider DCD, Hitomoji Hayato/Kamen Rider Niigo, Kamen Rider ÐCÐ, Kōmori Otoko, Kumo Otoko, Oodōji Kotarou
Rating: U
Warnings: N/A
Length: 1082 words
Disclaimer: All characters created and owned by Ishinomori Pro, Toei and Bandai. Original characters owned by me.
Summary: Spider and bat! Kamen Rider Decade fights against Shocker for the sake of human freedom!
Fandom Friday: 06 // (00, 01, 02, 03, 04, 05)
Pimp: If you like this, you might want to consider buying Sophistry. (^_^);

Read it here.

Kamen Rider DCD #12 (SPOILERS)

[S-P-O-I-L-E-R-S AHEAD!]

Much like Ryuki, I didn’t get on with Agito’s character first time around. There’s a certain kind of ‘happy go lucky chump’ that Toei have idolised in tokusatsu over the past nine or ten years of which the original Tsugami Shoichi/Kamen Rider Agito is a good example. It’s the enthusiasm of Godai Yuusuke taken to absurd extremes. I can’t help but think that the majority of sentai Reds and Heisei Riders were popping Es and prozac since the close of Kuuga. There’s optimism, and then there’s methylenedioxymethamphetamine.

It’s nice then to report that Ashihara Shoichi is not a total write off and may in fact be one of the most interesting revisions made to original series continuity and theme thus far.

"My father was a beekeeper before me, his father was a beekeeper before him; I wanna walk in their footsteps … and their footsteps were like this: I'M COVERED IN BEES!!"

Episode #12 opens with Me-Bajisu-Ba, previously seen in Kuuga #7, providing the kind of solid link between Kuuga and Agito that has long been speculated on and assumed by fans of both series. It also but does away with a lot of Agito chief hack writer Inoue Toshiki’s plodding narrative. Sadly, such comendable reconstruction isn’t without a cost as Kamen Rider G3 – now G3-X – is reduced to a mere suit of armour with no Hikawa Makoto in sight.

Less of a loss to the set up is the absence of angsty-poster-boy-for-all-that’s-wrong-with-Heisei-Rider-shows,  Ashihara Ryo, the original Kamen Rider Gills. This is to do with the contraction of Ashihara and Tsugami’s character into a more satisfying whole, with Gills and Agito seemingly functioning as different stages of Ashihara Shoichi’s transformation – both God and the devil, if you like, without putting too fine a Manichaean point on the matter.

Seeing both Daiki and Yuusuke use the G3 suit – which was apparently modelled after Kuuga, according to speculative connexions between shows – is a highlight of the episode as is the reunion of Ai and Yuusuke and the farewell between Yuusuke and Natsumi.

"Alas poor G3..." etc. etc.

The only real disappointment with the episode comes with the lack of Kuuga action.

It would have been nice to have seen Yuusuke taking down the Grongi for old time’s sake and matching his skill with the Unknown but I’ll settle for him taking up the G3-X role again in #13 whilst Daiki continues to swan around in his charmingly enigmatic manner.

Altogether a solid episode and an interesting direction to take both the stories of the two original shows and the opening arc of DCD itself. My secret wish is that, with a mention of G4 in the trailer for #13, we still might be in for a chance to see Another Agito make a cameo. It’s a long-shot, but I’ve definitely got my fingers crossed.

Ultra Heroine Kuusou Tokusatsu Shoujo Zukan

amiami has what may possibly be the cutest Ultraman figure collectibles of all time.

Series 2

A quick search around the internets reveals the presence of Series 1 on amazon.co.jp – featuring Amagai Konomi no less!

Series 1

This (along with the world’s most awesome unrelated Darius t-shirt) are surely now on my unofficial wishlist!

FICTION: Decadi (2/?) [Kamen Rider DCD]

Title: Decadi (2/?)
Era/Series: Kamen Rider DCD, Kamen Rider
Pairing/Characters: Kadoya Tsukasa/Kamen Rider DCD, Oodōji Kotarou, Kōmori Otoko
Rating: U
Warnings: N/A
Length: 1779 words
Disclaimer: All characters created and owned by Ishinomori Pro, Toei and Bandai
Summary: The case of the scientist’s kidnapped son! Kadoya Tsukasa finds a role for himself in the unknown world.
Fandom Friday: 05 // (00, 01, 02, 03, 04)
Pimp: If you like this, you might want to consider buying Sophistry. (^_^);

Read it here.

Bleach #213

"Giant Devil Men, United Ninjas!"

Bleach + tokusatsu = made of awesome.