X Rider!

I love this artwork for the interstitials between the commercials.

Kamen Rider X!

This Blu Ray sure looks great, doesn't it?

860. The Kinetic Kamen Rider Live 2000 review!

Here's a fun stage show slash concert from 2000.  Boy, have times changed since then, eh?

Kamen Riders live from 2000

 

This stage show is part music and part show, and I have reviewed it some 13 years ago.  Haven't watched it since then.

Villain of the Week- Shinigami Sensei, AKA Dr. Death!

From the Villains Wiki- Dr. Shinigami is a leading scientist of Shocker serving as one of their high commanders and a major antagonist in the Japanese TV series Kamen Rider. He has extensive knowledge of both science and mysticism, which he uses to aid Shocker in their campaign for world domination. Through his cybernetic modifications, Shinigami has the power to transform into the squid kaijin Ikadevil.

Summoned from Switzerland, Dr. Shinigami took command of Shocker's Japanese branch after Kamen Rider 2 destroyed Colonel Zol. He is mostly seen in his cape, holding a wand. His initial scheme involved detonating a volcanic area in Japan to spread chaos throughout the region. He tasked the kaijin Snowman to carry out the attack, but the monster was destroyed by the Double Riders.

He is able to transform into Ikadevil, a squid monster. In episode 68, he kidnapped Tobei Tachibana and forced him to train him so he can destroy Kamen Rider 1. As a result, Tobei discovers his weak spot: Ikadevil's head! When Kamen Rider 1 came to challenge him, Dr. Shinigami discards his cape and becomes Ikadevil to deal with Ichigo once and for all. Kamen Rider 1 overpowers Ikadevil by giving a Rider Chop on his head, and finishing him off with Tailspin Shoot. He is briefly brought back to life for a Destron operation, thinking he was to replace Doktor G, along with the other Shocker and Gel-Shocker officers. He along with the other resurrected officers is killed when the Destron base they are in self-destructs. Back to me:

739. The Ultimate (as in last) episode of 2025!

              This was fun!  I tried some new podcast tricks,and quite enjoyed it!  This may be a thing going forward from now on!

Hero of the Week- X Rider

 From Wiki- Robotics scientist Keitaro Jin and his son Keisuke become caught up in a campaign of terror by an evil organization known as "G.O.D.". They are attacked and the professor's technology gets stolen, but before Keitaro dies, he performs surgery on his son, using the last of his robotics technology to transform Keisuke into the “X-Rider.”^[2] To avenge his father's death and ensure the safety of the entire world, Keisuke uses this technology as he battles the monstrous minions of G.O.D.’s Japan branch. 

690. X7 presents Tokusatsu on Home Video reviews!

                   Here is a short video about the various great series that have been released legitimately over here in the States.

510. Shin Kamen Rider (2023) is nothing new, really...

            I really wanted to like this one more than I did, though I sure don't hate it.

444. A Kamen Rider Double Feature review!

                Here are two great Kamen Rider movies from the 70s.  Talk about heroes and monsters, these two movies have them in spades!

307a. Masked Hoppers X Monster Men in 1972

            

10 27 24 Short- Shocker wins?!

                   

HOTW- Electric Wave Tackle

 From KamenRiderFandom- Yuriko Misaki was a newly finished cyborg ready to serve the evil Black Satan organization but she was still inactive. Everything changed as her soon-to-be best friend Shigeru Jo entered the room she was staying in trying to find a way out of Black Satan's secret lair, found her on an operating table and awakens her. After some talk he convinced her to come with him and together with a good friend to many Kamen Riders, Tobee Tachibana they fought the Black Satan as Kamen Rider Stronger and the Electronic Wave Humanoid Tackle for quite some time. Over time she fell in love with him. But sadly Yuriko gave her life to defeat the evil Dr. Kate in order to save Shigeru from being poisoned. This would forever haunt him and pushed him to undergo surgery in order attain the even more powerful (and dangerous) Charge Up form.

Xenorama #56

Kamen Rider V3 is fifty years old in 2023!  Rider V3 Punch!

This issue should be available for order in the next day or so!  It is all about Kamen Rider V3, the most popular Kamen Rider series of all time!  Well, that's what I heard, anyway.  It features his series, a few movies he appeared in and the remake, Kamen Rider The Next.  This edition is only in black and white, though I promise you there will be more color versions in the near future.

V3... Henshin!

I once had a friend describe the 70s series Kamen Rider effects as being drawn by colored pencils.  I have often thought of that when seeing some of the effects.  It was a little harsh, but I can see where he was coming from.  Kamen Rider (and most of Toei's shows at that time) were about the action, rather than the effects.  They did their best with miniatures and rays, but those would not start to improve until about 1978.

HOTW- Kamen Rider 1 and 2

 

Rider Kick!

Kamen Riders 1 and 2 battled Shocker and Gel-Shocker for almost two years.  Takeshi Hongo and Hayato Ichimonji were turned into cyborgs against their will, but managed to break free from the mind control of Shocker.  This didn't happen at the same time, as Takeshi went abroad to battle Shocker in other parts of the world while Ichimonji took over in Japan.  They did unite several times, and managed to end the threat of Shocker.  They would later return to help many other Riders later on.

Xenorama #49 coming for next year!

 

Here is the beginning of the cover for the next issue of Xenorama.  It is a look at just the first Kamen Rider series, the one that started it all.  There are a lot of episodes here to examine, and so much action.  Rider punch!  It was fun re-watching the whole series again, though.  There's not that much more to say about the series, except it really is great.  I would not be surprised to learn that the success of this show caught Toei off guard, especially after Fujioka broke his leg before the first 13 episodes were finished.

Kamen Riders Ichigo and Nigo Return (Let's Go Kamen Riders)

                    

Let's Go Kamen Riders (2011)

 

This movie was released way back when, and I thought I had watched it.  I know I started to, but I don't remember if I ever finished it.  It involves Kamen Rider 000 and Den-O, along with a lot of time travel nonsense.  000 has coins that power him, or something, and loses one in 1971.  The loss of this coin gives Shocker a chance to come to power.  So the two Riders go back in time, and try to save the future.  I am about half way through the movie, and it is pretty entertaining.

Xenorama #34 Rider Punch!

 

The newest issue of Xenorama is being readied for publication (i.e. it's under review) and is a load of Kamen Rider goodness!  It covers the first five series, then several more after that.  The various movies that have been produced from other countries are also in here.  It's taken over two years to finish, but dang, it's a lot of episodes to watch.  In previous years it was a lot easier to watch these shows, but now it takes a lot longer.  Dang jobs always getting in the way!  Still, I am happy to have this one done.  I think the Super Sentai issue will be the next one up, which should wrap up the year.  I am pretty happy with the cover, though perhaps a class on how to use photoshop is in order now.  Maybe next year.