Haruo Nakajima: A Fan's Tribute

     Everybody has that one celebrity that they don't want to see go. That one special person that they would do anything to meet and talk to. For me, that was undoubtedly Haruo Nakajima. I did not have the privilege that many had of meeting him in person but the news of his loss still hits pretty hard as it does for any familiar with his work. I could go on and on about the life and history of this man, but instead I simply want to share and look back on the best way I, and I assume many fans, got to know and continue to remember Haruo Nakajima.
     When I was first introduced to Godzilla I didn't think about the man in the suit. I was young, and only really cared that a giant monster was destroying the city. As more and more movies came out, and as I had finished watching just about all things Godzilla, something happened. I began to appreciate Godzilla as more than just a monster movie. I began to respect and think about the art of the film. I fancy myself a film buff and when that part of me began to blossom I started looking into everything from low-angle shots to character writing. Of course I also looked into the good people behind the scenes and few were as important as the man in the Godzilla suit.
     Bringing a suit to life is hard enough but Mr. Nakajima got the short end of the stick in some regards. After speaking with other fans and hearing from experts and conventions and such, you hear many horror stories of the difficulties this man had to go through. The original suit, for instance was over 200 pounds. Every day the man lost liters of sweat for what amounted to a few minutes on film. This was just the first movie. Over time suits got lighter but film effects got more ambitious or, in some cases, had to do a lot with very little or even something dangerous. The story that cemented my respect for this wonderful man isn't even from a Godzilla movie, but rather form the slightly more obscure "Varan: The Unbelievable". There is a scene in the movie where a bomb explodes under the monster Varan, played by Nakajima. Back in the 60's, pyrotechnics were much more crude. This case in particular, utilized explosive black powder. The explosion went off and burned the latex rubber suit to the man's groin, but he still finished the scene to the best of his abilities. This man took an explosion to the groin and went on to play Godzilla for about a decade after that incident.
     Needless to say, the more I learned of this man, the more I respected him. He worked hard to bring to life a huge part of my childhood and my adulthood. In a way it feels like a small part of, not only my childhood, but Godzilla has died. Haruo Nakajima remained a part of the Godzilla brand even before his death and was always there with the fans. He stood as a Beacon of inspirations for Godzilla fans as well as the citizens of Japan. His home nation loved him so much, museums were erected in his honor. A milestone that very few people can claim to have reached.
     I could keep listing his achievements but at the end of the day he was a symbol to all of his fans. His dedication inspired me to try many of the things I try nowadays. Without a doubt, the death of Haruo Nakajima is a tragedy. It is up to us as fans to move forward. We must never forget what he means to the franchise, and we must always honor his dedication and passion. The Heisei era in Japan is coming to a close. Nobody knows what the future holds. Either way, we must keep going no matter the struggle, just as the God of Suits did for so many years.

                 R.I.P. Haruo Nakajima
            You Will Forever Be Missed.

The Kaiju Kidd goes to Monster Con

    

     Not too long ago I had the pleasure of going to the Famous Monsters of Filmland convention in Dallas. This would be the first convention of its kind from the FMF magazine to be in Dallas, Texas. For their first convention, FMF started very strong with famous guests from all around and a long list of varying panels and events for any fan of the Universal Monsters, Tokusatsu, Science Fiction and Horror. Lots of fun was had all weekend by both Guests and attendees alike. Allow me to share with you some of my experience as well as what other things the con had to offer.

     While I did have, a wonderful time at the convention there was one major hiccup that happened over the weekend. On Friday, there was a great deal of confusion regarding when things started and when people should arrive. I and other press reps were there between noon and 1 o'clock, but the events and vendors’ area did not open up until five. Apparently, there was an opening ceremony scheduled for the afternoon that had to be cancelled early on. I do not want to be too hard on them for this for multiple reasons. this is the first Famous Monsters Convention in Dallas so hiccups were bound to happen, the rest of the convention was enough fun that I almost forgot that hiccup even happened and this didn't affect the masses so much as the press, but they made up for this be giving the press more or less open access to the rooms as they were setting up to get pictures and take notes.

     Aside from a bumpy start, the rest of the convention was full of enjoyment despite the attendance only being in the hundreds. This was the first of this particular convention so it, of course, was not going to draw in the same crowds as Dallas Comic-con, A-Kon, etc. Strangely enough, the atmosphere created by this low attendance is one that is very welcoming and cozy. Since fewer people attended, the ones that did interacted with each other a bit more. This created a sense of family among the attendees. This also extended to the guests. In most conventions, it is not uncommon for guests to be swarmed with fans and people taking pictures/wanting autographs. The guests at this panel were usually walking and talking with the attendees and I could tell by looking, that almost none of them looked overwhelmed. The guests were having just as much fun as the attendees and, for the first time in any convention I have seen, the attendees let the guests have some breathing room and personal space from time to time. Cozy truly is the best word to describe how this weekend felt and it was a surprisingly wonderful change of pace from the busyness of other conventions.

     Speaking of guests, the guest list for this convention was surprisingly top notch for a first time convention. Many famous people were at this convention including:

Shinji Higuchi: Co-director of Shin Gojira. Also known for his work on Evangelion and the live action Attack on Titan.

Kaichii Sakurai: Cinematographer for Shin Gojira. Also known for working as an effects coordinator and cinematographer for other Godzilla movies and various tokusatsu films and shows.

Sean S. Cunningham: Producer of the acclaimed Friday the 13th series among a few other science fiction horror movies and documentaries.

Ricou Browning: The last living Universal Monster. Did the swimming scenes in the Creature from the Black Lagoon. Also worked on Flipper and a few James Bond movies.

Michael Dorn: Known as Worf in Star Trek: The Next Generation. Has lended his acting and vocal talents to various games and shows ranging from Regular show to Justice League.

     I could honestly list all of the guests that were here but there were dozens! Voice actors from StarCraft, The Lone Gunmen from the X-files, various Power Rangers from different seasons, Many great artists, awesome cosplayers, etc. I was even fortunate enough to attend a few Q&A sessions and learn more about a few of the guests.

Ricou Browning: The Creature swims among us

     Despite being more of a fan of Japanese giant monsters and the like, I was very excited to hear the stories of another great suit actor and inspiring film presence. Mr. Browning did not disappoint as he shared with the audience stories of his time on set of the 3 Creature of the Black Lagoon movies as well as what he did before and in between films. Mr. Browning was a natural in the water and new much as spend part of his life working for the Florida Wildlife Magazine.


      Immediately though, people were curious about the conditions of filming the creature. Suit acting is already a difficult art and this man had to endure a suit that was submerged. It was explained that to help with swimming the suit was made of a thin green spandex and the fabricated scales and larger pieces were hot glued on. There was even an incident where the glue burned Mr. Browning through the spandex, leaving him with blisters on his chest that have still left a scar to this day. Once the glue had set though and the costume was completed, it only took a surprising 10 minutes to put on and 10 minutes to take off. Mr. Browning even shared with us a cool detail of the suit. There were air hoses attached to the arms and gills that, when squeezed would open the gills. Even though Bill Chapman had used this hose frequently when filming the scenes of the creature on land, Ricou Browning felt little need as the gills moved around almost on their own under water. This created a more natural feel to the suit during the water scenes.

     The next set of questions were in regards to how the film was shot and if it was difficult to shoot in water. Mr. Browning was quick to point out that there were two main difficulties with filming in Wakulla Springs in Florida. The first major obstacle was the temperature. The water was typically about 51 degrees and the out of the water it was about 49 degrees. This, of course, meant that the actors and crew had to warm up frequently, especially Mr. Browning. The other difficulty was setting up the camera properly. The creators of these films were ambitious and all three Creature films were shot in 3D. For the underwater scenes, 2 cameras were placed side by side in one housing with both on at a slight angle to get a proper 3D shot of what was in front of them. Creating the proper sized housing was difficult enough at the time, but during filming, the housing would often leak. Clearing the water and fixing the camera just became part of filming and would sometimes create 4-5 day delays in filming the first movie.

     Finally, Mr. Browning shared with us stories of other films he had worked on and what he had done after filming the Creature series. I'm sure many people know this already, but it was a pleasure and a surprise to find out that Mr. Browning, The Creature From the Black Lagoon himself, was responsible for bringing us Flipper, as an associate producer in charge of underwater operations. Mr. Browning also worked on two James Bond movies: Never Say Never Again as an underwater sequence director and Thunderball as an underwater sequence director as well as an assistant director for the remaining scenes. I was shocked to see that this man had such a diverse and well-known filmography under his belt. It was also remain hilarious to me that the Creature from the Black Lagoon essentially thought up the concept of the show “Flipper”.

     It really was a treat to hear about the life of Ricou Browning from the man himself. If I were to use one word or phrase to describe Mr. Browning, it would be hard working. This great man shared his honest experience and remained open with us about every detail we were curious about. You could tell that, even at his current age, he put his all into everything he did. I am proud to have heard this man tell us about his life and his experience filming some wonderful and timeless monster movies.

Shin Gojira screening and Q&A panel

     By far, I was looking the most forward to this panel. I cannot help myself; I am obsessed with Godzilla. After a wonderful screening of Shin Gojira, which remains to be a great Godzilla film, the director, Shinji Higuchi, and cinematographer, Keichii Sakurai, came to the front for a unique Q&A panel. Nobody expected what these two had prepared for their audience at this convention. I am under oath to not offer any spoilers but the duo had a very special con-exclusive presentation for the fans who attended their panel. I cannot give anything away beyond saying that it was truly amazing to behold.

     As far as the guests of honor at this panel, I was pleasantly surprised by just how down to earth this pair was. Most Toho fans will tell you that, while the actors are not afraid to have fun with the fans, Toho still likes to keep their nest egg in check and there is usually a sense of seriousness in the tone and actions of directors and people who work higher in the offices of Toho Studios. While there was the whole "don't tell anybody about what you see in this presentation" thing, it was clear that Keichii Sakurai and Shinji Higuchi were there to have as much fun as the rest of us.

     Shinji Higuchi was a very quick-witted and funny man. During the Q&A Ed Holland, Chief Editor of Monster Attack Team accompanied them. The director was asked if his most recent portrayal of Gojira was one that represented purification. While Shinji was thinking about it briefly and laughing, Ed chimed in an almost overwhelmed demeanor stating how much of a heavy question that is, religious undertones, etc. In his panicky state, Shinji Higuchi leans forward and just quietly says "yes" into the mic and leans back with this proud expression on his face. It was clear he was saying that for fun and to get a reaction with the audience and other panelists. This open and fun personality would carry over in the whole Q&A as well as during the convention.

     Keichii Sakurai was a little more soft-spoken than Shinji. He was not quiet by any means, of course. He would answer any question directed at him with honestly. Despite his demeanor, Sakurai-san was very modest. I am sure he went red in the face when we were applauding the movie and when one person started their question with praising his work. The audience and his friend Shinji had to assure him that he had become one of the masters of monster cinematography, though he likely still will not admit to it.

     Overall, we learned much from their panel. While the olden ways of a man in a suit will always be cherished, Toho and the other wonderful folks who work on it see this CG route as a necessary step for Godzilla. We do not know if there will be a sequel to Shin Gojira, but as it has been going, the American films do seem to have the blessing of Toho studios. While not his final words, the pair was able to leave the audience with some great advice from the old masters that, despite its simplicity, is a powerful message. "Love what you do and who you do it with". This was answered in response to how they got along so well with everyone from all the movies and if there was any advice, they can impart upon the audience. For many reasons I am glad I was able to hear them talk about life and their careers.


Weekend activities


     The guests were not the only great thing about this convention, no sir. There were plenty of events happening all weekend. Aside from the Shin Gojira Screening, there were screenings of several movies ranging from old classics like The Valley of Gwangi, to modern films and anime. Shinji Higuchi and Keichii Sakurai also had a special screening of the live-action Attack on Titan. I was shocked to even see a showing of the Space Battleship Yamato on the schedule of events. Movies were not the only thing to do of course.

     Throughout the weekend D2 Tactical Laser tag had a course setup in one of the rooms for all to play. I can safely say after trying it that I am way too out of shape to do that a whole lot, but man was it fun. All weekend there was also a room dedicated to Dungeons and Dragons with various sessions you can just pop in and play with people. Next door, you had a LEGO room with various creations themed around famous monsters and open stations where people can build anything. They were even giving away free Lego Godzilla packs!

     Of course, there were also the staples of any convention, cosplayers and cosplay contests. Several impressive cosplay guests were at the convention including a man named Robert Pruitt with a VERY well done Godzilla suit. There was even folks from SyFy channel's Faceoff making designs all weekend. Cosplayers and designers from all around gathered to show their stuff and all were willing to advise younger and less experienced designers and cosplayers. These designers were only a small part, of all of the other various panels that were at this convention.

     Every Panel listed was worth going to for one reason or another. From cosplayers and designers you, of course, had panels about related things: Foam fabrication, 3D print modeling and planning by design. Just as there were panels dedicated to design there were those dedicated to other forms of creation such as writing and teaching history through horror. My personal favorite panels, aside from the Q&A's were the novelty ones. You know the ones that can only exist at a particular convention so you feel compelled to go.

     The novelty panel that most, at least most in my particular fandom, would be interested in is the Rare and Unseen Kaiju films panel. I was drawn to that panel to see Godzilla vs. The Wolfman and ended up seeing a lot more: A beer-powered Ultraman spoof, some college students' senior project that had effects that may even make the masters at Toho proud and even a Trailer for a Jet Jaguar fan film! Now I can hold my head up high that I have now seen things that many Tokusatsu fans only wish they had seen. HA!

     Last but certainly not least, the vendor's space. Man there was some great stuff here. I know I said that Kaiju and Godzilla were not everything this panel had to offer but it filled me with such glee to see every other vendor had some Godzilla stuff. Everything was here! From novelty movie posters, to professionally made masks, to Collectibles hailing straight from Japan and Hollywood. I knew I was home when I saw X-plus Godzilla figures next to Star Trek collectibles.

     Truly, the Famous Monsters Convention was a wonderful experience and I am glad that I was able to attend. I sincerely hope that this convention comes back and that more will join in this event. I cannot stress enough how much fun this was for Monster fans and Science Fiction nerds. This is the Kaiju Kidd signing out form a fun weekend in Dallas, TX.


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Kamen Rider and Super Sentai themes I'd like to see

   
     Over the years there have been a lot of themes and powers used for Tokusatsu. A point has been reached where one can argue that every possible power has been, at least slightly, explored. That being said, there are still some themes that I would like to see more of or see again. Specifically in the team dynamic of Super Sentai or the solo hero dynamic of Kamen Rider. These are just ones that I would like to see, however.

Super Sentai

Dragons - Above anything else I would love to see a Sentai team based around the power of dragons. In many Sentai, going back as far as Changeman, Dragons have been prevalent and usually associated with the Leader. Even now we see dragon powers in our very own Ryu commander in KyuuRanger. Imagine a team that fully harnesses the powers of Dragons of all different types and powers. Fire Dragons, Frost Dragons, Wyverns, etc. I personally see a lot of potential for this series as one based on Earth with a very mystical/adventurous vibe to it.

Knights - I know this seems pretty counterintuitive to the last suggestion but while dragons seem to fit with some of the history of Super Sentai, knights just fit the theme of the whole show. Knights are protectors that go off of a code of honor. Imagine a team of Super Sentai with a more armored look that act as Modern day knights. The beauty of this is you can base it in one location. Put something important there and make the town their "castle". True the story may not be as grand a scope as some previous iterations of Sentai, but a more focused and simple story could be a breath of fresh air after KyuuRanger. I mean, I'm loving KyuuRanger so far but we may need a breather after so much happening in this series lol.

Monster Hunters/Paranormal Investigators - There are a lot of ways in which this can go but my first thought is make a Sentai that harkens to things like the stories of Van Helsing and Dracula and movies like Monster Squad. The cool trick this idea can provide is you don't have to reveal any major villain in the beginning. Monsters are appearing and supernatural phenomena are more frequent and a team is out investigating all of this. This is probably the least likely to happen as many of the tropes fall within the realms of western mythology, which I'm not sure Sentai Writers would tackle.

Kamen Rider

Martial Arts - I truly don't know why this concept hasn't been explored more. Some would argue that fighting ability is necessary for all Riders anyway so there is no need. I would argue that the same is true for Sentai, but GekiRanger and DaiRanger. It would be interesting to see a Rider who has immersed himself in the world of Martial arts styles and the Lore behind some of the animal spirits of Japan. I imagine a similar tone as GekiRanger except perhaps a bit darker and more competitive. This would create chances for secondary riders that utilize weapons and martial arts our main hero cannot learn or has difficulty learning.

Earth and Nature - It truly has been a very long time since we had a Kamen Rider harness the powers of the earth. Some consider Gaim in this category but I wouldn't since the lockseeds were all man-made and were not initially from Earth. Imagine a Rider who has powers of stone, earth, plant life and other forms of primordial powers. Imagine one form of the Rider that resembles an erupting volcano, one that looks covered in vines and moss. I, personally, see a lot of possibilities with this idea.

     I'm sure in time I can think of more and others will as well, but these are just ones that I like thinking about. If I were thinking practically I would think the next Sentai would perhaps be time related, to bridge the gap between Kyuuranger and the modern timeline. Kamen Rider may take a mystical approach to keep up a "what is real and what isn't" vibe that Ex-Aid sometimes throws our way. I can't predict what lies ahead on this road laden with heroes, but I can't wait to see it.

Power Rangers Review

     Expectations for this movie were probably pretty low or average for most people going in, and I can't necessarily blame them. On Paper it did seem that Power Rangers was getting the same reboot treatment as Transformers or Ninja Turtles. It also did not help that some of the art and leaks revealed before the movie received mostly mixed reactions. With all of this in mind, I started avoiding anything relating to the new Power Rangers movie roughly a month before it came out to avoid any spoilers or alter my expectations beyond hesitant but hopeful. I went in with that mind set and I came out pleasantly surprised. The movie wasn't just okay, it was legitimately good.
     The story, took the premise of the American show and put it into movie form. Five teenagers with attitude uncover the coins and become Power Rangers. It is up to them to learn to work together, use their powers and stop Rita Repulsa from Destroying the world. The movie's main strength is how simple it is. More time can be devoted to things like characters, action and even fan-service. Arguably even more important than that, the movie was fun. I enjoyed watching the movie pretty much all the way through.
     None of that is to say the movie is without flaws. There are some pretty obvious flaws with the film that keep it from being truly great but, in my opinion, don't lessen the experience as much as others would have you believe. There are many things that people have been complaining about that I would say are not really a problem. The main complaints/flaws are as follow:

1) The opening scene - The movie opens to a prologue explaining why Zordon and Rita are on earth in a pretty intense scene that even shows an Aquitian, as fans of the show will recognize. The movie then cuts to Jason pulling a prank by putting a cow in a locker room. This scene is quickly gaining infamy for a pretty weird milking joke. It is the kind of dirty humor that you are going to love or hate but the problem is it doesn't fit that well in the movie, and for some does not set a good precedent for what they are about to see. While I didn't mind it as much as others, it was a clear problem

2) Rita's acting - This is generally viewed as a point against the movie as people are either going to love her brand of crazy or hate it. I was among the ones that loved watching her be psychotic and murderous. The main argument against her is that she was too out there for a movie that was trying to be a bit more mature. While I see where people who say that are coming from, I would propose that it would be a lot stranger to see Rita as a subdued tactful villainous. Rita was always crazy, and this movie did pretty darn good with what they had, in my opinion.
     The personal problem I had with Rita is that in this movie she is established to have been the green ranger before. I personally don't like the idea of Rita being a Ranger, but I am willing to forgive it for a few reasons. Her "transformation", the green armor, is incomplete and it can be inferred that her corruption has started to sever her connection to the morphing grid. The other reason is she doesn't really rely on the power of the armor at all, but rather her own spells and fighting prowess. It took some getting used to but was ultimately tolerable.

3) Forced references - I have only heard a few people mention this. References to many power rangers series are littered throughout the movie. How certain items, street names and powers are named and used will probably only bug you if you are expecting a one-to-one copy of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, which the creators made clear is not what this is.  If you let this movie be its own thing, I swear the references will not bother you at all.

4) Rangers screen time - I hear this one a lot. Many people are saying that the Rangers were not in their suits for enough of the movie and many people wanted to see the Power Rangers be the Power Rangers and beat up evil. Many people wanted a lot of action, and if you are expecting action from beginning to end this may bug you. The Rangers are only suited up for about 15-25 minutes towards the end of the movie. This is seen as a problem by those expecting a nonstop explosion fest but it is not that kind of movie. While many claim it is a problem, I think this leads into a great strength for the film. The movie is not a beat-em-up thriller. This movie is about the rangers becoming a team and earning their powers. We have the luxury of getting to know the characters and story before they morph for a very well done action scene, and this is somehow a bad thing. people are weird.

5)Krispy Kreme - I honestly can't defend this one that much. The product placement in this movie was ridiculous. there was too much dialogue towards the end regarding the Krispy Kreme. It got too a point that it seemed like a self-fulfilling joke in the movie, but that doesn't excuse that it is pretty sloppy in regards to film-making. There is even a scene where Rita eats a donut like shes in a commercial. It was stupid, it was needless, I thought it was funny, but it is still a problem.

     Those are the main 5 that people seem to point out as problems, and most of them boil down to personal preference. There are also some sprinkled plot holes but they are few and far between and can be explained pretty easily with just the phrase "morphing grid". Beyond these problems though the film has a lot of strength to it that drew fans in and earned it some well deserved praise.
     This movie was a character driven film from beginning to end. The main 5 were fantastic actors that got tons of laughs out of me and even got me bit teary eyed during the now infamous campfire scene. Each of the Rangers show off their unique personalities and enough time was put into getting to know each one. These characters knew their role very well and 100% captured the idea of "teenagers with attitude" in a realistic and engaging way.
     The good character writing was not limited to the Rangers of course. Much to the surprise of many, Zordon was even given a slight character ark. Zordon was prideful and somewhat resentful that he failed to stop Rita before and begins to take his frustration out on the Rangers before realizing that this is not his team anymore, and he must be there as a guiding hand instead of barking orders. Bryan Cranston did wonderful and gave us, at least close to, the best portrayal of Zordon fans could ask for. Even Alpha 5, though annoying at times, had plenty of character and was a little more engaging and fun to watch than previous incarnations of the character.
     This movie also has a great sense of Humor. I mentioned that the opening scene will be hit or miss and seems out of place, but the rest of the movie is very fun. Billy, for instance, is established as being on the autism spectrum. He has trouble identifying sarcasm and this leads to him taking certain things literally. This is portrayed with enough care that it is never offensive or demeaning to those with autism. The audience is just given some funny and realistic exchanges between Billy and other Rangers. The Humor also comes from Rita and how much Elizabeth Banks just loves her role. As one of the people who enjoyed her performance, I loved how crazy and out there she was. It put a huge smile on my face when she said "Make my monster grow!". As much as the film is trying to be something different, It clearly knows where it came from and is not afraid to poke fun at it while lovingly embracing its roots.
      The Power Rangers film is not without problems but it is still a very loving tribute to the show and a worthy reboot of the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. I do recommend that everyone give this movie a try. I am confident that most people will see this movie as at least pretty good. I can understand people being hesitant to see it or not being drawn into the movie as much as others as many elements are, of course, love em or hate em. If I were to rate this movie, I would give it a solid 8 out of 10 but I can understand others giving it a 7.5 or even a 7. I will likely be seeing this movie again while I await potential future installments of these new Power Rangers.

Kaiju Grab Bag Vol. 3: Super Power Sentai Rangers Edition

     With the new Power Rangers movie coming up. as well as Kamen Rider Ex-Aid and Uuchuu Sentai KyuuRanger gaining momentum both here and in Japan, The world is starting to be abuzz with everyone's favorite color-coded costumed heroes. Instead of going into great detail about one topic before I review the New Power Rangers movie, I thought I would briefly discuss and provide my own answers to some questions about Super Sentai and Power Rangers. These are questions I have either read on social media, heard asked directly to somebody or thought up myself. I will try to keep from droning on any particular topic as many of these I have strong feelings about. Today I am just dipping my toes into these topics but I am more than willing to discuss almost all of them in detail at a later date. So here we go!

Q: Why do the shows stick with live action effects?

A: The shows use a mix but generally stick with traditional suits for a majority. This live-action spell effects style is known as tokusatsu and it is what made Super Sentai/Power Rangers famous. In many ways this style still works for what it needs, and as the saying goes; "if it ain't broke, don't fix it!"

Q: Isn't Super Sentai/Power Rangers meant to be watched by little kids?

A: the short answer is yes, but there are important things to note. In Japan, Children and Teens are introduced to more mature content earlier in life compared to most other countries. While Super Sentai is very much a Japanese Kids show, there are often themes regarding death, loss, personal responsibility and a related themes. The show can also be more fast and loose with profanity making it more akin to a show for American Teens and young adults oddly enough. As for power Rangers, that is meant for American kids without a doubt. The show has, however, become aware of the age of it's audience and some later seasons have shown signs of maturity such as RPM to name one example.


Q: Can't Super Sentai/Power Rangers be way too silly at times?

A: unfortunately yes, as much as I like defending how shockingly mature either show can be, there are many moments where how bizarre or silly something is only serves to be distracting. While I do understand, this is to cater to the younger demographic, I sometimes wish the shows would take themselves an iota more seriously.

Q: Does there have to be a movie to go with EVERY series of Super Sentai and Kamen Rider?

A: Yes.....yes there does. To the person who asked that; you know who you are and you should be ashamed of yourself for even thinking of denying these series awesome adventures and great world building......not to mention the profits from airing those movies in theaters and doing road shows are a good chunk of why those shows are still even airing.

Q: Why is the red one always considered the leader?

A: Tradition. Red is a very prominent color in Japan just as Blue is a prominent color here in America. It is interesting to note, though, that despite red often being identified as the leader, it isn't uncommon for other rangers to take on the actual leadership role. MegaBlack in MegaRanger is a great example of a team leader who isn't the red ranger.

Q: Isn't Power Rangers just a rip-off of Super Sentai? They just recycle scenes after all.

A: Scenes are recycled because it is an adaptation of foreign media. A LOT of time, money and frustration needs to be put into getting props and costumes over seas and fitted to the American actors, who often don't fit into those suits, so new ones need to be tailored which costs even more money. Especially early on, there was not enough resources available for such things so they had to be careful with what they had and recycle a lot of footage. Because the creators took their time to make it look decent (or at least as decent as an early 90's show can look), and from their sales and profits went up and they could afford more original footage and content. Power Rangers is an adaption. It is not a ripoff because they didn't have enough resources or backing to make their own suits and effects during the early years of power rangers. Besides they had the permission and blessing of the creators of Super Sentai so meh.

Q: Are any plot lines or characters changed as it is translated into an American show?

A: This, unfortunately, depends on who is writing and directing the series. Each season of Power Rangers is different. Some seasons, Like MMPR and RPM focus on original material whereas Wild Force and Time Force borrow many plot lines and ideas to the point that they can be considered a plagiarism if not for the support from Bandai and Toei when writing and pitching each season. Some seasons choose to copy main ideas but build upon them differently. Power Rangers in Space did this really well.

Q: Which is better, Super Sentai or Power Rangers

A: This question can only be answered out of preference. I personally have liked more Sentai Series than Power Ranger series so I am inclined to say Sentai is better, but I have not seen EVERY season of either and can't make a proper judgement. It all comes down to preference

Q: Are there any Power Rangers Series you prefer over their original Sentai?

A: Wild Force is about as good and possibly better than GaoRanger. RPM has generally better writing and less plot convenience than Go-Onger....Fight me.

Q: Do you think Super Sentai/Power Rangers will end any time soon?

A: I Think Super Sentai has a few more years in her, Especially with how good KyuuRanger is. Unfortunately Power Rangers may or may not be on their last hurrah. The hype around the new movie and Ninja Steele will determine if there is truth to this. If Power Rangers ends soon, the creators have nobody to blame but themselves. Too many weird decisions for the show as of late.

Q: What theme would you want to see in a future season of Super Sentai/Power Rangers

A: I want a team to harness the power of mythic beasts again! Dragons, Gryphons, etc. I could live with a team, whose powers are based entirely on dragons! Better yet....KAIJU RANGERS!!!

Q: Is the upcoming reboot good or bad for Super Sentai/Power Rangers?

A: Time will tell, but I would say it is more of a good thing for both series. This movie will probably have a reference or two but seems to want to establish itself as it's own thing that isn't tied to Super Sentai or related shows. Last I checked many people see Power Rangers as a ripoff so why wouldn't they want the show to separate itself from Super Sentai?

Kong: Skull Island review

Dear Billy, 

     I hope everything is going well. It seems some people thought that another film about an angry Australian man would top Skull Island this weekend. Man were they wrong. I must say it fills me with pride to see Skull Island doing so well even after the opening weekend. I fear Beauty will trounce the beast this weekend, but that does not lessen the spectacle or mean that Skull Island is a bad film. Skull Island Truly met expectations and even exceeded some. 

Sincerely,
Kaiju Kidd


Okay, but seriously though....

     For this Kidd, the hype for this movie was great. I am a long time monster movie buff and I thoroughly enjoyed the 2014 Godzilla film. One of my greatest wishes is to bear witness to another great age in monster movies and this Legendary monsterverse is leading the charge into, what could be, a whole new frontier for Kaiju films or monster movies in general. That being said, there were still some reservations before going to see this one. The intent of this movie is to introduce Kong into this universe, not necessarily retell the original Kong story. Usually movies that try and change the story of the big ape end up falling short in one regard or another so I tried to mentally prepare myself for that scenario if even just a little bit. Suffice it to say, I was surprised by how good the movie turned out in almost every aspect.

     The human cast all did their jobs wonderfully and by the end of the movie I found all of the main human characters likeable. I emphasize, by the end, as before they actually reached the island there were characters that didn't really hit the mark with me personally. At first, I found Brie Larson's character, Mason Weaver, to be, for lack of a better term, kind of a cunt. Literally everyone saw through her BS and fortunately I feel that helped transition her to being more open to the team and forthcoming when it came to heavy decision. Mason did what all good characters do, change as it is needed to help drive the story. Other than her, I don't feel that Houston Brooks, played by Corey Hawkins, and San, played by Tian Jing, had many great character moments. Sure, I liked them well enough and they were certainly key players to the story, but I don't feel as connected to them as I do other characters.
     As for the other main characters, I have to simply praise. John C. Reilly stole the show as Hank Marlow, a downed survivor from a WW2 plane crash. Mr. Reilly knows how to portray crazy. Tom Hiddleston and Samuel L. Jackson both kept this very commanding presence as the "leaders" of the group. Samuel L. Jackson's character, Lieutenant Colonel Packard, had wonderful scenes showing his descent into this hazy war-fueled madness as his men are slaughtered one by one. Bill Randa, played by John Goodman, was a representative of Monarch that set this excursion to Skull Island in motion. I love how clever he was. Whenever you see him you know he is planning something. To be honest, this movie made me wish I could've seen him as Carl Denham in the Kong reboot a few years back. No hate on Jack Black, but John Goodman showed everything Jack's character was missing. In, Short, every character was at least good.
     The story, is honestly pretty basic. People go to Skull Island on a research expedition, find Kong and have to escape the island as they encounter all the nasty creatures that inhabit the island. This simplicity, though, is honestly how it probably should be. On paper the basics of past Kong stories are there, and there is some great monster action all throughout the film. Keeping the film as basic as it is does have it's down-sides though. Since exploring Skull Island and establishing major facts about this universe are also primary goals, not as much time can go towards Kong. As such, we don't get the whole of Kong's story or have as much time with Kong as some would want. To me, the filmmakers worked around this as best they could. While not as expressive as the Peter Jackson's Kong, This Kong is still very expressive and as we watch him interact with the world around him, the audience begins to understand Kong without having to be with him throughout the whole of the movie. Much like the 2014 Godzilla movie, even when Kong is not on screen, his presence is felt along with pretty much any other creature. After the spider scene, you feel that Kong or some other monster can come out at any time. That tension only gets ramped up to unsettling at times when the Skull Crawlers begin to make their move. As far as Kong is concerned, his goal is to keep his home safe from threats, including the helicopters and the skull crawlers, so Kong is pretty much always fighting or watching over the island all film long.
     The human side of things has a pretty natural progression but I feel that some things came by to easily, or were just there for the sake of one scene and nothing else. One example is the lighter that James Conrad, played by Tom Hiddleston had. While the introduction of the lighter came out of a nice character moment between James and Mason, it seems the lighter was only there to establish a source of flame so they could blow up a skull crawler shortly after that scene. The lighter also belonged to James' father, as he explains, but I fail to see the greater necessity in establishing a special lighter when it is not exactly farfetched for a soldier to have a match, or just some random zippo as we see other soldiers have. There are other examples but there are items that are established to be relevant for the characters to some degree, but not as much to the plot. Enough griping about minor things that bug me for stupid reasons though!

     The major conflicts the humans face in this movie are threefold. The first and obvious is the various creatures that may or may not want to eat them. The second, which is the first to be resolved, is that after crashing on the island everyone is pretty scattered and must find a way to regroup as safely as possible. Finally Packard is becoming obsessed with taking down Kong in the name of revenge for his men. This drives him to insanity. The group mus find a way to a rendezvous point on the other end of the island all while dealing with the above problems. The job is made a slight easier when they run into Hank Marlow who has been stranded there for years. Because of this, Hank knows much about the island and has even been working on a makeshift boat of of plane parts, we'll call it a ploat, to help them go up the main waterway quicker so all can escape the island. Things progress just as they should in this movie and no scene is there too long, though a few scenes weren't there long enough. I would have liked to see more scenes of Kong fighting the smaller skull crawlers, and maybe another scene showing the groups of humans dealing with the creatures or natives of the island. Heck, I want to see those ants that John C Reilly warned me about!
     Any negative marks I can give this movie honestly relate to each other. I know I have been praising the movie, but it is not perfect. The characters are really good and fun to watch, but none of them give of an Oscar winning performance....except maybe John C. Reilly. The action is good and there's plenty of it, but aside from how Kong beats the big skull crawler, I don't see anything truly inventive or new. Truthfully the flaws of this movie all relate to that so many elements are good, but just miss the mark from being great.
     I shouldn't have to tell anybody, that if the worst thing I can say about a movie is that it's really good, but not great, then it truly is a good movie. I would recommend this to eve



ryone who likes giant monsters, to anybody who likes army movies and anybody who likes action in general. I had a lot of fun watching this movie and I hope that many more people go out and see it. This is the Kaiju Kidd signing off from skull Island!




     almost forgot the most important thing! That end credits scene! what else can I say...but..

LET THEM FIGHT!!!!

The King of the Kongs: Rating the movies from worst to best

     With the release of Kong: Skull Island in a few days, everybody is in an uproar about the big ape. With so many decent reviews and retrospectives out there, such as the ones done by my friend at The Gryphon's Lair, I don't feel it necessary to do any major reviews or retrospective pieces. Instead I just want to give my two cents one how the Kong movies stack up to each other. I will be including the original movie, all of its American remakes and the two Japanese films by TOHO. Without further ado, Let's get right to the fun!

#7 King Kong Lives

     It is to nobodies surprise that this is usually considered the worst Kong movie to date. Between a plot that can be overly confusing at times and generally forgettable characters, this isn't just a bad Kong movie, it's a pretty bad movie. That is not to say it has nothing going for it. Despite any warranted criticism of the Dino De Laurentiis films, The Kong suits and animatronics used in them were pretty decent. While, in my opinion, not the best Kong has ever looked, I cannot say it is the worst the big ape has ever looked either. That honor goes to another Kong film that I, ironically, like a lot more. TBH I don't have much to say in this film in particular. It's a pretty bad film with decent effects. I would watch it if you are a monster movie buff, like myself, but beyond that I don't think I can muster it in me to recommend this film.







#6 King Kong Escapes

     Toho has an interesting Film history when it comes to King Kong. Two movies, yet neither of them are canon with the other, at least arguably not. Truth be told I cannot bring myself to hate this movie but I'm hard pressed to say its a great Kong movie either. The movie is entertaining, The suit looks better than the film that came before, and it introduces some new Kaiju to the TOHO monster-verse. The problem with this movie, it doesn't feel to be about Kong. The movie honestly feels like it is about the mad Scientist Doctor Who. Normally, that would be a huge minus for me, but two things put this well and above King Kong lives for me. The first is the human characters are a delight, especially that villain. Dr. Who seems like a parody of Dr. Hinelar from Megaranger before Megaranger existed and I love him for it. The other thing is the monster fights. I fear the day I ever grow tired of some good ol' suited monster rumbles. Basically, while not the most Kong-centric of the Kong movies, it is very enjoyable and worthy of a watch.





#5 King Kong versus Godzilla

     I can see the rage comments already. Full disclosure, I love this movie, but as I was thinking about where I would place this on the list a few things kept nagging at my mind that I can't ignore. Without a doubt, this is the worst-looking Kong has ever looked, and hopefully will ever look, on film. the lack of fluid movement is very odd. the other problem is, this movie is just as much about Godzilla as it is about Kong. This obviously means that Kong doesn't get as much focus as the other films, but admittedly this ends up being a fairly minor issue. The other problem is the strange shifting of styles in the middle of fights, while can be perceived as humorous, is also odd and kind of distracting. man-in-suit to puppet, to man-in-suit again, then to stop motion, etc. the changes away from suitmaion are brief but still stick out like a sore thumb.
     The biggest issue with this film that makes it not work as well as a Kong movie, is that Kong wasn't technically supposed to be in this movie. I won't go into details, but there is a whole mess involving King Kong, Frankenstein and Godzilla and about 2 or 3 movies that were suddenly changed to another monster at one point in production. Once you know that, you can tell that Kong feels like an afterthought at times, instead of the intended character. That being said, this is a very good monster mash that belongs in everybody's collection. This movie is a lot more fun to watch than a lot of movies on this list, but you just can't be crowned King of Kong without being entirely about Kong it seems.

#4 King Kong (1976)

     This is going to take some explaining. This list is not about seeing which is the best film overall. I am looking at these films as representations of King Kong, and seeing how they hold as a King Kong movie. Which movie portrayed the ape better? which one portrayed the story or told a new story the best? which one is enjoyable to watch? If I was seriously judging these movies based on overall film quality, this would not be as high as it is. That being said, This movie is still pretty okay and has many admiral qualities hiding in there.
     First of all, This is the best looking Kong suit hands down. Not the best looking Kong, but the best looking Kong suit. I feel the tension around his presence whenever he is on screen....at least at first. Much like another Kong film. there are some light hearted moments that detract from the seriousness of the whole thing. That is not to say the effects are not impressive. The Kong in this film is very expressive, a feature I believe to be absolutely necessary for Kong. Also many techniques honoring the original movie are used, such as giant animatronics, a giant model Kong hand many scaled miniatures for Kong to destroy.
      There are three things keeping this from being at least a good King Kong movie, in my opinion: First, the human characters are pretty bland. While the movie needs to focus on Kong, that focus will mean little if the humans aren't also engaging. it takes away from the drama and makes us feel less sympathetic with the humans when they make their moves. Second, aside from a giant snake, there are no dinosaurs or other creatures in this movie. King Kong has always been associated with dinosaurs and to not include them almost feels like sacrilege. At least King Kong versus Godzilla had the bonus of not being entirely about Kong, but still pitted him against a giant octopus and the greatest fire breathing dinosaur of them all. The final thing is how unnecessarily bloody this movie can get. The final scene when Kong gets shot down does not evoke as much emotion as the original and somewhat makes me uncomfortable instead of sad.
     There are a lot of flaws with this movie and it is very easy to call this film bad. I must give this film it's due respect, however. This movie was intended to be about Kong and the Kong we got was very well designed and was the catalyst for many decent effects. The reason I put this above King Kong versus Godzilla, (and I thought long and hard about this trust me) was because of what set each Kong movie above the other Kong films. This film had some very impressive practical effects including a giant animatronic. King Kong versus Godzilla had the appearance of Godzilla and some wonderfully campy monster fights. The problem there is, this is about Kong, not Godzilla. I do hold that King Kong versus Godzilla is a better movie, but the 1976 Dino De Laurentiis film just does a better job at being about Kong.

#3 Son of Kong

     I have heard people dislike this movie. While I can kind of see why, I feel that is it almost unfair to it. People dismiss this since it does not live up to the original film, but considering how good the original was, that almost seems like an unreasonable expectation. Is the movie bad? Absolutely not. Is the movie good? It has it's moments. This was the same creative team that made the original King Kong and there are many times where that shows. The cinematography is still great without living up to its predecessor, and it feels like a natural sequel. Anybody can believe that what is happening to Carl Denham and Captain Englehorn in this movie would happen after the events of King Kong.
     Some may be wondering, if I placed King Kong vs. Godzilla so low for not being entirely about Kong, why is this one so high, despite not being about Kong at all, but instead his son? The answer is right in the question. The movie is about Kong's son. I do not mind how Kong gets rebooted but the focus needs to be there for Kong to shine. This movie is just as much about the son of Kong as it is about Carl Denham. That is not to say the movie is perfect. The film can be a bit cartoony and awkward at times, but it weirdly fits if only to bring levity to the seriousness of some parts of the movie.
     I rank this movie high because of how much effort was put into this movie despite the disadvantage of time and resources. For having a low budget, compared to King Kong (1933), the spirit is still there and you feel like  you are always watching Kong when he is on screen. Stop motion is still in top form and the backdrops are still good. I can't see this movie as better than say, Mighty Joe Young, but is still one of the better King Kong movies to watch. I was satisfied the whole way through and recommend this to anybody who loves the original.

#2 Peter Jackson's King Kong

     I have heard a fair number of complaints that this movie is too long. While that is a strike against it, it is a very small strike due to how well the movie flows. As I mentioned above this isn't about how good or bad the movie is, this is about how I feel Kong was portrayed within the confines of his movie. I personally believe that this is the best looking Kong has ever looked in the cinema, at least until I can properly judge Skull Island. Much more so than the Dino De Laurentiis Kong and, arguably, any other Kong, this one is VERY expressive. Kong acts the most like a giant ape in this one but still carries some more human qualities.
     This version of Kong also seems to best a few of it's predecessors with a tirade of dinosaurs and larger than life creatures for Kong and the humans to deal with. This movie fully understands that the adventures on the Island are just as important, if not more so, than Kong running amok in New York. There is always something for everyone to do, be it fight a creature or further the plot on the ship/skull island. The Actors that interact with Kong do a very commendable job. Naomi Watts is, in my opinion, the best Anne Darrow ever put on screen. Jack Black is not Robert Armstrong but still plays a respectable Carl Denham. There really isn't a bad performance in this movie that I can think of on the top of my head.
     This is all not to say that the movie is flawless. While I, personally, am not bothered by the runtime, I can see some viewers growing weary as this is the longest Kong movie to date. There is also an abundance of CG. It is well done CG, but do not expect many practical effects or rubber suits if you are a fan such as myself. There are a few scenes that can be seen as unnecessary, but they do offer their own type of charm like with the "Kong on Ice" scene or the infamous bug pit, which I still find awesome. Finally while no actor gives a "bad" performance per se, some may come across as boring. Adrian "Chicken Nose" Brody is the biggest offender of this, but he still interacts well with Kong and even has some pretty intense scenes towards the end.
     In my opinion, most of the major flaws can honestly be notched down to personal preference. The film honors the source material it came from and is packed with action with one of the most badass Kongs on screen. Everyone remembers the fight against the three T-Rexes. Everyone remembers the climax on the empire state building and everyone remembers the bug pit. I was truly thinking of putting this as number one but there was one thing about the next Kong I just couldn't ignore. Either way I encourage everyone to go out and see this movie.

#1 King Kong (1933)

     Much like the one ranked at #7, this probably comes as a surprise to nobody. The truth is, as much as people like to go against the grain and challenge ideas, sometimes things are commonly regarded the way they are for a reason. Almost everybody agrees this is the best Kong Movie, because it really is the best Kong movie. Everything from the cinematography to the animatronic puppetry is masterfully done. The characters, especially Carl Denham, are a treat to watch. As much as I love Jack Black and think he did the performance justice, Robert Armstrong is just too good at playing a sly producer. You just love to watch him work.
     Honestly, what can I say about this movie that hasn't already been said. I admire pretty much everything about the effects, the backdrops, characters and Kong himself. I should mention though, There was one thing about this movie that persisted in the back of my mind that tempted me to place it at number two. Unfortunately, that is, Kong himself. Do not get me wrong, Kong is at the best he can be right here. The problem is, apes are very expressive creatures and whether we like it or not, Gorillas and other intelligent apes are capable of human-like emotion. There are times in the film where Kong doesn't appear to have any emotion, but also times where he shows off that he can be angry, inquisitive, sad or even happy. I just feel the Kong in Peter Jackson's film was more expressive and it ultimately helped the performance immensely.
     All of that aside though, This film is a masterpiece and I absolutely cannot bring myself to not revere this movie as it deserves. Labelling this movie as "second-best Kong" would be a grave disservice. Not only was this film groundbreaking for Monster movies, it was groundbreaking for all of cinema around the world. This film started a Legacy of greatness that can only be mimicked by pretenders and cheap foreign knock off films. This film truly was a once in a lifetime motion picture, and I doubt any movie can replicate the experience or the impact ever again. With all of this in mind, I am proud to declare the original RKO production as the King of the Kongs!

    So the only thing left is the new movie. Expect a review of Kong: Skull Island next week! I hope all of you Tokunuts are as excited to see the big ape on screen once again as I am! Till next time, I am the Kaiju Kidd and I will see you all on Skull Island.

KyuuRanger first impressions

     Before going into watching KyuuRanger, I didn't know what to expect. I had no idea how the creators were going to balance out 9 heroes in total. I certainly did not expect, and was pleasantly surprised with the route they chose to take for this series. While there are still things I am weary about, This was a very good start to what may be a very good series.

     First thing to mention is that I love the suits for Kyuuranger. The common design in the suits is the star on their chest along with lines down the legs and breaks in the sleeves that make all of the suits reminiscent of space suits and light astronaut wear. Each suit is personalized in a sense to match the constellation of which the respective KyuuRanger draws power. This includes the visor and some of the helmets work and some look fairly silly. The horns on Oushi Black seem kind of impractical on distracting, yet somehow fitting of his overall design. Much like the horns on Black, Chameleon Green is sporting two "hair buns" made to look like chameleon eyes. These hair buns can also seem to stick out but somehow fit with the overall design of her costume. To me the strangest one is the visor on Kaijiki Yellow. The thing sticks out like a horn to represent a marlin, but it looks like a cartoonish nose if one looks at it from the wrong angle. The rest of the suits are honestly very cool and the problems with the others, much like past sentai, I think I can get used to over time.
     The second thing to mention is how they chose to introduce the characters, as I feel is one of the strengths of the first episode. By the end of episode one, The audience is only introduced to five of the Kyuurangers. It would seem that the Kyuutama, the orbs they use to henshin, must choose the wielder and the wielder in turn must wish to use the power. Lucky, the main character wishes to become a Kyuuranger. At first because it looks cool, but later to liberate the galaxy after discovering a group known as Jark Matter is ruling over the galaxy with an Iron fist. Garu (Ookami Blue) wishes to fight to avenge his people. Champ (Oushi Black), Hame (Chameleon Green) and Spada (Kaijiki Yellow) all seem to have a strong desire to beat Jark Matter, though the means of which they attained the Kyuutama are still unknown. Revealing only these five, and leaving it open for what motivates them creates many possibilities for the future. I can actually almost see this series being told like a grand space opera with little to no filler....that would actually be awesome....fingers crossed.
     The final thing that makes this first episode work is the amount of action that is in it. The viewer is thrown in between this fight between the rebels of the group Rebellion (clever...) and the organization Jark Matter (because dark matter). The episode starts with Champ, Hame and Spada doing a Henshin to stop an insurgence of Jark Matter troops and escorting civilians to safety. After crashing his ship into the Jark Matter troops, Lucky is taken to the Rebellion base where they repair his craft as a thank you and he learns about the Kyuutama. Lucky flies off, followed by the kyuurangers, to the nearest planet of Jagujagu to search for his Kyuutama where he encounters Garu who has a Kyuutama but is unable to activate it since he has some fear of fighting Jark Matter, despite wanting to avenge his people. Jark Matter then attacks the planet in an attempt to wipe out the Rebellion once and for all. Despite not having a Kyuutama, Lucky fights with the other Kyuurangers only to be cruelly thrown into space for interfering the business of Jark Matter.  Before Lucky can draw his last breath, his will to fight attracts the Shishi Kyuutama to him allowing him to henshin and drop back to safety. Lucky, Hame and Spada take their respective voyagers, Lucky summoning the rather large Shishi Voyager for the first time, to take out the forces attacking their ship. Garu musters up the courage to fight and henshins to help Champ take out the ground troops. After the ground troops are dealt with, Lucky manages to activate the docking mechanism of Shishi Voyager to form the megazord Kyuu-Ren-Oh. The team defeat a minion made giant and then convene on their flying base ready to find the remaining Kyuurangers and finally stop Jark Matter.

     As one can tell most of the first episode is action, action and more action. That is not to say there is no story. There is just enough exposition in between to tell a story for this episode. The episode also manages to keep enough withheld to make the audience want more. Aside from some odd aesthetics, if I were to give any negatives to this, it would seem the series may be trying to open too many doors and not explain everything. This is unfair, as the series is just starting and I believe more episodes should be watched before a conclusion like that is drawn. Either way I will be looking forward to watching this action packed space adventure!

Kamen Rider Gaim review

  

      I remember when I first started watching Super Sentai and Kamen Rider. For years, I had immersed myself in the world of Godzilla and Power Rangers. Once I was in college, a dear friend introduced me to the wonderful world of live-action special effects series from Japan. I was engrossed. Series after series went by and I enjoyed these shows more and more, but I dreaded this day subconsciously. I dreaded the day where I would just not like a Tokusatsu series. It almost hurts more that in recent times I have grown more interested in the riders than Sentai. I can say that I gave Kamen Rider Gaim every chance. I watched and re-watched all of the movies, and key parts of the show. While there are elements and characters I like and ones that are objectively impressive, the series itself is an unfocused mess that I wanted to end at way too many points.
      The first problem you'd think I would have would be that the powers are based off of fruit. While I did find this distracting at first, I honestly got used to it and there were designs that were pretty cool. The problem with a fruit theme doesn't come from anything aesthetic. Even that theme sort of fits once we enter into the realm of the "forbidden fruit". The problem is, there are many characters who I try to take seriously but get disillusioned so quickly when a bad-ass line and henshin sequence is immediately followed by a high-pitch and overly cheerful "BANANA!". Strange powers can work if they are done right and for many of the henshin sequences, I found the accompanying voices and the fruits falling on people's heads, way too out of place for how "serious" the series was trying to be for the majority.
     If one were to simplify the problems of Kamen Rider Gaim, they could probably narrow it down to three main elements: unlikable and numerous characters, a lack of proper character growth and an overall unfocused narrative. These all factor together to create a mess that could have been fixed with a whole new approach to the writing of the series. From a reviewing point of view, I will attempt to be as objective and neutral as possible with this series. However, from a fanboy perspective, this series makes me want to drown in a pool of various fruit juices. So the occasional tangent will be there. Needless to say, spoilers are a-plenty.

Characters

Kazuraba Kouta (Armored Rider Gaim): Henshins using Orange lockseed among many others. The main protagonist of the series. One could describe him as naïve and a tad show-boaty, but good hearted. Based solely on the first 10 or so episodes, I would say that is an accurate description of his character. Kouta stumbles across the belt almost entirely on accident when he and another character, Mai, are looking for the captain of the Team Gaim dance troop, Yuya. Kouta's early motivation for accepting the belt can be attributed to his desire to change. before the series, Kouta lived a good life but felt somewhat unhappy and unfulfilled. The ability to Henshin into armored rider Gaim allows Kouta the excitement he wants and allows him to be more useful to his friends' dance team and those around him. I was suckered in by his character very early on as during episode 2, he does things with the belt that I know many tokunuts, myself included, would totally do if they had a rider belt. Just total fanboying galore. Kouta started as a good character but the development he went through, or I should say DIDN'T go through, was a major factor in hindering him as a character, overall.
Kumon Kaito (Armored Rider Baron): Henshins using banana lockseed among a few others. The Leader of Team Baron, the rival dance team to Team Gaim. Kaito believes in power as an absolute and seeks to rule through conquering and subjugation. The interesting thing about Kaito is that he is a good guy, despite these being common traits of a villain. This is because Kaito is not very prideful and respects anybody with strength. Be that strength, raw physical power, tactical prowess or emotional fortitude. I would debate that Kaito is the most developed and most complex character in the entire show. He is a rival to Kouta and will only ever fight him fairly. One of the things that offends him the most is the weak shooting the strong in the back.

Hmmm....if I go at this pace for all of the armored riders we will be here all day...here's all you need to know about the rest of them

Kureshima Takatora (Armored Rider Zangetsu): henshins using melon lockseed. Projects leader and overseer for the Yggdrasill corporation research and development team. Fairly stoic individual who can sometimes act rashly but typically has good intentions and has the whole of humanity in mind.
Kureshima Mitsuzane (Armored Rider Ryugen): Henshins using grape and Kiwi lockseeds. Cares for his friends, though his judgement became clouded as people close to him were physically and emotionally affected by the battle with the inves and the actions of Yggdrasill.
Jonouchi Hideyasu (Armored Rider Gridon): Henshins using acorn lockseed. Jonouchi is a bit wily and calculating. He is rarely the first to jump into the battle because, as we find out later, he is ashamed of his own weakness and indecisiveness. These weaknesses are somewhat overcome under the tutelage of another armored rider.
Hase Ryoji (Armored Rider Kurokage): Henshins using pinecone lockseed. Ryoji is pretty simple minded, but is constantly out to prove himself and run wild no matter what happens to himself
Oren Pierre Alfonzo (Armored Rider Bravo): Henshins using Durian lockseed. Oren is an ex-mercenary turned Pattisier. He believes the riders in the inves game aren't real fighters and are in desperate need of a lesson of how things are supposed to be. As the situation gets more dire he takes on somewhat of a mentor role to the younger riders, even taking Jonouchi on as an apprentice pattisier (though that was initially meant as a "rehabilitation" than an apprenticeship)
Zack (Armored Rider Knuckle): Henshins using Walnut lockseed. Zack is the number 2 in Team Baron's ranks and looks up to Kaito, willing to follow him wherever. Zack's admiration is not blind, though. He is willing and ready to stop Kaito when he believes he is doing wrong and is always open to help those around him.
Sengoku Ryoma (Armored Rider Duke): Henshins using Lemon energy lockseed. Creator of the Sengoku Drivers and Genesis Drivers used by the riders to henshin. Seeks to attain the power of god using his creations and strong mind. Ryoma is very clever and observant but his selfish goals and ideals rarely put him on fairly cooperative terms with anybody.
Lock Dealer Sid (Armored Rider Sigurd): Henshins using cherry energy lockseed. Deals out lockseeds to beet riders with the ulterior motive of Yggdrasil using the beat riders as test pawns for the belts. Sid is very cunning, but can be a bit too greedy at times.
Minato Yoko (Armored Rider Marika): Henshins using Peach energy lockseed. Ryoma's subordinate and member of Yggdrasil. Very complacent about being a follower so long as she is following the right person. Toko desires to support the future ruler of our world and has only seen Sengoku Ryoma and Kumon Kaito as worthy for the job.
Takatsukasa Mai: Number 2 dancer in Team Gaim. she occasionally offers the emotional support and stability that our main characters need. chosen to be the bearer of the forbidden fruit and is burdened with the choice of who will get that power.
DJ Sagara: The enigmatic announcer for the inves game. It is later discovered that Sagara has no physical form as he is the personification of Hellheim, able to create lockseeds among many other fantastic feats.

These are just the main series riders and the non-riders that greatly affected the story. There are more characters but for the purposes of my review they serves little to no importance.

     I would like to point out that many of the characters above are memorable and develop nicely over the course of the series and it's movies. The problem is, the characters that don't are the ones that are in the forefront, directly moving the story forward most of the time. By far, the biggest offender of this is Kazuraba Kouta. The problem with Kouta is that he does not change at all. It is okay for a character to maintain key character traits, but they still have to grow and mature over time. One familiar example for us would be Gai from Gokaiger. To date, Gai is a happy-go-lucky sentai fanboy, but compared to when we first saw him, he is much more mature and ready to heed the call to action. For Kouta, I see very little if any difference between Kouta at the beginning and Kouta just a few episodes before the climax. Kouta is always naïve, trying to find a peaceful solution no matter what. On paper this sounds endearing, but if negotiations didn't work the first time your friend shot you in the back or when a mindless inves is after you, it won't work the next dozen times. The only reason Kouta progresses through the story is because another character provides him with the powers necessary at that time. None of Kouta's powers are things he has earned or taken for himself. except arguably his base form and Jimber peach, which I will admit the way he took that lockseed was clever.
     Whereas Kouta didn't change at all. this next problem child changed too much. Mai constantly shifted between all the "dere" subtypes at one point or another. Early on in the series, Mai dismissed Kouta as part of Team Gaim since he "walked out" only to accept him the very next episode and dismiss him again shortly after that. Mai will occasionally offer emotional support and good advice but it is always countered by just as much whining and getting in the way. The only consistent trait we get out of her is her desire for everything to be peaceful again. Her desire to dance? That is just a footnote. Possible Romance with Kaito that actually had progression? Abandoned right away. Whether or Not Mai trusts Michi after he starts to act on his own and inevitably betray them? Sometimes she does, and sometimes she doesn't. The fact that I can't pinpoint an exact character besides small facts is a huge strike against the series considering how "important" they tried to make her.
     I mentioned above that Mai was chosen to be the earth's bearer of the forbidden fruit. She would choose who gets the power of a god. This had no bearing on her character as she was convinced by another character that fate had already chose "this person" and she had no real say in the matter, and she just accepted it rolled with the punches. This person was DJ Sagara. The problem with DJ Sagara is that he claims to be an observer but drives the story immensely by meddling with the riders and Yggdrasill. Whenever times get tough for Kouta and he has to use his brain or accept a harsh reality in order to defeat a foe, DJ Sagara appears and gives him a new power! Sagara is the catalyst for all of the negative or nonexistent character development in the show. By providing Kouta with power constantly, he removes the need for Kouta to mature with the changing story. By convincing Mai there is only one person to give the forbidden fruit to, he denies the heroes an easy solution. Worst yet, since he is the incarnation of Hellheim itself and has shown to have powers over time and space to some degree (yes, really) he has the power to stop everything from the beginning but he doesn't. Sagara is painted as a mentor to the heroes when he is in every way, the villain. The only needed proof is that he admits to being the snake that corrupted Adam and Eve, but he's the good guy?

Plot

Allow me to summarize the plot like so:

episodes 1-11: The riders are introduced and lines are drawn between them. All of the beat riders are after trying to win the inves game with the exception of Armored Rider Bravo, who has his own plans. After discovering Hellheim, the source of the lockseeds and monsters used in the inves game, the riders begin to learn more of this other world and start to suspect that Yggdrasill is not quite on the up and up with this inves "game" as they once thought.
episodes 12-24: Yggdrassill makes it's move. The beat riders used in the inves game are revealed to have been made solely to test and further develop the belts. New riders appear and start to act against the beat riders. It is discovered that Yggdrasill is after this "fruit of knowledge" within Hellheim and is the reason they have been keeping these portals open. In addition to the new riders, the wild beasts of Yggrasill are no longer contained in the inves game and are beginning to slip through the cracks between worlds.
episodes 25-33: It is discovered that Hellheim used to be an fully stable civilization, only to be corrupted by the toxic plants and fruits that grow. These fruits altered the ones who consume it, turning them into monsters. The only place the fruit of knowledge can grow is in this deepest reaches deadly and toxic environment. An ethical debate takes place within Yggdrasil regarding whether or not to let Helheim take over the planet. Yggdrasil can mass produce enough belts to save roughly 10% of the whole population and there are those who view this as a way for humanity to evolve. Meanwhile, it is discovered that some of the creatures in Hellheim show intelligence along with the ability to command the creatures and plant life there. These "Overlords" as they are called, have were gifted these powers by the being there who ate the forbidden fruit and have since gone corrupt.
episodes 34-44: Yggdrasil has fallen apart from the inside out and The Overlords have started attacking earth, as well as doing a bit of infighting themselves. One by one the Overlords start rampaging only to be thwarted by Kouta who was given a lockseed forged from a portion of the forbidden fruit. Kaito gets wounded by and overlord and gets badly poisoned by the toxins of Hellheim which he keeps at bay with his Armored Rider form. Eventually all of the overlords are beaten and Mai is entrusted with the Forbidden Fruit from Hellheim to give to the "chosen one" or "last one standing" or, as I like to call it, "He whom the plot deems necessary at the time".
episode 45-46: The poisons have overtaken Kaito, but due to the balancing effect of the belt, instead of becoming a monster, Kaito has kept his intelligence and gained the power to control the Hellheim plants and beings, essentially becoming an overlord. Coincidentally, Kouta's increased exposure to the forbidden fruit has granted him the same abilities only without warping his physical appearance to that of a monster. As the last two "candidates" for the fruit of knowledge, their ideals have become conflicted and now the two must fight to see who will attain the power of god. Kouta comes out on top and chooses to save the earth by taking the remnants of Hellheim as far away as possible and starting anew in an attempt to make the Hellheim sustainable and the earth safe. Everyone says their goodbyes and everything goes back to as close to normal as can be.
episode 47: a movie villain returns and the remaining riders must gather the few remaining belts and lockseeds to stop them. The remaining characters make their peace after defeating this enemy and beginning to rebuild their hometown to its former glory.

     If it wasn't made obvious by reading the above description, the ultimate goal of the series shifts often. Compare this series to Kamen Rider Hibiki, another rider I did a review of. From beginning to end, Hibiki's goal was to defeat the Makamou. No matter the character drama, this never changed. Kamen Rider Gaim on the other hand cannot decide if the ultimate goal is to; a) obtain the forbidden fruit b) stop the advance of Hellheim C) Stop the corruption of Yggdrasil or D) dance. Episode by episode this changes so flippantly to the point where sometimes the two "goals" intertwine or contradict the other.
     Some would argue that obtaining the forbidden fruit or "Fruit of knowledge" is the ultimate goal from beginning to end. That is impossible since nobody knew about the fruit of knowledge until about a third into the series. stopping the advance of Hellheim is another candidate for ultimate goal, but the only times we see a crack opened up beyond the normal means, Yggdrassil is there shortly after to contain and seal the crack. Throughout the whole show there was only two instances of people dying and relating it back to the cracks to Hellheim. Both cases were the fault of those who died and in both cases Yggdrassil seemed to have some level of control over it. So stopping the "advance of Hellheim" seems pretty easy since the big, bad Yggdrasil corporation has it under control.
     Speaking of them though, the corruption within the company does show the most promise and is what kept me tuned in for the early parts of the series before it became a chore just to watch. Hints were scattered everywhere in the beginning that the inves game is more than what it appears to be and Yggdrasil knows whats' going on. I will praise what I can, and despite the first 10 - 12 episodes needing to be heavily trimmed down, there was some genuinely good buildup for what was to come. The problem is, everything revolving around the corruption in Yggdrasil and the inves game was addressed properly in the first half of the series, then was immediately scrapped for more "important" storylines. Only Sengoku Ryouma and Kureshima Mitsuzane started acting like dicks so they had to bring back the corruption idea? I would have preferred they brought back the whole dancing thing. At least that was a defining feature of some of the characters sometimes...when they weren't playing Pokemon: Fruit's Basket edition.
     The second half of the series revolved around these characters called "overlords" and to be frank, they are some of the worst villains I have ever seen. They don't have a sensible Hierarchy so I can't tell who is stronger than who, or if they are all the same strength, save for one. Their motivations, much like the story's, shift episode by episode so it is hard to get a read on whether or not they see earth as a threat, want to conquer it, or just don't care. Worst yet, Their existence makes no sense in the convoluted lore in this story. The overlords were given power by their leader, Rosyuo, who had obtained the forbidden fruit and wished to use it to repel the plants. It is discovered late in the series that Hellheim is the ruins of their civilization so they were unable to fully repel the plant life. This was partly due to the fact that once they got power, the overlords saw themselves as superior and began infighting and killing off people, leaving only 6. This is literally an impossible story considering what is the true nature of Hellheim and the Forbidden Fruit.

     According the DJ Sagara, the fruit has the power to either destroy a world with the plants of Hellheim, or save the current world be severing the ties with Hellheim. This is proven to be true by the end of the series. DJ Sagara also claims that the plants of Hellheim are unable to express malice and don't deliberately attack. This is debatable. It seems that many worlds have been exposed to Hellheim and have suffered the same fate as the Hellheim we see, but it all seems to be because of excessive infighting and inability to properly contain the toxins. On paper this sounds like the Overlords, but there are a few cracks in this story. For one, the Overlords never used the fruit to stop Hellheim or let it take over to rule it. They chose to empower a select few so that they could control and fight off the monsters of hellheim so they can continue to live peacefully. That is a very strange third option. It's not like the fruit goes away either, Rosyuo still has the fruit during Kamen Rider Gaim so it is entirely possible for him to fix his planet. Rosyuo does wish to be reunited with his love and his people. The plants of Hellheim have grown over his old civilization, but he has the ability to move the plants away from it and make it habitable, like he originally intended to do but doesn't?
     There are only two ways the Overlord's story can work. One way is if Rosyuo is unaware of the powers at his command and the other way is if Rosyuo's powers, and the powers of the forbidden fruit in turn, are not great at all. It can't be the first one since we see Rosyuo control the plant life and wipe the floor with Kaito and Kouta back to back without breaking a sweat as well as express very deep insider knowledge of how the fruit of knowledge works. It also can't be the second one since the whole ending to Gaim and whatnot. In short, the overlords make no sense because the means of their creation go against the possibilities of the fruit of knowledge.

     To the Story's credit, it did not choose to end with the Overlords. Instead, the choice was made to end the series with the built up battle between Kouta and Kaito.  Despite the hate, I must give this series credit. The climax and the ending were decent, to say the least. There is honestly something familiar to accurately compare the story. Like eating an unripened fruit: Everything looks fine at first and perhaps the first bite is to your liking. As you eat more, it gets tougher and tougher. There is very little flavor or substance, on the whole, until the last bite in the center, in which you get the last bits of flavor it can offer. You then begin to question why subjecting yourself to that was a good idea in the first place.


Overall thoughts

     I do not like Kamen Rider Gaim. The bad points are too numerous and too prevalent. I didn't talk in details about the movies, but they are in the same category of bad. I keep thinking for a way to make Gaim better and the first thing I would do is remove the Overlords and any possible sentient thing in Hellheim from the story. If I can think of a way to fix Gaim I will probably make another post about it in later months.
     Would I recommend Gaim? Absolutely not. If you are a long time Toku fan and your curiosity is at a peak, at least go into this with lowered expectations. Was there any good in Gaim? Yes, the side characters were enjoyable and the Gaim Gaiden specials that revolved around the individual side characters were actually a pleasant watch and did everything in their power to flesh out the world they were in. While not the biggest indicator, it is arguably the most obvious the series is bad, when you have to look away from the main story for the good bits of character and plot.


    Fortunately it is time to move on to more pleasant things. Kyuuranger is starting and some good March movies are just around the corner. Let's make March a great month for Tokusatsu and monster movies you bunch of Tokunuts! This is the Kaiju Kidd signing out.