Kamen Rider Den-O (仮面ライダー電王, Kamen Raidā Den'ō- 2007-2008)

Starring:
Takeru Sato - Masked Rider Den-O
Yuriko Shiratori - Hana
Yuichi Nakamura (中村優一)
Rina Akiyama (秋山莉奈)
Kenjiro Ishimaru (石丸謙次郎)
Aki Hoshino (星野亜希)
Hiroyuki Watanabe (渡辺裕之)
Tomonori Jinnai (陣内智則)

"The time train, Den-Liner. Will the next station be in the past or the future?" (時の列車デンライナー。次の駅は過去か未来か。, Toki no ressha Denrainā. Tsugi no eki wa kako ka mirai ka.?)

Ryotaro Nogami is a young man with a lot of bad luck. One day, he finds a strange pass and things got stranger from a mysterious girl and a large time-traveling train to being possessed by an entity called an Imagin, beings from an alternate future whose kind are attempting to change the past. Though slightly confused about the nature of the crisis, Ryotaro, along with the aid of the hot-headed Imagin, dubbed Momotaros, becomes Kamen Rider Den-O, traveling to different times on the Den-Liner to battle the evil Imagin to prevent them from altering the past to affect the present and future.
During his adventure, Ryotaro is joined by other Imagin who aid him as well; the womanizing Urataros, the herculean (and narcoleptic) Kintaros, and
the childish yet powerful Ryutaros. He later meets the mysterious Yuto Sakurai and his bumbling Imagin partner Deneb.
Yuto is not only Kamen Rider Zeronos but is the younger incarnation of Ryotaro's older sister Airi's fiance, Sakurai, who mysteriously disappeared and is tied to the mysteries revolving the Imagin and the Junction Point.

You knew this one was comin'. LOL!

Sorry, I haven't posted in a while. This past weekend, I had to go camping with my son's cub scout pack. It's been a long weeeeeeeeeekend. I'm so tired. Just typing this is draining what is left of my energy.

Well, this KR seemed to take forever for me to watch. It wasn't that appealing to me at first. The story line was confusing and it seemed forever before I caught on. I will say this......okay.....this was the most hilarious out of all the KR's I've seen so far. OMG! The Imagin's that possessed Ryotaro were insane. Momo was a hoot. But I will say I think I liked Urataros and Ryutaros the best. Urataros and his chauvinistic ways and Ryutaros' sweet, childish rants were a joy to watch. I think I cried everytime Ryutaros did. I'm not joking. He was so sweet and innocent and truly loved Airi. *sigh*

I'm still a little confused at the end, so I'm hoping the three movies (yes, I will watch them eventually) will clear up some of my confusion.

I'm so happy that I finally finished this though. I thought I never would. Takeru-kun's voice was so sweet and gentle, it was really hard for me to put him as a KR but I guess Momo's possession made up for that. Yo, and Takeru can dance (while possessed by Ryotaros). But we all know in real life, that was Takeru-kun!!!! Very talented!!!

Kamen Rider Agito (仮面ライダーアギト 2001-2002)

Starring:
Kashu Toshiki as Tsugami Shoichi / Kamen Rider Agito
Kaname Jun as Hikawa Makoto / Kamen Rider G3/G3-X
Tomoi Yusuke as Ashihara Ryo / Kamen Rider Gills
Akiyama Rina as Kazaya Mana
Fujita Toko (藤田瞳子) as Ozawa Sumiko
Yamasaki Jun (山崎潤) as Hojo Toru
Kikuchi Takanori (菊池隆則) as Kino Kaoru / Another Agito
Ogawa Atsushi (小川敦史) as Sawaki Tetsuya
Haneo Rei (羽緒レイ) as Mysterious Youth
Taguchi Shusho (田口主将) as Kono Koji
Shibata Akiyoshi (柴田明良) as Omuro Takahiro
Tanabe Tokimasa (田辺季正) as Misugi Taichi
Kotani Yoshikazu as Majima Koji
Sakuma Masako (佐久間雅子) as Sakaki Aki
Kamiki Ryunosuke as Mysterious Boy
Masu Takeshi as Misugi Yoshihiko
Hiraiwa Kami
Shimizu Koji

Kamen Rider Agito is the eleventh installment in the popular Kamen Rider tokusatsu franchise. The series repesents the 30th Anniversary of the Kamen Rider Series.

Okay, maybe this is my favorite one out of the bunch. I can't quite say for certain. I haven't seen them all but damn if Shoichi wasn't the cutest thing ever. Wait. Ryuuki was cute too. Ohhhhhh! A dilemma! I love them all so far. I'm turning into a fanatic!

The storyline of this series' KR was by far the BEST! I was quite taken by it and will admit that I was bawling like a baby at the end. I was like "Not again!". Ya know how the KR endings aren't always the best. They die, they leave, love is unrequited. Well, they had me. I was bawling because I was terribly sad and then "poof"......I was bawling from tears of sheer happiness. Those KR writers pulled a fast one on me.

Ahhh! My love of the KR. Gives me joy that I can't seem to describe. Screw Power Rangers....such a childish adaption of this awesome show. *sigh* Now I will sit back and dream of Kashu Toshiki........................*shivers from sheer happiness*

Kamen Rider Kuuga (200-2001)

Starring:
Yuusuke Godai/Kamen Rider Kuuga - Joe Odagiri
Kaoru Ichijo - Shingo Katsurayama
Sakurako Sawatari - Kazumi Murata
Oyassan - Kitaro
Minori Godai - Wakana Aoi
Shuichi Tsubaki - Yoshitaka Otsuka
Hikari Enokida - Kaori Mizushima
Nana Asahina - Shio Mizuhara
Jean Michel Sorrel - Serge Vasilov
Mika Natsume - Yuka Takeshima
Sadao Matsukura - Yudai Ishiyama
Morimichi Sugita - Takashi Matsuyama
Go Sakurai - Nobuyuki Yoneyama
Nozomi Sasayama - Eri Tanaka
Hitoshi Kashiwabara - Takashi Kikuchi
Junichi Shiina - Makoto Hatayama
Tatsuhiko Ebisawa - Fujio Mori
Tsurumaru Kameyama - Katsuaki Nishide
Shoji Kanzaki - Takashi Inoue
Keiko Motoshiro - Rie Okada
Atsuko Enokida - Machiko Naka
Sayuru Enokida - Kentaro Niibo
Hiroyuki Yashiro - Yutaro Kamata
Shuto Terashima - Tomoaki Takagi

Long ago, the Grongi Tribe terrorized the Linto until a warrior named Kuuga appeared and defeated the Grongi, sealing their leader within a cave. In present day, a multi-talented man named Yuusuke Godai finds himself linked to the mysterious stoned belt that was found within the escavated cave as the Grongi are ressurected and resume their murderous game on the desandants of the Linto, humanity itself. It is up to Yuusuke, along with the assembled Science Police, to use the various powers of Kuuga in order to stop and defeat the Grongi Tribesmen from their continuous killing and ensure the happiness of others. However, as endgame draws near, Yuusuke learns that there is a horrible revelation behind Kuuga and the Grongis' leader.

OMG! One of the first works from my Joe! He looks so totally different. Actually, the only way I realized who he was..was because of the mole on his chin. After awhile, I got used to looking at him looking so young and different. I'll call him "au naturale". His hair was dark and he actually looked Japanese for the very first time for me. LOL! Is that not weird?

Anyway, on to the review...........

Sad to say, this KR bored the hell out of me until the last 10 episodes....then it started getting interesting. I will say this fell into the KR theory....masked rider on crotch rocket (motorcycle). But the story, which I thought would be interesting....fizzled beyong belief. But I hung on to the end. Why is it that the KR stories don't end with the ultimate happy ending. You know guy gets girl....and they live happily ever after? Damn. I cried at the end. It was "happy" but it didn't fullfill me at all.

I will say the Odagiri Jo, we all know and love, was awesome. The naive and funny Jo is the best. Don't get me wrong. I love him in all of his movies and dramas but when he plays the innocent...well, my heart melts a little bit.

Anyway, this was okay but like I said it bored me. So at this moment, I'm taking a KR break for a while and then will hit Kabuto and Kiva.

Kamen Rider Ryuki (2002-2003)

Starring:
Takamasa Suga -Ryuki
Satoshi Matsuda -Dark Knight
Ayano Sugiyama -Yui

"One who does not fight will not survive."


Thirteen Advent Card decks were created for thirteen Kamen Riders. They make Contracts with monsters from the mysterious Mirror World, a dimension opposite to our own in which the Kamen Riders can only exist. The Riders draw on their monsters' strength in exchange for feeding them the life force of the creatures they destroy. The creator of the Advent Cards has only one rule: that there can be only one Kamen Rider. The others must be killed, and the sole victor will be granted a single wish. This is the Rider War.


All over the city, innocent people are being mysteriously abducted, never to be seen again. During his investigations of these incidents, Shinji Kido- an intern at the online news service ORE Journal- discovers one of the Advent Card decks at an apartment where every reflective surface has been covered by newspaper. He is soon sucked into the Mirror World, discovering the terrifying truth behind the disappearances: people are literally being pulled through mirrors by the monsters of the Mirror World so that they may feed. He is about to be killed by a powerful dragon named Dragreder when he is saved by Kamen Rider Knight- Ren Akiyama. Ren seeks to win the Rider War at all costs. He works with a young woman named Yui Kanzaki, who seeks her missing brother: the master of the Rider War, Shirō Kanzaki. Seeing Ren's strength, Shinji enters the Rider War not for the prize, but so that he may protect innocent people from the threat of the Mirror World, and stop the senseless fighting between the Kamen Riders. With Dragreder as his Contract Monster, he becomes Kamen Rider Ryuki.


He will discover that there are some people who cannot be saved. That you must sometimes fight in order to stop the fighting. The extent to which you must go if you want your deepest wish to come true, and the sacrifices that you must make. In the end, there can be only one Kamen Rider...

OMG! Another good one. After Blade, I had to get more. Hahaha! I'm addicted. Badly! (Kiva....here I come!)



This series actually was low rated and almost canceled in the Japanese world. Why? Fanbase? I don't know. This one was relatively good but I think it didn't stick with the Kamen Rider theme. This was more about the inner turmoil of the Rider system and who deserves to live and die. To me it wasn't about saving the world, but about the girl named Yui.



I'm sorry. I wouldn't risk my life for this one chick. Nope. Okay, I would for Matsuda Satoshi and Suga Takamasa. Whew! Some serious hotness in this one. I'm already a fan of Matsuda Satoshi and seeing he was in this series actually made me watch it in the first place. I probably wouldn't have if he wasn't. I'm addicted to this guy. I don't know why. He's just incredibly gorgeous.



Okay, this series was also the funniest by far. Episode 29...OMG! I laughed so hard, I about peed my pants and snorted Diet Mountain Dew. Totally hilarious. Actually, the whole series was quiet funny. It had enough to keep the show fun. Suga Takamasa was great as Blade/Shinji. His quirky character...innocent and naive...just made him all the more loveable. I want more of this guy.



Suga Takamasa

Kamen Rider Blade (2004-2005)

Starring:
Takayuki Tsubaki -Blade
Hironari Amano -Garren
Ryōji Morimoto -Chalice
Takahiro Hōjō -Leangle

Ten thousand years ago, a massive battle known as the Battle Royal was fought by fifty-two Undead, each representing a species fighting for dominance over all others. The winner was the Human Undead, known as Category Two of Hearts, giving dominion of the Earth to humanity. In the present day, archaeologists discover the sealed Undead, and accidentally set them free. Thus, a new Battle Royal begins.

Having developed the Rider System, based on the Joker's ability to copy sealed Undead, the organization BOARD equips two young men, who become Kamen Riders: Kazuma Kenzaki and Sakuya Tachibana fight together as Blade and Garren to protect humans from Undead and seal them. Also fighting Undead is the mysterious Chalice, a Kamen Rider whose purpose is unknown. In addition, a young man struggles to free himself from the control of the sealed Undead powering his own Undead-made Rider System, fighting as Kamen Rider Leangle.

Please forgive me! OMG! I loved this series. I think I mentioned when I watched the KR:The Next movie that the KR series must really suck. I was soooo wrong. It was just that movie. I'm a complete and total KR fanatic now!!

I see why the US had to have their own in the Power Rangers (doesn't compare though). The first few episodes, I couldn't understand why I was watching it. But I couldn't seem to stop watching. The whole story became fascinating. I watched the whole series in a day in a half. I couldn't move.

The whole story revolving around decks of cards (kind of like Power Rangers meets Yu-gi-oh). I can't really explain it but the gist of friendship, hatred, power, and the human heart were welded together in a totally endearing show. I really loved it. I even freakin' cried at the end. It wasn't really sad, but then it was.

I watched the moive "Missing Ace" which altered the end of the series and changed the whole future. I don't think they should have did that but worked on the search for Blade instead. The movie was okay but then they altered the course for Chalice which in itself made me cry yet again! Damn them!

Since this was my first KR series, it's so far the best.........

Tsubaki Takayuki

Kamen Rider The Next (仮面ライダー The Next-2007)

Starring:
Takeshi Hongo/Kamen Rider 1 - Masaya Kikawada (黄川田 将也, Kikawada Masaya)
Hayato Ichimonji/Kamen Rider 2 - Hassei Takano (高野 八誠, Takano Hassei)
Shiro Kazami/Kamen Rider V3 - Kazuki Kato (加藤 和樹, Katō Kazuki)
Kotomi Kikuma - Miku Ishida (石田 未来, Ishida Miku)
Chiharu Kazami - Erika Mori (森 絵梨佳, Mori Erika)

Actors Masaya Kikawada and Hassei Takano are returning from MASKED RIDER THE FIRST as Takeshi Hongo (Masked Rider 1) and Hayato Ichimonji (Masked Rider 2) respectively, while Kazuki Katou steps into the role of Shiro Kazami (Masked Rider V3). 22-year-old Katou previously appeared in the MASKED RIDER KABUTO (Kamen Raidaa Kabuto, 2006) TV series as Daisuke Kazama, the alter-ego of Masked Rider Drake, as well as the series’ accompanying theatrical film MASKED RIDER KABUTO: GOD SPEED LOVE (Kamen Raidaa Kabuto Goddo Supiido Rabu, 2006).

2 years after the events of MASKED RIDER THE FIRST, rumours are spreading of vicious murders, which are always accompanied by the song of a young pop idol named Chiharu. After Chiharu disappears, her older brother Shiro Kazami goes in search for her, and inevitably finds himself in the hands of the organization “Shocker”. It is here, where a new generation of Riders are being created, that Shiro Kazami is transformed into Masked Rider V3.



I really wanted to watch atleast one Kamen Rider episode or movie. I wish I hadn't. Or maybe this was just a bad movie and I shouldn't judge just this one over the rest of the series. All I know is that it might have appeased my children but it was just a long, Japanese version of Power Rangers. Ugh! I've done my share of Power Rangers in my lifetime (I have 2 boys who have watched a number of series). And after doing research have learned that the American version of Kamen Rider IS the Power Rangers. (Damn, I admit we own a few episodes. Argh!)

If the rest of the series' are over-dramatized, over-produced, over-acted stunts, movemements, and dialogue. I don't want to watch it. To each his own. I know I might get hate mail for this one since the series' are popular in the Asian market. I was expecting more out of this because OF the popularity. Ehh! And so many popular Japanese actors have at one time or another been in one of the million episodes out there.

Kikawada Masaya


Hassei Takano


Kazuki Kato