I'm a fan of Black RX myself. Maybe it's because well out of bias because, "Kamen Rider Black RX is miles better than Saban's Masked Rider!" Granted, I'd really watch Black RX over Kamen Rider Decade any time which I think Decade is best called as a pseudo-sequel to Saban's Masked Rider. So what's with Black RX? I personally think it's one innovative series though it just wasn't ready or that there were some issues that I could point out. I personally felt that some of the series' plots were just stupid such as Shadow Moon's return wasn't all that well done (he could have allied himself with Crisis or provided a threat to Crisis and RX), Kotaro became too much of a goofball, Tasmader was quickly written off as a host body for Grand Lord Crisis, Crisis Empire's officers are nothing special with their typical stupid plans for world domination, the 10 other senior Riders didn't get much of an important part during the finale... I could agree with critics about that!
On the other hand, I don't think Black RX is such a horrible show as some may make it out to be. I just enjoyed the action like every other child. The action scenes were okay but the plot wasn't as good as Kamen Rider Black. Some may say that Reiko (Kotaro's girlfriend) was useless. No, she got useful in the second half like she got more involved after discovering her boyfriend's alter ego. She got more involved in helping Kotaro spot out Crisis. First half, she was okay but not so special but her job as a reporter was more useful than Megumi was in Kamen Rider Ryuki... thanks a lot executives for forcing Toshiki Inoue to write such a F*CKING USELESS CHARACTER. Joe No Haze wasn't all that useful at first but he got more involved in helping spot out Crisis soldiers. Ferbus was just useless creature. Miiya from Juspion may have had a lot more use though I've only seen a few episodes.
So what did I enjoy about Black RX? Black RX started to get civilian allies more involved than just Tachibana Tobei in earlier Kamen Riders. As mentioned earlier, Joe and Reiko got more involved in Kotaro's battles. Reiko is a supportive girlfriend that Kotaro can depend on though the actress Jun Takomaki should've been given a better script and show off her skills as a regular Japan Action Club member. Another is that Black RX introduced the concepts of multiple forms which was refined in the Heisei era. I thought those two forms look cool in their own way. I like Bio Rider's introduction and I wish to see its concept further improved in future Kamen Rider installments. Robo Rider is sort of klunky and I'm glad that Kuuga's Titan form managed to improvise that one. Those are some positives of the show.
It's important to remember that innovative concepts may not always click immediately. Good ideas can be received badly with improper implementation. It could be like that a touch screen mobile phone would be cool but a bad operating system or a lack of user friendliness wouldn't be welcome. There's always rough edges every now and then with changes. Sometimes, the new changes wouldn't be so welcome until they're furnished. Kamen Rider Decade's idea was pretty good on paper but a lot of bad writing caused it to crash up to just 31 episodes. JAKQ tried something new for Super Sentai but we know it only lasted for 35 episodes. Fiveman's sibling idea was good but it nearly ended Super Sentai while GoGoFive managed to fix almost everything wrong.
Basically, I think Black RX should be looked at this way. It's pretty much an experimental season that has good and bad concepts. Reusing a previous rider due to popularity? Don't do it again. Multiple forms? Eventually the Heisei era of Kamen Rider managed to refine them since Kamen Rider Kuuga up to present. Getting the civilian allies like Reiko and Joe more involved? Well, that got improved during most of the Heisei era of Kamen Rider. Black RX may be best viewed as a transitional series. To those who think it's really that bad then maybe, just maybe they really need to try to watch Saban's Masked Rider because that show was just so horrible. At least the pseudo-sequel Kamen Rider Decade still had decent acting, effects and music to make it more watchable.
It is both an amazing feet that TOEI did a sequel and continuation of the previous Rider series and it was unique. Yeah it was light hearted and the brooding Kotaro became much more whimsical which made sense as he did have a new life.
ReplyDeleteThe Crisis Empire is a fun if not over the top concept and it is a great homage for the Space Sheriff franchise.
And finally RX is a true henshin hero as he is the first Rider to have multi forms as a gimmick and of course the first Rider to own a car(Rideron).
It is understandable that SENTAI and Space Sheriff the war with the enemies are either a small and contained organization. Crisis is shown to have conquered several galaxies and that is no joke. They would have sent a whole lot more reinforcements and RX and the 10 Riders would not have anything for Crisis.
Gokaiger's Zanyack Empire made some sense as they lost most of their fleet versus all 34 SENTAI teams. And a second wave arrives.
Overall, RX is a fun and nostalgic piece of 80s tv history and it is sad that the series was so weak in the ratings that a unknown Rider series that was to air for the 90s was thrown into the furnace and the proposed series is lost in time.
Overall 1987-1989 is a great time for Toei superhero shows. And it is understandable why RX was it as a series and Rider as having three show is very expensive.