Shun Sugata: From Kamen Rider ZX To Bill Goldy

I guess one can say that most of the Showa-era Kamen Rider series didn't know what to do yet. Just think of the hiatuses in-between such as when Kamen Rider Stronger and Kamen Rider Skyrider had a four-year gap. Kamen Rider Super-1 and Kamen Rider Black had a significant six-year gap after it ended. Before that, we had Kamen Rider ZX which was released on January 3, 1984, all before it was forgottten and shelved into nothing more than just a movie. It was a waste IMHO since we had Badan Empire appear, we had the Great Leader speaking, and yet all was that forgotten with how Black got introduced. Heck, I heard that Black was supposed to be its own continuity until its failed (but vindicated sequel) Kamen Rider Black RX. ZX introduced us to Shun Sugata who seldom resumed his role for a reason. 

If you've watched Black RX - you may notice the ten Kamen Riders returned. Though, we never saw Sugata in the flesh. Heck, one of the Kamen Rider actors Takehisa Yamaguchi died TWO YEARS after ZX was a movie-only Kamen Rider. I still found it odd that the 10 Riders were fighting Crisis Empire worldwide when those guys are IDIOTS. Yeah, it'd be more understandable IF the 10 Riders were fighting Gorgom worldwide. Still, we know Shocker still had a penchant for stupid plans for world domination. I think ZX will always just be remembered as a failed experiment. But I think the failed experiment led to the creation to one of the best villains in the Metal Hero franchise. 

Though, he would probably have better usage when he became the insane Ryuzaburo Tatewaki. Tatewaki would become the show's very own version of Clarence Boddicker. It's just fortunate that Jiban's main hero Naoto Tamura was lucky enough not to run into Tatewaki. I think Tatewaki would've probably mutilated Naoto like Boddicker did to Alex Murphy. Tatewaki did have some crazy antics like chewing gum. Toei Ltd. did the right thing to give Boddicker an ascended role and we got Tatewaki. 

Now, for an interesting part...

Junpei Morita (as who many will recognize as Ryuon in Gougou Sentai Boukenger) made a guest appearance as Kogoro Tokizane. The story of ZX had its hero Ryo Murasame become a cyborg as well. In the 1990s, there were no new Kamen Rider series while there were some movies. The movie-only Kamen Rider ZO was also in 1993. Unlike most Kamen Riders, Masaru Aso became ZO through biological means. The cyborg concept seems dumped as most Heisei era to the recent Reiwa era didn't cyberize any of the heroes. Instead, we had other means to become Kamen Riders - dumping the cyborg concept almost entirely. In this case, we had an evil henshin for Sugata here. 

The concept is that Tokizane intends to create a biological cyborg or bioborg. Was the concept almost the same with bio-functionality? In ZX, Ryo's brain was transferred into a cyborg body by Badan. It doesn't seem to be the case with the creation of Tatewaki into Bill Goldy. Tatewaki was able to convert himself from flesh and blood into a cyborg at will. Plus, Tatewaki didn't have to do a henshin pose either. I wonder was Toei Ltd. using this as an excuse to completely dump the cyborg Kamen Rider concept or what? 

I guess I'll always think Sugata deserves to be loved more for playing a villain than a hero. I wonder why Toei Ltd. never bothered to turn ZX into a TV series in 1984. Was it because there was a lack of support for the project? Instead, they had to wait for three more years and some months before Black was launched. Then Sugata got his evil henshin instead. I believe the role got so popular that he even returned in the three-part crossover finale of B-Fighter Kabuto. Yeah, I know I feel it's awkard. Still, I guess Sugata's role as Bill Goldy will always be another Breakout Villain huh? 

Though, I still feel this was also meant to be a shoutout to Robocop 2's final villain Cain. Cain was a dangerous drug dealer. Later, Juliette did something rather sick. Juliette transferred Cain's brain into the Robocop-2 Project. I wonder if Boddicker was supposed to return as a cyborg. If so, Bill Goldy indeed Boddicker as a cyborg.