Sean Akizuki's Fantasy Critic

Toei's bizarre experimentations with Western ideas give birth to weird villains. Professor Monster from Supaida-Man was practically inspired by Doctor Doom. Toei also took ideas from Knight Rider creating Tokkei Winspector and Kamen Rider Drive . Robocop was given two shows that gave tribute to him namely Kidou Keiji Jiban (which is getting a licensed sub release) and inspired the look for the otherwise fully mechanical titular hero of Tokosou Robo Janperson . I never bothered to write this "insignificant detail" from Kamen Rider BLACK RX .  Anybody familiar with G.I. Joe may notice that General Jark may resemble Destro. Destro later wore a gold mask and a cape and it's his Iron Grenadier uniform. I guess Toei really liked Destro's alternate outfit and created General Jark. Unlike Destro, General Jark wasn't the type to answer back to his superior Grand Lord Crisis and hated the way General Dasmader (who's actually Grand Lord Crisis' host body) treated...

  As much as I still enjoy  Kamen Rider Black RX  (and yes, it's still MILES better than that idiotic Saban's  Mashed Rider  which is best considered an Adaptation Decay) -- I still feel like criticizing it for having too many loose ends with  Kamen Rider Black . I just thought of how the series itself could have tried to tie some of its loose ends from the last pure Showa Rider to the transitional Kamen Rider which sadly didn't get a new series out after it. It's only 11 years later did Kamer Rider get a really good reboot! So how would loose ends be tied? Remember,  Black RX  was tying back to the Showa era while  Black  was intended to be its own continuity for some reason. I thought about how to tie the loose ends, especially with how  Black  ended. Here's a bit of a start that could have been done. I could start with Kyoko and Kasumi sending a letter to Kotaro telling him to fight on. He still remembers them while he works...

  It's no secret that I'm among the MINORITY who thinks that  Kamen Rider BLACK RX was watchable . Sure, I still think Kamen Rider BLACK is the better series and it was a groundbreaking one. Though fans ended up preferring BLACK over BLACK RX . The decision was to create two versions of Kotaro Minami - one version never became BLACK RX (much to the pleasure of fans) and the other that did (which is more likely canon). BLACK was supposed to be an entirely new Kamen Rider with a reimagining of Shocker (as Gorgom), the Creation King as a separate entity from the Great Leader  (who has been reduced to a butt monkey now), and the introduction of the first official evil Kamen Rider in Shadow Moon. Shadow Moon proved popular among fans that he does make a few occasional returns, an A.R. version of Shadow Moon exists, and he's practically the godfather of the evil Kamen Rider trend.  Granted, this year is the 35th anniversary of Kamen Rider BLACK . I felt that BLACK deserve...

Black RX is a series where you love it or hate it or is there no middle ground? I decided to rewatch the finale and thought of the many weaknesses the series had. Just because Saban's Mashed Rider sucks doesn't mean RX's weaknesses should be overlooked. At least, Shigenori Takatera took the time to write down the weaknesses and correct them in Kuuga. So, how should the finale be? As said, tie the loose ends of both Black and Black RX  especially in the finale arc. Do you remember the episode when Grand Lord Crisis sent the blood clock as a warning to the Crisis officers? I thought about how I did tie in Bilgenia as the new Crisis inspector. The whole event should feature the same vision of Grand Lord Crisis speaking to the members of Crisis. He would say that Crisis Empire may suffer the same fate as their previous comrades. Then, Bilgenia starts to literally sabotage everyone so he could get Grand Lord Crisis' favor. Heck, he may still be obsessed with getting Kotar...

What made Kamen Rider Black RX unique is that he's the first (and only) Kamen Rider to have been a direct sequel of a previous installment. The popularity of Tetsuo Kurata caused them to finally take Kamen Rider Black, upgrade him and finally the Child of the Sun, Black RX is born! This series Kamen Rider Black ended on October 9, 1988 while its successor aired on October 23, 1988. The Showa era finally ended on January 7, 1989 and the Heisei era just one day after. Right now, the tentative date that the Heisei era is coming to an end is April 30, 2019 assuming that the current emperor manages to reach said date! Technically, the final pure Showa Rider is Kamen Rider Black. Black RX got caught in between Showa and Heisei because it ended on September 24, 1989. Episode 11 of Black RX was delayed for one week because of the death of Emperor Hirohito. It was Modern Japan entering into the Heisei era which we are in right now. Also, the first Heisei era Super Sentai would be Kosoku...

Kamen Rider Black or who I once knew as Masked Rider Black (Kamen means Masked) was one of my imaginary childhood friends. I guess an emotionally rough childhood had me seek escapism through the world of Tokusatsu and Kamen Rider Black was one of them. I still think about the time I had spent "with" Kamen Rider Black at least in my head. Back then, I had no idea that Black RX was a sequel to Black without the Internet and just wondered why Kotaro Minami (Robert Akizuki in the dub) had different powers and different enemies in Black RX. I thought about how I thought Tokusatsu gave me an escape route yet it's also where I'm encouraged not to give up no matter how hard things get. I know the Tagalog dub really SUCKS and I'm glad that there are fan subbers who completed my childhood with subs. The hero had a lot of monsters to fight and a lot of episodes were nightmare fuel. Was it really child-friendly entertainment? Yet I still found it funny why my I was allowed...

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....

In the Showa era, there was the mysterious villain known as the Great Leader. Either this guy frequently changed forms, used extensions of himself or just used decoys at the end of most Kamen Rider series. As I'm trying to watch more of the Showa era (and I prefer the Heisei era) there's always this "Great Leader" guy I keep hearing about. Just remember, this is a fan theory and nothing more. Toei hasn't released any official word about this one. Also note that just because the late Naya Goro voiced him doesn't automatically make him the Great Leader. With my rather limited knowledge of Kamen Rider's Showa era from Kamen Rider Black RX, there's some hints that Grand Lord Crisis is the Great Leader. Maybe, he's not Gorgom's founder since Kamen Rider Black was supposedly separate from the rest of Showa but Black RX created a retroactive continuity for that. The 10 other Kamen Riders of the Showa era were seen training for the final battle with...

If there's any licensed adaptation by Saban that was so stupid it was his version of Masked Rider.  I felt like the whole show is really that bad.  The whole series was first introduced through Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers and later, it seemed to become a standalone show.  So what's the big deal with Saban's Masked Rider and why I really don't like it? Now I have nothing against lighter and softer if it's done properly but the way Saban's Masked Rider was carried out felt more like it was a bootleg fan film than a licensed adaptation.  Yes, Saban was able to secure the rights from Shotaro Ishinomori but the show went so bad that any possibility of Saban's staff securing Kamen Rider rights may be ruined.  Please note that Kamen Rider Dragon Knight is by Wang Brothers, not Saban.  I felt this show really ruined itself and the image of Kamen Rider to the American fans. Granted, Masked Rider Black RX (the show it was based from) didn't get so much of...

Kamen Rider Black RX brought in the villain Tasmader who in the finale, turned out to be an extension of Grand Lord Crisis, the same way Psychorror is an extension to Demon King Psycho in Sharivan. I was thinking it was pretty much a waste to how Tasmader was and I thought, at least he could have been given THIS kind of execution... Make Tasmader more like Sword Saint Bilgenia. I mean, you have freaking Tatsuya Matsui until the end... so why not make him really bigger dickhead. For one, he will have all these types of conversations with the Crisis Empire against the typical convoluted/unbelievable villain schemes you see very often in Tokusatsu. I mean, he was supposedly sent by Grand Lord Crisis to keep the Crisis Empire's invasion on schedule and why not make him like Sword Saint Bilgenia?! The problem with Tasmader is that no matter how aggressive he was (again he was just an extension of Grand Lord Crisis so it's highly possible they are one person, two different bodi...

Kamen Rider Black RX was a show that empowered non-superheroes.  For Stronger, I really felt bad why his ally Tackle Lady had to die and then, the actress dies in real life =(.  Now for some of Kamen Rider Black RX's empowering non-superheroes! Joe the Haze was originally one Crisis' test experiments and his past is never known.  All that was known was that Kotaro rescued him and he swore to help fight Crisis Empire.  I just love how he helped Kotaro in any way possible. Kotaro's girlfriend Reiko.  Okay Reiko didn't know Kotaro was Black RX until episode 29.  Starting from episode 29, Reiko started getting involved with Black RX's battles more than ever.  Before, she helped Kotaro without knowing he is Kamen Rider Black RX. Kyoko Matoba was a young teenage girl whose parents were murdered by Crisis.  Unlike the others, she can summon water but she didn't have that power yet.  I just love how she got involved and showing that she ...

As much I as still enjoy Kamen Rider Black RX but there are issues to actually point out.  Now how I think it should have been written: Link more to the previous season that is Black.  Since Black RX is a sequel to Black, why not at least try to link it back much more?  Give some explanation towards Kyoko and Hitomi even if the actresses can't be found?  Or at least, remember them.  They were never mentioned again in Black RX.  I would actually close the gap between Black and Black RX to a matter or a month or maybe even a week when Crisis began its invasion. Give a more proper explanation how Shadow Moon was restored to life.  I mean, he was supposedly dead in Kamen Rider Black but was found later, to be still living.  Maybe explain the King Stone kept him alive.  Also provide more reasons for his return or make it more intense.  I know I find him pretty bland as an evil rider, but still the conflict could have been continued. ...

Colonel Dasmader, one of the enigmatic characters in Kamen Rider BLACK RX.  He was introduced as the Crisis Empire's inspector sent by Grand Lord Crisis himself.  In fact, what is so amazing is that he has survived death twice in the series, one when General Jak injured him to save Maribaron or when RX attempted to finish him off.  So something was definitely not right about him. Of course, he was always at odds with everyone considering he is a real braggart and very cruel to everyone.  General Jak always cared about his subordinates and was more than willing to avenge them but no, not Dasmader.  Dasmader was a real cruel SOB shrouded in mystery as to how he survived twice.  Now for the rather strange revelation about him... In episode 46, we discover that he is actually the host body of Grand Lord Crisis. Maribaron discovers it and gets shocked.  In the final battle, Black RX calls Tasmader as Crisis Emperor, hinting he knew that Tasmader w...

Okay I did enjoy Kamen Rider Black RX (to a certain extent) better than Kamen Rider Black because it was not so serious and well, that's just me. Though, Kamen Rider Black is the better-written show. However, there were some plotholes (and well, plotholes do exist in any Tokusatsu even in a good series like Jetman and Timeranger) in the series like: Knowing about the existence of Kamen Rider Black I've always wondered how the Crisis Empire were aware of the existence of Kamen Rider Black. Theoretically speaking, did they do some research, or was it the Great Leader himself who told them to get rid of Kamen Rider Black? It's crazy really how they tried to get him to join them even after Black DOWNRIGHT REFUSED  The return of Shadow Moon  I personally thought that it was crazy that he survived the whole incident in Kamen Rider Black so how did he remain alive without moving? The Kingstone may have revived him but it was never explained in-show. Crisis Empir...

There was the only one time in Kamen Rider history where one character starred for two different seasons, each one was a continuation and that was the Kamen Rider Black season.  Kotaro Minami is both Kamen Rider Black and later, Kamen Rider Black RX.   Kamen Rider Black was a dark season, one considered by some to be the best season ever.  IMO it was too dark for my taste, quite depressing for me and all but it still is one of my favorites as I grew up with him in my mind.  So it was like a remake of Kamen Rider 1 but not really.  The similarities were that he was captured by an evil organization (in here, it was called Gorgom and the first not to use foot soldiers in weird suits and it was a satanic cult), forcibly turned into a cyborg and he turns against them.  He however must rescue his foster brother Nobuhiko Akizuki who later became Shadow Moon which becomes the point of conflict.  Before that, he had to challenge that extremely arrogant a...