Kamen Rider. - Blu-ray Forum

Pizzamorg · 10-12-2014, 08:09 PM

Anyone else checked the premier of Japan's latest riding hero?

I kinda grew out of Tokusatsu but it's still fun to poke my head in now and then to see what crazy stuff Japan are trying now on very modest budgets. Some of their work in this genre is simply inspiring.

I kinda got what I expected from the opening episode of the newest series, "Drive" and no, sadly, there are no cool jackets and intense sequences involving a man and his hammer.

The last series, Gaim, really did mix things up and for better or for worse, I have to applaud Gaim for that. It's a shame to see Drive relax into much more familiar, generic shoes.

Drive's opening episode did have some pretty killer set pieces though, which are certainly a lot better than what Gaim was doing and Drive is pretty cool looking in a sort of tacky, low budget kind of way.

Overall it was decent enough for me to want more but I don't see amazing things in the shows future. More a sort of rebound for Japan to get over what was a very special, unique, series.

xellos2099 · 10-14-2014, 02:44 AM

I didn;t watch drive yet but W and Wizard are both pretty good

Pizzamorg · 10-14-2014, 09:38 AM

Wizard is my favourite Rider but everyone seems to hate that show.

Pizzamorg · 10-28-2014, 12:14 PM

More of the same for Drive's second episode but I've still not decided if the impressive (comparatively) production qualities outweigh how (comparatively) bland this series is.

Speaking generally, the choreography for the action and the way it's captured visually is a massive leap from Gaim but Gaim's core gimmick had way more potential than what Drive is currently showing. Gaim would eventually go on to waste that potential fairly early on but some of the earlier battles in the series were spectacular in a way that I just don't think Drive compares too with his tire swapping.

We do get to meet two of our generals for this series and possibly the secondary Rider? I really love the monster designs for this series and as the enemies can "evolve" maybe they'll get even better designs later.

Pizzamorg · 11-11-2014, 09:36 PM

Since my PS3 has crapped up and I'm waiting for Amazon to send my new player, I just turned on episode three of Drive which was, honestly, pretty awful. I just really don't care for Drive's powers. They feel lazy, uninspired and interchangeable and it's in stark contrast to where Gaim created so many crazy, unique, powers from such silly sources.

Still Machine Chaser seems pretty badass.

Ironically episode four pretty much fixed all the problems I had with the last episode. I wish Kamen Rider would attempt more practical stunts and effects and less CG ones but there were some decent chases and set pieces in this episode which is good as it was almost entirely action from start to finish as these story wrap ups always are.

Pizzamorg · 12-22-2014, 05:17 PM

Finally got around to watching episode five, nothing all that exciting but I think Chase is really cool. He's really corny in that tokusatsu kinda way and really generic too as the whole shows kinda bland but I just can't deny that him stealing Drive's powers and eventually getting his own shift cars is just badass, especially with all the little touches with the special effects.

Pizzamorg · 12-24-2014, 05:45 PM

Six was a pretty awesome episode as it introduced a new form for Drive in "Type Wild", it's a really badass design, I love the level of detail in the suit - I think I like Type Speed a little better though, that look just feels like it could go on to be iconic, echoing past Riders like Kuuga.

The Drift Spin finish with the Steering Sword was really awesome but the new car was awful, I guess it's easier and safer to do it all CG but it looks so rubbish. The CG used in tokusatsu is just the worst, atleast the plasticy armour and rubbery monsters have an artistry to them, the CG is just blah.

Pizzamorg · 11-06-2015, 07:36 PM

Anyone watching the new series, Ghost? Seems a lot less bland than Drive did with a way better Rider look and theme, while keeping up the production qualities. The comedy is quite awful though.

Janjira54 · 11-07-2015, 01:09 AM

I literally just started watching Kamen Rider Gaim! Haven't seen anything else KR, so I'm hoping I like it

Forever Knight · 11-07-2015, 07:03 AM

Gaim was the best KR series in a long time imo.

But yeah, Ghost is off to an interesting start, really digging Specter's design.

Vlad Draculi · 11-07-2015, 01:27 PM

I don't know why I never saw this thread before. I am a huge Kamen Rider fan, but sadly, Ghost is doing nothing for me. I already gave up on the show because I hated all of teh characters. I've never hated a show this much right from the get go. I'll probably give the show another chance after the first 10 or so episodes are out.

Forever Knight · 11-08-2015, 06:32 AM

Kamen Rider Black, Black RX, Kuuga, Agito, Ryuki, Faiz, Blade, Gaim were the best.

Kabuto, Decade, OOO, and even Den-O were pretty good too. Stay away from the abortion known as Fourze.

Pizzamorg · 11-08-2015, 06:43 AM

I love Fourze, the second half kinda goes off the rails but I still had loads of fun. I liked Dragon Knight more than Ryuki. Kuuga and Gaim are so overrated. Never really been able to get into Blade, I wanted to but the production qualities were so shoddy.

Wizard is my favourite, OOO a close second.

Vlad Draculi · 11-08-2015, 01:10 PM

Fourze is an awesome series. It is well written, has interesting characters, and the fights and gimmicks are cool.

My favorite KR series though are Blade (the best of the franchise), Black, W, Gaim, Agito, Ryuki, OOO, and Kiva.

The worst KR series I've seen are Decade, Wizard, Drive, 555, and Kabuto.

Pizzamorg · 11-08-2015, 03:56 PM

Black is awesome, I prefer my shows to have an overarching story and that one did - but was still mostly very episodic, too much so for my tastes - but he's one of the few Riders I was genuinely convinced was in their suit.

I thought Decade was a lot of fun for what it was, too.

Faiz is a pile of shit though, such a waste of cool designs and impressive fight footage. I'd love to see that one adapted for a US series as I'm sure they could build a better story around the action.

Pizzamorg · 11-08-2015, 07:43 PM

Caught up with Ghost, while I'm not necessarily sold on the designs of any of his form changes (although I love the look of the base) I think his powers are awesome (even if Thomas Edison mode and Isaac Newton mode like wtf) and other than the really brutally edited location changes the fight sequences are really well put together. Why are American shows never able to put fight scenes together quite this good? Spectre looks like a bad Tron extra though.

On the flip side though the pacing in this show sucks, four episodes now and nothing has happened yet. I appreciate that Ghost is gathering more powers but that is it, is there going to be any story or character arcs?

Forever Knight · 11-09-2015, 06:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pizzamorg

- but he's one of the few Riders I was genuinely convinced was in their suit.

That's bc both Tetsuo Kurata and Jiro Okamoto are bad asses.

hanshotfirst1138 · 11-10-2015, 01:54 AM

Has any KR been officially released in the US beyond the V3 Hawaiian DVDs?

Vlad Draculi · 11-10-2015, 03:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hanshotfirst1138

Has any KR been officially released in the US beyond the V3 Hawaiian DVDs?

Yes. Media Blasters had released Kamen Rider The First on DVD.

Pizzamorg · 12-17-2015, 06:07 PM

Still struggling to know how to feel about the new Kamen Rider, the story has so much potential and the action sequences are epic but I really just don't care for anything else. The way the ghosts are designed for his transformations is just really silly, and none of the humour is landing for me nor do I really care for the characters.

10-12-2014, 08:09 PM	#1
Pizzamorg Blu-ray Ninja Member since:Jul 2014 Blu-ray collection:102	Kamen Rider. Anyone else checked the premier of Japan's latest riding hero? I kinda grew out of Tokusatsu but it's still fun to poke my head in now and then to see what crazy stuff Japan are trying now on very modest budgets. Some of their work in this genre is simply inspiring. I kinda got what I expected from the opening episode of the newest series, "Drive" and no, sadly, there are no cool jackets and intense sequences involving a man and his hammer. The last series, Gaim, really did mix things up and for better or for worse, I have to applaud Gaim for that. It's a shame to see Drive relax into much more familiar, generic shoes. Drive's opening episode did have some pretty killer set pieces though, which are certainly a lot better than what Gaim was doing and Drive is pretty cool looking in a sort of tacky, low budget kind of way. Overall it was decent enough for me to want more but I don't see amazing things in the shows future. More a sort of rebound for Japan to get over what was a very special, unique, series.

11-11-2014, 09:36 PM	#5
Pizzamorg Blu-ray Ninja Member since:Jul 2014 Blu-ray collection:102	Since my PS3 has crapped up and I'm waiting for Amazon to send my new player, I just turned on episode three of Drive which was, honestly, pretty awful. I just really don't care for Drive's powers. They feel lazy, uninspired and interchangeable and it's in stark contrast to where Gaim created so many crazy, unique, powers from such silly sources. Still Machine Chaser seems pretty badass. Ironically episode four pretty much fixed all the problems I had with the last episode. I wish Kamen Rider would attempt more practical stunts and effects and less CG ones but there were some decent chases and set pieces in this episode which is good as it was almost entirely action from start to finish as these story wrap ups always are. Last edited by Pizzamorg; 11-11-2014 at 10:08 PM.

10-14-2014, 02:44 AM	#2
xellos2099 Banned Member since:May 2011 Trading Score:13	I didn;t watch drive yet but W and Wizard are both pretty good

10-14-2014, 09:38 AM	#3
Pizzamorg Blu-ray Ninja Member since:Jul 2014 Blu-ray collection:102	Wizard is my favourite Rider but everyone seems to hate that show.

10-28-2014, 12:14 PM	#4
Pizzamorg Blu-ray Ninja Member since:Jul 2014 Blu-ray collection:102	More of the same for Drive's second episode but I've still not decided if the impressive (comparatively) production qualities outweigh how (comparatively) bland this series is. Speaking generally, the choreography for the action and the way it's captured visually is a massive leap from Gaim but Gaim's core gimmick had way more potential than what Drive is currently showing. Gaim would eventually go on to waste that potential fairly early on but some of the earlier battles in the series were spectacular in a way that I just don't think Drive compares too with his tire swapping. We do get to meet two of our generals for this series and possibly the secondary Rider? I really love the monster designs for this series and as the enemies can "evolve" maybe they'll get even better designs later.

12-22-2014, 05:17 PM	#6
Pizzamorg Blu-ray Ninja Member since:Jul 2014 Blu-ray collection:102	Finally got around to watching episode five, nothing all that exciting but I think Chase is really cool. He's really corny in that tokusatsu kinda way and really generic too as the whole shows kinda bland but I just can't deny that him stealing Drive's powers and eventually getting his own shift cars is just badass, especially with all the little touches with the special effects.

12-24-2014, 05:45 PM	#7
Pizzamorg Blu-ray Ninja Member since:Jul 2014 Blu-ray collection:102	Six was a pretty awesome episode as it introduced a new form for Drive in "Type Wild", it's a really badass design, I love the level of detail in the suit - I think I like Type Speed a little better though, that look just feels like it could go on to be iconic, echoing past Riders like Kuuga. The Drift Spin finish with the Steering Sword was really awesome but the new car was awful, I guess it's easier and safer to do it all CG but it looks so rubbish. The CG used in tokusatsu is just the worst, atleast the plasticy armour and rubbery monsters have an artistry to them, the CG is just blah.

11-06-2015, 07:36 PM	#8
Pizzamorg Blu-ray Ninja Member since:Jul 2014 Blu-ray collection:102	Anyone watching the new series, Ghost? Seems a lot less bland than Drive did with a way better Rider look and theme, while keeping up the production qualities. The comedy is quite awful though.

11-07-2015, 01:09 AM	#9
Janjira54 Special Member Top contributor Member since:Jul 2015 Location:Hollow Earth 4K collection:63 Blu-ray collection:463 DVD collection:39 Blu-ray reviews:1	I literally just started watching Kamen Rider Gaim! Haven't seen anything else KR, so I'm hoping I like it

11-07-2015, 07:03 AM	#10
Forever Knight Blu-ray Knight Member since:Mar 2011 Location:Toronto, Canada	Gaim was the best KR series in a long time imo. But yeah, Ghost is off to an interesting start, really digging Specter's design.

11-07-2015, 01:27 PM	#11
Vlad Draculi Banned Member since:Jul 2014 Blu-ray collection:567 Trading Score:2	I don't know why I never saw this thread before. I am a huge Kamen Rider fan, but sadly, Ghost is doing nothing for me. I already gave up on the show because I hated all of teh characters. I've never hated a show this much right from the get go. I'll probably give the show another chance after the first 10 or so episodes are out.

11-08-2015, 06:32 AM	#12
Forever Knight Blu-ray Knight Member since:Mar 2011 Location:Toronto, Canada	Kamen Rider Black, Black RX, Kuuga, Agito, Ryuki, Faiz, Blade, Gaim were the best. Kabuto, Decade, OOO, and even Den-O were pretty good too. Stay away from the abortion known as Fourze.

11-08-2015, 06:43 AM	#13
Pizzamorg Blu-ray Ninja Member since:Jul 2014 Blu-ray collection:102	I love Fourze, the second half kinda goes off the rails but I still had loads of fun. I liked Dragon Knight more than Ryuki. Kuuga and Gaim are so overrated. Never really been able to get into Blade, I wanted to but the production qualities were so shoddy. Wizard is my favourite, OOO a close second.

11-08-2015, 01:10 PM	#14
Vlad Draculi Banned Member since:Jul 2014 Blu-ray collection:567 Trading Score:2	Fourze is an awesome series. It is well written, has interesting characters, and the fights and gimmicks are cool. My favorite KR series though are Blade (the best of the franchise), Black, W, Gaim, Agito, Ryuki, OOO, and Kiva. The worst KR series I've seen are Decade, Wizard, Drive, 555, and Kabuto.

11-08-2015, 03:56 PM	#15
Pizzamorg Blu-ray Ninja Member since:Jul 2014 Blu-ray collection:102	Black is awesome, I prefer my shows to have an overarching story and that one did - but was still mostly very episodic, too much so for my tastes - but he's one of the few Riders I was genuinely convinced was in their suit. I thought Decade was a lot of fun for what it was, too. Faiz is a pile of shit though, such a waste of cool designs and impressive fight footage. I'd love to see that one adapted for a US series as I'm sure they could build a better story around the action.

11-08-2015, 07:43 PM	#16
Pizzamorg Blu-ray Ninja Member since:Jul 2014 Blu-ray collection:102	Caught up with Ghost, while I'm not necessarily sold on the designs of any of his form changes (although I love the look of the base) I think his powers are awesome (even if Thomas Edison mode and Isaac Newton mode like wtf) and other than the really brutally edited location changes the fight sequences are really well put together. Why are American shows never able to put fight scenes together quite this good? Spectre looks like a bad Tron extra though. On the flip side though the pacing in this show sucks, four episodes now and nothing has happened yet. I appreciate that Ghost is gathering more powers but that is it, is there going to be any story or character arcs?

11-10-2015, 01:54 AM	#18
hanshotfirst1138 Blu-ray Ninja Member since:Dec 2011 4K collection:112 Blu-ray collection:741 DVD collection:91 Trading Score:24	Has any KR been officially released in the US beyond the V3 Hawaiian DVDs?

12-17-2015, 06:07 PM	#20
Pizzamorg Blu-ray Ninja Member since:Jul 2014 Blu-ray collection:102	Still struggling to know how to feel about the new Kamen Rider, the story has so much potential and the action sequences are epic but I really just don't care for anything else. The way the ghosts are designed for his transformations is just really silly, and none of the humour is landing for me nor do I really care for the characters.

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