Kamen Rider Wizard (2012 - 2013)

It's showtime!

Created in 2012 by Toei, Kamen Rider Wizard is a tokusatsu (live-action series) that continues the Kamen Rider franchise started by series creator Shotaro Ishinomori in 1971. The fourteenth series in the Heisei era of Kamen Rider and the twenty-third series overall, Kamen Rider Wizard takes place in a world where magical creatures called Phantoms threaten the survival of the human race. Six months prior to the start of the series, dozens of people were kidnapped and sacrificed in a ritual called the Sabbath. Referred to as Gates, the magical potential in these sacrificial pawns and their despair called forth creatures called Phantoms that now terrorize Japan in search of more humans to use as Gates to call forth their dark brethren. The only survivors of this ritual are Kyomi, a young girl who lost her memories and Soma Haruto. Taken under the wing of a mysterious wizard dressed in white, Soma Haruto learns the ways of magic and martial arts. Taking up the mantle Kamen Rider Wizard, Soma Haruto must protect the human race and Kyomi's past may be the key to doing so. Along the way he'll contend with fierce rivals, sadistic enemies, and the evils in the human heart.

Just another day for a Kamen Rider.

From the very first episode Kamen Rider Wizard sucked me in with its cast of characters, excellent choreography, epic score, and explosive action. Haruto's introduction as Kamen Rider Wizard is absolutely badass. He's cocky for sure, but not arrogant and he lays waste to the Phantoms in an efficient, business-like manner. Wizard's fighting style is truly unique among Kamen Riders as it emphasizes Wudang Sword which is a form of Chinese swordsmanship. Wizard's fighting style is more focused on acrobatics and he blends martial arts and magic in dispatching his foes which leads to some very creative action sequences. At first Wizard can only control one element, but he becomes more powerful and more competent as the series goes on and it's impressive to see him use magic in different ways and combine different elements to dispatch his foes.

 

I'll be your hope.

Shunya Shiraishi plays Soma Haruto who's a very easy-going character. You wouldn't know it, but Haruto hides a lot of pain and tragedy behind his smile. In a series where a lot of characters are dealing with personal trauma, Haruto has seen more than his fair share, but he keeps going and he turns pain into hope. Haruto believes that no matter what a person has gone through they can still find happiness. Even if you have nothing left, there's still hope and if you don't have that Haruto will be your hope. As a wizard he believes that he can do the impossible and as a Kamen Rider he does. He inspires a lot of people around him in such a way that even when he hits rock-bottom there are so many people around him who he's saved and many more people who need him which keeps him going. He's not invincible and he's not perfect. He has his strengths, short-comings, fears, and so forth. He's a very human character despite his ever-growing power.

Most of the gang.

Haruto is supported by his student Shunpei, his police contact Rinko, his friend/love interest Kyomi, his father figure Shigeru, and Nito his fellow Kamen Rider. There is a believable and very well-written family dynamic that defines the group and we see the characters bond, fight, and challenge one another, but they always stay strong and stand together. It's a great and necessary contrast in a plot that focuses heavily on despair, loss, and loneliness. Every good hero needs a good villain and Kamen Rider Wizard has one of the best.

They don't get much badder than this.

The Phantoms are led by the enigmatic Wiseman who was responsible for the Sabbath. The most powerful Phantoms have the honor of working under Wiseman and they include the trickster Gremlin, the sadistic Medusa, and the immortal Phoenix who is easily the best villain in the series. Played by Atsumi Kanno, Yugo AKA Phoenix is Kamen Rider Wizard's fiercest foe. Hotblooded, violent, and merciless, Phoenix is the polar opposite of Wizard. Phoenix gets a lot of character development and the show does a great job exploring the relationship between Phoenix and Wizard which started as a rivalry defined by strength and quickly erupted into a war fueled by hatred. In Phoenix, Wizard sees a life-threatening foe and the same is true for Phoenix in that Wizard is perhaps the only being truly capable of beating him. These fight scenes are brutal, the score is epic, and every encounter feels like it could be the last and the two force each other to grow stronger. Phoenix is never defeated the same way twice and this forces Wizard to evolve and adapt or perish.

The enigmatic White Wizard.

Kamen Rider Wizard is not without its problems. The second half of the show isn't as strong as the first. While the plot advances the battles don't always feel as though they carry the same seriousness as earlier conflicts. Kyomi and other characters get a lot of development which is great, but it comes at the cost of Haruto's agency. In the latter half of the series Haruto feels more like a peripheral character in his own show. The show even introduces three more wizards, two of which don't really add much to the plot. There's a big plot twist involving several characters, but if you've seen enough tokusatsu you probably called it fifteen or so episodes before it actually happens. So the show can be fairly predictable late in the series for those viewers familiar with the Kamen Rider formula.

Life Is Showtime

Overall I had a great time watching Kamen Rider Wizard. It's not a perfect Kamen Rider series, but it's a good series despite its flaws. It was highly entertaining with some great fight scenes and intriguing characters. It's quite different from the traditional Kamen Rider formula, but this didn't detract from its entertainment value and it's an entry I'd recommend to newcomers and long-time fans alike.