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In a distant future, war has reduced human civilization to an irradiated wasteland. For many decades people struggled to survive in a world where Man lives by his base instincts. Until a being named Gurjev (Yasuaki Honda) descended to Jerusalem. Seraphim in appearance, but with a nature belying something else entirely, Gurjev along with his android disciple Michael (Kazuhiko Inoue) ushered in a utopia with advanced technology and equality. This angelic socialist renamed Jerusalem to Jesus Town and brought all mankind together. All seems right in the world until adventurers uncover a prison confining a terrible menace. Hakaider (Dai Matsumoto), the one who destroys to bring justice has awakened. Blazing a trail of unspeakable carnage he heads toward Jesus Town to burn it to ash. What is Hakaider seeking? What is the reason behind this violence? Who is to say there is one?
90s Japanese box art!!!!
Created by Bandai and Toei, and directed by Keita Amemiya (GARO, Kamen Rider, Onimusha), Mechanical Violator Hakaider was released in Japan in 1995 and is a spin-off of the Android Kikaider series created by the father of Kamen Rider Shotaro Ishinomori. In the original Kikaider series, Hakaider is actually the villain and is something of the Cain to Kikaider's Abel. However, Hakaider became so popular in his own right that he earned his own toy line and movie. And what a BADASS movie it is.
Normally I shy away from live-action adaptations and re-imaginings, but let me tell you that Mechanical Violator Hakaider is one of the best. True the movie doesn't tie into the Kikaider series and in fact, Hakaider is the only commonality between this film and the source material. Everything else from the setting to the tone, to the action and characterization are quite different. This is a post apocalypse, but while most of the world has been destroyed, there's an unsettling sense of routine, of easiness about the whole affair. The people of Jesus Town are happy and everyone is equal in that "this is not what nature intended" way that only happens in a dystopia. The people feed on Gurjev's every word and regardless of race or gender everyone behaves like sheep and are even dressed in white. Gurjev even refers to the people as his children and even his arc android worships him. The set-up is so disturbing it's fantastic.
A look that will make your blood run cold.
Who is to say we're better off with our "hero?" Hakaider is not one of the good guys. On his best day he's an anti-hero, but he seems closer to a villain protagonist. Hakaider was sealed away for a reason and when he's unleashed you better hide or get the hell out of his way. Hakaider leaves a pile of bodies wherever he goes and he's almost unstoppable. Everything about him from the way he moves to the way he fights is very imposing and while his human guise isn't as overtly unsettling, you can still feel something powerful behind it. Maybe Hakaider's backstory indicates there's more to him than murder. Maybe he's just a ruthless killing machine and the future is filled with people who need killing. Even after watching the film I can't really say for sure.
Motorcycles are forever.
If you're at all familiar with Keita Amemiya's work (GARO, Kiba Gaiden, etc.) you know he's a fantastic director that makes superb use of practical effects and minimalist acting. There's only one brief scene where computer animation is used, but the entirety of the action scenes use old school movie magic: pyro, blanks, dummies, stop motion, hotblooded stuntmen, camera tricks and so forth to draw you in. It's a different experience from today's CG fests. You really feel like you're screeching down a highway in a race of life or death or staring down Gurjev's robosapien minions in a dark, decrepit alleyway. There's so much 90s badassery that even Hakaider's motorcycle looks ominous. There is a rebel group (isn't there always) that seek to bring down Gurjev and while they're mostly here for exposition, they all had different personalities and habits that defined them.
Gorgeous cinematography.
Kaoru (Mai Hosho) the leader of the rebels is a particularly interesting character who has visions of the future. The message behind these visions are open to interpretation. These scenes are short, but there is a lot of fantastic imagery here including chains, crosses, wings, and an enigmatic black knight. This is the part of the review where I tell you the film isn't perfect.
Not perfect, but close enough.
The film isn't perfect. Some of the techniques are dated. The film is more than 20 years old after all and if 90s movies aren't your thing this one probably won't win you over. The last-last battle does feel unnecessary in that BvS kind of way, and Kaoru's visions while interesting often appear out of nowhere. Distribution wise I should note the film is a bit difficult to find, curious as four different versions were released. There's a Japanese VHS, an English VHS, a Japanese DVD Director's Cut, and an English DVD Director's Cut. From what I've found the only way to get Mechanical Violator Hakaider is in a set. The film is only 80 minutes long which is fine for an action movie. It doesn't make any big promises it can't keep, it gets you in and out, and it leaves you wanting more in a good way. You won't find a perfect action movie, but you'll find a very entertaining and often overlooked toku classic.
The Japanese are privy to numerous benefits thanks to Nozama Pharmacy's many advancements in medical technology. However, their most recent breakthrough created something which even they weren't ready for - Amazon Cells. When injected into a living host, Amazon Cells increase the subject's strength, speed, and durability exponentially. Test subjects have even displayed the ability to shape-shift and assimilate the memories of other people. The company has essentially created evolution in a syringe and these new lifeforms are referred to as Amazons. Of course being the highest rung on the evolutionary ladder comes with a small caveat. Amazons have developed an acquired taste - people. Before the company could correct this issue the Amazons escaped. Elsewhere, a meek young man named Haruka lives with his foster mother Reika Mizusawa and her daughter Mizuki. Unbeknownst to Haruka, he himself is infected with Amazon Cells and it's not long until a strange (or calculated) series of events turns him into Kamen Rider Amazon Omega. Using this power, Haruka must fight to protect his family from the ever-growing threat of the Amazons while struggling to hold onto his humanity which slips through his fingers by the day. It is eat or be eaten in this world where the rules of nature reign supreme.
Kamen Rider Amazon Omega
Kamen Rider Amazons is a 2016 web series which celebrates the 45th anniversary of the Kamen Rider series. Created in partnership with Amazon Prime, Kamen Rider Amazons is a reboot of the highly controversial 1974 Kamen Rider Amazon. Kamen Rider Amazon shocked Japanese viewers with its graphic violence. Whereas most Kamen Rider series average about 50 episodes, Kamen Rider Amazon was cancelled after 24 because it was too extreme. While people are desensitized to that kind of thing today, having blood, decapitations and the like in a 1970s-era show was a good way to get pulled from the airwaves, even more so in Japan. Kamen Rider Amazons gets around censorship issues by being streamed online rather than aired on television. Still, much like its predecessor, Amazons has its own share of controversy. It's not due to the violence, but producer Shinichiro Shirakura.
Love him or hate him Shirakura equals ratings.
A big name in tokusatsu, Shinichiro Shirakura is infamous for his harsh criticisms of Super Sentai, recent entries in the Kamen Rider series, and tokusatsu in general. Shirakura drew major heat for regarding modern tokusatsu as lackluster, juvenile, and too quick to rely on tropes rather than complex characters. With more than 20 years in the business, Shirakura produced many of the early (and arguably most popular) Heisei Era Kamen Rider series including Agito, Ryuki, Faiz, Kabuto, and the hugely successful Decade along with a few others. Of course he was also responsible for the legendary flop that was Hibiki. With numerous films under his belt, Shirakura's Kamen Rider series are known for being very character driven, more dramatic and more mature than many of the later Kamen Rider series. His rationale for the reboot is best summed up by Shirakura himself, "Do you think the recent Kamen Riders are interesting? I don't think so! I hope with Amazons the toothless Kamen Rider can get his fangs back." A bold statement to be sure, but this series definitely has some bite.
He's no pup anymore.
Kamen Rider Amazons is a more mature entry in the Kamen Rider series. Not every episode ends on a cheery note and in fact there are quite a few episodes that end with characters being only slightly better off than where they started. There's a substantial body count throughout because the stakes are incredibly high and the hero doesn't always save the day. Haruka doesn't always rider kick his way to victory because every battle is a struggle not just against the Amazons, but his own nature which is changing after every encounter. It isn't long until his mere existence endangers his loved ones. This forces him to distance himself from the very people he's fighting to protect. Tom Fujita does a great job portraying the struggle of this young character. You can see the uncertainty and fear that lay behind Haruka's smile. He puts on a brave front because for all intents and purposes he's very much a kid in a world of adults and monsters and his innocence is torn from him with each new revelation.
Jin Takayama AKA Kamen Rider BADASS
Any good Kamen Rider series has a dichotomy among its heroes; enter Jin Takayama - Kamen Rider Amazon Alpha. Played by Masashi Taniguchi, Jin has a complicated relationship with Haruka. Sometimes Jin will be an aloof ally, other times he'll serve as a sinister mentor, and at the the worst times he's a dangerous foil to our main character. Charismatic, smart, and totally badass Jin almost seems to move on a whim, but his true motives are a mystery. No one really knows what he's after or what he's capable of, but he's a rider you cross at your own peril.
Family
Actress/model Rena Takeda plays Mizuki Mizusawa and I have to give her a few extra points for being one of the few likable female leads in a Kamen Rider series. She's a lonely girl who doesn't appear to have many friends at school and she's often neglected by her workaholic mother. Prior to Haruka's adoption, it's clear that Mizuki didn't have any friends and so she's developed a strong attachment to Haruka. As Haruka changes, his refusal to open up to Mizuki brings back her feelings of isolation and neglect. It's clear that Amazons has a lot of great characters not the least of which being the Nozama Peston Service which is a team of mercenaries hired by Nozama Pharmacy to hunt down the Amazons. The mercs all have different personalities and their interactions are some of the best acted scenes in the show. The actors feel very natural and the characters feel less like mercs and more like a family that has been through it all together. The series does a great job with its human characters, but the action is well done too.
Kamen Rider Amazon Alpha
The battles in Kamen Rider Amazons are more similar to the battles in early Heisei Era titles. These are knockdown, drag out, smash mouth fights. The riders don't just get a power-up and wipe out the enemy in a flash (looking at you Kamen Rider Gaim) rather there is an ongoing, brutal fight and it's during these battles we see even more differences between our heroes. As the good folks at Rider Club Radio pointed out, the battles in Amazons is less stylish and is more of a fight between monsters. In many ways Amazon Omega is a berserker and as Omega Haruka's approach to combat is a wild, frenzied offense. His attacks aren't technically sound so it does take him awhile to wear down his foes, but he's absolutely relentless in doing so. Jin on the other hand is in complete control as Amazon Alpha. Even transformed he maintains his super cool swagger and he lays waste to the Amazons with a combination of bestial savagery and surgical precision. It's not all perfect though. The mercs are completely useless when the more powerful Amazons show up and they're relegated to just being distractions. Also, the digital blood spatter is used too much in some of the episodes which can detract from the presentation of the fight scenes.
Never get on Alpha's bad side.
The writing, the acting, and the tone are all top notch and this is some of the best cinematography I've seen in a tokusatsu in awhile. While the show isn't perfect, each episode leaves you wanting more and this is a fantastic reboot because unlike most it's a quality series and not just a cash-in on a franchise name. It's also a great jumping on point for those looking to get into Kamen Rider, but may have been turned off by the "shonen-esque" presentation of recent entries. (Once again looking at you Kamen Rider Gaim.) Kamen Rider Amazons is gritty and as long as you're not afraid to get dirty you're going to have a good time.
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.
Adapted from the manga written and illustrated by Yasuo Ohtagaki, Mobile Suit Gundam Thunderbolt takes place in the Universal Century timeline and is centered on two characters: Ensign Io Flemming, a soldier in the Earth Federation and Daryl Lorenz, the best sniper in the Principality of Zeon. Ensign Flemming and his team are called to action when Zeon forces attack the Thunderbolt Sector. Daryl shoots down Io's entire squadron with his superb skills, but before he can Sieg Zeon, Io hijacks a Zaku belonging to one of Dayrl's squad mates and executes him on camera for all to see. To say our hero has a mean-streak is putting it mildly. Daryl vows to get revenge for his fallen comrade and Io welcomes the opportunity to kill him the next time they meet. And so begins a rivalry that will tear the Thunderbolt Sector asunder.
We ain't talking SD.
If you're a long-time Gundam fan you'll notice Gundam Thunderbolt has similarities to Stardust Memory in that we have a plot that follows two characters. What's interesting about Thunderbolt is that it plays with our perceptions of who is the good guy and who is the bad guy. Daryl Lorenz is a Zeon pilot and while that would place him in the role of the villain (given Zeon's history) he's actually portrayed in a sympathetic manner. Lorenz cares about his comrades and just wants for the war to end as soon as possible. On the other hand, while Io Flemming is a Federation pilot and technically the good guy he's quite the sociopath. He revels in battles, shows no hesitation in killing, and he lusts for the power that only Gundam can give him. Simply put, if you gave Dio Brando a Gundam he'd be Io Flemming.
Someone Kickstart a real-life Gundam. I NEED this in my life.
The animation is Gundam Unicorn level while the art has a gritty, realism not often seen in this franchise. This is a dark, grim, unfriendly Gundam that lacks the bright pastels in say Gundam Seed or Gundam Iron Blooded Orphans. The episodes have plenty of character development and action, but the first episode in particular had a sequence where Gundam Thunderbolt made its debut and this was especially well-done because it emphasized the power and the fear these mobile suits bring to the battlefield. We see the Gundam Thunderbolt in action from the perspective of Zeon and this Gundam is a monster to behold.
As a long-time fan of Gundam I've been waiting for the series to return to a more mature atmosphere. This isn't the Dawson's Creek-era of Gundam Seed and the characters don't run on nakama power like those in Iron Blooded Orphans. This is dark, gritty story-telling that explores both the horrors of war and what it does to people with plenty of mechanized action along the way. Gundam Thunderbolt is exactly what long-time Gundam fans are looking for. Believe the hype.
Written by Jeho Son and illustrated by Kwangsu Lee, Noblesse is a webtoon/manwha that centers on a powerful noble named Cadis Etrama Di Raziel (his friends call him Rai). After 820 years Rai awakens in South Korea and is amazed at the scientific advances mankind has made over the centuries. After meeting up with his servant Frankenstein, Rai enrolls in Ye Ran high school in order to get closer to humans and learn more about the modern world. Rai makes friends quickly, but it isn't long until they are attacked by a secret organization trying to harness the power of the Noblesse for themselves. Rai must protect his friends and keep the secrets of the Noblesse hidden at all costs.
And he don't sparkle.
If you follow me on Twitter or if you've visited my blog then you know I'm a big fan of Korean comics. Whether it's Veritas, Immortal Regis, Cavalier of the Abyss, or The Breaker I've never known Korea to disappoint. Paradoxically enough I'm most critical of the things I enjoy and so I was always hesitant to read webtoons because of their non-traditional style and its ever-increasing appeal to the mainstream. I gave the animation a shot on a whim and I was pleasantly surprised, maybe even astounded by its quality.
The animation is superb as you would expect from Production I.G. and the score combines music from several genres. Rai's appearance is heralded by a brief, but noteworthy orchestral track while smooth jazz plays during the show's opening which takes aesthetic cues from Ergo Proxy.
The voice acting is quite good, although Rai's voice actor is particularly noteworthy. Tarusuke Shingaki does a great job of portraying the nuances in Rai's personality. Rai doesn't talk much so Shingaki makes each line count as he expresses Rai's kindness toward his friends and cold detachment from his enemies. During the fight scenes Rai is so calm it's almost creepy and he speaks with the authority of a god.
The anime is pretty dark, but not without its bright spots. Noblesse is known for being quite funny when it wants to be and Noblesse: Awakening had several laugh out loud scenes. In one scene Rai is trying Korean food and when he smells garlic he immediately thinks his classmates are trying to kill him. He even carries a "If lost please call this number" card on him at all times. Because Rai is a fish out of water, he's somewhat inept in everyday situations like finding his way home.
Oh that fish out of water.
Noblesse: Awakening was intensely entertaining and you owe it to yourself to watch it. It's almost unprecedented that a Korean manhwa/webtoon has not only been animated, but has actually been released online for FREE. That's right action aficionados. Line Webtoon hosts Noblesse: Awakening on their website and Youtube page and they encourage you to share it with as many people as possible.
"Worshiped by humans they were sometimes known as nobles, sometimes as rulers, and sometimes as gods."
