Zero One By Itself Doesn't Actually Mean Anything In Binary

Kamen Rider Zero One is charming. I really like the acting, and the suit designs tend to be consistent enough for me to not have any issues with any of them in particular. However, I have quite a few issues with its story. It is pretty strangely paced, and on top of that the morals seem to be mixed in what they're actually trying to tell you - unlike a lot of KR shows I've watched that are very explicit in their message, Zero One says one thing while showing another. It shows you that you should "follow your dreams" and "do what you want", but when someone wants something that isn't explicitly their core function it is seen as wrong. Aruto wants to be a comedian, but always fails. All of the Humagears that reach sentience want to pursue their dreams, but their dreams are only in relation to continuing to do what they have always done. It feels contradictory to itself throughout its entirety. The main characters for the most part have good chemistry, though, and it made me so happy to see a nonbinary character have a main role later in the series. The action is pretty good, though.

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So gOOOd It Exceeds Infinity

HOLY PEAK. This series is amazing. The gimmick of the setting is cool and interesting and unique, and on top of that it doesn't feel disconnected to the plot of the series like some other Kamen Rider belt gimmicks can feel. Eiji and Ankh have great chemistry together as tentative allies, Eiji himself is a great character who gets analyzed and comes to an interesting conclusion in the story later on. The side characters are all entertaining and each have their own fun reason to be around. The story itself is a great combination of lighthearted fun and introspective. The music, good golly the MUSIC. Each form having their own insert song and the OP being a fun and upbeat ska track gives this one a unique and great style to it. The suit designs are really fun, and the way they frequently swap between them mid-fights gives each combat a fun and unique feeling to it! Even the filler episodes related to Kamen Rider's Anniversary are a lot of fun! This one has it all, in my opinion.

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A Good Entry, Despite Flaws

Geats is a clumsy story, but a fun one. With a great OP and an interesting concept, relating to winning a sort of Death Game to get a wish, it ends up being a very interesting form of Kamen Rider as they combat each other for the sake of winning. However, it doesn't stick with this concept the whole way through the story and ends up changing to focus less on the aspect of a battle royale and more like a standard Kamen Rider story. This ended up disappointing me somewhat. Characters have decent chemistry, though at times it can be somewhat flat and businesslike for a large majority of the series. Suit designs have great potential to be interesting as it begins with the concept of item pickups akin to a video game, but again it ends up being tossed aside for the sake of consistent, merchandise-worthy forms. Not bad forms, but considering what the series started out as, it ended up disappointing me a bit. Fight choreography goes really hard sometimes, especially when they use the show's gimmicks to set up specific opportunities that would not have been available in other stories. Overall, a story with a lot of potential that does unfortunately fumble the bag.

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Kamen Rider 1971 - An Aged Titan

The original Kamen Rider 1971 cannot be understated as an incredibly important pillar of pop culture in Japan and beyond. The series that truly started it all. With its iconic design of the original Kamen Rider (referred to as Ichigo) and the subsequent second Rider (referred to as Nigo), it paved the way for a founding father in the tokusatsu genre. However, it's a difficult beast to talk about, because while charming, it is incredibly flawed. The series starts very strongly, with a lean towards horror. It was always monster-of-the-week, but what made it interesting early on was how it leaned into the fear of everyone involved. Even the main character, Ichigo, has internal fears that are set up early on. However, as the series progresses, in order to stay on the air it had to be changed to be more lighthearted. Unfortunately this drops a lot of the overt story of Kamen Rider 1971 and ends up making it an incredibly repetitive watch, as plot only truly progresses about once every thirty episodes or so, and with it being the longest Kamen Rider series on its own (not including sequel shows like Black & Black RX or Kuuga & Agito) it can sometimes be a gauntlet. Make no mistake, this show is NOT made to be binged AT ALL. And while it feels unfair of me to review a show made 52 years ago as if it was made in the modern era, we have to concede that our perception of these things, including the very way in which it is viewed, has fundamentally changed since its creation. We have to acknowledge the way that these things change, and that includes the franchise itself as it progresses. At this point, while this is the originator of all Kamen Riders, I would in no way say it is a good first show to watch for inquisitive minds interested in the franchise due to its inability to be enjoyably be watched in succession like some others. It is an entertaining watch in short bursts, but mind-numbing when watched too quickly. If you do watch it, try not to binge it to get through it. Take sips, don't chug. Enjoy the fun and crunchy practical effects and the inventive ways they get around having zero budget. The camp can be fun, the designs can be silly, and it can be a series that gets a good laugh or two, even if unintentionally. But if you are tempted to watch it quickly to get to some of the other stuff in the franchise, it will become a difficult watch as the formulaic nature of the series turns your brain into putty.

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