I am currently reviewing Kamen Rider Black and I thought it brought two interesting concepts... both Bilgenia (who only lasted for 18 episodes) and the second half that was the Shadow Moon era of Kamen Rider. Now let's think about these two people I want to think have actually become templates for later plots in the Heisei Era:
Bilgenia in Kamen Rider Black was one extremely annoying troll to Kamen Rider Black. For one, he really is different from his superiors, the Three Gorgom Priests. While the Gorgom priests really and practically wasted a lot of their money on complicated plans just to get the King Stone... this guy REALLY focuses on Kamen Rider Black. Now he was born on the day of a solar eclipse but he wasn't given the King Stone which is good, because this guy is really an extremely sadistic individual. Too bad he didn't last long.
In episode 34 to the finale, it's what I'd call the Shadow Moon half of Kamen Rider Black. Unlike the false rider, Shadow Moon is your official first evil Kamen Rider. Now I would admit his personality is boring but he's interesting because... it adds conflict. In what way? No matter how boring I feel Shadow Moon is... the fact that he IS Nobuhiko or was Nobuhiko gives a very hard decision for Kamen Rider Black. Unlike Bilgenia, he is brainwashed and evil not willfully evil. As the first evil Kamen Rider, he deserves tribute. Later an A.R. Shadowmoon was created who was willfully evil while the mainline Shadow Moon tends to get revived as a butt monkey for non-canon crossovers. =P
So what ideas did these two bring to current Kamen Rider? Now here's what I thought:
In Kamen Rider Ryuki, it was the show where the Rider War is this,... the winner gets that ultimate power to make one impossible wish come true. Now the show ended REALLY BAD with an ending I can't swallow but one villain stood out. Kamen Rider Ouja was locked up because like Bilgenia, he is a sadistic madman. One day, Shiro Kanzaki freed Takeshi Hagino from jail... and with the power of Venosnaker you get Kamen Rider Ouja. This villain was a complete psychopath, willfully evil Kamen Rider that makes me think... oh crud Bilgenia's got the King Stone and now he's a Kamen Rider, we're done for! Remember he killed Kamen Rider Raia and Kamen Rider Gai in cold blood. Then he killed Kamen Rider Imperer. The fact he's so much a cruel S.O.B., maybe that's why the executives wanted the reset button to be pushed because Ryuki was too dark... which gave us a very disappointing ending!
In Kamen Rider Kiva, we get another sort of Black vs. Shadow Moon rivalry but with a twist. Both Wataru and Taiga are half-siblings... Wataru was born out of the adulterous affair of Maya the Fangire Queen and Wataru's late father. Later, we get the involvement of Mio who was destined to become the Fangire Queen for 2008 and to marry Taiga. Wataru was a rival to a throne that was not meant to be his considering he wasn't the Fangire King's son but the result of an adulterous affair. Unlike Black and Shadow Moon, they had a better ending... though Mio died thanks to Bishop Fangire's treachery, Vlad Masters style.
Kamen Rider Gaim not only carried over Ryuki's Battle Royale idea but also a similar plot of Black vs. Shadow Moon. In order to acquire the Golden Fruit (similar to the One Wish in Ryuki), it ends up to where Kouta and Kaito must inevitably battle. The Golden Fruit is taken by Kouta, which I think was a reverse of what Kotaro did with the Century King's offer. Remember Kamen Rider Black defeated Shadow Moon but he refused to take the other King Stone to replace the Creation King. Here Kouta in the end, takes the Golden Fruit though he is able to use his powers wisely as not to abort the Earth. A pretty interesting twist if you ask me!
Bilgenia in Kamen Rider Black was one extremely annoying troll to Kamen Rider Black. For one, he really is different from his superiors, the Three Gorgom Priests. While the Gorgom priests really and practically wasted a lot of their money on complicated plans just to get the King Stone... this guy REALLY focuses on Kamen Rider Black. Now he was born on the day of a solar eclipse but he wasn't given the King Stone which is good, because this guy is really an extremely sadistic individual. Too bad he didn't last long.
In episode 34 to the finale, it's what I'd call the Shadow Moon half of Kamen Rider Black. Unlike the false rider, Shadow Moon is your official first evil Kamen Rider. Now I would admit his personality is boring but he's interesting because... it adds conflict. In what way? No matter how boring I feel Shadow Moon is... the fact that he IS Nobuhiko or was Nobuhiko gives a very hard decision for Kamen Rider Black. Unlike Bilgenia, he is brainwashed and evil not willfully evil. As the first evil Kamen Rider, he deserves tribute. Later an A.R. Shadowmoon was created who was willfully evil while the mainline Shadow Moon tends to get revived as a butt monkey for non-canon crossovers. =P
So what ideas did these two bring to current Kamen Rider? Now here's what I thought:
In Kamen Rider Ryuki, it was the show where the Rider War is this,... the winner gets that ultimate power to make one impossible wish come true. Now the show ended REALLY BAD with an ending I can't swallow but one villain stood out. Kamen Rider Ouja was locked up because like Bilgenia, he is a sadistic madman. One day, Shiro Kanzaki freed Takeshi Hagino from jail... and with the power of Venosnaker you get Kamen Rider Ouja. This villain was a complete psychopath, willfully evil Kamen Rider that makes me think... oh crud Bilgenia's got the King Stone and now he's a Kamen Rider, we're done for! Remember he killed Kamen Rider Raia and Kamen Rider Gai in cold blood. Then he killed Kamen Rider Imperer. The fact he's so much a cruel S.O.B., maybe that's why the executives wanted the reset button to be pushed because Ryuki was too dark... which gave us a very disappointing ending!
In Kamen Rider Kiva, we get another sort of Black vs. Shadow Moon rivalry but with a twist. Both Wataru and Taiga are half-siblings... Wataru was born out of the adulterous affair of Maya the Fangire Queen and Wataru's late father. Later, we get the involvement of Mio who was destined to become the Fangire Queen for 2008 and to marry Taiga. Wataru was a rival to a throne that was not meant to be his considering he wasn't the Fangire King's son but the result of an adulterous affair. Unlike Black and Shadow Moon, they had a better ending... though Mio died thanks to Bishop Fangire's treachery, Vlad Masters style.
Kamen Rider Gaim not only carried over Ryuki's Battle Royale idea but also a similar plot of Black vs. Shadow Moon. In order to acquire the Golden Fruit (similar to the One Wish in Ryuki), it ends up to where Kouta and Kaito must inevitably battle. The Golden Fruit is taken by Kouta, which I think was a reverse of what Kotaro did with the Century King's offer. Remember Kamen Rider Black defeated Shadow Moon but he refused to take the other King Stone to replace the Creation King. Here Kouta in the end, takes the Golden Fruit though he is able to use his powers wisely as not to abort the Earth. A pretty interesting twist if you ask me!
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