My Thoughts On Kamen Rider Gotchard's Reveal

Like I said, I only REACT to updates, NOT GIVE THEM! It's time to finally do some "fresh content" since I've been watching more stuff I haven't seen from a few years back or even decades back. As Kamen Rider Geats may have wrapped up - it's time to check on Kamen Rider Gotchard. I checked on Orends Range and found out that the update came out just yesterday. I'm going to give my random rant on the UPCOMING show. 

The plot goes like this:

In the series, artificial lifeforms called Chemy were created by collecting the best alchemy techniques, and are made to imitate all things that exist in this world. There are a total of 101 Chemies, and they are stored in a card called "Ride Chemy Card". However, these cards, which have been carefully stored, popped out and were released all at once!

High school student Hotaro Ichinose is entrusted with the Gotchardriver and is given the mission to collect all the Chemy that were released in this world. That said, if a Chemy is a reassuring human companion when it resonates with someone with a good heart. This is the case with Hotaro who loads the Hopper1 and Steamliner Ride Chemy Cards in the Gotcha Driver to become Kamen Rider Gotchard SteamHopper! But if a Chemy will combine with a human filled with malice, there is a danger in creating a creature known as "Kaijin Malgam". Will Hotaro "Gotcha" all 101 Chemies? What kind of strange combinations will form along the way once Gotchard gets more Ride Chemy Cards? What is in store for the alchemist Rider who manipulates cards?

TV-Asahi's Takehiro Okawa will serve as the show's general producer with TV-Asahi's Takehiro Okawa (Ohsama Sentai King-Ohger) and Toei's Yosuke Minato (Ohsama Sentai King-Ohger) will produce the series. The series will be written by Keiichi Hasegawa (Ultraman Nexus, Kamen Rider Saber, Gridman franchise) and Hiroki Uchida (Kamen Rider Jeanne & Kamen Rider Aguilera with Girls Remix). Veteran Super Sentai action director and suit actor Hirofumi Fukuzawa will serve as the show's action director, with Ryuta Tasaki (Kamen Rider Build) serving as the show's main director. Hiroshi Takaki (Samurai Sentai Shinkenger) will compose the show's music. Lastly, BACK-ON will perform the show's theme song, "CHEMYxSTORY".

Kamen Rider Gotchard is set to premiere this September 3rd only on TV-Asahi's Super Hero Time block, replacing Kamen Rider Geats. 

The plot almost reminds me of a mixture of Kamen Rider Fourze and Kamen Rider Blade. Blade was pretty much nightmare fuel. A lot of Kamen Rider series after Kamen Rider Kabuto abandoned the nightmare fuel. Kamen Rider Build still has it in an almost post-apocalyptic environment. Most Kamen Rider series today are in the Lighter and Softer presumably due to new Japanese censorship rules. 

Speaking of teenagers, I'm also reminded of why Saban's Mashed Rider was SO TERRIBLY BAD that even Saban himself is ashamed of it. It was that time when the late Shotaro Ishinomori refused to let Saban adapt any more of the former's workers. Toei though was still generous to allow Saban to use licensed stock footage for Power Rangers. I confess that one of the reasons why I don't like Power Rangers is how awkward it gets to licensed stock footage - it's legal but continues to feel awkward. I still feel letting the American suitless fight scenes get magically replaced by stock footage is just weird - even if Saban was allowed by Toei!

Now, my initial thoughts on the characters before they show up...

Since I'm just a casual fan (and NO expert, mind you) even some of the old-school actors are rather foreign to me. Just think that I NEVER knew how important Kazuo Niibori was to Super Sentai until I saw Hikonin Sentai Akibaranger. So, just bear with my crazy opinions on what I think about the characters.

The main character Hotaro Ichinose/Kamen Rider Gotchard

The series will star Junsei Motojima as Hotaro Ichinose/Kamen Rider Gotchard, an ordinary second year high school student who is bad at studying, but good at sports. He is a filial son who prioritizes helping her mom and their restaurant, and doesn't know what to do for himself. He is in search of that "GOTCHA" in life, which cause him to make creative dishes using the restaurant kitchen. After meeting Chemy Hopper1, a grashopper and entrusted with a transformation belt by Fuga Kudo, he discovers that "GOTCHA" in alchemy.

High school student? Running a restaurant? I almost got reminded of B-Fighter Kabuto which was a mess but way more watchable (and I actually ENJOYED IT) than Big Bad Beetleborgs. I guess we're going to see more of Kamen Rider Kabuto-style cooking (which was aired during the 10th anniversary of B-Fighter Kabuto) probably cementing the status of the Metal Hero series as canceled but NEVER forgotten. Hopefully, the hero himself will be better than Kohei of B-Fighter Kabuto. 

The idea of a high school student being BETTER-USED was in Kamen Rider Fourze. Fortunately, Fourze is still more watchable than what Saban's Mashed Rider intended. Gentaro Kisaragi just looked like a bad boy but he's actually very nice. It seems Hotaro might be a good guy with less intelligence. I hope the writers will make Hotaro develop like how Kenta in Denji Sentai Megaranger developed. 

Rinne Kudo the top student

Reiyo Matsumoto as Rinne Kudo, Hotaro's classmate with excellent grades and good manners. She is also an alchemist who attends the secret Alchemy Academy hidden in the school's basement. Her father, Fuga was a great alchemist, but has mixed feelings about him because he stole the Chemy Card managed by the school 10 years ago and disappeared.

I guess we do need someone to balance it out huh? I hope Rinne doesn't turn into the Mary Sue of the show. Having excellent grades and good manners seems to remind me of some awkward, unattractive girl I fell in love with but was too afraid to admit it. Her role in the alchemy academy might make her the Hermione of the series. I wonder if the writers are looking into Harry Potter to try and make her out? Hmmmm I wonder if Rinne might become the Japanese Emma Watson as a result? 

Snapper Kurogane the possible anti-hero

Yasunari Fujibayashi as Spanner Kurogane/Valvarad, an A-Class alchemist and a graduate of the Alchemist Academy and was also sent by them to collect Chemies. He's a cool, pretentious elite who thinks Chemy as just man-made tools. In battle, he wears the "Valvarad" reinforced suit that he made by himself. 

I guess anti-heroes are pretty much expected in some superhero shows. Toei did take a lot of inspiration from the West so it's no surprise we're getting some Dirty Harry characters in Super Sentai and Kamen Rider. The now-canceled Super Robot genre by Toei did feature some antihero characters too. I wonder how will Snapper play in his role since he's a cool pretentious elite. Will he be someone who'd eventually thaw out like the many antiheroes of the past? Hopefully, Toei will find a way to flesh him out like how Tokosou Sentai Dekaranger made Hoji from a cold character (and was arrogant during the earlier episodes) to a more likable character. Maybe, it'd end up like Sky in Power Rangers SPD who started out arrogant (presumably due to an insecurity and hiding a pain he never wanted to admit was there) but walked the path to humility as the series went by. 

The alchemist duo 

Oto Abe as Renge Icho, an alchemist from Kansai and Rinne's classmate. Her family isn't wealthy, and she wants to make her mother happy, so she decided to become an alchemist to create gold through alchemy. She has a long relationship with a fellow classmate named Sabimaru. 

Rikiya Tomizono as Sabimaru Tsuruhara, a brainy alchemist and one of Rinne's classmate. He is extremely misanthropic, and carries a tablet with a built-in AI named "Isaac" who talks for him. Just like Hotaro, he likes Chemy. 

I'm actually thinking about how these guys will turn out. Since they're part of the alchemy academy - they might actually be responsible for giving power-ups to help win the day. I doubt they'd just be played for laughs like Ben and Betty ended up as in Power Rangers Beast Morphers. Japanese humor and American humor can be very different. Ben and Betty easily click with the American fans like Bulk and Skull did in Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers. In Japan, comic relief characters tend to be integrated as vital plot material such as how Dan and Boi in Kyoryu Sentai Zyuranger were pretty much the comedic duo while fighting the bad guys. 

A glimpse of the school...

Rikuto Kumaki (Peeping Date) as Minato, a dull looking, middle-aged history teacher at Hotaro's high school. His true identity is that he is a teacher at the Alchemist Academy hidden in the school's basement. 

Amon Kabe (Good Life - Arigatou, Papa. Sayonara) as Ryo Kajiki, Hotaro's classmate and a boy who loves the occult. He is an avid reader of the Paranormal Planet magazine. 

I really feel that there are times when teachers in Tokusatsu shows show up and hardly play a role. Maybe, except for Misa Yamaguchi in Kosoku Sentai Turboranger who had more development than Miss Appleby in Mighty Morphin'. In Kamen Rider, we did get Fourze's homeroom teacher Chuta who taught geography AND became more involved with the cast. I hope that Minato himself will be an improved version of Chuta.

As for Ryo, I wonder how the long-haired nerd will play right into the series. I hope that he doesn't end up like a useless character like Ganganjin was in that failed Kamen Rider Skyrider. Maybe, Ryo would become a Kamen Rider or would he end up actually doing research to help defeat the bad guys. Hopefully, the show's writers will take note of how Kamen Rider Kuuga treated its non-action allies to develop this guy

The relatives of the heroes are almost always important to any superhero show huh?

Yoko Minamino (Sukeban Deka II) as Tamami Ichinose, Hotaro's mother and single-handedly runs a set meal restaurant. She believes in her husband, who travels abroad as an adventurer, and warmly watches over her son. 

Kanji Ishimaru (Time Traveller) as Fuga Kudo, Rinne's father who was an outstanding alchemist, and was protecting the Chemy from the Three Dark Sisters, but when he was cornered, he entrusted Hotaro with the Gotchardriver. 

Well, I can just expect them not to show up in every single episode. Most of the Kamen Rider relatives are pretty much like Clark Kent's adoptive parents. They play a huge important rule but mostly act as Greater-Scope characters. They might only show up every now and then to offer guidance to the heroes. Unlike Super Sentai mentors, the relatives are BTS characters who we can never do without.

And now, for the initially revealed antagonists...

The show's main villains are the Three Dark Sisters, and they are a mysterious group that exploits alchemy to operate behind the scenes. They target the 101 Chemy and the Gotchardriver that Fuga has hidden. From left to right, these sisters are:

• Alisa Sakamaki as Lachesis, the youngest daughter who uses a special alchemy that is activated with the tone of her voice. 
• Itono Okita as Atropos, who looks like a young girl, but she is the eldest sister. She can use powerful alchemy.
• Kanon Miyahara (Kamen Rider Amazons) as Clotho, the middle child who is good at fighting. 

I guess this is a first for Kamen Rider to present all-female antagonists. That is assuming that they're not under the leadership of a man. I did find it awkward that the foot soldiers of Geddon in Kamen Rider Amazon were all females for a reason. A bit of tidbit is that the names of the Three Sisters are taken from the Fates of Greek Mythology. The Fates condemned a mortal to death and even Zeus couldn't change the outcome. 

I guess Atropos looks like a young girl when she's the eldest because that's where we get the term atrophy meaning 'without nourishment or wasting away". I might need to read some more Greek mythology before watching the show.

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What are your thoughts an expectations of this show?