In the upcoming months HJU (as well as my own blog OSSIA) will be doing in depth coverage on Kamen Rider Decade.
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This is a supposed leaked shot of next year’s Rider standing with his sempais, Kuuga, Agito, Kiva, Den-o and Kabuto, as can be seen in this shot. I am pretty sure Ryuki, Faiz, Blade and Hibiki are all there too. The full shot should be released at the end of this month.
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Rumors have been floating around for a few months now and with the anticipated released of the Ganbaride Arcade Game, (which utilizes collectible Rider cards), this popular arcade franchise was inevitably tied in with next year’s Rider show. The CM shown here:
“Rider Strike CCG Trailer”  The above features Riders from both Old and New Gen. The real gimmick for the show is not the cards but the possible return of previous Kamen Riders. Right now as you can see in the above picture, it is probably just the Riders from 2000-2008. Decade is a reference to 10 years of Rider that has been rebooted in early 2000 with Kamen Rider Kuuga.
There’s been a huge wave of complaints about Decade’s design. It does look inferior especially standing beside probably three of the best designed Riders, Kiva, Kuuga and Agito. I for one, don’t hate it. It still has some Rider traits that redeems its pink color scheme and poorly designed mask. The belt is amazing, perhaps the coolest belt in New Gen. Quite frankly designs do not matter to me in the long run, I end up liking every design that I hated or atleast grow to accept it.
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More information and pictures will be coming up and all I can do is sit and absorb all the exciting news that are coming in day by day until its eventual premiere date, possibly in late January. The rumor plot is that Kamen Rider Decade is part of an evil Alien Organization who have sealed up the legendary Kamen Rider powers that have been protecting and defending Japan. Decade uses cards to do this but the powers sealed within the cards overpower him and he learns the ways of a Rider. But as history has taught us, synopsis this early usually are…how can I put this…wrong. And sometimes completely off, but its always fun to post it online and read it 7 months later and laugh at that dumb plot line was. To be honest, I like the storyline and hope the series will mimic this. There’s another rumored plot line that says Decade is a young boy who watches Kamen Rider and somehow attains their power. That one I really don’t want to see green lit.
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So as Kiva winds down soon, and it’s getting good. Be prepare to see a detailed review after the show ends. I will hope to provide my insight and opinion on Decade as we watch a historic anniversary show in the making!
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To begin my coverage of Kamen Rider Decade I would like to post some “New Series Resolution”, which are things I want and hope to see in this new installment:
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Cameo Galore!: It’s always fun to see Toku Alumnis come back to the Tokuworld and do a guest role or even better, have a supporting or leading role in a new series. But this is just an understatement for an anniversary show. This is the first true anniversary show in Kamen Rider history. It’s not just a 30 minute special or a 90 minute movie where the previous Riders are coming back. This is a year long show that is being advertised as a show where ex-Riders make an appearance! Decade MUST and I say MUST get previous actors to come back and reprise their Rider roles. They might not have to be in the show for the length of the series but they need to come back. I have a bad feeling they might not return. Let’s hope its not like the Rider gathering they pulled off in the finale of RX.
- One Rider: This has been overlooked since Agito. I don’t think fans will ever see a Solo rider show again but I believe Decade can pull it off. No, I am not trying to be contradictory about my first point but I think Decade can be alone, with the help of previous Riders and no new Riders in that series.
- Legal Drinking Age (atleast in Japan): We’ve had two years of wimpy Riders. I liked Wataru but still he doesn’t hold up to the Rider persona that I know and love. He’s a great choice for a soap, which Kiva is somewhat like, but please for Decade have someone atleast over 20-21. Let them look atleast mature. This is one I don’t see happening, not just because TOEI is investing big bucks on young pretty boy’s photobooks but if they get the old Rider Sempais, it would make sense to have a young Rider so that the Old Riders can mentor him.
- Kamen Walker Rider: A problem that has been plaguing Rider for almost a decade is the lack of Bike action and just the lack of bike usage (post-Kabuto). Yeah, I am pro-Green, and even though I have said it might be one of the reason for the recent deprivation of bike scene I doubt it really plays a huge role. I mean they probably drive a few vans full of camera crew to the filming location so bike scenes is a must in Decade!
- No Parters:Two parters has been bothering me after seeing Kabuto tanking in its second half. It ruined Den-o for me and hurt Kiva. Two parters just symbolize weak story telling and the lack of care for the series from the staff. It’s really one episode stretched out into two. They save time by writing less and save money by using a monster of the week monster for two weeks. Although this hasn’t been a huge problem in the second half of Kiva, I would really like to see this format dumped. Let’s get back to linear story telling with some two and three parters thrown in along the way.
- MegaRiderZord: Please no Mechas. Denliner and CastleDoran should be the last of its kind in Kamen Rider.
- Rider Action!: The dramatic, cinematic and the action scenes have been declining in quality. Fight scenes have been incredibly mediocre (but to be honest only Kuuga, for me, was amazing). I want AAC Stunts to be involved, just watch clips of THE NEXT, Cutie Honey The Live and GARO and that easily justifies my reasoning. The cinematography and just the generic direction of the episodes are extraordinarily poor. There’s too much “walking down the streets and bumping in to someone”, “getting knocked out before someone Henshins”. This has to go for Decade!.
So that’s all I have to say for now. I think I got a bit carried away and this kinda turned out to be more of my Kiva rant than anything else. Let’s just make this clear, Decade has set lots of high expectations unlike most series this early in production, and the only real thing I am looking for and believe will make Decade to watch is the return of Kuuga through Kiva.
By: Adrienzo
Don’t forget to check out my toy reviews @ OSSIA : www.adrienzo.wordpress.com