Kamen Rider W (Double) - Unexpected Love & Respect
[Spoiler Alert for anyone who hasn't watched Kamen Rider W.]
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| Credit: Toei Tokusatsu World Official |
This year was also the year that I have been a bunch of Tokusatsu shows. Last year, I was rewatching my favourite Power Rangers season (or seasons since its Nickelodeon), Power Rangers Dino Charge. Then to end the year, I watched Power Rangers Dino Fury and Power Rangers Cosmic Fury which are two separate seasons with the same long running story. I saw a taste of Super Sentai with the Power Rangers Fan Made show, Power Rangers Rail Riders which is an fan adaptation of 2014's Ressha Sentai ToQger. Fast forward to this year and I have watched a bunch of Tokusatsu film & TV episodes of the likes of Kamen Rider and Sentai.
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| Credit: Toei Tokusatsu World Official |
The first Tokusatsu show that I have completely finished is Kamen Rider W (Double). W (Double) follows the story of a private detective named Shotaro Hidari, his partner Phillip (or Raito Sonozaki) and their chef, Akiko Narumi of Narumi Detective Agency. I just realized that the initials stand for NDA which is kind of funny. These three alongside the eventual secondary rider in Ryu Terui as they both fight monsters by using Gaia Memories while solving cases in the windy city of Fuuto.
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| Credit: Toei Tokusatsu World Official |
These Gaia Memories are distributed by the Sonozaki Family, which is a underground criminal family organization while running a long standing Museum. This show was the definition of ups and downs like Retro Ups And Downs WCW from WhatCulture. The first half was really fun even though it eventually ended up in Kirihiko Sudo (or Kirihiko Sonozaki)'s death which made actually sad and almost on the verge of tears. The first half of the season focused on Shotaro Hidari while the second half really pushed Phillip and his story to the forefront.
The Sonozaki Family were really great villains. It was a very dated type of villain group even in 2009 - 2010, and it is very outdated in terms of the modern day. However, it really works like meat on a stick for the Detective Theme. I honestly can't recommend this enough. It's not a perfect TV show, but it was a good show. Really good show. The one thing that I can't help, but laugh about it is Saeko Sonozaki's relationships. She has to be the most desirable woman in Fuuto at this point.
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| Credit: Toei Tokusatsu World Official |
Like she would be in love and infatuated with Dr. Shinkuro Isaka and he is a creepy motherfucker. I remember Ep 27 where the case was about the magician's granddaughter, Lily Shirogane being invisible. The amount of jealously this woman had because this man was doing a simple treatment for another Dopant woman was so funny. After Isaka deserving died at the hands of Kamen Rider Accel (Ryu), this woman legit fell to her knees. I took Saeko less seriously after this.
Also shoutout to women in relationships. I think that dudes care more about looks, because if this doesn't prove women can stay for the personality, I don't know what will. Even if it's a creepy and psychopathic one, but still a personality. (Random Tangent Incoming) Also I'm kind of tired of being around dudes if girls get brought up a conversation. It's not that I hate, but if it happens every single day, it's annoying. That's it.
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| Credit: Toei Tokusatsu World Official |
The series has a bunch more since I remember the case with that shit singer Jimmy Nakata. I'm not trying to bash the young man, but the show literally portray him as a shit singer. Like brother, if the first thing I see is an old man using ear plugs and people running in terror before you sing, it's already a problem. The song itself was hilariously bad intentionally. I do like this case since there was really vibrant music throughout Ep 23 - 24 and the singers for the show's opening theme were shown singing, which is always a plus from me. I love W (Double)'s opening theme, so what can I say? I'm a simple man.
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| Credit: Toei Tokusatsu World Official |
Besides the music aspect, this case was honestly making me question a lot about fans who are willing to go that far for the favourites. It follows this middle aged lady named Yukiho Sumita trying to help Jimmy Nakata win a competition by any means possible. She's watched him for a long time as his only fan that even she knows he is quite shit, but stuck by him because she let her smile for the first time in a long time. In turn, she will do anything to make him happy. Even making multiple booklets, being his hypeman and making sure she has money to pay the Dopant to get fav the win.
Obviously at the end, she had to learn that Jimmy Nakata is his own human being and he should put his passion out there. With that, he would also had to deal with the criticism. This eventually happened and it led to both of them working at Sumita's job in the factory.
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| Credit: Crunchyroll |
It seems like the next step is watching those W Return movies before watching anime sequel, Fuuto PI. The reason why I watched Double in the first place was actually because of Fuuto PI. I didn't expect that to love and cherish W (Double) this much. And now that I have completed this TV show from 2009, I feel a strange sense of emptiness inside my body.
That emptiness feels weird for a show like this, and now I am trying to see which Toku shows I have been watching currently to keep my energy in a full stomach. And trust me, it is a lot since I am doing slow and steady with these. There is Super Space Sheriff Gavan Infinity, but I always saw it as a weekend breeze show even though I'm behind. The closest thing I have to committing to a Tokusatsu show is Avataro Sentai Donbrothers (2022) and newly watched Mirai Sentai Timeranger (2000).
In terms of Kamen Rider, the one I'm most ahead is Kamen Rider Zero-One. And it is not by a landslide. I am thinking of trying Kamen Rider Gotchard if I actually want to commit to show like that.
I hope you all have good day and I'll see you next time. HENSHIN!
Kind Regards,
ZERO (or Archer)
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