Henshin History

Podcast: Download Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | RSS THIS WEEK: Sven and Van continue Kikaider 01 (1973) and are introduced to the SHADOW organization. Compelled almost against their will, our hosts are here to dredge out the good points from under a mountain of nonsense. Join them as the hosts are increasingly confused about which show they're covering; the character Gunta will amaze you with his irrelevance; and Big Shadow asks an important question: how many layers of supervillainy are YOU on? The article on ghost stories in Hawaii can be found here. Content note: Episode 12 of Kikaider 01 has instances of animal abuse (in character; no real animals were harmed, etc). TOPICS:* Kikaider 01 (1973) 7-12* Black Dragon, Gattaider, Crimson Tortoise, Ghost Woman, Bakeneko* The curious case of Gill-Hakaider* Discussing Ichiro's signature weakness* Rieko's lack of character, ft. robo-racism* It's Mr. Titan - uh, it's Shadow Knight!* The applications of dramatic irony* In defense of that fucking flute* Amusement park chase montage* Big Shadow's Big Hello* Kikaider's focus on family* Why do we even have that button!?* Underground Japanese Ghost Base* Yokai Murderbots, with guns!* Sidenote: Hawaiian/Japanese cultural overlap* An extraordinarily long con* A very haunted analysis* Cat Orb (corb)* Severed head necromancy* The humanity of being inhuman MUSIC:* “Fight! Seven Riders!! Showa Rider Taisen” – Kamen Rider x Kamen Rider Fourze & OOO: Movie War Megamax* Masato Shimon – “Kikaider 01”* Thomas “Drax” Mogensen – “Happy Happy Christmas”* RIDER CHIPS – “Fight! Seven Riders!” – Pachinko Kamen Rider: Full Throttle NEXT WEEK: Introducing GOD's Chief of Security - Apollo Geist. Twitter | Tumblr | Patreon | Ko-Fi

Podcast: Download Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | RSS THIS WEEK: "Set Up!" This marks the start of Kamen Rider X (1974), featuring the "kaizorg" Keisuke Jin. It just so happens that this series is Sven and Van's blindspot as far as showa goes, so this will be a journey for everyone. Join them as they fret over the darker turns the show takes; a dastardly crossover threatens the hosts where it hurts them the most; the GOD General Commander employs a ruthless real estate genius; the Shakespeare references get out of hand; and Van attempts a goof and botches both the takeoff and the landing in extraordinary fashion. You know what Kamen Rider really needed? More gun. Content warning: Two episodes in this coverage contain depictions of suicide.(Timestamp #1: 2:00:59 - 2:04:46 )(Timestamp #2: 2:07:41 - 2:20:38 ...basically all of ep7.) In general, this coverage contains discussion of abusive family dynamics.  TOPICS:* Kamen Rider X (1974) 1-7* Neptune, Pannic, Hercules, Medusa, Cyclops, Bullman Minotaur, Birdman Icarus* Preamble and Dramatis Personae* The shinwakaijin, or Mythology Monsters* warfarem'n (Warfare Agents)* Keisuke and Keitaro Jin* The Government of Darkness, G.O.D.* Ballistics-proofing with Dr. Sven* Trek sidebar: Why are scientists like this, actually* AI duplicates* Transformation sequences!* Masculinity in Rider* Pragmatism vs humantarianism* Sidebar: Egyptus from 1971* "Alpha Gas"* Highway chase scenes! Budget!!* Forgotten character development* The return of Tobei Tachibana, bike grampa* Mood whiplash!!!* Skull Man flashbacks MUSIC:* “Fight! Seven Riders!! Showa Rider Taisen” – Kamen Rider x Kamen Rider Fourze & OOO: Movie War Megamax* Ichiro Mizuki - "Set Up! Kamen Rider X" and "I Am the X Rider" NEXT WEEK: Farewell, Hakaider Squad, we barely knew ye. Twitter | Tumblr | Patreon | Ko-Fi

Podcast: Download Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | RSS THIS WEEK: "Change 01!" The historians return for more android shenanigans in Kikaider 01, the sequel to Android Kikaider. Not to put too fine a point on it, the show discards its overarcing themes of what it means to be a human in favor of unmitigated nonsense. Does this make it better? The answer may surprise you. Join Van and Sven as they consider the practicality of a solar-powered robot with a battery life of five seconds; Sven has a temporary Dr. Seuss-related mixup; they see prototypical Sentai villain squad dynamics; and they are baffled at the mystery plot surrounding Akira and Rieko. This show... might be a bit stupid. The full series of Kikaider 01 is available legally in the US, once again through Generation Kikaida! TOPICS:* Kikaider 01 (1973) 1-6* Silver Shrimp, Blue Crocodile, Red Centipede* Android Kikaider recap* Dramatis Personae* The Hakaider Squad & Gill-Hakaider* Hiding places for blueprints* Zi-O's "Kamen Rider Kikai"* Seibu-en Amusement Park* The "Four Stage Attack"* Jiro returns* Gunta, a.k.a. discount-Hanpei* Kablam!* Android mook factories* Suit nitpicks * Comparing Rieko and Dr. Komyoji* SATANIC DARKNESS* Everyone loves robovore* Messages in bottles* That goddamned flute* Destron plots...?* Fight choreography and lack of focus MUSIC:* “Fight! Seven Riders!! Showa Rider Taisen” – Kamen Rider x Kamen Rider Fourze & OOO: Movie War Megamax* Masato Shimon - "Kikaider 01"* Thomas "Drax" Mogensen - "Happy Happy Christmas"* RIDER CHIPS – “Fight! Seven Riders!” – Pachinko Kamen Rider: Full Throttle NEXT WEEK: SET UP! Twitter | Tumblr | Patreon | Ko-Fi

Podcast: Download Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | RSS THIS WEEK: Alexa, Sven, and Van wrap up Kamen Rider V3 (1973). While their opinions are largely positive, the final stretch isn't without its share of last-minute curveballs. Join them as they explore Yuki and Great Leader's dynamic; Van's attempts at logic are met with about the reaction you would expect; we discuss the inherent awfulness of starfish and alternate realities; Shiro Kazami almost definitely failed his semester; and they spoil a poignant moment by pointing out just how shortly it sticks. Rest in Tahiti, Joji Yuki. TOPICS:* Kamen Rider V3 (1973) 47-52* Coelacanth Kid, Thorned Starfish, Vampire Chameleon, Zariganna* On the pacing of Showa Rider* Shocker riders! Except worse.* Extremely festive new years' parties* Good cult/bad cult?* Samurai dramas?* Vent Infiltrations and vaccuum chamber escape sequence* Tachibana's contrived talents* John Mulaney* Feelings Beach!* Pretty-boy close-ups* The VATAL BULLET* Far Cry 4* Shocker's image and blood libel* Return Of The Living Dead* The Pluton Rocket* Joji Yuki's "death"* The Great Leader's second so-called demise, and final thoughts* Listener questions: Villain rankings and Rescue Fire MUSIC:* “Fight! Seven Riders!! Showa Rider Taisen” – Kamen Rider x Kamen Rider Fourze & OOO: Movie War Megamax* Ghost - "Con Clavi Con Dio" - Opus Eponymous* Shoji Meguro - "Reverie" - Persona 4: Original Soundtrack* Taco - "Puttin' On The Ritz (by Irving Berlin)" - After Eight* “Won the Lawsuit! ~ The First Victory (English Court Suite)” – Professor Layton vs Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney* Hiroshi Miyauchi - "Fight! Kamen Rider V3" NEXT WEEK: We return to Kikaider. Properly this time. Twitter | Tumblr | Patreon | Ko-Fi

Podcast: Download Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | RSS THIS WEEK: Abandoned by Alexa at the eleventh hour, Van and Sven make the mistake of examining a Cyborg 009 spinoff, here reimagined as the exploitation film 009-1: The End of the Beginning. Join them as Sven scrambles for anything to talk about but the movie itself; the Metal Gear Solid jokes continue unchecked and unabated; Koichi Sakamoto needs to get more raw potatoes in his diet; Van's plot predictions end up right for all the wrong reasons; and at long last, Sven finds his hill to die on. Content warning: This film contains gratuitous blood & gore, non-explicit sex, sexual assault, suicide, and incest. TOPICS:* 009-1: The End of the Beginning (2013)* The premise of 009-1* Koichi Sakamoto* Dramatis Personae* Human trafficking, homicide, and titty bars* Mylene's story* Dr. Klein's inept hostage situation* The kind of really misogynistic nature of the movie* PS2 CGI helicopters* Calling Mylene a "monster"* Deus Ex: Human Revolution & Mass Effect* Fake pool lesbian party* Swimming pool fight scenes that refuse to do Scarface* Silent Hill* The worst scene in the movie* Chris's contradictory (and deeply creepy) motives* Forgotten character development* Post-credit stingers of no significance MUSIC:* “Fight! Seven Riders!! Showa Rider Taisen” – Kamen Rider x Kamen Rider Fourze & OOO: Movie War Megamax* RIDER CHIPS – “Fight! Seven Riders!” – Pachinko Kamen Rider: Full Throttle NEXT WEEK: The end of Kamen Rider V3. Twitter | Tumblr | Patreon | Ko-Fi

Podcast: Download Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | RSS THIS WEEK: After scheduling conflicts, work issues, technical difficulties, and one instance of the plague, Sven and Van have returned from the holidays to begin the final act of Kamen Rider V3. Join them as they discuss the reasoning behind the remake-episodes; monsters being late for their own hijinks; Sven's dark backstory coming to light, one cult reference at a time; how incredibly gross and terrifying Snail-Man's premise is; and a reiteration of the counterculture inherent in Rider's DNA. Note: It has now been 0 episodes since the podcast has had to talk about vore. TOPICS:* Kamen Rider V3 (1973) 41-46* Garumazillon, Snail-Man, Sickle-Neck Turtle, Rhino Tank* Marshal Armor & Riderman* Remake Episodes!* The politics of Destron* Sven's cult psychology sidebar* Bat Man remake #2* Everyone loves Junji Ito body horror* Tarot trivia* Joji Yuki's transformation* Rider vs Rider throwdowns* Disability and cyborgs in fiction* Destron Youth: 100% less brainwashing, 100% more trauma* Rider showdowns & Yuki's indoctrination* A sudden but inevitable betrayal* N... nakama?* Obvious traps and stubborn reconciliations MUSIC:* “Fight! Seven Riders!! Showa Rider Taisen” – Kamen Rider x Kamen Rider Fourze & OOO: Movie War Megamax* Hiroshi Miyauchi – “Fight! Kamen Rider V3”* Masato Shimon, feat. the Columbia Yurikago Children's Choir - "Run, Hurricane" NEXT WEEK: Not quite revisiting Cyborg 009. Twitter | Tumblr | Patreon | Ko-Fi

Podcast: Download Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | RSS THIS WEEK: Sven and Van bring you a wonderful Christmas special about a classic Japanese horror flick and its commentary on post-WWII Japanese society! Hooray! Sven's facial blindness eclipses Van's; we chat about the strong points of visual storytelling; we have a lengthy sidebar on nuclear radiation in Japanese and Western fiction; we realize one of our favorite video games has to be referencing the very movie we're covering; Van curses Sven with forbidden biology; and, for the love of Christmas, don't let it set in! Remember to check out Kaijucast!

Podcast: Download Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | RSS THIS WEEK: In their continuing coverage of Kamen Rider V3, the Historians move on from the unfortunate Baron Tusk to the nonentity that is Archbishop Wing. This is, sadly, an improvement. Alexa would be rather eating some potate; we cover not one but two of the most iconic 70s Showa rider shitposts; the show starts to get really self-referential; Van desperately tries to cling to reality; Alexa's references get goofier by the second; and we all have a soft spot for a certain man in gauze (a man in gauze!). Happy Hanukkah, everyone! The comic "Lone Wolf and Cub" is referenced during this week's V3 coverage. It is available online and in English from Dark Horse Comics, via Comixology! TOPICS:* The upcoming Kishiryu Sentai Ryusouger* Kamen Rider V3 (1973) 36-40* Flame Condor, Kodama Flying Squirrel, Poison Mothia, Cannibal Banana Plant, Zombie Bat* Archbishop Tsubasa/Archbishop Wing* Producer Tohru Hirayama's notes on Baron Tusk and Archbishop Wing* History lesson: The Mad Baron* Vampire priests* Manos: The Hands of Fate* Courage The Cowardly Dog* Tachibana's special training* Great Leader: the worst boss* Tourist attraction trivia* Operation: Flying Squirrel* Skeleton discrimination* Lone Wolf and Cub* The Venture Bros* Shiro Kazami's progressively worse condition* Throwback episodes!* Discussing Tachibana's "tough love"* Listener questions: Shocker & Destron Discord channels MUSIC:* “Fight! Seven Riders!! Showa Rider Taisen” – Kamen Rider x Kamen Rider Fourze & OOO: Movie War Megamax* The Kelly Family - "Main Theme" - Mystic Knights of Tir Na Nog* Hiroshi Miyauchi – “Fight! Kamen Rider V3”* Ichiro Mizuki, feat. the Columbia Yurikago Children’s Choir – “Song of the Kamen Rider Scouts” NEXT WEEK: Something completely different.  Twitter | Tumblr | Patreon | Ko-Fi

Podcast: Download Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | RSS THIS WEEK: Sven and Van cover the second half of the 1973 Inazuman TV series, and Ishinomori's manga of the same name. Goro Watari and Saburo Kazeda gear up to fight their iterations of Emperor Banba. Things get weird. We discuss Ishinomori's peculiarities; Goro Watari cannot transform in the frozen time; there's a prolonged awkward mutual striptease; and Van dies live on air as things get to levels of incoherency rarely seen on the podcast. Inazuman sure was something. The Inazuman manga is available on Comixology, and the TV show on Generation Kikaida!  The short story Van mentions is "I Just Think It Will Happen, Soon" by Rebecca Campbell. TOPICS:* Inazuman (1973) 11-25 (sort of), Vol 3-4* Impressions of the TV show, good and bad* Introducing: the new fiend* The lewdness in the manga* Psychic lobotomies* Ishinomori's beliefs?* The Men Who Stare At Goats* Aliens (yet again)! Werewolves! Crossovers!* Awkward teenage conversations* More goddamn volcano plots* War Of The Worlds* Teleport chase sequences* For whose sake?* Biotruths???* MECHA DRAGON* Ruby's arc* Psychoknives* The goddamned moon* Final thoughts & Ishinomori's influence MUSIC:* “Fight! Seven Riders!! Showa Rider Taisen” – Kamen Rider x Kamen Rider Fourze & OOO: Movie War Megamax* Mark Snow – “Material Primoris: The X-Files Theme” – The X-Files* Masato Shimon, feat. the Columbia Yurikago Children's Choir - "Fight! Inazuman" NEXT WEEK: What you've all been waiting for. Twitter | Tumblr | Patreon | Ko-Fi

Podcast: Download Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | RSS THIS WEEK: Van and Sven are left to their own devices to examine the unfortunate Baron Tusk and all the unpleasantness within his arc. In this episode, Sven's preferences are outted; props are broken; patience is tested; Sven's vision problems count as weighted armor; the two northern-living members of the podcast get real picky about snow effects; Van takes a trip down Rider's shared timeline; a lot of really great questions are asked; and we are very tired of saying the word "doovoo". TOPICS:* Kamen Rider V3 (1973) 31-35* Skull Warthog, Onibi Walrus, Snow Wolf, Primordial Tiger, Vampiric Mammoth* Baron Tusk, the "Doovoo" witch doctor* Skeleton Warriors!* A tangent on voodoo zombies* Tuxedos...?* Doppleganger plots!* Ken Sakuma as a discount Taki* Ghostlight effects* Weirdly poignant death scenes* Photochemical smog* Junko's questionable friend circle* Continuity re: weaknesses* The Double Riders return!* Timeline trouble with the Primordial Tiger* Combination attacks!* Particularly gruesome practical effects* A chain of incredibly deadly ruses* The good and the bad (mostly bad) of Baron Tusk* Listener questions: Rider professions MUSIC:* “Fight! Seven Riders!! Showa Rider Taisen” – Kamen Rider x Kamen Rider Fourze & OOO: Movie War Megamax* Hiroshi Miyauchi – “Fight! Kamen Rider V3”* Jin, feat. Shoichi Taguchi - "Kagerou Days" - Mekakucity Actors* Ichiro Mizuki, feat. the Columbia Yurikago Children’s Choir – “Song of the Kamen Rider Scouts” NEXT WEEK: The... uh... end... of Inazuman. Twitter | Tumblr | Patreon | Ko-Fi

Podcast:  Download Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | RSS THIS WEEK: Summon Supreme Power...? Not quite! Van and Sven try something a little different, as they compare the 1973 show Inazuman with the Shotaro Ishinomori manga. The Historians follow the stories of Goro Watari and Saburo Kazeda, as they point out the shoehorning of formula; the horrors of noclip are observed at length; neither Van or Sven understand what priests are; they mark out over ridiculous psychic duels; Sven gets freaked out by shaved eyebrows; and, according to the Historians, at least one of them has a PhD in Draculas. The Inazuman manga is available on Comixology, and the TV show on Generation Kikaida! Content note: The manga contains depictions of sexual harassment and attempted assault. There's also a non-explicit scene with a teacher in a relationship with a minor/student (we gloss over it, but timestamps to skip: 1:41:00 - 1:42:00). TOPICS:* Inazuman (1973) 1-10 (sorta), Volumes 1-2 * The Toei tokusatsu formula * The superhuman's so-called burden* Dramatis Personae* The problems With the Inazuman TV series* Protagonists: Saburo vs Goro* Costume complaints* Inazuman's predecessor: Mutant Sabu* Shinjinrui* Mobile Suit Gundam* Psychic murder teachers & psychic trickster bullshit* Zambies* Evil Psychic Swordplay(tm)* Psychic cheatypants duels* Saburo's mother* "Visual" echoes* Real(?) psychic terminology* The "future" of humanity* Saburo's declaration* Listener question: favorite Hakaider inspirations MUSIC:* "Fight! Seven Riders!! Showa Rider Taisen" - Kamen Rider x Kamen Rider Fourze & OOO: Movie War Megamax* Mob Choir - "99" - Mob Psycho 100* Masato Shimon, feat. the Columbia Yurikago Children's Choir - "Fight! Inazuman" NEXT WEEK: Baron Tusk's tenure as a Destron commander. Oh dear god. Twitter | Tumblr | Patreon | Ko-Fi

Podcast:  Download Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | RSS THIS WEEK: The gang reconvenes with Kamen Rider V3. A number of familiar faces return to grace us with their presence and we close out Doktor G's tenure on the show. In addition to that, a joke dies live on podcast; the show tries (poorly) to introduce new merch; Van gives us a helpful(?) driving PSA; Sven forgets what object permanence means; petty office politics return; V3's bodycount gets downright ludicrous; and you really don't wanna know what Doktor G's opinions of Tom Clancy are. TOPICS:* Kamen Rider V3 (1973) 25-30* Mantis-Merang, Heater-Cicada, Iron Ring Beetle (w/Revived Shocker Cyborg Quartet), Camera Mosquito, Crab Laser* Bigfoot hunting* Codename: Kids Next Door* "Scramble Hopper"* Batman Begins* human mummification formula* Higurashi: When They Cry* More ruses!* All the warriors, Shocker edition* The decay of showa suits* Return of Taro Marketing-san* Body counts in V3* Shitty office politics, Part 2* Interpol's "Destron Hunters"* Borderlands* Doktor G's final mission* On parents in Kamen Rider MUSIC:* “Fight! Seven Riders!! Showa Rider Taisen” – Kamen Rider x Kamen Rider Fourze & OOO: Movie War Megamax* Hiroshi Miyauchi – “Fight! Kamen Rider V3”* Reel Big Fish - "Sell Out" - Turn The Radio Off* Ichiro Mizuki feat. the Columbia Yurikago Children’s Choir – “Song of the Kamen Rider Scouts” NEXT WEEK: Generational conflict, paranoid delusion, growing concerns over the rapid destruction of the environment, cheatypants psychic mutant battles: It's time for Inazuman! Sort of. You'll see. Twitter | Tumblr | Patreon | Ko-Fi

Podcast:  Download Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | RSS THIS WEEK: Tara joins us for the surreal 1995 film Mechanical Violator Hakaider, to once again discuss angry allegorical antiheroes fighting god. In addition to that, Sven and Van's pasts come back to haunt them; we talk Amemiya's pre-GARO aesthetics; Hakaider forgot how to dodge; old jokes are taken out of retirement for one last ride; everyone's back on their bullshit, and if there's anything we hoped you've learned on this show, it's to be gay and kill God. Content warning: Mechanical Violator Hakaider contains depictions of gore, attempted suicide, and (non-explicit but still on-screen) lobotomy. Our guest is Tara Wrist (@ae2501maeth on Twitter, tarawrist on Patreon). Check out her article on DOOM, All Their Engines on Bullet Points Monthly, and her short story collection SO PUSH YOUR FACE INTO THE MIRROR UNTIL IT BREAKS! TOPICS:* Mechanical Violator Hakaider (1995)* Compare & contrast with Kikaider: Reboot* Red Hood and The Outlaws* Fist Of The North Star* Black and white aesthetics* "Jesus Town"* Otherworldliness of 90s CGI effects* Amemiya and GARO* Gurjev and Michael* Batman vs Superman* Big bike chase scenes!* The Good Place* The rebel base; postapocalyptic tyranny* Mechanical Violator's take on Hakaider's tragedy* Toshiki Inoue* Ideological motives* Kaoru's role* Guardians of the Galaxy & Escape From New York* Hakaider vs Michael; Michael's connections to Jiro* Why does Japan want to kill God* Postmortem and Mega Man Zero* English dub trivia MUSIC:* “Fight! Seven Riders!! Showa Rider Taisen” – Kamen Rider x Kamen Rider Fourze & OOO: Movie War Megamax* Nine Inch Nails - "Terrible Lie" - Pretty Hate Machine* Ichiro Kageyama - "A Cruel Angel's Thesis" - Neon Genesis Evangelion NEXT WEEK: Some old faces make a comeback to attend Doktor G's book club. Twitter | Tumblr | Patreon | Ko-Fi

Podcast:  Download Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | RSS THIS WEEK: Things get goofy with Kamen Rider V3, and we get to see the first Destron commander, Doktor G, in full swing. Sven gets hypertechnical about sci-fi tech; V3 goes for a refreshing dip in the ocean (again, and again, and again); we debate cartoon physics and Destron's in-house antidotes; we take an awkward visit to Rider Scout Boot Camp; we take an even more uncomfortable detour regarding villains with mental disabilities; and while none of Destron's plots make a lick of scientific sense... well, the theory is sound.  TOPICS:* Kamen Rider V3 (1973) 19-24* Blowfish Apache, Guillotine-Saurus, Syringe Spider, Speargun Sealion, Propeller Kabuto, Cockroach Spike* Chatting about The Magnus Archives* Destron's philosophies* Battering ram tactics* Electromagnetic barrier physics w/Dr. Sven* Beach skeletons* Red Bone Power(tm)* Cruise ships and MIB* The return(?) of the Double Riders* Mind control plots. Oh how we missed you.* The "SS Device"* Subterfuge shenanigans* Artificial gravity chambers* Maximum irresponsibility* Folk songs are distressing and creepy worldwide* Blood-powered cyborgs & origins of vampirism* Orphan percentiles* Listener questions: Hypothetical dub VAs MUSIC:* “Fight! Seven Riders!! Showa Rider Taisen” – Kamen Rider x Kamen Rider Fourze & OOO: Movie War Megamax* Hiroshi Miyauchi – “Fight! Kamen Rider V3”* Ichiro Mizuki feat. the Columbia Yurikago Children’s Choir – “Song of the Kamen Rider Scouts” NEXT WEEK: A guest returns, as things take a turn for the surreal in Mechanical Violator Hakaider! Twitter | Tumblr | Patreon | Ko-Fi

Podcast:  Download Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | RSS THIS WEEK: Sven and Van delve into the 2014 film, Kikaider: REBOOT. Salt stocks have never been higher as their cups boil over. Our podcasters are fooled by goatees, Sven's childhood comes back in the strangest way; Ishinomori villain motives are brought up and then summarily ignored; an infamous Kickstarter kerfuffle gets dredged up; our hosts' friendship is based on being smad on behalf of robots, and it's not just the movie which ends up unravelling at its seams. TOPICS:* Kikaider: REBOOT (2014)* Cast & crew* Bijinder/Mari* The conscience circuit & facial recognition* Komyoji & Gill / Light & Wily* Mitsuko's interpretation* The vertical slice movie scene* Kikaider's 2014 redesign* Budget-busting Metal Gear* Gill's convictions* Mega Man X* Nanocrystal displays* Jiro's character: then and now* Old man tastes* Daisuke Ban's cameo role* Kickstarter nonstarters* Gill's transformation and motives* On love and compassion* Kikaider's will to fight/the conscience circuit scene* Final thoughts and feelings MUSIC:* “Fight! Seven Riders!! Showa Rider Taisen” – Kamen Rider x Kamen Rider Fourze & OOO: Movie War Megamax* The Collectors - "Go Go Kikaider" NEXT WEEK: V3 finally hears from his rider senpais. Twitter | Tumblr | Patreon | Ko-Fi

Podcast:  Download Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | RSS THIS WEEK: Doktor John Darksou-- uh, Doktor G graces fellow non-doctors, Sven Michel and Van Ong, with his presence in Kamen Rider V3. In addition to that, we debate the possible intervention of moral guardians; the convoluted timeline that is Toei's shared properties; maybe our real weaknesses were the friends we made along the way; Sven gets mad about Battlemech loadouts; overconfidence is a slow and insidious killer, and remember: the following podcast you are about to listen to is canon. The puzzle channel Van mentions is FLEB on youtube. Check out the Xbox Puzzle video when you have a minute, it's pretty cool stuff. TOPICS:* Kamen Rider V3 (1973) 13-18* Magnet Boar, Toad Boiler, Burner Bat, Missile Gecko, Spray Rat, Chain-sickle Ladybug* Doktor G* Folklore cryptid episode; "Just As Keikaku"* Reverse Double Typhoon* V3's four weaknesses* The Toei Cinematic Universe* Kamikaze tactics* Destron fugitive Hideo Kojima* What the Double Riders have been up to* Gun's* Disguise tech* Tachibana's Character* XCOM* Spooky weddings: pt. 2* Osmosis Jones* Ruses!* Gross escapes* Sudden but inevitable betrayals* Listener question: Rider teleporting* Kishiryu Sentai Ryusouger MUSIC:* “Fight! Seven Riders!! Showa Rider Taisen” – Kamen Rider x Kamen Rider Fourze & OOO: Movie War Megamax* Hiroshi Miyauchi – “Fight! Kamen Rider V3”* Ichiro Mizuki feat. the Columbia Yurikago Children’s Choir – “Song of the Kamen Rider Scouts” NEXT WEEK: Frustration boils over in Kikaider REBOOT. Twitter | Tumblr | Patreon | Ko-Fi

Podcast:  Download Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | RSS THIS WEEK: With Alexa down due to a case of chronic demon possession, it falls to Sven and Van to cover the end of Android Kikaider (1972). As promised, the show ends with a bang... but is it enough? Frustrations begin to mount; Sven's an absolute donut; minds are boggled and senses befuddled; the finale gets explosive; forty-some episodes later and that goddamned flute gets what's coming to it; anime is still a mistake; and the hardest part truly was getting the brain out! TOPICS:* Android Kikaider (1972) 39-43* Angler Brown, Grasshopper Gray, Red Mine Toad, Hakaider, Skeleton Flying Squirrel* On the finale sticking the landing* DARK aping Shocker* Miscommunication & distrust continue. Yay.* The Death Whistle* Android Kikaider's pacing* Archie Comics' Mega Man* The worst scene* Suit & monster designs in this show* Escalation between Hakaider & Kikaider* Cowardice as a narrative tool* Certain overkill* Saburo's rebellion and breakdown* Out-of-suit fights!!!* Hanpei's heroic shenanigans* The restoration of Dr. Komyoji* The finale* Wrap-up and final thoughts* What are we doing next? MUSIC:* “Fight! Seven Riders!! Showa Rider Taisen” – Kamen Rider x Kamen Rider Fourze & OOO: Movie War Megamax* Merv Griffin – “Think!” – Jeopardy* "Rank E" - Sonic Unleashed* "Won the Lawsuit! ~ The First Victory (English Court Suite)" - Professor Layton vs Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney* Yuuki Hide - “Go Go Kikaider” NEXT WEEK: Doktor. Twitter | Tumblr | Patreon | Ko-Fi

Podcast:  Download Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | RSS THIS WEEK: The crew continue on Kamen Rider V3's nonsense road, as they enjoy the twists the show puts on the formula... while lampooning the skeezy romantic tropes on display. In addition, Little Mac dies valiantly; Alexa talks kids' fashion; Red Lamp Power is the Kaio-Ken; we have perhaps confused certain algorithms due to one too many wrestling jokes; we are deeply concerned about the ongoing actions of the Rider Scouts, and you should BUY SUZUKI BIKES. TOPICS:* Kamen Rider V3 (1973) 7-12* Knife Armadillo, Chainsaw Lizard, Lens Ant, Razor Starfish, Pickaxe Shark, Drill Mole* Shiro Kazami & Ryu Terui* Necromantic surgery* Hajime No Ippo cameo* Tachibana's special combat training* The Rider Squad is somewhat irresponsible as a concept* Motocross champeenship, brought to you by Suzuki* Monster theming (Lens Ant)* Marvel's Thunderiders* Bike physics & power creep* Manos: The Hands Of Fate* On the biweekly format* Shitass chinpira dude* V3 and "selfless revenge"* Mobile Suit Gundam* Cursed rings and skull-themed wedding* Lois Lane gaslighting* Listener question: Suit aesthetics! MUSIC:* “Fight! Seven Riders!! Showa Rider Taisen” – Kamen Rider x Kamen Rider Fourze & OOO: Movie War Megamax* Hiroshi Miyauchi – “Fight! Kamen Rider V3”* Ichiro Mizuki feat. the Columbia Yurikago Children’s Choir – “Song of the Kamen Rider Scouts” NEXT WEEK: Kikaider's finale. Twitter | Tumblr | Patreon | Ko-Fi

Podcast:  Download Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | RSS THIS WEEK: After some judicious fast-forwarding, we're leading up to the finale of Android Kikaider. This week, the gang tackles the introduction to Jiro's iconic rival, Hakaider! In addition, we discuss what we like (and dislike) about Kikaider so far; DARK needs money; we deal with miscommunications abound; we discuss insanity pleas, property law, and Star Trek: The Next Generation; Alexa completely annihilates our outro; and Kikaider just has TOO MUCH HIGH POWER, MAN. TOPICS:* Android Kikaider (1972) 35-38* Black Crow, Stag Beetle Blue, Starfish Purple, Hakaider* Why we're jumping ahead; series thoughts thus far* The skipped episodes* The Birds & Birdemic* Ninja clown magic* Power-line power-ups* Shin vs Neo Getter Robo* The Demon Circuit* SOS brain signals* Jiro's short-out & ensuing reputation decay* Mari vs. Hanpei as secondary characters* Miscommunication station* Casual child kidnappings* "The measure of a man"* Rumors: Kikaider, Star Wars, Robocop, & Space Sheriff Gavan* Hakaider vs. Kikaider* Saburo, Ichiro, and Protoman* The truth(?) behind Hakaider MUSIC:* “Fight! Seven Riders!! Showa Rider Taisen” – Kamen Rider x Kamen Rider Fourze & OOO: Movie War Megamax* Yuuki Hide - “Go Go Kikaider” * The Swingers - "Dark Rock"* Ichiro Mizuki - "Hakaider's Song" NEXT WEEK: Satanic ritual weddings and wrecking-ball training sequences. Twitter | Tumblr | Patreon | Ko-Fi

Podcast:  Download Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | RSS THIS WEEK: "Henshin... V3!" With the original series behind them, the crew looks forward to tackling the house built upon Showa Rider's foundations in Kamen Rider V3! In addition, Great Leader's death stuck for all of five minutes; Sven is stupefied by Hongo's fashion choices; we gush over every single monster suit for once; the real Tachibana would never pass up an opportunity to die; we have to explain an old joke; safety has never been LESS guaranteed, and since the day Machinegun-Snake manifested in our houses, we have not known peace. If you're interested in Kamen Rider V3, you can purchase the full DVD boxset from Generation Kikaida! TOPICS:* Kamen Rider V3 (1973) 1-6* Scissors-Jaguar, Turtle-Bazooka, TV-Fly, Squid-Fire, Machinegun-Snake, Hammer-Jellyfish* Series introductions, broadcasting minutiae, & dramatis personae* The origins of Kamen Rider 3* Sewer crabs!* Rambo (2008)* Return of Shocker combatmn* The responsibility and burden of being a Rider* Hongo "Galaxy Brain" Takeshi* It's not about revenge* Transformation sequence* V3's 26 secrets* ...continuity?* Old Fourze jokes* Tachibana's sporting goods store* On the Cast being competent* The flamethrower scene* Amnesia hypno-plots* Visual storytelling???* V3's weakness: GUN* Telltale's The Walking Dead* On the nobility of the common man MUSIC:* “Fight! Seven Riders!! Showa Rider Taisen” – Kamen Rider x Kamen Rider Fourze & OOO: Movie War Megamax* Hiroshi Miyauchi - "Fight! Kamen Rider V3"* Lebo M - "He Lives In You" - Rhythm of the Pride Lands* Ichiro Mizuki feat. the Columbia Yurikago Children's Choir - "Song of the Kamen Rider Scouts" NEXT WEEK: Kikaider has a plot. Maybe. We think. Twitter | Tumblr | Patreon | Ko-Fi

Podcast:  Download Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | RSS THIS WEEK: Alexa straight-up abandons Sven and Van to their fate: Continuing their coverage of Kikaider as they face to reality and realize the show has nosedived. In addition, Van's brain is melting; Komyoji's cryptidness has only gotten worse; Hanpei is trying, possibly; there's pockets fulla monkey's paws; the last episode in this stretch is really really gross; frustrations with romantic dynamics reach a fever pitch, and Sven would rather have nothing. TOPICS:* Android Kikaider (1972) 19-24* King Crab Maroon, Blue Water Scorpion, Purple Rat, White Sawshark, Yellow Antlion Siblings, Pink Armadillo* The state of Android Kikaider* Mega Man 11 (!!!)* Why DARK's androids look like that (maybe)* Sci-fi emerald detectors* Souped-up death-rays for style points* Private investigator (self-proclaimed): Hanpei's character drift* "Skull weed"* Incompetence (ft. Blue Water Scorpion)* Dr. Sven on broken bones and civic engineering* Suit design rants: tails???* Nonsense villain plots* :thinkaider:* Sven rants about music* Wedding sabotage* The problem with Mitsuko and Jiro's relationship* Non-alphabetical alphabet attack* Silver Age fake-outs* The Unnecessarily Sexist Episode MUSIC:* “Fight! Seven Riders!! Showa Rider Taisen” – Kamen Rider x Kamen Rider Fourze & OOO: Movie War Megamax* Yuuki Hide – “Go Go Kikaider” and “Fight! Android Kikaider” NEXT WEEK: All of Hongo's skill, all of Hayato's strength, neither of their smarts! The man, the myth, the legend: Kamen Rider V3! Twitter | Tumblr | Patreon | Ko-Fi

Podcast:  Download Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | RSS THIS WEEK: the Historians come together for the grand finale of 1971's Kamen Rider, as they get into their opinions on the franchise's foundations, while dragging each other for terrible improv (and for not yet finishing Legend of the Galactic Heroes). In addition, Alexa remembered the existence of Kamen Rider G; the Shocker Riders' cosplay efforts are less that 100% accurate; operations have never been more clownshoes, Tachibana's hand is a cactus; the trio expound on all you need to know about the franchise's biggest of bads; and really, when you think about it, what Kamen Rider really needed was a lot more leeches. TOPICS:* Kamen Rider (1971) 92-98* Flycatcher Bee, Stingray Moth, Slug Mushroom, Crow Ox, Cactus Bat, Leech Chameleon, Shocker Riders* NJPW's Golden Lovers* The Anti-Shocker Alliance* Shocker Strong Style* Double-bluffs and subterfuge* Gel-Shocker weekend retreats* Double-Rider transformations* Blackadder Goes Forth* Kamen Rider W* Speedster cyclones* Devil's Fog* Racing Sentai Carranger* Operation: Humanity Cactification...?* Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain* Suit actor trivia* Doctor D* The Hayato conundrum* General Black's true form* Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed* The end of Gel-Shocker & Great Leader's identity* 1956's Forbidden Planet and 20th Century Boys* Conclusions and final thoughts MUSIC:* “Fight! Seven Riders!! Showa Rider Taisen” – Kamen Rider x Kamen Rider Fourze & OOO: Movie War Megamax* "Let's Go!! Rider Kick(Instrumental)" and "End of the Nightmare" - Kamen Rider 1971 BGM Complete Song Collection* "Won the Lawsuit! ~ The First Victory (English Court Suite)" - Professor Layton vs Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney* Hiroshi Fujioka - "Let's Go!! Rider Kick" NEXT WEEK: Suffering, featuring Android Kikaider.  Twitter | Tumblr | Patreon | Ko-Fi

Podcast:  Download Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | RSS THIS WEEK: Van and Sven work through begin the middle stretch of Android Kikaider, desperately hoping the show holds its rickety self together. In addition, anti-clown sentiments get brazenly exposed; Sven shares a story about the unluckiest person he's ever met; Professor Gill wastes his resources worse than Shocker does; we debate the effectiveness of cost-saving measures in tokusatsu, Van's words are cursed, Sven reaches peak Monarch, and for god's sake, don't look at the seams! TOPICS:* Android Kikaider (1972) 13-18* Pink Tiger, Silver Tortoise, Golden Bat, Crimson/Rouge Jellyfish, Red Hornet, Black Chameleon* Yokohama Dreamland* Jinbei the saddest clown* Professor Gill: Scraggly Dracula* Sad android torture* Spite as a watermark of sapience* Reused footage!* Goldenbatmania!* The third Komyoji sibling* Environmentalism and important PSAs* The marketability of evil* Marine biology subcorner!* Acknowledging the dangers in the world* DEADLY MURDER SMOG (pt 2) (bonus: Joker gas)* Return of Uratonium(?)* The last of Toei's budget* Jeff Jarret & Legends of the Hidden Temple MUSIC:* “Fight! Seven Riders!! Showa Rider Taisen” – Kamen Rider x Kamen Rider Fourze & OOO: Movie War Megamax* "Theme Song" - Captain Planet and the Planeteers* Yuuki Hide – “Go Go Kikaider” and “Fight! Android Kikaider” NEXT WEEK: It's been a long time coming, but here we are: The end of 1971's Kamen Rider. Twitter | Tumblr | Patreon | Ko-Fi

Podcast:  Download Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | RSS THIS WEEK: Sven and Van do their best to build up the second-last batch of Kamen Rider (1971), despite the show being what it is. Between spooky cat paintings and nuclear-powered bikes, what could go wrong? In addition, we get tripped up by flashback fashion details; Sven indulges his inner fan of Fleischer Superman; Van indulges their love of terrible puns; we all have a bad time with fake blindness; and when this series hits 88 episodes - well, you know. TOPICS:* Kamen Rider (1971) 86-91* Eaglemantis, Kumolion, Catgecko, Canarycobra, Nezucondor, Centipede-Tiger* Hongo can't catch a break* Gel-Shocker's gruesomeness* Consistently inconsistent flashbacks* Death threat greeting cards!* Blatantly magic paintings* Physics With Van Ong* On the suspension of disbelief* Music changes!* Actually... informing the public?* Fake (and not-so-fake) injuries* Recycled vampire zombie virus plot (pt. 3?)* Eyeball squick* Shocker Youth, once more* Hongo's isolation* The "Hope" of Gel-Shocker* Prey & Dead Space* Roundtable: Leading up to the finale* Timeline troubles & Heisei's Foundation X MUSIC:* “Fight! Seven Riders!! Showa Rider Taisen” – Kamen Rider x Kamen Rider Fourze & OOO: Movie War Megamax* M|O|O|N - "Hydrogen" - Hotline Miami Original Soundtrack* Masato Shimon - "Rider Action" and "Lonely Kamen Rider" NEXT WEEK: Revived androids and rehashed formulas - the early signs of Kikaider's growing pains. Twitter | Tumblr | Patreon | Ko-Fi

Podcast: Download Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | RSS THIS WEEK: Sven and Van cover for Alexa coming down with a case of haunted lungs, as we see the rest of the first 13 Destructoids. In addition to that, Van conjures up the most hellish image possible; we keep a running tally of dismemberments; Sven's origins are revealed at gunpoint; Dr. Komyoji is a certified cryptid; there is yet another rant on how extraordinarily dangerous vehicular accidents are, and we figured out the androidmen's favorite game - bet you can guess! The amnesiac pianist Van mentions is Clive Wearing. Also mentioned is Sparrow Hill Road by Seanan McGuire, if you like spooky hitchhikers. TOPICS:* Android Kikaider (1972) 7-12* Blues Kong, Carmine Spider, Red Condor, Scorpion Brown, Gold Wolf, Silver Cat* Monster Factory & terrible costume designs* Evil super-scientist procedures* Kikaider's diminishing budget* Return of blood theft (bleft)* FYGM* Boy scout trail markings* Indigo children?* Killing & stepford-wifing entire villages* Komyoji's characterization* Ｔｈｅｒｍｏｌｕｍｉｎｅｓｃｅｎｔ Ｅｎｅｒｇｙ* Scientific academia is a goddamn wasteland* Extremely sad robots ft. Gold Wolf* Komyoji's (somewhat) realistic amnesia* Wine fraud* Magic robots* The conscience circuit dilemma & Isaac Asimov* Spooky girl hitchhikers* Roundtable on Kikaider's formula MUSIC:* “Fight! Seven Riders!! Showa Rider Taisen” – Kamen Rider x Kamen Rider Fourze & OOO: Movie War Megamax* "Rank E" - Sonic Unleashed* Yuuki Hide – “Go Go Kikaider” and “Fight! Android Kikaider” NEXT WEEK: We cover the last few throwaway plots before things get serious. Our penultimate coverage of Rider '71. Twitter | Tumblr | Patreon | Ko-Fi

Podcast: Download Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | RSS THIS WEEK: The trio introduce Gel-Shocker, who are... about as competent as the old Shocker, but with more ruthlessness added to the mix. In addition, we have an honest and earnest discussion of the differences between Nazi ideology and general-purpose fascism; Gel-Shocker's combatmen work off college rules; Alexa loses her shit over monster names; we get to see Ishinomori's personal hand directing the show, and take note: Show up at the fight quarry in thirty minutes if you want an ass-kicking! (Note: We are still relying on Craigbot this week, with some unavoidable clicking due to connectivity issues. We'll return to microphone recording as soon as we can.) TOPICS:* Kamen Rider (1971) 80-85* Ganikomol, Scorpionlizard, Jellyfishwolf, Inokabuton, Anemonejaguar, Morayturtlez* Looking Ahead: Kamen Rider Zi-O* New Combatmen* Fashion choices* Shocker shedding its identity* General Black* Wolfenstein: The New Order* The Death of Kamen Rider!? (no)* OH NO JC A BOMB* Nazi ideology vs fascism in Shocker* Yet another electricity monster plot* Wheel skeleton!* Ishinomori's brand of cinematography* Pollution-based toku monsters* Artisanally crafted sludge* Rider Youth orphans* Let's Go Kamen Riders* The Headless Horseman* Listener question: South American Cyborg 009 MUSIC:* “Fight! Seven Riders!! Showa Rider Taisen” – Kamen Rider x Kamen Rider Fourze & OOO: Movie War Megamax* Ron Wasserman - "Go Go Power Rangers (Zeo Version)" - Power Rangers Zeo* Masato Shimon - "Let's Go! Rider Kick" and "Rider Action" NEXT WEEK: Blood-powered superweapons! Business as usual. Twitter | Tumblr | Patreon | Ko-Fi

Podcast: Download Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | RSS THIS WEEK: "Those born of DARK must return to DARK!" Alexa broadcasts in LIVE from MURDER MOUNTAIN (the mountain that murders) as we follow the trail of the mechanical man Jiro, Android Kikaider! In addition, we have an official helicopter sighting; Jiro enjoys backflipping away from fights that he started; we debate the morality of an incomplete conscience circuit; we try out some new voicework; and FOOL! Professor Gill toots as he pleases! If you're interested in Android Kikaider, you can read the original Ishinomori manga, available in English on Comixology - or purchase the DVDs of the original 1972 series from Generation Kikaida! Note: Due to production issues, rather than direct microphone recording, we had to use Discord audio for this week (big thanks to Yahweasel's Craig bot). That's why we sound a little different! TOPICS:* Android Kikaider (1972) 1-6* Gray Rhino King, Green Mantis, Orange Ant, Blue Buffalo, Yellow Jaguar, Black Horse* The second Henshin boom* Dramatis personae* Sven's Science Corner: Power-to-weight ratio* Kikaider's cinematography* Double-secret laboratories* The worst flute * Return of Hell Valley* Hanpei Hattori: Ace Detective~!* Tokusatsu budgets in 1971-1972* Hanpei vs Taki* The importance of suit damage* Androids as replacement children* Professor Gill as played by The Monarch* twang.mp3* The... science behind DARK's Death Bomb* horse* Roundtable: Kikaider vs Kamen Rider 1971 MUSIC:* “Fight! Seven Riders!! Showa Rider Taisen” – Kamen Rider x Kamen Rider Fourze & OOO: Movie War Megamax* Yuuki Hide - "Go Go Kikaider" and "Fight! Android Kikaider" NEXT WEEK: The advent of Gel-Shocker. Twitter | Tumblr | Patreon | Ko-Fi

Podcast: Download Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | RSS THIS WEEK: Shocker is dismantled and gone forever! Or are they??? (Spoiler: No they're not.) Van and Sven talk about the end of Ambassador Hell's arc as the show revisits some older concepts. In addition, our tabletop past briefly comes to haunt us; the show briefly remembers Hongo's actual occupation; eight-year-olds go around unsupervised; one of Taki's disguises actually works, and do you remember what today is, Jack? TOPICS:* Kamen Rider (1971) 74-79* Shiracuras, Roseranga, Seadragon Trio, Newtgeth, Urchindogma, Ganikomol, Rattler/Garagaranda* The Boys' Rider Squad* Blood theft (bleft)* Goro vs Naoki & Mitsuru as supporting cast* Monster design tangents* Metal Gear Solid 2* Trepanning* Terrible parenting in the Rider Squad* Kunisada Chuuji reborn!!* Shocker's growing bodycount* Sven's continual mispronunciations* Tachibana's bad luck* The fundamental ineffectiveness of Urchindogma* Rattler's costume* The Worst Plan Ever(tm)* Foley work* Double-crossings and counter-ruses* The Shocker Commanders, ranked and reviewed MUSIC:* “Fight! Seven Riders!! Showa Rider Taisen” – Kamen Rider x Kamen Rider Fourze & OOO: Movie War Megamax* Quincy Jones - "Ironside (excerpt)" - Kill Bill Vol. 1 Original Soundtrack* Masato Shimon – “Let’s Go!! Rider Kick” and “Kamen Rider No Uta” NEXT WEEK: Guitars, pan flutes, and... ninja detectives? The beginning of Android Kikaider! Twitter | Tumblr | Patreon | Ko-Fi

Podcast:  Download Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | RSS THIS WEEK: Sven and Van finish Cyborg 009: The Cyborg Soldier, as they break down the highs and the lows of Ishinomori's most formative work. In addition, we discuss Van Vogt's terrible fashion choices; love confessions have never come at a worse time; we contend with nuclear-armed demon-god eagle-robots; we talk idealism vs cynicism in relation to Cyborg's ending; Van loses their goddamn mind; and at the end of all things, trying to count on shooting stars is as fleeting as hoping God's War makes any sense. TOPICS:* Cyborg 009: The Cyborg Soldier (2001) S2E20-E23* Nobody likes jealousy plots why do people keep doing them* Dub differences (the final act)* Cyborg Soldier's production and release woes* Cyborg 009's villains and their strengths* Joe's kindness holding him back* Public execution love confessions* The Demon God/Generalissimo* The death of Van Vogt* Joe's final mission* The true face of evil* Joe vs Skull, round 2* Lighting the powder keg* The nature of humanity & the summation of the Ishinomori hero* The would-be ending of Cyborg 009* "Angel", "Battle With The Gods", and "Conclusion: God's War"* Left Behind* Afterwords and postmortems* Narrative cynicism & reinforcing the antagonist's worldview MUSIC:* “Fight! Seven Riders!! Showa Rider Taisen” – Kamen Rider x Kamen Rider Fourze & OOO: Movie War Megamax* Fayray - "I do"* Chiaki Ishikawa – “Taga Tame Ni” NEXT WEEK: The end of Ambassador Hell. Twitter | Tumblr | Patreon | Ko-Fi

Podcast:  Download Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | RSS THIS WEEK: With the Historians back in fighting shape, they cover the third and final movie for this series, as they witness Ambassador Hell's growing competence. In addition, Sven's frustration with Kamen Rider's teleporting antics reaches new heights; we discuss the merits of free mind control; Van does not condone the cool cool crime of bootleg merchandise; we see the return of 600 IQ Hongo Takeshi; Shocker's sales pitches are garbage; and much like Metang and our hosts, the Riders have two brains, but are no smarter for it. TOPICS:* Kamen Rider (1971) 69-73, Kamen Rider vs Ambassador Hell* Gillercricket, Elekibotaru (Boruto), Horseflygomes, Mosquiras, Shiomaneking (KRAB BOSS)* Official(tm) categorizations of Shocker monsters* Yet more disguise schemes* Two entire helicopters* "Why did I lose?" "Because you are an idiot"* Farewell Goro, hello Naoki and Mitsuru* The last rotation of the racing club girls* Out of suit action scenes* [horrified screaming over cable car fight scenes]* Hayato returns! Briefly.* Hongo didn't need all that blood anyway* Hongo and Hayato's combined stupidity* Bioshock...?* Taki Kazuya's redemption arc* The Podcast's No. 1 Enemy MUSIC:* "Fight! Seven Riders!! Showa Rider Taisen" - Kamen Rider x Kamen Rider Fourze & OOO: Movie War Megamax* Mark Snow - “Material Primoris: The X-Files Theme” - The X-Files (sort of)* Masato Shimon - "Let's Go!! Rider Kick", "Tatakae! Cyclone" and "Kamen Rider No Uta" NEXT WEEK: The end of Cyborg 009. Twitter | Tumblr | Patreon | Ko-Fi

Podcast:  Download Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | RSS THIS WEEK: Sven and Van pull themselves up from their post-E3 fugue, just in time to guide you through the beginning of Cyborg 009's end. After an in-universe year(!) of relative peace, our protagonists finally catch up with Black Ghost. With the series wrapping up, it's also time to take a look at how the character arcs for some of our heroes are wrapping up. Additionally, we are reintroduced to an old friend; Joe is reunited with his old friends; we discuss the dehumanization of people of colour; the fatigue of battle is touched on; Vena looks awfully familiar to certain dead fiancees; Sven displays his Star Trek knowledge; and Joe Shimamura's smile and optimism: gone. TOPICS:* Cyborg 009: The Cyborg Soldier (2001) S2E17-S2E19* Supersonic hyper-evolved dinosaurs from the core of the planet!!* Mitsutomo, Black Ghost's shell company* Klaus Van Vogt* Golden age of science fiction & kabuki theatre* Francoise and Joe, re-revisited, for the last time, probably* Mary, Masaru, Shinichi* Suplexing alligators!* Jet's dependability * Joe's dwindling hope and ongoing breakdown* Albert's old habits and pragmatism* Francoise's acclimatization to combat* Pyunma's (literal) dehumanization* Gilmore's traumatic regression* The underground kingdom of Yomi* The Pu'awaks and the Zattans* Battle fatigue* Vena and Albert* An ode to the Dolphin: settings as characters MUSIC:* “Fight! Seven Riders!! Showa Rider Taisen” – Kamen Rider x Kamen Rider Fourze & OOO: Movie War Megamax* Chiaki Ishikawa – “Taga Tame Ni” NEXT WEEK: The second movie, Kamen Rider vs Ambassador Hell! Also the return of soap bubbles. Twitter | Tumblr | Patreon | Ko-Fi

Podcast:  Download Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | RSS THIS WEEK: We say farewell to our favorite grandpa squid-devil-monster-wizard-dracula. At the same time, we might get a real glimpse of Great Leader? Or we might not. In addition: Takeshi Hongo is a strong male protagonist; we meet the tiniest, most adorable cosplayer ever; we compare the leadership styles of each Shocker lieutenant; Sven desperately tries to explain radio tower interference; we invoke a tokusatsu fan remedy for dispelling bad luck; Shocker's monsters get a training montage of their own; and Fujioka is suspiciously absent from his own show once again. TOPICS:* Kamen Rider (1971) 63-68* Rhinogang, Cicadaminga, Kabutorong, Kamikiri Kid and his revived monsters, Girizames, Ikadevil* Vintage hypnotism plots* Workplace differences between Shinigami & Ambassador Hell* Taki copying Hongo's fashion sense* [cicada screaming]* Return of the Shocker Youth* Spooky Satanic Revival Rituals* Hongo is missing again* A brief sidebar re: Android Kikaider* Francis "Taki" Morgan* That time Shocker actually rused Kamen Rider* Meteors!* New sponsorshi- ahem, bikes* Ikadevil, Rider 1971's iconic monster design* Wily ol' Tachibana* Shinigami's sendoff* Shocker's effectiveness MUSIC:* “Fight! Seven Riders!! Showa Rider Taisen” – Kamen Rider x Kamen Rider Fourze & OOO: Movie War Megamax* Masato Shimon – “Let’s Go! Rider Kick!” and “Kamen Rider no Uta” NEXT WEEK: Klaus Van Vogt and the Underground Kingdom of Yomi. Twitter | Tumblr | Patreon | Ko-Fi

Podcast:  Download Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | RSS THIS WEEK: Van and Sven rant about time travel and bad parenting. Guess which topic is going to make them angrier! In this stretch, we're introduced to a new antagonistic quartet; we discuss the origins of the word "cyborg"; we get corrections coming from inside the podcast; Ivan Whisky is stone fucking cold; and the hosts betray each other just as much as the 00-cyborgs dump on Jet. Minor correction: "2222" and "2020" are mentioned as the year Rina comes from, the correct one is 2222. Nuclear devastation is not actually coming in two years. Hopefully. Content warning: There's some rather frank (and heated) discussion about parental abuse and the tactics abusers use at the end of our coverage, the bulk of it from 1:44:24 to 1:50:10 . TOPICS:* Cyborg 009: The Cyborg Soldier (2001) S2E13-S2E16* Kline & Clynes' Astronautics article * The Mutant Warriors (Rina, Phil, Cain, Mii/Mai)* Cain and Mai's manga counterparts* "FOX...DIE!" (pt. 2)* Dr. Gamo Whisky (Asimov?)* Ending themes* The Men Who Stare At Goats* Time labyrinths* Clap your hands if you believe in the sync warp* The terrible no-good very bad future* Jet & Francoise's friendship* Joe's breakdown* Van desperately tries to find a silver lining* Dr. Gamo vs Dr. Gilmore* Having faith & losing faith* Walkbacks and backdowns MUSIC:* “Fight! Seven Riders!! Showa Rider Taisen” – Kamen Rider x Kamen Rider Fourze & OOO: Movie War Megamax* "Kagerou Days" - Jin ft. Shouichi Taguchi - Mekakucity Actors* "The War Still Rages Within" - Jamie Christopherson - Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance* Chiaki Ishikawa – “Taga Tame Ni” NEXT WEEK: Squid. Twitter | Tumblr | Patreon | Ko-Fi

Podcast:  Download Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | RSS THIS WEEK: Ambassador Hell is so very desperate to jump the gun and announce that his underlings have killed Kamen Rider. He's wrong every time. Also, Sven wants you to know headscissor takedowns are NOT hurricanranas. We contemplate the similarities between Showa Riders and Geralt of Rivia and discuss the evolution of the show; Rider nearly falls prey to his greatest weakness once again; Dr. A. Cula comes back to sabotage his replacement; Hayato might be slacking on the job offscreen; Sven hates X-Ray plots; and don't forget to sign the Shocker yearbook!! TOPICS:* Kamen Rider (1971) 57-62* Poisonmondo, Poison Lizard, Earthworm Jim, Owlmn, Catfishgiller, Hedgehoras* Making the most of prop skelemans* Hongo's goodboy act vs Hayato's lateral problem solving* Video game HUD vision* Lazarus pit technology* Wrestling trivia* Shocker friendship amulets & bomb switcharoo* Explosive X-rays; or, Hongo is not a medical doctor* The Great Time Bomb(tm)* Shinigami's return from the astral plane* Loading up elementary schoolers with 50,000 volts* Catfishgiller is but a pawn in petty office politics* The Boy's Kamen Rider Squad* Drone/bomb/poison needles* Kamen Rider can teleport, much to Sven's displeasure* No, really, why do we like toku? Shoutout to Kaijucast; for Godzilla coverage, check 'em out. If you want to follow our descent through E3, our twitters are @lexihollow, @svensationalism and @satangivensong. MUSIC:* “Fight! Seven Riders!! Showa Rider Taisen” – Kamen Rider x Kamen Rider Fourze & OOO: Movie War Megamax* Masato Shimon – “Let’s Go! Rider Kick!” and “Kamen Rider no Uta” NEXT WEEK: We found the main plot again! Just in time for more time travel. Twitter | Tumblr | Patreon | Ko-Fi

Podcast:  Download Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | RSS THIS WEEK: Sven and Van reach the midpoint of Season 2 of Cyborg Soldier, encountering ethical dilemmas and time-cops along the way. In addition, we discuss how we would restructure the second season; Joe Shimamura continues to gently disengage from reality; Dr. Gilmore doesn't know thermodynamics as well as he knows robotics; things get lost in translation; Black Ghost finally returns (again) (for the umpteenth time); the crew rants about Black Ghost not understanding teamwork, and Sven's G.B. impression could really use some work. TOPICS: * Cyborg 009: The Cyborg Soldier (2001) S2E9-S2E12* Midseason review* Our second glimpse into 007/G.B.'s past* Sand sirens & colonialism* Japanese-translated Shakespeare strikes again* Ancient Incan space-time technology* snek* Sven gets mad about glaciers* The Girl Who Leapt Through Time* Tanabata!* Joe's wish * The historians talk time travel* The old (young) Isaac Gilmore* Black Ghost's cyborg soldier program* Co-host betrayal (pt.2)* Gamo Whisky's mutant warrior project* 002 & 004's original dynamic (manga vs. anime)* The advent of Gilmore's conscience MUSIC:* “Fight! Seven Riders!! Showa Rider Taisen” - Kamen Rider x Kamen Rider Fourze & OOO: Movie War Megamax* Chiaki Ishikawa - “Taga Tame Ni” NEXT WEEK: Ambassador Hell: a reign defined by incompetence. Twitter | Tumblr | Patreon | Ko-Fi

Podcast:  Download Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | RSS THIS WEEK: The historians finally get what they've wanted for fifty-some episodes: More of Hongo Takeshi being a shitter. Oh, and the show's classic iconography has finally come together, that too. In addition, we review the first (technically second) film in the franchise; we're treated to a myriad of callbacks; Hayato and Hongo finally synchronize their respective ideas of what a "clever scheme" means; casual reminder that 1971's villainous organization is literally nazis; we very much regret both our words and deeds; wild speculation on the nature of the rotating circle of female characters; and Taki, for the last time, YOU'RE MARRIED. TOPICS:* Kamen Rider (1971) 52-56 & Kamen Rider vs. Shocker* Zanjio, Birdmn, Jaguarmn, Sea Serpentmn, Cockroachmn, Gireera* The various types of deadly Shocker foam* The various types of wildly-abusable scientific inventions* Dr. Lucha Combatman* Old favorites! More costume minutiae! SPECIAL EFFECTS!* Hell Valley (a real scenic location in Japan)* ALL. THE. WARRIORS.* Return of bike porn* Crow Facts(TM)* "Shocker HATES him!"* Hinamizawa Syndrome* Hongo's iconic transformation pose and "New 1" design* AMBASSADOR HELL* Sleep-inducing rural-village spooky-monster episode (redux)* "FOX... DIE!"* Taki is a toddler* Reset the clock!* The definition of insanity MUSIC:* “Fight! Seven Riders!! Showa Rider Taisen” - Kamen Rider x Kamen Rider Fourze & OOO: Movie War Megamax* Masato Shimon - “Let’s Go! Rider Kick!”, "Rider Action", and “Kamen Rider no Uta”* Shunsuke Kikuchi - "The Warrior Leaves" - Kamen Rider BGM Collection NEXT WEEK: Some long-awaited backstory for Professor Gilmore. Twitter | Tumblr | Patreon | Ko-Fi

Podcast:  Download Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | RSS THIS WEEK: After a rocky start to season 2, Cyborg Soldier finally finds its feet. In addition, the historians tackle the differences between their least-favorite writers, 009 is so very done with his cyborg uncles; 004 is the least okay he's ever been in his life; Van should not be trusted with shapeshifting powers; Joe Shimamura has an extended visit to the Speed Force and does not like it; Sven will not tolerate slander about 1999's The Mummy; 003 gets her short time in the action spotlight; and if you're being written by Toshiki Inoue, blink twice! The animorphs podcast Van mentions in this episode is Morph Club, hosted by Megan Brennan and Carey Pietsch (@morphclubcast on Twitter). Check it out! TOPICS:* Toshiki Inoue and Shoji Yonemura* Cyborg 009: The Cyborg Soldier (2001) S2E5-S2E8* Listener corrections* Monster Island's doctors & flora and fauna* Still trying to make sense of Pyunma's powerset* 002's pragmatism vs. his behavior in "Little Visitors"* Damn, 004, you live like this?* Royalty-free thunderclaps & animation quality* Gilmore & Heinrich in the bad old days* TOKI WO TOMARE* Van has been jittering in anticipation for "Frozen Time" for months* [deranged cackling meltdown]* LISTENER PARTICIPATION YAAAAY* BETRAYAL, LIVE ON PODCAST* Shocker plots...?* 003 gets to do the hero thing* Missed opportunities (relationship dynamics edition) MUSIC: * “Fight! Seven Riders!! Showa Rider Taisen” - Kamen Rider x Kamen Rider Fourze & OOO: Movie War Megamax* Merv Griffin - "Think!" - Jeopardy* Chiaki Ishikawa - “Taga Tame Ni” NEXT WEEK: The boys are back in town. Twitter | Tumblr | Patreon | Ko-Fi

Podcast:  Download Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | RSS THIS WEEK: The Historians put the focus on "strangeness" of their mission statement with this stretch of Rider '71. In addition, we are treated to a myriad of extremely stupid callbacks; someone's been playing too much Monster Hunter; Taki is a jealous boyfriend; Shocker's running out of warm bodies for their evil science; unicorns aren't real; Sven wants to push The Rider's New Groove; and Dr. Shinigami has a PhD in ABJECT WIZARDRY. TOPICS:* Unicorns!!!* Kamen Rider (1971) 46-51* Bearconger, Sealgiller, Leechguerilla, Sea Anemone, Turtlestone, Unicornos* Sven has complaints about Shocker plot naming schemes* BearConger is stymied by a six year old* Villain PTA meetings* Return of the revenge of the reckoning of dog hearing* Recycled toku locations: then & now* Hayato's (poor) survival skills* Sven doesn't like leeches* The Vore Episode(tm)* Gay Cowboy Hongo Takeshi* Wizards.* "Citation needed." "We are the citation! That's the problem!"* Russian taunts* Special effects!!!* Tachibana's character & encouraging Hayato's recklessness* Fossilized unicorn blood transplants* Petrified Medjeds* How hard Hayato's getting his ass kicked* The escalation of Shocker's machinations* Driving safety with Van MUSIC:* “Fight! Seven Riders!! Showa Rider Taisen” – Kamen Rider x Kamen Rider Fourze & OOO: Movie War Megamax* Masato Shimon – “Let’s Go! Rider Kick!” and “Kamen Rider no Uta” NEXT WEEK: WHY THE SPEED FORCE IS BAD. Twitter | Tumblr | Patreon | Ko-Fi

Podcast:  Download Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | RSS THIS WEEK: Mulder and Scully try to look on the bright side of the start of season two of Cyborg Soldier. They fail miserably. In addition: The universe is so determined to make Jet Link wrong about everything it warps reality and distorts his own teammates' personalities; aliens are responsible for the Nazca lines; G-Junior fights the planet about as hard as the gang want to fight the writers; a sworn enemy of the podcast makes a surprise return; Van and Sven don't know how to categorize big cats; they try to pronounce things right for once; and Sven finally nails the bit. TOPICS:* Aren't we glad to be back covering Cyborg 009? W-well...* Cyborg 009: The Cyborg Soldier (2001) S1E26, S2E1-S2E4* "Gilmore's Notes," recap, and dramatis personae * What the continued existence of the 00 cyborgs means to Black Ghost* aliens.jpg* Voice actor trivia edition: 005 (again)* Pacifism, kids in wartime, and Jet's contradictory sad-backstory justification* Nobody remembers the dinosaur episode* Cultural destruction & destruction of identity* 005's backstory* HAKASE-SENSEI... (tl note: hakase-sensei means "dr. professor")* "ME AM PLAY GOD"* 004 doesn't like the idea of machine-based surveillance states very much* "He's not a Black Ghost scientist, you guys are just mean"* Stalker AIs* Transhuman dysphoria* Miscommunications!* THAT'S NOT FRANÇOISE, THAT'S A BOMB!* The #2 Enemy Of The Podcast MUSIC:* “Fight! Seven Riders!! Showa Rider Taisen” - Kamen Rider x Kamen Rider Fourze & OOO: Movie War Megamax* Mark Snow - “Material Primoris: The X-Files Theme” - The X-Files* Chiaki Ishikawa - “Taga Tame Ni” NEXT WEEK: unicorm Twitter | Tumblr | Patreon | Ko-Fi

Podcast:  Download Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | RSS THIS WEEK: We finally return to Kamen Rider to meet the new Shocker lieutenant: Dr. Dr - I mean, Dr. Shinigami. In addition, Toei learned maybe the wrong lesson about cycling out side-characters; Taki doesn't know how to dress himself if it isn't a disguise; Rider should know better than to raw super; Snowman has worse facial blindness than Van does; Dr. Shinigami is a Dwarf Fortress overseer; we get distracted by talking about all the toku locations we recognize; and always remember to drink your Hayato Hating Juice.  TOPICS:* New characters in the show* Kamen Rider (1971) 40-45* Snowmn, Ghoster, Flymn, Pranodon, Moldbinga, SLUGZILLA* Creative(?) new magma schemes* Return of our prodigal son* Myriad minute costume revisions* Revisiting Hongo and Hayato's personalities* Rider Double-Kick* Sven's cracked the code!* "You better not be tricking me >:|" "lol i tricked u, idiot"* [blblblblb noises]* "It's Emi...?" "She's got a gun!"* Gun sound effects* Recycled recycling* Future Sven's powers of reverb* Killer bunnies!* Shocker's upper-management is demoralizing and mean* Throwback to Zol's plan in ep. 33* POP QUIZ* "How do you define a Kamen Rider?" MUSIC:* “Fight! Seven Riders!! Showa Rider Taisen” - Kamen Rider x Kamen Rider Fourze & OOO: Movie War Megamax* Masato Shimon - “Let’s Go! Rider Kick!” and “Kamen Rider no Uta”* "Green Hill Zone" - Sonic The Hedgehog - Masato Nakamura NEXT WEEK: Jet gets punched by the Statue of Liberty and rightfully deserves it. Twitter | Tumblr | Patreon | Ko-Fi

Podcast: Download Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | RSS THIS WEEK: Despite the end of the world and despite Sven's repeated attempts to drown himself, we take a detour from our detour to get back on topic. In addition, all rocket turtles are automatically Gamera; Sven is very particular about his CGI machine designs; Van shuffles through piles of mythology notes and understands nothing; Dr. Teufel is big bad sad scientist dad gone mad; and, oh hey, is that the script!? (Translator's note: Teufel means devil.) TOPICS:* Cyborg 009 vs. Devilman (2015)* Dramatis Personae: A Reprise* "The power to become a god or a devil"* The different ethos of Cyborg 009 and Devilman* Cyborg Minutiae, Or: Hey, Gilmore, What The Fuck?* Cameos, cameos, cameos* Devilman #confirmed* Misunderstanding-based crossover fights* The Advanced Custom High-Teen Numbers(TM)* Indigenous American mythology* Shotaro Ishinomori vs Go Nagai scientist designs* [gurgling drowning noises]* Atun's etymology...?* Pointlessly obstinate crossover fights* Technobabble* Actual last-minute teamup crossover fights* Transistor's {Turn;} function* Naked astral projection* Destron plots MUSIC:* "Fight! Seven Riders!! Showa Rider Taisen" - Kamen Rider x Kamen Rider Fourze & OOO: Movie War Megamax* "Cyborg 009 ~Nine Cyborg Soldiers~" - JAM Project* "Devilman No Uta (21st Century Version)" - Ichiro Mizuki NEXT WEEK: Doctor Dracula. Twitter | Tumblr | Patreon | Ko-Fi

Podcast: Download Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | RSS CONTENT WARNING: Devilman (and Crybaby especially) has some topics that are sensitive to talk about on the podcast. Notable discussions include violence, gore and dismemberment, sex and sexuality, abusive relationships, a sexual assault/rape scene, suicide, cannibalism, incest, and general navigation of queer (& queercoded) characters and LGBT experiences. Oh, and blasphemy. Lots of blasphemy. SPOILER WARNING: This podcast episode covers much of the nitty-gritty of Devilman Crybaby, including SPOILERS for the whole run! If you are interested in watching Devilman Crybaby, be forewarned: We can't discuss it here without discussing the big moments. THIS WEEK: The Historians are two-thirds back from their sudden disappearance, and have brought a friend on Easter to talk with them about Satan apologism. In addition, Go Nagai is the original horny on main; we try and fail to avoid mentioning Homestuck; Van was lied to on Twitter; Ryo Asuka believes in biotruths; we're all definitely going to hell; and Devilman died for your sins. TOPICS:* Sven's mispronounciations are at an all-time high* The many freaky faces of "Crazy Uncle" Go Nagai* A not-so-brief history of Devilman and its adaptations* Devilman Crybaby Roundtable* Devilman has influenced a LOT of stuff* Dramatis Personae* Two nonreligious agnostics and a lapsed catholic-turned-atheist* Devilman's deconstruction of the heroic power fantasy* Akira and Ryo's relationship and the Nasty Power Dynamics thereof* The Sirene Fight and The Many Different Kinds Of Love* Things Bad Happen* On Devilman Crybaby Making You Care* Burying Your Gays and The Big Queer Elephant In the Room* Ryo Got Literally Everything Wrong* God Isn't A Bastard, He's Just An Eldritch Entity* The Final Battle, and the Relay Race Metaphor* Animation Trivia, and what Science Saru brings to Devilman's Themes* Why did we cover Devilman on the podcast, anyway?* Van's Foray Into Devilman's Spinoffs And Pseudo-Sequels SPECIAL THANKS TO: Our friend Tara Wrist, who took time out of her day to debate with us about Devilman! Follow Tara on twitter here! MUSIC:* "Fight! Seven Riders!! Showa Rider Taisen" - Kamen Rider x Kamen Rider Fourze & OOO: Movie War Megamax* "D.V.M.N. ~Theme From DEVILMAN crybaby~" - Kensuke Ushio - DEVILMAN crybaby Original Soundtrack* "Devilman No Uta" - Kensuke Ushio - DEVILMAN crybaby Original Soundtrack NEXT WEEK: We get vaguely back on track with an extremely non-canon crossover. Twitter | Tumblr | Patreon | Ko-Fi

Podcast: Download Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | RSS THIS WEEK: Alexa returns to find the entire studio in disarray and gets the crew back on track covering the rise and fall of Colonel Zol. In addition, every scientist in this series is a Spark; Sven doesn't know how veganism works; the best bit is an abandoned bit; productivity was down something-eight percent; Van is bewildered by the unpersoning of the club girls and the plausibility of Rayking's electrical attack; John Toei spent too much money on flamethrowers; and some days, you just can't get rid of a bomb. TOPICS:* Sven and Van are both fired* Kamen Rider (1971) 32-39* ToxicDahlia, Armadillong, Toadgiller, Ar(i)chimedes, Egyptus, Wolfsbane, Rayking, Wolf Man, Colonel Zol* The Pandora's Box of Podcast Lore* More Kidnapping* More Reused Plots* More Nukequakes* Girl Genius* Toei budget allocation* EGG HEIST* None of us are qualified babysitters* Nepotism!* 4000 year old zombies don't know Japanese* The FBI trained Taki wrong, as a joke* What the fuck is Tachibana's problem* Operation: Global Darkness* Christmas Episode feat. THE WOLFMAN* Presenting: One of the 5 Actual Helicopter Scenes in the franchise* The End of Colonel Zol, THE GOLDWOLFMAN* Most entry-level vs least entry-level Riders MUSIC:* "Fight! Seven Riders!! Showa Rider Taisen" - Kamen Rider x Kamen Rider Fourze & OOO: Movie War Megamax* Masato Shimon - "Let's Go! Rider Kick!" and "Kamen Rider no Uta" NEXT WEEK: Who is that? Who is he? He is called... the devil! Twitter | Tumblr | Patreon | Ko-Fi

Podcast: Download Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | RSS THIS WEEK: Sven and Van must recap the Mythos arc having lost the chief thing keeping this podcast anywhere near focused - Alexa. In addition, Greek Gods were apparently really fond of Tetsujin 28; Sven's Japanese is very, very rusty; Dr. Gaia is a crazy person even by the standards of Black Ghost, goth eyeliner is indistinguishable from Evil Brainwashing eyeliner; Joe finally gets a chance to show his actual character; Van blames the baby; and our favorite hero is Extreme Depression Man. TOPICS: * Alexa is definitely probably not kidnapped by Shocker. We hope.* Cyborg 009: The Cyborg Soldier (2001) 22-25* A brief summary of the Mythos Arc* Translations and some parallels between Greek mythology and Japanese beliefs* Time to kill God: belief Systems and Greek gods are petulant children* Spoilers: This is a Black Ghost plot* Dr. Uranus, Sir-Not-Appearing-In-This-Adaptation* Classical Heroes vs Ishinomori's Heroes* Anime-specific differences* Accelerators are perhaps a bit dangerous* We're pretty sure Dr. Gaia doesn't know how humans work, let alone cyborgs* The Big Mythos Fight: my cyborgs can beat up your cyborgs* Once again, Sven still can't pronounce things* Great googly moogly, it's all gone to shit* Did we mention this aired on 6:30 on a Sunday night, you know, for kids* Ishinomori's circumstances, and why he wrote the way he does* How the backgrounds of all the 00 Cyborgs piece together* Why is Shocker called Shocker? MUSIC:* Fight! Seven Riders!! Showa Rider Taisen” – Kamen Rider x Kamen Rider Fourze & OOO: Movie War Megamax* Chiaki Ishikawa – “Taga Tame Ni” NEXT WEEK: Colonel Zol fucking dies. Twitter | Tumblr | Patreon | Ko-Fi

Podcast: Download Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | RSS THIS WEEK: Alexa, Sven, and MushroomMan continue their coverage of... wait, that doesn't sound right at all...? We get fake names and real doctors; Bond villains and wooden puppets; Stranger Danger in the 1970s; Rider 2's helmet crumbles into dust; Alexa isn't drunk enough for this; Van has approximate knowledge of entomology; aliens.png; and the singular most effective Shocker scheme in Japan was a complete accident. TOPICS:* SICK POWER-UPS* Kamen Rider (1971) 24-31* MushrooMorgue, Antlion, Centipedras, Molemn, Jellyfishdoll, ZanBronze, Arigabari* The Introduction of Colonel Zol* Mind control/sleep/poison spores* Hayato's character contrast with Hongo* Unsafe medical practices(tm)* Chauvinism to fill time* THUNDERSAND* Zol, Taki's rival in disguise schemes* "Junior Shocker"* [increasingly confused noises about the oil refinery plan]* Smarmy villain speeches* Human Joybuzzers* Shocker Airbnb* [great leader voice] I panicked* Junji Ito Plots* Browbeat the man with a concussion to keep fighting, it worked for Ippo* Rider Manji Kick MUSIC:* "Fight! Seven Riders!! Showa Rider Taisen" - Kamen Rider x Kamen Rider Fourze & OOO: Movie War Megamax* Mark Snow - "Material Primoris: The X-Files Theme" - The X-Files* Masato Shimon - "Let's Go! Rider Kick!" and "Kamen Rider no Uta" NEXT WEEK: Sweet, sweet deicide. Twitter | Tumblr | Patreon | Ko-Fi

Podcast: Download Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | RSS THIS WEEK: Oh, Cyborg Soldier isn't over yet. Well, maybe it's just a slice-of-life anime from now on? The cyborgs take a much-needed sabbatical, while the crew discusses how trusted word-of-mouth is everything for a struggling venture which in no way mirrors real-life scenarios. In addition, Jet passes on his legacy as the big hero guy to the next generation; Chang has never heard the word "delegation" in his life; Sven will fight every author who has won a Newbury Medal; we take a trip to the Lost World while Joe has no idea what dinosaurs are; and the enemy, as always, is capitalism. TOPICS:* Van read Devilman Lady and died* Cyborg 009: The Cyborg Soldier (2001) 18-21* 005's much-needed time in the sun* [momentary break for shilling]* Love Actually* 002, the Indestructible Cyborg!* Jet's backstory in the manga vs. the 2001 anime* Public recognition (or lack thereof) of Ishinomori heroes* itisamystery.mp3* Young adult literature, or, Joe can't have nice things* Dog Firestarter* Feelings Weather(tm)* Jurassic Park* Sven still can't pronounce things* Babies are not doctors* The scientific accuracy of ninja laser dinosaurs* Dr. Ross, baby boomers & adapting to a new world* Our distaste of dubtitles reaches a fever pitch* The beginning of the Mythos Arc MUSIC:* Fight! Seven Riders!! Showa Rider Taisen” – Kamen Rider x Kamen Rider Fourze & OOO: Movie War Megamax* Craig Armstrong – Love Actually The Original Soundtrack - “PM's Love Theme”* Chiaki Ishikawa – “Taga Tame Ni” NEXT WEEK: Mountain-based powerups and James Bond villains. Twitter | Tumblr | Patreon | Ko-Fi

Podcast: Download Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | RSS THIS WEEK: In this episode, everyone gets kidnapped over and over again. We revisit some old friends in the form of recycled props and indoor sets; live wrestling coverage in the seventies; why are Japanese hiking songs so depressing; NARUTAKI GO HOME WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE; people in academia will stone-cold kill a dude; we witness the Mothman's birth; how have these stunt actors not fallen to their death or drowned; Hayato is scared of planes and isn't ready for the responsibility of fatherhood; and remember: Always trust your fists - police will never help you. TOPICS:* Showa actors disappearing into thin air for... various reasons...* Kamen Rider (1971) 16-23* Pirasaurus, Hitodanger, Kanibubbler, Dokugander, Amazonia, SOARING SQUIRREL* Nobody told Great Leader that wrestling is fake* Maya and Hurricane Joe, Shocker's proudest pageant parents* Criticism of the Racing Club girls* Shocker endorses elbow-dropping infants* The influence of Kabuki theatre* The true origin story of Goro Majima* Pro-Wrestling Decapitation Strike* SATAN MASK VS. KAMEN RIDER* Fossils are allergic to water* Nobody told Great Leader that Hayato is stupid* The FBI's role in the show* Cyborgs come from eggs* The strange disappearance of Yoko and what that means* Underwater fight scenes* The 1972 Olympics* POCKET SAND* Scientific inventions misused for evil MUSIC:* “Fight! Seven Riders!! Showa Rider Taisen” – Kamen Rider x Kamen Rider Fourze & OOO: Movie War Megamax* celene talbain - "すとろんぐ すたいる (Theme of 仮面ライダーケイオス)" (bandcamp)* Masato Shimon – “Kamen Rider no Uta” NEXT WEEK: Dog revengeance and Jurassic Park. Twitter | Tumblr | Patreon | Ko-Fi

Podcast: Download Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | RSS THIS WEEK: It's time for the showdown between the 00 Cyborgs and Black Ghost! Gosh, this series was way shorter than we remembered. The Historians discuss racial tensions, postcolonialism, and the war economy, while also getting mad over pew-pew raygun's; why is Black Ghost so obsessed with marine life; even the midseason animation bump can't afford Itano Circus shots; it's time for the heartwarming family reunion we've all been hoping for; and nobody can understand Norio Wakamoto. There is a brief mention of the Holocaust in this episode. The quoted dialogue is from 1:43:10 to 1:43:22, and our discussion is from 1:44:18 to 1:46:24. TOPICS:* Fun name trivia!* Cyborg 009: The Cyborg Soldier (2001) 14-17* Post-Colonialism and Heart Of Darkness* We are not doctors* Arms Dealers Are Bad, M'kay* The Cyborgs Got Some Bad Optics* Skull's Discount Metal Gear Warehouse* Joe Shimamura's very delayed character development* Cyborgm'n are canon now* Pragmatism vs Optimism* ROBOTS HAVE EMOTIONS HECK YOU GILMORE* Shadowy Cabals with Illuminati Triangles* Depression Beard Speedruns* BAH GAWD THAT'S BIG MANTA'S MUSIC* Jet is a moron, sky is blue, water is wet* What Is An Itano Circus?* THE VERY DEFINITELY FINAL BATTLE* World Rock Gargling 2000 Champion, Norio Wakamoto* Boiling Vats Of Mountain Dew* We will never not be salty over these dubtitles MUSIC:* Fight! Seven Riders!! Showa Rider Taisen” – Kamen Rider x Kamen Rider Fourze & OOO: Movie War Megamax* Chiaki Ishikawa – “Taga Tame Ni” NEXT WEEK: rustlemania & cryptidwatch Twitter | Tumblr | Patreon | Ko-Fi

Podcast: Download Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | RSS THIS WEEK: The Historians Take A Detour to the Kamen Rider Spirits manga; Sven might be pronouncing things wrong on purpose now; Hongo is definitely not handling his depression well, Hayato is a complete shitlord; the Metal Gear comparisons intensify; everyone gets hype over cyborg gore (cybgore); we kinkshame Kenichi Muraeda, and when the era needs it--Kamen Rider will definitely revive. TOPICS: * betrayal* Shin Kamen Rider Spirits Ch. 1-5* The differences between Spirits and Showa Rider as-broadcast* Hayato Ichimonji's questionable competence* Sick, sick robot gore* The sickest bike stunts* A (slightly) more believable portrayal of Shocker* Hey uh, Hongo, you okay buddy* How anyone thought Hayato was supposed to be suave we will never know* The most important cyborg anatomy questions* The Human, Hayato Ichimonji* Bee-Woman's Hypno-Tiddies* Systemic Evils vs Human Nature in the world of Kamen Rider* Tokageron Fight Revisited* This Shocker base is HUGE* Hayato super isn't loving the whole cyborg thing* Introduction of the Shocker Riders* The Greatest Martial Art: gun* Robot on Robot Violence* Hayato why are you like this* Jobber tanks* Hongo's Regrets, Nine Other Riders* Why We Haven't Covered Sentai Yet MUSIC: * “Fight! Seven Riders!! Showa Rider Taisen” – Kamen Rider x Kamen Rider Fourze & OOO: Movie War Megamax* Jamie Christopherson - "The War Still Rages Within" - Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance* RIDER CHIPS ft. Hiroshi Fujioka - "Let's Go! Rider Kick! (2000 Ver.)" Visual companion. NEXT WEEK: The fall of Black Ghost. Twitter | Tumblr | Patreon | Ko-Fi

Podcast: Download Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | RSS THIS WEEK: We hope you've all had a good holiday season! 003 sure didn't. We follow the 00 cyborgs on their once-in-a-lifetime round-the-world trip; there are multiple reminders to never do contract work for Black Ghost; the team gets increasingly salty over translation foibles and fight over who gets to punch Ishinomori's ghost; Black Ghost has a thing about aquatic animals; we are all 007; we dig into Françoise and G.B.'s backstories; and apparently people don't know how to write Native Americans in the year two thousand and goddamn one. TOPICS:* Clarification of the cyborgs' physical ages* Cyborg 009: The Cyborg Soldier (2001) 9-13* Black Ghost is having a bad fiscal year* Dr. Berg is a reject character from Girl Genius * The Dragon Triangle* Sven hits the doubt.jpg jackpot* Aurora Borealis? At this time of year?* is it too late to start a "shut up, Jet" counter* Professor Findol invented the Shagohod* Moral condemnation of arms dealers * [sound of Françoise dissociating at light speed]* Ishinomori hates parents like Araki hates dogs* Going home is horrible and you should never do it* Scarecrow is the only shining light in "Mystical Island"* 005's characterization and depiction* Venti London Fog* G.B.'s beautiful locks* BEE BOMBS* Analyzing G.B.'s chauvinism and his motivations compared to the play-within-the-show* Please god someone do a retranslation of this anime save us* lies MUSIC:* “Fight! Seven Riders!! Showa Rider Taisen” – Kamen Rider x Kamen Rider Fourze & OOO: Movie War Megamax* Chiaki Ishikawa – “Taga Tame Ni” Visual companion. NEXT WEEK: Hayato Ichimonji's backstory, and filling in some plot holes. Twitter | Tumblr | Patreon | Ko-Fi

Podcast: Download Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | RSS THIS WEEK: We return to our coverage of Kamen Rider; Shocker has perfected their soap bubble technology; dogs are better than Kamen Rider at fighting crime; Tohru Hiriyama's influence on the show; the subject we've been dancing around comes to a head as Takeshi Hongo fades out from his own show; Great Leader is everyone's worst micromanaging boss; SEGATA SANSHIRO IS CANON; Toei's increasingly-grainy recycled footage; I don't think the showrunners know what electromagnetic waves are; the introduction of Kazuya Taki and Hayato Ichimonji; and Blue Kamen Rider is Fat Pikachu.  TOPICS:* Kamen Rider (1971) 9-15* Cobram'n, Gebacondor, Yamogelas, Tokageron, Sabotender* Cobraman's legacy in the franchise* The show is still finding its feet* It turns out that a henshin sequence that requires your lead actor to jump off of a speeding bike is the littlest bit risky* Why does Shocker hate dogs so much* Hongo's evolution from nice grad student into a lying liar who lies* Tachibana's cunning plans* Ruriko's character development * Shocker's global influence* Shocker's greatest minds stymied by a waist-high fence* Alexa has been watching Blue Blazes* The Tachibana Racing Club* The introduction of the lucha libre combatmen* Kamen Rider 2: Hayato Ichimonji, babyface photographer and professional ass* c a c t u s o r b s* Hongo and Ruriko go back to their home planet* The classic Kamen Rider pose and transformation* riders georg* Proximity bomb hot potato* Never tell the truth, always commit to the lie* Kazuya Taki is not Spiderman* Poignant dialogue ruined by Sabotegron's gag boobs MUSIC:* “Fight! Seven Riders! Showa Rider Taisen”- Kamen Rider x Kamen Rider Fourze & OOO: Movie War Megamax* Masato Shimon – “Let’s Go! Rider Kick” and “Kamen Rider no Uta” Visual companion post in the next few days! NEXT WEEK: The Double Zero cyborgs go on a nice vacation. Twitter | Tumblr | Patreon | Ko-Fi