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scans_daily2011-07-16 11:59 am
darkblade) wrote in scans_daily2011-07-16 11:59 am
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Kamen Rider Spirits - Chapter 1 Vampires in Harlem
In my dismay with the current state of superhero comics from the big two I've started exploring other outlets for my passion for the genre. Among those outlets was Tokasatsu, a form of live action superhero television from Japan. The best known of these in the west would likely be Super Sentai which has for the last nineteen years been adapted into Power Rangers for western audiences. That is not what I'm here to talk about today though. I'm here to talk about it's sister franchise that has had less success with adaptations outside of Asia, Kamen Rider.
Kamen Rider is roughly to Japan what Doctor Who is to the UK, only with more toys, Japan loves selling toys. A television franchise that has been running in some form or another since 1971 with a hiatus in the 90s filled only with a couple movies that no one is quite sure of what to make of them and a renewed series in the early 2000s that brought an increase in budget. Also the most iconic version of both titular characters wears a scarf, make of it what you will.
The resemblance is uncanny.
Basically it is the story of bikers who were subjected to experiments by evil organizations that want to rule the world giving them superpowered forms but breaking free of their brainwashing and using their powers to fight the evil organizations (with a few exceptions but only one of which appears in what I plan to post so we'll talk about that another day). The similarities to Ghost Rider are uncanny and will be discussed more later on.
Now with that wall of text out of the way let's move on to the point of this post. At the time of the relaunch of the series in 2001 with Kamen Rider Kuuga a manga detailing an alternate take on the plot of the tenth anniversary movie from 1984 Birth of the 10th! Kamen Riders All Together!! was released to remind the youngens of the Franchise's rich history. It's the story of the first nine Kamen Riders and the mysterious new 10th rider coming together to fight a new evil. This post and my next several of subsequent posts shall be that very manga. Don't worry about being kept out of the loop with continuity, I will explain anything that needs explaining as we go. Just sit back, relax and feel the power of the fight for justice flow over you. Also remember to read right to left, the story might get a bit confusing the other way around.
The story opens with a woman being attacked in a dark alley way by a bat monster while someone waxes religiously about how the world is full of sinners. I'm not going to post that because it is really nothing to right home about. Instead I'll start with...
Wait I thought this was supposed to be about Japanese superheroes?
It turns out that the woman was not the only victim. Twelve others have also been attacked and drained of most of their blood, the only clue they got is that the attacks have all been in Harlem and a blurry photo one of the victims took of a blurry winged shape the FBI agents dismiss as a bird, all except for one of them who suspects monsters of the attacks.
Meet our main character for this chapter, Taki Kazuya a Japanese American Interpol agent and friend of the first nine Riders. I don't think the FBI normally lets Interpol agents work their cases like that, Hell I don't even think a serial killer confined to one district of New York would even be FBI level as opposed to normal NYPD but here he is try not to think about it too hard.
We get a couple pages from side characters we will never see again talking about how Taki was drafted from the FBI into Interpol to deal with the cases involving a run down of the evil organizations that the Riders fought and took down. As far as the authorities are concerned it was him but he continues to give credit to the Riders everyone else considers urban legends. Now back to the real plot.
Yeah, something tragic is going to happen to that kid.
Taki goes on to tell the kids a story about the Kamen Riders which they just eat right up until Spike raises an interesting question.
In case the anvil hadn't broke every bone in your body yet, the creepy preacher is in league with the bat monsters. He takes Spike in and turns him into one of them the night of Apollo Amateur night. He ends up attacking one of the other kids who is saved but freaks out crying for a Kamen Rider to save him.
Taki tries to talk Spike down but ends up getting attacked. Bat!Spike flees into the night sky leaving behind his bandanna.
The Preacher goes to tell Spike he has failed him for the last time when suddenly...
A mysterious masked hero claiming to be a Kamen Rider appears. He's obviously not since he doesn't look like an insect but he claims to be anyways. It doesn't really matter though because in three pages...
Yeah it was Taki all along, getting fed up with the Riders not showing up themselves.
The Priest turns into a bigger Bat monster and proceeds to wipe the floor with Taki, insulting him for pretending to be a Rider when suddenly...
Hongo Takeshi, Kamen Rider 1 shows up in an entrance so epic it briefly brings the whole universe colour.
He transforms and proceeds to turn the tide of battle, killing vampires and severing the Preacher vampire's arm with a kick.
The vampire mooks go forth to terrorize civilians en mass to which Hongo replies by ripping them in half with his bare hands.
Yeah Kamen Riders have no issues out right murdering the bad guys even when they themselves are born of similar processes. The morality of this is a bit distressing but most of the people who don't over come the conditioning themselves are often shown to be evil bastards even without their powers so it's one of those things I try not to dwell on.
Taki goes after the Preacher using his bike as a weapon in a badass manner.
With that the monsters are beaten and Spike is cured offpanel and goes on to preform at the Apollo anyways.
19 pages from a 58 page chapter
Tune in next week when Taki goes to Africa to fight Warlord that happen to be Cyborg Spider monsters with Rider 2. I couldn't make that up if I tried.
Kamen Rider is roughly to Japan what Doctor Who is to the UK, only with more toys, Japan loves selling toys. A television franchise that has been running in some form or another since 1971 with a hiatus in the 90s filled only with a couple movies that no one is quite sure of what to make of them and a renewed series in the early 2000s that brought an increase in budget. Also the most iconic version of both titular characters wears a scarf, make of it what you will.
The resemblance is uncanny.
Basically it is the story of bikers who were subjected to experiments by evil organizations that want to rule the world giving them superpowered forms but breaking free of their brainwashing and using their powers to fight the evil organizations (with a few exceptions but only one of which appears in what I plan to post so we'll talk about that another day). The similarities to Ghost Rider are uncanny and will be discussed more later on.
Now with that wall of text out of the way let's move on to the point of this post. At the time of the relaunch of the series in 2001 with Kamen Rider Kuuga a manga detailing an alternate take on the plot of the tenth anniversary movie from 1984 Birth of the 10th! Kamen Riders All Together!! was released to remind the youngens of the Franchise's rich history. It's the story of the first nine Kamen Riders and the mysterious new 10th rider coming together to fight a new evil. This post and my next several of subsequent posts shall be that very manga. Don't worry about being kept out of the loop with continuity, I will explain anything that needs explaining as we go. Just sit back, relax and feel the power of the fight for justice flow over you. Also remember to read right to left, the story might get a bit confusing the other way around.
The story opens with a woman being attacked in a dark alley way by a bat monster while someone waxes religiously about how the world is full of sinners. I'm not going to post that because it is really nothing to right home about. Instead I'll start with...
Wait I thought this was supposed to be about Japanese superheroes?
It turns out that the woman was not the only victim. Twelve others have also been attacked and drained of most of their blood, the only clue they got is that the attacks have all been in Harlem and a blurry photo one of the victims took of a blurry winged shape the FBI agents dismiss as a bird, all except for one of them who suspects monsters of the attacks.
Meet our main character for this chapter, Taki Kazuya a Japanese American Interpol agent and friend of the first nine Riders. I don't think the FBI normally lets Interpol agents work their cases like that, Hell I don't even think a serial killer confined to one district of New York would even be FBI level as opposed to normal NYPD but here he is try not to think about it too hard.
We get a couple pages from side characters we will never see again talking about how Taki was drafted from the FBI into Interpol to deal with the cases involving a run down of the evil organizations that the Riders fought and took down. As far as the authorities are concerned it was him but he continues to give credit to the Riders everyone else considers urban legends. Now back to the real plot.
Yeah, something tragic is going to happen to that kid.
Taki goes on to tell the kids a story about the Kamen Riders which they just eat right up until Spike raises an interesting question.
In case the anvil hadn't broke every bone in your body yet, the creepy preacher is in league with the bat monsters. He takes Spike in and turns him into one of them the night of Apollo Amateur night. He ends up attacking one of the other kids who is saved but freaks out crying for a Kamen Rider to save him.
Taki tries to talk Spike down but ends up getting attacked. Bat!Spike flees into the night sky leaving behind his bandanna.
The Preacher goes to tell Spike he has failed him for the last time when suddenly...
A mysterious masked hero claiming to be a Kamen Rider appears. He's obviously not since he doesn't look like an insect but he claims to be anyways. It doesn't really matter though because in three pages...
Yeah it was Taki all along, getting fed up with the Riders not showing up themselves.
The Priest turns into a bigger Bat monster and proceeds to wipe the floor with Taki, insulting him for pretending to be a Rider when suddenly...
Hongo Takeshi, Kamen Rider 1 shows up in an entrance so epic it briefly brings the whole universe colour.
He transforms and proceeds to turn the tide of battle, killing vampires and severing the Preacher vampire's arm with a kick.
The vampire mooks go forth to terrorize civilians en mass to which Hongo replies by ripping them in half with his bare hands.
Yeah Kamen Riders have no issues out right murdering the bad guys even when they themselves are born of similar processes. The morality of this is a bit distressing but most of the people who don't over come the conditioning themselves are often shown to be evil bastards even without their powers so it's one of those things I try not to dwell on.
Taki goes after the Preacher using his bike as a weapon in a badass manner.
With that the monsters are beaten and Spike is cured offpanel and goes on to preform at the Apollo anyways.
19 pages from a 58 page chapter
Tune in next week when Taki goes to Africa to fight Warlord that happen to be Cyborg Spider monsters with Rider 2. I couldn't make that up if I tried.
no subject
I googled some stuff for Science Ninja Team Gatchaman a few months ago. I have clearly seen Japan's hate for capes, and its love for scarfs in even early superhero characters.
no subject
Heck, I'd accept scene-by-scene recreations with western actors if you absolutely had to do it that way, but don't hack up my Riders!
no subject
That'll never happen, but wouldn't it be just about the best thing ever for North American tokusatsu fans?
no subject
no subject
I don't think dubbing would appeal to a mass market though. =(