Henshin History

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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.

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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.

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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!

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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!

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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. 

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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.

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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.

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