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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.

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Podcast: Download

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THIS WEEK: This show is DEFINITELY SUPER FUN and not at all exploring heavy themes possibly unfit for children; Skull's TED Talk goes very poorly; no one remembered to animate the baby AGAIN; Sven's memory of Simpsons' jokes is literally nonexistent; Alexa would kill a man to live in a spooky gothic mansion in the woods; nothing good happens in churches or orphanages; even for 2001 this show can't shake its '60s roots; Alexa has never seen Shark Tank but you'd never know it with her pitch; Sven stops Alexa from ruining one of the best parts of a future episode; and this has got to be the work of an enemy Stand.

We talk about a depiction of suicide in this episode. It runs from 1:48:46 to 1:51:06 for those who need to skip that.

TOPICS:
* Cyborg 009: The Cyborg Soldier (2001) 5-8
* Episode 4 Addenda
* Dramatis Personae: A Quick Recap
* No one is actually good at coping in this show
* ASSUMING DIRECT CONTROL
* Albert Heinrich Is Literally More Metal Than You
* 009 and Ishinomori's love of tragic heroes
* If Alexa stops making Homestar Runner jokes for even a minute, she will die
* Joe's vehicular knowledge comes from Tokyo Drift and nothing else
* Spooky mansion episode with a spooky lady with spooky eyes
* ゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴ
* We have to kinkshame GB
* Black Ghost's R&D crew is on some REALLY good shit
* Cyborg ga Gotoku
* There is not a single legit orphanage in all of Japanese media
* IT'S DOCTAH WAHWEE
* The evil organization is always responsible, always
* Attack of the GIANT-SIZE MAN-THING
* We have to talk about KKK hoods for a hot second
* Big Evil Guy Trade Show
* Van's still mad about nukequakes
* The Dolphin is rad as fuck
* Joe you are the WORST babysitter
* The State Of Evil In The World Of Cyborg 009
* Joke Time Is Over Now
* What Did We Learn?
* Non-Riders who are part of the Rider Canon

MUSIC:

* "Fight! Seven Riders!! Showa Rider Taisen" - Kamen Rider x Kamen Rider Fourze & OOO: Movie War Megamax
* "Omen" - JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders OST
* Chiaki Ishikawa - "Taga Tame Ni"

Visual Companion.

NEXT WEEK: Back to Kamen Rider! Introducing... a new friend, with 100% less broken legs!

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Podcast: Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | RSS

THIS WEEK: We introduce our coverage of the Kamen Rider franchise; we have to talk about Japanese regnal eras; Sven shows off his voice acting chops; being an X-Men fan is suffering; Mr. John Toei won't let grandpa back in the suit; Paul Marketing appears nonetheless; Hongo is the dumbest supergenius we've ever seen; no one at Shocker has a medical degree; Rider has been a hero for outcasts since the beginning; the Homestar Runner jokes will continue until morale improves; you should trust no one in academia; future Sven isn't to be trusted; we mention Persona: trinity soul for some reason, and you should always kick a Nazi in the face.

TOPICS:

* Kamen Rider (1971) 1-8

* Kamen Rider Series introduction and general overview of Showa and Heisei eras of the franchise

* Shotaro Ishinomori, Toru Hirayama, and sociopolitical commentary in a show for six year olds

* Dramatis personae

* Takeshi Hongo, aka Segata Sanshiro, the actual coolest and strongest and God-King of Castle Superbeast with an IQ of SIX HUNDRED

* Spoderm'n, Batm'n, Scorpionm'n, Sarracenian, Mantism'n, Chameleonm'n, Bee Woman

* Budgeting props and effects with two 200 yen coins and a piece of string

* Surreality and psychedelia with Shocker

* The Great Leader's questionable choices and Shocker's terrible plans

* The heady days where safety protocols didn't exist

* Hongo's alter-ego, Cy B. Orgman, with the bombproof butt

* Invisible Nazis are the worst

* Shocker's Nazi roots and why Rider is an anti-fascist icon

* Hitler's Secret Treasure

* These fight scenes actually rule

* Hongo can hear as well as dogs

* What we've learned this episode

* Why toku and Rider's themes keep pulling us in

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.

JUST WHAT IS SHOCKER?: An analysis by a gibbering Showa fan by @cannibal-sarracenian on tumblr.

NEXT WEEK: We wrap up the Assassins arc of Cyborg 009! The suffering is real.

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