Kamen Rider (1971) Review – Watch on CocoFlix

A Lone Rider's Burden: The Genesis of a Legend

Before the breadth of the multiverse of masked and costumed creatures appeared, there was Takeshi Hongo, a young man with a passion for motorcycle racing, who had an unfortunate fate. Hongo was abducted by the Shocker group and transformed into a cyborg. He was not designed for evil, and Hongo escaped. He redirected his talent to take on his creators and the monstrous agents under their orders. This simple and powerful plot was the foundation for the first "Kamen Rider," which debuted in 1971. Along with entertainment, "Kamen Rider" created a genre in television.

The series wastes no time to create a good versus evil substance, which is illustrated by the potential global dominance. Hongo, the Kamen Rider, works alone against the never ending fight against the monsters of the world, which are Shocker's monsters, who are of an animal nature, and grotesque. The format lends itself to aspiring episodic plot lines, and each new Shocker plot line includes a new monster of the week. The plot holds itself together with its mythology and the genuine delight all characters have with their mythology. With an early '70s time stamp on the telecasts, the show provides strong substance to address sacrifice, the responsibility one has with power, and retaining one's humanity with a monstrous identity, but of course, written in a family friendly manner.

The Enduring Appeal of Practical Effects and Heart

There’s a reason why Kamen Rider is popular even on the more modern streaming service Cocoflix, and it’s the charm that many audiences find difficult to put a finger on these days. Many would describe the series as dated, but it has its own unique appeal that isn’t found in series that rely heavily on CGI these days. It has practical effects which are long since forgotten in modern series and films. Many would describe Shocker’s costumes and monster suits as looking like something a person would see in a nightmarish weird dream, but costumes can look like that and still be terrifying. The transformation of Kamen Rider and his incorporation of the motorcycle Cyclone, along with his fighter inspired costume, made this series a classic, easily recognized across generations. Hongo’s signature Rider Kick despite its simplicity, became one of the series’ epic action sequences that remains entertaining decades later.

There’s a lot of artistic, creative censorship in modern filmmaking that leads to a lot of series being dull and boring. Kamen Rider is the complete opposite of that. There’s a lot of clarity that is found in the design and execution that combines a clear sense of morality with the hero’s role and a bit of camp. The best cinematic works in recent history and years past have all had a common theme of emotional impact and resonance. Kamen Rider is an example that shows that there’s a lot of depth even in the most unconventional places.

Riding Through the Decades: What Holds Up (and What Doesn't)

Today, Kamen Rider is an example of awesome old TV. Today’s audiences might find the show a little slow. Back then explains used take quite a while. First, the monster ran around and caused trouble. Then, the Rider appeared in the episode. Kamen Rider has old effects, and by that, we mean Billy Bad Effects. Even some bad suits showed the signs of too much work. Each week featured a new monster, and a new problem for the show to solve. Modern audiences are used to lots of plot with lots of character and lots of mystery.

However, all of the issues I just mentioned makes this show better than a lot of newer, more effects-heavy shows. Older shows make you value the simple things. They help you remember the days before special effects budgets were through the roof. If you are a fan of Japanese effects movies, and especially the older stuff, you have to watch this series. Kamen Rider is the first of many imitators. It was the start for many things. While this show isn’t for everyone and is most likely boring, Kamen Rider is a historical show with so much value that the Cocoflix library would be empty without it.