Gray Rhino King: Harbinger of Evil (恐怖のグレイサイキングは地獄の使者) – Certainly an energetic start to the series, with it opening right on a great fight sequence at a dam between our titular hero and the mysterious evil DARK organization. We learn barely anything about DARK other than they’re evil and are pumping out robots to carry out their bidding, thanks to Dr. Komyoji whom they’ve been holding captive (along with his daughter Mitsuko). They’re lead by Professor Gill, whom immediately comes off as a long-haired, unwashed shut-in weirdo. We actually get a preview of many of the DARK Destructoids that will be unleashed as the show progresses, though two mentioned (Scarlet Dog and Red Snake) will wind up never appearing. Komyoji’s young son Masaru has apparently just been living home all alone wondering where his father and sister are. Not a whole lot of plot to speak of, but a decent premier that both establishes the characters and tone of the show nicely enough. 4/5
Green Mantis: Bizarre Killing Machine (怪奇グリーンマンティスは殺人鬼) – Picking up mostly from where the previous episode left off, with DARK hot on the trail of Komyoji’s android and his children. With Komyoji himself missing, DARK hatch up a pretty clever scheme to frame him for murder, not so much as to discredit him, but to keep him under their thumb (as he’d be a wanted man if he goes out in the free world) for the rest of his life. A colleague visited claims Komyoji and Mitsuko have been missing for a whopping five years (the previous episode seemed to imply its been several months). Does this mean Masaru was alone that long, or was it a slip on the friend’s part? Most notable is the introduction of ace detective Hattori Hanpei, who immediately begins investigating DARK for…damaging his car. The “solution” to abdicating Komyoji is a bit rushed, and the idea of him being framed for murder (and outright seen) will be used again just a few episodes later. 4/5
Orange Ant’s Challenge to the Death – Three episodes in, and the series is already tackling some deeper themes that are practically unheard of in most other Toei Toku shows from the 70s (barring the first few episodes of Kamen Rider and Inazuman Flash), with Jiro’s incomplete conscious circuit getting the better of him. Despite it being something apparently even Mitsuko can fix, Jiro outright refuses, claiming his imperfections make him closer to a human. Revealed is a third Komyoji child, Taro, who was killed in a forest fire orchestrated by DARK. Jiro’s name is of course derived from Taro and Jiro, the two huskie brothers left behind during the 1958 Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition, whom are seen as a symbol of the bonds between brothers in Japanese culture. Hattori Hanpei returns, and after his previous encounter with DARK, seems eager to join Jiro in his quest against them. The only real fault of the episode is DARK’s plan, or lack thereof. It opens on Orange Ant destroying a lighthouse, and later DARK rounds up a group of people to be experimented on/used for labor. It seems they intend to take over the whole town to be their testing ground, but its hardly elaborated upon. The unlicky lighthouse keeper who meets his end at Orange Ant’s hands is played by Takehisa Yamaguchi, who would later be cast as Joji Yuki/Riderman in Kamen Rider V3. The Izu Saboten zoo, featured in oh-so-many Showa Tokusatsu programs, appears. 4/5
Blue Buffalo’s Fiendish Trap – Another solid episode. DARK apparently auctions off some of its Destructoids to nations, which in turn creates an arms race between countries, resulting in more and more being sold all across the world. DARK saleswoman flees after receiving word on her daughter. Strangely, she never once questions DARK’s nature or makes mention of how she was forced into her position – her sole reason for deserting seems to only be concern for her daughter. Hattori Hanpei’s duplicitous side shows here, in addition to his low standard of living. 4/5
Yellow Jaguar: Claws of Evil – The first episode to be written by Hideka Nagasaka, who will eventually become showrunner, and not the strongest start, sadly. Definitely a bit more standalone than the past few, though the search for Komyoji continues. Destructoid Yellow Jaguar wishes to destroy the head of an initiative to plant more trees across a polluted Tokyo thanks to his flamethrower being powered by carbon dioxide. Its honestly a really small-scale plan, albeit the Destructoid itself is the one to suggest it, with Gill just going along. Gill does however, created a brace that will detonate if Kikaider touches it (tested on a monkey is a funny scene). Mitsuko just so happens to be friends with the project’s head, which is a bit contrived, albeit a bit less so when you consider Komyoji and the head’s late father were both prominent figures in the scientific community. Hanpei is AGAIN lured into doing DARK’s bidding with some money. 3/5
Black Horse: Showdown at DARK Execution Ground – After a slightly clunky previous episode, we’re back on the right track with Komyoji returning, only he’s suffering from amnesia and on the run from DARK. Thus begins the plotline that will last for the show’s remainder, with the gang searching for their father and constantly crossing paths with him. Hanpei initially takes him as a client, of course demanding money, but has a change of heart once he realizes he was the father of Mitsuko and Masaru, which definitely shows he’s a good guy deep down. DARK continue to collect humans to be used as cattle for their androids, including posing as a tour bus and taking them to a gas station. The miniature used for the station, while not quite up to par with some of Tsuburaya Productions’ work, is fairly impressive for a Toei program. The only real flaw is the Destructoid, Black Horse, who’s frankly stupid looking. Horses just don’t make for good monsters. A brief bit of narration explaining what happened to the second batch of DARK slaves might have been nice too, though we can assume they were freed. 4/5
Bull Kong: Malevolent Monster Mayhem – An episode with Komyoji once again being framed for murder, albeit unintentionally, with him being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Despite being a world-renowned scientist, apparently none of the locals recognize the man as Komyoji sans Hanpei. Jiro is injured, and needs repair. The scene of him sneaking into a DARK base in order to repair himself, only for Mitsuko to be there willing to help despite the dangers is powerful. Jiro seems to be more open to letting Mitsuko see his robotic inner workings, something he was hesitant to do episodes prior. Episode ends on a bummer note for the kid and as a far as we know, the amnesiac Komyoji is still wanted for murder. 3.5/5
Carmine Spider: Menacing Blood-Sucking Laughter – DARK in need of ultra rare blood type, targeting kid in orphanage. The head scientist behind the project, who just so happens to have a missing kid brother out there, cites her joining thanks to poverty experienced – perhaps such inequality will be abolished if DARK takes control of Japan. We never get a definitive answer between the kid and scientist, which is nice. Jiro’s conclusion that the visiting doctor must be with DARK because she mentions his sidecar is a bit extreme, considering she could have just seen it parked, albeit he proves correct. Jiro apparently has Boy Scout trail markers programmed into him. Not a perfect episode, but one with some interesting plotpoints, even if they’re not explored to their fullest potential. The portrait of Return of Ultraman and Kamen Rider V3‘s Hideki Kawaguchi’s is visible on the wall of the orphanage, in a very bizarre touch. 3.5/5
Red Condor: Screech of Death – The search for Komyoji continues, with him apparently having been spotted by a hiker near a small village. One could surmise he was spotted and reported thanks to Komyoji (as an unidentified citizen) being wanted for murder, though it’s also possible word of a missing renowned scientist got out. Anyhow, the village he stumbles into JUST SO HAPPENS to be a playground for DARK, with them massacring the entire population (children included) the night before. Most of the episode concerns DARK getting Komyoji to return to them, believing him to be feigning amnesia, while also attempting to get their hands on his kids, figuring they’d be a perfect negotiation tool. It’s alright, if a bit generic. 3/5
Scorpion Brown: The Ultimate Weapon – A pretty ho-hum episode with a generic, Rider-esque plot of DARK attempting to get a scientist build a deadly “Uratonium” device from them, in this case more of their stolen “thermo luminescent” device. Despite its original inventor being a scientist, he falls for possibly the stupidest trick ever, with his “daughter” suddenly asking him the specifics of the device and the location of its element. The opening is solid and there are a few good scenes of Hanpei attempting to be a hero, but the weakest episode up to this point. 2.5/5
Gold Wolf: Tormented Howls from Hell (ゴールドウルフが地獄に吠える) – The introduction of Golden Wolf, a DARK Destructoid who was also given a conscience circuit by Komyoji, resulting in him being often uncooperative with DARK’s more dastardly deeds, except of course on the night of a full moon. How lycanthropy could possibly apply to a robot obviously makes no sense, but it makes for some effective drama, as you feel genuinely sorry for him and hope to see him break free of DARK’s clutches. Despite them initially believing Komyoji was feigning amnesia, DARK seem convinced now he truly has lost his memories, and as a result have been keeping an eye on the residence of a world renowned amnesia expert, thinking Komyoji might show up at his place. Mitsuko and Masaru have the same idea, and turns out, they were all right. Once more, Jiro is badly damaged, and Mitsuko ventures out on her own to find replacement parts, this time salvaging them from footsoldiers destroyed by Kikaider. While Gold Wolf’s history and dilemma could have been explored more (Sacrificed of course at the expense of more action), and intriguing episode with a real tragic ending. 4/5
Silver Cat: Ruthless Sorceress – A very pulpy episode, with DARK after the ancient “Crown of Munga”, which apparently has jewels that can power androids. The curator of the museum hosting said crown was apparently a friend of Komyoji’s, resulting in Mitsuko and Masaru’s presence. In an utterly bizarre scene, Destructoid Silver Cat apparently possess the body of the curator’s daughter. Exactly what happened does totally unexplained, but the mere fact some of these androids are capable of possessing bodies is certainly alarming. Never do we learn what became of the daughter afterwards, so we can assume the Destructoid was possessing her corpse. Jiro continues to be content with his imperfect conscience circuit, and has since become more proud of his android heritage. Komoyoji’s cameo in the episode is totally pointless apart from reminding viewers he’s still out there nearby. Some aforementioned weird bits prevent this from being a classic, but not too shabby. 3.5/5
Pink Tiger: Terror at the Amusement Park – A solid episode with DARK targeting the now-defunct Yokohama Dreamland to search for an old android created by Komyoji due to it possibly containing the secrets to a “super circuit”. What’s so super about the circuit is never made clear. But it’s still a very good episode with plenty of action, including cool amusement park set pieces, and interesting lore-building. It seems to imply Komyoji got his start creating automatons for amusement parks. Jun Tatara is very sympathetic as said automaton. The only oddity is the fact they opted to feature two cat-themed Destructoids in a row. 4/5
Silver Tortoise: Destructoids Reborn – An action-packed episode with virtually no plot, to the point where one could be forgiven for thinking it was a “movie” episode. What little plot there is concerns DARK reviving all thirteen of their fallen androids (including poor old Golden Wolf, who’s presumably had his conscious circuit removed), only for them to be used as guinea pigs against their newest bot, Silver Tortoise (whom despite flying, isn’t a friend to all children). The three survivors (Green Mantis, Orange Ant and Black Horse) all disguise themselves as the Komyoji family (Green Mantis DID exhibit the ability to pose as the Dr. in his episode) and lure Jiro to his death. And that’s about it. The fights with the three past Destructoids are sadly comprised of stock footage. The presence of all the previous Destructoids and the “dumbed down” plot would really indicate the episode was released theatrically, but this isn’t case. As stated, the plot is virtually nonexistent, but there’s fun to be had for sure. 3.5/5
Golden Bat: Cursed Shadow From the Past – Another solid, if slightly underdeveloped, episode marking the return of Taro, Komyoji’s son thought-dead. His reunion with Mitsuko and Masaru should be heartwarming, but is made less so by Jiro’s weariness toward him. The outcome is kind of predictable, but still effective. A little more time spent with Taro and the siblings would have been nice, something that could have been solved via cutting just a few minutes of action. Hanpei randomly appears near the DARK base apparently on his way to visit his family’s grave…dressed like Chaplin. Golden Bat seems to need Kikaider’s blueprints in order to remove his conscience circuit, which are apparently located within Jiro’s guitar. Gill has been shown to have access to said blueprints already, so why he didn’t simply supply Golden Bat with a copy is anyone’s guess. Taro is played by Yutaka Hayashi, who genre fans should recognize as Hiroshi from Godzilla vs. Megalon. 4/5
Rouge Jellyfish: Invitation to the River Styx – An anti-pollution episode that just about every Tokusatsu program needed at least one of, and a fairly decent one at that. DARK is once more focused on selling their weaponry to foreign powers, this time killer (presumably biological) jellyfish birthed in polluted waters that thrive when fluorescent lights are applied. There is some nice, subtle direction when Mitsuko and Masaru think they see their father picking up trash below the bridge, with heavy traffic and noise pollution filling up the whole scene, making their sight a lot less certain. Komyoji befriends a young woman (Played by Ultraman Taro‘s Kiyoko Matsuya) who’s picking up waste to honor her deceased brother, while her young cousin discovers the jellyfish. While both are perfectly likable, it does feel a bit redundant having the two of them when they really could have been combined into one character. 3.5/5
Red Hornet: Hostage Terror – Another environmental-themed episode, with the titular Red Hornet going around and polluting for no real reason. DARK’s actions are targeted by the Pollution Bureau, which upsets Gill, resulting in the kidnapping of the chief’s daughter. He’s being just plain petty here. Said daughter just so happens to be friends with Mitsuko, because of course she is. Though given both of their fathers are prominent figures in the scientific field, it’s not totally unbelievable. The Pollution Bureau actually play a fairly important role in Ishinomori’s manga, with Komyoji’s deceased son having been a member before dying under mysterious circumstances, almost certainly thanks to them investigating Gill’s operations. A majority of the episode is set in Ikaho, which is said to be Komyoji’s birthplace. There are a lot of scenes at the Ikaho Hotel (an obvious bit of product-placement) with Masaru and Hanpei just chilling. These are honestly pretty great and show how close the trio have become. The targeted environmental chief sure is dedicated to his job, and actually goes so far as to allow his daughter to die at DARK’s hands if it means he can still continue protecting Earth. We never actually see the two reuniting, for whatever that’s worth. Red Hornet stings Masaru with his poison butt, turning him crazy. It leads to an amusing sequence, but it ultimately has no bearing on the plot. Even stranger, his army of smaller hornets that help spread pollution are shown to start out as normal-sized DARK footsoliders, who somehow shrink. I can buy sentient polluting robots, but that’s pushing it. Still a good episode despite some weird bits. 3.5/5
Black Chameleon: The Grand Heist – A really solid “chase” episode that’s once more set in Ikaho. In a very nice callback, DARK are after a truck transporting a large supply of Uratonium, the same element featured in Scorpion Brown: The Ultimate Weapon. It’s very simple, but the episode is filled with nonstop action and great (not to mention dangerous) stunt work throughout. Mitsuko, Masaru and Hanpei mostly take a backseat, though their friend Sayoko from the previous episode accompanies them on their search for Komyoji. She adds nothing to the episode, but her presence is still a nice bit of continuity. I wouldn’t have minded her becoming a recurring ally. 4/5
King Crab Maroon: Keeper of the Death Ray – An overall forgettable and occasionally frustrating episode. The plot is fine enough, with a DARK Destructoid wanting its hand on a 50-carat diamond in order to complete a ray gun that will surely kill Kikaider. What really brings this episode down is its portrayal of Hanpei. After coming across as fairly confident in the past two episodes, he’s back to being a bumbling, skirt-chasing idiot. He outright ditches the diamond he was tasked with protecting out of fear, and even rats out Mitsuko and Masaru to King Crab Maroon. Granted, he seems to know Jiro is nearby, but the fact he would do that after all they’ve been through is pretty lousy. Dr. Komyoji also doesn’t seem to recognize the fainted Mitsuko and Masaru despite coming into contact with them a few times now. I suppose its possible with this and Hanpei’s out-of-character behavior, this episode is set a little earlier in the show’s chronology, but who’s to say. 2/5
Blue Water Scorpion: The Skull Weed Conspiracy – Another serviceable, but still kind of mediocre episode. DARK poisons the water supply of a small neighborhood with a potion that turns people into mindless killing machines. And apparently, the only one that can create an antidote is the reservoir’s director, who just abandons his post to create it, instead of say, asking for help from fellow scientists. Hanpei is still rather bumbling, but certainly a lot more heroic, and has one of his funniest moments here. There isn’t much to say, but it’s fine. 3/5
Purple Rat: Brutal Fangs of Poison – Initially starts out as a pretty typical episode, with the titular Purple Rat raiding labs for biological weaponry (A fairy standard plotline that’s become a lot more frightening in a COVID world), but transforms into a hunt for Komyoji. The episode marks easily the closest call between Dr. Komyoji and his kids up to this point. Hanpei is actually tasked with investigating the incident at the lab (Not kmowing DARK was behind it), though why such an important institute would hire a lowly P.I. to the case is anyone’s guess. Hanpei sports an eyepatch throughout the entire time for absolutely no reason. Never once is it addressed, but I kind of love it. Jiro once more demonstrates his first duty of protecting Mitsuko and Masaru, even if it means greatly compromising himself. Though it’s a bit of a shame DARK’s plot wasn’t fleshed out a bit more, a good episode. 3.5/5
White Saw Shark: Twelve-Hour Nightmare – A good, tense episode, with DARK overtaking a large housing complex, cutting off all outside communication and threatening its residents to keep quiet. Their reasoning involves the creation of a laser weapon, where they have the real specific plan to fire it at a jumbo jet over said complex at a precise time, creating a great conflagration and lots of deaths. Certainly one of their dastardlier plots, though White Saw Shark winds up looking quite stupid by not just immediately killing the mother and son whose apartment he takes over. One could interpret the residents’ refusal to even talk to Mitsuko and Masaru as a commentary on the disconnect between neighbors in housing complexes, akin to UltraSeven‘s Who are You?. The ending is a bit anticlimactic after all of its buildup, though that’s mostly to do with the special effects limitation. 4/5
Yellow Antlion Brothers: Alphabet Attack – Another good episode that’s somewhat hampered by a just plain weird plan by DARK. Said plan involves breaking up the wedding of a young up-and-coming robotics scientist. Gill, despite being a creepy introvert, believes that his happy marriage will only increase his productivity, and wants that stopped. It’s just a weird plan that could have easily been reworked to them merely wanting to kidnap said scientist, given his wedding is out in the open. The bride-to-be’s father is hospitalized and will be watching the wedding from outside his window. She claims he may have a heart attack at any given moment, and missing his daughter’s wedding will only increase those chances. So he must have been in for a shock when the Destructoids and Kikaider appeared. In fact…we never see him again after they crash the wedding, so it certainly is possible the geezer croaked. But what saves this episode are the scenes of Mitsuko practically confessing her love for Jiro, only for him to be completely oblivious to them. It’s downright gut wrenching. Also has one of the funniest Hanpei bits. The three Antlion siblings are an interesting change of pace, even if they have ugly designs. The bride-to-be is played by the late Yoko Kiku, star of Toei’s Love! Love! Witch Teacher. 3.5/5
Pink Armadillo: Sinister Temptress (魔性の女?? モモイロアルマジロ) – A really bizarre episode, which is saying something, with the titular Pink Armadillo luring horny men to become slaves for DARK. Certainly a premise ripe for commentary on men’s behavior that’s sadly still relevant (In both Japan and other parts of the globe)…but the episode doesn’t really go too deep into it. In fact, parts almost seem to be critical of feminism, with the scenes Pink Armadillo and her female DARK soldiers telling men not to touch them in certain areas being played for laughs. The whole scheme of wanting to brainwash men and turn them into slaves of DARK would almost seem to indicate the organization is starting to run low on mechanical footsoldiers, though its never elaborated upon. Being the incel he is, Professor Gill believes the still-present hormones in the controlled men to be their downfall, and attempts to capture a scientist, who OF COURSE has befriended Mistuko and Masaru, to remove any trace of them. (Spoilers) Even though all of the enslaved men, including Hanpei, are freed from the mind-control, they still must have the added mechanical implants within them. Just a weird episode from start to finish, but a moderately entertaining one. 3/5
Orange Snail: Whistle of Death – A definite “game changer” episode, with Komyoji having his memories partially-restored. The only downside is those caring for him are DARK, who have convinced him Kikaider has killed his children. Thus results in Komyoji immediately returning to robot-building, constructing Orange Snail to combat Kikaider. Just a very solid episode with higher stakes than usual. Orange Snail truly is a formidable foe, being a creation of Komyoji’s. He has the apparent power to turn humans mad, though it doesn’t really result in anything and feels a little pointless when the main plot of the episode is just the death/capture of Kikaider. A few Destructoids are also revived by Komyoji, including once again poor Golden Wolf. Orange Snail calls himself Kikaider’s “brother” given they’re from the same creator. Little does Kikaider know, he shall be encountering another “brother” in due time. The only real downside, aside from the mildly-pointless “crazy” bit, is how everything once more returned to the status quo by the end of the episode. 4/5
Green Mammoth: The Next Ice Age Project – A mixed bag, with some very good scenes, but an overall generic plot. The titular Green Mammoth was briefly shown at the end of the previous episode, but first appears here frozen. He of course bears almost no resemblance to an actual wooly mammoth, which makes the bit of the botanists believing him to be an actual frozen creature all the more laughable. Given his appearance at the end of the last episode, its possible Green Mammoth is another Komyoji creation, especially given how powerful he’s shown to be, but this is never addressed (His bizarre appearance could be chocked up to him being incomplete or built in a hurry). In one of the most contrived character connections yet, Hanpei pays a visit to a botanist whom he considers his “first love”, who just so happens to be tending to Komyoji. The scenes of Green Mammoth freezing targeted areas are pretty laughable and don’t do a very good job at illustrating his supposed might. Not to mention the choices of targets are just bizarre – a poultry farm and an aquarium? He does do some good damage to Kikaider, however, which results in him needing a full-on oil bath. 3/5
Violet Turban: Sinister Love – Hideka Nagasaka’s first episode as full-on showrunner and the first in the loose Green Sponge three-parter of sorts. Certainly starts with a bang, with not one, but two Destructoids after a scientist who’s apparently perfected the conscience circuit. While giving Jiro a complete conscience circuit would speed up his defeating of DARK, he seems reluctant, stating their quest for it will only cause more deaths. And while there’s an undeniable truth to that, perhaps deep down, Jiro doesn’t want to be perfected. After all, imperfections are what make us human. Perhaps, slowly over time, androids can learn to become more human. And perhaps this can start at just their sheer striving to be as such. Case in point is Destructoid Violet Turban (Whose human form bears a resemblance to the titular character in Toei’s Female Prisoner Scorpion series of films), who shows genuine signs of despair and a wish to die as a woman (Something previously also wished for by Pink Armadillo). The close bond quickly formed between Jiro and Violet Turban’s human form upsets Mitsuko, who vows to find the conscience circuit for Jiro on her own. It’s certainly possible Mitsuko thinks giving Jiro the circuit would stop him from falling for a DARK agent, but would that really make him more human? Is being unable to see past any flaw truly the right state of being? There’s certainly a lot to ponder here, in addition to it just being a solid, action-packed episode with lots of twists and turns. 4.5/5
Red Devil Stinger: Making Little Boys Cry – Picking up right where the last episode left off, with Mitsuko on the trail of obtaining the schematics for a complete conscience circuit. In one hell of a stroke of luck, the scientist’s daughter just so happens to be the proprietor of the hotel the gang has been staying at. Despite this, Jiro still wishes not to pursue it, again citing the lives that will be put at risk, something that he later proves correct about. Masaru, meanwhile, has decided to run away after being abandoned by Mitsuko last episode, and even by Jiro to some extent early on. This may seem petty…but very realistic for a kid his age. Not nearly as complex as the previous episode (Or the one that will follow), but still a fine time with an especially fun climax at an abandoned Wild West theme park. 4/5
Green Sponge: Third Self-Resurrection – The third and final part of the “Green Sponge” trilogy, and a what a cap it is. Despite being saved by Jiro and Hanpei last episode, Masaru is still running away from Mitsuko, albeit with Green Sponge on his trail. Nobody ever asked Masaru how he’s feeling. The amount of trauma this kid faces on a weekly basis (a missing father and killer robots, just to name a few) must be terrible for a child his age. The fact he’s held on for this long is amazing, almost certainly thanks to support from his big sister. So for her to (at least in his young eyes) ditch him like that is a perfectly reasonable breaking point. Masaru befriends a rich girl (Though the Komyojis seem pretty well off too) around his age who also claims to be running away from home. Said girl is played by prolific child actress Yukiko Togawa, who previously appeared in Blue Buffalo’s Fiendish Trap. The scenes of the two together near Mt. Fuji are almost dreamlike and feel like, even if only for a brief moment, a true escape from everything. The only real downside to this trio of episodes is Hanpei acting like a clueless dolt for most of it, though the “charades” scene between him and Masaru is genuinely amusing (he’s also donning an awesome jacket). Hanpei does also exhibit some bravery towards the end. Green Sponge’s human form is played by prolific villain actor Kenji Ushio. 5/5
Gold Octopus: Prelude to Jiro’s Demise – An episode with the pretty terrifying concept of young women being murdered with their brains harnessed that’s largely played for laughs. But it somehow works. DARK have apparently constructed Crimson Squid as a sort of prototype cyborg, using the components of brains to better combat Kikaider. Just why all of those targeted are young female coeds is never explained, other them being typical damsels. The concept of a cyborg given the needed human factor to match Kikaider will of course be explored a bit later. The young robotics college student (A student of good ole Jonan University) targeted for his brain is a really fun, spunky character. It’s this fun performance that likely lead to her actress, Matsuki Hijiri, returning for Kikaider 01. Komyoji is now working as a hot dog vendor, and just so happens to have befriended the college student, to the point where she looks up to him as a father-like figure (Exactly how much time has elapsed since the last episode is not clear). The young woman’s mother claims her scientist husband disappeared five years ago, which would seem to hint at DARK involvement, but this is never brought up again after one scene. 3.5/5
Gold Octopus: Prelude to Jiro’s Demise/Blue Electric Eel: Accordion Arm Agony – A very enjoyable two-parter that’s fairly simplistic, but is packed with plenty to like. The episodes serve as another sort of “vacation”, this time at Lake Shoji where Mitsuko and Masaru saw a photo of their father at in a newspaper. Komyoji was apparently working at the local airport, only to quit to become a fisherman. DARK’s involvement is essentially just them trying to catch a man who spotted their construction of a secret base, and later Komyoji. The man is separated from his young daughter, who joins up with Mitsuko, Masaru and Hanpei, essentially creating a search for two fathers. Kikaider suffers quite a loss, though Komyoji, via some sort of instinct, winds up repairing him…albeit there’s a slight mix-up. Why Komyoji just leaves after fixing Jiro rather than staying with him is not clear (other than out of fear), and the girl’s complaining about wanting to see her dad gets a little irritating after a while, but a really fun pair of episodes. 4/5
Mask Crab Red: Enforcer of the DARK Code – The surprising return of King Crab Maroon, who’s been rebuilt with his laser installed within him, and the introduction of his far-superior brother Masked Crab Red. Exactly why King Crab Maroon was reconstructed only to be pushed aside in-favor of his “brother” isn’t quite clear, but the idea of feuding robot siblings will return very soon. Said feud shows an undeniable hint at the robots becoming more human, as does an action taken by King Crab Maroon. Mitsuko shows empathy towards the outcast King Crab Maroon, and decides to take him in to safety, in a clear sign of character development. Earlier episodes would have had her totally untrusting of anything DARK-associated, but perhaps Jiro’s past compassion towards vulnerable Destructoids has given her a new outlook. The only downside is Komyoji’s appearance feeling completely arbitrary; he has a construction gig and even winds up captured by DARK, only for it to amount to nothing at all. 4/5
Black Spiny Anteater: Destructoid with Child – One of the show’s strangest, yet most gut-wrenching episodes. And it’s one of the best. The humanization of the Destructoids has reached its peak with Black Spiny Anteater and his daughter, Tiny Spiny. Tiny Spiny was apparently created to assist the larger Destructoid, but he treats her like a daughter and displays genuine love unseen from any previous Destructoid or even Jiro. Their love is in direct contrast with a woman who’s essentially abandoned her daughter to an orphanage in order to pursue her goal – taking down DARK. Said woman is the widow of a former DARK scientist apparently executed for being untrustworthy, supplying his wife with a microfilm containing a DARK “hit list”. Several humans were seen working for DARK (either by choice or unwillingly) early in the show, but less and less have appeared gradually, and at this point, all crew are shown to be machines. Perhaps Gill’s paranoia over traitors resulted in the execution of most humans within the organization? Komyoji winds up getting a job at the widow’s bar, which could imply he had known the killed scientist and his home prior to his memory-loss, though this is never addressed. Despite the real emotions at play between the father and daughter Destructoids, the ending doesn’t really dwell on it at all. Kikaider just seems unable to comprehend their relationship. The Lone Wolf and Cub image song performed by Yukio Hashi is played during the father and daughter’s stroll in the park, one of the show’s most touching moments. 4.5/5
Flying At ‘Ya, Android Kikaider – A fun, if super simplistic theatrical featurette – in 3D! As with most movies, the plot is rather “dumbed down”, with Professor Gill devising a plan to destroy all of Japan’s major cities in one fell swoop. The only obstacle is a key piece of his detonating device being on a teenage girl’s pendant. Exactly how DARK was able to find her as the one carrying the missing piece is anyone’s guess. In addition to that, Gill masters a robot-repairing machine originally started by Komyoji, resulting in the resurrection of 20 Destructoids (Golden Wolf is thankfully spared, but poor Black Spiny Anteater is forced back into action without his beloved daughter). The canonicity is ambiguous at best, with several revisited locations, namely Yokohama Dreamland (which still seems to play “When the Saints Go Marching In” 24/7) and the Tattori Dunes. There’s plenty of fourth-wall breaking throughout, making it a really immersive experience that gets somewhat lost when watched at home almost 50 years later. Still, the spectacle and gorgeous scope make it a fun time.
Black Crow: The End of The End – The start, or at the very least a “preview” of the show’s endgame arc. A fairly simplistic plot, with DARK’s latest Destructoid, Black Crow (who looks more like a cross between a penguin and manta ray), being immune to Kikaider’s “The End” attack, and Kikaider needing to find a way to defeat it. ESPECIALLY after Komyoji is in both parties’ sights. A lot of action-packed scenes throughout, not to mention some great Hanpei moments and even a moment of badassery for Mitsuko. Ornithophobes are bound to dislike the several sequences of robotic crows attacking our heroes. Said crows are usually shown via props on strings, but a few scenes utilize cell animation mixed with the live action footage. While not as impressive as some of P-Productions’ work, it’s a unique visual nonetheless. 4/5
Jiro Attacks Dr. Komyoji/Hakaider: Jiro’s Formidable Younger Brother/Hakaider: Kikaider Killer -The endgame arc commences, with DARK robbing banks for funds (it’s been a while since we’ve heard anything about their arms dealing – maybe their constant failures have soured business?). A nosy, overachieving photographer on the trail of the frequent robberies first suspects Hanpei as a robber…and she isn’t wrong. Hanpei actually intends to snag some money from the crime scene for himself…which is concerning. Said photographer actually recognizes Komyoji as a guard at another bank (because of course). So DARK is in for a stroke of luck when they find both him and money at a bank. Jiro can apparently detect Komyoji’s brainwaves, with a neat animated “S.O.S” appearing, again akin to P-Productions’ work. As suggested by the title, Jiro, under hypnosis from Gill’s flute, once again attacks Dr. Komyoji. Said photographer is the first to see it, and believes Jiro to be a threat. But considering Jiro sacks her in the gut to get her out of the way early on, it’s not entirely unjust. The gang makes one of their stupider decisions by fleeing from the police after they wish to take Jiro in for questioning. They’re undeniably in a state of panic, especially when Dr. Komyoji may still be nearby, but it’s not one of their better decisions. Then again, two officers just allow the DARK scientists posing as doctors to abduct a girl who sees the Destructoid in the backseat…so maybe the gang’s weariness of the police is justified. The police are also too stupid to realize Jiro isn’t human. But when they finally learn the truth, they order him destroyed, as he’s just a piece of hardware to them. The DARK scientists that escort Komyoji and later work on the Hakaider project are shown to be flesh and bones, the first humans other than Gill seen with DARK in a long time. The third part is unaltered action with a serious twist and moral dilemma. Jiro’s voice box gets fried, though he can still yell random phrases as Kikaider. 4.5/5
Kikaider: Wanted Dead or Alive – Picking up where last episode left off, with Kikaider and Hakaider dueling. DARK are apparently going on with their business while Jiro is a wanted man and Hakaider searches for him, with Angler Brown brainwashing children Pied-Piper style for…reasons. Apparently, DARK wants to create warriors out of them, but it’s barely touched upon. Masaru is still convinced Jiro murdered his father, and begins to get close with Saburo. DARK’s child kidnapping plot is sadly really underdeveloped and kind of uninteresting, but otherwise a solid installment of this arc. Paul Maki and Takeshi Seki of the comedy duo Lucky 7 appear as a pair of bumbling policemen that Hanpei seems to get along with. 4/5
Crisis! Jiro Stops Functioning – The Hakaider/Saburo arc continues, with Masaru still wanting Jiro dead, despite some clearly conflicted feelings brewing within him. Hakaider is still hellbent on being the one to kill Kikaider, even if it means interfering in one of DARK’s plans. Said plan involves Destructoid Grasshopper Gray planning to amplify his lethal soundwaves with a radio tower. The only catch is some chubby little kid already painted a picture of it, resulting in the Destructoid wanting it. This seems…really small potatoes, especially if everyone will seemingly be dead through the amplified sound anyways. Said artist kid just has no real stake in the story. He simply painted a picture and plans to enter it in a contest. Had it been, say, a painting for his sick mother or something, viewers might have a bit more investment in seeing it saved. Still, like the last episode, that’s not the main focus. That is, of course, the conflict between Jiro, Saburo and most of all, Masaru. The scenes of Jiro attempting, perhaps in vain, the earn back Masaru’s trust are not only among the best in the show, but all of Tokusatsu. Grasshopper Gray’s cry is really bizarre and can get mildly annoying after a while. 4/5
Jiro Blows Apart!/Hakaider Rebels!/Jiro’s End or DARK’s Demise? – Final Episode – The three-part finale, and a pretty spectacular closure to the series it is. In what seems to be a last-ditch effort, Mitsuko and Masaru are lured to what’s apparently DARK’s primary headquarters (one can surmise all of their other bases have been destroyed) with the promise of seeing their father. This of course a trap to lure Jiro to his doom at the hands of Red Mine Toad’s exploding balls (that’s a sentence I had to type). Despite spending an insane amount of money and research on his creation, Gill finds Hakaider obsolete with Red Mine Toad apparently capable of destroying Kikaider, and orders his destruction as well. Hakaider’s story truly is a tragedy. He was built with only one purpose – to destroy Kikaider. So when his sole purpose in life is gone, where does he go from here? Gill obviously never cared about this. In another world, Hakaider could have been a good ‘bot. Hanpei initially starts the story a bit cowardly, but becomes a full-fledged hero by the end. While Red Mine Road is alright, White Bone Flying Squirrel is one of the coolest “final monsters” in all of Tokusatsu. All in all, a great conclusion to this great series. 4.5/5
Beta Capsule Reviews 