Kamen Rider Stronger

I am the Electric Human Stronger!! (おれは電気人間ストロンガー！！) – A very different opener in that neither Kamen Rider Stronger or his sidekick Tackle are shown their origins – they simply appear. Members of Black Satan, or at least their commander Titan do at least seem vaguely familiar with them, indicating a connection. As it stands, a very fun, energetic first episode with lots of action and some great moments for Shigeru Jo and Yuriko Misaki. Jo is certainly different from your previous do-good Riders, coming off as arrogant and jock-like. Black Satan’s plan (Aside from hijacking a hovercraft) hearkens way back to Poisonous Gas Monster Torikabuto’s G-Plan, with them having gas-emitting potted-flowers in which they plan to spread all over. An entertaining, high-energy start. 4/5

The Secret of Stronger and Tackle! (ストロンガーとタックルの秘密！) – After being left in the dark in the previous episode, we have the origins of Stronger and Tackle, and big shock, they were created by Black Satan. The two being their creations is a little harder to swallow, as not only do they not look “evil” in the slightest (Though you could hypothesize Tackle was unfinished), but their more traditional transformations don’t correlate at all with the Satan Bugs used. The nature of the Satan Bugs are revealed, with them shown to house monsters within them and having the ability to possess people, turning them into monsters, a concept that feels quite at home in a modern Rider show. During the flashback, we here the voice of Black Satan’s leader, and its none other than the Great Leader of Shocker and Destron, back after a two show absence. Black Satan’s plot, which seems to be picking up shortly after the previous episode considering Titan is staying the same hotel, involves them infiltrating a light house to jam the radars of ships. Though it might have been even cooler to wait a little longer to see Stronger and Tackle’s origins, and it is a shame Jo’s friend who was previously captured by Black Satan will never again be mentioned, a solid episode. 4/5

The Thriller House Calls for Children!! (スリラーハウスが子どもを呼ぶ！！) – After just three episodes, Tachibana is back, though in a pretty minor role, only briefly coming into contact with our heroes. The main plot is a pretty simplistic “kidnap children” one, though is somewhat creative, with them being put through a fitness/stamina test via an amusement park haunted house, with the best ones being selected. It’s just a shame we don’t get to see more of what they’re put through. The amusement park setting naturally leads to some fun set pieces, including a hilarious paddle boat fight. The Scorpion MechaMonster has most of his animal features on his face, bearing a slight resemblance to a Facehugger from Alien (Though this predates it by a good four years). 3.5/5

The Demonic Motorbike Reckless Driving Operation! (悪魔のオートバイ暴走作戦！！) – Certainly an episode that plays with the public’s fears of biker gangs during the 70s, with Titan instructing a monster (A flying, fanged turtle that isn’t so friendly to children) to lead a gang of bikers and cause mayhem. Though pretty small-scale, it does perhaps indicate Titan’s previous underworld life, though perhaps more implications of their mayhem, such as young, ordinary people joining their gang would have made it feel a bit more drastic. Yuriko is seen supervising a group of children on a field trip, which would seem to imply that’s her job, but we never hear of it again after this. Tachibana is apparently traveling all across Japan looking for a new motorcycle rider to train. The plot is a bit too minuscule to be considered great, but a pretty fun episode still. 3.5/5

Black Satan’s School Lunch!? (ブラックサタンの学校給食！？) – The first “poison” plot of the show, with Black Satan’s newest monster needing to test his poison on something, and deciding on the lunches at a local school (Where Shigeru just so happens to have a friend who works there). Certainly a disturbing choice, though unfortunately, if unsurprisingly, there’s an antidote for his poison, being simple fugu poison. Rather amusingly, there is no direct antidote for fugu poisoning in real life, though one could say in the Toei hero universe, where people are constantly infected with all sorts of poisons and viruses, scientists would have worked a little harder to find a cure for at least something as basic as that. Kind of a sub-par plot, but the episode makes the most of what it’s got and manages to be entertaining enough. 3/5

The Jellyfish MechaMonster Who Took the Form of a Teacher! (先生に化けたクラゲ奇械人！) – The second episode in a row involving schools being under siege and the third involving children targeted. Here, Titan wants the brightest minds from schools to be captured and used for MechaMonsters. Most of the episode focuses on a particular child trying to evade capture, and its fun enough, though like the episode before it, a bit too skimpy on plot to be considered great. 3/5

Rider Great Reversal!! (ライダー大逆転！！) – Still a little too simplistic, with people being kidnapped as slaves for Black Satan within a restaurant that sees lots of travelers (A tourist trap, get it?). Once more we have a kid trying to evade them while also wanting his dad rescued. Shigeru and Yuriko do a lot of bickering, with her being mad at him underestimating her abilities. Weirdly, there isn’t any real resolution to it, with their usual roles enforced – Yuriko is captured, only to be saved by Shigeru, Stronger handles the monster of the week (In what’s the craziest kill so far) while Tackle rescues the captured people. We never do see the Satan Bugs removed from the captured people when they’re freed, unless it happened off-screen. The subplot involving a gas that can put Shigeru under Black Satan’s control is only lightly touched upon, though does lead to a good scene in the climax. Was released theatrically as “Kamen Rider Stronger: The Movie”, which does seem like an odd choice given the episode itself isn’t very good, but it does kind of make sense given how many of Stronger’s powers are showcased. 3/5

Don’t Melt, Rider! The Final Blow, Electro Kick!! (溶けるなライダー！とどめの電キック！！) – Another “poison” episode, this time with the latest MechaMonster poisoning the water supply with a substance that causes people to go insane. Once more, we have a somewhat mediocre script (Written by latter Ultra Series regular Bunpei Ai, in his only Rider effort) made enjoyable enough with its pacing, action sequences and character interactions. The insanity substances is said to be made with the poison sundews use to kill insects, something that doesn’t really exist, which apparently there’s an antidote for. The whole antidote solution is extremely tired, but it is delivered in a legitimately great sequence, with Yuriko coming to the rescue for a change. 3/5

The Band of Demons Has Come!! (悪魔の音楽隊がやって来た！！) – A bonkers episode that feels like an early 80s Sentai or Metal Hero show, with Black Satan’s latest scheme involving possessing bands and playing a series of notes that trigger people’s deepest, darkest instincts to kill those different from them – in this case, children, or in children’s case, adults. It is about as goofy as it sounds, and the whole bit with adults wanting to kill children probably could have been dropped in favor of them simply going insane, but pretty entertaining. Shigeru and Titan have a brief, but cool encounter. For the first time since the flashback, we here the Great Leader speak, directly to Titan. 3.5/5

The Frightful Gamma Bug! It Targets Humans!! (恐怖のガンマー虫！人間を狙う！！) – A fairly solid episode with a good deal of interaction between Titan and our heroes. The only head-scratcher is Black Satan’s plot, which concerns them creating insects that can turn people into mindless slaves, with them needing a scientist’s assistance in breeding them. What’s weird is the fact they already have such insects in the form of Satan Bugs, which house the conscious of monsters and footsoldiers and are capable of possessing people. It’s clear these are intended to be more “normal” insects with the ability of breeding in large numbers, but it is rather odd that they tout it as some great invention. The Satan Bugs don’t even get mentioned. The cremation deathtrap for Stronger and Tackle certainly brings to mind The Execution of V3/V3’s 26 Secrets!?, with it even being filmed at the same crematorium. Guest stars Yoshifumi Tajima. 3/5

Chameleon! Demonic Film!? (カメレオーン！悪魔のフィルム！？) – A lousy episode that has about no plot whatsoever. It starts out simply enough with Titan trying to kill a visiting Middle Eastern King about to embark on an oil deal with Japan (This was right in the midst of Japan’s oil crisis), but things just get confusing and plain stupid when the king’s daughter goes missing and Black Satan infiltrates a nearby film crew to make it seem like they’ve caught footage of the king’s daughter and deliver a lethal canister to the king…or something. It gets even more confusing when its revealed the king’s daughter IS there. You’d at least expect some fun movie-making gags present with a majority of the episode taking place at a set, but we don’t even get that. Shigeru apparently works part-time as a movie extra. 2/5

Duel! Stronger’s Grave!? (決闘！ストロンガーの墓場！？) – For the first time in a while, a legitimately good episode, with Black Satan constructing what is deemed their most powerful monster with the intention of defeating Stronger. The MechaMonsters, despite their abilities to possess other people, are confirmed to still be remodeled from humans, with the father of the man turned into Spider MechaMonster going on a spree, warning the public of Black Satan. He’s silenced soon enough by his own son. Black Satan actually have another plan in the episode, intending to poison a huge food shipment with “tarantula venom”, therefore hurting Japan’s relation with foreign countries, though its role in the plot is relegated to letting Yuriko and Tachibana suffocate in it while they lure Stronger to his death. Kind of skimpy on plot, but fairly gripping and enjoyable. 4/5

The One-Eyed Titan! The Final Counter Attack!! (一ツ目タイタン！最後の逆襲！！) – The supposed end for Mr. Titan, who is given one last chance to destroy Stronger. And it just so happens he will be headed towards their base, as Yuriko’s brother, who is revealed to be a scientist unwillingly working for Black Satan, is attempting to escape. The outcome is rather predictable (And similar to Kikaider’s The Shadow of the Golden Bat’s Curse), but still engaging. The revelation of her brother working for Black Satan is certainly a big one, and makes one wonder if Yuriko being transformed was a tool to get him to join or if Tackle’s very-different (Compared to Black Satan’s other creations) feel was a choice of his. That said, Yuriko doesn’t play an especially big role in the story, with the main focus being Stronger and Titan’s duel, and does make one wonder why they didn’t instead choose Shigeru’s friend whom he joined Black Satan to avenge as the character to lure him to the base (Of course, he was said to have died, but that could have been written around easily enough). Even the arrogant Mr. Titan knows he stands little chance of defeating Stronger, actually bargaining with Shigeru to come back to Black Satan in an attempt to not fight him. Despite this, the final duel is very impressive, with Titan seriously increasing his power, something that winds up being his downfall. A solid episode. 4/5

The Appearance of Enigmatic Chief Executive Shadow! (謎の大幹部シャドウの出現！) – The debut of Black Satan’s new executive General Shadow, who wants nothing more than to kill Stronger. Retaining a sense of honor, Shadow openly admits to having discontent for Black Satan, disliking their using of children as sacrifices. Despite this, he’s still keen on making a powerful MechaMonster in the form of MechaGorilla, kidnapping a brute on his way to jail for transformation. The plot Black Satan tasks Shadow with involves finding sacrifices for Titan’s funeral, something Shadow openly tells the Great Leader he wants no part in it, and even seems to want Shigeru to put a stop to. It does seem them wanting a sacrifices for a funeral shows the great organization that was once Shocker has become a complete crazy cult and little more, but we might learn the actual reason for it in a few episodes. The whole “sacrifices” plot is a little too undercooked, but Shadow’s debut is more than impressive. 4/5

Shadow’s Trump That Calls Death!! (死を呼ぶシャドウのトランプ！！) –  A mostly entertaining affair with Black Satan targeting a scientist who may have created a gravity control device. General Shadow appears a bit hypocritical from last time when he criticized the use of children as sacrifices, this time happy to use the scientist’s daughter as a method of getting him to cooperate. But we all know he has no real interest in the mission at hand, and is just eager to kill Stronger. Weirdly, the Mecha Monster seems to be in charge of helping create the gravity-controlling device, presumably due to him possessing the scientist’s assistant. 3.5/5

The Bloodsucking Bubunger’s Demonic Present! (吸血ブブンガー悪魔のプレゼント！) – A borderline plotless, but fairly creepy episode. What little plot there is concerns Shigeru, Yuriko and Tachibana orienteering with some kid we’ve never met, the event which is a target for a Mecha Monster to turn kids into his servants, presumably picking them for their skills (Similar to the haunted house in The Thriller House Calls for Children!!). Exactly what the monster’s goal is outside of that isn’t clear, but the scenes of him draining the kids’ blood and the kids resting inside cocoons are genuinely creepy. General Shadow doesn’t appear at all until the end, not commenting on the monster’s use of children. 2.5/5

Ghost Story, The Demonic Easter (怪談 悪魔の復活祭) – After just three episodes, the return of Mr. Titan, reborn as Hundred-Eyed Titan. Him returning so soon might seem bizarre, but it’s clear the Great Leader wanted this from the start given the “sacrifices” at his funeral a few episodes back, obviously not trusting General Shadow. And indeed, Shadow is less than pleased, with him and Titan immediately bickering. The episode starts a little slow with a lot of snooping around the church area, but once Titan returns, it becomes quite enjoyable. Weirdly, Ant Capone, a member of G.O.D. is one of Titan’s pallbearers. Did he survive and join Black Satan? 4/5

Ghost Story, The Bottomless Swamp (怪談 底なし沼) – Another pretty solid episode with certainly one of more clever MechaMonsters in the form of a manta ray that absorbs electricity, weakening Stronger. The highlight is once more Shadow and Titan’s rivalry, with Shadow not wanting Titan to succeed in killing Stronger, going as far as to interfere by giving Shigeru information. Stronger is set to be drowned in the titular bottomless swamp, which Black Satan apparently can drain and undrain at will. Yuriko is arguably in her most “damsel in distress” here, being tied to a log at a sawmill, right out of a 30s cartoon. A few aforementioned weird bits and the “undoing” of the Satan Bugged campers is contrived, but an enjoyable romp. 3.5/5

Ghost Story: The Cursed Old Castle! (怪談 呪われた古城!) – A rather generic affair involving the creation of another poison gas derived from poisonous frogs, but that’s kept afloat by General Shadow’s desire to kill Stronger and his bickering with Titan. The “ghost story” aspect is a supposedly haunted castle, that’s in fact the testing grounds for the gas, with the whole haunted aspect done to lure select people, apparently. 3.5/5

The Great Scary Desert! Two Tobeis?! (恐怖の大砂漠！二人の藤兵衛！？) – Amazingly, the first “doppelganger” story in Rider, with a scientist bearing an uncanny resemblance to Tobei. And it just so happens Black Satan needs said scientist to help repair Mr. Titan, who was badly injured after a one-on-one duel with Stronger. The whole doppelganger element isn’t especially essential, with it just being an excuse for Tachibana to be kidnapped and require rescue, but it is a pretty fun episode. Titan’s clearly gone-off the deep end, with him desperate to kill Stronger instead of Shadow, challenging him to a one-on-one duel in a truly awesome western-inspired intro. General Shadow is weirdly alright with letting Mr. Titan finish Stronger and his friends off, which of course winds up failing. The Tachibana lookalike’s office has a rainbow-like design that’s reminiscent of EAGLE from Goranger. Perhaps he was one of the architects behind the Gorangers? 4/5

Samegashima, Decisive Battle in the Sea! (鮫ヶ島海中大決戦！) – Another pretty fun affair that’s not too heavy on plot, instead focusing on Titan and Shadow’s rivalry. What little plot there is concerns a diving woman in Toba Bay being kidnapped by Black Satan and Stronger and co’s quest to retrieve her with the help of her (annoying voiced) son. Exactly why she was captured isn’t quite clear, but given the luring pearl-like object, it can be assumed they just want themselves strong swimmer specimens. Still, a single line specifying would have been nice. As stated, Titan and Shadow’s rivalry is the real highlight, with Shadow rather letting Stronger live to see another day than have Titan be the one to kill him. 3.5/5

Rider Execution at 12:00!? (１２時００分ライダー処刑！？)/The Devil of the Underground Kingdom!! (地底王国の魔王！！) – The final appearance of Mr. Titan, with him capturing Yuriko and Tachibana in an attempt to lure Shigeru and finally end his life once and for all, increasing his strength yet AGAIN. Titan’s become so desperate, he’s more than willing to blow up his own MechaMonster who’s trapped Stronger inside his cocoon. Like the previous episodes, the highlight is of course his feuding with Shadow, with the General frequently sabotaging his schemes of killing Stronger. Titan’s clearly done with that too, and decides to set up a duel between Stronger and Shadow – whichever kills the other, he loses a rival. We learn the apparent true nature of Mr. Titan and perhaps even General Shadow, with his “underworld” ties being a lot more literal than expected – he’s a being hailing from deep below the Earth’s surface, and seems to have a following amongst its inhabitants. Clearly, the Great Leader dug deep to find these guys during his two show absence. Titan is clearly the Great Leader’s “teacher’s pet”, with the Leader having let him get off far too many times despite his constant defeats, perhaps in part due to his weariness of Shadow, and maybe due to the fact both were at one point one-eyed. Regardless of his reasons, their close relationship certainly grates on one’s skin. The “underworld” isn’t exactly convincing, with plenty of visible greenery and even communication towers visible, but its still a pretty fascinating revelation that we shall learn more of. A good sendoff to Titan that opens the door to things to come. 4/5

Bizarre! The Unmanned Train Runs!! (怪奇！無人電車が走る！！) – Once again, our heroes are back in Toba, this time investigating the mysterious disappearances of people on trains, which is of course revealed to be the work of Black Satan. These kidnappings are revealed to be for slave labor to constrict a spiffy new island fortress, apparently for a new commander set to arrive, something General Shadow is completely unaware of. The Great Leader apparently likes this new commander so much, he doesn’t allow the MechaMonster to kill Shigeru and Yuriko, despite them being in his hands, instead wanting the arriving commander to do it, in one of his lesser moments. As always, Shadow is the highlight of the episode, with him fully disavowing any loyalty to Black Satan (Not that he had any to begin with). Several past monsters are shown during the kidnapping scene, though its not clear if they were really revived or are just hallucinations. Tachibana gets to shine a little, even saving the day, but just how he found Black Satan’s hideout is anyone’s guess. 3.5/5

Don’t Die!! Shigeru Jo’s Electric Chair (死ぬな！！電気椅子の城茂)/Behold!! The Great Leader’s True Identity!! (見た！！大首領の正体！！) – The debut of Dead Lion, Black Satan’s new executive, and also the end of Black Satan. Dead Lion is apparently so trusted by the Great Leader, he is given possession of a pendant that contains all of Black Satan’s secrets. The first part concerns Dead Lion and his monster luring Stronger and co. to place him in an electric-draining chair. There are some goofy moments, mainly the solution to his trap involving a flower pot in the torture chamber (Don’t they all have those?) but is overall pretty fun. The second part is where things get insane, with Stronger getting his hands on said pendant, and Dead Lion desperately trying to retrieve it. The “secrets” on it are in fact the passageway to the Great Leader’s location, and MAN do things get bizarre. Apart from the journey to his lair being a mindscrew, the Leader’s apparent true form is beyond goofy-looking, with him vowing to rule the world with his Satan Bugs, which he claims are extensions of his mind. The Satan Bugs in general were very illy-defined, with us never really learning just what they are and how they work, and that statement only throws another wrench into the confusion pile. Of course though, its fairly obvious this isn’t the last we’re seeing of the Great Leader. Dead Lion’s fate is never revealed – though it can be assumed he perished in the explosion, the semi-canon Kamen Rider Spirits does reveal he survived. I would call this a disappointing end to Black Satan, but they were in general a pretty weak organization. Fortunately, General Shadow has something up his sleeve. 2.5/5

Cyborg Demons! The Delza Army Appears!! ((改造魔人！デルザー軍団現わる！！)/Oh No! Stronger is in Pieces…?! (あ！ストロンガーがこなごなに…？！) – The introduction of the Delza Army, a race of beings from far underground that want to retake the surface world for themselves. General Shadow is revealed to be a member of the race (Something hinted at a few episodes back) and was assigned to take down Black Satan and Kamen Rider Stronger prior to their invasion. Because of Stronger’s survival, the army forms a deal – whoever can kill him gets to be leader. The first two to take a stab at it are the honorable, if brutish Staff Officer Steel and the sniveling Division Commander Wild Eagle, who’s more than happy to backstab and take credit for other’s work to get what he wants. Shadow is no longer especially hellbent on killing Stronger, apparently fine as long as its a member of his race (As opposed to peons like Black Satan), though apparently has something up his sleeve when the time for deciding their leader arrives. An increase in the show’s quality is immediately apparent with Delza’s debut, with some legit thrills and some great twits and turns present throughout that only make one eager to see more, something much of the show has been lacking. A very solid pair of episodes.

The Curse of Demon Kate’s Blood! (魔人ケイト血ののろい!) – Picking up where the last episode left off, with Staff Officer Steel still having his eyes on Stronger, and Doctor Kate joining in on the fun. Kate’s been capturing children, who’s blood apparently creates her poison gas she intends to use to kill Stronger. But it just happens the gas also affects Steel, something she takes notice of. Like the previous episode, the constant backstabbing between the Delza members is great and shows how far they will go to be the one to kill Stronger and become leader. Any honor Steel had is lost when he decides to steal the children being used by Kate as hostages to lure Stronger, something Shadow doesn’t comment on. The only downside, apart from the opening fight dragging on, is Yuriko barely does anything. It wouldn’t matter too much, except considering what happens next episode…3.5/5

Farewell, Tackle! Her Final Mission!! (さようならタックル！最後の活躍！！) – As suggested by the title, the final appearance of Kyoko Okada as Yuriko/Tackle in an extremely emotional episode. Despite her much inferior strength, Yuriko’s bravery was unmatched and she truly fought on until the very end. Doctor Kate continues her quest to kill Stronger and Major Skull joins in on the game, actually proposes an alliance with Kate, as suggested by Shadow, though mostly out of fear of her gas. A powerful, tear-jerking episode, made only stronger from Kyoko Okada’s premature death at the age of 27, that more than anything should convince one Yuriko deserving of being a Kamen Rider. 4.5/5

Stronger’s Great Remodeling!! (ストロンガー大改造！！) – Major Skill continues his crusade to kill Stronger, deciding stalking him is the best way of doing so. And while he’s certainly not as competent as he led us to believe, he still packs a powerful punch, made all the worse for Stronger when the dimwitted Baron Rock (Who bears a strong resemblance to Marvel’s The Thing) crashes the party, apparently advised to do so by General Shadow. Clearly, Stronger just isn’t strong enough to deal with these guys, but it just so happens there’s an upgrade waiting for him in the most unlikely of sources. Said source does in a way bring things full-circle, and show just how much bigger a threat Delza is when compared to Black Satan. 4/5

Deadly! Super Electro Three-step Kick!! (必殺！超電三段キック！！) – Picking up from last time, with Baron Rock continuing his attacks on Stronger, this time ordered by Shadow in order to test Stronger’s new powers. There is an obstacle getting in Shadow’s way, in the form of Secretary of State Wolf, who is convinced Shadow is sending sending out Delza members to fight Stronger and die in the process, making him the leader by default. Even Shadow apparently fears Wolf, who’s said to hail from a “Wolf Clan”, proposing a temporary truce with Stronger until he’s defeated. Apparently, Shadow no longer minds taking hostages, at least when his own life is at stake, with him capturing Tachibana as one. And things only get crazier when Wolf proposes an alliance with Stronger to take down Shadow. A great ride of an episode from start to finish. 4/5

Stronger Dies in the Full Moon!? (ストロンガー満月に死す！？) – A downright insane episode involving Secretary Wolf acting on behalf of his mysterious “Wolf Clan”, answering to what appears to be a higher-up, whom we never learn anything about after this episode. Apparently, when children are sacrificed during a full moon, Wolf’s ectoplasmic powers will be powerful enough to kill both Stronger and Shadow. The beginning is kind of confusing, with Wolf’s men capturing children and overtaking a dentist’s office that has several kids and also Tachibana, whom he presumably intends to use as a hostage to lure Stronger. Why Tachibana’s dentist is out in the countryside as opposed to Tokyo is anyone’s guess. Wolf’s dentistry gig isn’t abandoned, however – he packs with him denture grenades. We’re introduced to Commanding Officer Brank, an apparent descendant of Frankenstein (a Monster Kid’s episode if there ever was one) who infiltrates Wolf’s chamber with the intent of killing Stronger himself, only to be convinced not to kill in cold blood due to such a thing tarnishing the great Frankenstein name. Extremely goofy and occasionally a bit convoluted, but a fun enough romp.

The Snake Woman’s Bloodsucking Hell! (ヘビ女の吸血地獄！) – The introduction of Snake Woman, a Delza member based around the Japanese Nure-onna Yokai who seems to have a flirtatious relation with Shadow. He apparently enlists her to defeat Stronger, though her supposed plan involves little more than turning Tachibana and some kids into snake people, something Stronger solves with a simple punch to the gut. It seems a little too simple, until she reveals she’s only been testing his abilities. Brank, the last of the original members apart from Shadow, still takes a stab at ambushing Stronger throughout the episode. Very simplistic with some fight scenes that drag on a little too long, but fun enough and teases something big to come…