We decided interviewed Kamen Rider fans from the discord server ????oei x ????suburaya all about their experience with Kamen Rider! Today our interview was with Sky! A member of the discord server and a fellow Kamen Rider fan.
1. When did you first get introduced to Kamen Rider? Which series did you start with?
I first got introduced to Kamen Rider when I was very little, spotting a set of Ryuki DVDs at a shopping center, which later ended up being the series I first started with.
2. What is your favorite part about Kamen Rider stories?
The characters, because what’s a story without captivating characters to drive it along? Seeing them go from one place in their personality arc to another, seeing them slowly develop and eventually coming together. Watching that just makes me feel good inside and I think for a series generally targeted towards children, it’s a great moral for them. To come to an understanding with each other, even with people you might not like in the beginning, because it will form a friendship that lasts eons.
3. If you could be one character from Kamen Rider who would it be and why?
This is a hard one. I’ve never really thought about this too deeply, thinking I’d be fine just watching the heroes (or villains) do their jobs from the sidelines. But there is a character that kinda does that. Kamen Rider Decade. He’s appeared in countless pieces of Kamen Rider media that’s not his own series as cameos or even playing major parts in them. He’s a traveler that views countless different worlds, which does sound like quite an ideal job. I would like to see different worlds, to see what things have changed and to see the different good and evil of all of them.
4. What would you tell someone who isn’t sure if they want to start Kamen Rider? How would you convince them to watch?
Kamen Rider definitely isn’t for everybody. As a show targeted towards children, some people might find some tropes in the franchise a bit corny, and that’s fine. However, if there’s someone who has an interest in the franchise but is not sure where to start, I’d just tell them to do research on their own. To find maybe a suit that they think is cool, or find a setup that they think is cool by reading the descriptions of different series. I think exploring a new thing on your own is always better than having someone else always guide you. If they need help or have questions I’ll be there for them, of course. To fully convince them, I’d probably show them a cool scene that I like.
5. How has your experience with the fandom been? Positive? Negative? What is your favorite part?
My experience with the fandom has been neutral. I don’t really participate in the larger part of the fandom and just restrict myself to a server or a small group of friends to talk about things with. I know that sometimes people can get aggressive over things that they don’t like, or get aggressive over things that they like but other people disagree with. I think that people just need to calm down a bit and realize the internet is an ocean of opinions. And just like their favorite characters do with each other on-screen, they should come to an understanding with others and to enjoy things together. I’m glad that what I just mentioned is only a rare occurrence though. Most of the time I’m happy that people can just collectively be happy about something or like something. That’s my favorite.
6. Which series is your favorite and why?
I’ve watched many series and often it’s hard to pick a favorite. Each series has their own ups and downs that make them unique. If I were to pick one though, I’d say Kamen Rider Ghost is my favorite. It’s a series I just recently finished so I might be a bit biased, but it’s really well-written. With a series where the protagonist literally dies and becomes a ghost in the first episode, it has a lot to say about how to deal with loss and death. The series only has 3 core riders, but all of them get their own arcs and heavy character development, which I’m very happy about. The series is heartbreaking when it needs to be sad, but heartwarming seeing the characters come to each other’s aid. To pick up each other after a loss and to always help each other get better. I love the series so much. Aside from story points, the suits are very pretty and the jingles are very catchy too! I like the approach of them making the normal damashii jingles sound like rap verses. Ghost to me doesn’t get enough credit from the fandom. If there’s a Kamen Rider fan who hasn’t watched it yet, I cannot recommend it enough.
7. How has Kamen Rider impact your life?
I don’t think it has impacted my life in any sort of significant way. After all, it’s just a franchise that I’m into. However, I will say that each series teaches me something else about life. To always have a positive outlook on things and to always have hope. To keep fighting for the things you believe in.
8. And Finally! What is your all time favorite fight scene from Kamen Rider!
A bit of an unusual one but my favorite fight scene is Kamen Rider Jin Burning Falcon’s debut in Kamen Rider Zero-One. This one’s a rather short fight and is relatively one-sided towards Jin (it is a new form debut after all), but it really sells him to you. You get to see an extent of his abilities and to just see him absolutely wreck an enraged Vulcan. You see all parts of his personality in his moves: his giggles, his exaggerated movements, and his tendency to dash around the battlefield. Everything combined with the fantastic music in the background, it’s perfect. Gives me chills every time I see it.
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Tatiana Stec is the Co-Founder and Creative Director at All Ages of Geek. You can follow her on Twitter @Tatiana_Stec
