henshinhistory

[henshinhistory]

THIS WEEK: “Set Up!” This marks the start of Kamen Rider X (1974), featuring the “kaizorg” Keisuke Jin. It just so happens that this series is Sven and Van’s blindspot as far as showa goes, so this will be a journey for everyone. Join them as they fret over the darker turns the show takes; a dastardly crossover threatens the hosts where it hurts them the most; the GOD General Commander employs a ruthless real estate genius; the Shakespeare references get out of hand; and Van attempts a goof and botches both the takeoff and the landing in extraordinary fashion. You know what Kamen Rider really needed? More gun.

Content warning: Two episodes in this coverage contain depictions of suicide. (Timestamp #1: 2:00:59 – 2:04:46 ) (Timestamp #2: 2:07:41 – 2:20:38 …basically all of ep7.)

In general, this coverage contains discussion of abusive family dynamics.

TOPICS:

Kamen Rider X (1974) 1-7

Neptune, Pannic, Hercules, Medusa, Cyclops, Bullman Minotaur, Birdman Icarus

Preamble and Dramatis Personae

The shinwakaijin, or Mythology Monsters

warfarem’n (Warfare Agents)

Keisuke and Keitaro Jin

The Government of Darkness, G.O.D.

Ballistics-proofing with Dr. Sven

Trek sidebar: Why are scientists like this, actually

AI duplicates

Transformation sequences!

Masculinity in Rider

Pragmatism vs humantarianism

Sidebar: Egyptus from 1971

“Alpha Gas”

Highway chase scenes! Budget!!

Forgotten character development

The return of Tobei Tachibana, bike grampa

Mood whiplash!!!

Skull Man flashbacks

MUSIC:

“Fight! Seven Riders!! Showa Rider Taisen” – Kamen Rider x Kamen Rider Fourze & OOO: Movie War Megamax

Ichiro Mizuki – “Set Up! Kamen Rider X” and “I Am the X Rider”

NEXT WEEK: Farewell, Hakaider Squad, we barely knew ye.

[henshinhistory]

THIS WEEK: “Change 01!” The historians return for more android shenanigans in Kikaider 01, the sequel to Android Kikaider. Not to put too fine a point on it, the show discards its overarcing themes of what it means to be a human in favor of unmitigated nonsense. Does this make it better? The answer may surprise you. Join Van and Sven as they consider the practicality of a solar-powered robot with a battery life of five seconds; Sven has a temporary Dr. Seuss-related mixup; they see prototypical Sentai villain squad dynamics; and they are baffled at the mystery plot surrounding Akira and Rieko.

This show… might be a bit stupid.

The full series of Kikaider 01 is available legally in the US, once again through Generation Kikaida!

TOPICS:

Kikaider 01 (1973) 1-6

Silver Shrimp, Blue Crocodile, Red Centipede

Android Kikaider recap

Dramatis Personae

The Hakaider Squad & Gill-Hakaider

Hiding places for blueprints

Zi-O’s “Kamen Rider Kikai”

Seibu-en Amusement Park

The “Four Stage Attack”

Jiro returns

Gunta, a.k.a. discount-Hanpei

Kablam!

Android mook factories

Suit nitpicks

Comparing Rieko and Dr. Komyoji

SATANIC DARKNESS

Everyone loves robovore

Messages in bottles

That goddamned flute

Destron plots…?

Fight choreography and lack of focus

MUSIC:

“Fight! Seven Riders!! Showa Rider Taisen” – Kamen Rider x Kamen Rider Fourze & OOO: Movie War Megamax

Masato Shimon – “Kikaider 01”

Thomas “Drax” Mogensen – “Happy Happy Christmas”

RIDER CHIPS – “Fight! Seven Riders!” – Pachinko Kamen Rider: Full Throttle

NEXT WEEK: SET UP!

[henshinhistory]

I’m usually skeptical towards blu-ray HD restorations

but holy shit OG Kamen Rider’s visual upgrade is a complete a game-changer in how the series looks. It feels less like cheap TV-footage and more higher fidelity film with better contrast and colour values and removal of that weird green filter.

(the previous DVD release on the right for comparison.)

[henshinhistory]

kikaider 01 | kikaider 01

masato shimon

[henshinhistory]

THIS WEEK: Alexa, Sven, and Van wrap up Kamen Rider V3 (1973). While their opinions are largely positive, the final stretch isn’t without its share of last-minute curveballs. Join them as they explore Yuki and Great Leader’s dynamic; Van’s attempts at logic are met with about the reaction you would expect; we discuss the inherent awfulness of starfish and alternate realities; Shiro Kazami almost definitely failed his semester; and they spoil a poignant moment by pointing out just how shortly it sticks.

Rest in Tahiti, Joji Yuki.

TOPICS:

Kamen Rider V3 (1973) 47-52

Coelacanth Kid, Thorned Starfish, Vampire Chameleon, Zariganna

On the pacing of Showa Rider

Shocker riders! Except worse.

Extremely festive new years’ parties

Good cult/bad cult?

Samurai dramas?

Vent Infiltrations and vaccuum chamber escape sequence

Tachibana’s contrived talents

John Mulaney

Feelings Beach!

Pretty-boy close-ups

The VATAL BULLET

Far Cry 4

Shocker’s image and blood libel

Return Of The Living Dead

The Pluton Rocket

Joji Yuki’s “death”

The Great Leader’s second so-called demise, and final thoughts

Listener questions: Villain rankings and Rescue Fire

MUSIC:

“Fight! Seven Riders!! Showa Rider Taisen” – Kamen Rider x Kamen Rider Fourze & OOO: Movie War Megamax

Ghost – “Con Clavi Con Dio” – Opus Eponymous

Shoji Meguro – “Reverie” – Persona 4: Original Soundtrack

Taco – “Puttin’ On The Ritz (by Irving Berlin)” – After Eight

“Won the Lawsuit! ~ The First Victory (English Court Suite)” – Professor Layton vs Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney

Hiroshi Miyauchi – “Fight! Kamen Rider V3”

NEXT WEEK: We return to Kikaider. Properly this time.

[henshinhistory]

we’re recording our last kamen rider v3 episode for @henshinhistory this afternoon, if anybody wants to send in questions!

[henshinhistory]

THIS WEEK: Abandoned by Alexa at the eleventh hour, Van and Sven make the mistake of examining a Cyborg 009 spinoff, here reimagined as the exploitation film 009-1: The End of the Beginning. Join them as Sven scrambles for anything to talk about but the movie itself; the Metal Gear Solid jokes continue unchecked and unabated; Koichi Sakamoto needs to get more raw potatoes in his diet; Van’s plot predictions end up right for all the wrong reasons; and at long last, Sven finds his hill to die on.

Content warning: This film contains gratuitous blood & gore, non-explicit sex, sexual assault, suicide, and incest.

TOPICS:

009-1: The End of the Beginning (2013)

The premise of 009-1

Koichi Sakamoto

Dramatis Personae

Human trafficking, homicide, and titty bars

Mylene’s story

Dr. Klein’s inept hostage situation

The kind of really misogynistic nature of the movie

PS2 CGI helicopters

Calling Mylene a “monster”

Deus Ex: Human Revolution & Mass Effect

Fake pool lesbian party

Swimming pool fight scenes that refuse to do Scarface

Silent Hill

The worst scene in the movie

Chris’s contradictory (and deeply creepy) motives

Forgotten character development

Post-credit stingers of no significance

MUSIC:

“Fight! Seven Riders!! Showa Rider Taisen” – Kamen Rider x Kamen Rider Fourze & OOO: Movie War Megamax

RIDER CHIPS – “Fight! Seven Riders!” – Pachinko Kamen Rider: Full Throttle

NEXT WEEK: The end of Kamen Rider V3.

[henshinhistory]

THIS WEEK: After scheduling conflicts, work issues, technical difficulties, and one instance of the plague, Sven and Van have returned from the holidays to begin the final act of Kamen Rider V3. Join them as they discuss the reasoning behind the remake-episodes; monsters being late for their own hijinks; Sven’s dark backstory coming to light, one cult reference at a time; how incredibly gross and terrifying Snail-Man’s premise is; and a reiteration of the counterculture inherent in Rider’s DNA. Note: It has now been 0 episodes since the podcast has had to talk about vore.

TOPICS:

Kamen Rider V3 (1973) 41-46

Garumazillon, Snail-Man, Sickle-Neck Turtle, Rhino Tank

Marshal Armor & Riderman

Remake Episodes!

The politics of Destron

Sven’s cult psychology sidebar

Bat Man remake #2

Everyone loves Junji Ito body horror

Tarot trivia

Joji Yuki’s transformation

Rider vs Rider throwdowns

Disability and cyborgs in fiction

Destron Youth: 100% less brainwashing, 100% more trauma

Rider showdowns & Yuki’s indoctrination

A sudden but inevitable betrayal

N… nakama?

Obvious traps and stubborn reconciliations

MUSIC:

“Fight! Seven Riders!! Showa Rider Taisen” – Kamen Rider x Kamen Rider Fourze & OOO: Movie War Megamax

Hiroshi Miyauchi – “Fight! Kamen Rider V3”

Masato Shimon, feat. the Columbia Yurikago Children’s Choir – “Run, Hurricane”

NEXT WEEK: Not quite revisiting Cyborg 009.

[henshinhistory]

THIS WEEK: Sven and Van bring you a wonderful Christmas special about a classic Japanese horror flick and its commentary on post-WWII Japanese society! Hooray! Sven’s facial blindness eclipses Van’s; we chat about the strong points of visual storytelling; we have a lengthy sidebar on nuclear radiation in Japanese and Western fiction; we realize one of our favorite video games has to be referencing the very movie we’re covering; Van curses Sven with forbidden biology; and, for the love of Christmas, don’t let it set in!

Remember to check out Kaijucast! <3

The short story that Matango is based on, The Voice In The Night, can be found on Wikisource.

TOPICS:

Matango (1963)

The film’s localization

Ishiro Honda and his legacy

William H. Hodgson’s The Voice In The Night

Annihilation

Dramatis Personae

Visual storytelling through shot composition

Lord of the Flies

Gushing about set design, ft. spooky-ass ghost ships

The Lucky Dragon 5

Watchmen and the culture of scifi after the atomic bomb

The food problem

Mushroom people (meeple?)

Shirley Jackson’s The Sundial

Class warfare dynamics and the resentment of social status

No Exit

Yoshida’s descent and Sakuta’s motives

The dissolution of the crew

The Matangos’ suit design

Kenji’s escape from the island & the finale

Sven learns that parasites are bad

Did we enjoy this?

MUSIC:

“Fight! Seven Riders!! Showa Rider Taisen” – Kamen Rider x Kamen Rider Fourze & OOO: Movie War Megamax

RIDER CHIPS – “Fight! Seven Riders!” – Pachinko Kamen Rider: Full Throttle

NEXT WEEK: Introducing the last commander in V3 and our secondary protagonist. Along with Marshall Armor, it’s time to meet the fourth of our Legendary Seven: Riderman.

[henshinhistory]

THIS WEEK: Sven and Van cover the second half of the 1973 Inazuman TV series, and Ishinomori’s manga of the same name. Goro Watari and Saburo Kazeda gear up to fight their iterations of Emperor Banba. Things get weird. We discuss Ishinomori’s peculiarities; Goro Watari cannot transform in the frozen time; there’s a prolonged awkward mutual striptease; and Van dies live on air as things get to levels of incoherency rarely seen on the podcast. Inazuman sure was something.

The Inazuman manga is available on Comixology, and the TV show on Generation Kikaida!

The short story Van mentions is “I Just Think It Will Happen, Soon” by Rebecca Campbell.

TOPICS:

Inazuman (1973) 11-25 (sort of), Vol 3-4

Impressions of the TV show, good and bad

Introducing: the new fiend

The lewdness in the manga

Psychic lobotomies

Ishinomori’s beliefs?

The Men Who Stare At Goats

Aliens (yet again)! Werewolves! Crossovers!

Awkward teenage conversations

More goddamn volcano plots

War Of The Worlds

Teleport chase sequences

For whose sake?

Biotruths???

MECHA DRAGON

Ruby’s arc

Psychoknives

The goddamned moon

Final thoughts & Ishinomori’s influence

MUSIC:

“Fight! Seven Riders!! Showa Rider Taisen” – Kamen Rider x Kamen Rider Fourze & OOO: Movie War Megamax

Mark Snow – “Material Primoris: The X-Files Theme” – The X-Files

Masato Shimon, feat. the Columbia Yurikago Children’s Choir – “Fight! Inazuman”

NEXT WEEK: What you’ve all been waiting for.

[henshinhistory]

(NOTE: So we accidentally the domain. Oops. We’re getting that sorted out, but until then, this is linking directly to the podbean. Thanks for your patience, folks! This weekend was rough for the team.)

THIS WEEK: The gang reconvenes with Kamen Rider V3. A number of familiar faces return to grace us with their presence and we close out Doktor G's tenure on the show. In addition to that, a joke dies live on podcast; the show tries (poorly) to introduce new merch; Van gives us a helpful(?) driving PSA; Sven forgets what object permanence means; petty office politics return; V3's bodycount gets downright ludicrous; and you really don't wanna know what Doktor G's opinions of Tom Clancy are.

TOPICS:

Kamen Rider V3 (1973) 25-30

Mantis-Merang, Heater-Cicada, Iron Ring Beetle (w/Revived Shocker Cyborg Quartet), Camera Mosquito, Crab Laser

Bigfoot hunting

Codename: Kids Next Door

"Scramble Hopper"

Batman Begins

human mummification formula

Higurashi: When They Cry

More ruses!

All the warriors, Shocker edition

The decay of showa suits

Return of Taro Marketing-san

Body counts in V3

Shitty office politics, Part 2

Interpol's "Destron Hunters"

Borderlands

Doktor G's final mission

On parents in Kamen Rider

MUSIC:

“Fight! Seven Riders!! Showa Rider Taisen” – Kamen Rider x Kamen Rider Fourze & OOO: Movie War Megamax

Hiroshi Miyauchi – “Fight! Kamen Rider V3”

Reel Big Fish - "Sell Out" - Turn The Radio Off

Ichiro Mizuki feat. the Columbia Yurikago Children’s Choir – “Song of the Kamen Rider Scouts”

NEXT WEEK: Generational conflict, paranoid delusion, growing concerns over the rapid destruction of the environment, cheatypants psychic mutant battles: It's time for Inazuman! Sort of. You'll see.

[henshinhistory]

THIS WEEK: Tara joins us for the surreal 1995 film Mechanical Violator Hakaider, to once again discuss angry allegorical antiheroes fighting god. In addition to that, Sven and Van’s pasts come back to haunt them; we talk Amemiya’s pre-GARO aesthetics; Hakaider forgot how to dodge; old jokes are taken out of retirement for one last ride; everyone’s back on their bullshit, and if there’s anything we hoped you’ve learned on this show, it’s to be gay and kill God.

Content warning: Mechanical Violator Hakaider contains depictions of gore, attempted suicide, and (non-explicit but still on-screen) lobotomy.

Our guest is Tara Wrist (@ae2501maeth on Twitter, tarawrist on Patreon). Check out her article on DOOM, All Their Engines on Bullet Points Monthly, and her short story collection SO PUSH YOUR FACE INTO THE MIRROR UNTIL IT BREAKS!

TOPICS:

Mechanical Violator Hakaider (1995)

Compare & contrast with Kikaider: Reboot

Red Hood and The Outlaws

Fist Of The North Star

Black and white aesthetics

“Jesus Town”

Otherworldliness of 90s CGI effects

Amemiya and GARO

Gurjev and Michael

Batman vs Superman

Big bike chase scenes!

The Good Place

The rebel base; postapocalyptic tyranny

Mechanical Violator‘s take on Hakaider’s tragedy

Toshiki Inoue

Ideological motives

Kaoru’s role

Guardians of the Galaxy & Escape From New York

Hakaider vs Michael; Michael’s connections to Jiro

Why does Japan want to kill God

Postmortem and Mega Man Zero

English dub trivia

MUSIC:

“Fight! Seven Riders!! Showa Rider Taisen” – Kamen Rider x Kamen Rider Fourze & OOO: Movie War Megamax

Nine Inch Nails – “Terrible Lie” – Pretty Hate Machine

Ichiro Kageyama – “A Cruel Angel’s Thesis” – Neon Genesis Evangelion

NEXT WEEK: Some old faces make a comeback to attend Doktor G’s book club.

[henshinhistory]

THIS WEEK: Things get goofy with Kamen Rider V3, and we get to see the first Destron commander, Doktor G, in full swing. Sven gets hypertechnical about sci-fi tech; V3 goes for a refreshing dip in the ocean (again, and again, and again); we debate cartoon physics and Destron’s in-house antidotes; we take an awkward visit to Rider Scout Boot Camp; we take an even more uncomfortable detour regarding villains with mental disabilities; and while none of Destron’s plots make a lick of scientific sense… well, the theory is sound.

TOPICS:

Kamen Rider V3 (1973) 19-24

Blowfish Apache, Guillotine-Saurus, Syringe Spider, Speargun Sealion, Propeller Kabuto, Cockroach Spike

Chatting about The Magnus Archives

Destron’s philosophies

Battering ram tactics

Electromagnetic barrier physics w/Dr. Sven

Beach skeletons

Red Bone Power(tm)

Cruise ships and MIB

The return(?) of the Double Riders

Mind control plots. Oh how we missed you.

The “SS Device”

Subterfuge shenanigans

Artificial gravity chambers

Maximum irresponsibility

Folk songs are distressing and creepy worldwide

Blood-powered cyborgs & origins of vampirism

Orphan percentiles

Listener questions: Hypothetical dub VAs

MUSIC:

“Fight! Seven Riders!! Showa Rider Taisen” – Kamen Rider x Kamen Rider Fourze & OOO: Movie War Megamax

Hiroshi Miyauchi – “Fight! Kamen Rider V3”

Ichiro Mizuki feat. the Columbia Yurikago Children’s Choir – “Song of the Kamen Rider Scouts”

NEXT WEEK: A guest returns, as things take a turn for the surreal in Mechanical Violator Hakaider!

[henshinhistory]

THIS WEEK: Sven and Van delve into the 2014 film, Kikaider: REBOOT. Salt stocks have never been higher as their cups boil over. Our podcasters are fooled by goatees, Sven’s childhood comes back in the strangest way; Ishinomori villain motives are brought up and then summarily ignored; an infamous Kickstarter kerfuffle gets dredged up; our hosts’ friendship is based on being smad on behalf of robots, and it’s not just the movie which ends up unravelling at its seams.

TOPICS:

Kikaider: REBOOT (2014)

Cast & crew

Bijinder/Mari

The conscience circuit & facial recognition

Komyoji & Gill / Light & Wily

Mitsuko’s interpretation

The vertical slice movie scene

Kikaider’s 2014 redesign

Budget-busting Metal Gear

Gill’s convictions

Mega Man X

Nanocrystal displays

Jiro’s character: then and now

Old man tastes

Daisuke Ban’s cameo role

Kickstarter nonstarters

Gill’s transformation and motives

On love and compassion

Kikaider’s will to fight/the conscience circuit scene * Final thoughts and feelings

MUSIC:

“Fight! Seven Riders!! Showa Rider Taisen” – Kamen Rider x Kamen Rider Fourze & OOO: Movie War Megamax

The Collectors – “Go Go Kikaider”

NEXT WEEK: V3 finally hears from his rider senpais.

[henshinhistory]

THIS WEEK: With Alexa down due to a case of chronic demon possession, it falls to Sven and Van to cover the end of Android Kikaider (1972). As promised, the show ends with a bang… but is it enough? Frustrations begin to mount; Sven’s an absolute donut; minds are boggled and senses befuddled; the finale gets explosive; forty-some episodes later and that goddamned flute gets what’s coming to it; anime is still a mistake; and the hardest part truly was getting the brain out!

TOPICS:

Android Kikaider (1972) 39-43

Angler Brown, Grasshopper Gray, Red Mine Toad, Hakaider, Skeleton Flying Squirrel

On the finale sticking the landing

DARK aping Shocker

Miscommunication & distrust continue. Yay.

The Death Whistle

Android Kikaider‘s pacing

Archie Comics’ Mega Man

The worst scene

Suit & monster designs in this show

Escalation between Hakaider & Kikaider

Cowardice as a narrative tool

Certain overkill

Saburo’s rebellion and breakdown

Out-of-suit fights!!!

Hanpei’s heroic shenanigans

The restoration of Dr. Komyoji

The finale

Wrap-up and final thoughts

What are we doing next?

MUSIC:

“Fight! Seven Riders!! Showa Rider Taisen” – Kamen Rider x Kamen Rider Fourze & OOO: Movie War Megamax

Merv Griffin – “Think!” – Jeopardy

“Rank E” – Sonic Unleashed

“Won the Lawsuit! ~ The First Victory (English Court Suite)” – Professor Layton vs Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney

Yuuki Hide – “Go Go Kikaider”

NEXT WEEK: Doktor.

[henshinhistory]

THIS WEEK: The crew continue on Kamen Rider V3‘s nonsense road, as they enjoy the twists the show puts on the formula… while lampooning the skeezy romantic tropes on display. In addition, Little Mac dies valiantly; Alexa talks kids’ fashion; Red Lamp Power is the Kaio-Ken; we have perhaps confused certain algorithms due to one too many wrestling jokes; we are deeply concerned about the ongoing actions of the Rider Scouts, and you should BUY SUZUKI BIKES.

TOPICS:

Kamen Rider V3 (1973) 7-12

Knife Armadillo, Chainsaw Lizard, Lens Ant, Razor Starfish, Pickaxe Shark, Drill Mole

Shiro Kazami & Ryu Terui

Necromantic surgery

Hajime No Ippo cameo

Tachibana’s special combat training

The Rider Squad is somewhat irresponsible as a concept

Motocross champeenship, brought to you by Suzuki

Monster theming (Lens Ant)

Marvel’s Thunderiders

Bike physics & power creep

Manos: The Hands Of Fate

On the biweekly format

Shitass chinpira dude

V3 and “selfless revenge”

Mobile Suit Gundam

Cursed rings and skull-themed wedding

Lois Lane gaslighting

Listener question: Suit aesthetics!

MUSIC:

“Fight! Seven Riders!! Showa Rider Taisen” – Kamen Rider x Kamen Rider Fourze & OOO: Movie War Megamax

Hiroshi Miyauchi – “Fight! Kamen Rider V3”

Ichiro Mizuki feat. the Columbia Yurikago Children’s Choir – “Song of the Kamen Rider Scouts”

NEXT WEEK: Kikaider’s finale.

[henshinhistory]

THIS WEEK: After some judicious fast-forwarding, we’re leading up to the finale of Android Kikaider. This week, the gang tackles the introduction to Jiro’s iconic rival, Hakaider! In addition, we discuss what we like (and dislike) about Kikaider so far; DARK needs money; we deal with miscommunications abound; we discuss insanity pleas, property law, and Star Trek: The Next Generation; Alexa completely annihilates our outro; and Kikaider just has TOO MUCH HIGH POWER, MAN.

TOPICS:

Android Kikaider (1972) 35-38

Black Crow, Stag Beetle Blue, Starfish Purple, Hakaider

Why we’re jumping ahead; series thoughts thus far

The skipped episodes

The Birds & Birdemic

Ninja clown magic

Power-line power-ups

Shin vs Neo Getter Robo

The Demon Circuit

SOS brain signals

Jiro’s short-out & ensuing reputation decay

Mari vs. Hanpei as secondary characters

Miscommunication station

Casual child kidnappings

“The measure of a man”

Rumors: Kikaider, Star Wars, Robocop, & Space Sheriff Gavan

Hakaider vs. Kikaider

Saburo, Ichiro, and Protoman

The truth(?) behind Hakaider

MUSIC:

“Fight! Seven Riders!! Showa Rider Taisen” – Kamen Rider x Kamen Rider Fourze & OOO: Movie War Megamax

Yuuki Hide – “Go Go Kikaider”

The Swingers – “Dark Rock”

Ichiro Mizuki – “Hakaider’s Song”

NEXT WEEK: Satanic ritual weddings and wrecking-ball training sequences.