Rider Break! Episode 24: Tragical History Tour (Part 3)

Rider 3 confronts his destiny, Drive confronts mind-controlled damn near everyone, and Igadevil confronts trying to keep his food down in the sense-shattering conclusion to the Super Hero Taisen GP: Kamen Rider 3 review. After that, Craig and I talk about our hypothetical team-up movies that will probably never happen. Then again, I once thought a movie with Kamen Rider 3 would never happen, so who knows?

Also, Rider Break bids a farewell to Masayuki Izumi, Kamen Rider Faiz's own Yuki Kiba/Horse Orphenoch.

Rider Break! Episode 23: Tragical History Tour (Part 2)

Hey uh, weren't we talking about a movie or something?

Rider Break! Episode 22: Tragical History Tour (Part 1)

In the first of a probable trilogy of episodes, Super Hero Taisen GP: Kamen Rider 3 is discussed by one person who hasn't seen the movie yet, and one who has but can barely remember what he did last week. This part is mostly spoiler-free, and just covers my initial feelings, reactions and stuff you'll have already know unless you were without internet access for the past several months.

Who's That Guy: The Kamen Rider 3 Story

As you can probably guess, things haven't exactly been smooth sailing around here at IKRP lately. I totally missed my self-imposed February update mandate after Real Life™ got in the way again. But like V3, I am the immortal man, and like Riderman, I will never give up. And like Rider 3, I... wait, who the hell is Rider 3? There's another third Kamen Rider now?

That's the question that's been on a lot of people's minds for the past few months, ever since it was announced that the upcoming annual spring super hero spectacular would feature the character, in a very big way. He's even in the title (which doesn't feat. Super Sentai, though Ninninger will appear.)

Super Hero Taisen GP: Kamen Rider 3 marks the onscreen debut of a character most never knew existed until it was announced he'd be in it (so prematurely, all they had to show for it was production art, and the news still made it into papers!) Heck, I never knew he existed until just a couple years ago, that should tell you something. But who is he, and why is he suddenly a big deal again after 40+ years of obscurity? The answer is even more convoluted than you might think! Read on...

Under Construction, Probably

I rise from the grave once again to give you an update!

We're one month in to 2015, and while not a whole lot has changed visibly here at IKRP, there is a lot going on behind the scenes, and you'll start to see some of that finally come together over the course of February. I'm trying to set up a timetable of sorts for when I make I drop the big one (the update, not the superhero), which will probably end up being... well "some time in the not-too-distant future" is where I'm at right now.

What has changed visibly is the general layout of the site, which I was tinkering with at the start of the month and then got distracted by shiny objects and real-life commitments (and illnesses.) For ages now I've been trying to get something just right, and I think I've almost got it. It's still a work-in-progress and I'll add/tweak things here and there, but a clean, minimalist layout that maximizes content space and makes everything easy to find/get to is what I'm aiming for. I spent hours just trying to get that scrolling social sticky buttons thingie to work- hopefully it still does! As far as a few other things go, read on...

At The Crossroads

And so 2014 comes to a close (about an hour from now in Japan time as I write this) and what a year it has (and hasn't) been!

Depending on who you ask, the assessment of this year ranges from "okay I guess" to "pretty lousy" and right on down to "an outright unmitigated disaster". I guess I should feel lucky that all things considered, 2014 wasn't a terrible year for me beyond the usual stuff (sick for about half of it, swamped with job responsibilities for the rest.)

But there is a sense of regret as things come to a close, because this was honestly a pretty great year to be a Kamen Rider fan. On TV, at the movies, and most importantly, on the toy and book and video shelves, it felt like someone was tapping directly into the dark recesses of my mind and coming out with movies where Ryō Hayami drives up to deliver lines opposite Kamen Rider Faiz, or they're making toys based on Ultraman vs. Kamen Rider. What an age of wonders we live in!

And... I never found much time to talk about any of it. Heck, I really liked all three of the Rider movies this year, and I only 'reviewed' one months after the fact, which shows you how messed-up things have gotten time-wise. Not to mention a bajillion other things I've been saying I'll get to eventually (it's practically a running joke at this point, but that big Q&A episode of Rider Break! is at the front of this Big To-Do List.)

But a new year is on the horizon, and with it comes a renewed drive (sorry) to push on. Even when real life wears me down, like Taki taking a vicious suitcase beating from a giant flying squirrel-man, I never want to give up. There's so much stuff I want to do, so much stuff I've started that needs finishing, and so many more exciting things in the pipeline I haven't even hinted at.

Can I make it happen this year? Will 2015 be the Year of the Igadevil (we'll think of a better name later)? I dunno, but the next part of the story starts real soon, and I'm going to do everything I can to make it an exciting one.

Thank you for sticking with me on this crazy journey so far, and I wish you all a safe and happy New Year. Let's hope it's a good one.

Rider Break! Episode 21: Drive Is Live

You Are The Wheelman.