Kamen Rider Kuuga (2000)

This was one of the best experiences I have had with a Toku in a long time, the level of craftsmanship that is evident in the attention to detail in this show is just astounding. No character feels wasted or like the story would have been fine without them, the acting felt like everyone really cared about the material and loved what they were getting to do, The music and directing work together really well to create both a very down to earth and grounded feel for most of the show and some of the most creepily atmospheric stuff I have ever seen in the Grongi scenes and the effects and suits are just so wonderfully "We know we don't have the budget to make this look amazing and the technology isn't even quite there yet, but damn it we're still gonna try!". I absolutely loved this show and while it needs some time to sit, I think it's highly likely that it could be my new favorite Rider show.

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So This is my first official review for a Drama & The first for Kamen Rider Kuuga. So bare with me if it's not up to par with those that are way more seasoned writers/reviewers. I will try to keep it nice and short for everyone's sake and mine because I can go off in novel style. So here we go:

What I liked about Kamen Rider Kuuga is that it was a dark and was deep, to elaborate, I liked that this was dark in that the theme and stories were meant to make us all think about what the characters were going through, we could relate to them (the lessons), that the good guys don't always win and take a beating. That one must not give up even though it looks like a losing battle, one must keep on trying to beat and over come evil. I liked that the main characters did a good job giving life and substance to their characters and made me enjoy this drama that makes nostalgic in that I was a Teenager when this Series Aired :'(

I Also liked that Whole meaning behind the Smile and The Thumbs up symbol, see I learned someone at the end of the series! :) The opening song and ending song are so addicting that it had me playing them both on repeat! It helped me like the series more as well associate it Godai Yuusuke aka Kuuga :) The other tracks as well are great! The plot and story was one that is not meant for children, it was for young adults, teens and adults since the dialogue and theme was one to deep for the kids to understand properly. But my 5 year old nephew liked it too as he would join my viewing sessions :) He & I loved his different Heisens suits and color variations! :p

Now what I didn't like (gripe) was the two filler/recap episodes, not going to say which episodes they are at the moment. I am not saying that it doesn't take away from the series or are not necessary at all, I'm saying that I can do with out them but I understand that it's there for a purpose. In that it helps you remember what has occurred to a certain point if you haven't seen it in awhile and need a refresher. But if you are Marathoning like I usually like to do, it can be A bit a bother or an annoyance.

Now I can officially say that Kamen Rider Kuuga Is My First & Favorite Kamen Rider! :) Since He's my 1st rider, He isn't going to be bumbled off that #1 spot ever :)

Geez I'm already sad that it's over :'(

Hopefully Kamen Rider Kuuga gets some more loving from all drama lovers and add it to their Watchlist!

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With a lesson of friendship and an idealism that may sound a little cheap, Kamen Rider Kuuga presents itself as a revitalization for the franchise after the death of its creator. With good fight scenes, great monsters, and a plot that is supported by its good casting (except Godai's sister, who acts very badly) Kuuga is certainly fun! In addition to having a much darker tone than those that came after him (Agito and so on). Perhaps Kuuga's big problem is his abrupt end or his too long episode count. Spoiling the series a little bit.
In addition, I strongly recommend it to anyone who wants to start watching Raiders.

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Primeiramente, eu deveria ter feito essa resenha a mais de 3 semanas, mas, francamente estava muito decepcionada & irritada com Kuuga por me oferecer um final tão anti-climático!

Não sei se foi por causa da época, é bastante comum estórias dos anos 90 pra trás darem um fim abrupto para uma obra, esse fenômeno acontece principalmente em livros literários, o principal motivo de eu simplesmente não conseguir gostar deles.

Também não tenho certeza se foi culpa minha, se perdi algum episódio, especial ou filme. Simplesmente não faz sentido, em um episódio Kuuga acabava com o "monstro do dia" e no outro episódio tudo queimava e ele já estava se preparando pra lutar com o líder (que ninguém se importa) dos Gurongi.

Como assim?

Isso foi uma baita de uma quebra de tensão. Não se faz isso, se você quer uma "batalha final épica", o roteiro precisa segurar e " fermentar" a tensão até o ultimo minuto e depois liberar tudo no ápice da batalha!!! Esse final, um verdadeiro desperdício, especialmente levando em consideração o cenário da cena da "batalha final" e a oposição visual, que poderia ter sido emocionante, mas só foi... Ok.

Outra coisa que me decepcionou nesse final foi, a maneira como a mulher Gurongi com tatuagem de rosa foi derrotada, ela parecia tão durona, aquela morte, se é que ela morreu mesmo, não teve sentido nenhum, não importa o quando a polícia conseguiu evoluir suas armas simplesmente decepcionante!

Depois de todas as reclamações, não explica o porquê da nota relativamente alta. Simples, tirando esse final desperdiçado, valeu apena acompanhar todos os episódios anteriores da série, a história é bastante sólida, os personagens são legais até, sendo a cientista Enokida Hikari e o policial Ichijo Kaoru os mais interessantes e envolventes em toda série, já sinto saudades deles.

Outra coisa que eu gostei muito em Kuuga, foi como eles sempre tinham de desenvolver alguma arma e habilidade para conseguir vencer o vilão do episódio e como era interessante ver todo o processo cientifico moderno e o miticismo mágico se relacionante entre si, não algo muito comum nos Kamen Rider atuais.

Kuuga poderia ter sido melhor? Com certeza. No entanto, vale apena ignorar seus defeitos e aproveitar tudo o que a série tem a oferecer.

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Mild spoilers ahead:

Everything the show did well:
-Every character in the hero cast is likeable and useful.
-Villains are menacing and feel like a real threat.
-Consistently amazing action and stunts.
-Properly ups the stakes with each following arc.
-Solid world-building.
-Great balance between a light cop J-Drama, slice of life, tokusatsu action and horror from lovecraftian-like serial killers.
-One of the best final fights in the franchise.
-One of the best power systems in the franchise. Godai has all his powers from the beginning but doesn't know how to use them due to getting them with no context, having him to practice his powers and his friends to decipher glyphs explaining the lore and the powers of the arcle to properly know how to use them
-The world has a more 'real' feel than other rider shows.
-The cops manage to continously feel useful and keep up with Kuuga despite him being the only one with transformation powers.
-The cop partner relationship of Ichijou and Godai is really well done.
-Has good re-watch value due to the main villains having a different language.
-Better acting than most rider shows.

Everything the show did bad:
Honestly most of these are nitpicks.
-Due to wanting to make a lovecraftian villain that the viewer cannot properly understand, the main villain feels kind of plain as most of the destruction he causes happens off-screen and doesn't get a proper character. But despite this flaws he feels properly menacing.
-The shift from normal J-drama stuff to hardcore murder done by tribal monsters can be jarring at times. Especially in the Jean/Enokida episodes.
-The CGI feels really dated, but it is used sparingly and honestly CGI pretty much always looks bad on Toei's mainline toku with the exception of Hibiki, kinda King-Ohger and seemingly the upcoming rider show Gavv?
-The show being shot differently from any Toei toku which can feel alienating for toku fans but it's not really a bad thing just different.
-Having multiple scenes where you don't know what the characters are saying can be tiring for some viewers.

Reasons for the show strenghts:
Kamen Rider creator before passing on wanted to make this show unlike any that preceded it. Ishinomori production recommended producer Shigenori Takatera to do so as well. This along a bunch of other factors resulted in this unique setting. Takatera and director Ishida really wanted actor Joe Odagiri to be Kuuga, and went with a more J-drama approach to its direction since it was what he preferred. Producer Takatera ideas often clashed with Takeyuki Suzuki's ideas but they ultimately managed to have a good balance of both. There's more factors but it would be to many to list, but overall Kuuga had a way different approach to previous shows and slightly more budget than usual which lead to the show being as great as it was.

Reasons for the show flaws:
The main writer Arakawa wanted to keep the details of the main antagonist vague in order to make him creepier, he succeeded in making him menacing but makes him a more boring antagonist when compared to other villains in the franchise.

Overall:
While not my personal favorite, I feel that this is objectively the closest to a perfect rider show. It just doesn't have any big issues. I would recommend the show to pretty much any Toku fan or even a cop drama fan that has never watched tokusatsu, since it's pretty much a cop drama with superpowers. I could only see people not enjoying this show if they really despise a genki-type protagonist and the flow of a cop dramas.

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My first Kamen Rider Show

Ever since I've been hearing about Kamen Rider over the years I never even seen the shows until this year 2022 last month of February I eyes caught on Kuuga. when I first watch one of the clips my god it was brutal so that's how I got started watching Kuuga. it started off pretty decent, I started to enjoyed it a lot and kept on watching it. The story is pretty good, the characters are chamming, the fights are alright, and the villains are nuts. I feel like the ending was rushed for some reason but the show still turned out well. again this was my first Kamen Rider show I watched and the rider of the Heisei Era that saved the Kamen Rider series since I heard the series was dying before Kuuga started I gotta say it's pretty tragic.

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The importance of a smile

Most people know Kamen Rider Kuuga for being the show that made an impact to many things. The Odagiri effect is named after the main actor in Kuuga, Odagiri Joe. You can find more about the Odagiri effect online. Kuuga also helped restore the kamen rider franchise and why it is still going on today. Back in the 90s, the kamen rider franchise didn't air any series until kuuga in 2000. The difference between shows back then to today can be seen in Kuuga to many factors.

Story: The plot in Kuuga is quite simple. The monsters in the series are called Unidentified lifeforms number # (or grongi) that have revived. Godai Yusuke is chosen to become kuuga (unidentified lifeform number 4). When you watch kamen rider, you have to consider what are the goals for the villians. In kuuga it is simple, the unidentified lifeforms just want to kill humans for their game of killing a certain amount. Sounds pretty simple and cliche but it is actually dark. You see today in kamen rider or other tokusatsu shows killing people is not common anymore. In Kuuga death is common and it plays a huge factor into characters. What makes Kuuga special is how the show feels like a Japanese drama than a typical kamen rider show. It has features in it like police action and elements of human drama or slice of life. Kuuga has only one kamen rider in it compared to today, almost all kamen rider shows has more than 1 rider. Having one kamen rider in kuuga, helped made it feel unique. Kuuga felt like a big deal to the people in the city as he was their hope to defeat the ULFs. Also the police in this show are useful than other kamen riders series as they learn from the ULF and improve to help kuuga defeat the ULFs. The show is also violent in scenes of blood during some Kuuga fights. Adding scenes of blood helps the realism of the show that creates drama.

Acting/Cast/Characters : Kuuga couldn't be successful without Odagiri Joe as Godai Yusuke. Godai is a happy positive guy that makes others smile. Godai is a great main character as he balances the personality of one that isn't too comedic nor serious. There are many things about Godai that make him who is he as I remember him after. His iconic gesture of giving a thumbs up to people, his joyful smile, the 2000 skills he knows, the blue sky he adores, or just being a great human being in getting through to people who are sad/mad. Godai Yusuke would not be the character he is if not for Odagiri Joe.

In Kuuga, the supporting characters are some of the best in kamen rider. My favorite has to be Godai's elementary school teacher. His first appearnce in the 2 part episode is still my favorite episodes of Kuuga. Ichijo is a police oficer that leads the police team when the ULF appear. Ichijo is mostly called as the second "kamen rider" in Kuuga from fans due to his fearlessness of fighting along with Godai in his battles. What is great about Ichijo is that he does not always rely on Godai. Other characters are friends with Godai or his younger sister help make Kuuga great due to their connections, usefulness, or stories with Godai.

Music: The opening for Kuuga is legendary like most kamen rider openings. It fits the mood of the show well. Some memorable lyrics from the opening is "No Fear! No Pain!". Kuuga has an ending song that is rare in kamen rider shows these days. The endning song of Kuuga is a mood to calm down and feel better after watching an episode of kuuga.

Rewatch value: I finally decided to watch Kuuga as I have seen mostly all other kamen rider shows and wonder how great is Kuuga. The way Kuuga feels like a Jdrama than a normal toku show, plays a part to how I would want to watch kuuga again. Watching Godai's positive personality over again would be a joy.

Overall : If there is a goat in Kamen Rider, then Kuuga/Godai Yusuke is that goat of kamen rider. I can see why he is so popular and beloved. If you ever want to watch kamen rider then choose Kuuga as your first. If you like Jdramas, then Kuuga is right for you because it feels the closest to one.

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i wish i could watch this for the first time again

recently stumbled upon the toku genre, and starting with this does not disappoint at all. i have become a little more familiar with the other installments in the kr franchise since watching, which has made the strengths of Kuuga more evident to me.

this is the first kamen rider release of the heisei era, and it was a grounded and high-quality start to the heisei riders. where other installments neglect any explanatory element, simply hoping the viewer will maximally suspend their reality to follow along with the show, Kuuga consistently makes reference to the origins and motivations of the Grongi enemy, their cultural practices and shows the deciphering of Grongi language texts (the Grongi language was even made for the show, as you can hear the Grongi warriors don't speak Japanese :) ) in hopes to better understand Kuuga's enemy, and make combat more optimistic for the humans. the characters are also often law-enforcement, supplemented by linguistic anthropologists, doctors, and police scientists - because of course! there are insane monsters suddenly massacring citizens, how could some authority not get involved? realism <3

the story development and character dynamics are also incredibly high-quality, you really get attached to the characters and their emotions as you watch. i am a bit biased because Godai Yusuke is my favorite kind of protagonist - happy-go-lucky, brave and hopeful. even so, his character is not arbitrary in the least. these traits stand in direct contrast to the bleak brutality of the Grongi, which builds far beyond physical burden as the story develops. eventually Godai and the affected community endure psychological and emotional pains, brought on by the weight of loss, fear, and desperation. the final fight scene perfectly encapsulates the intensity with which Godai fights, and his raw love and weakness for humanity. stylistically, it stands out from the remaining fights scenes - bare, with Godai and Daguva in plain-clothes, and silent but for the sounds of hand-to-hand combat, Daguva's laughter, and Godai's grief. another distinct choice with thoughtful, purposed utility. all-around outstanding!!

final note: what a theme song!

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Please Watch!

Kamen Rider Kuuga is a masterpiece. Godai is one of the greatest Riders I have watched up to this point. His chemistry with Ichijo is superb. The mystery around the belt and the appearances of the villains is interesting and actively studied by the cast. The personal interactions and drama are fantastic and heartwarming, and while they may be a mix of connected and disconnected from the overall interactions with the villains, they still are representative of Godai as a Rider and are emblematic to the story itself, meaning they don't feel shallow or fully irrelevant to the plot. Kuuga's design is simple but effective. The interactions of the villains with their own cypher language are fun and tense and interesting. Action scenes, while perhaps not always flashy and can be somewhat short, are good all the same. The ending is handled with an interesting, almost artsy grace that gives the story even more gravitas. The OP is absolutely stellar and the ED is comforting. Overall, a fantastically told story, one of the greatest Kamen Riders to date.

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