Series REVIEW: Kamen Rider Kuuga

With the way the Kamen Rider franchise now constantly renews itself year after year, it’s hard to believe that there was once a time where it was off the air in Japan. Following the end of Kamen Rider Black RX in 1989 the franchise was completely absent from television throughout the 90s, kept alive through a trilogy of standalone movies from 1992-1994. Following that things went quiet as the Super Sentai and Metal Heroes franchises led the way for Toei, until Kamen Rider made its grand return in 2000. Dubbed with the tagline “A New Hero. A New Legend”, Kamen Rider Kuuga was a lot of firsts. It was the first Kamen Rider show since the death of creator Shotaro Ishinomori two years earlier, it was the first one to be broadcast in widescreen format and, most importantly, it is officially the start of the Heisei era for the franchise.

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When an archaeological excavation inadvertently awakens an ancient tribe known as the Grongi, humanity finds themselves under threat as the Grongi assume monstrous forms and slaughter the populace en masse as part of their “Geguru” – a ruthless game set to bring out the ultimate darkness”. In the past, they were defeated by Kuuga – a warrior defending humanity's ancestors, the Linto tribe.

When the multi-talented and ever cheery Yusuke Godai dons an excavated stone belt during an attack, he becomes the new Kuuga and humanity’s defender. Together with police inspector Kaoru Ichijou, researcher Sakurako Sawatari and an assembled team of police and researchers, Godai fights back to protect everyone’s smiles. However as more of the Linto's struggle against the Grongi is deciphered, there lies a dark secret behind the powers of humanity's only hope.

A smile you just can't hate

As the first in a new generation of Kamen Riders, Kuuga naturally marks the beginning of many of the more common elements seen in the Kamen Rider shows of today. It continues the departure built-up evil organisations and cyborg heroes seen in the final few Showa productions, with both the Riders and the villains often featuring more supernatural or mythological backgrounds. In addition to this form changes and toy advertising become far more prevalent, although arguably the earliest of the Heisei shows don’t fall victim to the latter in such a blatant fashion. However while Kuuga does serve as something of a benchmark, at the same time it’s also a far cry from most modern Kamen Rider in terms of style and tone. It's primarily character driven and often slow at times, encouraging viewers to truly immerse themselves in its rich atmosphere.

Take the fight scenes as just one example. Despite Kuuga’s varied abilities and constantly growing powers, in general there’s very little emphasis on the fights themselves. Of course there are always exceptions (most of which are crucial to the story’s progression), but in general only a few punches will be thrown before someone stands victorious. The choreography is equally rough and perhaps more thematic in its nature – being less about flashy powers and more about these two brutal forces clashing head to head. That isn’t to say the show isn’t graceful in it’s handling of Kuuga’s multiple forms though, in fact quite the opposite. Each of his four forms serve a different purpose, and all carry obvious advantages and disadvantages. Rather than have Godai suddenly defeat a monster with his new found abilities, the show first has him acclimatise to these new abilities and occasionally take a beating because of them too. Elements like the various weapons transforming from similar shaped items (for example, a standard pistol transforms into Pegasus Form’s bowgun) are also a very nice touch, adding that extra little bit of depth that, while not entirely necessary, is certainly appreciated.

Detective Badass

But what Kuuga really thrives on are its characters, which are the core of both its story and its morals. Godai himself is particularly interesting because on the surface he doesn’t seem to change all that much throughout the series. From his very introduction he’s immediately likeable, highly skilled in a number of different areas (2000 to be precise) and ready to help in any way he can. He doesn’t ever show regret at becoming Kuuga, even when it becomes clear what the powers are for and what he may be destined to become. That isn’t to say Godai doesn’t change throughout the series though, as episode 35 (possibly the single best episode in the whole series) is quick to point out. It’s a rare glimpse of seeing the character outside of his usual demeanour, leaving you to ponder just how much of his cheeriness is genuine and how much is a façade put up for the sake of those around him. As the only one really capable of stopping the Grongi, Godai is carrying the whole weight of the world on his shoulders yet he seemingly never falters. One of Kuuga's key themes is about how power can corrupt - we see it visually as the Grongi take on monstrous forms and murder thousands, but how that applies to Godai is a far more subtle and poignant matter.

So although Godai does act as a sort of constant, his representation as the pinnacle of humanity's good side allows for the excellent supporting cast to grow around him. Ichijou works perfectly as the straight man foil to Godai – a selfless cop who’s ready to throw himself into danger even though he’s woefully outmatched. He feels like just as much the hero as the title character does, with his growth and victories equally as satisfying. Then both Godai and Ichijou are propped up by a whole host of researches, scientists and police officers – all contributing to things in their own specific way. While some of these are there to provide the odd moment of comic relief, it’s nothing too obtrusive that gets in the way of the often-grave nature of the plot.

You know it's homage time when a spider and bat are the first monsters to show up

However the handling of the Grongi is perhaps one of Kuuga’s more controversial aspects. Adding an extra dash of realism, for the most part the Grongi all speak in their own language, which itself is a cipher of Japanese. A translation eventually became available, but at the time audiences were meant to be just in the dark about their plans as the people fighting against them. An interesting tactic no doubt, but one that leaves the show with large sections of dialogue rendered completely incomprehensible. As a child it perhaps might not have gone over as well, but watching as an adult has proven fascinating. Little bits of the language begin to unravel as the series progresses (and the Grongi themselves also begin to talk in Japanese), but for the most part it’s about paying attention to the other things in the scene – the tone of voice, facial expressions, props etc. You may not still get a whole lot out of the scenes, but if you can get behind the set up it really adds to the mysterious atmosphere of the show. The opportunity to then go back and re-watch it with the Grongi language translated also gives Kuuga the rare quality of perhaps being able to get a whole new understanding out of the show the second time around.

The ending is another element likely to divide viewers, with the climactic battle between Kuuga and the Grongi leader N-Daguva-Zeba largely occurring off-screen as the final episode covers the aftermath instead. Many may initially see this as a cop-out as it once again denies viewers the action, but on reflection it’s very in-keeping with the themes and symbolism the show is conveying all along. It’s less about the battles themselves, and more about the bigger picture. So while Kuuga’s ending is a little unsatisfying in some respects, ultimately the show wouldn’t (and possibly couldn’t) have it done any other way.

Pure evil never looked so pretty

Kamen Rider Kuuga is a little bit of an oddity. It features several elements that when you analyse individually may not sound especially appealing, but when brought together with the show’s distinct sense of style and wonderful cast the end result is truly magnificent. Those expecting the same feel and format of modern Kamen Rider will likely be disappointed, however if you wish to experience some of the most engaging and thought-provoking material the franchise has to offer then this is exactly what you are looking for.