Co-production between Ishimori Productions and Toei, Kamen Rider Black Sun is a Japanese tokusatsu web drama and a reimagining of the 1987 series Kamen Rider Black. The series is part of the celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the Kamen Rider Series, also celebrating the 35th anniversary of Kamen Rider Black. It stars Nishijima Hidetoshi as Minami Kotaro / Kamen Rider Black Sun and Nakamura Tomoya as Akizuki Nobuhiko / Kamen Rider Shadow Moon, with Hirasawa Kokoro as Izumi Aoi.
I’m not a hardcore kamen Rider fan but I do have some memories of the 1987 kamen Rider Black back when it was aired locally back then. It is one of the first kamen Rider experience I had growing up as well so it holds a lot of fond memories for me. That said, I will try not let nostalgia sway me from reviewing this one. Also minor spoilers flag for this one just in case.
Kamen Rider Black Sun is a breath of fresh air as it modernize a lot of the usual childish trope of Kamen Rider Black namely the suits giving them a more creature organic feel while also at the same time improving the plot of kaijin vs kamen Rider. Even your typical good versus evil formula has been given a more serious spin. Unlike the for kids shows this one tackle real life issues like morality, friendship, greed, power and redemption that is often found in real life scenarios, things you won’t find in your normal for kids series. This is more of a love letter to old Kamen Rider Black fans who has since grown up and mature. The reboot maturing with them as well.
The plotwise it has similarities to other cartoon and tv series like the X men and the Boys as it doesn’t shy away from showing the darker side humans reacting to having actual organic monsters viewing them as a plague rather than human equals. Oddly these kind of plot inequality between humans and these half monster new kaijin is pretty much what the series is about shown in gritty encounters thus resulting in some of the most brutal scenes I have seen put on a kamen Rider series yet. Where the previous kamen Rider Black monsters explode into colorful fireworks in New Year kid friendly fashion, here they explode in mostly bloody red and probably missing a body part or two. Unlike its predecessor the action does take a back seat for some more character drama however maybe one short fight here and there.
I do love the character development of this series. One character for me change from being one of the more hated ash hat to a likable noble character in the span of 5+ episodes. You really do see what makes each character tick and what motivates them as they shift allegiances as the story progresses. In this way it is easier for viewer to understand a certain characters motivation before said character sliced through a room full of armed monsters. Both the kaijin monster and humans are neither wrong or right as both moves at times in a morally grey area which to them is justifiable by what they all went though. A sad truth than when all the peaceful options ones had are exhausted what is there left. No ones truly evil but more driven by either greed, power or the need to survive.
The CGI and the Rider suits are well designed and although theres one or two CGI sequences where it feels they dropped the ball everything looks great. It does run from nostalgia fuel from the smoke coming out when they transform to a certain classic symbol on someones battle suit. A touch of the old to put in the new as they say. The new suits give a surprisingly good range of movements so it does use a lot less special effects during fight scenes. It feels grounded too as the bikes are actual real bikes than living organism that they are during the the 1987 show. Its definitely a step up from the old effects but its still hard not to notice flaws when your used to seeing them.
Kamen Rider Black Sun isn’t perfect as some of the characters dialogue felt wooden and a few of the side character feels cartoony especially at the first few episodes during the school parts of the series. The pacing is also a bit slow but picks up after the first actual henshin transformation pose a few episodes in. It also doesn’t explain why a certain someone suddenly had a henshin belt. The ending feels force and out of place leading me to think that the series already ended halfway through episode 10 which is the final episode at that scene when it fades to white.
The series is for the most
part entertaining. Sure it’s a bit too bloody for kids and is mostly centered for a more mature audience but plot and character
wise it does what it does well. The ending certainly could have been done
better but I guess the writers went for the shock factor. If you are a fan of
kamen Rider Black there is a lot to really like here despite the mediocre
ending of the final episode. Just be prepared for some blood and gore. So if you like your kamen Rider with a bit more edgy and mature with a splash of gore then you should definitely give this series a once over.
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