KR Tycoon meets KR Shinobi

[takenoko]

Wiki

I spy with my little eye, Sakamoto Koichi

Keiwa's pretty okay with ninjas taking off with his sister

Hey, Keiwa puppeting Shinobi's fighting is pretty funny

Are they at the airport?

No, not Kamen Rider Saber guy

It's so funny seeing that guy use that crystal since it looks like Sailor Moon's

Wow is that the original ZX?

rip crystal

weird bad guy design. Kind of frilly?

Heh, Fuku joke at the end. Is he the most famous Kamen Rider celeb fan?

While I would never have asked for more Shinobi, I certainly had some fun with this one. More Keiwa and Sara is always good and the joke of Shinobi being the Kamen Rider for 2022 that didn't happen is kind of funny

[Yaiba]

Oh wow, it's an actual episode complete with an actual opening and ending preview. I'm going to guess 02:34 is the frog in the painting.

It never occurred to me that ZX is ninja theme. Really cool they got the original actor, Sugata Shun-san, back.

The Riders have a ninja sentai now.

Fuku-san really is a representative of us audience. In that alternative universe, Kamen Rider Shinobi is a real show and is up to episode 46 already. I, too, am super invested now and want to know how it will go! What will happen to Icchi? Rentarou is the bad guy's son?? We're never going to find out what's going to happen in the finale damn it!!!

[takenoko]

Oh, I didn't notice Kyo Nobuo (kuwagaraiger) in the opening. Nice catch

[resop2]

Is Kamer Rider doing Super Sentai things considered "The Forbidden Door"? They sure seem to be flirting with the forbidden door on the fan club releases. Now Geats is associated with a ending dance and a roll call.

[JustiFanV2]

Fuku-san really is a representative of us audience. In that alternative universe, Kamen Rider Shinobi is a real show and is up to episode 46 already. I, too, am super invested now and want to know how it will go! What will happen to Icchi? Rentarou is the bad guy's son?? We're never going to find out what's going to happen in the finale damn it!!!

I did appreciate that joke, although then something dawned on me: Iroha is Rentarou's sister.

"Hang on... Does that mean the bad guy just tried to marry his own daughter?"

[takenoko]

Are Rentarou and Iroha literal brother and sister though? She also lusts after Shinobi which is his secret identity

[DeMatgic]

Are Rentarou and Iroha literal brother and sister though? She also lusts after Shinobi which is his secret identity

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think it was said in one of the RealXTime episodes that they aren't actually related. That, on top of Rentarou being referred to as Iroha's shadow (and the Shinobi powers being meant to pass down to her when she turns 18 despite him being of age already), makes me believe it's a similar situation to Takeru in Shinkenger where he was likely adopted in.

[ViRGE]

Of the two Geats movies, this was the significantly better of the two. Which, to be honest, was a bit surprising. Coming off of the rather milquetoast Punk Jack, I was expecting much the same here. So it was nice to be surprised.

I have to give Toei credit for committing to the bit of Shinobi 4 years after the fact. He was essentially a gag rider to begin with, so while bringing him back to do a ninja-themed movie with Keiwa makes perfect sense, it's a level of effort above and beyond what would be required to do a Keiwa movie. Especially since that meant getting back the three specific actors and the frog's VA. I see they even got back the writer (Kaneko Kaori), which helps a ton in making this feel like an authentic Shinobi outing.

The setup for the plot is all a bit haphazard (especially immediately getting Keiwa's driver and his sister), but it has some breathing room being a lighter affair from the start. Otherwise, this episode is a natural follow-up to the previous Shinobi mini-series by finally getting to Ihroa's 18th birthday. Obviously something important was going to have to happen on that day (even if they do basically brush off the fact that she's forsaking her duties). Pragmatically speaking, this is the obvious route for a Shinobi follow-up to go; so there are no bonus points for creativity, but it executed on the premise well.

The action for this special was fantastic. We got multiple fights with both lead actors, and Keiwa using the despondent Shinobi as a puppet was a laugh. We don't see that stunt too often due to the choreography required. On which note, I hadn't thought about directors until I came into this thread, but it figures that it was Sakamoto. Besides hand-to-hand combat being one of his fortes, he directed Punk Jack as well, so it makes sense that he directed this as well. Knowing Toei, they probably filmed both specials back-to-back to begin with to keep costs down.

The only real knock I have for this special is dragging back old man ZX. Besides Toei's continued overuse of nostalgia, the dude is in his clearly in his 60s and moves like it. I get what Toei was going for with an all ninja team-up, but I would have gladly settled with just more of a focus on the characters they had. Throwing ZX into the mix doesn't really add anything of value.

And we got a HBV callback with the dance! I was not expecting that!

Keiwa's pretty okay with ninjas taking off with his sister

Right? They're running away with his sister and his driver, and he's just standing around. Though that is fairly on-brand for the dude.

Are they at the airport?

A stadium, from the looks of it. What is that stadium that Toei always films outside of? I'd assume this was shot inside of that.

As for the other locations, they went very small and cheap here. It looks like an office complex (complete with storage closet) and a generic event venue.

weird bad guy design. Kind of frilly?

Do we know if it was a kitbash of some kind? That might explain it. This special was done cheaply enough that I can't imagine Toei designed a new MOTW suit just for this.

[takenoko]

Some Amakusa Shirou facts I didn't know before watching this special. I knew he was a real historical guy (some christian rebellion, so in Japanese media he's usually depicted as a demon or a guy who sold his soul to the devil)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amakusa_Shir%C5%8D
*His name also included Tokisada
*His Christian name was Geronimo, which is also the name of his monster form here, which is WILD to me

Why's this guy still alive in near-future modern ninja world? Who can say, they just threw him into the mix. I don't think he was in the original Shinobi movie

Edit: Neon's song is up:
https://open.spotify.com/track/5dxieWbY ... cc4545449c

As well as Izanagi with both ninja dudes
https://open.spotify.com/track/5mHMcyXp ... 9376d448ae