KAMEN RIDER WIZARD: First Impressions!
KAMEN RIDER WIZARD: First Impressions!
Hey Rider fans! It’s that time of the year again! You guessed it; 2013′s Rider has finally premiered! Kamen Rider Wizard’s first 6 episodes has debuted and though little has been revealed about the overarching story, we’ve gotten an interesting look at the already assembled Rider support team. For me and many others, Fourze left some pretty big shoes to fill. How does Wizard stack up?
Kamen Rider Wizard is the twenty-third series in the line of Kamen Riders, as well as the 14th in the line of heisei riders. Wizard premiered on September 2, 2012 and so far six episodes have been shown. Wizard revolves around Souma Haruto, a mysterious twenty-something year old heart throb with the magical powers to become Kamen Rider Wizard. Following him, is his cute little companion girl, Koyomi, a girl even more mysterious than Haruto. Haruto is then joined by two people he saves: Shunpei and Police officer Rinko Daimon. They all operate out of Shigeru Wajima’s house. Wajima is the creator of the ring that allows Haruto to become Kamen Rider Wizard.
Wizard in the flesh.
Together, Haruto and his groupies take the task in preventing the birth of new “phantoms” or the main enemies of the series. Phantoms have done little but try to make people despair as of late, but it’s revealed that they’re trying to, either bring someone back to life or get some sort of power for someone called “The Wiseman”. To do this, they appeal to the despair hidden deep within people’s hearts in order to give birth to new phantoms. The two main enemies that were revealed are both pretty good actors, and only manage to break the standard bad-guy mold just a bit. As the series moves along, I’m sure we’ll see more out of these actors.
Now, onto Wizard’s design. Unlike last year’s Rider Fourze, Wizard wasn’t met with mass amounts of skepticism. And it probably had something to do with the fact that, he looks freaking AMAZING. Wizard can change into four different elements each a different color, those being red, green, blue and yellow. So far he has used these powers well and each fight doesn’t come off as gimmicky or just there to entertain his magical uses. The choreography here is something great too. It’s on par with Fourze who had spectacular fight scenes.
(Wizard’s Form Changes!)
Beyond Wizards suit and powers, something quite peculiar has happened. We’ve been revealed a second rider this early in a series. Traditionally, a second rider isn’t revealed until around 16 episodes in. But last week, after only 6 episodes the second Rider, Kamen Rider Beast was revealed online. He’s sporting a gold and black lion motif and can apparently change that based on other mythical creatures such as chimaeras. Reaction to beast has been luke-warm at best. This can however be attributed to the recent cynicism seen in Kamen Rider fans. Each time a rider is revealed be it main or secondary, hordes of impatient fanboys take to forums and talk smack about the new design. But in the end, most will grow attached to the suit. Remember: never judge a book by its cover! I remember not wanting to watch Fourze after seeing his helmet. But Fourze’s design was bold and took risks, so it fit Kisaragi Gentaro perfectly. We have not been revealed the story behind Kamen Rider Beast, but I’d bet money on fans turning around after he’s been fleshed out more.
(The upcoming Kamen Rider Beast!)
So far Wizard has been pretty entertaining, the main character hasn’t expressed himself much, but he is funny. The supporting cast is also well ensembled, save for the group’s main annoying guy Shunpei, but I actually enjoy Shunpei’s timing. Overall I’d give Wizard a chance if you’re a rider fan. No need to be stubborn especially when we’re only 6 episodes in. Six episodes, though being a neat look into some character stuff is the equivalency of seeing the tip of an iceberg and deciding it sucks. If you’ve missed the first 6, there’s still time to catch up before episode 7 is released via Overtime Subs on the 14th!
