A New Hero, A New Legend
Kamen Rider Kuuga will be remembered for many reasons: it's the first season of the Heisei Kamen Rider series, the return of Kamen Rider after an 11 year...hiatus, and the example it set for the seasons to follow. At its core, Kuuga is the rawest, purest form of Kamen Rider that the Heisei era has to offer.
Premise
Note to archeologists: when there's engravings on a coffin that say "do not open", it's probably there for a reason. That's the case in Kuuga, where a research team from a university accidentally unleashes the Grongi: half-human creatures who resemble possible sequel characters from the 1986 film The Fly. Fortunately, there was a hero sealed along with them, and the power is passed onto a young man who uses it to protect people's smiles. It sounds a little corny, but it's not bad overall. Before we really go into that though, we have to go over the characters:
Characters
The titular Kuuga himself is Godai Yusuke: a happy-go-lucky global nomad with 2,000 skills. It's hard not to like Yusuke: he's going through a lot, and he still manages to keep a smile on his face. He will always listen to someone who needs help, and he will usually give good advice. While not book-smart, he's good at making things up as he goes along. While this is the only side that we normally see, there are instances where he loses control, particularly when he sees the sadism of the Geguru. Near the end, it becomes a struggle not to save the smiles as much as it is to make sure he doesn't become a monster like the ones he fights, a trait that's almost intrinsic to the Kamen Rider series.
Sakurako is a strong character. Eye candy? Maybe, but...oh, who am I kidding? She's gorgeous, and judging by the second opening, the producers know it. However, she's not a love interest or weak character. Sakurako is the one who deciphers the texts and helps unlock the secrets of Kuuga, and allows Jean to come into the story (his accent doesn't sound very American, but whatever). She's just a friend who's trying to help, and she never falls into the TV trap of feeling under-appreciated or overwhelmed.
Ichijo (a reference to Kamen Rider 1 as subtle as a raw trout in your lap) would become the secondary rider, if Kuuga had been literally any season later. A slightly workaholic policeman, he provides a lot of ground for Yusuke: without him, he wouldn't have a motorcycle, the trust of the police, a doctor to provide care, etc. Seeing later seasons that sometimes have too many riders, Ichijo is refreshing: just a normal guy that puts himself aside to do his duty.
And of course, the Grongi. In their human form, they resemble Goths with some sort of animal tattoo. The demon forms were nice in the sense that they were simple and resembled tribal beasts rather than a clunky plastic suit that fired lasers everywhere (cough cough Super Sentai cough cough). Maybe it's just me, but I like that they have another language, because it truly feels like these are beasts from thousands of years ago. And there isn't an obvious leader until near the end, which brings us to Daguva.
While Daguva only appears in the last few episodes...man, this guy is terrifying. While we aren't shown much of him in action, there's enough shown to realize that this guy is incredibly powerful, unforgivably sadistic, and...that soft laugh sends chills down my spine. The white Daguva compared to the black ultimate Kuuga showed that really is the anti-Yusuke: finds pleasure in taking the smiles away from people then putting them on.
Plot
There are a lot of things Kuuga does right.
There are moments where Kuuga gets dark, much darker than anything that would ever get broadcast in America. The world doesn't trust Kuuga right away, but treat him as one of the "Unidentified Lifeforms", and can you blame them? You see how normal people are reacting to monsters slaughtering hundreds of innocent people without any obvious reason. The police are competent enough to just focus on protecting the people, but it's clear they are struggling. You even see this with preschoolers: "He's good! My momma said so!" "He's a monster just like them!" The main characters make some close calls, and it just shows that it's a matter of luck.
There are moments where Kuuga gets dark, much darker than anything that would ever get broadcast in America. The world doesn't trust Kuuga right away, but treat him as one of the "Unidentified Lifeforms", and can you blame them? You see how normal people are reacting to monsters slaughtering hundreds of innocent people without any obvious reason. The police are competent enough to just focus on protecting the people, but it's clear they are struggling. You even see this with preschoolers: "He's good! My momma said so!" "He's a monster just like them!" The main characters make some close calls, and it just shows that it's a matter of luck.
The biggest sin of Kuuga is the pacing: about halfway through it becomes somewhat monotonous in terms of structure: two-episode, kill the monster of the week, etc., etc. The monsters are done well, they're just a lot of the same.
Design
From what I understand, there wasn't a lot invested into Kuuga, because they were still very unsure whether or not it would be successful. That being said, I really liked the costume designs for Kuuga. It made sense to have a weak basic form, and a waiting period if he gets beaten too hard.
My biggest pet peeve with a lot of rider suits is that they have a tendency to have massive shoulder armor, and while Titan form fell under that...category, it made sense. The "Growing" forms were a nice upgrade, and the gold lining was subtle, but effective. Ultimate form...absolutely awesome. If only it wasn't in just the last episode, but...it made sense.
Conclusion
While a bit slow at times, Kuuga is definitely a must-see for any Kamen Rider fan. It's got a well-written story, progression with all of the characters (good and bad), and plenty of action. For me, it earns an 8/10.
And so ends my first review. Hopefully you want to see more?
And so ends my first review. Hopefully you want to see more?
