Ridin' Through the Rider OPs

I once did this for Sentai's openings and thought it would be fun to go over the openings of Riders. Again, I'm not just talking about the songs themselves, but the credits sequences themselves. Go! Go! Let's go!

1. "Let's Go Rider Kick" by Hiroshi Fujioka (and later Kyoichi Fuji/Masato Shimon)

The classic song, synonymous with the first series. Is it simplistic? Yeah. Does the show overuse it? Ohhhhhhhh, yeah. But it's iconic -- as soon as you hear that intro, you immediately conjure up and image of Rider 1 (or 2) doing his pose, surrounded by an army of Shocker troops. The almost military-like drumming really suits the show, specifically the threat of Shocker.

Fujioka's version is the real version. Shimon does his usual squawking over it. (Takeshi Sasaki did a cover in the '90s that I think is really cool.)

Honestly, there's not much to say about the Showa Rider credit sequences. The Riders on a bike -- pretty simple, and now quaint since the franchise has lost its identity, soul and mind. The best part of the original credits is the part where Rider spins around, turns into Hongou, and we get shots of some of those creepy early Shocker monsters while the narrator gives us the scoop on Hongou's story.

2. "Rider Action" by Kyoichi Fuji/Masato Shimon

I never really liked this song. The horns are abrasive, and Shimon's braying is especially annoying over music like this. Musically, it's dull, too, sounding like someone just trying to imitate a Shunsuke Kikuchi song.

3. "Tatakae! Kamen Rider V3" by Hiroshi Miyauchi and The Swingers

I don't mind this song. It reflects its age, and you can't help but chuckle a little bit when Miyauchi chimes in with his...less than stellar singing voice. (I don't know why Miyauchi always puts on this high pitch when he sings. He sounds almost like a kid! He even does this on his cover of the Zubat OP.) But that intro is cool, I like the lyrics to Miyauchi's portion.

The credits kind of combine the differing credits that the original series had -- some bike riding on a dirt road, a jump with a big explosion, Hurricane needing stopped with a Bat-Parachute, old chum. The clip during the narration shows Kazami being operated on by Riders 1 and 2, a scene which always bugged me because they STAY IN SUIT while operating. Look at those gloves -- filthy, stained with the blood and guts of 98 episodes worth of Shocker and Gelshocker monsters. That ain't sanitary, that ain't up to code. It's amazing Kazami survived the procedure. (It must have been one of the most secret of V3's 26 secrets.)

4. "Setup! Kamen Rider X" by Ichirou Mizuki

I used to be a real Aniki-head. And I really like this song, even though it's pretty simplistic. It has a strong intro, which is good for action, and Mizuki's kicking ass with it. (I love his performance of this at Masked Rider Live 2000 -- he's full of energy, and the Rider Chips give a souped up version of the song.) That line about his father's scream still echoing is sung by Mizuki with such an awesome anger.

Credits are X cruising around on the Cruiser. Not much to say.

5. "Amazon Rider Koko ni Ari" by Masato Shimon

I like the song, but hate Shimon's nasally, Rider-Kicked-in-testicles vocals here. I once had mastered a mocking impression of Shimon after this song. (I recommend listening to the Metal Brothers cover.) Some cool lyrics, the eye-for-an-eye, tooth-for-a-tooth, he'll become an oni if it's for justice stuff. (Shigenori Takatera was obviously listening to this song when cooking up the concept of Hibiki.)

Some variation in the credits, at least! We get shots of Amazon (or Daisuke, depending on the point of the series) running through the jungle like a nut. Not amazing, but a start.

6. "Kamen Rider Stronger no Uta" by Ichirou Mizuki

I like it, but it's not really a great opening. Mizuki's giving it a lot of energy and anger, but the song's just a little too slow for an opening, but not exactly mellow enough for an ending. It's a weird one -- not bad, but weird. And I really like the show, and Shigeru is such a crazy, larger-than-life guy that he really needed a song to match his personality.

Credits are 90% Stronger riding around on a beach, with some cool bike stunts as he takes on goons on motorcycles, with the final 10% being him beating up those goons and showing off his powers in a bit of an underwhelming-to-modern-eyes way.

7. "Moero! Kamen Rider" by Ichirou Mizuki, Koorogi '73

The song's OK, but I find it dull and generic. The show was initially meant to be a reboot of the whole franchise...is this the song that puts you in mind of classic Riderness? But it beats the heck out of its replacement.

Credits AREN'T entirely the Rider on his bike, but about just as unnoteworthy -- hang-gliding for most of the credits.

8. "Otoko no Na wa Kamen Rider" by Ichirou Mizuki

HATE this thing. It's a complete and total wussy, kiddy, cotton-candy, let's-do-our-homework and plant-some-trees Ultraman sounding theme song. (Lyrics aren't exactly Ultraman material; you'd never catch an Ultraman theme talking about rage. But it still doesn't fit in with the sound of this song.)

Credits are basically the Stronger credits again -- Rider riding around on a beach. What's the deal with those kids screeching "Kamen Rider!" over and over at the end? What a misfire.

9. "Kamen Rider Super 1" by Shunsuke Takasugi, Koorogi '73

The most boring, lifeless, unenergetic music plus the most boring, lifeless, flat unenergetic singing = the most boring song in the franchise's history. And Kamen Rider Super 1 was such a goofy show! It needed something crazy, like the Goggle V's Comboy song. The ending theme and credits are way better.

10. "Dragon Road" by Akira Kushida

When I first heard this song, I was like "Yuck, what the fuck is that?!?!" But it slowly grew on me, and now I think the thing's awesome. Try to hear this song and not involuntarily dance somehow, I dare you. I double-dare you, motherfucker!

It doesn't suit ZX at all, it's a pretty outdated sound for even when that special aired, but it rocks. It has some great, nutty lyrics and Kushida's just kicking ass with it.

ZX being a TV special, it didn't really have its own credits, it's just clips of the special, focusing on the previous Riders fighting goons. Meh.

11. "Kamen Rider Black" by Tetsuo Kurata

Yeah, Kurata's not the best singer in the world, and yeah, he's so off they have to give him the echo effect. (The version without the effect isn't that bad, IMO.) But Kurata has the range of, like, Freddie Mercury compared to Super 1's Takasugi. Kurata's not any worse than Fujioka or Miyauchi, so I don't know why he's always singled out.

The song's cool and '80s. With a mainstream lyricist like Yoko Aki penning the lyrics, we're finally moving into lyrics that are more than descriptions of the color of Rider's bike or mask or scarf or protecting the justice of the world's justice. (I have no idea how these lyrics apply to Black as a show or character, but they're still better than mostly all of their predecessors' lyrics. Even with those puzzling mentions of magicians and ESPers in the second verse.)

The best version of this song, by the way, is ROLLY's (karaoke) cover of it in Masked Rider Live 2000. If you listen to that and still say you hate this song, or think it's something to be mocked, then you're a dick!

Credits sequence still hasn't broken out from the old ways, though. Although it begins with really cool shots of a garage opening and revealing Black, as he slowly and coolly makes his way to Battle Hopper, the rest of the thing is Black just riding around. It ends on a neat shot of Black riding into a tunnel, though, the only thing visible being Battle Hopper's lit eyes.

12. "Kamen Rider Black RX" by Takayuki Miyauchi

An awesome, awesome song. The awesomeness of this song is equally matched by the crappiness of the actual show, it's tragic. Great Chinfa Kan lyrics, and Miyauchi doing an excellent job, as usual. I've always wondered how Miyauchi can take some of these weird songs and make them sound so personal and emotional. (Listen to themes for mecha like Bio Robo and Flash King -- he sounds like he's in love with those robots!)

I hate to say it, but this is probably my favorite Rider OP theme -- it's painful that it's associated with a show I hate so much. I listen to the lyrics -- about light versus darkness -- and have to pretty much pretend this song is for Agito, or even just Black.

Credits are a total snooze -- it's RX on his bike, and the camera's like a mile away from him! You're watching the lines on the road for most of the sequence! Once he gets his new forms, they throw in some closer shots of those, but those forms are ugly suckers, so you don't want the close-ups of them.

13. "Kamen Rider Kuuga!" by Masayuki Tanaka

I like this song, and it made me aware of Tanaka (the songs his band Crystal King did for Hokuto no Ken are FUCKING AWESOME), but I think I've just heard it too many times. It's the Jetman or Gavan opening of Kamen Rider -- it's the one at all of the concerts, the song that Masayuki Tanaka shows up anywhere to sing if he has the opportunity. The lyrics are also a little generic to me, nothing really that suits the show or matches its uniqueness. (I see the song being more about Rider's return after so much time than it is about the show's actual subject matter.)

And then there's the English version! What a way to pull this song down a few rungs on the ladder of coolness. "The wacky-ass planet, lazer aides fuzzy low," "Meta-morphine, Musket Rider Cougaaaaaaaaa!" I know I should be grateful for it not being Mickey busting my eardrums on this English version, I know.

Credits change a couple of times throughout the series. The first ones, the cast shots are kind of ill-suited to me. The action scenes are amazing and the highlight of the credits. But the sequence evolves as the show does, and incorporates more artistic shots and symbolism. (I love the shot of Godai standing, with the rings of light binding his arms, like being Kuuga's holding him prisoner. But what the fuck is up with that Charlie's Angels shot of Kazumi Murata? Laughable AND it doesn't fit.) Another favorite part of mine is when the drums kick in and there's quick flashes of the key supporting characters, mixed with disturbing images of Grongi monsters or the bloody Daguba symbol and Sakurako's hands in prayer.

14. "Kamen Rider Agito" by Shinichi Ishihara

I remember first hearing this song. I was already into Ishihara and thought the B-Fighter OP and the GoGoFive OP were some of the best tokusatsu openings in the history of tokusatsu. Way before seeing Agito, I listened to the MP3 of this, and...was...absolutely...puzzled. What the hell was this song?! What kind of opening theme is this?!!

But, it needed to be heard and seen within context. It's a fresh, special song for a fresh, special series. We're now entering the era of no ED theme and an emphasis on IN themes for the action, so the OP doesn't need to be action-oriented. Agito took advantage of that and just did a really good, strong theme song that captures the soul of the show.

Toei thought it was cool to have the first credits filmed at that blasted race track they used to love so much, but it kind of limits what they can do. I like the shots, though, of Mana trying to reach Shouichi, only to then have Agito whiz past her; the shot of Hikawa frantically running past his G3 Unit pals, it then becoming G3 riding past them; and the clips of the in-story stuff, like Shouichi washed up on the shore and Hikawa's Akatsuki heroics. The drum intro leading into the shot of the tapestry, leading down into Agito's riding through what Toei's site called "the curtain of rain" is cool. And the slo-mo shot of the three Riders coming into frame on their bikes, as the chorus kicks in? Fuckin' awesome.

In place of a hideous English version, we get the 24.7 remix instead, which sucks about just as bad as an English version would have. The new credits try a little too hard to be "artsy," and don't quite reach it, IMO. I think the part with footage of Hikawa slamming down his badge and holding his gun at Ozawa, being projected onto a wall that G3-X blasts through on his bike, is really cool LOOKING, but that footage just makes no sense to me.

15. "Alive a Life" by Rika Matsumoto

Rider makes the switch to Avex! And look at what tricky, deceptive bastards they are -- "Hey, sure we're doing Rider music now, but rest assured -- nothing will change. Look, with Rika Matsumoto and Hiroshi Kitadani, we have two popular anisong singers on Ryuki's soundtrack! Don't worry." Cut to, Rider being a place for Avex to try to dump all of their dying, failing B-tier pop acts, killing off the Rider Chips by forcing them to take Reeky Ricky as a full-time vocalist, and then forcing the squealing, wretched, pinhead puppets the Kamen Rider Girls on us.

But Alive a Life is cool, and one of my favorite openings. And I think the credits kick ass all over the place. The breaking mirror leading you into the credits, the star trio walking in slow motion, Shinji/Ryuki holding up the card, all of the cool shots of Ryuki and Knight surrounded by mirrors and sparks and the shots of them in the city, all culminating with the two preparing to face off. Cool, cool stuff.

16. "Justiphi's" by ISSA

I like this song more than I should. It's close to the top for me. I like the lyrics, and it just has a cool sound to it. ISSA's not the greatest singer, but this is a song that's so strong, that it will do the work for you and make you sound better. Case in point? A guy with a singing voice like m.c.A.T's is able to make it work in live covers. Yoffy -- freaking YOFFY! -- covered it, and it's listenable. *shrugs, throws hands in air* If only the show itself had some of that magic.

The credits don't have the all around strength of Agito's or Ryuki's, but there are bits I really like. Mainly anything to do with the villains, and I love that shot in the end of Horse -- with a very pissed off Yuuji projection behind him -- charging towards a calm and prepared Faiz. Foreshadowing a big showdown between the two that the show was too sloppy to actually pay off on.

17. "Round ZERO ~ BLADE BRAVE" by Nanase Aikawa

I like this song and its energy, its lyrics, but I don't think the bratty and remote vocal style Nanase Aikawa used throughout that point of her career works for it. (The song of hers they used for Ryukendo, though? I love that thing.)

The opening credits that accompany this song, though...whoo-whee, is it bad. Really, really, "I have no idea what they could have been thinking when releasing this to the public" bad. It looked bad in '04 and looks even worse now. I've said before that I think Blade's production quality is...pretty crap, and I assume the only way producer Jun Hikasa got the show over then-golden boy Shinichiro Shirakura is by promising Toei that he'd slash Rider's budget by 75%. With yen stretching as far as it could, you get a half-assed and home-made opening credits like this, which looks like something they just filmed on the spot after the premiere event for the press took place.

The cast standing on a black soundstage, doing stupid stuff (sourpuss Hajime playing soccer! Shiori punching a handkerchief!) and waving their arms...A LOT. The suit actors trying to look cool and move, but they can't, because they're stuck on a black soundstage, so they're just randomly slashing and punching at air. Bandai commercials have put more effort forward than these credits. They're a laughable shame. You know what they remind me of? The (intentionally) stupid and humiliating ads Shibaura made the ORE Journal staff do when he took over the company in Ryuki.

Look at this! Look at this stupidity! What were they thinking?! Haaaaaaaaaaaaaa-haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

18. "Elements" by Rider Chips feat. Ricky

Ugh, Ricky. Blow your nose. Learn how to sing stuff differently. Ricky should be singing Ultraman songs, not Kamen Rider stuff. Thanks, Avex. People go ape for this song, but it's never done much for me. Ricky's not the only problem, the song's just meh to me.

The show gets new credits, but they still look cheap, and try real, real, real, real, real hard to pretend like they have the thought and visuals of the past few Heisei Rider credits. They couldn't be more wrong. The dead-eyed cast stare at you, we get that silly cartoon shot of Blade Jack Form flying, more clumsy and awkwardly staged action. Blade was a mess of a show that couldn't get casting, writing, action, direction, or entertainment right, so why would they get credits right, even with a second shot at fixing them?

19. "Kagayaki"

I liked the first version of the song, the first verse, but I don't like some of the alternate versions, like the guitar one. It's big, bold, epic music that suits the grand, larger than life world of sound-oriented Hibiki.

The credits are pretty dang cool (directed by Koichi Oto, a Takatera pick who did Kuuga's credits sequences). I like those shots of most of the cast members when they're given an assigned kanji written on them. Hibiki has this very "Japanese" feel to it, and these credits are a really stylized way of driving that home. The only part I don't like is when Asumu is running in place for Hibiki, that just looks dopey and takes me out of the mood the sequence was going for.

20. "Hajimari no Kimi e" by Akira Fuse

There's no question that Fuse has a nice voice, but my problem with this song is that Fuse's trying a little too hard to sell it. He's one of those singers who goes for sounding good, technically -- making the priority hitting the notes rather than feeling the song emotionally. So he sometimes sounds to me like he tries to compensate, making up for his lack of emotion by exaggeration and also just trying that much harder to sound perfect. So, while I find Fuse's vocals are a little overkill on this song, I don't mind the song -- it's a breath of fresh air. It's not as strong as Fuse's Shonen yo. I think people basically hate this song because they associate it with Hibiki's insane, proto-Kabuto, drop-in-quality second half.

The credit sequence is a huge stepdown from the first one, too -- it looks really hokey and commercial-like to me. The only bit I like is at the end, in the sunset, when Hibiki nods to Asumu and goes on his way -- and even that's just a lazy repeat of the Shonen yo credits, really.

21. "Next Level" by YU-KI

Yu-ki's sleepy vocals set to some generic electronic farting. Yay! This song's just generic, but that's about the norm for Kabuto. Show has nothing going for it beneath the surface, which is reflected in the credits, which try VERY hard to be stylish, but that's it. Kabuto doesn't have memorable characters or a soul or any strong thematic links to work with; the show tried to get by on all style.

22. "Climax Jump" by AAA Den-O Form

You know those scenes in Star Trek, when Captain Kirk gets injured and Shatner really overdoes it and hams it up and just throws his hands up, and collapses into himself in pain? That's what happens to me when I hear this song. It's just an ugly pummel of noise, and the sign post of Toei toku starting to really suck.

There are parts I like about the credits -- the burning calendars, Hana walking with a tear reversing up her cheek -- things indicating that the show is about time travel, something the show itself rarely remembered in favor of quickly tiresome "comedic" antics.

23. "Break the Chain" by Tourbillon

Underwhelming. Song's a scattered mess, and the credits match it. I like the intro (music AND the shot of Kiva walking the halls of the castle, as the torches light), but as soon as the "Bag-bag, Billy Bob" kicks in, I hate it and want the song to stop. And I still don't understand what's up with all of the Wataru-stars-in-American-Beauty rose shots.

24. "Journey Through the Decade" by Gackt

I'm one of the only people on the planet who doesn't like Gackt. I don't think he's cool, and there's something really artificial to me about his singing. It's like...he doesn't have a good voice, he's doing an impression of someone who might have a good voice. It's not him, it's mimicry. He's kind of like some American Idol kid to me.

This song just really doesn't do anything for me. I don't like it, I don't hate it. It's just there. But it doesn't help that it's attached to that unholy abomination of a television show.

I hate to say it, but I like the credits sequence. The ominous shot of Decade standing there as the song starts, with that narration, is pretty cool. Natsumi removing her hand from Tsukasa's eye and the camera lens parallels, with the eye becoming the camera lens and the lens of Decade's belt; that shot of the Heisei Riders standing; that shot of Tsukasa flashing into all of the Riders; the shot of Natsumi wrapping her arms around Tsukasa, like a henshin belt...I like it. I even like that they try to subtly recreate what I call that "swirling sky shot" from the Kuuga credits for that loser Onodera, even though he doesn't deserve to be associated with anything of the real, good Kuuga.

25. "WBX ~Double Boiled Extreme" by Aya Kamiki w/ Takuya

I'd like this thing more without Takuya's flat, rambling nonsense. I get that they wanted two people for this song to match W's theme, but...get someone better. "He gotta do a hard drive, Campbell does not go crack match!" Whatever the hell he's yelling back there. Shut up and leave Aya alone!

Credits are mostly cool, though. There's that shot at the beginning everybody loves, of W watching over his city with his scarf floating in the air. I like the animated bits of Shotaro investigating a case. It's just a fun credits sequence.

26. "Anything Goes!" by Maki Ooguro

This song drives me up the wall. It's overkill, with the tsunami of noise they mistake for music and the forced enthusiasm of the shrill vocals. If you want me to start attacking people like Curly Howard when he hears Pop Goes the Weasel, play either this song or Katrina and the Waves' Walking on Sunshine. I was just out shopping and the store was playing Walking on Sunshine -- I don't remember what happened, but I woke to find myself in a ditch as The Lonely Man Theme played.

Here we kind of begin an era where there's no real thought put into the credit sequences. The shows get more and more diluted and fluffy and there's not that kind of self-importance to the franchise anymore, where they attempted to have credit sequences that hit on a show's particular theme, or featured a strong thematic link, or a credit sequence with real style, making them play like vignettes. From here on, the opening credits turn to basically the Kamen Rider gummy commercials for the most part. Show a dopey shot of the cast, show off all 200 Rider forms, some indecipherable CGI action, rinse, repeat.

27. "Switch On!" by Anna Tsuchiya

I found this song irritating when I first heard it, but it grew on me. I came to like it, really, when I saw the live performance of it from the 40 x 35 concert -- it's a goofy, energetic song and Tsuchiya has a blast when singing it and makes it big and fun. It sweeps you up in fun. Too bad the actual show's so repulsive in its stupidity and terrible acting and not anywhere near as fun as it thinks it is. (Or as fun as the song.) "Oops!" Indeed.

Credit sequence does a good job in getting you to immediately hate all of the stupid motherfuckers that are regulars on this show. Saves you time from actually watching them or hearing them.

28. "Life is SHOW TIME" by Shou Kiryuin from Golden Bomber

I don't know anything about Golden Bomber, but I read that they're a "band" that "plays" air instruments. Only in Japan would that be a thing. Too bad Kiryuin doesn't "air" sing, meaning NOT sing, because his "singing" is atrocious. Flatter and deader than last month's roadkill. And the song's not any better...

I actually like the song until it hits the chorus, and then it turns into obnoxiously, painful noise that you just want to shut up. It's like two separate songs stitched together. One is a song, the other is a crappy commercial jingle. And the credits are mostly good until that point, too, even if they're on the generic side. (It's the umpteenth time a Heisei Rider credit sequence includes a shot of the main hero standing in the middle of the street, looking forlorn.) As much as I don't like Nitou, I really like that shot of him being stalked by the shadow of Chimera, and I like when Koyomi and Wizard reach out for one another.

29. "Just Live More" by Gaim no Kaze

I like this song! The first Rider OP since, like, Justifaiz I like all around!

I like the credit sequence, too! There's interesting moments, like the Kouta who's barricaded, shouting a warning to the casual, Lockseed-clutching Kouta; shots of Kouta and Kaito having a standoff mirrored by reflections of Gaim and Baron; Team Gaim dancing all carefree, before an ominous alternate Mai appears; Kouta shouting as he's consumed by the weeds of Helheim. There's also some cool action shots for a change. All in all, nice redemption for Rider credits.

30. "Surprise Drive" by Mitsuru Matsuoka

Can't stand Matsuoka's vocal "stylings" here. He does this weird crooning-twang-yodeling combination that he -- and a lot of '90s alternative rockers -- thinks makes him sound cool. It's like Mike Patton, Shakira and Kermit the Frog slammed together and then filtered through a program that speeds up the sound. The music is generic, at first sounding like a forgotten Avril Lavigne song, before just becoming a clash of random noise typical of 2000s anime themes. (I'm surprised this isn't a JAM Project song.)

Credit sequence is a mess, really highlighting just what a dumb-ass looking gimmick and aesthetic Drive has.

Sad thing is? Writing this post made me go back and watch all of the Rider credits. When I hit Drive, I was like "I don't feel like I gave Drive a fair chance," and ended up watching a few episodes...and had fun with what I watched. Pisses me off, man. The things I do for this blog.

31. "Warera Omou Yue ni Warera Ari" by Kishidan

I'll start this song and be like "Eh, it's not too bad," but then it quickly gets unbearably unlistenable to me. I think it's because the song just never really goes anywhere, and is pretty plain. And I can't take this band seriously -- a bunch of young twerps wishing they were Yokohama Ginbae.

I like the idea of the credits, with Ghost floating around as a spirit, observing the cast of characters and pranking them and stuff. The problem is that it's all depicted in a cheesy way, the effects looking like "Lie down on a chair in front of a blue-screen, Greatest American Hero-style." Man, the supporting cast in this show all look like they're cosplaying some shitty, forgotten anime. I couldn't really get into this show because it felt like a really bad anime that's all about collecting a shitty gimmick. And it's sad, because I kinda like the concept and the cast.

32. "EXCITE" by Daichi Miura

I haven't bothered watching Ex-Aid yet. I have a feeling I'm not missing anything good and that I'm happier for not watching it. But I'm guessing the show's really goofy, so it's funny that these credits want to try to look cool and serious, recalling some bits from the Decade credits. Sorry, Ex-Aid -- you can't make Level 1 look cool. It's worse than the fruit samurai armor. And, again, the cast here look like they're cosplayers for some bad veterinarian anime.

The song made me laugh. A zombie vocalist and a tune that sounds like it should be on the soundtrack of one of the lesser '80s teen comedies, like Fraternity Vacation or Private School or something.

33. "Be the One" by Pandora featuring Beverly

A great Hailee Steinfeld song, a terrible superhero theme.

Show looks as stupid as Ex-Aid. I can't believe that kid who looks like Mitsuzane's weaker younger brother is the lead Rider. I can't believe some people are saying that this show is a return to Ishinomori-styled Riders. I don't recognize this franchise anymore.