I mentioned in the article earlier this week about legal streaming of tokusatsu shows in the US that Toei Tokusatsu World‘s posting schedule on YouTube is a bit odd. Here’s another example. Kamen Rider Kuuga (which I actually did a Saturday Night Showcase on when Shout Factory TV started posting and streaming it) comes before tonight’s entry, Kamen Rider Agito (sometimes spelled “AgitΩ” but I’m not going to the character map every time I write Agito), on TV. And yet Toei posted two episodes of Agito before Kuuga, and then posted two episodes of Kuuga before posting yet another Kamen Rider show after that. I don’t understand their schedule at all. These guys have worked in television long enough to know better. I could see going back and forth between the two classic Rider eras (Showa and Heisei, like with Godzilla) but it’s all over the place and we have to wonder how long it’s going to take to get the full series of any of the shows they offer. Better than nothing? Maybe, but I can already watch Kuuga on Shout Factor TV and the Toku channel got the rights to Agito, but I don’t have access to that.
Kamen Rider Agito takes place after Kamen Rider Kuuga but despite references to the previous series there’s a bit of confusion from everyone, including the creators, if it’s a sequel. Meet Shoichi Tsugami, which he would love to do himself since he has amnesia. To make matters worse for the poor guy he’s about to get drawn into battle with Unknown, a bunch of cat-like wackos according to the two episodes currently out who enjoy shoving their victims into trees. Tsugami soon learns he has the power to fight them as Kamen Rider Agito, while the police have their own Metal Hero (remember those guys…yeah, most of you probably don’t–the franchise ending is why VR Troopers and Beetleborgs ended so abruptly) to fight their predecessors, the “Unidentified Lifeforms” from Kuuga. (That’s where the confusion starts.) Will our hero save the city? Well, we won’t find out in the first two episodes but we need both to set up our tale. Turn on the closed captions for English subtitles and enjoy.
