To prepare for the preview...I watched the following things:
"A Friend in Need" (Masked Rider/Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Team Up), "Escape from Edenoi" (Masked Rider Pilot), The Guvyer Movies (The Guyver/Mutronics & Guver II: Dark Hero), and the original adaptation, Kamen Rider Ryuki:
So...in a nutshell...
Kamen Rider Dragon Knight is NOT Kamen Rider Ryuki. Also, it is NOT Power Rangers. Finally, it's definitely NOT...I REPEAT NOT...Saban's Masked Rider; what it is overall, is something the Wang Brothers thought out meticulously and methodically the past few years. To describe Dragon Knight that it feels like Ryuki...sounds like Ryuki...looks like Ryuki...but its NOT Ryuki. In fact, it felt a touch of Mighty Morphin, VR Troopers, Beetleborgs...and even...*cringe*...Masked Rider. It was like Wang brothers were paying homage/poking fun at its predecessors, mainly through the characters and short scenes in the show. Furthermore, if you've seen the live-action Guyver movies (clunky as they are) some of those elements are also seen in Dragon Knight.
Keep in mind folks, "Dragon Knight" was originally intended to be a Disney show. Don't remember?
Fall 2003: "Power Rangers Reloaded and Future Dragon Rider"
Thank goodness that deal with Toei fell though. However, as for Power Ranger Reloaded, it became Power Ranger Dino Thunder and Jason David Frank came back as Tommy. However, it was that story alone that lead to the events of today...the most "COMMON" jokes, rants, fanfic ideas...etc etc etc that came from the PR/Toku/Anime Fandoms were the following things:
* Shotaro Ishinomori being acknowledge for his work...happened...IN THE OPENING CREDITS TOO...that's rare these days.
* 4Kids getting "Ryuki"...happened...THANKS A LOT FOR WHINING ABOUT FOLKS!!! (Karma, folks...karma...)
* Steve Wang taking the helm of the series...happened...and he took his brother along for the "ride" (no pun intended) as well.
* An instrumental version or English dub of "Alive A Life" (Ryuki's opening)...err...didn't happen...*cries*...instead we got a rock mix which is as repetitive as the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers theme, which is not necessarily a bad thing.
Overall, the preview was above average and a start of things to come. Now now now...before anyone goes...Kamen Rider this...Masked Rider that...considering Kamen Rider Decade is the next series in Japan; Steve made it pretty clear that there will not be any Kamen Rider anything until overseeing the success/failure of Dragon Knight. Then again...we have fanfic ideas for Kamen Rider Hibiki being "LOST"-esque (...um...NO).
How should I end it this review...
*puts on trench coat and room blackens and points to all the readers and speaks in a Shiro Kanzaki voice*
"ONLY YOU CAN DETERMINE THE OUTCOME!!!"
*turns around and tosses an Advent Card over shoulder*
"A Friend in Need" (Masked Rider/Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Team Up), "Escape from Edenoi" (Masked Rider Pilot), The Guvyer Movies (The Guyver/Mutronics & Guver II: Dark Hero), and the original adaptation, Kamen Rider Ryuki:
So...in a nutshell...
Kamen Rider Dragon Knight is NOT Kamen Rider Ryuki. Also, it is NOT Power Rangers. Finally, it's definitely NOT...I REPEAT NOT...Saban's Masked Rider; what it is overall, is something the Wang Brothers thought out meticulously and methodically the past few years. To describe Dragon Knight that it feels like Ryuki...sounds like Ryuki...looks like Ryuki...but its NOT Ryuki. In fact, it felt a touch of Mighty Morphin, VR Troopers, Beetleborgs...and even...*cringe*...Masked Rider. It was like Wang brothers were paying homage/poking fun at its predecessors, mainly through the characters and short scenes in the show. Furthermore, if you've seen the live-action Guyver movies (clunky as they are) some of those elements are also seen in Dragon Knight.
Keep in mind folks, "Dragon Knight" was originally intended to be a Disney show. Don't remember?
Fall 2003: "Power Rangers Reloaded and Future Dragon Rider"
Thank goodness that deal with Toei fell though. However, as for Power Ranger Reloaded, it became Power Ranger Dino Thunder and Jason David Frank came back as Tommy. However, it was that story alone that lead to the events of today...the most "COMMON" jokes, rants, fanfic ideas...etc etc etc that came from the PR/Toku/Anime Fandoms were the following things:
* Shotaro Ishinomori being acknowledge for his work...happened...IN THE OPENING CREDITS TOO...that's rare these days.
* 4Kids getting "Ryuki"...happened...THANKS A LOT FOR WHINING ABOUT FOLKS!!! (Karma, folks...karma...)
* Steve Wang taking the helm of the series...happened...and he took his brother along for the "ride" (no pun intended) as well.
* An instrumental version or English dub of "Alive A Life" (Ryuki's opening)...err...didn't happen...*cries*...instead we got a rock mix which is as repetitive as the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers theme, which is not necessarily a bad thing.
Overall, the preview was above average and a start of things to come. Now now now...before anyone goes...Kamen Rider this...Masked Rider that...considering Kamen Rider Decade is the next series in Japan; Steve made it pretty clear that there will not be any Kamen Rider anything until overseeing the success/failure of Dragon Knight. Then again...we have fanfic ideas for Kamen Rider Hibiki being "LOST"-esque (...um...NO).
How should I end it this review...
*puts on trench coat and room blackens and points to all the readers and speaks in a Shiro Kanzaki voice*
"ONLY YOU CAN DETERMINE THE OUTCOME!!!"
*turns around and tosses an Advent Card over shoulder*