Kamen Rider ZO (1993)

̶S̶o̶ ZO Good

With its beautifully designed suits, fun to watch practical effects including moments of stop-motion, and foreboding atmosphere, this really feels like it hearkens back to the feeling the Original 13 episodes of classic Kamen Rider Ichigo. I love the tone of this one - the unsettling atmosphere and the insurmountable feeling of the main villain of this special gives it a action-horror feeling all to reminiscent of 70's anime OVAs. There's a single-take action shot in this movie that's done beautifully. The soundtrack is energetic when it needs to be and really exciting. I really wish that this movie had a longer run time, just because I'd like to have had some more opportunities to see the main character's struggle. However, what's here is a good and classic Kamen Rider feeling movie with an added grittiness in a short burst.

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Love a bit of Amemiya

Given that Shin Kamen Rider is coming out next year, I really needed to dive into another of the big three Tokusatsu shows and this was usually the one pointed to as one of the best entry points of the franchise, Kamen Rider ZO is another fantastic film by Keita Amemiya that I can check off my watchlist. ZO feels like the by-product of what would happen if you threw Sam Raimi and Shinya Tsukamoto into a blender together, it's kinetic filmmaking and highly disturbing design that would give even someone like Guillermo del Toro nightmares. Brilliantly shot, written, scored, staged and acted, this is one of the best 48-minute-long films I've ever seen and has me eager to explore more.

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