2019-2020: Kamen Rider Zero-One

[Black Fang]

I really don't get what's going on in Toei/PLEX's minds when coming up with Rider forms. Why isn't Flying Falcon all red? They just added a red chest and mask and kept everything else that pale yellow. It looks hideous.

 

[Toku Prime]

I really don't get what's going on in Toei/PLEX's minds when coming up with Rider forms. Why isn't Flying Falcon all red? They just added a red chest and mask and kept everything else that pale yellow. It looks hideous.

PLEX don't generally do the initial designs. Bandai design everything as a toy line first, then turn it over to them to make the suits, and they have to keep as close as possible to what Bandai are putting in stores. When there are exceptions to this, their armor is usually based upon a pre-existing Rider design to cut down on costs (for example, with Zi-O's future Riders).

My guess is that the toy falcon splits up into armor pieces that clip onto a base Zero-One figure, so that's why it's like that.

 

[Black Fang]

Then shouldn't the hopper work the same way? Just swap out the pieces. Who thought this final product was aesthetically pleasing?

 

[Japaneseseriesfan]

I think they're trying to double down on the fact the Flying Falcon Progrise Key is shared with Jin, so that somehow makes it "special" once he gets it from Jin.

 

[Toku Prime]

Dengeki Hobby Magazine confirms that Yuya Nawata has been selected as the lead character's suit actor in Zero-One. Nawata has previously been the suit actor for Gemn (during the first half of Ex-Aid), Cronus (in the second half of Ex-Aid) and Geiz.

Seiji Takaiwa, who played 18 of the 20 lead Heisei Riders, will still be involved with Zero-One in an as-yet unspecified capacity.

 

[Toku Prime]

First televised teaser:

 

[Black Fang]

They use the engine rev from the Showa era at the end. This trailer is a bit more sober than the last one ("I'm the PREESSIIDDEDEEENNTT???!") we saw.

 

[Toku Prime]

There's already been a bunch of leaks of this, but official information on Zero-One's theme tune has now been released.

Am I the only one who thinks it sound like part of the soundtrack to 'Outlaw Star'?
​

The theme tune is called REALxEYES, which they are insisting is pronounced "realize". It's being performed by 'J' from the band Luna Sea along with TM Revolution (which is not a band but one guy who's really called Takanori Nishikawa).

Luna Sea previously performed the theme tune to 'Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin'. TM Revolution has performed a vast array of theme tunes, including Thunderbolt Fantasy, Mobile Suit Gundam SEED, Valvrave the Liberator, and Rurouni Kenshin.

Curiously, one year ago the first release of Zi-O's DX BeyonDriver toy featured an in-package advertisement for the theme tune "Over Quartzer", which stated that TM Revolution was going to perform on that song. When the song came out ISSA was performing it instead, but it seems that TM Revolution has finally landed the gig.

 

[Black Fang]

The refrain is not bad, at least. I'd still have to hear the verses to judge for sure. It sounds like an insert song from an 80s or 90s toku more than an opening theme.

 

[Kamen Rider IXA]

Man, I hope song's gonna be better than preview indicates.
I've been wanting TM Revolution to do a Kamen Rider song for such a long time. May'n landed give couple of good songs. Can we not waste Nishikawa please?