Original Hibiki ending?

[Aoi Kurenai]

It was around episode 33 or so that the Hibiki writers were fired I think, it wasn't for a few more episodes that things actually started to change in style. Have the two original writers for Hibiki ever said what their final plans for the series were? I was always curious about what would have happened if the original writers had stayed on.

 

[Igadevil]

I haven't ever seen anything from the first writers that say how it would have been if they had stayed on through the end. Something interesting to consider though: according to the Hibiki "Perfect Archive" books, the change happened at episode #30. Inoue penned every episode from #30 on except for #38 & 39, which were by another guy, who coincidentally is the writer for the Kamen Rider Kabuto movie. But also, the show's producer changed at the same time, with a different guy taking over from #30 on. I think that might have had an even bigger effect on the show than the writer change.

According to Wiki Japan: The first producer, Takadera Shigenori, who also was one of the producers on Black and Black RX, and then the chief producer on Kuuga and Hibiki (#1~29), retired earlier this year.

The second guy, Shirakura Shinichirou, was one producer for Kuuga and then chief producer of Agito, Ryuki, Faiz, Hibiki from #30~on, as well as Kabuto. He also did the Shin Kamen Rider video, and FIRSTy (which he cameos in.)

 

[Aoi Kurenai]

Do you know why the producer left? Did he do it of his own will, or was it just them getting rid of the heads that worked on the first half of the series? I know a lot of people thought that first half was really slow, but it would have been interesting to see how the series would have gone had the original staff stayed on. I'm guessing the final battle might have involved the Orochi(I think) from the movie.

And since I don't actually know much about producers, how would his leaving have a greater effect on the show than the writers?

 

[Igadevil]

The whole thing is sorta explained on the Japanese Wikipedia Hibiki page, after the cast & staff list. They also list the changes made to the show itself, i.e. dropping Asumu's opening monologues and all that.

I don't know how much input the producers have on a series now, but if they still work like the older shows, I would think they should be fairly important on the overall production. Whereas everything has become "Ishinomori/Post-Ishinomori" among English-speaking fans, I think it's much more common in Japan to see people define the first Kamen Rider through the ZX TV special as being one "generation" of Rider, and everything from Black onward being another, because the original show up to ZX were all produced under Hirayama Toru, who had a ton of input on the show itself, and along with other Toei staff members was working on the project that became Kamen Rider before Ishinomori even got involved.

 

[MaraJade]

Do you know who wrote the Hibiki Movie then?

 

[Shougo B'Stard]

Do you know who wrote the Hibiki Movie then?

Toshiki Inoue (the replacement writer).

Habataki's design = :buttrock: I don't care what anyone says.

 

[Aoi Kurenai]

Toshiki Inoue (the replacement writer).

Was he always going to write it or was it part of the new staff? Not really sure how far ahead they plan the movies.

Habataki's design = :buttrock: I don't care what anyone says.

Ditto, both in personality and design, my favorite of the movie riders next to Kabuki and Nishiki. It's weird, looking back at when the first magazine scans of the movie riders came out, they looked really bad, but then they actually turned out looking good on screen...except for maybe Kirameki.

 

[Igadevil]

Inoue had done the last four movies, so I think he was a given. Which is why it's interesting that they didn't get him to write God Speed Love, but Yonemura's the other main writer for Kabuto so whatever.

And people can rag on the Hibiki movie Riders all they want, but I think they're some of the better developed character-wise out of all the movie Riders. And Nishiki speaks in Kansai-ben, so he is automatically the coolest Oni ever.

 

[Shougo B'Stard]

It's weird, looking back at when the first magazine scans of the movie riders came out, they looked really bad, but then they actually turned out looking good on screen...except for maybe Kirameki.

Yeah, when I saw the initial picture I thought, They don't ever try with the movie Riders (look no further than the Missing Ace and Od Peed Ove guys). I think the designs in motion and how it was pulled off considering the theme and setting of the movie just all worked. I agree about Kirameki, he was my least favorite of the group, design wise. That Touki design looked especially nasty to me originally, but it's almost completely different looking on-screen.

I enjoyed that movie more than I did the series, though. If the entire series had been set in that period, I think that would have been truly cool and different for the Heisei Riders. I thought it was much easier to buy the (musical) premise more in that setting. The Makamou seemed more threatening when the villagers knew of them, terrified of the ancient beings rather than being the haphazard, easy-to-kill lamers of the series. It would have probably cost too much for Toei, though and still manage to alienate the viewers acquainted to Rider by the soap opera silliness of Ryuki or Faiz.

 

[Igadevil]

I enjoyed that movie more than I did the series, though. If the entire series had been set in that period, I think that would have been truly cool and different for the Heisei Riders. I thought it was much easier to buy the (musical) premise more in that setting. The Makamou seemed more threatening when the villagers knew of them, terrified of the ancient beings rather than being the haphazard, easy-to-kill lamers who randomly strike of the series.

Definitely agreed about the movie, despite its faults I seriously love that thing. The whole big battle near the end was like, exactly what I wanted to see...good guys and bad guys running around all over the place with things blowing up everywhere. Plus the part with Touki smashing the Hime to bits. :buttrock: