So Just How Bad Was Kamen Rider Kabuto's Production

[Kenori]

So I'm sorry if I'm asking so many questions so fast, but I'm really trying to wrap my head around tokusatsu and japanese productions in general.

So exactly how bad was Kabuto's production? Cuz, based on what we got in the actual series, it was like a frickin circus. Characters popping up then never appearing again, other characters showing up as if we should've known them all along, plotpoints dropped halfway through their own goddamn arcs, RIDERS WHO ONLY HAVE LIKE THREE APPEARANCES (This one is borderline unforgivable).

I just wanna know what was going through the production crew's head while this was being filmed? Was there a change in crew halfway through or something?

 

[NeonZ]

There are three changes in production during Kabuto that are publically known:

1-The first episodes were written solely by Shoji Yonemura. However, alongside Drake's introduction, Toshiki Inuoe starts writing for the show, and, although Yonemura still stays as the "main writer", Inoue writes almost half of the episodes from that point on.

2-Drake's actor was busy durnig Kabuto's recording and had to be absent from the series during long stretches. His actor also mostly appears in the Inoue written episodes, so he was left mostly unrelated to the main plot of the show. This also resulted in Yonemura having to just make other people mention him at times (like when Tendo got his Zecter in the 30s), without being able to show him on screen. Even Inoue ends up giving him a suit-only cameo later.

3-Hiyori's actress was sick and had to have her role reduced. This led into rewritings both to accomodate her removal from the story and to introduce a new female lead of sorts.

Aside from those, there are some aspects of the series that just had implied answers, rather than direct exposition - like how Mishima accuses Riku of being behind the Hoppers, but he denies it. There's no scene where there's some kind of expository speech confirming that Riku was indeed behind the Hoppers, but that's what the viewer is supposed to take from that scene and it's confirmed by some extra material.

 

[Kenori]

Very good explanations, but I feel like the entire series just in general felt badly stitched together form 10 or 20 different ideas.

 

[SaikoDragon]

it had problems (my biggest complaint being the handling of the Scorpion rider guy. I dont remember their names anymore. he had a great story and wonderful set up. Just no real payoff until the last minute) but there were still some exceptional episodes and moments throughout that series that made everything worth it.

 

[Kenori]

You're thinking of Tsurugi (Only reason I remember that is because I think it actually means sword or something)

Oh and yeah, I agree there are some great ideas and moments present in Kabuto. The basic idea of the rider suits and belts and weapons is AWESOME! Kagami's whole Heroic turn and getting his own belt, all of that is great. But it just feels like a lot of times its buried under all this stuff that just doesnt make any sense.