Why Does The Manga Version of BLACK Look Like RX

[NeonZ]

Probably limitations in suit technology. The grasshopper monster forms for Black and Shadow Moon never move very much. I'd bet that the prop guys just couldn't construct a suit based on the Ishinomori monster design that could be used in fight scenes. Even when Toei does Shin five years later, the suit uses a much simpler design than the Black grasshopper monsters.

The Ishinomori design isn't exactly like the Grasshopper monster either though. The Grasshopper monster purposely looks much more organic, while manga black, aside from when he opens his mouth, still has a pretty clean design, like a standard Rider, nothing like Shin. The hardest part to get right probably was the neck, but they did something close to that in RX one year later.

 

[Lynxara]

The Ishinomori design isn't exactly like the Grasshopper monster either though.

No, but I fail to see how a reasonable observer could not conclude that Black's grasshopper monster forms was based on the Ishinomori design. The lines are very similar.

The hardest part to get right probably was the neck, but they did something close to that in RX one year later.

Yeah, with the result that Black RX can't turn his head. Ishinomori's art was just way ahead of materials technology at the time. A practical Black RX costume didn't really exist until Decade, when it was possible to create the distinct neck while also making it possible for the stunt actor to turn his head.

 

[NeonZ]

No, but I fail to see how a reasonable observer could not conclude that Black's grasshopper monster forms was based on the Ishinomori design. The lines are very similar.

I'm not denying that they were similar, just denying your idea that Ishinomori's design for Black was even more organic and complex than Shin's. Even if the grasshopper monster was based on manga Black, they clearly still had different designs in some important ways.