unKamenCast-RX! – TrialOfHeroes: Recent Episodes
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You know, there was going to be a lot more waffle in the episode description here about the line between a face turn and a redemption and one of your hosts’s eternal frustration with the conflation of the two in the fannish imagination… But have y’all seen that cool robot dog? Yes, Your Humble Hosts … Continue reading UnKamenCast RX 247 – Extremely Cool Puppy, Extremely Still Murder
As the Ark arc begins on Zero-One, your Humble Hosts are going hard on having a bunch of long, winding thoughts about what made these episodes work; because HOT DANG do they work. The Ark has taken humanoid form, Gai is throwing down against Metsubojinrai.net, Aruto has an idea for a new product, Yua’s having a … Continue reading UnKamenCast RX 246 – How Much Can One Machine Hate?
Hey, Laser Knees is back, too! With two full episodes, no less! So that means the return of your third- or fourth-favorite team of 2020 masked heroes*, the crew of Laser Knees! And… well, it’s kind of a mixed bag. But to say more would be to spoil all the discussion, SO! In this episode … Continue reading Laser Knees 116 – Round and Around
The pandemic (hiatus) is over! I mean, sure, it’s just the hiatus caused by Toei shutting down production and not, like, the whole pandemic being over but at least there’s some new Kamen Rider to watch (and, thus, UnKamenCast R!X! to listen to), so… That’s not nothing, anyway. Hoo boy, got a little dark here. … Continue reading UnKamenCast RX 245.75 – Dads Must and the Devil’s Driver
It’s another exciting episode of the UnKamenCast R!X! and your hosts are once more taking a look at some episodes of Kamen Rider Zero-One. Hopefully they won’t be so bad we want to turn in our notice of resignation (spoiler: THEY ARE NOT BAD AT ALL and are, in fact, quite good!). So, in this action-packed(?) … Continue reading UnKamenCast RX 245 – Yua, Get Your Gun
Before we get going, favored independent toy retailer Kotetsu Toys is being sorely affected by (intelligent, necessary) Covid-19 countermeasures. We know it’s a rough time for everyone right now, but if you can spare some scratch to help a member of the fandom who’s always a joy to shop with, there’s a donation page here. … Continue reading UnKamenCast RX 244 – Electric Sheep
Oh, what a fun episode we have for you all this time ’round! Philosophy, kamentary, and trying to square with the pro-wrestling logic Zero-One works on with the touches of realism it sprinkles throughout. Though, honestly, that’s basically How Your Humble Hosts Do at this point. In this action-packed(?) episode of the UnKamenCast R!X!: A sticking point … Continue reading UnKamenCast RX 243 – What is a Tool?
Things are falling apart in the world of Zero-One and things out here in the real world ain’t so great, either (though we didn’t quite know that at the time of recording). So, while the world is going mad all around us, let’s hunker down and consider the fantastical problems of fake people and hopefully … Continue reading UnKamenCast RX 242 – 31 Flavors of Evil
Ah, yes, a new episode of the UnKamenCast R!X! What strange observations will be made this time? Only one way to find out, Dear Listener. But by way of preview, here are three things from this episode! Aleph offers a mea culpa for the previous episode Sono laments a missed opportunity for equal-opportunity humor Our Heroes … Continue reading UnKamenCast RX 241 – Jin’s Wallet Chain Phase
Not only are we catching up with the end of RyuSoulger, we’re also posting some Zero-One. How the heck about that, right?! So, in this episode of the UnKamenCast R!X!, your “humble” hosts bathe in Gai getting dunked upon, Sono appreciates how relatively adult Chiharu is being about all this, and Aleph compares Fuwa’s situation … Continue reading UnKamenCast RX 240 – Let Chiharu Smooch a Robot!
Once more, it’s time for your favorite Trial of Heroes judges to bring an episode to order! As Gai the Zaiaman’s plotty plotting advances, we meet a strange new wrinkle in the story of Zero-One and things are just getting more and more intense! In this episode of the UnKamenCast R!X!, Aleph ponders the nature of evil … Continue reading UnKamenCast RX 239 – Not a Swarm of Bugs; A Swarm of Features!
Once more, it’s time for Your Humble(ish) Hosts to break out critical debugging tools and take a look at the dense thematic material that’s present here in Kamen Rider Zero-One! In this episode of the UnKamenCast R!X!, a real estate ace causes some property damage, Aleph once more laments our choice not to be sweary sorts, and … Continue reading UnKamenCast RX 238 – The Smile is On the House
In these episodes of Zero-One, Amatsu Gai Zaiaman continues his plan of corporate domination beginning with the venerable art of ikebana! And at the same time Your Humble-Adjacent Hosts have some thoughts about how he and his chosen flower-arranger goes about it. So in this episode of The UnKamenCast R!X!: Sono wonders just how much the ZaiaSpec … Continue reading UnKamenCast RX 237 – “Aren’t you tired of being nice?”
Ah, the end of an arc. A time of transformation and transition from one story beat to another. Who will be our main villain? How will we know? What is going to happen?! Your guess is as good as ours. We don’t keep up with the preview material, but we’re quite excited to see what … Continue reading UnKamenCast RX 236 – “I AM the satellite!”
Sadly, it’s not a Fourze crossover special (Oh, if only), but these episodes of Kamen Rider Zero-One go beyond our atmosphere to wonder: What if droping a motorcycle from orbit is a really wasteful and bad idea? Really makes you think, huh? In this episode of The UnKamenCast R!X!, stuff gets intense! Sono admits she might have misjudged … Continue reading UnKamenCast RX 235 – It’s Space Time!
There are a lot of things that could be said about these episodes of Kamen Rider Zero-One, and we will do our best to say many of them, but mostly it’s worth mentioning that the Assassin Complete suit is just the coolest thing in a show which has had a fair few really cool things in … Continue reading UnKamenCast RX 234 – Assassin Ascendant
In this episode of the UnKamenCast R!X! we continue our Zero-One coverage with a surprisingly startstruck couple episodes. In this episode: Oowada Shinya appears as himself, Sono digs into the AIMS team, and Aleph wonders if we got a setup to a punchline later on. |Right-click “Save As” to download|Episode Length 1:25:05| Kamen Rider Zero-One Episode 09 … Continue reading UnKamenCast RX 233 – “Hey, Zaia? Don’t Build a Gundam.”
Sometimes things get away from us so updates go a little slower, but we’ve got a bunch of them coming so STRAP IN for another #contentsplosion from us at the ToH! network! Right now, we’re having some thoughts at some episodes of Kamen Rider Zero-One and in this episode of the UnKamenCast, everyone appreciates Kobe’s hustle, … Continue reading UnKamenCast RX! 232 – GTK (Great Teacher Kobe)
It’s time once again for an episode of the UnKamenCast R!X! where your humble hosts take a look at this year’s Kamen Rider, Zero-One! In this episode, Sono continues to appreciate the HumaGear actors’ abilities, Aleph gets nostalgic for Kamen Rider OOO, and in the show, a man finds incredibly maladaptive ways of dealing with the loss of … Continue reading UnKamenCast RX 231 – Robot Lucy Liu
Once more, your Humble Hosts return to have some more thoughts at Kamen Rider Zero-One, which is turning out to be one of the most thought-provoking Rider series in recent years. In this episode, we meet the Great Character Find of 2019 in Anna the Tour Guide, Valkyrie finally armors up, Aleph is moved by human-scale … Continue reading UnKamenCast RX 230 – Truth and Kamen Sequences
After some audio difficulties, an intercontinental journey, and an overwhelming sense of antipathy, Aleph and Sono have returned a few episodes past where we were before, skipping over the last few episodes of Zi-O to move from one form of hereditary power to a similar (but slightly different) one as the UnKamenCast R!X! returns to begin our … Continue reading UnKamen Cast RX 229 – (We Must) Mamoru Mamoru
Content Advisory: Given some of the themes these episodes of Zi-O touch on, the discussion gets a little heavy with regard to discussions of self-harm, blame, depression, and death. As ever, we strive not to be leering or explicit about it, but it bears mentioning beforehand. Byun byun, motherfrickers! All the numbers on the digital … Continue reading UnKamenCast RX 226 – The Absurdity Express
CLOCK UP! Welcome back to the UnKamenCast R!X!, your hosts are dragged to a new Hell when they follow Tokiwa Sougo into the mouth of weirdness, aka the world of Kamen Rider Kabuto. In this episode, the Hopper Brothers return (kinda), Aleph has some thoughts about integrated Riderverses, and Sono appreciates Woz’s artistic ambitions. |Right-click “Save As” … Continue reading UnKamenCast RX 225 – New Hopper Bros. U
In this contentious episode of the UnKamenCast R!X!, we’re looking at Zi-O’s tribute to Kamen Rider Kiva and… things go a bit awry. Sougo falls in love with a hardcore murder-lady, Aleph acknowledges holes and limitations in his critical faculties, and Sono is both mad and disappointed. |Right-click “Save As” to download|Episode Length 1:45:40| Kamen Rider Zi-O … Continue reading UnKamenCast RX 224 – Hell for the Queen
In this episode of the UnKamenCast R!X!, your humble-adjacent hosts follow Tokiwa Sougo and company as they revisit that strangest entry in a strange chunk of Heisei Rider, Kamen Rider Hibiki! In this episode, Woz remembers his calling, Aleph appreciates some narrative needle-threading, and Sono gives some love to Kiriya Kyousuke. |Right-click “Save As” to download|Episode Length … Continue reading UnKamenCast RX! 223 – Parti Oni
It’s time again for some Zi-O kamen-tary (see what we did there?) and this time, we’re going as old school as Zi-O seems likely to do with Kamen Rider Agito. In this episode, your humble(ish) hosts are uncertain about Swartz’s ability as a villain, Aleph has some suit acting suspicions, Sono remains frustrated at the mechanics … Continue reading UnKamenCast RX! 222 – Here We Go, Count Zero
On this episode of the UnKamenCast R!X!, your hosts return to talk about Zi-O’s crossover with Kamen Rider Blade! Mr. Toei acts like a coward, Sono’s getting tired of Swartz, and Aleph has some objections. |Right-click “Save As” to download|Episode Length 2:11:07| Kamen Rider Zi-O Episode 29 – Blade Joker?! Episode 30 – We’ve Become a … Continue reading UnKamenCast RX! 221 – 53 Pick-Up
In this episode of the UnKamenCast R! X!, your hosts find out the strange truth of that fateful bus ride with that praiseworthy bus driver. Aleph makes some comparisons to Kingdom Hearts, Sono prays some revelations stick, and both of them question the narrative utility of making everyone think one of our heroes went back … Continue reading UnKamenCast RX! 220: Hail to the Bus Driver, Bus Driver Man
In this episode, Your Humble-adjacent Hosts give Zi-O a bit more of a side-eye because there’s some hinky narrative stuff going on. Sono hones in on some uglybad victim-blaming, Aleph is excited by Geiz Revive, and a new character doesn’t live up to his potential. Mostly, it’s just becoming apparent that while many things are certainly … Continue reading UnKamen RX! 219 – This One Ain’t On Decade.
In this episode, Sougo’s having some weird dreams, Sono’s wondering why everyone’s working so hard to not learn the big lesson, and Aleph’s super-excited that there’s a Kamen Rider made especially for him. |Right-click “Save As” to download|Episode Length 1:36:59| Kamen Rider Zi-O Episode 23 – It’s Kikai! Episode 24 – Best Friends Episode Writer: Shimoyama … Continue reading UnKamen RX! 218 – Body Horror Stick Bug
In which Sono and Aleph reflect upon the cleverness of the villain’s plan this time ’round while also reflecting on the tragedy that comes when only one character learns the lesson of the arc. Also, where the crap is Yui? She’s the best! |Right-click “Save As” to download|Episode Length 1:37:42| Kamen Rider Zi-O Episode 21 – … Continue reading UnKamen RX! 217 – Flipped, Reversed, Over Their Heads
In this episode, your Humble Hosts admire the influence of Kamen Rider Decade on the direction of Zi-O’s plot, admire some of the shot composition, and wish Kamen Rider Quiz didn’t dress like a meninist pick-up artist from 2009. |Right-click “Save As” to download|Episode Length 1:12:19| Kamen Rider Zi-O Episode 19 – The Quiz Shock Episode … Continue reading UnKamen RX! 216 – Questionable Hat Choices
In this episode, Sono finds that two Wozes (Wozii? Is “Woz” a countable noun?) aren’t necessarily better than one, Aleph laments a lack of amazing portmanteaus for the Woz, and also there’s a ninja guy! |Right-click “Save As” to download|Episode Length 1:16:34| Kamen Rider Zi-O Episode 17 – Happy New Woz Episode 18 – Amazing! … Continue reading UnKamen RX! 215 – Schrödinger’s Ninja
In which your hosts celebrate the resurrection of everyone’s favorite ghost, Sono wonders how Sougo calibrates his scale of weirdness, and Aleph just really loves Kamen Rider Decade. |Right-click “Save As” to download|Episode Length 1:26:29| Kamen Rider Zi-O Episode 13 – Ghost Hunter Episode 14 – Go! Go! Ghost! Episode Writer: Mouri Nobuhiro Episode Director: … Continue reading UnKamen RX 213 – The Return of the Pink Panther (repost)
In this episode of the UnKamenCast R! X!, we go (back?) to the future to sort-of meet Oma Zi-O, Sono focuses on the nature of a moral dilemma, and Aleph is suddenly and jarringly invested in the show. |Right-click “Save As” to download|Episode Length 1:20:41| Kamen Rider Zi-O Episode 15 – Back to 2068 Episode … Continue reading UnKamen RX! 214 – This Too is Zi-O’s Fault
In which your hosts celebrate the resurrection of everyone’s favorite ghost, Sono wonders how Sougo calibrates his scale of weirdness, and Aleph just really loves Kamen Rider Decade. |Right-click “Save As” to download|Episode Length 1:26:29| Kamen Rider Zi-O Episode 13 – Ghost Hunter Episode 14 – Go! Go! Ghost! Episode Writer: Mouri Nobuhiro Episode Director: … Continue reading UnKamen RX 213 – The Return of the Pink Panther
In this episode, we have a Zi-O’d look at a series Sono bailed on and which Aleph passionately hated… And it’s actually pretty good? We’re surprised, too. |Right-click “Save As” to download|Episode Length 1:14:52| Kamen Rider Zi-O Episode 11 – Zi-O on Parade Episode 12 – Me x My Stage Episode Writer: Mouri Nobuhiro Episode … Continue reading UnKamen RX! 212 – That Banana’s Still Rotten
In which Your Humble Hosts reminisce about the best bits of Kamen Rider OOO and the absolute besterest part of Kamen Rider Ex-Aid, that being a man driven to utter megalomania by a video game design document written by a third-grader. |Right-click “Save As” to download|Episode Length 1:35:27| Kamen Rider Zi-O Episode 9 – Genm Master Episode … Continue reading UnKamen RX! 211 – Dan Kurot-OOO
Don’t be blinded by Oma Zi-O’s flash and Geiz’ broody demeanor! There’s more here going on than meets the eye! Wake UP, sheeple! Starting here, starting now, we blow the lid off the conspiracy which we know as TEN AND TWO! (A repost to try and get it into the right RSS feed) |Right-click “Save As” … Continue reading UnKamenRX 210 – TEN AND TWO (repost)
Hey, a few things happened in personal times but we’re entering a new holiday blitz of RX and LK podcasts to get us all caught up for the new year! So apologies for the lack of visual flair here and there. In this episode, your friendly hosts take a friendly look at the frankly freaky … Continue reading UnKamen RX 209 – Getting Our Fourze/Faiz Fix (456)
Aleph and Sono are back to dig into some more episodes of Kamen Rider Zi-O and this time ’round, we’re gonna see how our favorite possible future-fascist and his two consciences deal with the spikey-haired strangeness that is Ex-Aid! Topics under discussion in this episode include: Finding a throughline in the series Knowing your audience before … Continue reading UnKamen RX 208 – Konami Code!
Long ago in a distant land, Oma Zi-O, the Kamen Riding Master of Darkness, unleashed an unspeakable evil! But a pair of foolish time travellers, wielding an ethical dilemma stepped forth to oppose him. Before the final blow was struck, he tore open a portal in time and flung them into the past, where my … Continue reading UnKamen 207 – The Next Decade?
Oh, what a long, strange trip it’s been. From a good-hearted amnesiac to the ultimate darkness and on into a new world. In this, our final episode of our Kamen Rider Build coverage, we touch upon: Gentoku doesn’t go to jail, but he does go out like a champ. Broken helmet? We love broken helmets! One … Continue reading UnKamen RX 206 – Build: Reconstructed
In this episode, your favorite hosts confront the horrific and implacable fact of death and how to write one that’s more than just a character being dead. Sorry to start out so heavy, y’all, but this is a heavy episode to talk about and it’s the specter that hangs over pretty much everything. Suffice to … Continue reading UnKamen RX 205 – Only Human
As we near being caught up with Kamen Rider Build, your humble(?) hosts are champing at the bit as the strangeness increases and the intensity ramps up, up, UP! And also, we somehow neglected to make an extended “Welcome to the Black Parade” reference in the show. That’s going to be rectified right now: WHEN I … Continue reading UnKamen RX 204 – Die Hard: With a Snake
On this episode of the UnKamenCast, the buildup to the doubtless-massive finale of Kamen Rider Build continues and your humble hosts are gathering together across the Atlantic to try and find some kind of calm in the raging storm. And while we wait to see if Kamen Rider Build will blow us away or just leave us … Continue reading UnKamen 203 – Crown Him Dragon, Queen of Mars
Well hey there, UnKamenCast and TOH Network listeners! Been a while, hasn’t it? After a long, unplanned hiatus for reasons a bit beyond the control of your humble (and apologetic) hosts, releasing episodes got held up for a bit there, didn’t it? But we’re back! So prepare for a veritable plethora of TOH! Network … Continue reading UnKamen RX 202 – Six Degrees of Katsuragi Takumi
We’ve got our final form, we’ve hit episode 40, and we’ve introduced the newest (and maybe final?) plot wrinkle. Stuffs only getting more intense on Kamen Rider Build and your humble hosts have Some Things to Say. Aleph expounds on the themes of destruction and refinement embodied in the hero and villain. Sono examines the nature … Continue reading UnKamen RX 201 – Kamen Rider Pride
It’s been many years now and we’ve now reached the two-hundredth installment of the internet’s own UnKamenCast R!X!. It’s been a long, winding trip through an eternal cycle of birth, death, and metamorphosis, one transformation after another. A mad chimera of commentary, changing in scope and form and format. And as we continue our headlong, … Continue reading UnKamen-RX 200(!!!!!!!) – All Around Me Are Familiar Faces
Ah, the eternal cycle of violence, self-justification, and wanton destruction. Faces change, but does the song necessarily stay the same? Your hosts have some thoughts. In this episode, we touch on that, as well as: Aleph posits that Evolt may, himself, essentially be the Amadam. Sono wonders why anyone, especially someone who’s seen him betray all … Continue reading UnKamen-RX 199 – From the Start, I’m an (Anti)Climax!