Whalley Reviews: The Whalley Reviews: Kamen Rider W. (Super Hero Time!)

Welcome to the second edition of Super Hero Time! The series that tribute my favorite morphed superheroes. This time we'll be taking a look at another Japanese hero series and a series that may sound familiar to a few of you. So let's get right down and take a look at...

Kamen Rider W.

Now before I begin talking about this series one thing I have to say to avoid confusion is that this series Kamen Rider goes by two different ways in saying his name, one; the Japanese calls him Kamen Rider Double and two; the Americans and English call him by Kamen Rider W. (Not sure if I got that right, but if I have let me know if you've watched the series and know more about it.)

In the ecologically-minded city of Futo, (Or The Wind City) there are many windmills and the people live in harmony. However, the Sonozaki Family sell mysterious devices resembling USB flash drives called Gaia Memories to criminals and other interested parties who use them to become monsters called Dopants, committing crimes with the police force powerless to stop them. To make matters worse, the Gaia Memories carry a dangerous toxin that cause their users to go insane to the point where they could die from the life-threatening devices. After the death of his mentor and boss the self-proclaimed hard-boiled (actually half-boiled) detective Shotaro Hidari takes his place and with him is his partner the mysterious Philip, who possesses the true Gaia Memory, to investigate crimes which involve Dopants. Using their own Gaia Memories, Shotaro and Philip use the Double Driver belts to transform and combine into Kamen Rider Double to fight the Dopant menace and keep Futo safe. Later during the series they are joined by investigator Ryu Terui, who transforms into Kamen Rider Accel. I will say this before I continue this series is very good, but for what it is the comedy in some places can be good at times but then again, the comedy does sometimes comes out of left-field. But it still a very good series and I had fun watching it. Also I forgot to mention in my last tribute in my Gokaiger review to talk about the theme song for the series. So here the link to Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger's theme song;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_Wd2y_Mlbs

And now back to Kamen Rider W (Double)'s opening, well because this series focuses on a team of investigators or detectives. It has a funky jazzy theme song with a a bit of rock to go with it.

W-B-X ~W-Boiled Extreme~ by Aya Kamiki with TAKUYA.

And on to the characters...

Shotaro Hidari

portrayed by

Renn Kiriyama.

First up is Detective Shotaro Hidari, is the man on the streets, having been taught by Sokichi Narumi how to be a private investigator. After Sokichi's death, Shotaro investigates Dopant crimes, and with Philip he fights Dopants as the left side of Kamen Rider W. In the movie W Forever Shotaro receives Sokichi Narumi's Lost Driver, allowing him to become...

Kamen Rider Joker.

Able to become a Rider on his own thanks to his mentor, and I'll say this... Kamen Rider Joker is very powerful even on his own without his partner Phillip, Shotaro is able to fight off anyone and is a confident fighter on his own. Not just once do we see this form, but on three occasions. This belt is retrieved by Philip and given to Shotaro before his disappearance, allowing him to become Kamen Rider Joker, again. (In the series.)

Philip

portrayed by

Masaki Suda.

Philip is Shotaro's partner in the detective agency who lost his memory and uses his special abilities to access the Gaia Library (a metaphysical realm and Akashic records in the form of white room filled with an endless number of books on an endless number of bookshelves.) to solve Dopant crimes. To help fight Dopants, normally Philip uses his mind and consciousness to become Kamen Rider Double. But with the Fang Memory, Philip switches places with Shotaro as Double in...

FangJoker.

This allows Philip to go out into the open and utilize Kamen Rider Double in case Shotaro is not around to help, though Shotaro still needs to put on the Double Driver first. However, the transformation is extremely taxing on Philip's body, and he lost control of himself in this form during its first two uses. In addition, they cannot stay in the FangJoker form for too long due to Philip's weaker body. This form is considered the stronger and faster than all forms that came before it, but is seldom used due to both Philip not being outdoors as often as Shotaro, the strain that it puts on Philip's body, and the fact that they are locked into FangJoker and cannot Half Change. And believe me... I wouldn't want to mess with this form!!! Also is it just me, or does Philips habits and personalty almost remind you of L from Death Note? W(Double) also has a final form called...

CycloneJokerXtreme.

it is the evolved form of CycloneJoker accessed with the Xtreme Memory, linking it directly to the infinite knowledge of the true Gaia Memory through the iridescent band going down the middle of Kamen Rider Double's body called the Crystal Server. It also represents the perfect union between Shotaro and Philip, as they become completely one through the Xtreme Memory absorbing Philip and attaching to the Double Driver. Thus when either Philip or Shotaro speaks on their own, their respective side's eye flashes, they also appear together as soon as they cancel the transformation. The knowledge of this form allows Kamen Rider Double to instantly analyze the opponent's capabilities and formulate strategies quickly. Also this bitch can fly with golden wings. KICKASS!!! And a sword that is in a shield, need I say more? Also Which I should of mentioned Kamen Rider W(Double) has many other forms which are all....

these.

Right now that the main Rider out of the way lets get to...

Akiko Narumi

portrayed by

Hikaru Yamamoto.

She is Shotaro's boss and landlord at the Narumi Detective Agency. Because of her young appearance and attitude, Shotaro refers to her as "Middle-school Girl" and sees her as a threat to his public image. She has come to Futo from Osaka to find her father and reclaim the agency's building, initially unaware that her father had died and was a Kamen Rider until the events of the "Begins Night" film. She serves as a personal assistant as well as the boss of the place while on the job as well as keeping Shotaro on the right track by slapping him with a green sandal; she has also used this tactic on other characters, including Dopants. She has a black and white view of the world and tends to say "I won't hear of it!" when she is caught off guard by something. Despite her somewhat childish personality, she has shown signs of promise as a detective, particularly in her ability to decipher clues that leave Shotaro, Philip, and Ryu stumped, as well as being extremely protective of clients, a trait she shares with her father. Akiko harbors a crush on Ryu Terui (the second Rider for he series), but her advances are ignored as he maintains a professional demeanor towards her, until he finally gives in to his feelings for her. I find her annoying at times, but then finding myself loving her character when she's not being over the top bossy to everyone else. Plus watching everyone who gets hit by her green sandal. Next up is...

Sokichi Narumi

portrayed by singer-songwriter

Koji Kikkawa.

He's Shotaro's mentor and founder of the Narumi Detective Agency, referred by Shotaro as "Boss". His policy with investigations is to ensure the client's safety above all else, and unlike Shotaro, he is truly hardboiled in the sense that he will make difficult decisions when he needs to, and follows through with it. However, during the events depicted in "Kamen Rider × Kamen Rider OOO & W Featuring Skull: Movie War Core", Sokichi became involved in the Dopant cases and gaining the means to become...

Kamen Rider Skull.

HOLY SHIT!! Not only is the character kickass! But his Rider form is too! Some time after that Sokichi accepts a job from a mysterious client, who turn out to be Shroud, to get Philip away from the Sonozaki Family, transforming into Skull to fend off the Taboo Dopant and an army of Masquerade Dopants during the raid on their factory. But in the end, after talking Philip into coming with him to decide his own fate and find his own atonement, Sokichi is shot in the back and dies telling Shotaro to continue in his place and giving him his white fedora, his dying words being for Shotaro to "grow into a man worthy of wearing it". A sad end to a cool and true detective. Right next up is...

Ryu Terui
portrayed by
Minehiro Kinomoto.

Ryu is a young man who is a Superintendent appointed to the Futo Police Department's Paranormal Crime Investigation Division, much to the chagrin of Shotaro, Jinno, and Makura (Two police who work along side Shotaro). Though he becomes an ally to Shotaro in fighting Dopant crimes as...

Kamen Rider Accel.

And before you say anything, yes he does look a little ridiculous but, he has three other forms...

Kamen Rider Accel Trial is the powered up form of Kamen Rider Accel. This form is significantly faster than Kamen Rider Accel's normal form, but sports weaker armor and overall power. It is more than enough to make up for its weakness by being able to punch and kick at blinding speeds, as well as increasing his overall movement speed (running, dodging, etc.) to a great degree. Once the Maximum Drive is initiated, Kamen Rider Accel Trial can only be used for another 10 seconds before being forcibly reverted to human form, but the transformation is retained if the Trial Maximum Drive is successfully executed within 10 seconds. The blue one is Accel Trial and the yellow colored form has been labeled as Kamen Rider Accel Yellow Signal Version. Oh! Did I also mention this guy can turn himself into....

a bike!!!

O_O

Well... NOW I'VE SEEN EVERYTHING!

Now that the Riders are out of the way I would talking about the villains at this point, but I'm going to do it as a whole mainly because their a family.

The Sonozaki Family.

Oh don't let that innocent photo fool you because...

Well... need I say more, kids? Oh and yes that cat the old man was holding is the creature at the bottom of the photo.

They are an aristocratic family in Futo who founded the organization known as the Museum. When his son Raito (plot point there for you guys to find out.) died and was reborn as an avatar of the true Gaia Memory, Ryubee (the old man on the right and the one with the blue... head.) used his organization to produce and distribute the Gaia Memories in the criminal underworld, resulting in the Dopant crime waves. This enabled the Museum to follow through with the Gaia Impact. With the exception of Raito and Fumine, each member of the Sonozaki Family owns a special Gaia Memory, called Gold Memories, allowing them to assume Dopant forms with the use of a prototype Gaia Driver belt which prevents the Gaia Memories from corrupting their minds, though it comes with the cost of unable to use these Memories at full power, but that does not seem to inconvenience them in any way.

I will not spoil anymore because I really do recommend this series to be watched, because believe me... you don't want to miss it. Oh! And I'd be buggered not to mention...

Katsumi Daido

portrayed by

Mitsuru Matsuoka.

He is the leader of NEVER who fights with only a combat knife as his side arm. As revealed in "The Beginning of N/Blood and Dream", Daido was born in Futo with a congenital heart defect. As a result, combined with a near fatal car crash, his mother Maria used her Necro-Over project research to revive her son as the first Necro-Over. Using bio-stimulants to enable him to properly age, Daido proved a superior fighter yet he and his mother turned against Foundation X (A organization who funded Sonozaki Family.) after the Necro-Over project is rejected. Soon after, he recruits four people who recently died and were revived as Necro-Overs, forming a band of hired mercenaries. During one of their missions, Daido meets Mina and falls in love with her. During that time, Daido gains the experimental Eternal Memory and is able to transform into...

Kamen Rider Eternal.

And what a Rider he became...

However, being forced to watch Mina seemingly die before his eyes turns Daido into an completely unfeeling monster as he kills Doctor Prospect (The main bad guy for his movie back story), with the Eternal Memory getting damaged in the fight. Deciding to destroy Futo to wipe out the Museum, Daido serves as the main antagonist for "W Forever" and uses the T2 Eternal Memory to regain his Kamen Rider form. After his plans are thwarted by the combined efforts of Shotaro, Philip, and Maria, Daido utilizes all 26 T2 Gaia Memories to overpower Double, but is defeated and slain by CycloneJokerGoldXtreme (The golden wings form I mentioned earlier). Long after their battle with the Museum ends, Shotaro and Philip learned the truth behind Daido's actions and pay their respects. And yes, this character became very popular that he alongside Accel got his own movie back story. And he is... A FUCKING BADASS!!!

That concludes my tribute to Kamen Rider W(Double) a lovely, and fun series full of fun, drama, cute and banter moments. A series I really do think is worth looking into and watching.

Join me next time for....