Kamen Rider V3 /Masked Rider V3
Based on a story by: Ishinomori Shotaro
By Jmaruyama

Summary (From Box Cover)

“This blistering boxset contains all 52 action-packed episodes of the classic series, digitally remastered and fully subtitled in English – absolutely complete and uncut for the first time on six fully loaded DVDs!

After witnessing the brutal murder of his family and mortally wounded at the hands of the demonic Destron organization, motorcross phenom Kazami Shiro is reborn as a cyborg created by Kamen Riders One and Two. Drawing power from his Henshin Belt, Shiro vows to avenge his family and annihilate Destron! Astride his superbike, the Hurricane, V3 charges into their army of mutants…

Produced by the prolific action film company Toei Studios (THE YAKUZA PAPERS) and the hit-making team of creative producer Hirayama Tohru (JOHNNY SOKKO) and manga author Ishinomori Shotaro (KIKAIDA).”

The Review

“Kamen Rider V3” is to the Kamen Rider series what “Ultra Seven” was to the Ultraman series, a highpoint and the template for all the subsequent series sequels to follow. “Kamen Rider V3” was the first sequel to the groundbreaking original “Kamen Rider” series (Toei, 1971) and was in many ways very much an improvement over its predecessor. Starring the charming and athletic Miyauchi Hiroshi, “Kamen Rider V3” was less a “monster-of-the-week” slugfest and more a human drama that while dressed in the makings of a Tokusatsu kid’s show, was a show that strove not to patronize its viewers. Unlike other Tokusatsu series of the time that tended to have dumb-downed stories to appeal to its target kid audiences, Kamen Rider V3 offered stories with a much more mature level. The sheer audacity and boldness of the screenwriters Igami Masaru, Suzuki Ikuro, Shimada Masayuki, Takizawa Mari etc. was clearly evident in the two-part origin story which had both Kamen Riders #1 and #2 “killed” to save Kamen Rider V3. This theme of “tragedy” and “death” would repeat itself throughout the series, especially with the introduction of V3’s partner Yuki Joji AKA “Riderman”.

Following their well received “Kikaida” DVD series collection, JN Productions has once again done a marvelous job at committing another great Tokusatsu cult series to permanent DVD archive. “The Kamen Rider V3” 6-Disc Collectors set is a handsome and well produced package that is sure to satisfy even the most jaded of Kamen Rider fans like myself.

Surprisingly JNProductions has decided to diverge from the DVD box set norm and has gone the way of aping Hong Kong style DVD box sets providing instead a neat gatefold style of packaging. While I do like the packaging novelty, I wasn’t too fond of the dull “red” disc coloring of the DVDs (a minor quibble).

The DVD menus are an improvement over the “Kikaida” DVDs and I did find the animated backgrounds and effects pretty nice.

I did miss the customizable DVD menu options of the “Kikaida” DVDs but this is again a minor issue and merely a matter of taste.

The content speaks for itself and is quite impressive. While I did find the digital transfer pretty good, the film still has a slight dullness to it but given that the series is from the 70’s and is almost three decades old, one can’t really be very picky. The sound however is very good.

Completists may cry foul at the omission of the “Kamen Rider V3” movie “Kamen Rider V3 Tai Destron” (featuring the powerful “Taihou Baffalo” <Bazooka Baffalo>) and I certainly agree. It’s void is definitely felt and the movie should have been included although whether JNProductions intends to release it later as a separate disc is not known.

The “Kamen Rider V3” series has always been a favorite among both Kamen Rider fans and general Tokusatsu fans and this new DVD collection is a great tribute to the series. Those who are only familiar with the newer Kamen Riders like “Blade”, “Hibiki”, “Agito” and “Kuuga” may find “V3” a bit “old school” and dated but his influence can certainly be felt in all those series. Relying less on costume gimmicks, flashy SFX, cryptic mythology, or “pretty boy” idols, “Kamen Rider V3” may not be everyone’s cup of tea but to older fans like me, it is a definite treasure.

Video

Given that the series originally aired in 1973, the picture quality of the TV episodes here is quite good. While there are some instances where the age of the film print shows some wear (especially in the opening credits) colors are generally very sharp and bright. Images are clear for the most part and special effect animation shots are very clean. For this DVD release, the episodes are presented in a 1.33:1 full-frame aspect ratio, just as they were originally broadcast on television. This is probably the best print one could hope for.

Audio

The DVD features a Dolby Digital audio track. The audio is clear and audible, rendering the dialogue and action sound effects perfectly clear. The BGM, OP and ED songs all sound great and definitely benefit from the improved sound.

Extras

As with their previous “Kikaida DVDs”, JN Productions /Generation Kikaida has again done a marvelous job at providing great special features and DVD extras:

Interview with Miyauchi Hiroshi – A thirty-minute “Q & A” session with the always flamboyant Miyauchi Hiroshi, star of the “Kamen Rider V3” series. As with the “Kikaida” DVD series, JN Productions’ Executive Producer Joanne Ninomiya conducted the interview session. The interview was a bit odd in the beginning as Ms. Ninomiya kept asking Miyauchi about his fellow series co-stars rather than focusing the segment strictly on his own eclectic career. At times Miyauchi seemed a bit combative and cranky as if he was somewhat irritated by the questions but did lighten up as the interview went along and seemed to enjoy talking about his other Tokusatsu roles, “Kaiketsu! Zubat” in particular as well as his recent memoirs. Miyauchi did offer up some interesting background information on the show and the interview in general was very insightful.

Behind-the-Scenes Episode Factoids -- Tokusatsu expert and “Henshin! Online” founder and webmaster August Ragone provides fascinating background information and trivia on the various “Kamen Rider V3” series episodes. His encyclopedic knowledge about the series is clearly evident and he offers up a wealth of information. At times however it does seem a bit overwhelming and to the casual fan it may be a bit awkward to have to scroll through 61 pages of trivia per each DVD disc using the DVD remote (computer users may find it a bit easier however). Perhaps the information would have been better off in a separate booklet or as linear notes (similar to what Animego did with their “Lonewolf and Cub” DVD series). Better yet, it would have been a perfect opportunity to have August provide DVD audio commentary on the series along with Miyauchi Hiroshi. Perhaps this is something JNProductions can look into next time.

Similar to the “Kikaida” DVDs, a Kamen Rider V3 Karaoke feature is available where one can sing-a-long with the rousing theme songs to everyone’s favorite hero. One can sing the Kamen Rider V3 theme songs with or without original vocals. The songs are accompanied by scenes from the “Kamen Rider V3” TV series.

“Who Was That Masked Bug-Man?” and “Destron: The Army with Roots in Hell” Text Essays – Tokusatsu expert and “Henshin! Online” founder August Ragone provides an overview of the influences that went into making “Kamen Rider V3” as well as how the original story evolved into the show we know today. Well written and researched, these articles provide an invaluable resource to the Kamen Rider V3 fan. Again, it would have been nice to have this in a separate booklet but it is still much appreciated.

In addition to the above, the following features are also included:

71 Character Profiles with Sound Effects– A visual encyclopedia of all the “Destron” villains whom Kamen Rider V3 battled in the series. The encyclopedia features a brief bio on each enemy, punctuated by sound bites from the monsters. Pretty fun the first time around but does get a bit tiring after a while.

Kamen Rider V3 Trivia Quiz - Similar to the “Kikaida” DVDs, this feature allow you to test your “Kamen Rider V3” smarts with a series of easy to medium/difficult questions on the TV show. If you get a certain number of questions correct, you are rewarded with varying character ranks.

Cast & Crew Profiles- Great information on the main characters and the actors who portrayed them.

Easter Eggs

None reported thus far.

Technical Product Data

Number of Discs: 6
Disc One: Episodes 1-9
Disc Two: Episodes 10-18
Disc Three: Episodes 19-27
Disc Four: Episodes 28-36
Disc Five: Episodes 37-45
Disc Six: Episodes 46-52

Number of Episodes: 52
Style of DVD Case: Gatefold
Film: Color
Running Time: 21 hrs. 6 min.
Region: NTSC/Region 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 - Full Screen
Sound: Dolby Digital Sound

Other Information
Dual-Layer Format
Digitally Re-mastered Picture and Sound
Original Japanese Track with English Subtitles (White) -- Subtitle Expletives Deleted Option also available.

Release Date: November 2005
Released by: Generation Kikaida/JN Productions, Inc. (Honolulu, HI)
Price: $199 MRP ($169 – Pre Order)

Production Credits

Producers: Hirayama Tohru, Abe Seiji
Teleplay: Igami Masaru, Suzuki Ikuro, Shimada Masayuki, Takizawa Mari etc.
Director(s): Yamada Minoru, Tsukada Masahiro, Taguchi Katsuhiko etc.
Photography: Kawasaki Ryuji, Hara Hideo
Lighting: Ota Koji
Art Design: Yagi Tsutomu
Costumes: Ekisu (‘X’) Productions
Post Production: Eiko-Onkyo Inc.
Sound Engineer: Ota Katsumi
Fight Choreography: Takahashi Kazutoshi
Music: Kikuchi Shunsuke

Theme Song:
“Tatakae! Kamen Rider V3” (Fight! Kamen Rider V3)
Lyrics: Ishimori Shotaro
Music: Kikuchi Shunsuke
Vocals: Miyauchi Hiroshi and “The Swingers”

Cast
Miyauchi Hiroshi (Kazami Shiro/Kamen Rider V3)
Yamaguchi Akira (Yuki Joji/Riderman)
Kobayashi Akiji (Tachibana Tobei)
Ono Hizuru (Tama Junko)
Kawaguchi Hideki (Tama Shigeru)
Kawashima Ken (Sakuma Ken)
Kaga Kunio (Kazami Tatsuji)
Masaki Miki (Kazami Aya)
Sekiguchi Eriko (Kazami Yukiko)
Senba Jotaro (Doctor Gei “G’)
Bunya Nakamura (Yoroi Gensui <Armored Marshal>)
Fujino Sachio (Tsubasa Daisoucho <Winged Archbishop>)
Go Eiji (Kiba Danchaku <Baron Fang>)
Fujioka Hiroshi (Hongo Takeshi/Kamen Rider #1)
Sasaki Takeshi (Ichimonji Hayato/Kamen Rider #2)

DVD Credits

Executive Producer: Joanne Ninomiya (JN Productions, Inc.; Honolulu, HI)
DVD Producer: Robby Gaskell
Series Translation: Roy Mashima, Ruby Nagao, Karen Corpuz
DVD Cover Design: Erwin Baracao
Coordinator: Robert Furukawa
Editor: Yuko Manatad

DVD Production Team
Sereny Suzuki
Chance Gusukuma
Bert Shibuya
Steven Chung

Acknowledgements
Miyauchi Hiroshi, Hirayama Tohru, Todd Soga, Steve Okubo, Paul Sullivan, Jason Lam

Jmaruyama