And that’s where I am now.

If you read through all this, thanks for coming to my TED Talk entitled “How I’m Staying Sane While the World Burns Around Me by Watching Men Dressed as Super Heroes Inspired by Giant Bugs Ride Motorcycles
and Fight Other Men Dressed as Giant Rubber Monsters”

Currently, my schedule happened to lineup with my friends, so we’re doing a watch-club for Japan’s favorite series, Kamen Rider Den-O.

This series mixes trains and time travel, along with slapstick comedy, and I’m really enjoying it. Fascinating plot so far and a mystery I’m curious to know more.

Next, I went back to the show immediately following W, Kamen Rider OOO (O’s). This is my other S-Tier Kamen Rider. I love when things get weird, and this show delivers in every way. Great story, cool idea with the metals (TaToBa), and I love his relationship with a floating hand. Great music 👍

After W, I wanted to check out a recent hit, so I watched Kamen Rider Geats. Think “What if Kamen Rider was a Fortnite reality show” which sounds weird but works. Definitely different from the others but a great watch. Most badass action of the series, but went from best intro song to least fav 😬

After Ex-Aid, went back to 2010 for Kamen Rider W. And holy crap, this is my first S-Tier Kamen Rider. Loved this show!

Following a pair of detectives in Fuuto City, the two henshin (or transform) to become W (pronounced double). Amazing characters, location, bad guys, story… Favorite KR intro yet

While I was watching Ex-Aid, the current Kamen Rider series, Gavv, began to air in Japan. So I’ve been watching that weekly ever since. Yesterday was Episode 19, and they usually go around 49 total episodes. Candy-themed, super weird but great show so far!

(Figure not out yet, but will have soon)

I then jumped forward about 17 years to Kamen Rider Ex-Aid. This one seemed cool because it’s themed around video games, as doctors-by-day turned into game heroes to rid the world of “Bugsters”. Goofier tone than Kuuga, but still had its heavy moments. Fun show overall 👍

Later last year, I started my first series - Kamen Rider Kuuga. The 2000 series was the first series of Kamen Rider in about a decade, and the first of the Heisei era. I immediately grew to love its mature tone and story, kick-ass action, and complex characters with some humor sprinkled in.

(Btw I’ll update this more throughout the day. I’m currently working on cleaning up my Kamen Rider display)

I’ve known of it for a while, but my knowledge never went past a dude who rides a motorcycle, transforms, and beats up a monster of the week. While that isn’t crazy far from the truth, it wasn’t until I went to see Shin Kamen Rider in theaters that I bought my first figure and it had begun

So, I’m going to try and lift my spirits by sharing with you all (some friends, some total strangers) one singular source of joy that I’ve found the last few months - a long-running Japanese series of tv shows, movies, toys, video games, and merchandise called Kamen Rider

I know a lot of you haven’t been having a good time. I’ve been having a particularly shitty week. We had to euthanize our cat last Wednesday, my cuddle buddy, our last of four pets that were the joy of our life. And it’s put me in a perpetual stage of sadness.