Streaming And Screaming: ‘Kamen Rider ZO’
by Tito W. James
If you are unfamiliar with the surreal madness that is Kamen Rider you need to rectify that immediately. The title character is a one of Japan’s earliest superheroes, created by Shotaro Ishinomori, and is sadly largely ignored by casual American superhero fans. I only truly understood the unique appeal of Kamen Rider after reading the original Kamen Rider manga and watching Shin Kamen Rider. Both series blend pop art superheroics with subversive avant garde imagery.
I knew I needed more Kamen Rider in my diet and that’s when I discovered Kamen Rider ZO. The short film is what happens when you mix Kamen Rider with Predator, Terminator 2, Alien, and Pan’s Labyrinth. The short’s plot centers around a Rider who must protect a young boy from monsters — but let’s get real, we’re here for the cool monster designs, not the story. Kamen Rider ZO is another great example of the uniqueness of Kamen Rider and the artistic innovation pioneered by Shotaro Ishinomori.
