Kamen Rider Black Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		3.5

Kamen Rider Black Blu-ray Movie Review

Kamen Rider Black is an action-adventure live-action television series produced in Japan. The series was created by Shotaro Ishinomori. Licensed for release in North America by Discotek Media, Kamen Rider Black originally aired on the Tokyo Broadcasting System. The series comes from Ishimori Production (Kamen Rider, New Kamen Rider) and Toei Productions (Battle Royale, Giant Robo). Kamen Rider Black features an opening theme song performed by Tetsuo Kurata and an ending theme song performed by Norio Sakai.

Produced by Nagafumi Hori (Kamen Rider ZO), Naoyoshi Yamada, Ryou Iguchi (Macross 7), and Susumu Yoshikawa (Mechanical Violator Hakaider), Kamen Rider Black offers audiences plenty of old-school action within the Tokusarsu superhero genre. Kamen Rider Black made a star out of lead actor Tetsuo Kurata. Featuring plenty of exciting action sequences (and many scenes with intense drama), Kamen Rider Black provides audiences a unique blend of horror and surrealist imagery in an action- adventure setting.

Kotaro Minami (Tetsuo Kurata) is no ordinary hero. Kotaro has become transformed from his simple life to become the powerful warrior Kamen Rider Black. Narrowly escaping from a secret society known as Gorgon, Kotaro takes the mantle of Kamen Rider Black in order to help combat the evil society. The society aims to destroy all of human-kind and annihilate everything in their path – including all of humanity and our culture.

As a tough-and-sophisticated warrior cyborg, Kamen Rider Black uses his special powers from Gorgon in order to fight to stop annihilation: Kamen Rider Black fights for the betterment of all humankind and for the future of civilization as everyone knows it. Yet one thing gets is troubling Kotaro: his own best friend, Nobuhiko Akizuki (Takahito Horiuchi), also becomes a being of enormous power due to Gorgon. Yet he left him behind to be a hero and as a result might have to fight him!

Tetsuo Kurata does an exceptional job in the leading role. The Kamen Rider Black series just wouldn’t be able to be so energetic or compelling without a good star for the production. Kurata handles the series well and brings a sense of ambition to the production. There is a sense of the actor having a lot of fun bringing his character to life and leading the way forward. The performance is entertaining and has a bundle of joy – highlighting the action elements without forgetting the drama.

The production benefits from surprisingly excellent art direction by Hiroshi Butsuda and Toshio Miike (Zeiram). The series has an excellent sense of scale through the art direction. The production looks significantly more ambitious and epic than one might expect for a television production made with lower production budget elements and made on a smaller scale. The designs are creative and have plenty of creative elements.

The cinematography by Fumio Matsumura (Mechanical Violator Hakaider) is one of the most ambitious aspects of Kamen Rider Black. The cinematography aids the filmmaking on the series and is capable of highlighting the tone of the production. Kamen Rider Black delivers a cinematographic energy with a surprisingly dark and fantastical side to the production that might have been overshadowed with a less competent cinematographer at the helm. Kamen Rider Black certainly achieves a unique aesthetic with the cinematography that brings an element of horror to a series that is predominately an action-adventure genre production.

The score composed by Eiji Kawamura (Ninja Robots, Black Jack) and Ryudo Uzaki (Kamen Rider World, The Dagger of Kamui) is a lot of fun, too. The music plays a big role in the action-packed adventure. A compelling score that highlights the series sense of adventure through-and-through. The music adds excitement to the fight scenes and keeps the sense of ambition high. A great effort by composers Kawamura and Uzaki.

Written by Shozo Uehara (Space Pirate Captain Harlock, Dino Mech Gaiking) and Noboru Sugimura (Kamen Rider ZO, Sukeban Deka), Kamen Rider Black has a fun creative style that is on display with the storytelling. Screenwriter Uehara handles episodes 1-12 and Sugimura handles episodes 13-51. The writing has an energetic style and there is a good balance between action-adventure and drama. A compelling series with a nice approach to the Tokusarsu genre.

Featuring head direction by Yoshiaki Kobayashi (Kamen Rider BLACK RX), Michio Konishi (Giant Robo), Takeshi Ogasawara (Kamen Rider BLACK RX), and Hiro Kitamoto, Kamen Rider Black explores the fun Tokusarsu superhero genre with a compelling sense of style. The filmmaking brings the tale to life. Audiences looking for energetic action and plenty of spectacle will appreciate the joys of Kamen Rider Black and the adrenaline-packed punch it provides.

Kamen Rider Black Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Discotek Media, Kamen Rider Black is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition in the original television broadcast aspect ratio of 1.33:1 full frame. The series has a high-quality presentation courtesy of distributor Discotek Media. The video quality on the release highlights the action and adventure well. The encode showcases the fight scenes with a good sense of detail. A fantastic looking encode with good color reproduction. Kamen Rider Black has received a filmic presentation.

Kamen Rider Black Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes only one audio option: Japanese uncompressed PCM 2.0 (with English subtitles). The set does not provide an English dubbed option. The original Japanese language audio sounds crisp on the Blu-ray release. Dialogue is well reproduced. The score is well preserved and highlighted by the encoding. A lossless mix that works well with the production.

Kamen Rider Black sounds clear and doesn't struggle with egregious issues with hiss, crackle, pops, or clicks. A notable encoding from Discotek Media. It is worth noting that the lossless audio presentation is superior to any digital or streaming counterparts, which is limited to lossy audio encoding. For audiophiles seeking the best audio presentation, the Blu-ray presentation remains the superior option.

Kamen Rider Black Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Kamen Rider Black has received a box-set jam-packed with extensive bonus features. This is a great assortment of extras compiled by Discotek Media for this Blu-ray collection. The release also has a beautiful o-card slipcover. Underneath the slipcover, one will find additional Kamen Rider Black art-work alongside an inner-art print. These elements help to round out the release and to make it feel even more special on the shelf.

On disc supplements include:

Disc 2:

This Is Kamen Rider Black!! – a behind-the-scenes promotional special (SD, 24:42)

Cast and Crew Reunion Chat – Part 1 (HD, 41:27)

Disc 3:

Original TV Promos (HD, 2:08)

Cast and Crew Reunion Chat – Part 2 (HD, 41:58)

Disc 4:

Recap Special (SD, 59:36)

Cast and Crew Reunion Chat – Part 3 (HD, 43:30)

Disc 5:

Long Long Ago 20th Century: The Birth of Kamen Rider Black – A Historical Essay by Mike Dent is an essay with 22 click-through slides.

Photo Gallery includes 16 click-through slides.

US Blu-ray Trailer (HD, 00:55)

Kamen Rider Black RX Teaser (HD, 1:02)

Original Transformation and Attack Sequences (SD, 1:02)

Kamen Rider Black Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Kamen Rider Black is an entertaining and action-packed Tokusarsu superhero series. The live-action Japanese television series does a great job of blending action sequences with dramatic elements. An effective production and one that benefits from a great cast and crew. The series is led by actor Tetsuo Kurata, who does a superb job in his role.

The Blu-ray release features an excellent video and audio presentation. The high-definition visuals are exceptional looking and the lossless Japanese language audio sounds crisp and clear. The subtitles are well done, too. The release also benefits from an impressive assortment of bonus features across the release. These supplements make the collection even more worthwhile for series fans. Recommended.