The Forgotten Legacy of Android Kikaider

[@jaytime3435]

"Just because someone is forgotten or not remembered, it doesn't mean they're gone, it means their hidden for the next generation. For whoever finds a hidden gem, will forever appreciate and carry the messages of those gems." Tokusatsu has really changed my life and the fact that knowing one of ishinomori's works impacted not only a different country, but the impact of it's people. I really really cried at Kamen rider and I even cried internally to other heroes that are forgetten and obscured like the guyver and apocalypse zero. More importantly, this video helped me understand something I never knew I needed. And Now I realize that, heroes can be in more then one place. Tokusatsu will forever remind me the messages it has taught me, I may not be from Japan (despite my wishes) and I may not have grown up with the franchises. But knowing them now as a adult, I know that the human power exist. And if we strive for that, we'll be ok. I love toku, because it's wonderful and has changed my life forever ♥️

[@annoying_HK_guy]

Same, as a long time Rider fan because of W, my first Rider in Childhood, I definitely agreed with you

[@jesseowenvillamor6348]

They're, not "their"

[@wahhtzz4178]

Ok, this video is far more heartfelt than I thought it would be. I thought I was just going to watch a video about an obscure anime, but I didn’t expect it to be so much more. You have a way with words my friend

[@DarthSparhawk]

yes, it is a very heartwarming video

[@rikubro26]

As a fan of all things made by Shotaro Ishinomori seeing this has not only made my day but has made me smile knowing his other works are loved just as much as his popular ones. On another note I think subtly is important in story telling but sometimes like with sweets there is a point it gets to be too much. And its why I love these series, subtly isn't required. And it makes stories like these all the better to showcase humanity. Because humanity is the furthest thing from subtle.

[@Veshremy]

my brother introduced me to the live action version, literally my favorite show growing up

[@Sheenifier]

I remember watching the live action whenever I stayed over my grandparents place back in the day as a kid. And we're not japanese... like at all

[@goheen1701]

I was a 4 yr old child in Hawaii when the show debuted in '73 and I absolutely LOVED IT. Folks HATED having to read the subtitles for me. I remember the debut of Kikaider's android 'brother' (?), Kikaida, and the female android who looked absolutely ridiculous.I even got to see one of the 'Live' shows as a kid. THANK YOU for the kind memories!

[@russellwhitesell6050]

Of course your referring to Kikaida 0-1 (Ichiro), and Belinda (Mari) form Kikaida 0-1. 0-1 is actually Kikaida's older brother.

[@dvanepope5602]

Man, the amount of work you put in this vids is immense. You deserve millions of subs.

[@kanteishiva824]

This show left a huge impact on me, which is funny because I cannot remember anything about the plot. What I can't get out of my soul/memory? Him sitting down and playing this guitar when he needed to. The melodies, the style, the somber mood. I whole heartedly stole the style and made it apart of me. Defining and sculpting my own from there. You only brought up the guitar once or twice in the video, and largely attributed it to a harder part of the story to translate with the rest of the tone. But trust me when I say the guitar left a hard to communicate impact on many, a tone that might be harder to communicate but reverberates in one's soundscape/mindscape. Loved the video, thanks for the embarrasing reminder of who I am. I hate to admit my inspirations to the public, but this show defined small parts of me.

[@thojo4671]

It's so nice seeing you talk about the things youre passionate about. It makes the viewing experience so much more enjoyable even if I don't know the series

[@extrachipper]

I first learned about Kikaida from my local friend when I moved to Hawaii a few years ago. He'd only seen the tokusatsu series, so I got him a DVD set of the anime for his birthday and we had a blast watching it together. It's nice to see one of the best ani-tubers out there putting a spotlight on this series which clearly meant a lot to a lot of people!

[@Guyverman01]

Fun fact : Hakaider's design was a key influence on Darth Vader. George Lucas saw the show when he was in Japan.

[@katrinamorhart1850]

I first discovered you through your Heart of Chainsaw Man video and that analysis of the series really stood out to me by looking back to the author’s previous work. I’m curious as to your thoughts on Goodbye Eri. I did not expect the journey that this video took me on. This possesses that quality of making me interested in a subject I had no previous knowledge on. Your dedication and research was impressive and the inclusion of the personal legacy this has left for you was beautiful. It made me think of the formative media I grew up with and that still influences me in some way.

[@nalu512]

This affected me on a cellular level man, used to see him show up at the Maui Matsuri

[@roosterwithnoname9020]

Ban Daisuke, The original actor for the live action Jiro/Kikaida recently had his last trip to Hawaii. There were hundreds of people (of all ages) lining up for autographs and pictures with him. I grew up watching reruns of the Tokusatsu show in the early 2000s (ironically the same time the anime aired on Adult Swim) So, I got to see both shows at the same time. I loved watching the live action show.

[@spiritsauce]

Man this was a great documentary! I'm not someone who binges anime/manga day to day but learning about the history of it and having certain shows/Manga dissected and discussed is always a joy to watch coming from you!

[@freestaircaseabortions6233]

I remember it taking a while to give this show a shot back in the day. I HATED the art style. But one night nothing else was on so I watched it, got hooked because of it's story and waited for it every night. Haven't thought much about it in 20 years, but I was wondering if I was the only person who remembered this show. thanks for the dose of nostalgia.

[@alexander-vk1rz]

the art style is a classic, the work of that author was defined beyond designs, he made this clear. He made the childhood of many.

[@omnigeek9798]

Good point about the use of “Hawaiian”. I watched “Kikaida” and “Kamen Rider V-3” on KIKU. The shows crossed cultural boundaries when they aired in Hawaii and got me to appreciate watching foreign movies and ‘tv shows with subtitles instead of being distorted by dubbing.

[@russellwhitesell6050]

Did you also watch the other shows such as Denjin Zaboga, Rainbowman?

[@sunnyromero2717]

Kikaida was actually broadcasted in Los Angeles and in San Francisco in 1973-1974. Before the first Pay per view tv station, Select TV, UHF channels would revert to Japanese programming after 8 p.m. during the weekdays and after 6 p.m. on the weekends. I remembered watching Kikaida on Sundays and when it concluded, we were then treated to Yuusha Raideen. We also watched Kaiketsu Lionmaru, Goranger, Fuun Lionmaru, and Getta Robo G. The 70's were a great time for Tokusatu and it was sad when the old UHF stations were converted to Spanish programming.

[@ChargemanBaré]

Kyle as a brazillian tokusatsu fan. (Brazil was the country who broadcast various tokusastsu shows in latin america like kamen rider, metal heroes, super sentai) i Just know who kikaider is by his "sucessor" Choujinki Metalder. But in usa he was a saban vr troopers character (along with spielvan, other metal hero)

[@MatthewTheWolf2029]

Awesome video, and excellent review of this underrated anime, based on one of Shotaro Ishinomori's works. Me personally, I have always been fond of Android Kikaider, and its one of my favorite shows from the 2000s. While its not as well remembered as other series, it will always retain a special place in my heart. And it was what introduced me to Kikaider in the first place, as I did not know of the live action series until MUCH LATER on. Another underrated series is 8-Man After.

[@unlisted12]

Ive been looking for this show for years, . Thank you my friend... i knew i wasn't going crazy because its nowhere to be found.. i never remembered the name of this show because i was so young when it was on adult swim / toonami... pleased to say my journey has finally ended.. this show made me feel alot different compared to watching dragon ball z... thank you again..

[@collectorcanine96]

If it helps: the Tokusatsu and the manga were, essentially, totally independent products made based on the same basic concept. Ishinomori and Toei worked together to come up with all the basic ideas for characters, villains, stories, etc. and then each took those things in whatever directions they wanted. The same is true for all of the Toei/Ishinomori Tokusatsu. Also, the subtitles currently available for the Tokusatsu are not the same as those that it had when it aired on TV in Hawaii. They're totally new subtitles done in 2003. They kept "Kikaida" and "Hakaida" intact because those that did the new subtitles were people who watched the show on TV and refused to call them "Kikaider" and "Hakaider." The original TV broadcast subtitles are, supposedly, long lost to time. You also never mentioned the movie "Mechanical Violator Hakaider" from the 90s, which has an American Blu-ray release. It recast Hakaider as an edgy anti-hero. lol

[@SlapstickGenius23]

There are also the English dubs to both Kikaider the animation and Kikaider 01 the animation. Both share the same Californian cast.

[@collectorcanine96]

I didn't find that necessary to mention because, IIRC, the video itself brings that up.

[@Kaze.No.Okami.]

Just starting the video but i found the franchise when i was 8 on adult swim , saw a class mate with a shirt of him for the live action show but when i asked her about it she didnt know it was a hand me down , like 10 years later randomely remembered the show looked it up rewatch it every year and found out about the rest of the franchise but feel it doesnt get the recognition it deserves so i just want to say , thank you for making this video

[@alexander-vk1rz]

hopefully she found out.

[@flyingningahero5961]

one thing I like about golden bat is how his design plays into his arc It may seem like it's just because he turns into a bat but his conscious circuit allowing him to feel emotions like remorse and sympathy but not being able to disobey the orders he is given by Gill is somewhat similar to how a vampire, despite usually being a jovial and dignified aristocrat, will inevitably act on their nature as a cannibalistic creature of the night, even if they know it is wrong. not sure if this was taken from anything specific that ishinomori would have actually seen at the time though, but the idea of a reluctant vampire shouldn't be that new sidenote: golden bat's name and beast mode design are most definitely based on another japanese hero of the same name, kenny lauderdale made a video on him and you should probably check it out (although you probably have)

[@3N-D0]

It's great to see someone dedicate such love to a series that affected me so much when I was little. I wept at the finale when it played on Cartoon Network all those years ago, so it's great to learn so much and see that I can have more through the live action series. Thank you for creating such a heartfelt video!

[@donnywaldman4959]

That was a great video, I’m glad you didn’t do the whole “Japan is so weird” shtick that so many KZbinrs do whenever they mention Tokusatsu

[@brodyrichardson8267]

Bro these videos rule. The effort you put in and the perspective you bring is amazing and so heartfelt. You feel so genuine. You are so inspiring!

[@theonlysaberfan7755]

oh my GOD, you blew my mind. you got me at the edge of my seat with this, i'm a big fan of toku since 2015 and kikaider was a well known name. i don't have the words to discri the feeling that this video left on me so i'll say...WOW... for things like this tokusatsu needs to be more relevant arround the world

[@bruno23567]

Wow, it's pretty curious that Tokusatsu was not a thing in U.S. before Power Rangers Here in Brazil, a lot of Tokusatsu aired in between the 60s and the 90s, it was a really big hit

[@chasecole6794]

This was a really solid retrospective of this small speck yet large part into the pantheon of henshin heroes, not just in the genre but internationally. I loved hearing about your personal experience with this hero, down to how you've always heard it pronounced. And the editing and line delivery in this video was really good, surprising even. Would love to hear more thoughts like these about other toku properties, but that's ultimately up to you. Keep up the great work man!

[@Barga6464]

I grew up with kikaida. The tokusatsu not the anime. interesting to see this. edit: ok apparently we had the same upbringing. cause that last section is a perfect reflection of my life wtf. I also grew up on hawaii, with pretty much the same understanding of the show.

[@spagredo]

The music, the editing, your personal views on the matter, just insanely well done! You can really feel your feelings on the character come across

[@HappyCabbageBoy]

Kikaida was the first tokusatsu show i ever watched. My dad and I grew up in Hawaii and he watched it as a kid when it started airing, and my unlce was from Japan, so he would lend my family the DVD's. My dad would watch DVD's with me when i was little from time to time, and i even got to meet Ban Daisuke at an event in the old Shirokiya. Looking back it was like he was sharing a piece of his childhood with me as a part of mine. Kikaida always had a special place in my heart, even now as i watch Kamen rider and other toku to this day.

[@skystarless]

Great video! I learned a lot from this, thank you. I was vaguely aware of the original tokusatsu show, but I had no idea Kikaida was a cultural icon in Hawaii. That's so awesome. I watched Toonami/Adult Swim regularly as a teen/young adult. I've long been fascinated by anime, because oftentimes, the art style appears to be toothless, cute and harmless, but can tear you to shreds emotionally. Android Kikaider was one of the last anime I watched on there, but it left a HUGE impression on me, because at first glance, it looked like it would be a fun, light-hearted action show. But, tonally, it's much closer to AI: Artificial Intelligence, another android story that asked a lot of difficult questions (and also used blatant Pinocchio imagery lol). Anyway, I guess I really WAS one of the only people who remembered Android Kikaider fondly, lol. Other American anime fans my age remember and talk about Cyborg 009 and Giant Robo: The Day the Earth Stood Still, but Android Kikaider is treated more like a footnote. Which is a little bit sad.

[@_vnfr]

amazing video. hope this video does well and makes it more viable for you to make more videos in the future love your work dude

[@KyleRobes]

Thank you! While I hope it does well, when I started work on this video, I had every expectation that this would be one of my worst performing videos because of how obscure Kikaida is haha

[@grandon4507]

Commenting to hopefully help the algorithm. Love your stuff, man

[@Kingicetre]

Hattori Hanpei is PEAK Kikaida! Loved the video braddah!

[@MegaDeath458]

Incredible video Anything I say won't do proper justice to what it feels to watch this video. Amazing work

[@baluza5216]

I wasn’t very into the video but when you started analysing the impact of Japanese shows in US, it peaked my attention. Great video!

[@Kinoko97.]

As a huge fan i Kikaider i love and appreciate watching this video talking about him and hearing your story of Kikaida being in your life! ]

[@KyleRobes]

I’m glad you enjoyed it! I tried my best to make this video a love letter to Kikaida and the series which I hope came across

[@Kinoko97.]

@@KyleRobes really did a great job, Kikaider turns 50 years old in a few months so I’m happy to see content about him building up from other people or myself

[@bobbobson6764]

grew up watching the live action, popular in hawaii, love this show and have so many fond memories, even have posters and some toys(cant remember), I can always sing his intro from memory even though I haven't seen it in years

[@bakasmile1704]

I'm happy someone made a video of THIS. About TIME 🎉

[@AnimeCultureCorner]

KYLE IS BACKKKK

[@terryarista7105]

I remember watching this every week night growing up,! The next day my friends and I would be jumping off trees and walls doing our version of Kikaida! This show was huge in the 70's since the population of Japanese was enormous! Those black and white photos reminded me of the mania! Thanks for the trip down memory lane!!

[@TonnyPuddingMonster]

Im so glad seeing other people remember and talk about this anime. I watched an episode when I was far too young (the infamous Chigusa scene) and it left a huge impact on me for my entire life. It wasn't until 2020 that I was able to dig and rediscover this series and it easily became a favorite unappreciated classic. Its so beautiful and haunting but was such an ahead of its time series

[@makapakabakaslappa8558]

This video is like an emotional roller coaster filled with vinebooms somehow. Underrated lol

[@vashdesperado1232]

I loved kikaider as a kid but couldn't remember a damn thing about it except for a sad blue and red Android in the rain. Thank you for this fantastic video

[@shirotapioca4354]

You made my SWITCH ON 👍🎶🎵❤️‼️ Thank you so much ‼️

[@bryanlee3158]

a new video. great been waiting for one after the heart of chainsawman :)

[@maleksnusi8986]

Your way of writing is absolutely amazing.

[@jokyng]

I watched the live action version from the 70s. The show is awesome. When I was young, everytime I hold a guitar I pretend to transform into kikaider.

[@ninja8tyu]

HECK YEAH, I LOVED THIS SHOW WHEN I WATCHED IT LITERALLY JUST STARTED WATCHING THIS VIDEO AND I'M HYPED TO HEAR YOUR OPINIONS ON THIS BEAUTIFUL PIECE

[@DocLantern85]

I used to watch this show when it was on. And I used to watch Cyborg 009 on Toonami.

[@toplobster740]

I started watching every video you had after seeing your MHA one, which literally made me cry a little. I'me glad to see you back! I have no clue what Android Kikaider is but because it's you I'll give it a watch.

[@annemarieroberts1449]

I haven’t forgotten about this show

[@IcedMalaChaiTea]

I spent 24 years trying to find this anime because the image of his brother with the dr’s brain was seared into my mind. Only just found it again a couple of months ago and went through the whole airing until I found the episode. Literally would come up in my mind every once in a while for 24 years.

[@whocares4932]

Remembered this and listened to the op and found this. I'm expecting greatness!

[@ghosttimm420]

Man, I remember watching Kikaider as a kid around 10 or 11pm on either Toonami or Adult Swim. I recently rewatched it, and the OVA "01" I'll never forget this anime🤘

[@Leondecade]

Thank you so much for watching?! Seriously?! Such a well made video, thank YOU for creating the video. Learned so much about this forgotten hero❤

[@spider_chad_yu]

Damn this was crazy amazing. Good job on covering the legacy of Kikaider. I've haven't watched it yet but I do plan on it

[@gnunez3272]

It took me 20 YEARS!! To find this anime

[@maliceentertainment4283]

I know this is almost a year old at this point, but I was trying to explain Kikaider to a few friends who didn't know about it, and there were things I didn't know like why the manga/anime had such a hard left turn into a dark moral lash of human suffering between guilt and resisting things we know are wrong. After watching this I learned so much and why I know them so much. Because I lived in Honolulu for 6 years. He was just part of Hawaii, part of the culture I got absorbed in. Thank you for this.

[@maxw27]

Great video man! I remember watching the premiere of the anime on Adult Swim when I 13, I loved it. There was so much I forgot until watching, you reminded me of so much and I also learned a ton about the creator of the series. Crazy to see how popular the live action show was in the 70s. I think the doc regaining control isn't that good of a story element, but I love the twist they go with in the live action show. Thank you for making such a cool video about this old show I use to really enjoy!

[@itsventastic]

Never expected to see a video talking about an obscure anime i was also familiar with! Though i didnt grow up on it, i am still a big fan of the animated adaptation of kikaider and the manga, which i got into more recently! And seeing a video talking about a piece of media that i absolutely love got me very excited to watch !! This video is really amazing and im glad to hear how kikaider was very influential to you! ^_^

[@jacobj.2017]

Very well done video, I'm incredibly Impressed with this production. I learned and realized new info, very well done. I remembered very when I was an 8 yr old boy I was going though troubled time in my childhood with my family, and Kikider was a show I greatly enjoyed as a troubled child, along with many other animes. The anime show meant alot to me even from 20 yrs later lol. Thank ya, this production made me relive the good memories I had with the anime.

[@zombiesatekatie94]

My friend and I watched this show as kids and were obsessed with it. I've never been super into anime or anything either, but for whatever reason loved this show back in the day and have slowly gotten more into anime as I've gotten older. I remembered the name of this show, but I couldn't remember how to spell it. I didn't remember much about the plot either, so thank you for refreshing my memory some. Now I wanna find out where I can watch it.

[@jeremybeck3879]

As a kid going through a rough time I go back to a time when I couldn't wait for this to come on I love this show

[@LonewolfeSlayer]

Yup this was def worth the wait, thanks Kyle.

[@StewartShubert]

I can tell you put a lot of work into this, keep it up the banger videos man!

[@machina5]

I didn't expect to tear up over a television history analysis about a tokusatsu series, a genre I don't even enjoy, but I did.

[@Homey104]

My very first exposure to Kikaider (Or Kikaida) was the anime show "Kikaider: The Animation" which indeed aired on Adult Swim.

[@Sterben_kun]

I launched the video and saw that it was 50 min long, so I'll go sleep for now and tomorrow I'll take an hour to appreciate another of your great videos

[@raptorskilltor4554]

Watched season 1 a while a ago it was really great

[@Chaogardenx]

What a great video! I wanna know more about all the things mentioned

[@kuroazrael2069]

This video is art, thanks for your work

[@genuwine21]

I remember watching Kiku as a kid and my dad telling me he grew up watching Kikaida and when the anime aired late at night on Adult Swim it was the one anime me my brother and my dad stayed up to watch. You didnt touch on the 01 show but it also featured the other Hakaidas and Bijinda. The other prominent thing from the show is the guitar chords. If you grew up watching the show you recognize those chords in the same way people know the opening of that KC and Jojo song.

[@luxzord865]

I just learned about Kikaider yesterday while I was watching a Kamen Raider compilation, checking the release date of this video, turns out you post it the SAME DAY, what?

[@pancakes_34]

I love your videos so much! Please continue and never give up ❤️

[@Parietal-Polymath]

He was popular for a very brief moment. I remember loving this one much like cyborg 009 and later on casshern Sins

[@DaveDynamite1]

Awesome video! Can you also do one on Cyborg 009: The Cyborg Solider as it was another anime done around the same time in the early days of Toonami. And I feel like it’s a wonderful anime that most people have forgotten but I love it! I am so glad Discotek was able to release a SD to Blu-ray.

[@playalot86]

My favorite animation of all time.

[@dazatron1664]

What a fantastic video. Can’t believe I never knew about this guy. I only did a search on this due to seeing a really cool Hikaider costume for a henshin cyborg toy. From the beginning of the video, I could see the influences of Tezuka, Go Nagai and Ultraman all of which I love so its really cool to see Kikaiders place in the history of Manga. Im definitely going to be looking into this character more based on this video. I appreciate all your hard work on this. 👏

[@masterofvoreth8636]

And now, while Generation Kikaida is gone, Discotek Media will release the show on Blu-ray

[@kris_user7744]

Nice video! This must've taken a lot of time. I hope many others can stumble upon this video and watch it too.

[@4kai8vash]

I remember this and cyborg 009 vividly as it aired on adults swim for the longest time I forgot the name of it and eventually tracked it down

[@lukengyankwong4846]

Yes yes yes. I've been subbed since loneliness in rezero and you haven't missed sibce

[@prabhavsthapit653]

such well made videos deserve more views

[@maxwellgraves635]

Idk if you mentioned this in the vid I hadn't finished it yet but I meet people who grew up in Hawaii the late 70s know Kikaider. It was syndicated on Hawaiian TV 😊

[@damianpadayachee5111]

Bruh, youtube didn't give me a notification for this upload... I was waiting months ;-;

[@christopherthomas2808]

Damn it they were a family unit Dood. Haha. Great video on a underrated gem.

[@keypath4389]

there is an Ultrman produced outside japan. its all english cast australian produced show

[@MrFujistar]

Great video!!

[@finnality]

I was not ready for spoilers

[@MongooseDave2]

Wow, I searched Kikaider in KZbin just because the memory of the anime from when it aired on Toonami randomly popped in my head. What luck to have a video like this created just a month ago.

[@Ah_Lecks]

We've missed ya Kyle :')

[@Darkman9000]

The anime was a pretty fun ride. Rough around the edges, especially near the end and the off the wall nature of the OVA, but it was certainly an entertaining series. I'd say it was probably one of the better "darker and edgier" adaptations of a manga series, if only because it was pretty much 1:1 with its source material. There have been other series that got dark installments, such as Casshern Sins, and Yatterman Night. Both of their respective original works were pretty lighthearted and super kid friendly, especially Yatterman which some may also know as "Time Bokan", or for some Americans, "Time Fighters". While not to say Casshern Sins or Yatterman Night were bad darker installments, they certainly had that feeling of just following a trend; take a kid-friendly work and make it dark and edgy. With Android Kikaider: The Animation, it was basically a long overdue adaption of a super old manga. As pointed out, there's no denying the story does get a bit off the rails near its end, though I think Jiro's journey is still quite the thrilling experience. His final battle with Dr. Gil inside the doomsday machine, realizing what he has to do in order to stop Gil once and for all is heart-wrenching. Plus, the follow up crossover with Inazuman did at least imply Jiro's journey could end happily. Though it is a shame that there wasn't a more proper conclusion for the animated universe, and it's especially upsetting that there's not much media support anymore. The series doesn't have a Blu-ray release, at least to my knowledge, and the Inazuman OVA never even got dubbed. Maybe one day the franchise might get a resurgence of sorts, one that sees all of its media getting reprints, but at least it's good to see that people do still remember it through its three most iconic series.

[@razorgiraffe]

Kikaida had a big presence in my youth being I also grew up and still live in Hawaii and ultimately was the show that introduced me to Tokusatsu

[@Revanxbone]

Man, now im super interested in more kikaider 01 stuff 😭

[@samuraiforever9120]

I remember seeing kikaider in a clip on adult swim when I was kid then I got into tokusastu as an adult.

[@shizuwolf]

I like the art style. It reminds me of rubber hose era cartoons except with somewhat “realistic proportions. I feel like that style is rarely seen these days and every tries to go realistic or cartoony, but rarely in the middle

[@anakin-is-panakin]

I’m so happy to see other fans of the series who also got into it because of Toonami and Adult Swim.