Yasuko Kobayashi is one of those writers with a lot of tokusatsu cred, and with her writing the Kamen Rider Amazons web series, I guess this is the time to talk about how she writes stuff. In this post, I will talk about the recurring things she did in most of her shows. Hopefully, this will give you an idea on how the show will end up in the following weeks.
Before talking about what themes/tropes she likes to reuse in her shows, she is behind the following tokusatsu shows: Kamen Rider Ryuki, Kamen Rider Den-O, Kamen Rider OOO, Seijuu Sentai Gingaman, Mirai Sentai Timeranger, Samurai Sentai Shinkenger, Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters, and Ressha Sentai ToQGer. Anyways, this post contains spoilers, read at your own risk.
1. Strong Start, Weak Middle, Strong End
One of the problems with her shows is how she handles the middle portion of it. After being amazed with how the series started, it feels like the later parts of the series are boring and watching it feels like a chore. Congratulations, you are now on the middle part of the series. To give you an idea on how you ended up in this part, the previous episode ended with a bang or they are done fleshing the new character. This is where the series gets crazy, other writers will write random episodes that they can shove in and introduce new toys for kids to buy.
1. Strong Start, Weak Middle, Strong End
One of the problems with her shows is how she handles the middle portion of it. After being amazed with how the series started, it feels like the later parts of the series are boring and watching it feels like a chore. Congratulations, you are now on the middle part of the series. To give you an idea on how you ended up in this part, the previous episode ended with a bang or they are done fleshing the new character. This is where the series gets crazy, other writers will write random episodes that they can shove in and introduce new toys for kids to buy.
... and new Figuarts!
This is around this time they will introduce the final mecha or the final form. Once they introduced it, it simply means that the show is back on track and now worth watching. Thinking of dropping the series because of the middle? Nope, don't do it. Some of the fillers in this episode are worth watching and might have an effect to the entire series.
Best example.
2. Two Reds/Anti-Red
One element fans notice in her writing is that every show she writes is that she has the tendency to include another character with red as the color scheme. In Timeranger, we have TimeRed and TimeFire and in Kamen Rider OOO we have Ankh and Lost Ankh. It does not limit to the red color scheme, it also includes the relationship of the other character with the main character who wears red. In Gingaman, Hyuga is supposed to be GingaRed until he "died" in the earlier parts in the series. To cut long story short, his brother Ryoma became GingaRed and Hyuga became the 2nd Black Knight. In Kamen Rider Ryuki, we have Ryuga, the Mirror World equivalent of Ryuki, whose main color scheme is red. Ryuga's color scheme by the way is black.
One element fans notice in her writing is that every show she writes is that she has the tendency to include another character with red as the color scheme. In Timeranger, we have TimeRed and TimeFire and in Kamen Rider OOO we have Ankh and Lost Ankh. It does not limit to the red color scheme, it also includes the relationship of the other character with the main character who wears red. In Gingaman, Hyuga is supposed to be GingaRed until he "died" in the earlier parts in the series. To cut long story short, his brother Ryoma became GingaRed and Hyuga became the 2nd Black Knight. In Kamen Rider Ryuki, we have Ryuga, the Mirror World equivalent of Ryuki, whose main color scheme is red. Ryuga's color scheme by the way is black.
An example from Timeranger.
3. Massive Amounts of Foreshadowing
One of my favorite elements in a Kobayashi show, in the earlier parts of the series, she will write something that will be later brought up at the end of the series. Perfect example is with Shinkenger where in we have a filler (?) episode in which the monster of the week says each Shinkengers fears and in ShinkenRed's part, him being accused a liar. In another filler episode, Juzo notes that unlike the previous heads of the Shiba clan, Takeru doesn't care if he dies. At the last few episodes of the series, it was revealed that Takeru is just a kagemusha (Trans. Shadow Warrior) for the true head of the Shiba clan, Kaoru. And yes, she is also a ShinkenRed. So what stuff she will foreshadow for Go-Busters?
4. Massive Amounts of Science
If the show has something to do with technology, she will seriously make a good explanation on something you are interested in reading on Wikipedia. To give you an idea, the perfect example would be Timeranger. In a nutshell, the concepts of the show about time traveling sounds simple but after reading a note of the one who is doing the quality check for a Timeranger fan sub, I was surprised on the heavy amounts of scientific concepts used in the series. Here I was thinking that she made it all up! I tried reading those concepts on Wikipedia, only to end up being bored by reading it.
One of my favorite elements in a Kobayashi show, in the earlier parts of the series, she will write something that will be later brought up at the end of the series. Perfect example is with Shinkenger where in we have a filler (?) episode in which the monster of the week says each Shinkengers fears and in ShinkenRed's part, him being accused a liar. In another filler episode, Juzo notes that unlike the previous heads of the Shiba clan, Takeru doesn't care if he dies. At the last few episodes of the series, it was revealed that Takeru is just a kagemusha (Trans. Shadow Warrior) for the true head of the Shiba clan, Kaoru. And yes, she is also a ShinkenRed. So what stuff she will foreshadow for Go-Busters?
4. Massive Amounts of Science
If the show has something to do with technology, she will seriously make a good explanation on something you are interested in reading on Wikipedia. To give you an idea, the perfect example would be Timeranger. In a nutshell, the concepts of the show about time traveling sounds simple but after reading a note of the one who is doing the quality check for a Timeranger fan sub, I was surprised on the heavy amounts of scientific concepts used in the series. Here I was thinking that she made it all up! I tried reading those concepts on Wikipedia, only to end up being bored by reading it.
Perfect example, Kousei Kougami aka Cakeboss.
5. Memorable Characters
One of the best things about Kobayashi's writing, she likes to do really good character driven episodes and make characters that are meant to be unlikable, really likable. She fleshes out every character that the show has and makes them worth remembering. If they are not fleshed out, she will give them a certain gimmick or some phrases that will make you remember them just for who they are. Examples of a fleshed out character from a Kobayashi series is Yuuto Sakurai from Kamen Rider Den-O and Takeru Shiba from Samurai Sentai Shinkenger. Examples of a memorable character because of a certain gimmick are the Imagins (though they are fleshed out a bit in one point of the series) and Owner from Kamen Rider Den-O and Kousei Kougami from Kamen Rider OOO. Seriously, until now I am bothered on what is Cakeboss' true objective in the series.
6. Time Travelling
This element always happen in every Kamen Rider show Kobayashi has written. In Ryuki, we have the Time Vent and it was used a couple of times in the series. Den-O's theme is all about time traveling and in OOO, the OOO WONDERFUL movie sorta went back to the past.
One of the best things about Kobayashi's writing, she likes to do really good character driven episodes and make characters that are meant to be unlikable, really likable. She fleshes out every character that the show has and makes them worth remembering. If they are not fleshed out, she will give them a certain gimmick or some phrases that will make you remember them just for who they are. Examples of a fleshed out character from a Kobayashi series is Yuuto Sakurai from Kamen Rider Den-O and Takeru Shiba from Samurai Sentai Shinkenger. Examples of a memorable character because of a certain gimmick are the Imagins (though they are fleshed out a bit in one point of the series) and Owner from Kamen Rider Den-O and Kousei Kougami from Kamen Rider OOO. Seriously, until now I am bothered on what is Cakeboss' true objective in the series.
6. Time Travelling
This element always happen in every Kamen Rider show Kobayashi has written. In Ryuki, we have the Time Vent and it was used a couple of times in the series. Den-O's theme is all about time traveling and in OOO, the OOO WONDERFUL movie sorta went back to the past.
Yeah. She doesn't look like an important character in the series...
7. Important Relatives
Every Kobayashi has at least one character who has a relative and said relative is part of some major plot points in the series. A recent example is in Go-Busters wherein Hiromu's father was responsible for the transportation of Messiah to Hyperspace and the one responsible in installing of an "anti-virus" program to the three kids who witnessed the incident and the Buddyroids. In the case of Kamen Rider, Airi from Den-O is someone who doesn't look like will make an impact with the show's plot is actually involve in it after all.
8. Villains with "Human" Ambitions
Most of the villains Kobayashi wrote don't have villains whose motivation is solely "world domination". Villains such as Ryuki's Shiro Kanzaki only wants to save her sister. A recent example is Enter, which after weeks of seeing the Go-Busters fight, his desire after becoming the new Messiah is to become a perfect human. Another newer example is with ToQGer's Emperor Z, he's a guy who just wants to see shiny things but he can't because he is a creature of darkness and the leader of the Shadow Line.
Every Kobayashi has at least one character who has a relative and said relative is part of some major plot points in the series. A recent example is in Go-Busters wherein Hiromu's father was responsible for the transportation of Messiah to Hyperspace and the one responsible in installing of an "anti-virus" program to the three kids who witnessed the incident and the Buddyroids. In the case of Kamen Rider, Airi from Den-O is someone who doesn't look like will make an impact with the show's plot is actually involve in it after all.
8. Villains with "Human" Ambitions
Most of the villains Kobayashi wrote don't have villains whose motivation is solely "world domination". Villains such as Ryuki's Shiro Kanzaki only wants to save her sister. A recent example is Enter, which after weeks of seeing the Go-Busters fight, his desire after becoming the new Messiah is to become a perfect human. Another newer example is with ToQGer's Emperor Z, he's a guy who just wants to see shiny things but he can't because he is a creature of darkness and the leader of the Shadow Line.
Meanwhile in some alternate timeline where Shinji FINALLY makes up his mind.
9. Moral Dilemma
I remember someone pointing this one in one topic in /m/ when they are talking about Yasuko Kobayashi. In most of her shows, the protagonist is often faced in a moral dilemma. In Ryuki's case, Shinji must decide if he will participate the Rider War or not. In Timeranger's case, the four Timerangers from the future in the earlier episodes are worried if they can alter something big in the future and that they will return to a future that they are not familiar with.
A recent example is with Go-Busters, after discovering that his body contains the Messiah Card that back-up's Enter's data, he is faced in a dilemma. Will he commit suicide just to save everyone or find another method? The rest of the team are also faced with that problem after they found out the solution to Hiromu's problems, only to find out that someone must die just to do it.
Originally posted on Orends: Range back in March 23, 2012.
I remember someone pointing this one in one topic in /m/ when they are talking about Yasuko Kobayashi. In most of her shows, the protagonist is often faced in a moral dilemma. In Ryuki's case, Shinji must decide if he will participate the Rider War or not. In Timeranger's case, the four Timerangers from the future in the earlier episodes are worried if they can alter something big in the future and that they will return to a future that they are not familiar with.
A recent example is with Go-Busters, after discovering that his body contains the Messiah Card that back-up's Enter's data, he is faced in a dilemma. Will he commit suicide just to save everyone or find another method? The rest of the team are also faced with that problem after they found out the solution to Hiromu's problems, only to find out that someone must die just to do it.
Originally posted on Orends: Range back in March 23, 2012.
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