You know, there was going to be a lot more waffle in the episode description here about the line between a face turn and a redemption and one of your hosts’s eternal frustration with the conflation of the two in the fannish imagination… But have y’all seen that cool robot dog? Yes, Your Humble Hosts … Continue reading UnKamenCast RX 247 – Extremely…

So Your Humble Hosts have had a bit more time with the newest member of the Kiramager crew and uh we’re still having some trouble with the guy. But we soldier on regardless because if nothing else, there’s some intensely clever Super Sentai stuff going on even if Silver’s kind of frustrating. So, in this … Continue reading Laser Knees 117 – (That’s…

As the Ark arc begins on Zero-One, your Humble Hosts are going hard on having a bunch of long, winding thoughts about what made these episodes work; because HOT DANG do they work. The Ark has taken humanoid form, Gai is throwing down against Metsubojinrai.net, Aruto has an idea for a new product, Yua’s having a … Continue reading UnKamenCast RX 246…

Hey, Laser Knees is back, too! With two full episodes, no less! So that means the return of your third- or fourth-favorite team of 2020 masked heroes*, the crew of Laser Knees! And… well, it’s kind of a mixed bag. But to say more would be to spoil all the discussion, SO! In this episode … Continue reading Laser Knees 116 – Round and Around…

The pandemic (hiatus) is over! I mean, sure, it’s just the hiatus caused by Toei shutting down production and not, like, the whole pandemic being over but at least there’s some new Kamen Rider to watch (and, thus, UnKamenCast R!X! to listen to), so… That’s not nothing, anyway. Hoo boy, got a little dark here. … Continue reading UnKamenCast RX 245.7…

The last bit of non-show hashtag content before the hiatus ends is Your Humble(-ish) Hosts taking a look at the freaking sick Kamen Rider crossover film that is Zero-One x Zi-O – Reiwa: The First Generation! In this episode of Rider Jump: Aleph laments a cameo that didn’t happen, Sono enjoys a cameo that DID … Continue reading Rider Jump 25 – Reiwa…

Time for another hyper rush of hashtag content from your favorite commentators because Aleph didn’t get these things put up on time so now we GOTTA GO FAST and get them all out to you! To that end, we’re starting out with by making good on an old threat and taking a silly mid-pandemic look … Continue reading Rider Jump 24 – Sonic and Sonic Ephemera…

It’s part two of our massive ranking of the Heisei era (plus Zero-One) Kamen Rider suits. We’re kind of surprised it went this long, but we probably shouldn’t be as we are big old nerds. If you want to see the lists without listening or just to have them for reference, they’ll be located at the … Continue reading Rider Jump 23 – Rider Suit Rankings…

There’s no new episodes so Your Humble(?) Hosts are just sort of messing around a little with that most nerdy (and internet-friendly) of pasttimes: ranking things! Join us as we take a trip through aesthetics and get comfortably real about what kinds of suits we like looking at with our eyes. If you want to … Continue reading Rider Jump 22 – Rider …

It’s our last episode of Laser Knees before the Covid-induced hiatus hits and, unsurprisingly, your favorite (we’re just going to assume, don’t bother correcting us) hosts have some observations to make. In this episode, Sono appreciates some playful tweaking of the rules, Aleph takes issue with some common “wisdom” about kids who are jerks, and … …

It’s another exciting episode of the UnKamenCast R!X! and your hosts are once more taking a look at some episodes of Kamen Rider Zero-One. Hopefully they won’t be so bad we want to turn in our notice of resignation (spoiler: THEY ARE NOT BAD AT ALL and are, in fact, quite good!). So, in this action-packed(?) … Continue reading UnKamenCast RX 245 – …

It’s time to brave the dark depths and horror of these quarantimes to fight the terror! And to do that, an old friend’s popped back up to take the reins from ToH all-star Narahisu Arakawa to… mixed emotions. So join your incandescent interlocutors for another wild ride toward the heart of the fun with Mashin … Continue reading Laser Knees 114 – Tha…

Before we get going, favored independent toy retailer Kotetsu Toys is being sorely affected by (intelligent, necessary) Covid-19 countermeasures. We know it’s a rough time for everyone right now, but if you can spare some scratch to help a member of the fandom who’s always a joy to shop with, there’s a donation page here. … Continue reading UnKamen…

We’re back with another episode of Laser Knees, taking a look at the newest Super Sentai series, Kiramager! Our crazy diamonds have been shining up a storm with new toys and unfortunate implications and your incandescent interlocutors are here to see what, if anything, can be polished! In this episode of Laser Knees, Aleph is uncomfortable … Contin…

Oh, what a fun episode we have for you all this time ’round! Philosophy, kamentary, and trying to square with the pro-wrestling logic Zero-One works on with the touches of realism it sprinkles throughout. Though, honestly, that’s basically How Your Humble Hosts Do at this point. In this action-packed(?) episode of the UnKamenCast R!X!: A sticking p…

Well, things are going strange for our heroes and also for the actual real world. This episode was recorded around the time where Rio Komiya had been in (then thankfully out) of the hospital with Covid19, so once more: We’re happy he’s okay and also happy that Toei shut down filming while he was recovering. … Continue reading Laser Knees 112 (not 2…

Things are falling apart in the world of Zero-One and things out here in the real world ain’t so great, either (though we didn’t quite know that at the time of recording). So, while the world is going mad all around us, let’s hunker down and consider the fantastical problems of fake people and hopefully … Continue reading UnKamenCast RX 242 – 31 Fl…

It’s that time again, and just in time, too! Dark clouds hover on the horizon, threatening to drown out all of our joy! And into that looming horror comes: Kiramager! In this episode of Laser Knees, your tolerably-humble hosts enthuse passionately about the first three(!) episodes of the newest Super Sentai series, one which brings … Continue readi…

Ah, yes, a new episode of the UnKamenCast R!X! What strange observations will be made this time? Only one way to find out, Dear Listener. But by way of preview, here are three things from this episode! Aleph offers a mea culpa for the previous episode Sono laments a missed opportunity for equal-opportunity humor Our Heroes … Continue reading UnKame…

In which we sadly bid a fond, fond farewell to those long-lived heroes of the RyuSoul tribes. Not to get too ahead of ourselves, in this episode of Laser Knees we get to talk about the way this Sentai series ends and welcome Super Sentai back into apparent viability. Aleph has praise for the craft … Continue reading Laser Knees 110 – Vaya con dinos…

Not only are we catching up with the end of RyuSoulger, we’re also posting some Zero-One. How the heck about that, right?! So, in this episode of the UnKamenCast R!X!, your “humble” hosts bathe in Gai getting dunked upon, Sono appreciates how relatively adult Chiharu is being about all this, and Aleph compares Fuwa’s situation … Continue reading Un…

Yes, your favorite(?) tokusatsu nerds are back! Fighting the virus to put out some long-overdue thinks about the last stretch of RyuSoulGer! In this episode, Kureon steps on someone’s dramatic moment, Aleph ponders directoral competition, and Sono wants to know why we aren’t talking about Master Black doing some serial killer mess. |Right-click “Sa…

Once more, it’s time for your favorite Trial of Heroes judges to bring an episode to order! As Gai the Zaiaman’s plotty plotting advances, we meet a strange new wrinkle in the story of Zero-One and things are just getting more and more intense! In this episode of the UnKamenCast R!X!, Aleph ponders the nature of evil … Continue reading UnKamenCast …

Sometimes, you get scared. And these episodes of Ryusoulger show us that the key to getting past that fear is MARK DACASCOS (who, incidentally, was almost the first Red Ranger in the original pitch for Power Rangers)! More info in the as-mentioned below! And if YOU need help being distracted from whatever you’re afraid of (the … Continue reading La…

Once more, it’s time for Your Humble(ish) Hosts to break out critical debugging tools and take a look at the dense thematic material that’s present here in Kamen Rider Zero-One! In this episode of the UnKamenCast R!X!, a real estate ace causes some property damage, Aleph once more laments our choice not to be sweary sorts, and … Continue reading Un…

Besides the big plot stuff, these episodes of Ryusoulger also feature Rikako Sakata, aka Miu from your hosts’ much-beloved Kamen Rider Fourze! Uchu kitaa! Which is a heck of a way to start some episode discussions that are gonna turn into kind of a bummer, if we’re being honest. On this episode of Laser Knees: Our Heroes … Continue reading Laser Kn…

In these episodes of Zero-One, Amatsu Gai Zaiaman continues his plan of corporate domination beginning with the venerable art of ikebana! And at the same time Your Humble-Adjacent Hosts have some thoughts about how he and his chosen flower-arranger goes about it. So in this episode of The UnKamenCast R!X!: Sono wonders just how much the ZaiaSpec … …

It was Christmastime when we found out two things about Bamba; one we knew and one we didn’t. The first is that Bamba gets down (no surprise, really), but the most important is that Bamba also REALLY loves Christmas. And that’s awesome. So in this episode of Laser Knees, Your Humble(ish) Hosts have a laugh about … Continue reading Laser Knees 106 –…

Ah, the end of an arc. A time of transformation and transition from one story beat to another. Who will be our main villain? How will we know? What is going to happen?! Your guess is as good as ours. We don’t keep up with the preview material, but we’re quite excited to see what … Continue reading UnKamenCast RX 236 – “I AM the satellite!”…

It’s time to return to some more of those awesome dinosaur soul’d soldiers on this episode of Laser Knees! In this episode: Sono enjoys seeing Kureon get to cut loose, Aleph wonders if a director is losing their touch, and our beautiful boy Tyramigo is slandered! |Right-click “Save As” to download|Episode Length 1:14:28| DinoKnight Sentai … Continu…

Sadly, it’s not a Fourze crossover special (Oh, if only), but these episodes of Kamen Rider Zero-One go beyond our atmosphere to wonder: What if droping a motorcycle from orbit is a really wasteful and bad idea? Really makes you think, huh? In this episode of The UnKamenCast R!X!, stuff gets intense! Sono admits she might have misjudged … Continue …

In this episode of Laser Knees, Our Heroes enter a short path of trials! And while they begin their journey to self-discovery and improvement, Your “Humble” Hosts make a podcast about it! In this episode of Laser Knees, Sono appreciates the core drama of an episode, Aleph admits a sad lack of understanding of the … Continue reading Laser Knees 104 …

There are a lot of things that could be said about these episodes of Kamen Rider Zero-One, and we will do our best to say many of them, but mostly it’s worth mentioning that the Assassin Complete suit is just the coolest thing in a show which has had a fair few really cool things in … Continue reading UnKamenCast RX 234 – Assassin Ascendant…

Aw. Well. Crap. Pardon the language, y’all, but Your Humble Hosts are a suffering from a punch in the gut this time ’round and hope it’ll make for some interesting listening. In this episode of Laser Knees, Aleph thinks the eponymous space dragon is actually really adorable, Sono has some suppositions to offer on the … Continue reading LaserKnees 1…

In this episode of the UnKamenCast R!X! we continue our Zero-One coverage with a surprisingly startstruck couple episodes. In this episode: Oowada Shinya appears as himself, Sono digs into the AIMS team, and Aleph wonders if we got a setup to a punchline later on. |Right-click “Save As” to download|Episode Length 1:25:05| Kamen Rider Zero-One Episo…

In this episode of Laser Knees, Your Humble Hosts get a little emotional. And why? Because a LOT happens in these episodes of Ryusoulger. Among those things are an attack by a creepy-cute pumpkin monster, Aleph takes a moment to examine some possible angles of unexamined sexism, and Sono appreciates Bamba and Nada. |Right-click “Save As” … Continue…

In this episode of Laser Knees, we’re covering a couple episodes of Ryusoulger and these are some fun ones! In this episode, we get some returning Toei tokusatsu actors, Aleph continues to wish Koichi Sakamoto could be trusted not to be horny on main, and Sono 100% called it (see episode 100). |Right-click “Save As” to … Continue reading Laser Knee…

Sometimes things get away from us so updates go a little slower, but we’ve got a bunch of them coming so STRAP IN for another #contentsplosion from us at the ToH! network! Right now, we’re having some thoughts at some episodes of Kamen Rider Zero-One and in this episode of the UnKamenCast, everyone appreciates Kobe’s hustle, … Continue reading UnKa…

Holy wow! It’s been 100 episodes of TOH! Network Super Sentai breakdowns! From Sono and Ammit branching out from the UnKamenCast with Aleph in tow to the present day! From Zyuohger to Kyuranger to LuPat and here into the mid-section of Ryusoulger, what a wild ride it’s been. One full of ups, downs, and long … Continue reading Laser Knees 100 – Just…

It’s time once again for an episode of the UnKamenCast R!X! where your humble hosts take a look at this year’s Kamen Rider, Zero-One! In this episode, Sono continues to appreciate the HumaGear actors’ abilities, Aleph gets nostalgic for Kamen Rider OOO, and in the show, a man finds incredibly maladaptive ways of dealing with the loss of … Continue …

The Sentai remain super and the knees still have lasers on, so your humble hosts are back to do some catchup on one of the best Super Sentai in quite some time, RyuSoulGer! In this episode, we meet the seventh dinoknight, Sono respects Kureon’s artistic integrity, and Aleph takes issue with Sebastian the Crab. |Right-click … Continue reading Laser …

Once more, your Humble Hosts return to have some more thoughts at Kamen Rider Zero-One, which is turning out to be one of the most thought-provoking Rider series in recent years. In this episode, we meet the Great Character Find of 2019 in Anna the Tour Guide, Valkyrie finally armors up, Aleph is moved by human-scale … Continue reading UnKamenCast …

In this episode of Laser Knees, your favorite a podcast that you definitely probably listen to, the Ryusoulgers do some soul-searching and your Humble Hosts do a little, too! This time ’round, Sono decries mean-spirited writing, Aleph admires the best adult at the YuGiOh tournament, and we all agree they can’t all be winners. |Right-click … Continu…

After some audio difficulties, an intercontinental journey, and an overwhelming sense of antipathy, Aleph and Sono have returned a few episodes past where we were before, skipping over the last few episodes of Zi-O to move from one form of hereditary power to a similar (but slightly different) one as the UnKamenCast R!X! returns to begin our … Cont…

For the honor of Grayskull! In preparation for Sono’s forthcoming trip to Japan and some burnt-out feelings about Kamen Rider Zi-O, we’re taking a break from our UnKamenCast-ing to remain hype about Netflix’s She-Ra and the Princesses of Power. Spoiler: It’s a lot of fun. |Right-click “Save As” to download|Episode Length 1:29:52| As Mentioned: The …

Dino KITAAAAAAA! It’s time again for another episode of Laser Knees where the moon powers are made up and the points are physical matter! In this episode, Sono appreciates Wyzul not being the absolute worst, everyone’s terribly emotional about the return of the dead, and Aleph reminds us about the most powerful force in the … Continue reading Laser…

It’s time for another look at our favorite (or, well, at least our currently-airing) dinosaur-based Super Sentai with your favorite* hosts! In this episode of Laser Knees, Sono adores magic paper, Aleph is proud of his son, and we all learn that following rules just because they’re rules is not as good as knowing what … Continue reading Laser Knees…

NOTE: Due to some audio difficulties, the audio for episode 94 was lost. A copy of our notes for the episode may be found here: [GDOCS] Your Humble-ish Hosts are back with a new episode of Laser Knees’ excellent adequate decent existing commentary on DinoKnight Sentai RyuSoulGer! In this episode, Aleph hates on a robot … Continue reading Laser Knee…

Content Advisory: Given some of the themes these episodes of Zi-O touch on, the discussion gets a little heavy with regard to discussions of self-harm, blame, depression, and death. As ever, we strive not to be leering or explicit about it, but it bears mentioning beforehand. Byun byun, motherfrickers! All the numbers on the digital … Continue read…

In an unexpected continuation of our recognitions of various things rising, it’s time for Laser Knees to gives some love to the proletariat! In this episode, Sono ponders a life beneath the waves, Aleph gets grossed right the heck out, and Kureon embodies the proletariat’s need to organize in the face of capital which exploits … Continue reading La…