Goranger and KR Stronger
Tetsuo Takagi
Not to raise anything for discussion, just some nostalgia story I remember
that I thought I might put into writing to put on record.
I don't know about other parts of Japan, but in Tokyo in 1975, Goranger
and Kamen Rider Stronger was aired back to back at the same time at
Saturday 7:00 PM, Goranger on NET Channel 10 (TV Asahi of today) and
Stronger on TBS Channel 6. Thus in the age of no VCRs, kids had a
decision to make, whether to stick to watching the Kamen Rider series that
they have faithfully watched ever since they've gained some childhood
consciousness, or to opt for this innovative new thing that looked
colorful and intriguing in many aspects. The respective supporters of
each used to tease and make fun of the other program. I don't know what
made kids decide but I became a Goranger watcher.
I wasn't aware of it at the time but part of it may have had to do with
what children's magazines the kids were reading; Although both Goranger
and Kamen Rider were Toei products, Goranger was tied-up with publisher
Shogakukan, and much promotion and inside information dissemination was
being done on its elementary school grade magazines, which my family
traditionally read. The Kamen Rider series was traditionally tied-up with
the publisher Kodansha, and was being promoted often on its magazines like
TV Magazine. Thus the kind of exposure the kids were getting through
these different magazines may have influenced their decisions, though this
is probably not the only reason (people have their own individual
emotional attachments for various different reasons).
In the end, this competition was probably won by Goranger, which ran for
two years and became the pioneer of successive Sentai programs, while
Stronger marked the end of the first chain of successive Kamen Rider
programs that ran since 1971, one year after the Ultraman series concluded
its second period that also ran since 1971 and ended with Ultraman Leo in
1974. It was probably a period of generational change in the tokusatsu
world.
The ironic twist in the background of this battle was that, Goranger was
being aired in the spot that traditionally used to be held by the Kamen
Rider series on NET Channel 10. The Kamen Rider series was produced by
Mainichi Broadcasting in Osaka, and was shown in Tokyo by its affiliate
NET Channel 10 until 1974. However, beginning in April 1975 Mainichi
Broadcasting's Tokyo affiliation had switched to TBS Channel 6, so
Stronger was shown on TBS Channel 6, while NET Channel 10 brought the new
Goranger to that spot traditionally held by the Kamen Rider series. I
remember seeing a notice on Channel 10 when Kamern Rider Amazon
(Stronger's predecessor) concluded, saying that the new Kamen Rider show
succeeding Amazon called Stronger will be shown on Channel 6, while a new
program called Goranger will be shown on that spot on Channel 10.
- end -
Jason Lam
Kamen Rider V3 appeared in chapters 35, 37, 39 of Stronger. Did the actor
Miyauchi Hiroshi (Kazami Shirou) ever make an appearance in the Stronger
series, of was it just V3?
Just out of curiosity, since actor Miyauchi also played the 'Blue Goranger'.
Wonder what the kids made out of the same guy on two networks!
My source was that Stronger was shown from 11/29-12/27 of '75, whereas
Goranger was shown from 7/18 of '76. But as you say, there may have been some
discrepancy with different areas of Japan.
Jason Lam
--
"Henshin.......V3!!"
KAMEN RIDER V3 Home Page
http://home.netvigator.com/~jysls/riderv3.html
Kaijupro
<ys...@cse.cuhk.edu.hk> wrote:
> Kamen Rider V3 appeared in chapters 35, 37, 39 of Stronger. Did the actor
> Miyauchi Hiroshi (Kazami Shirou) ever make an appearance in the Stronger
> series, of was it just V3?
Miyauchi Hiroshi appeared in #35 and #39.
> My source was that Stronger was shown from 11/29-12/27 of '75, whereas
> Goranger was shown from 7/18 of '76.
GORANGER was broadcast from 4/5/75 to 3/26/77, and STRONGER was from
4/5/75 to 12/27/75... so, they premiered on the same day.
Too bad for STRONGER...
Regards,
--
August Ragone
Kaiju Productions
"Susume! Susume! Susume! Supekutoruman!"
James Kilbane
pick Stronger in a second. Stronger is a VERY important chapter in Kamen
Rider, the big evil leader (supposedly) is revealed. I still think that
giant brain was just something to buy The Great Boss some time to get
out of there, just like the first 2 shows.
It's like X-Files, no one really dies. Rider 1, 2 ,
Riderman, Black, ZO are examples. Well, RX too (although he's Black
Rider as well). Plus all those villians, they keep coming back,
Shadowmoon keeps coming back.
James