Shaldezar

Having seen several entire Tokusatsu shows of just about every kind, I have to say, this one is easily one of my favorites. I can easily sit down and watch 3 or 4 episodes in a row. It's that good. Now admittedly, this is the only Metal Hero show that I've seen with any kind of depth(as it's one of the few to have been subtitled), but that said, I've seen various pickings from Sharivan, Juspion, Gavan, and a few others, and it's pretty obvious to me, Toei invested quite a lot into this show. The costumes look amazing!. Several of the enemies have costumes with quality almost as good as Metalder's. Seeing as 1987 was one of the few years Toei had 3 concurrent Toku shows in production(Kamen Rider Black, Maskman, and Metalder), it's fairly obvious that Metalder drew the long straw. The mood of the show is definitely dark, which for some reason, turns a lot of would-be fans away, a feeling I don't totally understand, seeing as how this show just a hair darker than Kamen Rider Black, and that show is regarded as one of the best Kamen Riders to date. Even the enemies are given a depth of character made rare by even today's standards. There are several instances where you empathize with the villains, and almost want to root for them. I could honestly spend an hour writing a full review for this show, but let me part with this: if you're at all curious about this show, by all means, Check it out. I promise you'll be a fan!.

P.S.: Yes, this show is a spiritual remake of Jinzo Ningen Kikaider. Not a *total* remake, but you get the message.