Kamen Rider Hibiki is the sixth Kamen Rider Series of the Heisei Era. Unlike the other shows before him, Hibiki went out of the box from the usual Rider tradition, namely, the show have themes not first seen in the previous shows.
Asumu Adachi, a middle school student went on a vacation on Yaku Island along with his family. On the ferry going to the island, he met a middle-aged man simply known as Hibiki and since that day, his life changed forever. While exploring the forest, he witnessed a battle between an Oni and a large monster, later identified as a Makamou. This is where he learned Hibiki’s secret. That is he doesn’t know how to drive a car He is an Oni and it is his job to protect humans from the Makamou before it reached civilization. That is why he trains regularly to be prepared in case he will face one.
Along the way, Asumu learned the reason why Onis used musical instruments to fight the Makamou it is because that these weapons emit “pure sound” that is necessary to defeat these demons.
As the series progressed, he met members of Takeshi, an organization founded ages ago with its mission to aide the Oni in battle. Along with it, he met Ibuki, a Wind-based Oni, and his apprentice, Akira which later became Asumu’s high school classmate.
Todoroki, an Oni who just graduated from his apprenticeship from a veteran Oni, Zanki, and wants to make a name for himself, both Onis wield Electric Guitars.
After Hibiki and Asumu’s trip on the mountains, we are introduced to Kyosuke Kiriya, a multi-talented boy who hates sports and serves as Asumu’s rival in the said series. Unlike Asumu, Kiriya is sure that he wants to be an Oni and he will do everything just to become one.
On the review, Kamen Rider Hibiki is one of the most underrated shows in the Heisei Era and often times, skipped by most viewers since it doesn’t have elements found in previous Rider shows. I mean, if that is the case, then they should not watch Ryuki!
Since the show is divided into two parts due to the writing team, I will review the show based on that.
The first part consists of episodes 1-29. After Blade ended back then (That was back in 2009 here in the Philippines.) with a really awesome finale, I am not sure if Hibiki can carry torch that Blade left. I mean, it is one of the best shows this era has produced plus, they made the Card System not cheesy!
When it first flashed in my screen, I was like, what the, Hibiki doesn’t have those trademark bug eyes! After seeing his primary weapon was a... well, a pair of drum sticks, its one of the moments of the show that made me laugh. I mean, seriously, he will beat that frickin’ monster with a pair of drum sticks?! The next episode sorta pissed me off because of the quick kanji popping in the screen since it felt like, since I am watching this dubbed, it doesn’t have any particular purpose. After a series of episodes, I slowly appreciated the show. The kanji adds the beauty of the show, along with the lighting and the rest of it. The show’s writing is one of the finest I have ever watched back then, till W came along and they did what is first seen impossible, a single Rider fighting a giant monster every week… unless it is summer. Sure, X-Rider fought King Dark along with other the Riders back then and fought another giant monster in the Spirits manga alone (Not sure if it is King Dark though), but the Onis fight giant monsters in a weekly basis and they need to hunt them down before they reached civilization which makes them really cool.
Now for the second part, it consists of episodes 30-48 and this is were the Inoue-Yonemura writing team first gained fame in the fandom as the writing team who “destroys” a series. The reason for this change, according to some, is the low toy sales while some similar to Amazon’s case (A Kamen Rider show that lasted for 24 episodes), it is because of kids being scared in some scenes found in the show. Because of this change, it disappointed everyone even Hibiki’s actor, Shigeki Hosokawa was disappointed with these changes another said reason of this change it is because the show was not “toku enough.” I mean, the show returned a concept that was missing in the franchise and that is training. The last time Kamen Rider showed a training episode was on Kuuga.
Since this is different from the first part, I decided to watch the second half just like Hibiki back in day one. There are a lot of things that I liked in the second part.
First, Kiriya, for one simple reason, Kiriya made Asumu likable character. I mean, he gives a good contrasting balance in the show’s student characters.
Here is the show before Kiriya came along. Mochi was the heart of the group, the one who doesn’t have any knowledge about the Onis. Akira is someone who is an apprentice of an Oni while she tries to balance her student life. While Asumu, is not sure of himself if he wants to be like Hibiki, giving me an impression that he is more of stalker in some point in the series.
When Kiriya came along, it created balance in the students in the series. Kiriya is sure that he wants to be an Oni but he is not yet an Oni and he much more of a stalker type of character compared to Asumu making Asumu quite likable in the second half. He made Asumu not look like a Marty Stu.
Second was Shuki, she is Zanki’s master after his first master, the original Zanki died. Because of this, it led to one of the best reasons why I love the second half of this show, Zanki’s best moments.
The reason why Zanki retired earlier in the series, it is because of his injury and if he continues to fight as an Oni, it might cause his death. During the course of the Shuki Arc, Zanki was forced to return to the battlefield for him to stop her master. Later, after his former student, Todoroki was injured, it forced Zanki to return to the battlefield once again. After fighting one Makamou, Zanki died but he was miraculously alive due to the spell he casted that he learned from Shuki, an expert in the mystical arts. The reason for this is that he wants to see his student, Todoroki to stand for himself. It is one of the arcs that I loved watching repeatedly since it justified the main theme of the series, a series about a teacher and his student.
For the finale, I have mixed feelings about it. When I first watched it, I was surprised on how it ended. I mean, we saw a glimpse of the final battle then the next episode is about a year after the events of the finale! I mean, I want to know how Hibiki stopped the Orochi while he is purifying the battlefield while Todoroki and Ibuki are protecting him! To be honest, it took me three times just for me to better grasp and accept the finale. Here is my final thought about it.
The finale justified what the show is about. It is about a story of the teacher and his student regardless if the student calls him “Teacher” or “Master.” I admired the finale of this series. It is simple yet it is striking. What makes it striking is Hibiki last words, “Even if you are not my apprentice, you are still my student.” Those lines made me stood up in my seat, and clap my hands.
Overall, Hibiki is one of those series you will have mixed feelings about it. It’s the Kamen Rider Amazon of its era due to its extreme uniqueness.