Kamen Rider ZO



Kamen Rider ZO is a 1993 Kamen Rider film produced to celebrate the franchise's 20th anniversary.

Geneticist Dr. Mochizuki splices grasshopper DNA into his lab assistant, Asou Masaru, who stumbles from the lab and goes comatose in the middle of the woods. Mochizuki's next experiment has even more dire results: He creates the Neo-Organism/Doras (both names apply), a diabolical mutant life form that holds him hostage when he won't complete its development. It tries to kidnap Hiroshi, Mochizuki's son, to force him to do as it demands, but he sends a telepathic call for help to Masaru, who transforms into Kamen Rider ZO to battle Doras.

Footage from the movie was used in Saban's Masked Rider, with ZO appearing only in faraway shots.

The movie was also adapted into a Full Motion Videogame for the Sega CD under title The Masked Rider: Kamen Rider ZO (not to be confused with Saban's Masked Rider), where it received a poor dub into English and also had scenes deleted. It was not well received.

Kamen Rider ZO provides examples of:

 * Absent Minded Professor: Hiroshi's grandfather
 * Body Horror: Doras/Neo Organism true form
 * Claymation: ZO vs. Spider Woman Doras
 * Crossover: With Kamen Rider J in the short 3D movie Kamen Rider World.
 * Daddy Had a Good Reason For Abandoning You: Dr. Mochizuki for obvious reasons
 * Dark Reprise: The main song instrumental plays
 * Faux Action Girl: Reiko the Martial Arts instructor. Though to be fair, the other two male instructors weren't exactly useful either.
 * Hey Its That Guy: Isao Sasaki is a VERY well-known singer in Japan, and acted in the original KR in one episode.
 * Its Pronounced Tropay: Spoken as "zet oh", not "zee oh" or "zoh".
 * Laser Guided Amnesia: Masaru originally wakes up with no knowledge of who he is other then needing to protect Hiroshi.
 * Mad Scientist
 * Mythology Gag: Doras' henchmonsters are based on a spider and bat. And killed in that order.
 * Naked On Arrival: Asou Masaru
 * Nostalgic Music Box: Hiroshi's musical watch.
 * Punny Name: ZO's name was chosen because it resembled the number "20". The film was a commemoration of the franchise's 20th anniversary.
 * Robo Cam: Doras has this ability and uses it to identify Hiroshi and ZO.
 * Shout Out: From Masaru's portrayal throughout most of the movie to the Doras initial formation sequence and sound effects, seems very similiar to another movie from earlier in 1990s about a mysterious protector trying to save a targeted child that initially distrusts.
 * We Can Rebuild Him: Asou Masaru/ZO,
 * We Can Rebuild Him: Asou Masaru/ZO,