[Snowflakian]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blade Raider

Because it was the 70's (See also: Battle Fever J and every magical girl show ever) and because Tackle isn't a Kamen Rider. I know, I know, she basically is one in all but name, but the fiction has gone through a lot of hoops to make it clear that she isn't a Kamen Rider.

She is one. They retroactively added her later. The spirits manga did previously suggest she wasn't one because she had earned her peace in a statement suggesting her death makes her not count, they later did decide to formally count her as one more recently after that. The statement in the manga was more a comment on the fact she earned her final rest and peace(so she no longer counted, because she was free of that life of conflict). They did plan to resurrect her in the original Stronger series though like other riders had been, but the series was cut short. And then later the death of the actress made it a more "let's retire that character in her honor" kind of approach that wasn't changed until roughly Decade, the 19th series lead rider where they brought the debate back up on whether she counted as one or not. Which by OOOs and then the OOO/Den-O movie, they formally decided to have her count as a Rider as she was part of the all rider kick.

She's still left off the formal count of lead riders. Part of the problem with that is in the titling. With ZX being the formal 10th rider(per his movie title), Tackle's addition creates a counting issue(though that's also remedied because she's the only rider to have stayed dead, so she is no longer a 'current' rider because, well the obvious). It moves every rider up by one from Stronger(5th series, 7th rider) to present. Though it also makes the counting kind of fun as then it makes shadowmoon the 13th rider.

And Magical Girls vary, though the aesthetic is usually skirt and most of the time at least some form of leggings even if they are only stockings/panty hose. But even so, thinking about it from a story point, if you create a character that has her strength in a kicking move, you'd think you'd protect that part instead of leaving it open. This is coming from a design standpoint within the confines of the story itself as they were creating an army and generals so to speak. Campiness of the 70s permitting, still story-wise it's an oversight or was to evoke the actress' own ballet training.

Cutie Honey is also from the 70s though, and she's pure leggings/tights in her design. She's 1973. So even in the time period, leg coverings were considered for women heroes. Other Sentai series of the time did cover the legs too. (Goranger and JAKQ both had leg coverings.)

Battle Fever J being a design difference due to emulating other comic book hero concepts of the past. Miss America from it was an homage to the original Marvel Miss America(think they even wrote in that they were related), and that original costume design did have a skirt though also has a few variations too. The original had tights that covered her legs originally, but that could also be a restriction due to when she was originally created. So in that instance, the skirt is more a representation of being free to display her legs freely without being forced to not.

Tackle herself is a pure original design that didn't have those homage and history design restrictions. Per how she was created allegedly as a fan written letter from a girl that wanted representation to play with the boys who were playing kamen rider also suggests in design concept she probably should have had some kind of leg coverings still for protection(though due to that nature of playing outside, that could also be why they leaned the shorts/skirt style to fit young women wardrobes of the time possibly too but who knows). It still stands out as odd from a story-centered point though. As no other woman from shocker/affiliates has shorts as her main uniform.

So much so that SIC corrected it by giving her a rider mouth guard and the tights are debatable as some artwork suggests white tights, but the figure itself has none.

This proves kind of funny though also, as Riderman doesn't have a mouth guard still.

Yeah, I've had this Kamen Rider Tackle discussion before too.