Let's Talk About My Julie and the Phantoms x Kamen Rider Ghost Adaptation
2024 Halloween Special
Let me get it out of the way, I’m not a Halloween person. Never done any haunts, but still interested. I might be slowly shifting into soup mode and want to be wearing jackets again. I just like my fall without Halloween perhaps.
Back in 2020, another “children’s” musical product with the mind of Kenny Ortega, known for the High School Musical and Descendants film series, as well as the classic Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, called Julie and the Phantoms for Netflix.
Unfortunately, many factors such as Netflix killing their dedicated kids and family division made it another one-season cursed show. Let’s talk about it and my continuation with the widely hated (and haven’t watch) Kamen Rider Ghost.
Season 1
Julie and the Phantoms was an adaption of the Brazilian series Julie E os Phantoms (okay just the same, but in Portuguese) about a girl in high school (Julie Molina, portrayed by Madison Reyes in her debut role) who has lost her rhythm after loosing her mother. However, she finds an old demo of a band called Sunset Curve, where three of their members died from a “hot dog incident” in 1995. Alongside Kenny, Dan Cross and Dave Hoge (also known for another Disney product, Pair of Kings) are credited as creators.
The story goes Sunset Curve’s fourth member, Bobby Shaw/Trevor Wilson (Steve Bacic-adult, Taylor Kare-teen), would end up becoming a famous solo artist of the back of Luke’s (portayed by Charlie Gilespie) song.
He later had a daughter, Carrie (portrayed by Savannah Lee May, who I had a crush on in Knight Squad, and has been in my dreams quite a few times because of that), who fronts her own pop quintet called Dirty Candy and shells out his own money to support as an act of love.
While helping Julie on her own journey, Alex (portrayed by Owen Joyner, also from Knight Squad) meets another ghost named Willie (portrayed by Booboo Stewart, who is from the Descendants franchise), and they start dating. However, this gets them in the crosshairs of his boss, the famous/infamous magician Caleb Covington (portrayed by Cheyanne Jackson) to have the Phantoms for his club in the Hollywood Hills for ghosts and the ultra elite “lifers”.
However, the series ends (spoiler for a 4 year old show) with a minor character, Nick (portrayed by Sacha Carlson) being possessed by Caleb.
Kenny and the crew have allowed it out that a second season would focus on Julie and Carrie’s past as well as end with Alex and Willie living happily ever after-whatever that might mean (remaining as ghosts, our 4 ghost allies “crossing over” together).
However, my adaption/continuation, Kamen Rider Phantom (split the series into 2-11 episode “seasons” like how Netflix released each half of Power Rangers Dino Fury), takes a turn and its felt within the first five minutes.
Season 2
Picking up from where season 1 ends, Nick (now under Caleb’s possession) takes Julie on a date to Eats & Beats, the same venue where “All Eyes on Me” and “Finally Free” in the episode of the latter’s name.
Upon entry, we set up a new tone with a new band: The Druidon Folk Trio. Drudion comes from the name of the villains in 2019’s Kishiryu Sentai Ryusoulger (which was adapted into the aforementioned Dion Fury) and sounds like Druid. Their main influences are The Corries1[originally the Corrie Folk Trio] (Scotland), Rapalije 2(Netherlands), Mackeel3 (Pictou County, Nova Scotia), Scatter the Mud 4(also Canada I believe), Sons of Maxwell 5(Ontario; known for “United Breaks Guitars”), as well as the late Owain Phyfe6 and other fixtures of the renaissance faire circuit.
Their first tune (and episode 1’s title), “The Peeler and the Goat”, is an Irish rebel song about the Penal Laws, which were slowly repealed between the American Revolution and the Acts of Union in 1800. This not only signals a tone change from the more child demograph to a slightly older audience of Kenny diehards while introducing a more acoustic band to the rock-influenced Phantoms and the pop/club mix of Dirty Candy.
Its the band’s lead singer and bodhran (a type of drum) player, Mackenzie Corr (named after The Corrs), who soon spies something familiar about Julie. It turns out that he, Julie, and Carrie, had been friends as toddlers until Mackenzie’s family moved to Pittsburgh.
There, he became close with the bands guitarist, Owain Geddy (named after the aforementioned Owain Phyfe and Geddy Lee of Rush).
Since Pittsburgh is apparently known for a major crossroads of violinists, they got the prodigy Fleur Dransfield to become the bands violinist (named after Mackeel’s late fiddle player, Fleur Mainville-who had solo career7 while battling cancer until loosing that battle in January in 20158, and Barry Dransfield-another fiddle player was a fixture of England’s Folk Revival in the 70’s, but had a release as recent as 2005), creating a common Irish/folk trio set up.
Likewise, Caleb recognizes Mackenzie as a descendant of his and wants to destroy him. Thankfully, a relative on the force allowed Mackenzie’s family to leave back then-but not before that relative is destroyed (a soul that no longer exists anywhere).
Caleb, still using Nick as a vessel, executes a new plan to destroy the barrier/mist/ whatever between the living and the dead.
One of the Einherjar (a unique group of deceased warriors in Norse Mythology), a fallen Civil War Union solider named Merrick, forms a contract with him to use his warrior strength for good instead of possession of mortals or other ghost like Caleb intends.
With Merrick’s soul, Mackenzie transforms into Kamen Rider Ghost against Gamma Centurions and freeing Nick from Caleb.
Soon, Merrick’s friends form contracts with Julie (with Naomi to become Kamen Rider Phantom), Luke (with Spenser to become Kamen Rider Spector), Reginald “Reggie” Peters (portrayed by Jeremy Shada, Finn from Adventure Time, with Orion to become Kamen Rider Geist [the Purple Spector for those familiar with the original series]-also gets an original guitar-styled weapon), and Alex Mercer (with Nigel to become Kamen Rider Necrom) since Caleb is still after the Phantoms.
These “Core Parka Demons” (Damashii in Kamen Rider Ghost) are joined “Legends of History” such as Thomas Edison, Cleopatra (gender swap from King Tut), Charles Edward Stuart (the real Charles III), Ben Franklin, and more into season 3.
One episode involves a dispute on copyright after learning Druidon did their own take on Julie’s “Flying Solo” after they heard the original when it first dropped.
It also features an original Gamma not from Ghost, Kilt Gamma, who has the two-parter “Stirling Brig” and “Highland Reign”, which features the first sea song/shanty in “Fire Maringo”, as well as another tune done a capella the titular “Stirling Brig”, which the Parka Demons get one.
Julie’s friend (who I have not mentioned until now), Flynn (portrayed by Jadah Marie), also gets her second solo song in this two-parter. I didn’t give her much because she’s one of my least favorite characters in the show.
Following that up promptly revels the story of Merrick (and his brother’s) death. Unlike in the story of the two brothers that fought each other in the usual song, Merrick and his brother Nathanial actually protected children against Union Mortars, leading them to end up in Valhalla (the Norse afterlife of heroes). While they had similar ideals for youths, Nathanial still sided with the confederacy and would be far right in the modern context where Merrick hints at that this is not just down to race, but gender as well (especially in episode I’ll get to).
While Merrick became fast friends and kept with the program (I kind of used the Magnus Chase trilogy context for Valhalla-that there’s a method to preparing for Ragnerok like an all-inclusive hotel). Nathanial, being seen more as an enemy and his “true hero’s death” doesn’t balance out with his actions in the preceding time, became depressed and separate from everyone else-eventually disappearing.
With Willie cut off from Alex due to the conflict’s escalation, Nathanial ends up forming a contract with Nathanial to disguise himself, becoming Kamen Rider Demon [Dark Ghost]. This plot ties into Reggie trying to reconnect with his younger brother, Steve, ala how Julie helped Luke’s parents find closure in “Unsaid Emily”.
In the background, Mackenzie and Carrie have been dating and work on a collab for the song “Dulaman” (Gaelic for Seaweed, there are over 30 other words for seaweed in Gaelic actually), but it is ridiculed by the music periodicals upon its release, being seen as a departure for both groups. This leads Carrie and Mackenzie to breakup and Carrie to become a Gamma herself.
This is a parallel to how the season start with Nick being possessed to end with Carrie being possessed as Julie (and Carrie to an extent) finally face their broken relationship as Rider vs Gamma (dubbed Princess Gamma) in duel (and later song).
If the series ended here, the main conflict would be cliffhanged, but we would know that Carrie and Julie are going to be friends again. That’s why there’s a season 3 (also because episode counts these days are on 45-50 episodes like Super Hero Time).
Season 3
Wataru and Taiga (named after the brothers in Kamen Rider Kiva) are hallmates of the other Ghosts. However, they have been out of the loop because of their place in the Norse Afterlife instead of more traditional Japanese concept as such.
Its only when Caleb enchants shogun armor at a museum (pulling a page out of Shimazu’s debut in Power Rangers Ninja Storm [Disney, 2003]), they are the only ones the ghosts know that can pierce shogun armor (i.e. only this thing can defeat the monster of the week cliche).
In the background, Luke and Spenser have had issues transforming as half of Spenser’s soul did not end up in Valhalla, but this is finally resolved in the second half’s premiere, becoming Divergent [Deep] Spector.
The next threat is the return of the Red Baron, who is corrupted into a Gamma and gets various upgrades over the course of the episodes-but till defeated. Around this time, Julie gets her final form-Cosmic.
With Carrie and Julie friends again, the three bands start another collaboration with “Nil Se'n La” (Gaelic for Not Yet Day)9. This leads into Willie’s final form with Houdini, and Reggie’s with Beethoven (dubbed Symphony).
After a flashback episode (which also goes deeper into Alex’s sexuality), Alex and Willie get into a duel, with Willie and Nathanial also pitting the Samurai brothers (with Willie using Taiga) against each other coincides with a Gamma corrupting Merrick’s love, a hat maker named Sophie Price (who was later killed by the PTSD of a confederate prisoner after the brother’s deaths. Yes, A Howl’s Moving Castle reference). She ends up being destroyed in the same manor as Mackenzie’s relative as a warning to Alex and Willie.
After Caleb forms a contract with famous pirates (and more shanty/sea songs), we enter the endgame.
Nick ends up befriending a defecting Gamma Century named Carl. By using the Gamma Driver, he transforms Kamen Rider Wraith.
Carl gets to meet the other Parka Demons with a play to free Willie from Caleb’s control, only for Willie to end up being destroyed, but not before he leaves a hint to go to his grave to unravel this final piece of Caleb’s plan.
With Caleb getting all but but Nathanial, Carl, and the Core Parka Demons, Mackenzie realizes he must face his ancestor one on one. In doing so, the two brothers become one power. In turn, linking back to how at heart they had the same ideal, but the justice of whom is what tore them apart…and maybe how even there’s family members that aren’t worth forgiving.
With Caleb defeated, the Phantoms join/become become Parka Demons. However, Odin pulls some strings (we never get a full shot of him, but he’s there in flashbacks) and Julie gets to talk with her mom briefly and explaining why the Phantoms were crying (well, just Alex) in the void for 20 years and how Mackenzie was the intended hero and that her next chapter begins with him.
With a parting hug and kiss, Mackenzie pitches the name “The Druidon Folk Trio and Julie Molina” (A Reference to when The Corries were a trio with another artist named Paddie Bell), but Flynn tells them to shorten it to just “Druidon”.
The series ends the same way it began as Carrie and her father join the new Druidon in performing “Now or Never.”
Movie
Along with a live musical tour, I added an epilogue movie called “Mission Ragnarök”. As the title implies, it is or forestalls the Norse end of time/days.
Spector, Geist, and Necrom are passed on to Owain, Fleur, and Julie’s brother Carlos (maybe he gets a few B plots like in season 1) while Carrie finally gets her powers purified with her base form connected to Joan of Arc, and her two armors based on early Marine Biologist Maria Mitchell (Kraken, as an attack and Knight Squad reference) and Grace O’Malley (AKA “Granuile”, as used in the film) for her main upgrade/final form.10
With Spenser becoming the Divergent Spector Parka Demon, Luke becomes the base form. Reggie, being described as having a “Retriever personality” by his actor gets referenced in his joke Retriever form Fleur briefly uses when the trio attempt a “Successors Change”. Alex’s form is also a Knight Squad reference, being called Highwayman-connected to Arc and the Segatian’s as thieves (although Highwaymen like Robin Hood, one of the early legend ghosts and 1/2 Alex’s primary [the other being Charles], often gave to the poor, where thieves take for themselves).
Overview
The tone shift between the original series and the adaptation, for both, is clear from the beginning. The show doesn’t hold back from the trauma caused by people, from the 1:1 faced by Sophie (and possibly Reggie and Steve to a lesser extent), to plights of whole nations in “The Peeler and the Goat”.
However, it does continue the deeper fact of the concept of a healing journey that is seen in season one:
Julie obviously deals with the loss of her mother and returning to music, which is something she deeply loves.
Luke regrets running away from home and wished his parents knew that. Julie resolves this in season 1.
Alex dealing with his sexuality and ending up loosing a crush (because of the band/he died) and his true love in the afterlife (by an oppressor’s hand)
Reggie worried about his brother after his passing. In this case, their parents are divorced11. In the end, Steve made out alright in a torn household on so many levels and a second born
Nathanial and Merrick realizing their differences strained their relationship, when the reason they were both chosen that they had fought for the same thing on paper-something beyond what tore them (and the US) apart
Sophie’s story, even though a one-off, is about healing from both direct and indirect affects of war (loss of her love, and the suffering of veterans).
Carrie going from the stereotypical “rich blonde in a musical” attitude to actually learning to touch grass and realize what’s actually important in life-even the greatest of misers much leave their riches behind
Nick dealing with rejection…because of a ghost of a teenager who should be in his late 40’s.
I know this is an odd choice for a Halloween Special, especially since its not related to any aspect of travel, geography, or urbanism, but my previous article was also a departure from the usual so call it “Off-Topic October”…although its back at it with a Round Table in two weeks as we run down the highs and lows of the season, and other news in between.
p.s. the “album” for the continuation is right here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6_s40Yg1GFVK0QOgt2Fsvj-enQVoW235
The Corries spent most of their life as the duo of Roy Williamson and Ronnie Browne until the former’s death in 1990. Founder Bill Smith, whose daughter inspired the band’s name, left the band in 1966 and not much is known of him. The Band were the hosts of the BBC show Hoot'nanny. Here is a playlist from their repertoire as a trio and with Irish Singer Paddie Bell (1931-2005): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1C5C657B36DA81C6
One of Rapaljie’s Staples “Wat Zullen We Drinken”, which is usually performed in German:
Someone kindly post Mackeel’s Plaid in 2007 or so: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2C67643D659CD986
The band’s two albums, “In the Mud” [pronounced In the Mood] and “Never Time to Play” were digitized in 2020, here is their version of Peeler and the Goat (paired with an instrumental- which is the original single version by Druidon with Fleur, but other verses are added [back] for the season 2 album):
This version of Queen of Argyle influences Druidon’s and is adapted in season 3, also 20-year old music video kinda holds up:
Owain reintroduced many medieval tunes, such as those of the Sephardic Jews and their language of Ladino in the Cantigas de Santa Maria, a collection of 400 songs praising Saint Mary-which would be stuff you would here on the streets of Toledo back in the 10th-12th century
Interview with Fleur from 2010-ish:
A mini doc created shortly after her passing:
Celtic Woman changed up the version we tour with, so an older version could be fair game. I also had the idea that it could be changed by region, so there was the idea to add Palastinialied in for the German and Benelux Dub (especially with present climate would be a no go)
She also uses an attack using the Zucar Eycon (I’m keeping the name because it kind of links back to the Norse stuff, although retroactively). Zucar comes from the Spanish/Arabic word for sugar, thus a play on Dirty Candy.
Maybe there’s a timeline where the two actually resolve their problems because they feel guilty for Reggie’s death, but I did want to paint Reggie and Steve’s father in a darker light because I think the flexibility might be there to subtly admit his father might have been violent-especially with context provided by Sophie.