HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! SUBARASHI!!!!
Joined
Oct 2, 2010
Messages
4,619
Shinnosuke and Kiriko are sent to investigate an art gallery where there have been rumors of women's ghosts being eaten by a monster, but when they arrive they find the owner Asaya (Lou Oshiba) refuting the rumors while asking Kiriko to model for him. While suspicious of Asaya, Shinnosuke investigates the gallery, only to be hit by the "Heaviness" and the appearance of a Roidmude with Kiriko's form.
 
"Training."
Joined
Aug 4, 2007
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7,968
Did anybody else notice that Machine Chaser's transformation is similar to Drive's transformation?
 
Lurker
Joined
Jun 5, 2012
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439
Just 4 weeks ago, 30 minutes after Gaim's episode air, a discussion thread would appear, filled with comments, opinions and spoilers. Now, after 5 hours and we've only had 2 comments. Hope this won't last too long
P/S: Hope everyone will show some love to Toqger's threads too. The show is moving on well with its plot (seriously)
 
Joined
Aug 8, 2009
Messages
134
Imo, Drive is currently worse than Kiva and Wizard. It's wacky, with boring characters, messy plot, messy delivery on the "slowdown", bad directing in every episode. Didn't the producer even say he didnt know what the hell he was doing?

Wizard at least had Haruto, he's pretty nice and fun and the actor is charming.

And coming from someone who loves W, this it too W-ish to be it's own thing.

I'll give it a chance though, as with every rider.
 
Shiver as you hear my ROAR!!!
Joined
Aug 8, 2007
Messages
932
I heard "Proto-Drive" used officially and smiled from ear to ear like a damn Cheshire Cat :D
 
Blade Adept
Joined
Apr 28, 2011
Messages
225
I liked W. It certainly wasn't bereft of the exaggerated, over-the-top, anime-inspired silliness that has since been a consistently ubiquitous feature in subsequent Kamen Rider series since, and in many ways I learnt to enjoy the fun and the insanity. On the other hand, I'm struggling to put my finger on where Drive is going wrong with me when it's essentially more of a W redux than Fourze had ever tried to be under the helm of Tsukada's production.

W had two members of its police force be absolute dunces, but had Terui around to remind us that Futo's at least taking this halfway seriously. Wizard still had Rinko (most of the time at least) and perhaps the wasted Kizaki to bring us back down to sanity after the former's boss effortlessly robs the viewers of all their brain cells whenever he's on screen. Here, practically the entire police force - or just the SCU anyhow - is managed by morons who don't remotely look like they're taking their jobs seriously. The SCU has quite a poor reputation across the Tokyo metropolitan police board? No ****! Even Kiriko suffers when she's forced to undertake exercises in wackiness such as constantly chasing Shinnosuke around (why does he run away? What is he? Shaggy from Scooby Doo?).

And fight sequences aren't any better. Fourze was plagued by swathes of ridiculous gadgets that were thankfully not often used besides the main half dozen, but Gentarou wasn't an employed cop solving mysterious crimes for Japan's largest and most populated city. Any semblance of tension is betrayed the moment Drive whips out his army of ridiculous weaponry, and this episode exemplifies that with Dream Vegas. I'm just waiting for him to whip out an ice cream van Shift Car before hurling Cornettos at an opponent to blind it. And beyond that, the fights are simply boring, because it's a production team's wetdream of bad CG attack after CG attack, and bad explosion after explosion. Weak, uninspired and insipid. At least Mashin Chaser is here, I suppose.

Speaking of Mashin Chaser, the three main villains are so far the only compelling elements of this show. How fitting then, that Drive is airing alongside TOQger.
 
MV Maker
Joined
Feb 2, 2013
Messages
433
It's official, we're back to all two-part stories. And you know what, that's not a bad thing. If this show really was entirely standalone, it would become a just another sentai show (IE: rushed stories, lots of filler, etc.).

Anyway, I liked this episode. Some of the side characters are annoying, but I think they've got it where it counts. I feel like Sanjo finally nailed Shinnosuke and Kiriko's personalities. A lot of people are complaining about the others? Rinna, Kyu, and Gen are certainly annoying (though they're nowhere near as bad as the KR Club in Fourze), but that's not a fault of the characters themselves. It's the fact that their personalities are being forced upon us (want a drinking game that'll have you dead within minutes? Take a shot every time they have a wide-angle close-up or a sound effect over a sped-up action).

The villians (especially Chase) certainly have some potential, but they have yet to fully explore it. Make no mistake, I'm in it for the three main characters (Shinnosuke, Kiriko, and Belt) and the mysteries surrounding Belt's past.

And finally, the action. I still love it (though the first fight here is a little weak, and the fast-mo can stop at any time). And for all the people complaining about the CG? Guys, if you don't like that kind of thing, you shouldn't be watching modern Kamen Rider to begin with. As for the weapons, they're not THAT bad. Sure, Vegas and Monster are a little goofy, but they're skimmed over enough that I don't mind (It looks like the director is trying to downplay their stupidity as well, like in Gaim - Vegas notwithstanding). Plus, we have tires like Shadow and Spike to make up for them. And hey, the suits themselves look cool (I can't wait to see Mashin Chaser in action for real).

Lastly, the cosmetic stuff. I like Shinnosuke's new pose, but why introduce it here and not in episode one or two? Same for those sound cues in the opening. Also, his and Chase's transformations look awesome, and I'm still counting Chase as an evil rider (he's got toys and a friggin' transformation sequence. He's not Shadow Moon, he's an evil rider who just isn't being referred to as such).
 
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A simple passerby...
Joined
May 24, 2007
Messages
2,445
Well... Mr. Belt seemed to have remembered Chase. And Proto-Drive seemed to have had some pretty mechanical design on the chest and look quite like a blend of purple and red... so, Chase was Proto-Drive?
 
Otaku University Student
Joined
Aug 7, 2010
Messages
777
All I have to say is that I haven't bought any Drive merchandise yet and am not planning to.

W had fascinating stories that focused on the human element, great world building, likable characters, cool gadgets and a solid theme. Drive has... er... yeah.

I'm not going to mince words. Everything is so by-the-book, it's soulless. I mean, why should we care about any of the MOTW characters at all? Being a detective, Shotaro was deeply involved in each and every case and we grew to know each and every member of Fuuto, making the town seem alive. Drive being a police officer makes him exceedingly detached from the people he's supposed to save.

At this point, it's like a really, really dumbed down version of Kabuto. Also, the Shift Brace looks supremely out of place on his wrist all the time.
 
MV Maker
Joined
Feb 2, 2013
Messages
433
WOULD YOU PEOPLE STOP COMPARING THIS TO DOUBLE ALREADY!!!!
It's not Double and it's not trying to be. This show isn't about the people in this town, it's about Shinnosuke becoming a hero and the mysteries surrounding the Global Freeze and Belt's past.

Well... Mr. Belt seemed to have remembered Chase. And Proto-Drive seemed to have had some pretty mechanical design on the chest and look quite like a blend of purple and red... so, Chase was Proto-Drive?

Not to mention this:
[HIDE] nDK1CDl.png[/HIDE]
 
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