Not much love for Drive?

[HurricaneDragon]

Really? A show that sucks so much it makes Wizard look good isn't getting a lot of love? What are the odds of that?

Sorry, I'm bitter, I know. Fell for my own hype and it's crashed and burned.

It's not just that Gaim is an incredibly hard act to follow, the whole thing is just so forced - and so damn shallow. Maybe it'll turn around later, but right now it really just feels like it's doing little more than going through the motions. Every time it starts looking good, they start really forcing it again. We don't need the stupid tie effect every time, we don't need to hear how he's in "top gear" every time - have a sense of subtlety once in a while, for crying out loud, show! Jeez.

 

[Artisan]

Generally, there's nothing much to talk about. Stuff happens in individual episodes, but they're mostly consequence-free or rarely anything remarkably significant, unless there's a new toy car or antic that is egregiously annoying. So far there has never been a legitimate sense of mystery going on with each case, unlike W. Fights are never impressive. They lack tension, due to a combination of poor background music, the lumbering clunkiness of the fight choreography, and a random new car(s) coming in to Deus-ex-machina Shinnosuke out of any pinch.

But the latest episode has just delivered on some promising plot developments, so it's now a wait to see where the show goes from there. Hopefully it picks up exponentially from here. I really genuinely hope it does, because despite the catalogue of small issues I have with the show, I want to like it. I want to be able to say at the end, "Sanjo, you've done a good one". Already I think this show is better than Wizard, which should be the first goal to beat for any aspiring writer thinking of writing for a future Rider show. I just hope Gou (Mach) isn't as annoying as he looks. The last thing I want now when there's already half of the SCU is to see another Nitou waltzing around, this time with a camera and a penchant for the star-spangled banner instead of as the mayonnaise-eating hobo.

 

[Herman the German]

I find Drive thus far to be highly enjoyable. The toy car gimmick is still LOOKING incredibly stupid but at least the utilization on the Rider itself is starting to go Fourze- or Wizard-levels of versatility, making the fights quite a bit more fun (though I still don't like how the wheel is placed on Type: Speed). The background music certainly helps along, too. I hope Chaser is gonna get some development in soon, though, 'cuz even I am starting to get annoyed by his constant interruptions.

That said, Gaim is a tough act to beat no matter the competition, in my opinion. I mostly keep quiet on the things I enjoy since generally, my opinion goes against the majority of the fandom in any given regard and this here is one toxic and vile fandom when it comes to opposing views… Meh.

 

[CannibalS]

It got boring quick and Riku Sanjou is not even nearly as good of a writer as people think he is.

Already I think this show is better than Wizard, which should be the first goal to beat for any aspiring writer thinking of writing for a future Rider show. I just hope Gou (Mach) isn't as annoying as he looks. The last thing I want now when there's already half of the SCU is to see another Nitou waltzing around, this time with a camera and a penchant for the star-spangled banner instead of as the mayonnaise-eating hobo.

You people's weird hate-boner for Wizard is still hilarious though.

 

[Actar]

Here are some of the comments that I have made on other threads.

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.

For me, it's just not hitting any of the right notes. Honestly, I'm not sure why people get annoyed when comparing Drive to other series like W or Gaim. Is it because they think that we want it to be another W and/or Gaim?

At least for me, that's not the case. I mean, W and Gaim are completely different series. Yet, they were both amazing. Despite their differences, they were able to excel in their given themes and formats. Those are examples that I bring up as examples of well executed shows.

Drive should indeed live and die on its own merits, but I'm just saying the merits aren't there for me (yet).

 

[Ivanhobe]

Riku Sanjou is not even nearly as good of a writer as people think he is.

While i usually agree on this point, history has taught us that Rikku Sanjou always has a slow start; as much as i like it, i don´t think anyone became truly interested in kyoryuger until after Kyouryuugold was introduced. So really, i think we should save our judgements on Sanjou´s work on Drive until the mid point at least.

As for the Wizard comparison, i have to say that as underwhelming as that show eventually became, the first 11 episodes or so were actually quite promising, so saying that Drive is worse than Wizard is not only exaggerated, but also quite inaccurate.

If anything, i think Drive so far is actually quite similar to W; investigation motives aside, Drive has a very similar style and i think that even the most Hard core W Fan´s have to admit that the first 10 or 12 episodes of that show were not all that great. If anything i would say that the first 10 episodes of Drive are generally better than the first 10 episodes of W, though admittedly the former had better villains.

Two things that i think are definitely not so good about Drive so far are Machine Chaser and the Chief of the investigations department: while the idea behind chase is neat, the execution so far has been dull and more often than not it feels like filler. As for the chief, his "fun act" got old real fast and while i normally don´t mind the silly antics, his are quickly becoming annoying, particularly so when they used weird editing to enhance them.

 

[Artisan]

You people's weird hate-boner for Wizard is still hilarious though.

And how many fucking times are you going to parrot that?

 

[MJayDee82]

Honestly Drive has been, pun TOTALLY intended, been in first gear for the most part. Now though we're finally getting the backstory of Belt-san, the Roidmudes, and Chase. I can't help but have hope that things will finally get moving. Don't forget OOO's started off painfully slow as well and went batshit crazy by the time Lost Ankh showed up and ended VERY strong.

 

[Captain Shark]

And how many fucking times are you going to parrot that?

Not like he's wrong, Kiva and Wizard get too much hate, at least with Decade the complaints make sense.

 

[Zensrive]

Every Heisei Kamen Rider series is unique and has their own vibes.
Disclaimer: For the good of me, I haven't finished Hibiki and Den-O, for whatever reasons and haven't started Decade (should I?(. I finished the other series though, yes, even Kiva (love the ending, one of the best ending in rider series).
Other Rider series though, I watched from start to finish (still wishing we could get another Ryuki, Gaim is close, but not cutting it, too much gimmicky drama). Drive too me is more exciting than Fourze, for whatever reason. The characters are lovable enough, even the bland-looking captain (who is not as bland as you think, he has AGENDAS!) and the otaku-nerd (who realizes things). Shinnosuke and Kiriko are a good pair of main characters, the best since Shotaro and Phillip.
The mysteries with Belt, Chase, and Brain-Heart-Medic is intriguing enough for me to continue follow the series. The writers seem to have their hearts on the right place, but somehow get bogged by the need to introduce merchandises. How many toy cars we have already, anyway?