Do you feel that Decade kinda went overboard?

[rtys]

The Problem with Decade is like the direction of the franchise itself.
Awhile ago, when or before Kiva was airing, they said Kamen Rider Franchise is on a learning journey.

 

[Sentaifan'07 Xman]

I was most disappointed by the Faiz episode.

How were you dissapointed?! was it because they didn't do a good job with creating an alternate Inui Takumi?!

 

[The_Emperor]

The Faiz episode was actually one of my favorites. I didn't mind the alternate Takumi.

But I could be biased since Faiz was my first (and favorite) series so it holds a special place for me.

 

[MrMonk]

But see, why are you limiting your scope by calling the genre nothing more than kids' material? Are the Western superheroes merely kiddy things? Of course not. While the target is of course kids, superhero media is full of things that cater to the older audience.

I hate how people use the "kids' show" ruse to excuse anything that goes on in toku. Great writing is something that should be baked into the "cake" itself, not as some superfluous dressing. Don't limit yourself to seeing toku as one static thing that's just a guilty pleasure.

Big Two superheroes are directly aimed at the 18-35 crowd today. As are most of the movies produced based on those properties.

Whereas the cartoons based on those self-same are aimed at a younger crowd and generally are a far lighter and free-wheeling fair. I don't expect the same thing from Transformer: All Hail Megatron as I do from Transformers: Animated. Just because Batman is on an acid trip in RIP, does not mean I expect the same in Brave and Bold. As the demographic skews higher, storytelling becomes more subtle and robust. (theoretically)

When viewed for it's intended audience, a work is then judged on those merits. The first live-action Transformers film was a horrible film for a Transformers fan (in my opinion). But taken as a mainstream action movie based on the property, I feel it was a success. (the box office generally bore out the same judgement)

Plus me looking at decade, If I were to even pick an age demographic, I would say 7 and up. I can imagine anybody just flipping through channels and catching interest. Story and plot aside ( whether it's bad or not). Young and Old.

The commercials surrounding the broadcast of Decade confirm the demographic they're aiming at. Young children, possibly topping out around 11 or so.

Sure, we wanted them to aim higher, but that's pretty much where Toei's going. Or are the Terebi-kun cut-out masks for teenagers?

Kamen Rider is no longer the show Ishinomori created. This franchise is long divorced from those halcyon days. Were he still in charge, I'd say you might've been right. But he's not. Toei is. And all Kamen Rider is to them is a vehicle to sell toys. See: Den-O.

So you can hate that it's called a kids show, but hey...that's what it is. Sentai and Kamen Rider are kids' shows. That's the reality. I've never seen a broadcast of an Ultraman show, so I cannot gauge the intended audience. Garo was definitely for adults. As was Sh13uya. So on and so forth. The Toku genre has space for all comers.

And as a final statement on intended audience, I was horribly disappointed with THE NEXT, as unlike the main franchise, the NEXT was built for an older audience, and so I felt they did a disservice to the work.

How were you dissapointed?! was it because they didn't do a good job with creating an alternate Inui Takumi?!

I felt Faiz was underutilized in the two parter as they used it primarily to showcase the new Rider, Diend. I also distinctly felt the loss of the Faiz wrist flourish, even though it wouldn't have fit with the character.

 

[Shougo B'Stard]

Sure, we wanted them to aim higher, but that's pretty much where Toei's going. Or are the Terebi-kun cut-out masks for teenagers?

Well, obviously not the TV-Kun, but something like the Toei Hero Max magazines or NewTypes are obviously meant for the older viewers (kids aren't going to give a damn about reading an interview with Jiro Chiba). So, Toei recognizes that there is an older fanbase for their shows. Instead of choosing to provide decent material that can appeal to all ages, as the best shows used to, they've taken the easy way out and have just diluted it all, making a creatively bankrupt commercial. But when a number of people keep the mentality of "hey, it's a kid's show," and are just willing to roll over and accept whatever is being dished out, that's just giving a company like Toei the excuse to keep on turnin' out mediocre material.

 

[Scissors]

I just find it weird that Decade is promoting itself as an 10th anniversary show for the Heisei Riders, when clearly this is not the case anymore.

I imagine the writers going

"Lets make an anniversary show for the Heisei Riders!"

*later*

"You know what?... Lets throw in the Showa Riders too"

*later*

"Oh what the hell! Let's include Shinkenger as well!"

THAT is what I would call going overboard.

But let's face it. Toei only created Decade to promote the Ganbride game. I don't think there would have been any interest in making a show about past-Riders if there had been no money in it. I don't believe in the 10th anniversary stuff.

 

[MrMonk]

Well, obviously not the TV-Kun, but something like the Toei Hero Max magazines or NewTypes are obviously meant for the older viewers (kids aren't going to give a damn about reading an interview with Jiro Chiba). So, Toei recognizes that there is an older fanbase for their shows. Instead of choosing to provide decent material that can appeal to all ages, as the best shows used to, they've taken the easy way out and have just diluted it all, making a creatively bankrupt commercial. But when a number of people keep the mentality of "hey, it's a kid's show," and are just willing to roll over and accept whatever is being dished out, that's just giving a company like Toei the excuse to keep on turnin' out mediocre material.

You say 'accept' as if we have some sort of impact on the process as a whole. We don't. We're just a handful of people on a message board. Most of us do not live in Japan, and do not buy their product in large enough numbers to make any sort of impact. The most we affect is Dragon Knight and Power Rangers. This is not Indiana Jones: Crystal Skull, or Revenge of the Sith. I can't vote with my dollars. I can't tell them exactly how I feel about what they're doing by mail, or message board, or Nielson rating. We didn't roll over for it. An entire people unrelated to us rolled over for it. The difference is I understand the reality of that.

If you do as well... don't watch the shows. If you do understand the above reality, are dissatisfied with it, and still watch the show... well I'm at a loss. When Kamen Rider stops working for me, I'll stop watching it. It's pretty much that simple. DC and Marvel Comics pretty much burned out the completist mentality for me long ago.

 

[KingRanger]

Well, obviously not the TV-Kun, but something like the Toei Hero Max magazines or NewTypes are obviously meant for the older viewers (kids aren't going to give a damn about reading an interview with Jiro Chiba). So, Toei recognizes that there is an older fanbase for their shows. Instead of choosing to provide decent material that can appeal to all ages, as the best shows used to, they've taken the easy way out and have just diluted it all, making a creatively bankrupt commercial. But when a number of people keep the mentality of "hey, it's a kid's show," and are just willing to roll over and accept whatever is being dished out, that's just giving a company like Toei the excuse to keep on turnin' out mediocre material.

Fanbase yes, primary fanbase no. The primary fanbase for KR in Japan are little kids, and soccer moms. I enjoy the shows for what they are. I honestly feel bad for people that can't just lose themselves in the fun. Over anaylzing this stuff just ruins the fun of it.

 

[Red Sky Ranger]

I wish Decade would fight something other than Riders and their respective Kaijin.

 

[Black Fang]

Fanbase yes, primary fanbase no. The primary fanbase for KR in Japan are little kids, and soccer moms. I enjoy the shows for what they are. I honestly feel bad for people that can't just lose themselves in the fun. Over anaylzing this stuff just ruins the fun of it.

What fun? Why do people assume that one has to abandon all sense of "standards" in order to enjoy shows like this? Why is it considered bad to think (Oh I'm sorry, "over-analyze)"? Why do so many so-called fans box themselves into the mentality of "it is what it is, we can't do anything about it, so stop complaining and just accept it"? Why is it when people call a show bad, there are folks who say the detractors just aren't "having fun" with the show?

Why is the belief that the genre could be something a lot more (as many shows have proven) shot down for the closed-minded "kiddy show material that can never be anything else, it's my guilty pleasure" view? Those are the people who need the pity, in my not-so-humble opinion.