Early Heisei Riders...

[HurricaneDragon]

I agree with all of those things... except the comparison itself, still. :laugh: Because Dragon was what he was, rather than what he darn well should/could have been (that episode in the hospital had me hoping for the whole show he would be the last boss), I just can't even call him Ankh-lite. Kengo was more Ankh-lite, Dragon was more like... Kivat-lite-lite-lite. He was the belt and he talked a few times.

Man, cone to think of it, don't get me started on Chimera while we're talking Phantoms. I think his last scene with Nitou is my favorite in the whole show, or up there anyway.

 

[kuroihikari]

I think Haruto was meant to be a sounding board character like Gentaro was. It just didn't work for me as well as Gentaro because Haruto's supporting cast was either depressing, uninteresting, annoying, or unlikeable. Haruto simply rescued the people around him while Gentaro also made them better.

 

[Lockon]

I agree with all of those things... except the comparison itself, still. :laugh: Because Dragon was what he was, rather than what he darn well should/could have been (that episode in the hospital had me hoping for the whole show he would be the last boss), I just can't even call him Ankh-lite. Kengo was more Ankh-lite, Dragon was more like... Kivat-lite-lite-lite. He was the belt and he talked a few times.

Man, cone to think of it, don't get me started on Chimera while we're talking Phantoms. I think his last scene with Nitou is my favorite in the whole show, or up there anyway.

Eh, well, while that would probably be for the best the way the series was going, I would of taken a different route and made acceptance of Dragon as part of himself the big idea. As a hope based on inherent goodness is a cheap and fragile one, easily shattered by the slightest misstep or failure. Hope in SPITE of your darker impulses is much hardier, and more fitting of Kamen Rider in general. Of course, this would mean I'd have to rework the Phantoms(No problem here, I HATE Always Chaotic Evil anyway. And it just really messes with one of the major themes of Rider anyway. Just because you're a monster, doesn't mean you have to act like one.) and make them not parasites bursting from their hosts' despair, but, rather, their dark sides, all the evil impulses we feel emanate from them. They wouldn't be born from gates because gates are the only ones who have them, but because the gates are the only ones with the power to manifest them, through their own natural magic.

Thus, the final form wouldn't be created by Dragon changing, but by Haruto accepting that, yes, he is a monster, but he is the one who decides what he does. Basically, both accepting and taming Dragon, which... I'd like to make that an actual mechanic in universe and have that be how magicians gain their familars, which would simply be their tamed Phantoms.


But that is WAY too much thought into what could of been. Would make an interesting fanfic if I was any good as a writer.

 

[The Monster of Surrealton]

I liked Kuuga and Agito in concept. It's great that the police actually try to fight the monsters and are treated as serious characters throughout with their own subplots. Kuuga was also the only series I've watched where the finishing moves are practical and come off as natural. I also like the home video look of the shows.

Ryuki was wasted potential. They had 13 Riders, but only focused on 4 of them while cycling out 6 others, and not even showing the remaining 3. It was really stupid, though the mid-to-later arcs were pretty good.

Hardly watched Faiz and Blade because they were boring as sin. Liked the Faiz movie, though.

Never watched Hibiki, though the Rider suits are probably my favorite because oni hype.

Kabuto got me into the franchise, but the show got stupid in the second half when they altered the character's personalities in a vain attempt to make them funny.

Stopped watching Den-O midway through episode 2. Momotaros was unbearable.

Kiva made me fall asleep 3 episodes in, and his arsenal/forms look like they redesigned the Kuuga toyline and added 50 herbs and gimmicks to them. On that note, how did they go from the sleek and sexy BeatGouram in Kuuga to that godawful ugly Buroon Booster in Kiva?

Decade was fun, then boring, then left a bad aftertaste in my mouth. The Black RX arc got stupid when they established that the new Multiverse now features two Kotaros. The Amazon arc was boring.

The first episode of Double was a blur to me (I remember a sea of bad comedy with close-ups of the characters yelling because loud noises are apparently funny, then an underwhelming monster fight) but the Double costume was awesome. When I saw the looooooong henshin sequence, I was done.

Watched the first episode of OOOs, and felt nothing. His default costume looked like Decade's, but was ugly with all the black instead of the medal colors. The 40th anniversary was okay, if bizarrely silly in an self-parodying way.

Only watched that episode of Fourze where he got that "the whole toyline becomes one with me" form that every season gets, and moved on with life.

Tried Wizard when it aired. Indifference, but the normal costumes and the rings were awesome. Could never bother to continue the series since the synopsis of many episodes I read on the toku news sites were basically "something happens, Wizard sells a new toy."

Saw that episode of Gaim where he summons the Watermelon Hulkbuster Armor, and kind of liked it. It seems like everytime I read a synopsis on this forum about the latest episode over the months, it begins with "[Character(s)] learns more about the Helheim Forest," which doesn't sound a catch for a show that gave me the initial impression that the Riders beat each other up in a competitive sport.

 

[New GL of sector 2814]

I liked Kuuga and Agito in concept. It's great that the police actually try to fight the monsters and are treated as serious characters throughout with their own subplots. Kuuga was also the only series I've watched where the finishing moves are practical and come off as natural. I also like the home video look of the shows.

Ryuki was wasted potential. They had 13 Riders, but only focused on 4 of them while cycling out 6 others, and not even showing the remaining 3. It was really stupid, though the mid-to-later arcs were pretty good.

Hardly watched Faiz and Blade because they were boring as sin. Liked the Faiz movie, though.

Never watched Hibiki, though the Rider suits are probably my favorite because oni hype.

Kabuto got me into the franchise, but the show got stupid in the second half when they altered the character's personalities in a vain attempt to make them funny.

Stopped watching Den-O midway through episode 2. Momotaros was unbearable.

Kiva made me fall asleep 3 episodes in, and his arsenal/forms look like they redesigned the Kuuga toyline and added 50 herbs and gimmicks to them. On that note, how did they go from the sleek and sexy BeatGouram in Kuuga to that godawful ugly Buroon Booster in Kiva?

Decade was fun, then boring, then left a bad aftertaste in my mouth. The Black RX arc got stupid when they established that the new Multiverse now features two Kotaros. The Amazon arc was boring.

The first episode of Double was a blur to me (I remember a sea of bad comedy with close-ups of the characters yelling because loud noises are apparently funny, then an underwhelming monster fight) but the Double costume was awesome. When I saw the looooooong henshin sequence, I was done.

Watched the first episode of OOOs, and felt nothing. His default costume looked like Decade's, but was ugly with all the black instead of the medal colors. The 40th anniversary was okay, if bizarrely silly in an self-parodying way.

Only watched that episode of Fourze where he got that "the whole toyline becomes one with me" form that every season gets, and moved on with life.

Tried Wizard when it aired. Indifference, but the normal costumes and the rings were awesome. Could never bother to continue the series since the synopsis of many episodes I read on the toku news sites were basically "something happens, Wizard sells a new toy."

Saw that episode of Gaim where he summons the Watermelon Hulkbuster Armor, and kind of liked it. It seems like everytime I read a synopsis on this forum about the latest episode, it begins with "[Character(s)] learns more about the Helheim Forest," which doesn't sound a catch for a show that gave me the initial impression that the Riders beat each other up in a competitive sport.

So you don't like Kamen Rider, understood... Why do you continue to watch?
And btw when did a thread about Early Heisei Riders turn into Wizardfest?...

 

[Fox-Chan]

It strikes me as being kind of weird that some people find Kuuga boring. I am enjoying it thus far.

 

[The Monster of Surrealton]

So you don't like Kamen Rider

While I was so negative in my previous post, I do like Kamen Rider. I just find the post-Kabuto stuff kind of meh. Not because the older stuff is "dark n' edgy," but because it seems more than ever like the toys and collectables do more fighting than the characters, and I don't find the stories as engaging.

 

[HurricaneDragon]

Eh, well, while that would probably be for the best the way the series was going, I would of taken a different route and made acceptance of Dragon as part of himself the big idea. As a hope based on inherent goodness is a cheap and fragile one, easily shattered by the slightest misstep or failure. Hope in SPITE of your darker impulses is much hardier, and more fitting of Kamen Rider in general. Of course, this would mean I'd have to rework the Phantoms(No problem here, I HATE Always Chaotic Evil anyway. And it just really messes with one of the major themes of Rider anyway. Just because you're a monster, doesn't mean you have to act like one.) and make them not parasites bursting from their hosts' despair, but, rather, their dark sides, all the evil impulses we feel emanate from them. They wouldn't be born from gates because gates are the only ones who have them, but because the gates are the only ones with the power to manifest them, through their own natural magic.

Thus, the final form wouldn't be created by Dragon changing, but by Haruto accepting that, yes, he is a monster, but he is the one who decides what he does. Basically, both accepting and taming Dragon, which... I'd like to make that an actual mechanic in universe and have that be how magicians gain their familars, which would simply be their tamed Phantoms.


But that is WAY too much thought into what could of been. Would make an interesting fanfic if I was any good as a writer.

I actually have a lot to reply to this, but I feel it'd be getting way off topic - though I do want to say that while I would have wanted Dragon as the final boss, I wouldn't have wanted him to be killed by Haruto, but rather, for them to reach some kind of understanding where Haruto eventually takes him back in. It'd be kind of necessary for future cameo appearances anyway, you know? :laugh:

Phantoms are an odd bunch - I think it's sad that we only got to see ones associated with Wiseman's plan, since the ones in the show that weren't, little screentime that they had (Dragon and Chimera - especially Chimera), clearly were fairly different in personality, if nothing else. But yeah, the whole "Phantoms are parasites" does hurt the potential for having them be good... as Wizard was writing it, anyway. I think if they had taken that a bit more seriously, then that would be another matter entirely.

But yeah, if you want to continue, maybe a "how would you fix Wizard?" thread is in order?

So you don't like Kamen Rider, understood... Why do you continue to watch?
And btw when did a thread about Early Heisei Riders turn into Wizardfest?...

Sorry about that!

While I was so negative in my previous post, I do like Kamen Rider. I just find the post-Kabuto stuff kind of meh. Not because the older stuff is "dark n' edgy," but because it seems more than ever like the toys and collectables do more fighting than the characters, and I don't find the stories as engaging.

You didn't seem to be all that invested in the pre-Kabuto either, though, which is where I think the comment came from.

 

[Scissors]

Saw that episode of Gaim where he summons the Watermelon Hulkbuster Armor, and kind of liked it. It seems like everytime I read a synopsis on this forum about the latest episode over the months, it begins with "[Character(s)] learns more about the Helheim Forest," which doesn't sound a catch for a show that gave me the initial impression that the Riders beat each other up in a competitive sport.

They do that for like... 8-9 episodes or so, and then the plot only focus on the mystery behind Helheim, and Yggdrasil's hidden agenda.
The competition between the dance teams is revealed to be one huge scam that Yggdrasil started, so that they could use young people as test subjects for their equipment.

This is why it can be dangerous to talk about a show if you have not actually watched it past one episode.

 

[New GL of sector 2814]

While I was so negative in my previous post, I do like Kamen Rider. I just find the post-Kabuto stuff kind of meh. Not because the older stuff is "dark n' edgy," but because it seems more than ever like the toys and collectables do more fighting than the characters, and I don't find the stories as engaging.

Fair enough, for me the Bandaiathon is something I've come to accept and now it's a matter of how well the toys are integrated into the storyline... And now that I read my post back it looks so much more like an attack then it was meant sorry about that...