Congrats on 50 Episodes! I also love the new format as I never cared for the geeking section, so putting it last is great for me.
I've got to say this episode must have been pretty good because it got me to do something I never thought I would and that's go and watch GARO: The One Who Shines in the Darkness. I say that becaue I honestly wasn't particularly found of GARO back when it came out in 2005. I find Michael's analogy to 90s comics funny because that's the exact same analogy I've used when talking about GARO for a long time. To me GARO is for Henshin Hero fans what Todd McFarlane's SPAWN is (or was) to many American superhero fans in the 90s: a dark-and-gritty version of a concept that had become increasingly juvenile in recent years. But like the original SPAWN comics (which I've read) GARO tends to be more style then substance with more non sequitur then actual plot. The original series is ridiculous repetitive in a way that even Ultraman, Super Sentai and Kamen Rider aren't. I also never cared one bit about Kouga and Kaoru seemed more oblivious to what was going on around her then Louis Lane. I watched Beast of the Midnight Sun (because I liked the title) but found it to be just more of the same. I never saw Red Requiem and completely skipped out on Makai Senki.
But you guys got me to watch this new series, and not just the first episode. I watched the first six episodes in a row. Needless to say GARO:TOWSITD has got my attention, even in spite of my initial reservations regarding what I considered the unnecessary and excessive use of CGI. I'm finding the story and characters leagues above those in GARO. Ryuga, even if currently about as 2D as Kouga, still has more charisma then Kouga could ever hope to have. The supporting cast is also fantastic and watching Junya Ikeda play a scumbag is just delightful. Also the fight choreography is amazing. Episode 6 especially blew me away and I have watched that episode's climax fight several times now.
Part of what hooked me was the revelation that Keita Amemiya is not involved with this latest installment, instead handing over the reigns to action choreographer turned writer/director Makoto Yokoyama (Power Rangers, Sh15uya, Yo-Yo Girl Cop) and longtime series scribe Itaru Era.
I certainly don't dislike Amemiya, in fact I've seen everything he's ever done - Mirai Ninja [88], Jetman [91], Zeiram [91], Kamen Rider ZO [93], Kamen Rider J [94], Zeiram 2 [94], Mechanical Violator Hakaider [95], Moon Over Tao [97], Iron Armor Mikazuki [2000] (which I helped sub) and even Reigo: The Deep-Sea Monster vs. the Battleship Yamato [2005] (which someone needs to sub) - and I've liked all of it. But it just seems that when it comes to GARO I may just like Amemiya's original series better.... without Amemiya???
