Kamen Rider Drive Episode 25 - Why is New Battle Beginning?

[Clocktower]

I still think it would have been best if each individual member of the team learned about Drive's identity in the episodes we had about them. It would have been more of a progressive build up, but I did like the excitement of him suddenly having to reveal himself and then carry on with his police business as Kamen Rider and even getting a cheer from the crowd. An official police rider was what I'd hoped the series would be more about back when it was first announced and it might have taken until half way through the season for it to happen, but the build up has made the moment much sweeter.

 

[Galaxian]

Really good episode. I like the small reference to the Kyu episode, which was also one of the best ones in the series.

 

[Undrave]

If anything, I feel like it should have either happened later or previous episodes needed to give this more buildup. It feels like it's been ages since they ever really made us feel like the things stressing Shinnosuke out were actually an issue, if they ever really were to the extent they were this episode. It's a twist that would have been much more welcome in a show in the early 2000s, I think. Just doesn't have the same impact when the focus is so much more on MOTW shenanigans than on the cast's like it is now.

I still think it would have been best if each individual member of the team learned about Drive's identity in the episodes we had about them. It would have been more of a progressive build up, but I did like the excitement of him suddenly having to reveal himself and then carry on with his police business as Kamen Rider and even getting a cheer from the crowd. An official police rider was what I'd hoped the series would be more about back when it was first announced and it might have taken until half way through the season for it to happen, but the build up has made the moment much sweeter.

Yeah it was a great episode but it did feel like they didn't really 'earn' it as much. We needed more close calls! We needed a more deliberate 'I gotta keep my identity secret!' drama to make that struggle with Belt in that last scene more intense! I think they could have handled it a bit better, but still I'm glad to see things change.

One thing Gaim did great was keeping us on our toes by switching up the status quo every quarter or so.

Can't wait to see next episode!

 

[TheLastBlade]

Y'know, I never got the complaints about the early episodes of Gaim and Drive. I enjoyed both in their early stages..... For Drive's later parts of the series, however.... Yeah, it was balls. 12-19 at it's worst was very terrible and at it's best was below average.

 

[Kamen Rider Kaixa]

I really wish there was a special Team up of every Kamen Rider that has worked for the Police in the past and have them do a special team up.

Kamen Rider G3, Kamen Rider Accel can team up with Kamen Rider Drive

 

[TheLastBlade]

Sorry, not gonna happen..... Toei is busy ruining their franchises with the Super Hero Taisen movies.

 

[HurricaneDragon]

Y'know, I never got the complaints about the early episodes of Gaim and Drive. I enjoyed both in their early stages..... For Drive's later parts of the series, however.... Yeah, it was balls. 12-19 at it's worst was very terrible and at it's best was below average.

I have and see no major problems with the early episodes of Gaim, but if anything, I think it's Drive's early episodes that were really dragging.

The main problem with some of these (18-19) particular is the same as this episode's biggest problem, really. It's your classic case of the problem/monster of the week involves something that should have been recurring, but previous events completely lessen the impact. 18-19 could have been some of the best episodes in the show had they not spent all episodes prior (and even parts of those episodes) making Gen-san out to be a bumbling fool, which is part of this show's overall other problem. It's one thing when the comedy is natural or doesn't take away from your characters, but when characters are characterized by their part in the comedy scenes and nothing else, it makes it harder to do anything serious with them. It amazes me how well the Kyu episode was done compared to 18-19, really.

All that said, I'd still happily take what we've had and have now over those first few episodes. Yyyyyuck.

 

[kuroihikari]

I'll just say this: No, we didn't need more drama. Gaim had too much of it and it turned me really off. Having a KR that wasn't like that was a relief and this show delivered so far. Just the right amount of drama for the tone it's trying to convey.

Also, the show definitely feels like a police procedural for the most part: Cases of the week + a smattering of character development and plot here and there, which is really what it should be.

 

[TheLastBlade]

I respectfully disagree. I had fun with the earlier episodes of Drive. At worst, it was decent. But at it's best, it was perfectly watchable. While it had bad comedic moments, I did enjoy how relatively simple and mysterious they were. At the time, it actually felt like we were going somewhere..... But then 12-19 happened..... AND MACH!!!!!! Jesus Christ, is this somebody's ****ed up idea of a likable secondary rider?! The comedy felt like it took main center, there were side stories that no one really cares about, the roidmudes are getting lamer and giving bad reasons to feel bad for them, Chase's story is the obvious focus, AND THE CREW JUST SUCKS!!!!!!! 20-23 were pretty decent, but it needs to work REALLY hard to make people forget 12-19 existed. I haven't watched 24-25 yet.

As of this half of Drive, I'd say that it's still decent.... Almost below average. But it's feeling like a bad version of Kamen Rider W. At least, IMO.

 

[Undrave]

I'll just say this: No, we didn't need more drama. Gaim had too much of it and it turned me really off. Having a KR that wasn't like that was a relief and this show delivered so far. Just the right amount of drama for the tone it's trying to convey.

Also, the show definitely feels like a police procedural for the most part: Cases of the week + a smattering of character development and plot here and there, which is really what it should be.

Well maybe drama wasn't the right word, I think what we needed is more tension. More scenes of the SCU being ridiculed by the other police units, but in ways that made more sense than the laughing scene with Gen, more tensed scene where Shinnosuke has to find a way to slip away and transform. Maybe the secret identity more of an actual burden and a source of stress.

Feels like a lot of issues with it only came up in this episode. It just didn't have the impact they were going for. With proper build up it would have been way WAY better and have ten time more excitement! It would have been an EPIC turning point!