So it sounds like the new direction is working for them.
More like a "magical boost" from Wizard :rolleyes2:
Yeah I suspect the boost is entirely down to the new Rider show starting right after it....and that's the entire point! Decade was a short show specifically to move the start/end dates so that the new viewers tuning in to check out a new series in one franchise would give the other a mid-season boost. This proves that Toei's thinking works. The producers also took advantage of that boost by using this episode to debut some of the new changes, and (in my opinion) by having a strong episode, to hopefully keep some of those people who hadn't previously tuned in. Then in 20 weeks they will return the favour by having the debut of the next sentai give Wizard a mid-season boost.
The OP honestly kind of creeps me out, lol it's nowhere near as clean as the last one, everybody's high fiving and whatnot and the characters seem limited to one area. It just seems to obvious as to what they were trying to do. It's more funny than anything.
The bit I took a while to get used to was the 'gun-cam" POV shots. They were a bit weird. As for high-fiving the buddyroids, well it's part of the new, energetic sequence they were going for. Honestly, I watched that OP, then went back to some of the previous series ones, and it does feel like something new. But at the same time it throws some of the more traditional elements back in, like having them shout the team name once again.