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Thread
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What are you watching? (Kamen Rider Edition)
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04-05-2019, 04:07 PM
#
15340
AkibaSilver
Warrior of Delusions!
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Wait, you dont know either?
Posts: 5,825
Quote:
Originally Posted by
ShyGuy
Finished Wizard, I was already close to the end when I posted my Fourze thoughts (I didn't actually finish it all in just two weeks). I was nervous about Wizard, because over the years I’ve become well aware of its overall negative reputation. Until Ghost, it was probably the season I always heard the most bad things about. So I was prepared for something bad when I went in, but…I actually kind of liked it? It’s certainly not perfect, and I think there are a lot of valid criticisms one can say about it, but I felt that the positives outweighed the negatives, at least for me.
One of the main criticisms I’ve seen aimed at Wizard is that Haruto is a boring protagonist, which I just can’t agree with at all. I think this perception comes from the fact that he doesn’t undergo the same kind of growth arc that many other main Riders experience. He actually reminds me most of Hibiki, in that by the time the show takes place, he’s already an established professional and expert Rider. We never actually see him go through the process of gaining his powers and learning how to use them, which sets him apart from the vast majority of other main Riders where that’s a central component of their character arc. I don’t think that makes his development any worse, just different. I really liked his determination to be an embodiment of hope, and how he uses his own personal history to connect with others going through difficult times so he can directly relate to them. I really liked Haruto as a protagonist.
The cast in general for Wizard was strong I think, they had really good chemistry. Sometimes Shunpei was a bit much for me but he wasn’t that bad. Nitou is the other main standout besides Haruto, he gets a lot of good material as the show goes on. I liked how he functioned as a direct counter to Haruto in that while Haruto fights entirely for others with little regard for himself, Nitou is his thematic opposite as he fights Phantoms strictly for his own benefit. This came to a great conclusion at the end when it’s Nitou, not Haruto, who ends up being the one to stop
Fueki’s
plans. It’s a perfectly fitting conclusion to his arc where after spending the whole series fighting primarily for himself, he
ends up sacrificing his power completely for the sake of others.
Another reason I like this though is because it’s so rare for the secondary Rider to get the chance to be the main hero at the end, so it was cool to see something different like that.
I think the overarching story of Wizard is really interesting as well, but that’s also where my main criticism comes in. Once again, the slavish adherence to the 2-part format hurts the overall narrative by dragging the pacing down. It establishes a lot of interesting plot points early on with the mystery of the White Wizard, Wiseman’s plans to once again activate the eclipse, Gremlin’s increasingly suspicious machinations. But most of this goes nowhere until the very end because the show is stuck in the 2-episode monster-of-the-week format that leaves little room for advancing the story. Once the story does get moving at the end I really like the direction it goes, with the reveal that
Fueki is both the White Wizard
and
Wiseman and has been playing both sides. And along with that, how Gremlin starts setting his own plans into action and becomes such a deadly threat for everyone, including Fueki himself.
So I think Wizard’s main narrative is really strong, with a lot of fun twists and turns, but it takes so long before it gets there. It doesn’t diminish my enjoyment of the show, but I think it does hold it back from being as great as it had the potential to be.
Overall I liked Wizard. While the format and pacing does hurt its ability to fully utilize its narrative, it still has a lot going for it in terms of characterization and fun. And on top of that, the suit design for both the Riders and the Phantoms is incredible. Easily some of my favorite Rider and monster designs in the franchise. So while Wizard does have its flaws and doesn't quite reach the level of some of my favorites, it's still one I had a really good time with and will remember positively.
As someone else who also likes Wizard, I'm glad to hear you enjoyed! It was my first series, and while I know it's not perfect, there's still a lot I have nostalgia for, and a lot I love about it!
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