[nextdelta]

Despite naming my entire internet persona after Delta, I'd never actually got around to watching Faiz. However, yesterday I decided to begin watching it and it is extremely good so far! I watched episode 1 a year or so ago and it didn't really interest me, but boy am I glad I decided to give it another try!

Anyway, I'm currently on episode 14 and am really intrigued with all of the stuff surrounding Kaixa and the Ryusei School. I can't wait to see Delta in action, too!

[GoldenXtreme]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nextdelta

Despite naming my entire internet persona after Delta, I'd never actually got around to watching Faiz. However, yesterday I decided to begin watching it and it is extremely good so far! I watched episode 1 a year or so ago and it didn't really interest me, but boy am I glad I decided to give it another try!

Anyway, I'm currently on episode 14 and am really intrigued with all of the stuff surrounding Kaixa and the Ryusei School. I can't wait to see Delta in action, too!

Faiz is really interesting! The tangled web of character drama, tragedy, and a little bit of silliness is really compelling. Orphenochs are also some of my favorite monster designs in the series, I love their statue-esque appearance. I hope you continue to enjoy it, the show is definitely not for everyone but I think if you like it so far you will probably be one of its fans.

[Sh Ranger]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nextdelta

Despite naming my entire internet persona after Delta, I'd never actually got around to watching Faiz. However, yesterday I decided to begin watching it and it is extremely good so far! I watched episode 1 a year or so ago and it didn't really interest me, but boy am I glad I decided to give it another try!

Anyway, I'm currently on episode 14 and am really intrigued with all of the stuff surrounding Kaixa and the Ryusei School. I can't wait to see Delta in action, too!

It's always cool to see a fellow Faiz fan.

[DreamSword]

I finished Kamen Rider X!

And while I think that, in usual Showa fashion, the second half was weaker than the first, I still overall really enjoyed watching this one.

The show itself is insane in alot of ways, and really, that's my favorite kind of experience with toku: When a show just goes all in on being cracked out and, more than that, just overall really fun.

Sure, "deep" plots and fancy special effects are great and all, but does Modern Rider feature stuff like Starfish Hitler and an arch rival so honorable that he pays for both your funeral costs and the damages he's done to your favorite hangout spot? Exactly. Checkmate, Geats.

X didn't end up becoming my new favorite Showa(that'd still be Super-1), but I'd definitely put it high up on the list, and I recommend anyone who just wants something fun and easy to view.

Whenever I'm in the mood for Rider again, I'm thinking I'm gonna tackle Saber.

[Mesnick]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DreamSword

Whenever I'm in the mood for Rider again, I'm thinking I'm gonna tackle Saber.

Oh, Saber is my favorite rider! I'd love to hear your thoughts.

[Sh Ranger]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DreamSword

And while I think that, in usual Showa fashion, the second half was weaker than the first, I still overall really enjoyed watching this one.

I'm actually going to disagree on this one and say that I think the second half is better. The plot with King Dark and Doctor Noroi is good, the GOAT V3 shows up and Mako and Chieko are a fun addition to Team X.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mesnick

Oh, Saber is my favorite rider! I'd love to hear your thoughts.

And my second favorite Reiwa Rider! I hope DreamSword will appreciate it as well.

[DreamSword]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sh Ranger

I'm actually going to disagree on this one and say that I think the second half is better. The plot with King Dark and Doctor Noroi is good, the GOAT V3 shows up and Mako and Chieko are a fun addition to Team X.

It was cool to see a more direct overarching plot in a Showa season via the blueprints, for sure. I also liked the MOTW ideas a little bit more than the first half("Ant Capone" is an amazing name). It's just a shame that the second half has stuff like X never using Ridol again until the finale and the style/pacing being notably less breakneck crazy than the first.

Oh, I should also probably mention for anyone wondering: The subs that Discotek does for Rider are consistently rather well handled. I'd put them on par with the subs that SHOUT does, if not slightly better. This was the first time I watched a Showa season via their subs and I was impressed at how natural and clean the script came off.

[DreamSword]

I am currently up to "Swordsman Chronicles 3" in terms of the watch order I'm using for Kamen Rider Saber, and thus almost done with the first act of the show.

If you want the short version of my thoughts so far: It's decent.

Similar to my experiences with Gaim and Ghost though, I can't help but make special note in the back of my head about all the common things I remember reading about the show as it was airing as I go through it.

For example, a common complaint about the first act is that it has terribly fast pacing, and like, sure, I could definitely see a version of this story that's about twice as long as it is, and there being a few episodes where there's like three separate plots going on doesn't make it difficult to conceptualize.

But on the other hand, I literally just got done watching Kamen Rider X, a show that, in most episodes, moves at such a breakneck speed that you're barely left with any time to think at all(and I love it for it), so by sheer comparison, the pacing of Saber's' first act feels positively quaint. While more time and elaboration would be nice, it's nothing super damning.

Heck, with the common complaints I've been seeing about Zeztz, I'd argue this exact pacing is what many online are wanting Zeztz to have, despite it being complained about in the case of Saber. But for the record, my personal take it that the way both shows have approached their first acts is valid, and I found things to enjoy in both. Zeztz's' slower, more dreamlike pacing fits it's story so much better than the "something is always exploding" pacing of Saber would.

With that all out of the way, I don't exactly have anything super specific to say about the story itself so far? It's rather straightforward, and despite the world already being under threat of getting blown up, the first act very much has been setting up alot of pieces with which to be moved forward at a later time in terms of characters; Act 1 very much more plot and action focused. And in terms of the latter, the different styles of swordplay on display are fun to watch, and every suit is rather cool too, especially in motion.

My current favorite character in this season in Ren. I love how energetic he is and I am very interested in seeing where his arc goes moving forward; especially since his crush just got his soul taken away.