[Locke]

I think like with anything, context matters. I don't know how I'd feel about Amazons if I just watched it in a vacuum, but watching Gavv, then Drive and then Build, while I liked parts of those shows, and Gavv overall I enjoyed in general, they all display for me what are some of the worst trends of Heisei Phase Two going into Reiwa in that everything is just so loud and gimmicky and Amazons is free of almost all of that. Maybe the sheer relief of being free from the endlessly jangling keys stuck to a CGI megaphone made me way more positive than I would have been on Amazons otherwise, obviously it is impossible to say, but I guess my whole commentary on Amazons is not that I necessarily loved the story or the characters, I was just glad that when people transformed the Driver didn't spend 13 minutes screaming in English as elevator music blares over the top and some awful looking CG construct doesn't shoot out of the floor to transform the Rider.

[Sunred]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mesnick

I still prefer the original Amazon

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sh Ranger

Honestly, I don't mind Amazons, like, I think the first season is decent on its own, but it doesn't resemble Amazon much thematically. The modern gore effects are nice and all, but my interest in the plot is mixed.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Locke

I think like with anything, context matters. I don't know how I'd feel about Amazons if I just watched it in a vacuum, but watching Gavv, then Drive and then Build, while I liked parts of those shows, and Gavv overall I enjoyed in general, they all display for me what are some of the worst trends of Heisei Phase Two going into Reiwa in that everything is just so loud and gimmicky and Amazons is free of almost all of that. Maybe the sheer relief of being free from the endlessly jangling keys stuck to a CGI megaphone made me way more positive than I would have been on Amazons otherwise, obviously it is impossible to say, but I guess my whole commentary on Amazons is not that I necessarily loved the story or the characters, I was just glad that when people transformed the Driver didn't spend 13 minutes screaming in English as elevator music blares over the top and some awful looking CG construct doesn't shoot out of the floor to transform the Rider.

Amazons to me is kind of like Tekkaman Blade in that both are gritty alternate takes of the Showa-era source material. Speaking of, for those not familiar here are the opening clips for Tekkaman and Tekkaman Blade.

[Locke]

Tekkaman Blade ruled when I was a kid, loved that show.

[ThirstMcGurst]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Locke

Tekkaman Blade ruled when I was a kid, loved that show.

Speaking of Tekkaman, I remember a long time ago I watched a series on Amazon Prime that feature him.

Edit: Just looked it up and was Infini-T Force. Love it!

[Mesnick]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sunred

Amazons to me is kind of like Tekkaman Blade in that both are gritty alternate takes of the Showa-era source material. Speaking of, for those not familiar here are the opening clips for Tekkaman and Tekkaman Blade.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Locke

Tekkaman Blade ruled when I was a kid, loved that show.

I haven't seen it. The only similar thing I saw in childhood was: Ninja Robots/Ninja Senshi Tobikage:

[Sh Ranger]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Locke

I think like with anything, context matters. I don't know how I'd feel about Amazons if I just watched it in a vacuum, but watching Gavv, then Drive and then Build, while I liked parts of those shows, and Gavv overall I enjoyed in general, they all display for me what are some of the worst trends of Heisei Phase Two going into Reiwa in that everything is just so loud and gimmicky and Amazons is free of almost all of that. Maybe the sheer relief of being free from the endlessly jangling keys stuck to a CGI megaphone made me way more positive than I would have been on Amazons otherwise, obviously it is impossible to say, but I guess my whole commentary on Amazons is not that I necessarily loved the story or the characters, I was just glad that when people transformed the Driver didn't spend 13 minutes screaming in English as elevator music blares over the top and some awful looking CG construct doesn't shoot out of the floor to transform the Rider.

Personally, I mostly judge what I watch based on more substantial criteria, like the story and characters. I mean, while I agree that some Driver and gimmick item sound effects can be annoying (looks at Legend), I also think many sound effects are cool and can even create suspense to elevate a memorable moment, like when Zeztz did the Over Banish, for example. Besides, it's such a common element of Rider's brand identity, so feels like complaining about it is like complaining about the taste of apple while eating apple only for the amazing crunchy texture.

[Locke]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sh Ranger

Personally, I mostly judge what I watch based on more substantial criteria, like the story and characters. I mean, while I agree that some Driver and gimmick item sound effects can be annoying (looks at Legend), I also think many sound effects are cool and can even create suspense to elevate a memorable moment, like when Zeztz did the Over Banish, for example. Besides, it's such a common element of Rider's brand identity, so feels like complaining about it is like complaining about the taste of apple while eating apple only for the amazing crunchy texture.

But that is the point I made in the review, it isn't Rider's entire identity. The kind of insane overkill of the toy focus has really only come into effect in the last decade or so. We have like thirty years of shows where it wasn't the case. So this isn't like I am asking for the show to be something it isn't or hasn't ever been, I'd just like for them to maybe take a few steps back in this endless march of piss annoying gimmickery. And to be honest, credit where credit is due, Zeztz is actually a lot less annoying than really all three of those shows I listed in Gavv, Build and Drive, so maybe we are already going in the right direction.

Also, it isn't the case that I don't judge things on their story or their characters or whatever else, in fact I have gone into those things in great detail in the last three reviews of Gavv, Drive and Build, but in the case of Amazons specifically its like god this show is a massive relief was the overwhelming thought on that show, much like with Agito as I am watching that.

[Mesnick]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Locke

But that is the point I made in the review, it isn't Rider's entire identity. The kind of insane overkill of the toy focus has really only come into effect in the last decade or so. We have like thirty years of shows where it wasn't the case.

But this, too, is only apparent in context. That is, Agito may seem less noisy and toy-focused compared to modern shows. But compared to Black, effect is quite opposite. So this is a natural process that began back in the last century. And the only thing that could significantly change it is if Toei somehow breaks his contract with Bandai.

[Locke]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mesnick

But this, too, is only apparent in context. That is, Agito may seem less noisy and toy-focused compared to modern shows. But compared to Black, effect is quite opposite. So this is a natural process that began back in the last century. And the only thing that could significantly change it is if Toei somehow breaks his contract with Bandai.

I mean to be fair I am only like 12 episodes into Agito, so maybe it becomes more obviously toy focused in the back thirds, but I haven't found it as toy grating as some of the modern shows so far, and I didn't feel that way about Black either, but it has been 10 plus years since I watched Black.

I heard Black Sun, which is an Amazons style remake thingy, absolutely rules too, so I might watch that after Agito.

[Sh Ranger]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Locke

But that is the point I made in the review, it isn't Rider's entire identity. The kind of insane overkill of the toy focus has really only come into effect in the last decade or so. We have like thirty years of shows where it wasn't the case. So this isn't like I am asking for the show to be something it isn't or hasn't ever been, I'd just like for them to maybe take a few steps back in this endless march of piss annoying gimmickery. And to be honest, credit where credit is due, Zeztz is actually a lot less annoying than really all three of those shows I listed in Gavv, Build and Drive, so maybe we are already going in the right direction.

There was a massive spike in merchandise sales starting with Double though, which is surely a direct correlation. Even the least profitable of Heisei Phase 2, Drive, still outpaces all the Phase 1 Riders. To ask Toei to cut back on gimmicks and noise, they'd need some kind of strategy with confidence that they could continue to sell at the same rate. At least, in the case of Build and Drive, there's a consistent in-universe explanation for why their Drivers talk so much. Not sure why Dente designed a prosthetic organ to do that though.