[dreamcastegirl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by EpsilonX

As we all know, these toku shows are basically glorified toy commercials with storylines, but each season does toys differently. How do you prefer toys to be handled?

I've always been a fan of cards, even if they're not used as the central gimmick in a show, I think a collectable card game is always a winner for me. I mean, I fully acknowledge I am not the target denomination, and also I don't really play collectable card games, but if I see a packet of cards in the supermarket, even those ones bundled with wafer biscuits or chewing gum, I'll pick them up.

I feel smaller, cheaper toy lines that are a step up from gacha would win me over too, not as a replacement for the big toys for kids, but I absolutely feel that if there was a smaller supplementary toy line—again in the supermarket, because I'm a boring adult—then I would pick it up. This is broadly my problem with merchandise for Transformers and MLP too; I'm old enough to be nostalgic here, and if you put a tiny pony in the same aisle as the soya milk or whatever, I will buy this stuff, but I won't make the effort to go out of my way to hunt things down, and I won't buy absurdly expensive, absurdly huge things, because what use have I for that?

*she said, glancing down at the stack of reissue ponies by her bed*

[ShiShiLeo]

About the mecha and robots, I really like when the individual robots do stuff and don't just immediately merge into the combined form for every fight.

[Kurona]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ShiShiLeo

About the mecha and robots, I really like when the individual robots do stuff and don't just immediately merge into the combined form for every fight.

This too. Definitely something I'm enjoying about Dynaman at the moment!

[MangaArtist18]

TL;DR This is mostly about Rider, as well as a commentary on what I'd like to see the franchise do. I do bring up other franchises in passing comparison. I like a mix of both insane gimmickry and complete all-in-one toys. And its hard to pick which one I like more.

I love the toyeticness of most modern shows. If the toys are so commonplace, it helps sell the reality of the world.

At the same time, I feel that back when the toys weren't so out-the-wazoo, it made the transformation systems feel more special. Having said that, I'd like more to my toys than just the all-in-one transformation device, figures, mechs/vehicles, and that's it for 26-50 episodes. Its hard to describe.

Early Heisei Rider shows did a pretty solid job with very few toys, but the franchise can't exist without a trillion gimmicks. Similarly, shows like Legend Heroes The Three Kingdoms and the BIMA franchise can get away with fewer toys. But then Ultraman comes in with a bazillion gimmicks and its doing amazing, short episode count and in-between shows notwithstanding.

I kinda like a bit of both.

While I enjoy all the collectible gimmicks of more modern shows, I will admit that it can get tiring after a while.

On the other end of the spectrum, I love how unique most Phase 1 (and early Phase 2) rider belts were, but dislike how little they have in terms of gimmickry. An example of this would be Den-O and Deneb, or Fourze and Meteor.

So I like the more modern stuff because I like lots of shiny plastic that makes noises, but I do miss the unique belts, limited gimmicks, and more "complete" suits.

I'd like if it Rider did something like Sentai in recent years, where every other year there's a ton of merch, and elsewise is very little (e.g. LuPat to Ryusoulger to Kiramager to Zenkaiger).

Sentai is otherwise pretty good on the toy department, I think. Same with Ultraman.

And maybe Rider and Sentai could do a shortened episode count. I know Ultra fills that half a year with a side show, so maybe we could get a couple of movies here and there for Rider/Sentai.

I also like how Ultraman has been doing a lot with RFID chips lately, as well as most of their transformation devices being hand-held.
I feel Rider could do a lot with that. To echo Kurona from page 1, I also dislike the gimmicks being super-expensive and would like some gimmicks to be split between transformation-only and finisher-only.

I know it all comes down to execution, among other factors. Sentai alternates, Ultraman has a legacy, some shows have good writers, cable TV is on the way out, some shows have less episodes than others.

But I'd just like to see some other franchises (mainly Rider) execute gimmicks as well as Ultraman (and to an extent Sentai) does. Have a ton of cheap gimmicks with unique transformation devices, but have some gimmicks only used for certain things.

[EpsilonX]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dreamcastegirl

This is broadly my problem with merchandise for Transformers and MLP too; I'm old enough to be nostalgic here, and if you put a tiny pony in the same aisle as the soya milk or whatever, I will buy this stuff, but I won't make the effort to go out of my way to hunt things down, and I won't buy absurdly expensive, absurdly huge things, because what use have I for that?

Y'know, I thought that was too, for a while. Eventually, as I stared at my collection of random knick-knacks, I realized that I could have spent the same amount of money on one or two figures and gotten something that was substantial and super nice-looking. I've been trying to buy less "impulse" stuff since then, and trying to plan out my collection a bit more.

[dreamcastegirl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by EpsilonX

Y'know, I thought that was too, for a while. Eventually, as I stared at my collection of random knick-knacks, I realized that I could have spent the same amount of money on one or two figures and gotten something that was substantial and super nice-looking.

Oh, I relate totally. Just a glance at my bookcase reveals countless bits of nonsense that I could have refrained from and probably... taken out a mortgage on a house, haha. I am guilty of having a box just full of figures under my bed and I don't even have the space to put this stuff out, so like you I'm trying to avoid impulse buys. In this respect, lockdown has been kind of good.