People out there speculated about Shinobi being the 2022 series. Meanwhile intellectuals like us are waiting for the Kiva sequel. :lolol

I loathe Kiva but to this day I cannot get over how dang cool the Fangires look. The show was great on the visual front, that's for sure.

As time passes by, a Kamen Rider series gets less remembered for the show and plot and more for the suit design, lead character (especially if they show up in post-show cameos), music, and lasting themes.

Since the 10th anniversary of Wizard, I've seen an outpour of Japanese fans sharing how they named their child Haruto, how Life is Showtime has stuck with them as an inspirational song after all these years, and how the idea of Hope vs Despair has influenced their lives.

In hindsight, it's easier to overlook the minor gripes and failings of any given series. People hated Decade during its run and ending, but now Tsukasa is a charming prick and the show is remembered as being a wild showcase of heisei phase 1.

Okay I needed to laugh out loud.
Thanks for this one!! Lol

Personally, it seemed to me that Wizard has always been, although not super popular, quite well received, at least in Japan and at the time of broadcast. That is, it has an average episode rating better than Fourze and Gaim, which is a success in my opinion.

I think the distaste towards Wizard was always on the West's end. Like, the only real common criticisms I've seen from both languages was that the Koyomi plot wasn't that good.

For every westerner I've seen that felt Haruto was bland, I've read translated posts from Japanese fans that loved the character and felt he was charismatic and cool.

I loved Kiva. Did it have issues? Sure. But so does every series. I also strongly disagree with the "Emperor was overused" criticism. I don't get why some shows insist on continuing to use weaker forms when a stronger upgrade is available (other than to sell more toys). It just made more sense to use Emperor more.

Anyways, I have a question.

What is the wordplay in Ex-Aid's name? I remember realizing it one day, but I cannot, for the life of me, remember what it was... I think it was that the katakana was a combination of words involving gaming and rescue, with Ex-Aid being an English reading of the katana? But that's as far as I can get now. Can anybody help me out?

Hmmm...That's different from what I had in mind. I felt like it was a portmanteau of loan words or something like that? I dunno. Thanks though.

I just want to ask, why is Zero One so popular?
Because I just see the show as decent at best, nothing to write home about in the long run and I just think other Kamen Rider shows are better. But the subreddit makes it seem like it's the best show ever, and if you ever say you didn't think it was that great, criticize the show or point out the shows flaws, you get raked through the coals and get called an idiot.