I'll tell you why they can't introduce riders in chunks of 2 or 3. The theme is Sengoku jidai, the plot demands for 6 people to be given belts simultaneously so that Ryouma can test the belts to make the mass-produced ones. The energy riders are all Yggdrasil employees, they have to be introduced at once, it wouldn't make sense otherwise.

If you would introduce riders like Ryuki did, then you would need to tweak the story a lot, Gaim's number one priority is plot, it's what moves every character in the show, and it's why Jounouchi and Oren are seen as irrelevant now. but if you think of the show in arcs, then it would make more sense, because not every character has to be relevant in every arc of the story. except for the main four riders.

No one is denying that it isn't flawed. Gaim is flawed. Hell, my main issue is how a lot of the characters, like Bravo and bodyguard girl, seem to be there more for fanservice than anything else. I was hoping I was wrong and that they would go by with a lot of great development, but they have had very little.

However, Gaim's strong point is its story telling and that there has been only one filler episode. I haven't seen a series be this driven into the story since Blade. Then there are the tones that each rider symbolizes a warlord from the Sengoku era of Japan. I'm just trying to figure out if Nobunaga is represented in Kouta or Takotori, which will then make either Bicchy or Ryouma Akechi Mutsuhide. Kaito is probably like Hideyoshi while Jounouchi is Ieyasu.

Personally, I didn't like the way Ryuki did things. After Ouja's introduction, pretty much every other Rider was only introduced for a short arc and then killed.

There's something else you forget there though. In Ryuki's time, the movie aired around the middle of the show, and that's exactly the point of Ryuki where we get more than 10 episodes without any extra Riders aside from the core four, with the battles never being mortal in that period due to that. Then, we suddenly get one Riders and two Alternatives, followed by one more Rider, all around episode 40, and who all die pretty quickly. Now, the movie airs in the fourth quarter, so the show itself can't introduce merchandising there without competing with the movie itself.

Still, the end of the show is pretty much the period where the staff seems to be allowed the most creative freedom by Bandai, so they could throw more Riders there if they have budget for that. Look at the Mages in Wizard (after they couldn't even call White Mage a Rider until after the end of the show due to him appearing too early), Proto-Birth in OOO or even Joker in W.

Exactly this.

The thing with Gaim is that characters are relevant, but not all at the same time, minus the main four obviously. Then you figure if the characters are going to be utilized again in the future, you can't just kill them off.

I don't think Ryuki pulled off the multiple Riders aspect thing quite as well, and I love Ryuki. Really, the show introduced characters only to kill them off 2 episodes later (ask Imperer or Scissors). Most characters in that show don't even get the chance to leave an impact before getting tossed aside. At least characters like Bravo and Sid had their chance in the spotlight before becoming irrelevant.

Welp, it's been nice knowing you Sid. Granted they didn't show his corpse, but Roshuo freaking crushed him with a rock face. If he lived through that, I'd be highly surprised. Looks like Yggdrasil got their Lock Vehicles back up and running, because they had plenty of Dandeliers ready for Kouta and Demushu. Also had a communications lockdown ready as well. Good thing the Scalar system was trashed. Mitchy and Redyue definitely seem like birds of a feather. Mitchy saw right through his trap and Redyue is really facinated with Mitchy's deviousness. And we finally get a glimpse of the fruit everyone has been looking for as Roshuo gives a piece of it to Sagara. Can't wait to see Kiwami Arms in action. The Rider team up as well

Edit: I hope the hesitation Minato exhibited in this episode leads to her defecting from Yggdrasil. She really wasn't comfortable with the orders Ryouma was giving her.

The following is a crackpot theory, take with a grain of salt.

You know, part of me wonders if that is even that's supposed to be a Sid Lockseed. The ability to take control of other Lockseeds sounds like something Ryouma would come up with. And the last time I checked, Sengoku began with a S.

This has been a crackpot theory, you may now return to your normal week old topic :lol.

... Holy shit.