Oh, it's good past the first few episodes, but they do say Tachibana's name a million times.

I enjoy the characters a lot. Kenzaki is a bit flat at first, but little things like him nursing Hajime make the character seem more noble than his fellows. Tachibana started out grating, but I like how he's mellowed out, learned from his mistakes, and shifted into a mentor role for Mutsuki.

Neat!

I'm done with Faiz. Literally and figuratively. What a terrible, terrible show. The characters are complete garbage, the story is shit and the overall tone is just crap. There's just so little to be enjoyed that you might as well not bother at all.

I took a liking to a few characters but this show made sure to ruin that within a few episodes. They switch sides and believes so easily just because the writers want them to and it sucks.

The ending was also bad, in a sense that it doesn't exist. It feels like the show could just continue after the last episode no problem, nothing is resolved really.

And the biggest fuck you from this show: Kusaka just dies. And then, just one episode after that, the people who should hate him for all eternity for the horrible shit he pulled cry because they still think he was their ally. Just no. That was completely unacceptable.

So yeah, easily the worst Rider show I have ever seen. The one thing I liked was the suit design, I think the Rider suits are very well done. And so are the Orphenoch really, I'm not a huge fan of the chess piece colors but I get it. Everything else though? Just no. The action scenes weren't even that good either, mostly because all I remember is the shitty CGI. And most fights took a complete backseat to the stupid drama too, what a waste.

I don't feel like posting the updated ranking list of my watched Rider shows right now but believe me when I say: This will be at the absolute bottom. And it will take a lot for it to move up.

Next up is Blade, I've heard good things and bad things about it but I'm very curious to watch it.

I feel mostly the same way, though I managed to finish Faiz. I really like the design aesthetic of the show, but I will likely never sit through it again. Probably the best thing to come out of Faiz for me were the Takumi/Keisuke bits in Heisei vs Showa. (Although, honestly, I do like Hitomi Kurihara so I was glad to see her come back after Ryuki.)

As for Blade, that's a show I couldn't manage to finish. I'm tempted to give it another go, primarily because of Hironari Amano. Hopefully you'll do better than I did. Good luck!

Wait wait wait! You have to watch the Faiz Hyper Battle Video first, trust me!

Definitely. Kiwami you've gone through the worst - you owe it to yourself to see the HBV.

No seriously, stay far away from Kiva.

Hope you enjoy it, it's a way better show than F-

Wait you've heard bad things about Blade?! Who are these people?! WHAT LIES DID THEY TELL YOU?!

I second this notion. It's the catharsis you need.

The only real issue I have with Blade is that the first ~12 episodes can be kind of rough and have some pacing issues. Once the show settles in, though, it gets really good. And don't worry, you won't have issues with how this one ends. It is still, to this day, the best ending of any Kamen Rider series.

Personally I didn't have a problem, but I didn't get why people didn't like Drive's first half for a bit. Though Blade's first batch of episodes is redeemed by 'AROOLLYATRAYDER' and 'ORE NO KARADA BOROBORO DAAAAAAA'

I am not a Blade fan, but the ending is indeed quite good!

I'm with Fish all the way on this.

I'll say I didn't hate Faiz but, yeah, don't think I'll be watching it again anytime soon. It's the birthing caul of the INOUE ZONE (prior to Faiz, Inoue was pretty good - see Jetman), it's an incredibly sloppy production (crew in shots, boom mics) and it's just a really trying show. I loved the design aesthetic, the set up of the show, Kusaka who was a Grade A Bastard, his potleaf pendant and the bartender Lobster Orphenoch (oh... So beautiful) and, finally, power-up upside the head / dropping out of the drop ceiling.

Still not as bad as Kiva.

KIIIIVVVAAAAA!!!