Shinnosuke's fluke was a bummer sure, but he was forgiven and his partner is fine in the end. And I'm sure we were all super worried that Takeru wouldn't make passed the first 10 minutes. I still don't think either scenario compares to the implications of what happened in Gaim.

That said, I do see your point. I still somehow get the impression that there's more potential for a grim turn here than I felt there was from Ghost or Drive right off the bat. I'm not sure exactly how to pinpoint what's giving me that feeling though.

I can deal with lite drama / action comedy if they just amp up the WTF factor week to week. Madan Senki Ryukendo did a good job of this and, honestly, if Ex-Aid's first episode reminds me of anything, tonally, it's Ryukendo.

Yeah, but every show with multiple Riders are like that, Gaim didn't exactly re-invent the wheel or anything.

So?

For one thing, that was my first viewing. Are you telling me you have never missed something the first time? Secondly, I've now watched the episode three times and the nurse never says he is just a student doctor.

Well I guess I can't fault you for giving it a chance.

Obviously it's not exactly on the same level but keep in mind that was only a dark moment in retrospect 16 or so episodes in. Except for people who guessed the twist right away, of course.

That's part of my point. It's such a normal thing for shows like that, including Gaim, it makes sense Ex-Aid would hew a bit closer to it than the past couple shows.

Maybe we should all just stop comparing every multi-rider show to Gaim and make incessant Ryuki comparisons instead. Both Knight and Brave are blue! Can't wait for Ex-Aid to become Ryuki II.

I think it's important to remember that, as a multi-Rider story, it is only logical to compare it primarily to the Hibiki movie.

You know you joke about that but this is the third time the second most important Rider in a show like this is an aloof knight.

And I nominate Kabuto for multi-Rider show Ex-Aid gets compared to every week.

"Level 1 is just a ripoff of Masked Form! The second guy's name is Kagami! Doesn't Toei have any original ideas anymore?!"

If you tell people to watch your review after you proved you missed something, in which multiple people corrected you, you're going to seem less reliable, like when Polygon docked points from Bayonetta 2 because "ew too sexy" (yusss got a gaming-related thing!)
I don't miss the subtitles in a show which has a language I don't understand
at 1:22 the woman dragging Emu away says "I know you're still an INTERN, but get a grip" in the subtitles. Either you're using TV Nihon and they left it out, or you missed it 3 fucking times. To which I ask, why didn't you use EXCITEsubs then as they did it first, which gave you more time to script the review?

If ripping off Kabuto results in gratuitous food porn, I'm totally okay with that.