+1

I gave Geats a rewatch with the official subs. Once again I really have to hand it to Shout, excellent Rider subs as usual!

Listen though, it's no secret that Geats didn't really do it for me back when I was watching it live and I think unfortunately I liked it even less this time. I'd even go as far as to say this is my least favorite of the Reiwa era shows. It has some good points! Some of the fights are cool and I genuinely enjoy some of the earlier episodes with the wide variety of games that the Riders had to play. But for me, this is a show that just loses me more the longer it went on. I think I pretty much universally dislike the character arcs in this show, which tend to vary between feeling stagnant or suddenly lurching into completely different characterization. Like I'm sorry, I can't buy Michinaga's nice guy all along deal, Keiwa's inorganic villain arc, or... whatever the heck they were doing with Daichi. I also find the show to be "meta" in a way that is really offputting. It often tries to position itself as critiquing television, and Rider shows by extension, but doesn't really elevate itself above what it is trying to commentate on? A lot of moments that try and criticize the production or audience of the DGP as wanting sensationalist drama while the show Kamen Rider Geats just relishes in the exact same thing. I dunno, I certainly see why it works for some people, but it is just a total miss for me. It's too bad, I usually like things more the second time around!

I've made it up through episode 19 of Drive, including Episode 0, "Hunter & Monster" and the Gaim crossover movie.

The short version is that I'm really not seeing where all the hate comes from.

Don't get me wrong, it's not like I'm popping in to say that these episodes are some of the best I've ever seen or anything. I just think that overall, they have been, at worst, very average for Kamen Rider.

My main issue alot of the time is actually the atmosphere. I can't really tell if it's ever being intentionally awkward or not, and it mainly stems from how the Main Roidmude(Heart, Brain, etc) scenes are framed as super villainous, yet alot of their dialogue really isn't? Antagonistic, sure, but like, not super evil bad guy tier.

But that aside, even if I hadn't already known that this show had the same head writer as W, I feel like I might've figured that out given how both shows have very similar vibes and alot of what made W fun is also present in Drive. Mainly in the style of comedy it has and how much the scenes at the office share alot of beats with Team W at their Agency.

I don't have any real favorites yet, but none of the characters have really annoyed me either. But I did rather like some of the more recent MOTW plots such as the one about Gen and Judge, as well as the two-parter about the actress and the fortune teller. Sure, Drive's' overarching plot is taking a bot to get going, but hey, if I keep getting one-off plots that I legit enjoy, then I feel like I won't have too much to complain about, you know?

And that's about all I've got for the first act of Drive. Overall, it's just been simple fun. And I can't ever see myself getting mad about that.

With Drive you need to go in immediately after watching Gaim and with the perspective that Gaim is the best series that Kamen Rider has ever produced. That will help you understand why Drive had a poor rep.

Yes, the effect of the previous show is very important in the perception of the next one. That is, I?m sure that if Ghost had come out after Decade, he would have been loved much more.

Ghost could have come out after Ghost and it would still be disappointing.

I felt this in my soul. Lmao. Ngl the ghost suit designs are still fire and I?d love a legend rider drive tamashii hoodie but that?s neither here nor there.

Also just to add to your point here, me being a huge drive fan, the issue lies in the first 17 episodes. It?s too ?brand new toy? until then when the story finally picks up speed and has heart.






Yes I did those puns on purpose and I?m not ashamed.

You must have been using your brain to make those wild puns. I hope nobody takes offense to them, or else you may need a medic.

That was pretty funky
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