Not bad. Not bad at all. Some good fight scenes here and a nice resolution to the plot. But honestly? I'm not really feeling Drive so far. We're backsliding into the two-episode arc format and the tire gimmick seems to be actively trying to out-goofy Fourze. I like Shinnosuke and Kiriko, but the rest of the supporting cast barely registers and I'm sorry, but I refuse to get emotionally invested in the Shift Cars. I really hope this ends up just being a slow starter and that the show tightens its collective tie in the upcoming weeks and really gets into top gear.

In any event, the best part of the episode was by far the 10 seconds of Black footage from that blu-ray trailer.

To me it looks like Sanjo is pacing this show alot like Double back in 09. With a slow build up and the show starting to actually get going around episode 10.

I hope so, but I've been rewatching W and it feels like that was far more engaging and better realized, even this early on. I'm just hoping this doesn't turn into another Wizard: a show that had several good points but was dragged down by a mountain of flaws.

I think to become as bad as Wizard they would have to screw up alot. But I´m a Sanjo fanboy so I will never lose faith that this show will turn out great at least for me :lol

Gotta wait and see I guess. I remember back then that alot of guys gave up on Double after the first four episodes. Even now I hear from alot of people that get into Rider and start watching Double having a hard time getting past the first few episodes.

Alot of what people say about how they feel about Drive just reminds me sooo much of the situation with Double its almost kinda scary :lol

This is freaking amazing! I cried at Dream Vegas' back story with Dimension Cab, I can't believe I cried for the back story, what have you done to me Kamen Rider?! Lol. The Roimudes are definitely interesting with collecting the upgraded ones by a certain date, I am intrigued where that goes. Machine Chaser is totally badass and I like his story too, I definitely think he is Proto-Drive as that was a bit hinted at today. I also think that they are hinting that Hayase might end up as Mach with the whole Dream Vegas/Dimension Cab story and Shinnosuke being envious of them. Kiriko is a very awesome character, she already has more back story and character to her than the Gaim Females. I can't wait for more though it sucks we have to wait two weeks for it.

Good episode today. I kind of wish they'd let Kiriko actually shoot Paint, even if it didn't really do that much but she did get her smile back.

Dream Vegas and Dimension Cab being car-bros is adorable.

Chaser is pretty cool too.

Type Wild very soon then. Do forms normally come this quick?

Sometimes. This is about when Fourze got Elec states. I think Wizard got Flame Dragon really early on, too.

Fourze Elek States first appeared in Episode 6 of that series. I'd say it's soon enough.

This is really not helping my opinion on Drive.

A big part of this episode hinges on us being emotionally invested in the saga of the Shift Cars, which is really hard when they haven't really told us a goddamned thing about them.

And while I don't expect them to tell everything at once there's really no reason NOT to at least offer some brief insight.

There's a big difference between "characters not knowing" and "writers not telling" the reason for something. The former allows the characters to grow & understand their world along with the audience and the story is usually stronger for it.

Drive unfortunately is the latter. Mr. Belt & Kiriko seemingly know all about the Shift Cars & just aren't telling for apparently no reason beyond padding out the story length. That's incredibly lazy writing.

What gets me is that the cars are supposed to be sentient, and have all these back stories, but really are just there to be fondled by Drive. I do like that they can be used in tandem with each other, and that Shin does make good use of the forms given. I'm sure we'll have some sort of back plot for the cars specifically, it's too soon to tell in the series. Since this is the hashiest rehash of Den-O possible, I find myself just sitting back in the passengers seat. Oh...wait, that was a car joke.

Dimension Cab is the creepiest upgrade ever. It's like a chikan's ultimate desirable superpower. Also, kudos to running out of CG budget and just using a cut off camera shot of the legs. And the Steering Saber is awkward to look at, but seems more powerful than Den-O's Hissatu attacks.