Or a limited time promotion.

Not a lot of thoughts about the premiere of Gotchard, which is rare for me. Much like the protagonist, I think this is a show that's going to take a little while to figure out what it wants to do. There's a real "Fourze by way of Wizard and also Ghost" thing going on, and it's (purposefully, I'd imagine) significantly lighter in tone than Geats. I am not at all opposed to wacky teenage hijinks in my Kamen Rider, and I like this show as an alternative to Geats's media critique and complicated views on cooperation and individual achievement. This one's just, like, Impulsive Kid Becomes A Magic Superhero, and that's fine for a beginning. I didn't love this first one, but I can see a show in here that I'm really going to connect with around Episode 14 or something.

Biggest surprise is that Gotchard already debuted its Trinity Form, though:

https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/...Rinne_Kudo.png

"Asuma" would register as "Azuma" (one in Revice, one in Geats) with the z being misspelled in at least my mind. It's Asumu.

Perhaps yeah it can be too fast, like Saber, as a con, though I wouldn't mind "basic" stuff that much. This episode (and Hotaro in general) has less cringe factor than I expect tbh IMO.

Oh right... a "normal" human being completely able to participate in battle, now I get what's on my mind, has something like Dr. Strange vibes. Though Rinne isn't the only alchemist, there'd be much more that are like her so even in this setting she wouldn't be "special" among the cast, still being a main character due to emotional connection to the lead. This'd be perhaps what's distinct in Gotchard compared to any others though (previously human looking direct fighters are also genetically enhanced like human form of monster or such).

And Gentarou is one of the only boy scout main protagonists who is universally well-liked. Though it can feel to me that he's more well=liked due to his wild, larger than life, wacky, and exaggerated nature, rather than his morals (thus people'd tolerate the "boring" moral due to his memetic/larger than life character), due to how other characters get compared.

Guess I mean in school, to make up for his embarassment in his class in this episode, particularly if he's established as more of a joke (not a nerd cuz he's stupid academical wise). Though perhaps my compatriots (who already mocked this series especially the MC before it airs) will never acknowledge that showings due to him being just a lil kid (and also his looks being so unremarkable in that).

Softer side is guaranteed as someone in protagonist group, though it won't also erase their other bad impressing traits. But I thought, being professional is, or at least as most media made it, is almost automatically associated with being aloof and cold? This series also seem to paint alchemy job as a police/soldier-like (and seems to be a lighter tone series), so perhaps.... anyone who is a part of them would get any of their questionable or unlikable traits swept under the rug and get depicted as saints due to their occupation.... only a special case would be disqualifying like Isaac (but Reika can perhaps still get seen as just dutiful).

So Houtarou and Rinne as a Kamen Rider and Mahou Shoujo duo? That would be unique for sure. Maybe Rinne's outfits would correspond to RPG magic classes, like white mage, black mage, fighter mage, etc. She's been compared to Phillip as the other half to Houtarou's Shoutarou, but I'm currently getting more of an Eiji and Ankh feeling from them.

Meanwhile, I don't have this problem due to only referring to him by nickname.

A nerd doesn't have to be limited to having general knowledge though. Like Sougo was a history nerd, but sucked at everything else. The way Houtarou enjoys experimenting with bento flavors and got the general idea of what the Renaissance was right, in how it was a very romantic era of dreamchasers, gives me the feeling that he can also be a nerd in a savant way, as well as the fact that his best friend is Kajiki, who is definitely a nerd. Even if some people complain about Houtarou's generic appearance, I'll argue that he still has better fashion sense than Ikki.

I think it's possible to be both professional and amicable, like Rintarou, who was one of the most caring members of that group. The way Rinne coldly said something like, "besides, I don't even know you", seemed kind of uncalled for, like she was deliberately pushing Houtarou away instead of welcoming the opportunity to make a new friend with someone who's literally in the same class as her. But I guess it's too early to judge her yet without understanding the reasons for her behavior.

I'm sure there are a lot of people who think Gentaro is a joyful idiot, especially during the show's run. Do not forget that Fourze was an absolute failure in his time, and his fans fell in love only somewhere after Gaim. Now many fans love Fourze because they associate this show with childhood.
Also, Sota Fukushi is tritely charismatic and, by the standards of the main characters of these shows, definitely enters the top of the best actors. Or maybe even a five.

I think he's more of a weird quiet guy. In any case, Hotaro has at least one friend, so he is clearly not a complete outcast.

I think the reasons for Rinne's gloominess are not so much in alchemy itself, but in the fact that for her this is a family affair. Therefore, she feels a huge responsibility and cannot relax. Also, it can mean several options:
1) She does not like alchemy, but is forced to do it;
2) She loves alchemy, but "burned out" and stopped enjoying miracles;
3) Of all the alchemists, Rinne is the youngest. It is probably very difficult for her to fit in with the others and therefore she does not want to be treated like a child. Maybe that's why the appearance of newcomer Hōtaro will let her breathe easy.

Don't forget the earliest example:
https://i.redd.it/yvc5bcap2oz61.jpg

At a minimum, the girl, in addition to the usual lessons, studies alchemy. Maybe she's so unfriendly because she's tired as hell.

Lots of fun comparisons so far between Gotchard and older Kamen Rider series! Fourze, Gaim, Ghost, Wizard, OOO, Double, Stronger... I'm not sure if it's a positive or negative that so many folks are finding bits of Kamen Rider DNA in the first episode of a non-anniversary season, but it's definitely happening. (Honestly, I think it's just natural for any new season of a 50+ year franchise. We have a vocabulary that's built from previous shows!) This morning, I figured out the previous series that this show's cast and setup most reminded me of:

https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/.../hibiki13a.png

Only child of a single working mother, trying to navigate high school and Kamen Rider action, all while attempting to discover their passion? And then they accidentally intersect with a secret monster-hunting organization that's existed for centuries? With a teenage girl as the prodigy that maybe wants more than what she's been expected to be?

It's Hibiki. Hotaro is Asumu, struggling to find something that excites him, but willing to throw himself into whatever comes his way. Rinne is Akira, the more capable colleague that is maybe starting to wonder what else is out there for her.

And that's perfect? A high school setting isn't unique to Kamen Rider, but the emphasis on self-discovery and trying out different possibilities in order to find your path? That is uniquely Hibiki. Making the main gimmick of the show alchemy, that's just the exact right metaphor for high school discovery: the way different classes and activities and friends and jobs and everything else somehow (hopefully) turns an aimless kid into a focused adult.

Significantly more excited about this show today!

Not that weird given the Japanese context: they're merely acquaintances and he completely drops the honorific when using her name. Big social no-no among people who are merely acquaintances.

Calling Fourze an absolute failure is an exaggeration. Look at the amazing merchandise sales! Personally, I've always enjoyed the show.

That's it! I knew her archetype seemed familiar.

Yeah, I pointed that out earlier in the thread. It's not quite as casual as only using given names, like Gentarou does, but still pretty loose with the social etiquette of the high school setting for Houtarou to only refer to Rinne as "Kudo", without the san. Although, Rinne doesn't even bother to remember Houtarou's name until he saves her from Steamliner, which is the opposite extreme.

And what amazing sales Zi-O had!

Yes, me too, but still, Fourze is not some kind of ideal standard or a show that everyone loves. As far as I remember, when we were making charts according to our tastes of the rider shows, nobody named neither Fourze nor Gentaro their favorite show / rider. At most, Nadeshiko was mentioned once as a favorite tertiary.