I told you already, if I can't find it visually appealing then all the story in the world won't save it. This isn't a book here.

I won't "give it a chance" because I can't stand looking at it. Sorry if that bothers you, but you don't get to decide how I feel about anything.

It's shit. To me. End of.

See, it's fine and dandy to have your own opinion, and feel free to not watch the show if you know you're not going to like it, but that kind of negativity seems a little boring.

Like, have you ever tried giving something you thought you wouldn't like a chance? I don't wanna sound like a parent telling their kid to eat their vegetables, but are you sure you aren't missing out?

I've seen tons of people say that watching the show MADE the designs cool to them, even if they didn't like them at first. Not just "I can put up with them", either. They gave the show a watch and it totally turned their opinion around.

Except when you can, like when Fox makes a Dragon ball movie and every design and actor choice shown before the movie's release through posters and trailers screams "this is not worth your time", or when a new Ghostbusters movie is coming out and the black member is yet again not the scientist, just a normal person next to her 3 smart white friends, and they tell you this through the trailers and online information handed out, leading you to think "I tolerated this when I was younger, why is this new movie doing the exact same thing but pretending to be different?"

If the show wasn't out yet AND we hadn't seen Rider that look like cheap McDonald's toys, then saying we hate the show already would be bullshit. But instead we've at least seen how our main hero, therefore the focus, is going to look, and if that doesn't hook some of us we are allowed to call it shit. A television show is both a visual pleasure and a storytelling experience. If the story is Shakespearean amazing but you have to look at utter garbage to experience it, why put yourself through that when you can instead watch something that's both visually appealing and has a good story, instead of settling because "well the designs are horrible, but I don't know the story yet so let me subject myself to this hot mess in the undeserving hope that it talks better than it looks".

Me, I'll maybe watch 3 episodes before I give up based on what I'm seeing here, but no one is required to apply themselves to your way of judging when it's time to call something shit, and considering the times you've been hard on a season other's have liked while it's still airing, that's not really fair of you to get on Syntax for being critical in their own way beforehand.

Jeez, chill out man. Did a fun looking kids show kill your parents?

It's not really negative if you don't let my opinion of something sway yours.

And sure, I get what you're saying. I'm not shallow at all regarding matters on most things and generally don't judge a book by it's cover. With people, or everyday life, I tend to be more open-minded. But with something like my own personal entertainment? Nah.

If it doesn't draw me in, hard pass. This not only doesn't draw me in but makes me want to run in the opposite direction.

It's like when someone says the graphics suck on a video game. I'm not that kind of person. I still enjoy Loderunner, some 30 years later. The graphics are stickmen. It's still fun.

But I can't look at this. I can't. Unlike some people in this thread, it doesn't remind me of warm memories of 90s video gaming, it just looks atrocious.

I even tried to find something in the whole GAMER DRIVER thing, trying to relate it to something like FOOT STINKS! but I... I can't. It's terrible. It's supposed to be high-tech (and for a video game based Rider to boot) and it's just... terrible.

It doesn't, to me, invoke feelings of fun. And that's why I pass on it.

I will say that his name being Emu (if that's what it is) is clever though.

That comparison is weak and you know it. In all the cases you have seen actual parts of the movie/show which can spark objective criticism. What we've seen here is armor and weapons, nothing else. And every opinion on those is purely subjective. If you try to call the show shit because you think how it’s gonna play out based on the designs you’re being ignorant. Again: Not liking the designs and not wanting to watch the show because of it is absolutely fine. Calling the whole show shit because you don’t like the designs isn’t.

Also, you cannot compare reboots or live-action adaptations to a franchise which defines itself completely new every year. Or at least tries to. Because Kamen Rider doesn’t need to check any rules besides the hero being a masked Rider on a motorcycle.

Again, subjective. And you cannot get a focus from the main hero’s armor. Because I’m quite sure no one predicted how Gaim would turn out once they first saw it and mocked it as a Malaysian Rider knockoff.

You’re right, no one is required to apply to that, and I don’t understand why you guys think I insist on that. I simply say don’t judge a book by its cover.

If you don't want to watch it then don’t watch, if you want to criticize the designs for being bad in your opinion do it, but don’t argue how you have the right to call a whole show shit when you haven't even seen anything besides the costume design, weapons and gimmicks yet.

Fair enough then, but I think using phrasing as blunt as "this is shit" can be a little off-putting to people, hence why they jumped down your throat like that. Maybe lead off with the detailed reasoning next time. It'll save a lot of internet arguing.

Heh! I feel you, but you kinda knew what you were going to find here, though, right?

I wasn't around when the first catalog images for Kamen Rider Gaim were leaked, but I assume the conversation was pretty similar. "It's the end of the world! It's gonna be awful! I'm done with Kamen Rider!" Actually, I kinda wonder what my reactions would've been. I remember my first reaction to hearing about a fruit theme was "I'm out," so that informs how I'm reacting to Ex-Aid.

To be clear, the color combinations remind me of the Nerf aisle at Target exploding in the most horrible way possible. "Garish" is putting it lightly. The driver looks even less practical than usual. As a Figuarts enthusiast, I'm wincing over how that's going to limit head articulation, or how to the Level 1 face on the back will mess with head articulation.

With that said...

I'm excited that this is going to be a multi-Rider show from the outset. The preview image suggests yet another Rider. Although I don't care for the design of most of the unique weapons, I'm very pleased that there are unique weapons, and I'm hoping this will continue through the series as we uncover (I suspect) additional Riders. The structure of a multi-Rider show grants it lots and lots of narrative options. The multiple forms/modes shown here aren't all focused on the main Rider, but are spread across them. This makes me hopeful because one of the things I didn't enjoy about the early episodes of Drive and Ghost was the plots centering around new power-ups for the main hero. (Colorful Commercial and Robin Hood, I'm looking at you.)

I'm hoping that Kamen Rider Racer will be a proper character. I'm also curious about Genmu, since on its face, it looks more like an inevitable color-swapped movie Rider, but the images suggest Genmu's role is different, and more in line with a main character.

A wide cast of Riders could indicate that we're going to have fewer non-Rider supporting characters, which is not necessarily a bad thing. (Drive and Ghost seemed to struggle a bit over what to do with some of their supporting characters.)

The series could be good or bad... or both, given Ghost's odd trajectory. I'm curious as to whether they'll manage the chibi forms in a way that strikes me as cool/awesome rather than unfortunate. I'd have said it was impossible, but I'd probably have said that about the giant, descending fruit, too.

Why Malaysia? I dunno, because I guess Southeast asia is sterotyped with coming up with thier own toku like stuff that looks somewhat like Rider designs but not quite. And people picked Malaysia because?

AHHHHHHH! THE INCOHERENT BELT!!! THAT LA GEAR GRAFFITI FONT!!! THEY ALL HAVE DIFFERENT HELMET-HAIRSTYLES (ONE HAS FREAKING SIDE-SWOOPED BANGS)!!!

I'm sitting at my desk vibrating with giddy joy, but I'm trying not to squeal in front of my coworkers. I don't want to explain to them that I'm having a pleasure seizure over Japanese children's super hero shows.

But holy goddamn Christ, these designs are FIRE!!! I am deeply, deeply in love with the look of this thing.

I feel like I've died and gone to some sort of Kamen Rider-meets-Lisa Frank-meets-Fresh Prince of Bel Air-meets-SNES heaven tailored specifically to my tastes.

After two years of lackluster design work, I wondered if Rider would ever again provide the "holy-shit-this-is-bonkers" insanity that drew me to the show in the first place. Well, wonder no more -- cause Ex-Aid is mind-blowingly nutzo.

To be honest, I felt Toei is trying to make Kamen Rider Ex-Aid feel more refresh because they didn't want to do a pattern that Drive and Ghost did. I do give a credit to Toei for taking a risk for Kamen Rider

I like how the show started out with 5 Kamen Riders because it wouldn't be predictable that Ghost suffered and I feel Drive should be a Speed Racer show with many Kamen Riders than 3 Riders.

I wonder who will be playing those Kamen Riders?

I really do not like the main design at all. I like every main rider design up until now. I know it's bad to judge a book by its cover, but I'm going to have a hard time watching the show with that ugly design. Maybe the show will be so good that I can get past the bad design. After the letdown of Drive and Ghost, I don't have much high hopes. Maybe this will be what W was to me after the letdown of Kiva and Decade. Only time will tell.

*wraps Lucha up in a straight jacket and administers a tranquilizer shot* Calm down sweetheart. :lol

Has anyone found the hidden 9 that this series clearly and totally has yet?

I guess I assumed after Gaim, we'd be past the judging a book by it's cover for Kamen Rider.

Pretty much this. Something along the lines of "I don't like the designs, I'll probably skip the show" would've been absolutely fine, personal opinion, can't argue with that.

But "Welp. Another shit Rider show." as a response to the initial batch of leaked advertisements? That just sounds super ignorant and unfair. Yes you don’t need to be fair or logical on an internet discussion board, but since it is a discussion board you should expect to be called out for it. And "my opinion" is no excuse for a bad post.

You had to bring up numbers again.....WHY?!?!

Flip the collectable upside down. BAM! It's a 9.

We're on to you Toei.

NEVER!!! :lol

Come off down your pedestal there son. It's nice down here. Air isn't so thin that you actually get some oxygen to that noodle of yours.

Atta' boy. Better now?

Bringing it up is fun.. watching people debate about it is even more fun, having it actually appear is okay

Alright can everybody knock off trying to one up each other in this argument?

Get the thread back on track. Discuss whats presented, not each others' opinions.

Oh god, is that what you meant? I totally forgot all about that when people had to massively stretch the rules to fit Wizard in. "No but hands have five fingers"! Shut up! That isn't the point and you know it!

Also, people will never be over hating the new Rider design every year. Not since Ryuki. They could have the next series' design be the most straightforward, cool looking bug dude ever, with no dumb collectible gimmick, and you'd just have to hear about how much cooler Ex-aid here is.

surprise surprise, Kain doesnt like it. What a shocker......not....
Youre entitled to your opinion but seriously dude, you need to actually give these things a chance before completely giving up on life. Like with Ghost where 2 episodes is not enough to make a snap judgment, the magazine scans is definitely the wrong point to force an opinion of the whole thing! (PS- Drive was great and Ghost is pretty good <- My opinion)

Onto my opinion-

With that first reveal i didnt like the design but since the full catalogue releases today i LOVE it! It all looks so Pseudo-retro its epic! As a gamer AND a rider fan i cant wait for this to start!!!!!!!

I had to stop arguing that Wizard's 5 fingers thing didn't fit into the numbers gimmick because so many people were acting super dense at the time :lol

Save your breath. Trying to actually debate with him is like arguing with a sandal.

although I do like retro... I was at least expecting them to use a newer console as a motif (heck my game rider was based of a psp and a ds). And also I would really mind the sculpted hair which was my main issue if they at least made it symetrical.

And one of the riders is named Brave. They better make him do the Brave Perspective/ Obari pose or else I'll be sad

I've already seen people say this fits the number motif because an upside down Gasshat resembles a 9.

But if you turn it upright it would like a six then, right? Gosh these discussions are infuriating. I'm guessing two Eyecons stacked together makes an 8 too, yeah?

Also, don't know if anyone already made this connection but I just realized what this all reminds me of.

https://youtube.com/?#/watch?v=4aQpnTlay94

I can only hope Ex-Aid lives up to these incredibly high standards.

what i want to know is weather Braver's attacks show damege numbers or not

I see a lot of people comparing to this Gaim. When I first saw Gaim's design, I love it. It still had a Kamen Rider feel to it and was so cool to look at. Gaim did had the sliver mouth piece that most Kamen Riders have and the little gem thingy on his head too. Ex-Aid looks nothing like a Kamen Rider to me. Hibiki didn't look like a Kamen Rider, but his design was so unique looking to me.

I still hope the show is good. I give it up to six episodes and see how it goes from there.

As I said in the earlier thread, these are about as far away from a Kamen Rider design as I could imagine. However my initial hesitation has turned into excitement, because these suits are just so out there that I'm REALLY curious to see how this all turns out. I have absolutely no expectations all of a sudden and I'm loving it.

It's more about how you shouldn't judge the show for the main characters look than how Gaim looks more like a Rider than Ex-Aid nor not.

Because the concept of fruit armor and street dancing screams for a lighthearted theme, but we ended up with something unique that had a mature tone. I'm just saying Ex-Aid could do the exact same for all we know, it's too early to tell, that's why I’m comparing it to Gaim.

But I agree, Ex-Aid lacks some Rider indicators I like, and I think Hibiki looked better too.

Color me intrigued cause these designs look like something I would've drawn :lol.
BUT my one critique is the belt. I know it's supposed to be the same belt for all the riders, but it screams too much Ex-Aid. This'll be the first time since Wizard that I've skipped buying a belt...I'll buy an OOO related henshin trinket though. No doubt lol.

That's because Hibiki wasn't originally meant to be a Kamen Rider.

I think that was just a rumor.

Gaim had the advantage of having Urobuchi announced early as its writer, so for every "he's a Malaysian knock-off" comment there was also either ridiculous praise of the Madoka writer or tempered interest because he had previously turned a magical girl series dark (which yes I know, is more common than people think, but he got more people to hear about it), so people believed he could handle a mandated "fruit ninja" season.

Gaim didn't happen on its own, it worked because the writer took what he felt worked from the "toys", and barely used what he clearly didn't like (those hopper mechs the Kurokages got). So yeah, I liked Gaim from the get go, even during the happy looking dance arc. That's because I knew early on who was writing this and he wrote the story well. I don't have to look at a book and guess who's writing it, it's there with the ridiculous image on top. So if I see something that looks completely stupid, but I see Mark Waid or Alan Moore, or Brian Jacques had wrote it, I'd give a chance based on what they personally have done, regardless of what company they were under. Ex-Aid doesn't get that trust Gaim or Redwall does until I hear who's writing it, and even then we'll see how much Toei forces them to "sell the toys". Which normally wouldn't bother me so much if they didn't look like Happy Meal quality toys.

I am so incredibly torn on this.

I kinda hate all of this but at the same time I'm kinda loving it for the exact same reasons :lol

I'm not that big a fan of Ex-Aid himself but I like the look of both Brave and Snipe. I'm kind of curious of how ridiculous some of the forms will get seeing it's a video game theme.

I think people believe that Kamen Rider tends to have more serious story lines and will have a dark atmosphere compare to Super Sentai. I see people said that Super Sentai for the most part always flight more light hearted and silly compare to Kamen Rider.

Same! These are the most outlandish toku hero designs I've seen in ages and that really excites me. Just the genuine creativity, the originality of these looks, it really gets me going.

I don't care about you guys whining about the suit design!

I am more whining about who will be the HEAD-WRITER of Ex-Aid!

All of them are OUT! Yasuko Kobayashi might write Kamen Rider Amazons' Second Season, I heard Riku Sanjo is taking a break from writing a Toku show to write his new manga, Takuro Fukuda is NOT returning for Ex-Aid! All of them are out!

I am concern about who will be the head-writer of Ex-Aid