Yeah they are not very good.

Yup now is the time the story really kicks in. With Kuuga getting his rising forms and them learning more about what Kuuag really is and how he relates to the Grongi.

That's me seen 23 episodes of Blade, and, despite TV-Nihon subbing it, i'm really enjoying it. Right now, i'm liking Mutsuki's arc on trying to control Leangle. Like how it starts off like a drug addiction to him and then through Tachibana's mentoring and Kenzaki's words of wisdom telling him to find something to fight for, he manages to eventual control it in the end.

I watched the Golden Fruits Cup movie earlier today.

So there's that one scene, where Kouta gets a bunch of lockseeds from the Riders that had been defeated. So he uses Donguri Arms and Durian Arms and Banana Arms, which, except for the last one, we never see him use in the show. And. Then. For the first time ever, Kouta has a Melon Energy Lockseed....and....and....he uses Jimber Lemon?

Just. What the hell? Here's a scene which pretty much serves no purpose other than being fanservice by showing Gaim in forms that he never otherwise would assume. And they skip out on the one Jimber Arms we never got to see? It's extra ridiculous because as form changes go, the Jimber arms are probably as easy and cheap to make as is possible. I just don't get it. It's really a mind boggling decision.

As is having Kamuro on screen for all of 30 seconds. As is the entire deal with Peko.(how? why? also, soooo cheap) But you know. These are pretty minor quibbles of mine.

The movie itself is pretty...alright, I suppose I would say. As distractions from the main series in the form of movies go, this one is by far the best one Gaim got. But it's not really a good movie, really. Ok. It is ok.

As far as Gaim itself goes, I'm 3 episodes way from finishing. So good. So good. I may post more concrete thoughts once I'm finished, but for now I'll just say I love it a whole hell of a lot.

Something I've learned about Kamen Rider over the years: There will always be one form they'll never show you or a finisher that's never done, just to tease you. They're punks for doing that, but it's a thing I'm used to now.

And...I'm done. Gaim is done.

Dang. That was...a blast. A lot of fun throughout, and all in all a very enjoyable series--I finished it in six days, which has to be some sort of record. Took me weeks to get through the last few series I've watched. That I couldn't stop watching this is a testament to how well it hooked me (also to the fact that I had nothing better to do, but eh, that's another topic).

But yeah. I think it was just really great. Even just superficially, the designs were great, ridiculous and a lot of fun, the effects were great, the transformations were great, the Drivers were fun, the soundtrack was great...But of course even beyond that I think it's a very solid series.

The plot was great. Every part of the story was interesting either because of some mystery that was being explored, some revelation or other, character progression and interactions...it made sense, it escalated well. I liked it a lot.

But I think I liked the characters most of all. Kaito may be my favorite Rider character of all time (Sorry, Kitaoka). His motives, his actions, his entire presence and arc. Extremely well done, well acted. I love the way the last few episodes shed a different light on his actions throughout the whole series. Truly a great character.

Then there's Mitchy. Truly a despicable asshole and an unlikable jerk, he is also one of the best written characters in the series as well as one of the most enjoyable. His descent arc is truly a thing of beauty, and I really can't help but feel that Urobuchi was doing with him what he meant to do in Aldnoah.Zero with the character of Slaine (since he left that project shortly after it started to work on Gaim. Mitchy and Slaine have extremely similar arcs, but Slaine's is just done rather poorly). Whether that is true or not, a villain arc done right is always great to see. Reading about him prior to watching the series I had come under the impression that his becoming a villain was some sort of twist, but of course, that was not the case. The process he took was long, steady, and a great pleasure to watch. When he fully revealed himself in episode 35, I couldn't do much but pump my fist at the sheer greatness of it all. That kick. Oh so good.

Kouta was a lot of fun. I don't think he's as great a character as Kaito or Mitchy, but he was still a great protagonist and a true Kamen Rider. The spirit of sacrifice and standing up against incredible odds was strong with this one, and I am satisfied with his arc.

Takatora is interesting. If I didn't know he was supposed to be one of the four main characters I'd think he was as much of a side character as you could be...well, even knowing, he still definitely is that. I've hardly ever seen a supposed protagonist who did so little.

Not to say I dislike him, though. Takatora is great. I just wish the show had had done more with him. The way he was treated by the movies was particularly atrocious...I suppose the show as a whole needed to keep him on the sidelines for Mitchy's sake.

Mai is there I guess. I will admit to not really caring much for her either way throughout the entire thing. She was just...a little boring.

As far as other characters go, the Incredible Ryouma is probably my favorite. A cold, crazy, arrogant bastard, and completely entertaining to the very end. So many great moments came about from this guy. "Yes. And I have no idea why you believed me." Completely fantastic.

Most of the rest of the supporting cast was pretty solid. It's unfortunate that so many Riders ended up playing bit roles in the grand scheme of things, but they were all pretty entertaining and fun to watch. Last episode deserves some praise for its Jonouchi moments--as short as they lasted. Oren was great, Zack was pretty cool. Minato was...not really utilized to her full potential, and Sid was a (very entertaining) jerk.

I dunno what to say about it really, coherently. Lots of thoughts buzzing in my mind. But as I keep mentioning, I liked it a lot. I liked a lot of things about it a lot. It was a great story with great characters and a great conclusion. It was great.

It's certainly my favorite series in the Kamen Rider franchise that I've seen, but I wouldn't say it's my favorite Kamen Rider series. It's just...so different, and didn't really operate the way I have come to expect them to. Comparing Gaim to the rest of the franchise...it's like comparing Kouganes to Koutas. It's like that. But I loved it.

OOO episode 13:

Did Anhk just Rocket Punch himself at Gotou? :lol

Oh man that scene was great.

Kuuga 18.
Wow. Kuuga dies. I didn't anticipate that...
I'm certainly curious to see where this goes, since I have no idea, myself.

The current villain (Whose animal I, once again, can't figure out) goes around in a sun hat biting people and injecting them with a super poison. I can dig it. Strange that he's considered a weak Grongi, though. I guess since his fighting ability is pretty poor, and basically relies on the bite...Well, he gets Kuuga and the rest is history.

Hes a Mushroom if I remember correctly.

I remember these episodes being quite sad IMO because they really put some effort into the hospital scenes with Godai "dying" and people mourning and stuff.

Makes his inevitable return even more badass though.

@Topic: I watched the "A New Transformation!" Agito TV-Special today, I kept myself from watching it and the G4-Movie until the new Agito SHF comes around. I'll watch the movie once the figure arrives.

But anyway, the special was great. I felt right at home after having finished Agito months ago, and Dr. Higashi Kunieda is a great character. His chemistry with Shouichi is perfect, and the story with his son adds another great tone to the whole Agito story. I especially liked that Shouichi was unable to control Burning Form, which never happened in the show. It's a rather cheap plot device since Gills already fills this spot, but it was great for Shouichi to lose control in such a way and face himself afterwards.

The G3 Mild-sidestory is kinda nice, I liked that Omuro got some more action, even though he didn’t understand how he basically got the job just to show that the system works for everyone.

The Houjo sidestory is completely stupid. It fits in no way to the canon of the show, considering he learns about the identity of Agito in the Special, even arresting Shouichi because of it, but it's never mentioned in the show where Houjo finds out about Agito in a completely different way.

That's the only bad aspect about the special though, the story is cool, the fights are fun and I really like Scarabaeus Fortis, the Beetle Lord, with his way to turn people into ash and his funny beard.

I was happy getting some good Agito action once more, and now I can't wait to watch the G4-movie!

He is indeed a mushroom; one of nature's most ferocious animals.

(I still don't know why there's a mushroom Grongi - it's really out of place as the only non-animal monster, kind of like Mika Hijii's Orchid Undead in Blade)

Rose lady? We never saw her in full monster form but her hands looked pretty plant-like and she did shoot vines around if I remember correctly.

Yeah, there is a rose Grongi, so it's not completely out of the blue. Though it sounds like plant based ones are a lot rarer.

Mushroom Grongi has actually been one of my favourite ones so far :lol

(I myself having watched up to episode 34)

I didn't count her because we really don't know for sure. You guys are probably right, though.

I just call her a rose because during her debut, she used rose petals to summon the others to her.

Anyway, 19. Kuuga doesn't die!
It being only 19 episodes in, I knew he wasn't gonna die, but it was both interesting and kind of lame how they pulled it off. He just...Gets better. Could've been handled a lot better. What they did handle nicely was Ichijou's and the doctor's reaction to his death. They were rough and heavy, but not over the top and dramatic. Nicely done. They dropped the ball on his sister and Satonowakonawako or whatever. They just reacted with "Eh. He's Godai and smiles and stuff" to a major drama bomb.

Oh well. We get to see some nice Training form action and Ichijou's reaction to seeing him alive was kind of sweet. To be entirely honest, this was the first episode that had me interested from start to finish. The Grongi were speaking English (Japanese), so their scenes weren't just bathroom breaks, the tension of Godai's death and how he could possibly come back was well done, and it was just a nice ride overall.

Aside, something that peeves me is that the police really can't do anything. Yes, I get that if the police could handle it with just the gas bullets and grenades, Kuuga would be pointless. Still though, it makes Ichijou's job seem worthless when, even with a firing squad, he can't even bother one Grongi.

Oh trust me, this story ain't over by a long shot.

Stronger Episode 13: This was a fantastic episode, the final showdown with Titan that I was hoping for. Titan's final gambit was a very good plan using Yuriko's brother against them and empowering himself too. The fight between Shigeru and Titan was amazing. Stronger was definitely the underdog in the fight with none of his moves working, I mean Titan grabbing him out of the Rider kick and slamming against the ground was something else. This was original Attack on Titan lol. Titan was fighting for his life pretty much I liked that he was trying everything from trying to convince Stronger to work for him, sacrificing his monster that was holding Stronger, to even getting involved himself. Too bad he was a fire Pokemon and lost horribly to being thrown into the Ocean; which doesn't matter your power level if you have a horrible weakness like that don't fight near it. So I say good bye to one of my favorite Kamen Rider Villains, Mr. Titan here, a fantastic villain with a fantastic ending. The new villain I've seen in Super Hero Taisen movies and Decade Movies so I can't wait to see him in action. Stronger was kick ass fighting the Squid Monster in the Ocean, and it was really great to see underwater fights in Kamen Rider. I can't wait to see the fight against Black Satan continue with Stronger.

Filled in a gap in my viewing history today: finally watched the Kabuto movie. It was... okay. A lot of stuff in it was rushed, the Hiyori stuff was incredibly overwrought, and it had been so long since I'd seen the show that I didn't even recognize half of the characters. Some of the action was pretty cool and Tendou is still a glorious dickbag, but on the whole the movie didn't leave much of an impression on me.

I will say this, though: for the last six years I've assumed that Caucasus was the long-haired dude with the goatee who'd been in all of the preview specials at the end of some Kabuto episodes. I didn't realize that was actually Ketaros and Caucasus was just some dude that's barely even in the film. You learn something new every day.

That just leaves the Kiva movie as the only pre-Decade Heisei movie I haven't watched. I don't see that changing anytime soon.

Don't start mourning Mr. Titan just yet...

Right now I just finished the arc that introduced Birth.

I like BIrth quite a bit, especially because he's essentially Iron Man. I still think Birth is a stupid name though, even in the context of the show.

Still, one thing I'm really liking is the constant power shift that goes in in this show. OOO would be a beast if he had access to every single core medal, and it seems like the writers were smart enough to realize this early on.

Oddly enough, I find myself liking the villains a lot in this show I like the dysfunctional family dynamic that they seem to have going on.

Anhk and Cazari I think are my favrioute characters, I love how smug those bastards are, Anhk especially.

Finally started to watch all the Rider shows and movies in chronological order.

Watched the first 13 Episodes of the 1971 Kamen Rider so far an I liked it. Its rough no doubt and not as polished as the Heisei Shows or some of the later Showa series. But it still has that kinda low budget charm a lot of Tokusatsu from that era has. Plus given that it was Toeis first attempt at this its a lot more forgivable for me that the effects are somewhat cheap and some of the camera angles can be pretty questionable.
What I really like about those early episodes is how they slowly introduce the Nazi connections Shocker has into the show. They dont tell you everything up front and keep it a mystery why they seek out old Nazi artifacts.

Takeshi Hongo is just a great protagonist. He is extremely charismatic and I like how he delivers his fear that with these new powers he can no longer safely be around humans. His supporting cast rocks too with Tachibana helping him understand his cyborg body and Ruriko helping out where she can. Yes she gets in trouble alot and has to be rescued but its because shes actually trying to fight shocker and not just sitting around worrying if Hongo can take care of it.

Next up is the introduction of Kamen Rider Nigou :D

I know Tsukuba was under the influence of a Yummy and all, but I can't be the only one whom thought that him wanting to use Eiji's civil war story which obviously left him pretty traumatized and passing it off as his own experience was a douche bag move right?

Also I love watching Date and Dr.Maki...it's a lot like watching a sitcom.

He wasnt really under influence though. Not entirely at least. The Yummy just amplified his desires and pretty much had him act out his need to be famous no matter the cost. So yeah he is a douchebag. A pretty big one :lol

Alrighty, so episode 20.
It seems that the mushroom grongi can regenerate and multiply, which makes it a pretty large threat (How is this guy on the low rung of power? Instakill poison now this?). He does seem to have a chink in his armor though, needing to fully mature before regenerating again, so he's not completely unstoppable.

However, he exploded into multiple parts, and things are unsure whether or not he'll resurface again, the clone they encountered merely melting away rather than exploding.

Anyway, the rest of the episode was a lot more light hearted than usual. Not much to talk about beyond the possible return of the Gouram and a mild change to the TryChaser.

I probably should just watch episode 21 right now, but I didn't feel like erasing this entire post when I realized it :lol

21.

So Mushroom wasn't brought up, so I'm assuming he's gone. We'll see though, because this episode focused on 2 Grongi who did manage to escape earlier, the bat, who flew off and just vanished, and a lizard Grongi who did much of the same.
Neat.
I'm curious as to how this will resolve.

We're also introduced to some guy who interrupts Kuuga's fight with the bat on a motorcycle wearing a red scarf. I dunno who this is and how to make of it.

Get used to that guy; he's going to be around for a good chunk of the middle of the series.

Well, here's hoping he's interesting...

So Kamen Rider episodes 14-17 the first four episodes with Nigou as the main protagonist.

Those four episodes where easily the best so far. I absolutely love Ichimonji as the new protagonist of the show. He has this rebellious cocky attitude but is serious when he needs to be. Cant wait for Hongos return just to see how they play off each other. We get to see more Shocker members that arent just the Minions or the other Cyborgs and the plots become more and more personal for our heroes and the people they are involved with.
Especially the PiraSaurus two-parter was really touching and almost had me crying during the ending.

Its incredible though how much the shows production value has already improved. The lighting is a lot better since 14 and the action scenes are netter framed and shot than before. You dont have these weird angles anymore where the camera suddenly turned on its head or have scenes where they speed up the footage for no reason.

Definitely some great 70s toku in these four episodes.

The one thing though I hate about the new status quo are the three new girls they got to replace Ruriko. They are so incredibly dumb and annoying. They are just there to look pretty and get in trouble. Ruriko was so much better than those three airheads.

Episode 22.
The chameleon Grongi bites the dust, no more worries about invisible enemies. Kuuga also learns how to better use the Gouram, which is cool, too. However, not all is hunky dory. The bat still remains wild, Ichijou has a brief encounter with rose, who is able to knock him out cold just by throwing petals at him, and the motorcycle guy seems to have rescued the bat, seemingly placing him on the Grongi's side.

Since I have no energy to survive Faiz I said "Screw the chronological order" and instead started a show I actually wanted to watch: Den-O!

And yeah, I'm addicted after watching the first episode. The characters are incredibly likable (I know about Hana, I won't get too attached to her/the actress), the action is cool, and Momotaros is one of the greatest things I've ever seen. I knew many people like him, and now I know why. Ore Sanjou!

And hey, Kamen Rider Agito's Kazaya Mana is there! Sweet.

Honestly can't say I blame you. :lol

If you have the choice to watch Faiz or something else always choose something else :lol

It depends: is the something else Kiva? :p

Youre right :lol The something else could also be Decade which is still not a good choice :lol

At least Decade is fun.

Ah, Den-O... such a fantastic series.

Funner to watch than Faiz or Kiva in my opinion. :lol

Going even further into this, the something further else might be Wizard which is also not a good choice.

I hope so, I love Kiva! :p

I hate all three equally so yeah :lol

OOO 27 & 28:

Originally I was going to skip these two episodes since they didn't really have anything to do with the on going plot, but I decided to give it an episode and...this arch is just weird

It's so self aware and fourth wall breaking that I couldn't help but enjoy myself through it. If I could complain about anything though, it's always been a big deal whenever one of Cazari shows up with one of his hybrid Yummies.

So to see it passed off in a not so serious manner just seems...a tad bit odd for the series as a whole. Still, watching a Shocker Combatant and a Kamen Rider make amends at the end was pretty cool I guess, and I loved just how absorbed Gotou was at being a rock. :lol

Date singing the TaToBa song was great