First bear in Geats was Shirowe, then Da•Paan and later officially PunkJack! And like Geats, Tycoon, Na-Go and Buffa, he has an accessory - a cape!

Will we ever see a new bird rider and sheep/goat rider with accessories too!

Like what kind of bird rider after Ginpen, Keilow & Nudge Sparrow as well as a good accessory?

Same question for a new sheep/goat rider after Mary and Letter.

Maybe they'll recolor PunkJack's cape and give it to the rider who lives the longest but dies in the next DGP final?
Also, maybe the accessories are overrated by the fans? It seems to me that they were added so that the costumes did not look too cheap and the same, and distributed to long-playing characters so as not to bother with extras. Plus, I'm not even sure that Buffa's dreadlocks can be considered an accessory. It would also be funny if some of the newcomers, like Niko from Ex-Aid, put a sticker on their costume and thus become a permanent character.

Let's not recolor PunkJack's cape.

If a new bird rider arrives, give him/her a shoulder cape or an armband.

And if a new sheep/goat arrives, give it to a new female and she'll wear a skirt with it.

Buffa's feature wasn't the hair on his helmet, it was his hip cape

https://i.imgur.com/i59zMhq.png

I think PunkJack's cape will make a pretty skirt. ;)

Did not notice. Well, it looks like the cape can be considered an unlucky accessory.

Wonder when PunkJack will get his own Ganbarizing cards? He deserves a return before Geats ends!

When will we know an official release date for Shin Kamen Rider? It's already late January, and the movie is slated to release in March...but we still don't know which day.

Yeah, that is kinda strange considering a good chunk of January has passed.That has me speculating they do have a date in mind and just keeping it under wraps or they're still doing post-production. If it's the latter I'm gonna assume it's Anno's auteur side kicking in.

I'll be in Japan for a good chunk of March, so I swear if it gets delayed, I'm going to....be bummed.

Yikes, if that's the case I really do hope it's in theaters while you're there. But after replying to your previous post and then checking the official website though I think it should be fine. Reason being they announced that a Uniqlo collab t-shirt will be sold on March 6th within Japan as part of the whole Shin franchise series, so Godzilla, Evangelion, and Ultraman. And a chibi beat'em up will be out on March 23rd. So seeing how there are merch slowly popping up I think you'll be fine.

When another Girls Remix comes, wonder if the DGP will hold an all-girls competition? And who’d be the new members? Valkyrie needs to make a full appearance!

As for Ora! Another Calibur suits her. She could take some of the power from Sophia. But we haven’t seen Sophia do her own solo Henshin as Calibur yet!

By the way, "DGP is for girls only" is a very likely scenario. Then Jamato-Retta should play the main villain. And that she had a deadly propeller!

Maybe not the propeller. Perhaps something else.

Yeah, I saw that and had the same line of thinking. But the game coming out the 23rd is worrying, since that's the day I'm leaving. I hope they're not releasing it to, say, build hype for the moving coming on the 30th. But hopefully we'll find out soon.

(Side note, I'm planning on buying like half of those t shirts.)

Is there a Kamen Rider General Questions thread? I could only find this one...

Anyways, I remember Gaim being heavily praised when it came out for changing up the formula and being different.

Is that still true?

I've only seen a few seasons (Kiva, Drive, Ghost, Ex-Aid, Amazons, and I just started Geats) but it seems like everything that came after Gaim has stuck closer to the Gaim formula than anything else...meaning, Gaim no longer has one of the things that made it stand out so much in the first place. (Not to say it's bad now, just maybe not as unique anymore.)

The Drive actually tried to work on an episodic formula, so even the writer of W was brought in - the most successful show of riders of this style. Ghost most likely tried to be something original and has little to do with Gaim. But starting with Ex-Aid, yes, it seems that Gaim is perceived, if not as a standard, then as a model for building a story.
My main problem with Gaim is that the fight for the golden fruit was a foregone conclusion, as Dj Sagara didn't hesitate to help Kouta. This greatly detracts from his victory. Plus, Mai could just give the fruit to him and Kouta wouldn't have to kill his troubled friend. So for me, Blade and OOO resolved similar final conflicts better.

I think Gaim is still pretty well liked - while it not being a series made entirely of 2-parters did get attention after 7 years of that, people also really liked the designs, the characters, and the show for what it was, not just because it was a break. I think time has cooled its position - I remember Gaim being the best thing ever when it aired, but now people are more willing to accept the flaws (and also less likely to reflexively hate on Wizard), but it still has a lot of fans.

I would agree with the notion that Gaim was and is unique as an entry in the Kamen Rider franchise.

But I also think Fourze also did the same for the franchise- being a large departure from the formula at the time and never being replicated to the same degree since.

I contribute both shows notability to their respective writers who are very distinct.

I love Fourze, but I would never say it?s a departure from the Den-O formula. It has the same ?monster and victim of the fortnight? structure, the same goofy main/serious secondary dynamic, a standard array of comedic side characters (not a criticism; all of them are great, at least until Yuuki went crazy), and it pulls a full Philip with the non-human partner in the finale. Great show, but absolutely formulaic.

Just because something is formulaic doesn't make it inherently bad - Double and OOO also both go hard on the 2-parter formula, but they're still a lot of people's favourites even a decade on. Honestly, for all the praise Gaim gets for not relying on the formula, it probably does help that it came after Wizard, which was both formulaic and not well-received, with some of the criticism coming down to it looping the 2-episode MOTW plots when it should've been devoting time to the overarching story. For Gaim to then come along and do exactly that...

There's probably also an element of Gaim attracting Urobutchi fans over from Madoka, cause I remember feeling like Gaim was suddenly so much bigger than Fourze or Wizard, but maybe that was just me getting deeper into the fandom.

Edit: Wrong thread

To clarify, I wasn't asking if Gaim was still considered good. I was just wondering if it was still seen as being unique and a change of pace, or if a lot of more recent shows have started to take on a more Gaim-like structure.

Also, on that note...what's the general consensus on everything that has come out since Ex-Aid? And how do they compare to what came before? That's around when I stopped following the series, but I'm picking back up again now with Geats.

I don't think anyone ever stated in this conversation that a show was bad because it was formulaic - just that certain ones followed a formula and certain ones didn't. But if that's just context you're providing for the rest of your comment to make sense, then carry on.

For post Ex-Aid seasons:
Build is considered good. It has a strong story that paces itself well. Great characters and doesn't meander too much.
Zi-O his hot garbage. Having the same basic premise of Decade (Protagonist that's destined to be evil going around through various points in Heisei Rider history obtaining powers and learning lessons), and making the same mistakes of thinking a confusing plot means it's good. It disregards it's own rules it sets up and just has no idea what it's trying to do.
Zero-One is average. Despite the hype of being "THE FIRST REIWA SERIES!" it doesn't do anything special concerning the franchise. COVID also fucked things up a bit for it, but ultimately, it's a decent enough season.
Saber was Saber.
Revice was also trash, but with potential that they opted not to follow, making it a disappointment as well.

The shows between Ex-Aid and Geats, excluding Build, were honestly all let downs. Saber is the most mixed bag, as while I didn't find it enjoyable, others felt it picked up in the latter half.
Compared to what came before, well, it's hard to say. I feel Zero-One is on par with Wizard and Drive in terms of "Adequate", while Zi-O and Revice dance around Ghost's quality. I consider Build to be on par with Ex-Aid as a higher quality series.

Like I said, Saber is a mixed bag, and answers vary depending on who you ask, while the other 4's general consensus are what I listed.

Here's what I've gathered based on the circles of the internet I'm in.

Build - Seen as one of the best seasons, often complimented for its serialized plot. The final stretch of the show is very contentious among fans, though.

Zi-O - You either love it or you hate it with very little inbetween.

Zero-One - Same as Zi-O. Most people cite its second act as its weakest. COVID hitting at the time makes certain aspects understandable though.

Saber - Starts off weak but gets better as it goes.

Revice - The newest punching bag for the fandom since Ghost.

Geats - Everyone seems in love with it so far.

None of these are my personal thoughts, just the ones that I read most often.

Zi-O is a season that I think the less seriously you take it, the more fun you have. That sounds like a very backhanded compliment but it is ultimately a lot of nonsense and you do just have to accept that that's what it is and submerge yourself in it. Some surprisingly good drama hidden in there too, though!

I should've stopped following KR after Build, not after Ex-Aid... back then, before returning in Revice (which I thought was appropriate time to do so as it started strong, but alas).

Revice's the opposite of Saber where it started off strong but gets worse as it goes.

And later on... only the side contents are still as good as its early part.

On the subject of Gaim, I think it has a similar issue to Ryuki where its novelty has worn off over time as other shows did similar things to it. That being said it certainly still has some very unique aspects imo. The best part of Gaim for me has to be Micchi's slow burn downfall throughout the show. Absolutely brilliant and not something I think any other Rider show has done nearly as well.

I know we haven't really established what the "formula" is in the context of this discussion, but the main parts that made Fourze a standout unique series that holds up well is the heavy elements surrounding the High School environment (as opposed to more adult characters), the reliance on friendship and teamwork (as opposed to the lone hero), and a general positive tone (as opposed to remorseful or hopeful).


I still find Ryuki to be a novel series that holds up well. Yes, I agree a show can lose its novelty over time. Gaim to me still feels like one of the least Kamen Rider-y Kamen Rider shows, and that's not a knock against it, but an aspect that preserves its spot as a unique and worthwhile show even to this day.

The problem with Zi-O is that this show loves its predecessors more than its own story. If he has the choice to play with the guests or develop his story, Zi-O will always choose the former. And that's why I can't be mad at him and will always prefer Decade. This show is literally a fan of other rider shows.

For me, the most different from others are Hibiki, Saber, and, perhaps, Decade, because he:
https://64.media.tumblr.com/983813b4...vkpf6_1280.jpg

Oh wow, I was under the impression that they were mostly good. This is actually the first time I've heard anything bad about Zero-One, so that's disappointing.

In terms of Zi-O and Decade, which do you find to be better? (Or...less bad?)

One of the big ways I've heard Gaim changed the formula was moving away from the Monster-of-the-two-weeks-style storytelling and into something more serialized. The only pre-Gaim show I've seen was Kiva, though, so I'm not sure how true this is.

For me, Zi-O definitely, because he has a story, even if it is revealed very reluctantly. But in general, these two anniversary shows balance each other very well. What one succeeds at, the other fails at, and vice versa. Theoretically, their crossovers should have been the desired ideal, but in return they only puffed out the flaws even more.


This is not entirely true, because there were serialized shows before him. Rather, Gaim was the first to intentionally introduce the +/- 10 episode arc formula. When at first the heroes fight only enemies, then they learn something that turns their world upside down, and new enemies appear, and sometimes even former ones become allies. After another shock, disassembly among themselves, finding out all the secrets, the final union and the final battle. There are variations, but in general most show riders now follow this formula. The era of Reiva has added more girls;)

Zero-One's image has greatly suffered from "tHe jOB cOMpeTitiON aRC"- internet brainrot. Some people are way too obsessed with dunking on the show for like 9 episodes which were fun and serviceable but ultimately predictable and average at best.

Could they have done this better, maybe in a different way? Sure. But the show is really good still and those episodes are not the absolute blight they are often framed to be.

Also, I wouldn't agree with calling Revice "trash", at all. The show is awesome. Lots of good stuff in there. It kept on dragging for a few episodes near the finale, but that's all I can fault it for. Has super strong character moments and fun action.

Aside from Zi-O and Saber which I both did not like at all, I can recommend everything from the last couple of years.

It always struck me that the "job competition" irritates people more than the fact that in the finale, instead of Aruto, they slipped us a completely different character and offered to accept that this is the person we watched the whole show.

It did work for me and I liked it, but I have no ground to argue against this :lol

I would argue that the use of monsters and/or their pacing is largely superficial to a show's uniqueness. It's no more meaningful than saying the hero doing a rider kick is formulaic.

Especially when viewed in retrospect, it is a show's overarching themes and ideals and sometimes morals that define it. The granular analyzation of individual episodes, endless comparison and ranking, or meta context, etc, unravels the simple entertainment of storytelling at the core of fiction. If you've walked away from a show entertained and perhaps gleaned whatever message the writer had for you, then you're good to go, novel or not.

Innovation is predicated on the idea that something is established. And things are often established because they are good and consistent.

Yeah I almost forgot Hibiki. That one certainly has a few caveats considering it wasn't really a Kamen Rider show to begin with.

Ah, sorry, yeah I was mainly using it for context. It's an argument I often see - "Gaim is good because it doesn't follow the formula!" and there's sort of the implicit assumption that inherently being different from a "formula" (i this case the 2-week victim / MOTW story with a second rider showing up around 16 episodes in) makes you better. If you're tired of that formula after 7 straight years of it, then yeah, it makes sense as a compliment, but if you're revisiting shows out of order, that shouldn't matter as much I think? (Fwiw, I do think in that context what made Gaim so new and shiny has worn off a little, and you can see some of the things people like to critique newer shows for creep up in the first arc. Introducing a deluge of Riders and new forms, setting up mysteries that get answered badly later on, scenes that make no sense...)

I don't think this is true? Zi-O at its best uses the legacy characters to progress the stories of the main trio while also reminding us of why we loved the older Riders, and at its worst disregards them to focus on the newbies.

But yeah, I don't know where the impression Zero-One or Revice is the worst thing ever came from? Aside from the job arc and the, let's say, contentious ending, Zero-One seems pretty well liked, and Revice never seemed as reviled as Ghost or Saber did. Also, Saber's not even that bad.

Episodes dedicated to Blade and Agito are literally a declaration of love for these seasons. And the episodes of Kiva, with minimal use of actors from the original show and no use of its plot at all, managed to produce an amazing parody. Maybe the riders of the second phase of Heisei really were less fortunate, but Zi-O definitely loves the first ten.
P.S. Plus, I'm willing to forgive the rider who blew up the Toei headquarters.
Revice was little scolded, but the aftertaste of the show left a bad one. The good parts were forgotten faster than what a "cool" villain Gyf was and how long Daiji suffered so stupidly.

I think I see where you're coming from, but I think the structure of how the story is told is actually a substantial part of fiction. A serialized story with one large, overarching conflict told over the course of multiple episodes will be enjoyed very differently from a series where each episode presents a monster battle that is resolved by the end of the episode. I'm not saying that one is necessarily better than the other, but they're different.

Interesting. It sounds like you're saying that what I described above is more of a by-product of the larger goal of the story? Because I could agree with that. The only time the format of something like Kamen Rider will change is when the overall goal of Kamen Rider changes, or perhaps the theme of one particular season demands the story to be told in a different way. Changing the format for the sake of changing the format is...surface-level, for lack of coming up with a better term at the moment.

But unfortunately, people eventually get bored of "good and consistent" and want "new and exciting." That's why, much to my dismay, emo will never be the dominant subculture in the US again :cry