It’s funny you mention the driver/books because I happen to think it’s kinda charming. My favorite thing about Saber right now is the Swordriver. Not because of the cool sword in sheath thing, but because it’s a bookshelf. That brings me so much joy and I don’t know why. It’s so dumb, but it’s charming.

Sentai always skip gimmick every other year for the mist part. KR is toei bread and butter in toku.
The books are cool by themselves . The empty black void is annoying on the belt. It might be impressive like jin burning falcon where it grows from a dinky dragon dagger like to fill fledge sword. Speaking of 01,
I feel like 01 will get a bug budget v cinema Vod to replace summer movie . Idk if there will be December movie with cases rising. 01 summer movie alternative form might be deigned already.

I assumed you didn’t enjoy Build? (He was the producer of that show)

Well, for me, I hope Takuro Fukuda (The head writer of Ghost) isn’t head writer of Saber. (Please, I don’t want the writer who just throw everything at us just to stretch the show like that Makoto’s doppelgänger plot, was that necessary?)

I've heard rumours that Urobochi could be writing this season, which I wouldn't be too enthused by.

Every other year is overestimating it. Kyoryuger-Ninninjer and Kyuranger-Ryusoulger all had the gimmick. You're right that Kamen Rider is Toei's main source of profit so it makes sense that they would be less willing to take risks. Maybe if Kiramager has successful merchandise sales, they might reconsider.

Agreed. All the best episodes of Ghost were written by Mouri. I don't think Fukuda even knew what he was doing.

Gosh, I hope not, that would be worst case scenario for me, especially if his incompetent sidekick Haganeya Jin is on the staff as well. I might have to skip it after 2 episodes if that happens.

No, I haven’t seen Build yet. It’s because his shows have generally followed the same formula (monsters show up, Rider appears to fight them, monsters get shunted out in favour of evil guys with their own henshin items, dramatic reveal concerning the lead and the final boss being an evil Rider who keeps getting more overpowered just to keep the show running. (Cronus absorbing Gamadeus, Evolt achieving Feverflow, Ark-Zero downloading into the satellite), and its making Kamen Rider seem stale and boring. Especially considering how interesting Kiramager and Z are, which makes the tiredness of the formula stand out more.

Goseiger is like kiva in psuedo gimmick. Gokaiger and decade are the true gimmick heavy gimmick starter of the last decade.
Gokaiger yes
Gobuster no
Kyoryuger yes
Toqger no(the mecha are the changer, which is the gimmick and it had legendary collectible , but it's not a toy heavy season.
Ninninger yes
Zyuohger no
Kyuranger yes
LupinrangerXPat no
Ryusolger yes
Kiramager no ol
yes, every other year. If you tally up the cost of each odd year and even year you'll see a huge different in cost. Maybe no gimmick isn't the right word of choice. Sentai always does one year toy heavy that rely gimmicks collectible to activate more lights and sounds either in the changer or the mecha. Then the consecutive year they tone it down. If gobuster performed well, then I could see toei ditching the spandex and heavy axuilary in favor of more advance transformation and articulation . Now we're getting bricks after bricks even ryusolger the main mecha look like it can pose a lot, but it didnt . Eevn in the show it give up what we saw in eps1 with all running acrobats like dairanger Early episodes.

Decade, w, o, fourze, wizard, gaim, driver, ghost, exaid, build, zio, 01 all have gimmicks every year without fail.

Wow, those fiery eyes look angry! It kind of makes me hope that Saber will be a somewhat more aggressive or ruthless. I do like the wholesome cheerful heroes who just want to protect everyone's happiness, but it seems like lately every main Rider has been like that, so it would be a welcome change to see Saber break that mold.

I could picture a Ex-Aid or Den-O-ish protagonist who is calm or soft-spoken most times but gets fired up as a rider as one of the possibilities.

I thought that about Zero-One, he had a serious/aggressive designed face but you see Aruto, a literal comedian. Sure Aruto became serious in the back half/3rd of the show but I’m hoping for a main Rider that’s more serious from the jump. Like Tsukasa range or maybe even a Shouichi or Godai where they’re light as civilians but serious when transformed. Shinnosuke was pretty badass most times outside of when Drive had to lean more into slapstick.