Welcome to the club. *smiles and hands a copy of Kamen Rider Chronicle Gashat*

Really like Faiz's opening.

Up to episode 4 now. This episode made me happy, I was really hoping Yuka would Orphnoch her bullies to death. Hope fulfilled.

So you've opened your eyes for your next Rider show, eh? Godspeed, barnstenchfartface. Godspeed.

I have a hard time watching the Yuka introduction. The amount of shit she gets from everybody for no apparent reason is so ludicrously vicious and over the top that it makes me feel really uncomfortable. Faiz is full of dumb melodrama, but that part is easily the worst.

Indeed.

I'm still enjoying the show at the moment, quite a bit actually, but it's kind of amazing...like, before I started I said this:

But I didn't expect it to be as...Inoue as it already is, even just seven episodes in. Hell, even after just four episodes or so. So much of all these things all at once, already. Truly incredible.

Plus some really classic Inoueisms, like, I really didn't expect a "can't play guitar again because of an accident" guy to show up this early. Guess now I just wait for the "goes temporarily blind for no real reason" guy to appear.

I can't imagine what it's going to be like once Kaixa enters the picture.

I dunno though, teenagers can be huge assholes. Her parents getting in on it, on the other hand...

Weird to me how (what appear to be) the three main Orphnochs are the most sympathetic characters thus far. Well, them and Keitaro, who is too pure for this world. Like literally. I can't imagine Inoue would make a character like him for any reason but to break him over the course of the show. Guess I'll see.

And I mentioned this after episode one, but it bears repeating. It is so weird seeing Mio as Mari and having her actually have a personality. I kinda like her. (It's also gross to think that Inoue wrote a book in which Kaixa rapes her. Seriously, fuck you, Inoue.)

Faiz is basically peak Inoue. If Kiva is at, like, an 8, Faiz is at 11.

Hehehehe....



That being said I love everything about Faiz. I enjoy the suits. I enjoy the monsters. I enjoy the fact that nearly everybody is an asshole and the few people who aren't just get shit on endlessly throughout the series. I love how everybody has problems communicating like real people.


But most importantly, Takumi is the best Rider ever because he's the most nonchalant superhero I've ever seen. Having to fight monsters is just a minor annoyance for him.

https://img.memesuper.com/2a2542e971...e_287-320.jpeg

I too belong to the love Faiz side. Yeah the show itself is definitely nothing great, but it's so hilariously entertaining to watch. Cool concept, cool designs, houses my favorite main rider, houses my favorite rider ever, just all around love it. It's my second favorite entry for those reasons and more.

I'm one of those accursed Faiz fans too. I feel like if you're going to watch an Inoue show, you might as well watch the most Inoue show possible! It's really fun in a trainwreck kind of way.

Never got into Faiz. Didn't make it past episode 15.
I didn't care enough about, well...Anyone to want to keep watching.

I also love Faiz, one of my top fav series in toku. Standing by... bwoop bwoop

Kamen Rider episode 83

Damn, Tachibana fucks.

Kamen Rider episode 84.

This episode had a lot of unusual shots, and I was momentarily wondering what was going on until I remembered halfway through that the preview said this episode was directed by Ishinomori. Dude should've directed more episodes, this was definitely one of the coolest this show has had. Must have been his background as a manga artist, he clearly had a good idea of how to frame scenes to make them more visually interesting.

Was good.

That is interesting for sure, kind of like when Monkey Punch directed a Lupin anime movie.

Faiz 9

Hey it's Yurusen (I guess).

Also, don't think I've mentioned this, but I really like Kiba.

Watching Kamen Rider Specter. I've heard some pretty batshit things about this movie, so I'm pretty curious to see what in the hell is going on here.


-Frankly, completely unsurprised that Igor has fully embraced his masochism.

-Oh goodness, Javert has fully embraced the KATSU

-In the meantime, Onari just...ditched the temple. lmao

-So Ganmaworld is literally another planet. It wasn't really clear before, so...huh.

-So Igor isn't the only Superior Perfect there is, huh. (why didnt he just go ultima?)

-Also rip takaiwa, rip in pir.

-So the Ganma now survive entirely on takoyaki and Shiki patches. Makes sense.

-tfw when Makoto is Kamen Rider Kuuga's son.

-I agree with the peanut gallery, the Eyecon system was fine.

-Saionji kitta!

-Oh hell, is Fakoto still alive inside Makoto? I guess this explains what the first synopsis we got meant about the connection between the Makotos.

-What the fuck is Makoto being all aggressive about with Saionji? Didn't they almost make peace with him in the HBV? He's acting like this is the first time they've met since episode 11.

-tfw when Makoto is not Kamen Rider Kuuga's son

-Well, at least one of the batshit things I heard (Makoto and Kanon being one in a long line of clones of the originals) ended up being untrue, but this alternative is close enough to count I guess. Them being test tube...um...capsule thing?...babies...is not quite as batshit imo, but it sure is something?

-Oh fucking hell. The doppelganger Makotos weren't fakes made by the Ganmaizers, but samples stolen from Danton's lab...I...I don't even think that makes any sense, but cool I guess.

-tfw your best friend isn't Kamen Rider Kuuga's son....actually yes, exactly this face

-tfw your waifu isnt even a real

-I wonder if Kanon's name is Mele.

-tfw your bro takes a shit alllllll over your plate

-The Yuujou Burst Eyecon has the Ghost Driver voice and says "Kaigan" instead of "Tengan." Absolutely disgusting.

-Makoto, murdering your friends is very rude. I know physical violence is how you usually express friendship, but surprise-shanking Alain with your sunglasses is going a little overboard.

-Kanon really screwed the pooch by dying that one time.

-Holy shit, Saionji to the fucking rescue. Between the HBV and this, the post-series stuff regarding Saionji may just be one of my favorite things about Ghost. What a redemption.

-Holy fuck, I thought the Fakotos being experiments was contradicted by the way the last one just turned into healy energy to save Makoto (also, could be considered kind of an unexplained asspull at the time) but they just explained it. Truly unbelievable. Of course, there's still a bunch of other stuff that doesn't really make sense, but it's something.

-tfw you kinda brutalized your best friend because you believed in your dad and literally not one minute later he tries to murder your imouto, vampirizes a bunch of innocents (including a grandpa and a little kid!) and turns out to be sort of a big ol' dickhole in general.

-I've been thinking this since their first meeting but if Kuroe hooks up with Takeru I'm gonna laugh so hard. Then both of Makoto's imoutos would end up married to the other two Riders.

-https://i.gyazo.com/69aef0ceb7d729f2...6551c9ae25.png

-honestly, no comment

-Also not a comment on the movie, but Edith's absence is pretty conspicuous. I guess they just couldn't get his actor back.

-Sin Specter doesn't look as good in motion as I had hoped. Too blue. Makes the white coat look hella out of place.

-makoto has three daddies

-tfw your son bores a hole through you with his Lust Bullet

-Some of these Sin Daikaigans are pretty dope. I especially liked Gluttony Bite and Pride Fist

-Wow, this "ORE NO IKIZAMA MISETE YARU" actually felt totally appropriate! This movie is making miracles happen.

-Hahaaaaa Kuroe and Takeru are totally gonna hook up.

-Well obviously Alain didn't actually die, so that's the second batshit thing I heard that was untrue. I mean, I guess I already knew that, not like they were actually going to kill him off, but eh.

-I kind of love how this movie pulled everything together from the show, the movie, the HBV, even the Alain mini-series. Great stuff.


So....final verdict...I think I actually really enjoyed this movie? And not just for Saionji, though he helped. I may even go as far as to say that it could be my favorite of all the Rider movies I've seen. (yeah, I don't even know, technically it's not even particularly high praise either). As a rule, I dislike most Rider movies, or feel like they just completely fall apart towards the end. This one though, I felt was a pretty solid story from start to finish.

There are some really major revelations here, and I don't necessarily think they were completely necessary or made complete sense (one or two or many inconsistencies here and there, though that's par for the course) but it still fit within the story of the show much better than I could have anticipated, enhanced it in some ways, the comic relief characters and Takeru were very sparingly used, but effectively when they were, and like, they actually did something with Makoto, and probably the best compliment I can give it is that I now don't think of him with complete apathy. Alain was also pretty good in this, and who doesn't like Alain?

Also Saionji. Definitely did help.

All in all, a pretty solid epilogue, a pretty solid movie, at least imo. Definitely not as batshit as it had been described to me (never trust 4chan rumors, my yuujou bursts) but that's probably for the best. I really did enjoy it.

Did you hear those epic remixes of Specter & Necrom's Battle Themes?!!! OMG those were amazing, Toei better release those at one point!!! It's a shame they just about never release the OSTs for V-Cinemas, when they make such amazing original music for them!

From what clips I've been able too see online, loving the shit out of this v-cinema.

Also, I think outside of Lord Baron, Knight Survive, and Diend's Complete Form (should have had a Den-O movie villains instead of Skull, still hate that), this is the most equal a Secondary Rider has been in terms of power compared to the main Rider. Possibly even more so, with that Lust Bullet finisher.

Last part of Kamen Rider Genm is out subbed now.

Only real response to the thing I can muster is: "wow, it's fucking nothing."

Watched ep 1 of Kamen Rider Brave:


BLOOD PUKE

A lot of it. Probably the record for a kid's show. So much the spoiler tag couldn't hold it back.

Don't you mean Snipe instead of Brave? But yeah, those things weren't limited by Japan's strict censorship rules so they went all put

Kiva and Faiz suffer from the same long drag out misunderstanding just because both sides are unaware of each other identities. There are times you kinda expecting them to go a certain route like teaming up, but instead it went off another route such as betrayals just to add more shocking twists to the story like M.Night movies. The TBC really makes you want to keep going though. This was before Den-o and W beginning to use the guest of the week storyline. I prefer Blade more. I can't believe they didn't make Kiba a full time Kamen Rider. It's also the series where the belts are pass around every few episodes.

Up to the 8th episode of W. Tons of fun - the use of ridermobile and the detective cases give it a fun Batman-ish vibe, the action is fantastic, and the Sonozakis are wonderfully batshit villains (after this and Ex-Aid, batshit bad guys are becoming a thing I'm starting to associate with this franchise :lol). You have your usual annoying young girl secondary protagonist (is it the only way female protagonists are written in Kamen Rider???), but she is surprisingly useful and fits the character dynamic nicely. I also hope that this is the last time I see street dancing in Kamen Rider...

Also I'm sorry Shoutarou, but you're not pulling off that hard-boiled look. You look more like a Justin Timberlake wannabe than Philip Marlowe, but I love you anyway :lol.

I wonder how many people are going to realize this now that you mentioned it

It was so weird watching the Genm special since Ex-Aid is so much further along now. I refuse to believe that Hiiro would have known what Family Stadium is though.

Hopefully not many; it's directly stated in the show that Philip was named after Philip Marlowe (as a quick sidenote, I actually started reading Raymond Chandler novels because of Kamen Rider W and he's now one of my all-time favorite authors).

I haven't seen W yet, but I do love the book The Big Sleep, read that a couple years ago. And also love that movie Murder My Sweet, and The Long Goodbye movie is great but different.

Are they fair-play Whodunits or what?

As in, can you actually figure out the plot before the climax or do they use the old tricks that G.K. Chesterson liked to complain about?

It depends on the book, but they generally feel fair. The Big Sleep is the one that probably makes the biggest leaps in logic, but it was his first book so it's worth cutting him some slack.

I'm quite sure that they considered naming Shoutarou Philip, but then they thought "No, that would too on-the-nose" :lol.

Chandler's novels hook you with their mysteries, but you stay for the deliciously witty writing style.

You know what I enjoyed? The case with the council member and her daughter tied nicely with Shoutarou being unable to tell Akiko what happened with her father, but the show never commented upon this parallel, which was... remarkably subtle for this type of show!

Watched Kamen Rider Genm. Overall it was about what I'd expect from a side thingy like this. Entertaining enough but nothing special. Goofy fun. As for the specifics:

- I have no idea why this was called Kamen Rider Genm. Because it's about a plan he has? The actual show should be called Kamen Rider Genm by that logic.

- Speaking of Genm, seeing this kind of made me miss the guy a bit. Specifically his early series self. I forgot how convincingly his actor could switch between "friendly CEO everybody loves" and "mad genius/whiny child", and him keeping his identity a secret meant he had that awesome distorted voice that sounds like several people talking at once. And, cool as Dangerous Zombie may be, I always liked the palette swap look a bit more. Black and purple never don't go well together.

- I like how even though this takes place early in the series, the Energy Items are still just sitting around like they have been since Para-Dx showed up. Apparently the prop guys were so tired of lugging all those blocks and crap around that they've now inadvertently retconned things to have always been that way.

- Um, Toei? I think your game's slipping. I watched this whole Ex-Aid spinoff, and at no point was anybody covered in blood, nor horribly beaten and bruised. Not even Emu! I thought you guys had a bet going?!

- On that subject, it speaks volumes about how much Emu's life profoundly sucks that he doesn't even really accomplish anything by the end (or what counts for an ending), and this is STILL one of his better days.

Faiz 13

I couldn't facepalm hard enough when Kaidou said he only took Yuka on a date for practice. That's just... Sasuga Inoue.

Also hey here's Kaixabird but before he was bird. He's not too bad at the moment, curious to see for myself what exactly makes him such an infamous character.

*Opens mouth, then immediately closes it*

In other news, I tackled the last of the various Drive things I needed to finish, along with the Gaim x Toqger and Drive x Ninninger crossovers. I actually really enjoyed the Drive Sagas for Chase and Heart, they were a good combination of funny and interesting. The Chase one kind of highlighted for me how Chaser is a pretty classic Rider in a lot of ways, always fated to some degree of separation from others. The spit-take scene when Chase was acting like a normal human was priceless too, not to even mention my fangirling at Ryu randomly showing up and scaring Shinnosuke and Gou half to death. I also thought the idea for the Heart one was very creative, and I gotta love Riku "I literally can't write a show without people fusing" Sanjo being at it again. The Drive Saga stuff also convinced me that literally everyone in the Drive universe has the hots for Heart. Beyond that, most of the other stuff was pretty fun too. But most importantly, in the Gaim x Toqger crossover, both Micchi and Kaito could see the IMAGINATION TRAIN, which just begs a lot of questions. Fun stuff all around.

I don't know how much of Gaim you've seen, but considering the ending I can guess why Micchy and Kaito can see the train. They got some ideas of their own, swirling inside their heads.

What, Micchy has a fantastic imagination. He thinks those sweaters look good.

Ow! Skipped Squash and went straight to Sparking with that one.

Just finished up Kamen Rider Kuuga. It's a pretty solid show. I really dig how fleshed out the supporting cast is. Godai is a bit of a Mary Sue but at the same time, he's still a likable character. Ichijou is pure awesomesauce as far as Rider allies go.


The big problem is that it is kinda slow getting to the point in the first half. And N-Daguva-Zeba only shows up throughout the last like, 4 episodes of the show. I do like how different the finale is compared to other Rider shows, where it'd usually be some big, flashy fight scene. Instead here, they literally just punch each other to death. It's pretty awesome. The second-half was pretty great though. It started to pick up right around the time that second obviously-based-on-Ichigo Grongi showed up.

Solid show, not one of my favorites, compared to newer shows, but I still enjoy what they were going for.


All that's left for me of the Heisei era is Kiva, Hibiki, Den-O, Wizard and Fourze. Leaning towards Hibiki or Wizard. Wizard because the lore behind it seems pretty interesting even though the actual show might not be. Hibiki because I REALLY want to experience this sharp decline in quality that everybody's been talking about.

Either way, I'm in the mood for a trainwreck.

Kiva it is, then.

Alternatively, you could just watch Hibiki and stop after episode 29. You know, the advice I give everybody who starts the show that is then subsequently ignored and inevitably regretted.