I actually found Joe a lot more interesting and endearing in Taisen. Helps that he had so little character that it made him a tolerable character to watch.

Anyway, I'm seriously tired of the bullshit switcharoo every movie involving Decade and the Gokaigers are using, which is why I'm mildly peeved that Gokai Silver will play a prominent role in Taisen Z.

Did they really think a completely unsympathetic side character would really be interesting for fifty episodes? Ankh lost me in five.

Ankh... a foil. I think that's the best thing to describe him as. He exists to contrast Eiji and produce conflict among protagonists without having the secondary rider do so like in W and most series before.

To call Ankh a foil is giving him WAY too much credit, Moriarty is Homes foil, Ankh is just that itch when you haven't wiped your ass properly. He has no contrast to Eiji because he and Eiji never clash because Eiji is both grounded and kind, so he just ignores Ankh's pouting. And he doesn't really cause conflict with anyone else either as the cafe owner just takes the piss out of him, Hina beats the shit out of him and Date and Brotou just seem to downright dislike him and avoid him as such. He has no reason to be there other than to throw medals and dump exposition.

I actually just meant foil as in the more technically used writing term of "opposite."

I guess in the broadest of terms I can agree to that as in - Eiji is a multi-layered, deep and interesting character and Ankh is a flat, one note and fucking annoying character.

:lol That's why I said it's the "best" way to describe him.

:lol

Fourze 39, the episode that seems happy to waste time, even when rushing things along. Even the fighting has become bland now as Gen goes Base uses a switch that he knows won't work and the goes to Cosmic, why he doesn't do that immediately is just another of the many questions I have around Fourze's always pacing. Meteor seems to rush more and more to his bland Beyblade form as well.

The class president was a nice person last episode now BOOM he's Hitler. Oh I guess it was just the Switch... no need for actual character arcs, we have doodads! I guess the narrative jumps aren't as bad as Kuuga's. Taurus had a pretty good design though, haven't really cared for the Horoscope appearances since Cancer.

What is even funnier (translation: more annoying) is basically the last twenty or so episodes have been completely pointless because any new characters introduced who seem to have a purpose and make you assume are gonna stick around are either dropped out of the show with a handwave explanation or forgotten about so all of their character introduction arcs come to nothing. I don't even know why they bothered keeping Miu and Shun in honestly as it undermined a great leaving arc for them and they've done basically fuck all since they returned. Or add Suspenders to the club who has also basically done fuck all since his introduction.

Also Remember how the Hole above AGHS was going out of control because the second one was destroyed? Remember how this kicked the Chairman's end game into life? No? I thought not.

I think you'll end up eating your words with that one... I'm not sure whether you'll like the taste, though.

Did he get touched by his uncle or something between episodes?