Yeah, I think Den-O works well with this structure; I have no problems with it. Coming out of Kabuto, in particular, it's nice to see the monsters having more to do than just showing up out of nowhere to randomly rampage into the hero's path.

If I have any issue with the Den-O formula, it's that it does get repetitive when you get it several years in a row. And that's not Den-O's fault.

I'm honestly all for the show downgrading the series-arc and various interpersonal subplots to the background. Maybe it's just a reaction to considering the monster plots somewhere between Unmemorable and A War Crime these last few shows, as well as several of the series-arc decisions feeling poorly motivated and/or distracting, but the concept of placing more emphasis on the parts of the shows that always always always work -- a group of heroes try to solve a problem for a stranger, who all approach it in a unique way -- that's just smart as hell plotting to me. That is a writer who looked at everything that dragged down great casts and compelling characters and said Less Of That. If the one reliable thing for the Kamen Rider franchise is a charismatic group of characters who are at their best when they're focused on helping someone... just make that the show! It's actually pretty obvious!

I mean, it feels pretty Sentai to me. I've never been crazy about the big vehicles and the mechs in Kamen Rider (Captain Ghost is not my friend!), so Den-Liner's battle mode is probably never going to be something I single out for praise.

That's fine. With a few exceptions, I'm pretty sure it's just the same CGI stock footage every time anyway.

Funny thing is, as someone who feels the mechs are the least good part of Sentai? I tend to like a lot of Rider mechs. It's probably because since they're one product amongst many rather than the bread and butter of the line they're not as prominent and sink into the background more, making them feel more special when they do show up. And then you've got this case, the Den-Liner, where it's just an extension of the show's main setting and draw! Like... I dunno, the battles with the CGI Den-Liner aren't great, but I can't bring myself to dislike it. It's just kinda dumb and fun

The bottom line is that it's good to see the Den-Liner play an active role in battles. It's one more way Den-O loops everything into everything else, so even though I was never a huge fan of the scenes themselves, I honestly deeply appreciate the decision to do them. The Den-Liner is a setting where emotions can happen, a tool that can drive the plot mechanically, and a weapon in the hero's arsenal during fights. That's seriously a great thing in my opinion. Really love the Den-Liner!

FYI Momotaros is based off the Japanese folklore Momotaro(which translates to peach boy), a story of a boy born from a gigantic peach from who knows where that drifted down a stream and picked up by an elderly couple Kal-El style. Boy grew up and later being fed up with the oni trying to mess up their land he went, "Screw them onis, I'mma kick their arses." and went on an epic journey of asskicking towards Onigashima, an island where the onis dwelled. With the help of a dog, monkey, and a pheasant, Momotaro bumrushed the area, kicked some oni ass, got some loot, and lived happily ever after. That is the gist of it.
Design-wise momotaros is based off the oni from this story, while Den-O Sword Form is based off of Momotaro. The compound eyes symbolize the peach that split in two when Momotaro was born and the red chest armor is I believe is supposed to resemble the jinbaori that Momotaro is commonly known to wear in the story when illustrated or depicted in media. And that is also why when the Denliner goes guns blazing part of it transforms into a dog, monkey, and a pheasant.

Also regarding Momotaros’ design is the fact that you can see “MOMO” written on him in various locations like the arms and legs

Very cool! Thanks for the info!

Of course, helping people is more than just defeating villains which can threaten them, which Kamen Rider does do in its shows, and KR is not only the one about that for fictional media too (I think many shows do this, but some audience miss the point), but sadly some audience sometimes just miss the point, and worse, in derogatory way, like my essay before in Kabuto, other than the mindset that heroes are people who beat up bad guys, and the bad guys are bad because the heroes beat them up. In relation to beating up bad guys, some people can think that heroic deeds is as simplistic and limited to saving other's lives, and by that those that are saved have no right to behave in any manner other than being grateful; like objecting to something. While admittedly, someone who acts completely as a jerk to the savior is a complete dick move (and it'll infuriate me, and other audiences), but some people simplify heroic as only about saving other lives can be an uncaring view to it. This sort of thinking encourages radicals and extremists to go on with their mission. Basically, you are encouraging the extremists by telling that that they are right, and they don't need to care about the feelings, thoughts and feedbacks from their targets.

There are much more legitimate life problems other than just being saved or not. The view of heroic being only about saving lives can be callous towards anyone's problems as long as they live and not get killed, and while obviously saving others is a good thing to happen, performing heroic deeds is much more than only that, saving is only a part of it, but neglecting the other part isn't complete heroic deeds; And regarding "saving people's lives", there's still some questions, like what if you save someone from immediate danger by plunging them into a different sort of danger without their prior consent? Or like, you harmed and/or violated a person in order to save him/her from danger? What I said is aimed to someone who thinks characters like ideal heroes such as Eiji or anti-heroes such as Kaito as exactly similarly heroic because limiting hero definition as just anyone that can actually save people in need and treating what they do it for (money, recognition, etc.) or any character flaws as something that doesn’t matter, as long as they can save people. Which means that definition only takes "save people" into account and applies to my lecture here, as in KR mostly anyone on protagonistic side regularly kill monsters that attack humans.

And while phase 1's monsters are mostly acting as the MOTW, don't neglect those phase 1 helping people moments, even if those aren't directed to monsters. In Kuuga, Yusuke is full of little acts of kindness, being freindly and helpful towards strangers of their various problems. In Faiz, Yuji's "therapy" to Takumi. In Blade Kenzaki constantly pleads and searches for a solution that doesn't involve killing Hajime. In Kabuto, Kagami's Gatack debut. And those aren't the only example, those phase 1 series is also full of helping others in positive change ways overall too, even if not for the monsters. If you only talk about helping people thing then there's the treat.

So you finally admit it here that "Japan's not doing great with youth counseling", from what I know before, you excuse the kid's behavior because of them being kids and "there are worse kids than those". And well yeah, a good number of kid is portrayed like that on media, not only Japan thing. Actually, if you excuse those behaviors and not reprimand them, that's the birth of a rotten individual when adult. I mean like, even if they're not threatening yet as a child, children of ruthless dictators are often even more twisted and psychotic than their parents.

And like I said above, KR is not the only media to do this, and I think this is audience influence, but probably, for the petition to making sure that one person isn't living a life of fear and misery, the audience are too focused on a few media who shows terrible people taking advantage of a compassion (but also ignoring or dismissing the parts where gentler approach to emotionally-damaged people works out) to find it believable, and sticks to the belief that people can't change, and clings to the "efficient" solution to always put them down for good, like Tachibana's approach to Hajime.

Yeah, time travel mechanics can have these kind of debates. And if you don't care about it as it's a confusing thing, then fair enough. This is also one of Kobayashi's not telling things. The series probably yeah, won't delve into what's going on between the altered events and present time (the only one's shown is Tetsuo's time and present time), probably even the impact to the present time is just simultaneous to the past one. But yeah, Den-O is the progenitor of phase 2 stuff, as said above, and monsters who interacts on daily basis to humans is more prevalent here, I too think that's a good thing to make monsters more interactive, Imagin changing their host's past for the sake of their wish, though probably the monsters before are made as natural disaster-like, so there are no moral problems on killing those monsters.

Yes why not? Full yes for this moment! A golden chance for Ryotaro to help more, making good outcome for each side, Tetsuo got to be less angsty (likely redeeming him), and Ryotaro possibly being safe now, with him taking on the blame from Hana's mistake who picked the keychain that she stepped on (and she has walked on sands from DenLiner's location). Ryotaro got to know the fantasy elements in his world, and because of that, it's Ryotaro's chance to do more good, which is taming the bully out if he got a chance. Like I said, he helps others whenever possible, but whenever possible, fighting as human form (what he thinks before knowing Den-O) isn't somehting he's able to do. Time travel is a chance for Ryotaro to fix things for anyone instead, even if others plead where Imagins are making things worse for the sake of the their host. But still, to improve things up using time travel, it doesn't always end up in a good note, when a big event (probably Tetsuo and his mother isn't big event in the world, just one person) is altered, then yeah.... and of course, for detonating monster argument, you completely sound in this, as Ryotaro does this in human form, as it's not a problem that requires power to fight, he tags along with time travel. But I want to ask, are the only ones who deserve little grace are the ones that you or audiences are invested in (like terrible jerks who are emotionally-damaged)? And those who don't make impression doesn't, or even deserves hell if they bore you out, like those who cries out "why is this character helping that spineless loser?"

Momotaros being cornered, Ryotaro's bad luck also rubs off on him, he's the biggest source of physical comedy. Momotaros is a foil to Ryotaro's own shy and cowardly personality, where Momotaros is hot-blooded and prideful. There's more to Momotaros' bizzare weirdness, but wouldn't talk about it now. Momotaros also has grandstand approach to things with his bombastic poses, and him naming various things. Momotaros seems to be the one focused on detonating monsters part though, from your talk about, he seems to be the type who pays evil unto evil, like he would just bash thugs head in with the pipe, and likely brutally killing them considering how the attack affects concrete.

I don't think Hana being feisty comes off as a surprise anymore, considering franchise wide, KR includes people like Ozawa, Mari, Hirose, Akiko, Kiriko, Akari, Poppy, Misora, Mei. Also, you aren't ok if a male is being steered without autonomy too, even if it comes from a female? Anyways, yeah it's clearly not, don't know how there's a thought for ordering him around. Hana is completely generous and helpful to Ryotaro, it's much mroe than just burgeoning partnership, while in opposite, she's a hardass to Momotaros, walks a line with being abusive (though Momotaros deserved those for his morally ambiguous approach). There's a reason behind that, but that's spoilers. And Hana is a short for "Hanakuso Onna"!!

They actually DO explain how this works in the show. Time travel in this show is a bit weird, but there is a reason monsters can blow stuff up in the past with no real consequence to the present. It ends up being a key principle in the show, in fact, which comes up time and time again and is the key to the whole thing. So yeah, totally not a usual timetravel handwave thing.