Garo: Versus Road
 

A new series for the 15th Anniversary.

https://thetv.jp/news/detail/221738/

I don't get what the story's about.

Yeah that's weird from automated translators.
Something like Sword Art Online/VR world plot thing.
It seems to be a live action but the plot looks so anime-ish. I don't know what to expect.

I always welcome live action GARO (unlike anime GARO), so yay if it's live action.
But please have more budget than Jinga (This was too obvious) and a better plot that doesn't end in a "huh ?" way.

So I guess it's supposed to be Garo going the route of Gundam Build Divers? Essentially VR-JRPGs are the hottest thing in anime now, so here's Garo jumping on the bandwagon and (hopefully) it'll be good.

Also, it's a darn shame were getting a actual protagonist for this series, I would've paid good money to see Ryosei Konishi as dead serious Kouga trying to fight VR Horrors while comically fumbling around with his controller cables and his headset for half an hour.

Plot sounds it would fit well for a Rider/Sentai story.... Hell even Ultraman, instead of Garo.

Still, I know that Garo isn't exactly known for having high budget, it's why the suits are only used as 'finishers', but like others said hopefully this one will have more budget that Jinga.

I was wondering when we’d finally get an isekai tokusatsu. Not sure I’m thrilled with it being Garo.

Exactly how many entries has Garo had, and are any missing from HiDive?

Garo Art Online.

Five full series, three miniseries, an anthology, and several movies and tv specials. Oh, and three cartoons but they sucked. I have no idea what HiDive is, but the first two shows and interstitial specials are available on blu-ray.

HiDive is another anime streaming service with simulcasts, similar to Crunchyroll and an obvious competitor to them as well!

It was apparently revealed that Garo would stream exclusively on HiDive back in 2017, and of the series and movies they have available:

- Garo: Season 1 (25 Episodes; 2005)

- Garo Special: Beast of the Demon Night (2006)

- Garo: Red Requiem (2010)

- Garo: Makai Senki - Season 2 (25 Episodes; 2011)

- Garo: Kiba - The Dark Knight (2011)

I don't precisely know what is missing from this list, but HiDive has partnered with Sentai Filmworks, and clicking on "SHOP" will divert you to Sentai's official website, which has the Garo Blu-Ray for purchase!

https://www.hidive.com/search?q=garo

So do we know if this series is in its own universe or if it's apart of the Saijema or Ryuga universe? The concept of this series seems quite bizarre, especially for GARO, but as a diehard GARO fan I'll give it a chance.

Yeah, that’s all the stuff that got blu-rays. It’s missing the final a Kouga movie, the Jabi/Rekka spin-off movie, both Zero miniseries, and everything from the Ryuga and Raiga timelines. Basically, everything made after 2012.

I take it none of the 2012-Present material has seen an official Western release, right?

Series begins April 2nd!

still don't know what to expect.
The poster makes you think it will be character packed. Maybe two groups of 5 persons.

Design of the armor is nothing special though. looks like the regular GARO armor with blue "mecha-like" fluo laser lines. But the GARO armor never changed that much between the series and wielders so that's fine.

Key point will be budget like the previous spin-off.

Jinga or Zero Dragon Blood? Because if it's Jinga god I hope not, the show looked like it burned it budget too early like Ultraman Ginga did, I even forgot that Jinga has a Makai Armor!

meant key instead of keep (autocorrect)

But yeah what I meant by that is that a GARO series being good these days depends only about the budget it has.

I liked JINGA on paper, but the execution was horrible due to a very obvious low budget.
Dragon Blood was awesome. Even I don't like Rei that much, this spin-off was really great and probably had the budget it needed.

small trailer : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pv8rnDh_I6Y

debut next week

I'm in, this is either going to be really dumb or really good. Now lets enjoy this death game.

opening :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H20w8jtbqf4

Don't know how long the series will be . I expected a 13 episodes series but the opening is that kind of "GARO 1st 13 episodes part opening" where it's mostly instrumental and JAM Project goes "aaaa aaaa" only.

Maybe that's a 26 episodes series.

I guess the concept of Garo Versus will be: “There can be only one!”

The chosen.

Not a lot of Makai Knights in there. No Makai Alchemists either.

Episode 1 thoughts: It's not a particularly original plot. Kind of follows a basic isekai-ish plot. People 'trapped' in a video game (world). Must fight to survive and win (the prize being GARO and a wish). Although not everyone is a gamer so how they interact and react with the world and others is at least different (you have like the small group of shady-ish business men who decide to just fight for themselves brutally).

While it does have a somewhat refreshing take/twist on the GARO formula, it is definitely missing the key trademark that every main series followed: actual armor transformation. Instead of the whole "who you are and what powers you receive are up to you", everyone should've got that basic Makai Knight armor from Makai Senki and Honoo no Kokuin. So while they are armed, they're all novices to how to fight properly so it makes the whole "fighting to survive" more engaging and impactful when they get picked off by Horrors.

A plus I would give it is that it throws you straight into the plot. No 10-15 minutes of set up then the plot kicks off. You're straight into the story and told/shown what's going on. Characters are alright so far. It's only been 1 episode so not really much to go off of.

The opening theme. Yeah I am not a fan of the opening. I know what they were going for but I feel like they missed the mark. I dont think there's been a single 'bad' opening of GARO, ZERO, etc (there's some that are definitely weaker or stronger than others) but i dont think this is a good opening.

Overall, this was an average start IMO. I'll stick with it to see how it goes and hopefully it gets better. And I hope the armor gets an actual suit. I dont want a repeat of season 3 where it's partial physical or completely CGI.

I don't want CGI armor in this one!

Real armor!!!

Plus Versus Road needs more Makai Knights than just Garo!!! Plus female Makai Knights for once.