Kamen Rider Gotchard Episode 1: "GOTCHA! Hopper 1!" Discussion
 

A high school student named Houtaro searches for something unique.

not sold on the lead yet still but that was cool. It's just he is shouting a lot so far. Not that I always want edgy and quiet mysterious lead like Ace could be (I liked Aruto in Zero One so why not) but I don't know. a tad too much.

The main girl reminds me a lot of Yua, but younger.

Ichinose home is a revamped Revice home right ?

Oh yeah and daaamn I didn't expect the mentor to die so quickly and in such a wild way. (well, that's a magic show so can't be sure he is dead but damn).

I just started watching, but I have to write how much I like the creative realization of the ability to turn things. The debris turns into burning arrows that hit the victim. Even if CGI fails, it's still very cool and gives unlimited scope for implementation. More precisely, limited only by imagination. To be honest, even if all the fights were based only on this, without riders and kaijins, I would still love this show.

Ouch, if that wasn't the first episode among first episodes that ever first episode'd.

Laughably bad against the likes of Geats or King Ohger, and I'm just comparing the very first episodes here. Gotchard is too basic, predictable and frankly boring.

But it shows potential at least; I see stuff here and there that could be cool. If this was the one episode which had to win me over on the show though? I would stop watching right here.

I'll give it some more time; maybe they can cook up something nice.

Well, here I will express the exact opposite opinion and say that the episode was amazing. The combat and overall abilities of alchemists are great. I also really liked the turmoil that the freed Chemies made. By the way, can this be counted as the first episode with the bike, given that he rode a bit not in CGI form, albeit without a rider.
And the final fight! After showing a reverse version of the remix (one rider transforms with two gimmicks), Gotchard transforms into his main form and a fight ensues. Anyone who has missed the martial arts of show riders should appreciate these kicks, footboards and grips! Hopefully they won't be forgotten in the future.Yes, this is a much more standard episode than the pilot Geats, who took his uniqueness and unusualness. But how magical he is, how inventive in detail, attentive to characters, even as yet unimportant ones like mom or Kaijiki. Also, in the first episode of Geats there was another feature: the main character appeared only for the final battle, and then with a delay. While with Hotaro we spend all the time getting to know his character, dreams and hopes.
Separately, I note that Hopper and Steamliner both tested Hotaro, but tested different qualities. The good-natured and cheerful Hopper appreciated his kindness, because the guy did not leave the huge grasshopper and tried to feed him.The stern and aggressive Steamliner tested his courage, as Hōtaro got into a fight he had no chance in, saving the one that didn't ask for it. Without any of these qualities, he would not have been able to become a Kamen Rider.
Gotchard is a great costume. I love the look, love the makeover and the kick rider is great too. Looking forward to seeing other forms.
Renne, with his gloomy readiness to fulfill his duty, is clearly needed to contrast with the cheerful and optimistic hero. Obviously, alchemy for her is precisely a duty, not a pleasure. Hopefully hanging out with Hōtarō will teach her to enjoy magic. It should also be noted that for once we got a heroine who actively helps in the battle without needing armor. By the way, it is surprising that they almost immediately worked well with Hotaro in a duet, because usually these shows prefer to arrange misunderstandings between future partners.
The Dark Sisters are truly spooky. Slightly strange to change to vibe: "I'm evil and with all my appearance I declare it", but I like their style, activity and a clear difference in personalities, visible even without much focus on the characters.
If I can name a noticeable minus of the episode: too fast narration. Obviously, they had to cut a lot in order for Hotaro to be able to transform in the first episode. It will be nice if they release a director's cut, I'll watch it with pleasure.
P.S. The face of father in the photo is prudently covered with a piece of paper. Is it because they are planning to introduce him without revealing his identity or just have not chosen an actor yet?

YIKES. This first episode was absolutely not fantastic, fun, or interesting. Just felt flat. Maybe I’m just burned out on the formula. Maybe Kamen Rider needs a break to revitalize the franchise, Geats was a well written, well acted series, and I couldn’t “feel” anything for it either. Man, I detest what passes for CGI in KR. It’s so terrible and off-putting.
After rereading this, it’s obvious I’m burnt out on Tokusatsu in general….

My prediction is Kamen Rider Gotchard will be a coming-of-age story, kinda like a fusion between Fourze and Gaim, though very probably not as dark nor heavy as Gaim is.

The surreal-looking isekai reminds me of the Wonder World of Saber. Didn't expect Steamliner Chemy to kidnap Houtarou from the real world. The Neuralyzer spell is a convenient plot device. Also didn't expect that Gotchard is actually the Rider name Houtarou gives to himself. Is the male alchemist holding a blank card beside a cream van actually Minato? Is he also collecting Ride Chemy Cards? Or is he Rinne's dad who's actually still alive? The overall plot is still unpredictable.

Plotwise, I strongly suspect that the main villain, or at least one of the side villains, is going after a mythical, powerful, yet forbidden object, like a Philosopher's Stone, elixir, etc. I also suspect that one or several homunculi/artificial humans will appear. Those are common themes in stories about alchemy and magic. I hope the villains' side will have several factions chasing the same object and betraying each other. The conflict could become more interesting that way.

And lastly, dang, Chemy?Story is a pure banger. That OP's chorus will be permanently carved in my brain. Back-On is the king of catchy, infectious melodies. The song's positive, optimistic, upbeat vibe is similar to Switch On! (Fourze's OP). Real?Eyez, we got a very strong contender for the best Reiwa OP here. Can't wait for the full song!

They're probably saving it for some kind of plot twist. Not sure about it, though. Too obvious.

There are 50 forms, so most of them will probably be either CGI forms (like Revice's Remix forms), ugly forms (like Build's rarely used Best Match forms), or both. I'd rather have a small number of great looking forms (like W, OOO, Wizard, or Drive) than 50 forms with 40 ugly/CGI forms. Quantity will never beat quality.

There didn't seem to be any especially ugly helmets, so there is hope that at least at the level of the original design forms are good. At the expense of the implementation, crew immediately announced that they would not show every form and I would like to believe that the best will be selected. As for CGI, perhaps they should take an example from Saber and for the sake of CGI fights they are transferred to the world of Ouroboros. They look a little more natural there.

I would also like to note that from the obvious Gentaro and Sougo, Hotaro is distinguished by the presence of a mother and the absence of a clear goal. To be honest, that's why he reminds me more of Asuma from Hibiki, only instead of a wise mentor and fatherly figure, Hotaro received a belt and responsibility.

Dunno if I'd get Fourze experience (in airing), but yeah perhaps one more to give a go.

The alchemists seem to be more action-packed than I thought, albeit not engaging physically. This can have a full-action squad without people turning into Riders, so this means the female lead here is also an action-geared one.

Ironically, I enjoy the non-Riders fight done by alchemists better than Gotchard's debut as SteamHopper lol, it's CGI but I think its more flashy and varied. I wonder if Hotaro will have a showcase in his physical abilities, in opposite to how fell he is compared to Rinne academical-wise, with Hotaro being described as a dumb jock.

Not stated outright, but yeah Hotaro would be the usual nice protagonist, where he has a hero complex to not leave Rinne behind regardless if he's a normal person that Rinne urges to go. He's clearly brave and courageous to do that too despite his awkward and stumbling nature. This seems to be the reason he got accepted to be Gotchard. And ofc, like Ikki and Keiwa, he's made as someone who goes along with family like former, and has no path in life like latter, completely starting from zero.... again with depicting the nice ones as pathless losers.

And as others said yeah, Rinne does remind of Yua. Her honor student traits is different from what I expect, the type to be overly strict to tell people to not run and completely no-nonsense to likely not make friends in not knowing Hotaro. She seems to be less strung outside of the school. Despite being the exposition to Hotaro, she doesn't know anything, like Riders.

Minato's another alchemist and... he too tries to keep what's related to alchemy as secret. Not assuming them as being sus like DGP or such - alchemy job seems to be a public service like cops/military in their duty, but dunno if this'd be a misguided path like the extremists in Gaim trying to keep things secret.

So far the Three Dark Sisters are made obviously evil with goth fashion sense, and with them only giving vague motivations, not much to say for now.

Better than I was expecting, so far I'm quite hopeful. The CGI is... not godawful, at times it was actually pretty good.

I was going to speculate that the guy with the red ring is the teacher, before they just revealed it at the end. I'm thinking that the guy who gave the driver to Hotaro is probably his father. I wonder, if that's the case, how Hotaro will react upon the revelation, considering what he saw unfolding before his very eyes. I could be completely wrong, since Hotaro must know what his father looked like less than a decade ago, considering the family picture in their home, and I can't imagine his appearance having completely changed in that time.

It seems that the rumors said that the alchemist who gave the belt was the father of Hotaro's classmate. But still, at the expense of appearance: given all the transformations, I am sure that alchemists can change their faces.

I stopped actively following the rumors around the time of the press conference.

Maybe his father is not involved with any of this in any way, but given that this is Kamen Rider we're talking about, it's more likely that he is than not. Would be kind of funny if he just shows up halfway through the show and he's just completely oblivious.

Can definitely agree with this.

I thought it was fine. A lot of stuff happened very fast, but not too many things too fast, if that makes sense. I definitely wasn't blown away, but I liked it enough to come back next week.

Really like the Gotchard suit in action, though, I will say that. The metallic sheen on the armor looks fantastic.

I like what I see so far. Not much to say but I'll keep up with the show. One thing to note and I don't know how much of an unpopular opinion this is but I wouldn't mind if Rinnie didn't become a Rider herself. Not because I don't think she should be I would be more intreasted if we expand on her being an alchemist imagine if throught the show she gains more magic rings that changes her outfits and even give access to more spells that makes her on par with being a Rider without being one herself. I think that would be neat especially since the show is setting her up as much of a main character as Hotaro

Gotcha!

https://64.media.tumblr.com/deb7fbb4...325o1_250.gifv

The street outside looks similar to Shiawase-Yu, but the inside looks more like Colorful.

(Ryusoulger flashbacks)

My only problem with this was the weird camera angle after Gotchard assumed his humanoid SteamHopper form, but I agree that the rest of the fight scene was awesome! I especially enjoyed the finisher where he jumps at the enemy as a grasshopper and then turns humanoid in midair to deliver the kick!

While I didn't mind the novelty of Ace being a mysterious protagonist, I'm glad that Houtarou is more conventional and easier to read. From the start, he tells us about his motivation to find his "Gotcha" in life and he seems to get along cheerfully with everybody, whether they're a student, teacher, or customer. He reminds me a lot of Gentarou in that way.

Something I found surprising about their dynamic is how despite them being classmates and in their second year, they feel like strangers and yet, neither of them even address each other with the kun and san honorifics like you'd expect in the high school setting.

There's a lot of weird stuff happening to Houtarou in one day, but he's just like, "My name is Gotchard now". That's pretty bad*ss!

I'll need to hear ChemyStory a few more times to judge, but I already enjoy it more than RealEyez, liveDevil and Trust Last. The Reiwa OPs can sound kind of harsh and aggressive, except for ALMIGHTY, so I'm glad to have a return to the Heisei style upbeat energy once more!

The way Houtarou moved with such quick speed and reflexes on SteamLiner was pretty impressive for a human. He definitely seems like he has a lot of physical capability that will benefit him as Gotchard, so I guess he's kind of like a nerd and a jock at the same time.

Rinne's aloofness leaves a bad impression, but maybe we'll see a softer side when she opens up a little. At least, she acts professionally on the field and was nice enough to give a helping hand to Houtarou when he tripped. Apparently, she has a protagonist-like role, so I hope to see more likable traits soon.

Well, Fuga does have the look of an adventurer, who probably found more than he was looking for. But even if he changed his appearance using some kind of alche-magic, he should still be able to recognize his son. I guess it's possible with some weird explanation, but for now, it seems unlikely.

First impressions.

Hotaro reminds me of Kouta. Hopper1 reminds me of pikachu. And the cgi reminds me of zero-one. Ok I can deal with those. The suit looks great in action. And they mentioned how many chemys there are right? 100 something right? Got to catch them all I guess.

I like that the big bad is played by a child. Makes her seem so sinister. Of course she's probably ancient in terms of the show.

And the guy who gave Hotaro the driver can't be his father right? That would be too easy. I think it's a red herring.

Anyway all in all I liked it. It looks promising. I hope the cast is great.

This episode exists. About all I can say about it, really. I'm glad mystery man running away with the driver wasn't Hotaro's father, since he'd recognize him otherwise.

Anyway, I like the look of the suit in action. The camera catches the metallic sheen wonderfully.

This is now region-locked, which leads me to assume that it not being region-locked initially was a mistake.

Or a limited time promotion.

Not a lot of thoughts about the premiere of Gotchard, which is rare for me. Much like the protagonist, I think this is a show that's going to take a little while to figure out what it wants to do. There's a real "Fourze by way of Wizard and also Ghost" thing going on, and it's (purposefully, I'd imagine) significantly lighter in tone than Geats. I am not at all opposed to wacky teenage hijinks in my Kamen Rider, and I like this show as an alternative to Geats's media critique and complicated views on cooperation and individual achievement. This one's just, like, Impulsive Kid Becomes A Magic Superhero, and that's fine for a beginning. I didn't love this first one, but I can see a show in here that I'm really going to connect with around Episode 14 or something.

Biggest surprise is that Gotchard already debuted its Trinity Form, though:

https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/...Rinne_Kudo.png

"Asuma" would register as "Azuma" (one in Revice, one in Geats) with the z being misspelled in at least my mind. It's Asumu.

Perhaps yeah it can be too fast, like Saber, as a con, though I wouldn't mind "basic" stuff that much. This episode (and Hotaro in general) has less cringe factor than I expect tbh IMO.

Oh right... a "normal" human being completely able to participate in battle, now I get what's on my mind, has something like Dr. Strange vibes. Though Rinne isn't the only alchemist, there'd be much more that are like her so even in this setting she wouldn't be "special" among the cast, still being a main character due to emotional connection to the lead. This'd be perhaps what's distinct in Gotchard compared to any others though (previously human looking direct fighters are also genetically enhanced like human form of monster or such).

And Gentarou is one of the only boy scout main protagonists who is universally well-liked. Though it can feel to me that he's more well=liked due to his wild, larger than life, wacky, and exaggerated nature, rather than his morals (thus people'd tolerate the "boring" moral due to his memetic/larger than life character), due to how other characters get compared.

Guess I mean in school, to make up for his embarassment in his class in this episode, particularly if he's established as more of a joke (not a nerd cuz he's stupid academical wise). Though perhaps my compatriots (who already mocked this series especially the MC before it airs) will never acknowledge that showings due to him being just a lil kid (and also his looks being so unremarkable in that).

Softer side is guaranteed as someone in protagonist group, though it won't also erase their other bad impressing traits. But I thought, being professional is, or at least as most media made it, is almost automatically associated with being aloof and cold? This series also seem to paint alchemy job as a police/soldier-like (and seems to be a lighter tone series), so perhaps.... anyone who is a part of them would get any of their questionable or unlikable traits swept under the rug and get depicted as saints due to their occupation.... only a special case would be disqualifying like Isaac (but Reika can perhaps still get seen as just dutiful).

So Houtarou and Rinne as a Kamen Rider and Mahou Shoujo duo? That would be unique for sure. Maybe Rinne's outfits would correspond to RPG magic classes, like white mage, black mage, fighter mage, etc. She's been compared to Phillip as the other half to Houtarou's Shoutarou, but I'm currently getting more of an Eiji and Ankh feeling from them.

Meanwhile, I don't have this problem due to only referring to him by nickname.

A nerd doesn't have to be limited to having general knowledge though. Like Sougo was a history nerd, but sucked at everything else. The way Houtarou enjoys experimenting with bento flavors and got the general idea of what the Renaissance was right, in how it was a very romantic era of dreamchasers, gives me the feeling that he can also be a nerd in a savant way, as well as the fact that his best friend is Kajiki, who is definitely a nerd. Even if some people complain about Houtarou's generic appearance, I'll argue that he still has better fashion sense than Ikki.

I think it's possible to be both professional and amicable, like Rintarou, who was one of the most caring members of that group. The way Rinne coldly said something like, "besides, I don't even know you", seemed kind of uncalled for, like she was deliberately pushing Houtarou away instead of welcoming the opportunity to make a new friend with someone who's literally in the same class as her. But I guess it's too early to judge her yet without understanding the reasons for her behavior.

I'm sure there are a lot of people who think Gentaro is a joyful idiot, especially during the show's run. Do not forget that Fourze was an absolute failure in his time, and his fans fell in love only somewhere after Gaim. Now many fans love Fourze because they associate this show with childhood.
Also, Sota Fukushi is tritely charismatic and, by the standards of the main characters of these shows, definitely enters the top of the best actors. Or maybe even a five.

I think he's more of a weird quiet guy. In any case, Hotaro has at least one friend, so he is clearly not a complete outcast.

I think the reasons for Rinne's gloominess are not so much in alchemy itself, but in the fact that for her this is a family affair. Therefore, she feels a huge responsibility and cannot relax. Also, it can mean several options:
1) She does not like alchemy, but is forced to do it;
2) She loves alchemy, but "burned out" and stopped enjoying miracles;
3) Of all the alchemists, Rinne is the youngest. It is probably very difficult for her to fit in with the others and therefore she does not want to be treated like a child. Maybe that's why the appearance of newcomer Hōtaro will let her breathe easy.

Don't forget the earliest example:
https://i.redd.it/yvc5bcap2oz61.jpg

At a minimum, the girl, in addition to the usual lessons, studies alchemy. Maybe she's so unfriendly because she's tired as hell.

Lots of fun comparisons so far between Gotchard and older Kamen Rider series! Fourze, Gaim, Ghost, Wizard, OOO, Double, Stronger... I'm not sure if it's a positive or negative that so many folks are finding bits of Kamen Rider DNA in the first episode of a non-anniversary season, but it's definitely happening. (Honestly, I think it's just natural for any new season of a 50+ year franchise. We have a vocabulary that's built from previous shows!) This morning, I figured out the previous series that this show's cast and setup most reminded me of:

https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/.../hibiki13a.png

Only child of a single working mother, trying to navigate high school and Kamen Rider action, all while attempting to discover their passion? And then they accidentally intersect with a secret monster-hunting organization that's existed for centuries? With a teenage girl as the prodigy that maybe wants more than what she's been expected to be?

It's Hibiki. Hotaro is Asumu, struggling to find something that excites him, but willing to throw himself into whatever comes his way. Rinne is Akira, the more capable colleague that is maybe starting to wonder what else is out there for her.

And that's perfect? A high school setting isn't unique to Kamen Rider, but the emphasis on self-discovery and trying out different possibilities in order to find your path? That is uniquely Hibiki. Making the main gimmick of the show alchemy, that's just the exact right metaphor for high school discovery: the way different classes and activities and friends and jobs and everything else somehow (hopefully) turns an aimless kid into a focused adult.

Significantly more excited about this show today!

Not that weird given the Japanese context: they're merely acquaintances and he completely drops the honorific when using her name. Big social no-no among people who are merely acquaintances.

Calling Fourze an absolute failure is an exaggeration. Look at the amazing merchandise sales! Personally, I've always enjoyed the show.

That's it! I knew her archetype seemed familiar.

Yeah, I pointed that out earlier in the thread. It's not quite as casual as only using given names, like Gentarou does, but still pretty loose with the social etiquette of the high school setting for Houtarou to only refer to Rinne as "Kudo", without the san. Although, Rinne doesn't even bother to remember Houtarou's name until he saves her from Steamliner, which is the opposite extreme.

And what amazing sales Zi-O had!

Yes, me too, but still, Fourze is not some kind of ideal standard or a show that everyone loves. As far as I remember, when we were making charts according to our tastes of the rider shows, nobody named neither Fourze nor Gentaro their favorite show / rider. At most, Nadeshiko was mentioned once as a favorite tertiary.

Fourze wasn't a failure, but most people have less than stellar memories of it thanks to how character traits were amped up to 11 on the second half of the series. With Gentaro and Yuki basically going from quirky to way too over the top as the show progressed.

I'll be honest, I've been in this fandom for a decade and never seen any real hate for Fourze? Compared to Wizard, Ghost, even Zero-One, it seemed accepted at worst? Not sure where "Fourze was a FAILURE!" is coming from tbh.

And true love? In any case, maybe I misunderstood. Let's write it down in English with too harsh expressions. In any case, I still believe that it is impossible to say that Fourze is directly loved by everyone. And the fact that everyone likes Gentaro all the more.
Anyway, back to the topic itself, there are plenty of reasons why viewers might like Gentaro but not like Hotaro. Even based on the first episode, though both are loud weird school kids, Gentaro has a purpose that he immediately voices. Hotaro doesn't have that, which the show also almost immediately communicates in the most direct way possible. Also, Hotaro receives a belt proving that he is worthy according to all the classic precepts of fairy tales. At the same time, Gentaro actually takes the belt from Kengo, making him a brazen protagonist and effectively putting him on the same level as Tendo. So, Gentaro may be a loser, but cool in his own way, and Hotaro is a confused teenager, with curiosity and a good heart.
And yes, don't forget about looks. People judge differently who they like and who they don't. Many things are forgiven to one, many things cling to others.

Hmmmm....

One of my initial reactions to this episode was "this show isn't going to be for everyone", and looking through here as well as elsewhere online, i think maybe that was a correct assessment lol

This show certainly doesn't have as big, and expectation-defying, of a first episode as Geats. Certainly, I could see a lot of people viewing this show as a downgrade from a show like Geats.

Before I state what I thought of the episode myself, I feel I should get some of my biases out in the open...

Personally I'm quite mixed on Keiichi Hasegawa as a writer, he's written numerous things I've enjoyed greatly but he's definitely delivered some shows and episodes I haven't vibed with at all... I believe he has a lot of potential as head writer, but going into this show I knew that for me personally the vibe was most likely going to be a “love it or hate it” situation

Now, while I really enjoyed Geats, I found it oddly difficult to watch each week, something about it wasn't strongly drawing me in, and watching it started to feel a bit like a chore, despite really enjoying a lot of the content and characters... And tbh, I didn't like Revice at all the year before, it was actually the first rider show I've ever stopped watching mid season solely bc I didn't like it, with no intent of going back to finish it... And while Saber holds a special place in my heart it was a very messy show... All this is to put into context how I was feeling ahead of Gotchard.
(Edit: Genuinely no shade to anyone who more strongly likes any of the listed shows, they all have their own strong points)

I desperately wanted Gotchard to be a show I would enjoy watching every week, and after Revice and Geats there were three main things I wanted from this show:
1. Fun! Something (that at least begins) more light hearted
2. Something that feels like "Kamen Rider" (a very subjective point)
3. I needed to be left with a feeling of “I can’t wait to see more!”

So those were the things I was looking for going into Gotchard... And I have to say...

10s across the board!

Genuinely this show was exactly what I wanted it to be lol

When the show’s premise and staff was first initially revealed a thought I genuinely had was “I want this show to feel like Fourze and Ghost, with a dash of Wizard and Saber”, which uh, probably not a lot of other people would want, but that’s how I felt, and it’s what I feel like I got!

I really cannot overstate how much this episode exactly matched my expectations, if not surpassing them on a few levels

While I could see people finding this episode generic, I found it to be extremely "rider like" in a way i haven't felt a lot of other recent shows to be, and i was just kinda vibing with that lol... I do think it has some of it's own unique and fun ideas too tho!

I really loved the general set-up of this episode, and it being a dedicated “origin” episode. I’m glad the bike, alchemy school, valvarad, and extended cast were not all crammed into this episode, very much appreciate that. I like what this episode chose to focus on, and I don’t think I could point to a single scene that I didn’t enjoy in the entire episode.

Oh also, I love Hotarou naming his own belt and rider form too! Super fun! Don't think we've seen something like that in a while...

I can already see some foreshadowing and set up being carefully placed into the show, and I’m very curious to see how the story and characters pan out as the series progresses

I finished this episode and immediately wanted to watch more, which I feel like I haven’t felt (for rider) in a couple years so I’m thoroughly happy!

Maybe I’ll rewatch the episode and do a point by point summary of everything I liked about the episode lol

I like to think of Gentaro as a more social and loud version of Fonzie. :lolol
That pomp. :lolol

Yeah, this'd be good further insight. I'd want active discussions to get out things like these, but some places just forbid people from getting deep in KR cuz it's merely a children's show.

True, Rintaro is my example as well of an amiable professional - like he defends Hiromi's failure for his efforts, when usually professionals only care about results and coldly rebuffs any reasons as excuses. Though Rintaro is young so perhaps the audience won't view him as the mature, reliable figure (would be considered as one being guided as well for entire SoL, like Touma) unlike actual professionals such as Wakabayashi... But yeah I guess would be too early to judge, because someone like Ichijou has similar hostility to Yuusuke in the beginning of Kuuga, but it only lasts for 3 episodes. I'd think Ogami too in Saber, only lasting in iirc 2 episodes (though he subtly, but constantly holds it against Mei).

Usually, there can be only one chosen among these favorite talk (unless they'd specify about multiples). So unfortunately sometimes a character/series/etc. very highly regarded won't make up the list if there's something else they like better even if they're also very well-liked. Kind of like how in competitions usually only the winner got memorized, but the ones in 2nd or 3rd place, etc. can be nearly as great (or even more but unlucky) as well.

Honestly, I think the real sacred cows (AFAIK) of the franchise are only, the trio golden era of W, OOO, and Fourze. Even shows like Ryuki, Gaim, Ex-Aid, or Geats can get real hate.

I do want to see if there can be light-hearted season that are as tightly-packaged as the darker serialized seasons like Gaim, Ex-Aid, or Geats. Build does have goofiest interactions between main cast, though the theme it brought are dark.

I think "Kamen Rider" spirit would be something that inherently happens in lighter toned show like Gotchard? And I thought for these 2, Revice was already like that too, as something that is light-hearted (outside of bodycounts produced by Orteca), and by that it feels Kamen Rider. Dunno regarding your answer about light-hearted stuff here, but I don't like the preconceived notions of light-hearted shows as black-and-white where anyone on the good side is seen as blameless and never do wrong, while darker shows like Geats are seen as only grey where everyone is seen as the same. Double standard view where anything wrong done by the cast in lighter shows (like what the Taros pull in Den-O) are ignored and swept under the rug only because the villains are far worse (grey and black can exist), while something wrong done in darker shows sticks out far more to people that they're brought up constantly even if it's done by someone kind who hit their limit at certain situation/context and got remorseful, being lumped together with other horrible people only cuz "both have done [x], [x] is bad so everyone who does [x] is bad!".

Oh, I can find a lot of negative comments about them. These shows were widely criticized by fans of the darker shows of the 2000s for their stupidity, loud jingles, ever-increasing number of toys, low stakes and turning into Sentai. Plus, regarding W, only the lazy didn`t criticize the ending with Phillip`s resurrection.

I think the bleakness of Revice comes not from the deaths of nameless extras, but from the fact that the show gets rid of supporting characters like Akemi and the Ushijima family forever and in a very casual manner.

If it's not a tragedy for the show's characters, then the audience perceives it as such. As for the choice to judge by actions, it is quite logical. Repentance is not an excuse, for there are evil-suffering people who commit their atrocities with tear-stained faces. Plus, there are addicts who sincerely repent, but continue to do the same thing. If a character wants to earn forgiveness, he must do something good and then be forgiven quickly enough. Daichi is a great example of this.

I started watching Toku shows at the time that Fourze was the current show being aired, so I have a bit of fondness for Captain Hairgel and the coming of age in school kind of story. It helped prompt me to go backwards in Rider shows and watch more. Gotchard has that same energy, and I'm okay with that. I think people disliked Fourze for what it was because it was such a drastic 180 after OOO.

The Rider melting pot appears to be Decade>Fourze>Build/Wizard>Ex-Aid with the concepts of Cards>School Age>Form Melding using Science/Alchemy>Alt-Form Rider this time. Other than that, the standard troupes are in play. My only critique is the main character being initially listless which gives me Ghost PTSD flashbacks, but I feel he's picking up way faster than Ghost did or Zi-O.

Yes I agree. For some reason, many people forget that they fell in love with Fourze after the end of the show, and during the broadcast it received a lot of hate. I'd say Gotchard is the closest to the Fourze of all the show riders, although calling it a "Reiwa-era Fourze" is also a misnomer.


Houtarou is clearly not like Takeru in character. Rather, he is the middle ground between Gentaro and Sougo. Although, so far he has not had any serious trials/disappointments/betrayals, so we still need to see how he overcomes difficulties.