[Kamen Rider Lucha]

Wow, uh, Stage 7 is all over the place.

Before I get negative, I'll start with what I liked. I definitely liked the meat of this episode -- Tsubasa visiting Kai's dream world. I always like that story type. It usually allows a show to explore characters and conflicts in a more impressionistic way. (I once wrote at Teen Titans Animated spec script featuring a very similar plot.) So far these two are the least annoying Magirangers -- so I'm happy to see an episode dedicated to their relationship. For the most part, it worked. I just wish it wasn't so rushed.

Now for the bad. Literally everything else was annoying.

The supply-gathering mission was a complete waste of time, it forced everyone to do something obnoxious, and it distracted from what should have been the episode's A-Story (i.e., the conflict between Kai and Tsubasa). Had we not spent so much time with mindless shenanigans, we could have explored the reasons why Tsubasa and Kai aren't so close. Instead of rushing through the dreamworld stuff, we could have spent some time inside Kai's head, exploring who he is as a character.

I'm really hating both of the girls on this show. After 7 episodes, they're still mindless ciphers. In addition, Makito is an idiot. And Mandora Boy is the most annoying sentai character this side of Gekiranger's evil flying microphone insect thing.

Obviously, Wolzard, Vancuria, and Branken are cool, but the only Magirangers I don't want to exorcise from this show are Tsubasa and Kai. Hopefully, the others can win me over soon or I don't know how much more of this show I can take.


UPDATE:

Just watched Stage 8.

And I can officially say this show hates women. It starts with the girls putting on make up and flying their broom hovercraft to an audition that appears to be taking place in an abandoned Bluth Company housing development.

During said audition, Houka tells the panel that her interests are Homemaking and Flower Arrangement. She then gives the director a lap dance. No, not really, but that's about the level of respect for women this show has. They're all shallow fame whores who lie and cheat to become idols -- and who love to clean the house in their spare time.

And then there's the new spell of the week. A spell only the girls get. One that, I guess, gives everyone the power to perform a perfectly choreographed dance number? And somehow that dancing kills the monster. Whatever. But listen -- if Kai gets an awesome new fire power every other episode, the girls deserve a bit more than an impromptu musical routine-manifestation ability.

Finally, the show ends with Urara serving the boys fresh smoothie drinks, as though she's their fucking maid. Because of course it does.

I know Sentai doesn't have a history of well developed female characters, but come on Magiranger. Get it together.


Other Notes:

So Urara can't see her own future. That's funny cause I swear she saw herself get turned into a statue not two episodes ago. The writers would probably just laugh it off and joke that she was on her period. Because they are the worst.

Wolzard's growth spell is becoming a real problem. It does absolutely nothing to address the classic, "well, why didn't he just cast the growth spell immediately?" question inherent in these situations. I find that lazy.

So, that soccer ball kick finisher is here to stay, huh? Well, I do admit its cooler with a ball of fire than it was as a giant pink soccer ball.