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Kabuto Episode 1
Well that's an explosive way to start.

I really, really love the Kabuto opening theme. I've loved it before I started watching the show, and my love of it will stay throughout the show. I alsways liked the video as well, once again even before I started to watch the show. So coming in I have a love already established for the OP. It sounds good, has a very nice techno beat to it which sounds like a heavier version of the Ryuki and 555 theme (and to a degree the first Blade theme). The accompanying video is nice, so all around the OP is a kick ass song and it along with the video are a great opener for the show.

Holy crap it's an Orphenoch! Nevermind, it's something called a worm. So is this going to be like Blade where the riders work for an organization? Or are the Zectroopers the only ones working for them and the riders are independent and what not? Well I suppose I'll find out.

Speaking of the Zectroopers, I don't really like them. They look really bulky with the way the suits look, as well as the fact that it's all black. I also don't like the helmets. It's like a combination of Ichigo and a fighter pilot's helmet, and it just doesn't click. I guess for a army/police/whatever unit the look fits, but I can't really dig them. The Riotroopers were honestly quite better looking.

Which is a little sad because I do like this scene. It feels very reminiscent of Aliens and even Starship Troopers (mostly Aliens though). This I can dig, but those suits I cannot.

These Worms are like fucking tanks when it comes to the Zectroopers. I mean they just walked through them like it was nothing. And now the damn thing has Digivolved for some unknown reason that they call molting. Is that going to be explained at some point or should I just shut my brain off about it?

That sign

So this is Tendou huh? Cocky, strong, fast, has great reflexes, overall he sort of comes off like a jerk in this introduction scene and I can sort of see why not everybody likes him. But considering my track record with jerks as riders, are you all going to be shocked when I say that so far I like Tendou? He has this aura of self confidence and this knowledge/mind set of that he will decide his own path. I really love that and for me at least, makes him an interesting rider and one to get behind, especially with the deicing his path part. I don't know, so far I like him.

Which seems to be the opposite with his sister. Tendou is calm and collected, as well as quiet. His sister in this first appearance seems like the loud, hyper type. Not saying that's a bad thing, it's just a little contrast I noted. And if she is like that, it's not some bad contrast at all.

He has what? The hell was that scene for?

Macho macho man. I want to be a macho man!

Yup, this is definitely going to be like Blade. Except Zect hasn't gotten wiped out yet.

Where the hell did Tendou get the belt from?

Thank you Tendou. Where the hell are you when I'm stuck in line at Wal-Mart? I could use you. I would vocalize my qualms myself, but I'd say it too rudely. You say all calm like. I'm liking you more now.

So she's, what do you call it, technokenetic?

He's a quick little bugger isn't he. And he can take on the identity of other people ala the T-1000. Do all of the Worms have this ability? Or is it specific towards this one and this one alone?

What's with the belts? Did it get a call or something? Electrical short? Do they just do that when they're near each other?

Something tells me this Hiyori is an important character. How right am I?

So Zectors come to you from the sky/another dimension? Weird.

That's a fairly nice henshin. Don't get why he had to wave it in front of the belt before sliding it into the belt though. However there is one thing I've known about for a while now, that seeing it now has cemented my feelings on: I really do not like that the damn belt talks. I really don't. Don't like it when it says henshin or any of the other stuff it says. It worked with Faiz because the voice came out of a phone, that makes sense. This voice though is coming from nowhere, plus I don't like how the voice sounds that much as a whole. So yeah, not a fan of the talking belt.

I'm loving these slow motion moments. Loved it in the fight with the Zectroppers, and I'm loving it here against Kabuto.

Okay that was a cool way to locate the Worm.

Well episode one has come to an end. All I have to say is...meh.

The story was decent, though it was primary non existent. It did to a degree set up the story of the show, but not a whole lot. All we know is that a company named Zect created rider belts, and that the company fights creatures called Worms. That's it. True it did setup Tendou to be the main character, but it didn't do it all too well. Where did he get the belt from, what are his motivations, just what is his involvement with the story? So to be honest, I don't think this episode worked well with the story elements.

However things pick up outside of the story element. The action was really cool and great in my opinion. The fight at the beginning with the Zectroopers and the Worms was just top notch in my opinion. They aren't riders, but they along with the Worms produced one of my favorite fight scenes in toku. Weird considering it's a squash fight, but the way it is handled I think makes it one of my favorites. The fight between Tendou and the Zectroopers and the Worm was good as well. This one didn't impress me as much though outside of the slow motion moment and the way Tendou located the Worm. But it wasn't nothing to laugh at. It was still an overall good fight scene, I just prefer the first one better.

As for the characters, the only one I can really comment on so far is Tendou. And as I stated earlier, I'm liking him. He's self confident (though he's is a bit cocky about it) and he has this attitude and mindset that he and he alone will decide his path. I really love that about him. Though his hairdo isn't really too good looking though. The other characters were sort of just there. The only other one I suppose I could comment on was the one who almost became Kabuto (I already forget his name), and he just came off as a whiny kid to me. So for now, I don't have much to say about our cast of characters.

So all in all, I thought that this wasn't too bad for a first episode. It didn't really have a story, but it did have some great action which in turn made for some great entertainment. It stopped at a place which has me curious as to what happens next, has some nice music, and a main character who I'm enjoying so far. So I'd say that it was a good episode and that I did in fact like it.