[Dormamu]

I kept wondering the same thing last week, and did some research. From what I've read on other forums and even here on TN the dislike started somewhere around episode 2/3 with the ToQBoner, and went downhill from there. Someone did a whole diatribe on why ToQger is the worst Sentai ever produced on another site (although there are a few threads here on TN), yet that same poster had only watched about 20% of the actual Sentai series in existence.

The arguments are:
1: Flat heroic characters all already done before
2: More of a villain oriented show (it's all about the Shadow Line)
3: ToQBoner, even though it was used ONCE.
4: Lackluster plot for the heroes who only step in once something has already happened.
5: The fact that they're kids in adult bodies, and that's creepy even for the fandom (Chris Matthews calling!)
6: That it aired after Gaim and Gaim was considered infinitely better. Hard act to follow syndrome.
7: No one F$#@!#$ cares about Grita and Schwartz.
8: People think Right is a douche.
9: Kagura's Power Girl is annoying
10: People think even Akira is boring because he's following the typical bad guy gone good theme.
11: No one likes the Mega Choo Choo, Choo Choo Emperor is stupid/a brick
12: Ticket is a douche.
13: Wagon is creepy (only because we make her/it that way)
14: Rabbit Owner of the Rainbow Line gives us nightmares. (Trix are for touching you in bad places) Yet, we now have Nick Furry.
15: Imagination is a TERRIBLE theme. Imagine me not watching this show.
16: People only get Trains if they live in New York or Chicago (and THAT'S from the latest Podcast on this site).

I think part of it is the fantasy entitlement of the fandom that their older than 10 year old selves should have a kids series actually be whatever gives them a chubby, part of it is being too serious about it, and the remaining falls on somewhat flat writing.

Personally, I think it's all horses@#$. I do. ToQger isn't the worst Sentai series created. And if you're claiming that, they you haven't watched several other series. Our memories are selective when it comes to utter #@!!.

Yes, you could claim that Go-Busters was the worst. It also wasn't. It was slick with it's use of the suits, had some very memorable albeit annoying characters, and gave the fandom Beet J. Stag who a lot of people liked. But people hated the pacing. They practically ended the series halfway through, and even reformatted the whole thing to death. Hell, they even kept resurrecting their own enemies because they couldn't bring in new ones!

You could say that about GoSeiger. I fecking hated Alata. Too damn young looking, and clueless. Waste of each weeks scripts. But it was good in it's own right because of sub plots.

Oh, and KyoRyuger? Farting dinosaurs? Happy smiling dinosaurs? Dancing? REALLY? Carnivale? REALLY? Guns as the morphers? Oh, I could go real dark there real fast.

There are many other parts of other Sentai series we don't like. ToQger has some phenomenal character designs with the Shadow Line. The individual ToQgers could have used some actual development (if it had gone with the Tom Hank's 'Big' approach, it would have been amazing), but they actually give some real life lessons for kids.

And the Trains? Give it up on the trains already. It's just a gimmick, and trains are in fact part of 80% of the US infrastructure. I don't know any kid who doesn't know what a train is, and I don't mean Thomas (and yes, I have a 3 year old).

I'm sorry to rant, but I've felt like one of the few that has actually enjoyed this series because I didn't go in with preconceived notions. Particularly after KyoRyuger. But it's the same thing every season when people don't get what they want.

There's no less than seven other threads here on TN about the whys and etc. Obviously people watch what they want. And there's other reasons due to the writer (Kobayashi) that have been portrayed. But I don't feel the series has been unsuccessful. Just unloved.

On topic, I think the best of this series is showing itself with the latest episode. If this had been the same momentum through the entirety, more people would have been excited.