[Kamen Rider Lucha]

Wow. Um. This is probably a top-5 Sentai premiere in my book. It's easily the best premiere since Gokaiger.

A ton happens in the episode, which effects the pacing, but that's de rigueur for Sentai premieres. I feel like this one-ups most premieres, in that we get a character-focus episode (Garu), in addition to a plot-focus episode. Usually, we get a very quick, superficial introduction to all of the leads. Here, we're given one character with a substantial level of depth and four others with a ton of potential. Of the 30+ premieres I've watched, I can think of like, two that do that.

I know a lot of us have hot-blooded red phobia, but after a show with a very low key red, it's refreshing to have someone with more energy. And at least the actor is better than Takaharu in the first episode of Ninninger. He's also 1000 times less annoying than Magiranger's Kai, Dekaranger's Ban, and Gekiranger's Jan in their respective first episodes. Plus, his first henshin was baller af.

The action was fresh. The mechs were badass (especially their first accidental gattai). The SFX were beautifully designed. The sets are cool. The actors are unique. The villains are suitably threatening (especially compared to Zyuohger).

I was already in it for the long haul, cause it's Sentai, but now a lot of my fears have been allayed.