[Byg42]

Alright so after having a hiatus of about 10 or so episodes, I'm finally back on track for Ex-Aid and I've got a few thoughts on my mini marathon

Form wise:

• The Ride Players are basically just Ex-Aid Rio Troopers which I don't mind. I've always liked the concept of Rider based footsoldiers and I'm glad we have a unique suit for them unlike Gaim which just reused the Kurokage suit.

• Simulation Gamer is kinda endearing with how far it goes with the battleship theme. Just wish there was some kind of armor on his shoulders since they look very scrawny with how bulky the rest of the suit is.

• Maximum Gamer is pretty ridiculous looking although I'm not sure whether in a good way or a bad way. I wish the Ex-Aid suit itself was a little different from the Level 2 design, maybe something as simple as a different head. At the very least I'm impressed by the on screen suit acting since well when the heck do we ever see somethig as big as this in a Rider show.

• Kamen Rider Poppy looks about as good as I thought it did in the toy scans. It's a nice riderized version of Poopy herself but I don't like that weird plastic shell in front of her face. I think it's supposed to resemble Ex-Aid's goggles but I think the head would look better if it just had the blank face with the two eyes. Also the blue eyes are better than the red eyes.

• Perfect Knockout Gamer has always been a suit I had problems with. Specifically I feel it should of incorparated more elements from Puzzle and Fighter Gamer. As it stands the biggest elements it takes from those two suits are the colours, the dial on the back, and their forehead gems. His head in general looks more like Ex-Aid's, which I guess is intentional given when it debuted in the story. The coattails are cool though and his colours are pretty well spread out.

Show wise:

• The character of the week subplots are so lame. Like there's a good one here and there but most are entirely forgettable. In other shows I at least got something to think about them, be it positive or negative. Here, just nothing. Part of the problem is that there is a greater emphasis on the shows overarching plot so the subplots are barely, if at all a focus. I understand that they are there to emphasize the shows doctor theme but if you're going to do it, maybe add things like different diseases or conditions, like that one episode with the cancer patient.

• On that subject, the doctor/video game theme really isn't working for me. They are mixing together about as well as water and oil, making the show feel very confused thematically. Like with the character subplots, there are some cases where the theme works like with the Nico/Taiga episode but in most, I think the show would of been better off if they went with one theme or the other.

• As for said overarching plot, it's good. Quite good in fact. The stuff with Nico and Taiga, the further bonding of Emu and Hiiro, and just the whole general pacing of the plot is quite well done. That being said I got some individual thoughts.

• Emu is finally starting to feel like the protagonist of his own gosh darn show. From the revelations of what happened to him in the past, to his interactions with the rest of the cast, it's a pretty good turn around from the earlier episodes where I felt he was just there most of the time. They've got to turn down his naivete though which they thankfully seem to be doing this past few episodes since it really got infuriating a couple of times. I mean I have no problem with naive, idealistic heroes; That's what Takeru was and I was fine with him. It's just that throughout the series Emu naivete backfired on him so many times that it just got annoying at some point. Again they seem to be toning it down now especially with Dan back which is a good thing.

• Speaking of Dan, I'm kinda glad they offed him at the point that they did. I mean he was enjoyable during his turn as the villain but I think if he lasted any longer, his over the top antics would of made him a bit too ridiculous to take seriously. Now that he's back they seem to be playing those elements up more comedically which I like. They make for good memes.

• While the stuff with Poppy is good, why did they take so long to address the big elephant in the room, the fact that she was a Bugster. They mentioned it in a throwaway line back in episode 12 and it was just something that they ignored except during the Burgmon episode. Again the stuff they did with it, from the uncertainty concerning her allegiance with the humans or Bugsters, to Emu still willing protect her despite everyone believing she's too far gone, it's all good. Just why did they take so long to address any of it?

• Pallad confuses me; I'm not totally feeling him as the main villain right now. His motivations and reasoning seem to flip flop between episodes. One moment he says how seriously he takes the lives of Bugsters, next he's saying that the concept of lives are meaningless to Bugsters anyway since they can just endlessly respawn. The biggest thing I can take away that he considers their lives fair game when under the rules of "the game" but what what exactly are the rules of "the game"? The show never really explains much when it's trying to relate real world logic to game logic thus leaving to much to the imagination. On that subject, he hasn't really given much of a reason as to why Bugster and humans have to fight other than because that's how it is in games. Also his obsession with Emu is bordering on the insane to the point that I wonder why none of the other Bugsters have called him out on it.

As for this episode, it's good. It address the uncertainty of having Dan as an ally and dives into a bit of insight concerning his backstory and motivations. The revelation that Poppy was the Bugster of his mom is something I think most people saw coming and again, I feel some of these things should of maybe been foreshadowed earlier in the series. The fight with both Ex-Aid and Genm was cool and seeing the old Genm suit after having Dangerous Zombie for so long was pretty nice.