[Omnikaiser]

so finished Makai Senki yesterday night.

And damn wow.
Probably one of the best toku series I ever seen on many points.

The story :
I'm used to Kamen Rider level of writing (and nothing wrong with it), but here that's something else.
For once I was caught off-guard. At first i was :
"So Leo is the only new real cast member. Something bad will come with him involved for sure then"
Then some hints were dropped like the Gouryuu, the first time Leo is "forced" to fight, etc..., but it was not done the ugly obvious way, it was done quite smartly.

All along the series I was like "It's probably Leo." "Is it really Leo ?" "Oh yeah it's Leo"
I really didn't expect the twin brother plot twist. Until Leo arrives to save Kouga from Sigma, I accepted Leo as the vilain.
I was really pleased to be surprised for once. The show was written well enough to make me question for real and lead me on the wrong path in an intelligent way.
If done in a stupid way I would probably think "oh come on, the twin out of nowhere !?". But it's not the case. Well done.


The music :

I don't have much to say about it. But music is always one of the key factor for me loving a toku show (my favorite KR series coincide with the ones I like the soundtracks the most).
The main Garo theme is one of my favorite of all time (I plan to download every track variation of it). Some of the tracks reminds me a lot of Bayonetta's kind of soundtrack (not the ones from Rei Kondoh though, who is one of my favorite composer. but the others)
and the bayonetta parallel doesn't end here. Even the aesthetic and atmosphere sometimes screams Bayonetta.
The Madou Train could have been inside the game (that whole episode in the train is amazing).
The final bosses fights are totally Bayonetta-ish (Messiah, Karma, Ganon), especially Karma in Red Requiem.
I wouldn't be surprised if some artists (music or art designer or somebody else) worked on both franchises.


other things I liked :

Movie/specials characters returning. that's how you do it Kamen Rider/Super Sentai. Learn from it.

Always pleased to see actors seen also in Kamen Rider series. This time I've seen :
- Vilain of Episode 1 is a young Edith/Sage from Kamen Rider Ghost. I laughed when I recognized him xD (in that episode I also recognized Anri Okita but... nevermind... )

- Vilain of episode 4 is kamen rider Kaixa

- episode 5 depressed man is the funny cop in Kamen rider W

- Episode 6 dead son is Kamen Rider Raia

- Episode 9 actor is Kamen Rider Zangetsu (takatoraaaaaaaaaaaaaa)

- Raimei Kishi Baron is Kamen Rider Zanki/Jiro (I. LOVE. THAT. ACTOR.) Funny thing he is named Wataru here. The same as Kiva's MC where he plays Jiro.

and probably many more I recognized but forgot.



What i didn't like in the season :

- Rei focused episodes.
I'm not fond of Rei'scharacter but episodes involving him wouldn't annoy me if it brings something to his character. Instead, they serve as an excuse to develop one time characters (the middle-age samurai man, and that patissier school girl with her mother). But Rei... Not much about him.

- Kouga and Kaoru's development being non-existant.
It's just... happening. and nothing more.
I know it's difficult to include Kaoru who can't fight in all this. But I expected a bit more moments who make me realize Kouga's attitude is sweetening.
In general I feel we don't see enough of Kaoru.

That scene in Episode 22 when Kaoru saves Kouga from inside Ganon is probably one of my favorite from the whole series though. So touching.

- Sigma's redemption
It's really small but I don't like it at the end.



other thing I want to mention :

I went to bed after finishing the season, and woke up at night realizing something.
Kouga is dead, right ? I mean, of course he isn't really "dead" , we will see him again in the following movie. But all those symbolic scenes.
He leaves for the "promised land"
He disappears like an angel (wings, light, etc...) after they kiss
Kaoru and Gonza's reactions when she returns on ground
The "final" goodbye from the other knights/priests in the last episode.

That's really looking like him dying in a way, but he still promises to come back to fulfill his promise.
Impossible for me to sleep back after I realized it xD


can't wait to see the next movie.