[ShyGuy]

Finished OOO recently. I had actually started it a few years ago but dropped it after around 12-15 episodes or so, it just didn’t grab me at the time. Something must have changed between now and then, because this time around I was into it right from the start and thought it was great all the way through. The cast is one of the strongest I’ve seen in Kamen Rider and the story was interesting with a lot of good thematic payoff, making this a top tier season for me.

The highlight of the show is easily its two leads, Eiji and Ankh. Eiji is a great character who gets a lot of fantastic development. The way his life history influences his current status as OOO, and the way it impacts his relationships with others and his personal philosophy as a hero, is all handled fantastically and ties together so cohesively. He’s by far one of the most well-developed lead Riders I’ve seen, and easily among my favorites. Ankh is wonderfully written as well, I especially liked that the audience is regularly reminded that although he’s allied with Eiji, he’s very much a villain who is only in it for himself. Ankh regularly engages in actions and behaviors that are outright villainous and dangerous for Eiji and his allies, and as the show goes on it really does feel like he might turn on them at any moment if it becomes convenient for him to do so. His best material though is definitely near the end, when the differences between him and the other Greed become more apparent, especially in regard to how his time with Eiji and the others has influenced him.

While Eiji and Ankh are obviously the highlights, everyone else is likable as well. I don’t have much to say about them, but I liked them. I thought the villains were good too, they kind of had one-note personalities and didn’t really get much development, but I think that worked here due to their nature as living embodiments of greed. Of course they don’t have much development because it’s entirely antithetical to their existence (Which makes Ankh’s development and desire to go beyond the other Greed that much more significant and effective). I really liked how fragile and insincere their alliance was and relationships with each other were, the constant betrayal and backstabbing made for great entertainment. I also liked what Dr. Maki brought to their dynamic once he allied with them, and I liked his material in general. The whole doll thing was kind of weird and at times made him hard to take seriously as a villain, but for me that was overshadowed by how generally unsettling and unhinged his whole personality was.

Besides the cast and characters, the other thing I liked most about OOO was how it had such a strong sense of theme and message. That’s not something I’m used to seeing in many KR shows, at least not to the level that’s displayed in OOO. It really takes that to a level I wish other entries in the series would, I really like when a show has a point to make. It’s something that elevates the material and just makes it more engaging, at least to me. The way it intertwines and addresses the contrasting philosophies and beliefs of all the different characters is handled at a level few, if any, other KR seasons have reached.

I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed OOO. I have a lot of thoughts about it that didn’t really come through well here, I don’t know what it is but I had a very difficult time fully articulating exactly what it is I liked so much about this series. I think I feel like I just can’t really do it justice with my limited writing ability, but I can at least clearly state that OOO is now one of my favorite seasons. I wish I could give a better explanation of exactly why, but that will have to do. It’s one that will stick with me for sure.