[Magnugiga]

That's a nice interpretation and I feel that expectation recalibration ('Character Drama feat. Kamen Rider') applies to a lot of Phase I Heisei shows. I'm watching Faiz atm, and the Kamen Rider stuff feels even more like an afterthought, haha. They're just different, for better and for worse, and could be really jarring for viewers more accustomed to the back half of the era.

I re-watched Kuuga a couple years back, and despite the obvious stuff that don't age well as well as severe lack of fun factor, it struck me just how charming the character interaction it could be and how the set of villains could generate the sort of horror and tension that the villains from Phase II Heisei could only dream of. It takes a while to get to the really good part, though.