[zenstrive]

For me, the biggest thorns on my sides that are still forced to be kept on this reimagining is the names of the "priests of gorgom"

Bishum, Darom, Baraom, and then Bilgenia. WTF? Why are they named such and keep referring to Kotaro and Nobuhiko as Black Sun and Shadow Moon are not explained, even in passing. Maybe a mention that they are the first children of the Creation King and such.

Also the experiment started in the forties, with the Creation King being a POW and such. That means between the forties and the seventies, they keep making kaijins in secret, and thus maybe those are the starts of kaijin being released into population and mixing with them, creating a kaijin varied population. Maybe that was when the priests get their powers get their gorgom names.

Also the Creation King's twist is clever: He is "king" that is needed to "force create" new kaijins.

And also does anyone realize that belted Kaijins transform full bodied, like Black Sun, Shadow Moon, and Aoi, and since Aoi doesn't have her own fully traumatic experience or rage, she doesn't have "rider form" yet. Maybe the lost of her "revolutionary army" will finally trigger that transformation

Now on to Kotaro himself: He really is not developed good enough on this show, feels like a macguffin himself and not an actual character. He is Black Sun, has a transformation belt, and was involved in the kaijins efforts to revolt.

But his agency is not there. His actions are all to serve the narrative of the plot, not the plot serving his actions. Even when he becomes Kamen Rider Black Sun, he's still hammered down by the plots and not given true victories.

God, sometimes I hate japanese shows and their "edgy" need to constantly drown their characters in sorrow and frustations.